classic mystery and detective stories-第31章

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their　functions　those　of　robbery；　they　would　have　become　less

terrific；　nine　out　of　every　ten　would　have　found　themselves

discharged；　as　it　were；　from　the　roll　of　those　who　were　liable　to　a

visit；　while　such　as　knew　themselves　liable　would　have　had　warning

of　their　danger　in　the　fact　of　being　rich；　and　would；　from　the　very

riches　which　constituted　that　danger；　have　derived　the　means　of

repelling　it。　　But；　as　things　were；　no　man　could　guess　what　it　was

that　must　make　him　obnoxious　to　the　murderers。　　Imagination

exhausted　itself　in　vain　guesses　at　the　causes　which　could　by

possibility　have　made　the　poor　Weishaupts　objects　of　such　hatred　to

any　man。　　True；　they　were　bigoted　in　a　degree　which　indicated

feebleness　of　intellect；　but　THAT　wounded　no　man　in　particular；

while　to　many　it　recommended　them。　　True；　their　charity　was　narrow

and　exclusive；　but　to　those　of　their　own　religious　body　it　expanded

munificently；　and；　being　rich　beyond　their　wants；　or　any　means　of

employing　wealth　which　their　gloomy　asceticism　allowed；　they　had

the　power　of　doing　a　great　deal　of　good　among　the　indigent　papists

of　the　suburbs。　　As　to　the　old　gentleman　and　his　wife；　their

infirmities　confined　them　to　the　house。　　Nobody　remembered　to　have

seen　them　abroad　for　years。　　How；　therefore；　or　when　could　they

have　made　an　enemy？　　And；　with　respect　to　the　maiden　sisters　of　Mr。

Weishaupt；　they　were　simply　weak…minded　persons；　now　and　then　too

censorious；　but　not　placed　in　a　situation　to　incur　serious　anger

from　any　quarter；　and　too　little　heard　of　in　society　to　occupy　much

of　anybody's　attention。



Conceive；　then；　that　three　weeks　have　passed　away；　that　the　poor

Weishaupts　have　been　laid　in　that　narrow　sanctuary　which　no

murderer's　voice　will　ever　violate。　　Quiet　has　not　returned　to　us；

but　the　first　flutterings　of　panic　have　subsided。　　People　are

beginning　to　respire　freely　again；　and　such　another　space　of　time

would　have　cicatrized　our　woundswhen；　hark！　a　church　bell　rings

out　a　loud　alarm；the　night　is　starlight　and　frostythe　iron

notes　are　heard　clear；　solemn；　but　agitated。　　What　could　this　mean？

I　hurried　to　a　room　over　the　porter's　lodge；　and；　opening　the

window；　I　cried　out　to　a　man　passing　hastily　below；　〃What；　in　God's

name；　is　the　meaning　of　this？〃　　It　was　a　watchman　belonging　to　our

district。　　I　knew　his　voice；　he　knew　mine；　and　he　replied　in　great

agitation：



〃It　is　another　murder；　sir；　at　the　old　town　councilor's；　Albernass；

and　this　time　they　have　made　a　clear　house　of　it。〃



〃God　preserve　us！　　Has　a　curse　been　pronounced　upon　this　city？

What　can　be　done？　　What　are　the　magistrates　going　to　do？〃



〃I　don't　know；　sir。　　I　have　orders　to　run　to　the　Black　Friars；

where　another　meeting　is　gathering。　　Shall　I　say　you　will　attend；

sir？〃



〃Yesnostop　a　little。　　No　matter；　you　may　go　on；　I'll　follow

immediately。〃



I　went　instantly　to　Maximilian's　room。　　He　was　lying　asleep　on　a

sofa；　at　which　I　was　not　surprised；　for　there　had　been　a　severe

stag　chase　in　the　morning。　　Even　at　this　moment　I　found　myself

arrested　by　two　objects；　and　I　paused　to　survey　them。　　One　was

Maximilian　himself。　　A　person　so　mysterious　took　precedency　of

other　interests　even　at　a　time　like　this；　and　especially　by　his

features；　which；　composed　in　profound　sleep；　as　sometimes　happens；

assumed　a　new　expression；　which　arrested　me　chiefly　by　awaking　some

confused　remembrance　of　the　same　features　seen　under　other

circumstances　and　in　times　long　past；　but　where？　　This　was　what　I

could　not　recollect；　though　once　before　a　thought　of　the　same　sort

had　crossed　my　mind。　　The　other　object　of　my　interest　was　a

miniature；　which　Maximilian　was　holding　in　his　hand。　　He　had　gone

to　sleep　apparently　looking　at　this　picture；　and　the　hand　which

held　it　had　slipped　down　upon　the　sofa；　so　that　it　was　in　danger　of

falling。　　I　released　the　miniature　from　his　hand；　and　surveyed　it

attentively。　　It　represented　a　lady　of　sunny；　oriental　complexion；

and　features　the　most　noble　that　it　is　possible　to　conceive。　　One

might　have　imagined　such　a　lady；　with　her　raven　locks　and　imperial

eyes；　to　be　the　favorite　sultana　of　some　Amurath　or　Mohammed。　　What

was　she　to　Maximilian；　or　what　HAD　she　been？　　For；　by　the　tear

which　I　had　once　seen　him　drop　upon　this　miniature　when　he　believed

himself　unobserved；　I　conjectured　that　her　dark　tresses　were

already　laid　low；　and　her　name　among　the　list　of　vanished　things。

Probably　she　was　his　mother；　for　the　dress　was　rich　with　pearls；

and　evidently　that　of　a　person　in　the　highest　rank　of　court

beauties。　　I　sighed　as　I　thought　of　the　stern　melancholy　of　her

son；　if　Maximilian　were　he；　as　connected；　probably；　with　the　fate

and　fortunes　of　this　majestic　beauty；　somewhat　haughty；　perhaps；　in

the　expression　of　her　fine　features；　but　still　noblegenerous

confiding。　　Laying　the　picture　on　the　table；　I　awoke　Maximilian；

and　told　him　of　the　dreadful　news。　　He　listened　attentively；　made

no　remark；　but　proposed　that　we　should　go　together　to　the　meeting

of　our　quarter　at　the　Black　Friars。　　He　colored　upon　observing　the

miniature　on　the　table；　and；　therefore；　I　frankly　told　him　in　what

situation　I　had　found　it；　and　that　I　had　taken　the　liberty　of

admiring　it　for　a　few　moments。　　He　pressed　it　tenderly　to　his　lips；

sighed　heavily；　and　we　walked　away　together。



I　pass　over　the　frenzied　state　of　feeling　in　which　we　found　the

meeting。　　Fear；　or　rather　horror；　did　not　promote　harmony；　many

quarreled　with　each　other　in　discussing　the　suggestions　brought

forward；　and　Maximilian　was　the　only　person　attended　to。　　He

proposed　a　nightly　mounted　patrol　for　every　district。　　And　in

particular　he　offered；　as　being　himself　a　member　of　the　university；

that　the　students　should　form　themselves　into　a　guard；　and　go　out

by　rotation　to　keep　watch　and　ward　from　sunset　to　sunrise。

Arrangements　were　made　toward　that　object　by　the　few　people　who

retained　possession　of　their　senses；　and　for　the　present　we

separated。



Never；　in　fact；　did　any　events　so　keenly　try　the　difference　between

man　and　man。　　Some　started　up　into　heroes　under　the　excitement。

Some；　alas　for　the　dignity　of　man！　drooped　into　helpless

imbecility。　　Women；　in　some　cases；　rose　superior　to　men；　but　yet

not　so　often　as　might　have　happened　under　a　less　mysterious　danger。

A　woman　is　not　unwomanly　because　she　confronts　danger　boldly。　　But

I　have　remarked；　with　respect　to　female　courage；　that　it　requires；

more　than　that　of　men；　to　be　sustained　by　hope；　and　that　it　droops

more　certainly　in　the　presence　of　a　MYSTERIOUS　danger。　　The　fancy

of　women　is　more　active；　if　not　stronger；　and　it　influences　more

directly　the　physical　nature。　　In　this　case　few　were　the　women　who

made　even　a　show　of　defying　the　danger。　　On　the　contrary；　with　THEM

fear　took　the　form　of　sadness；　while　with　many　of　the　men　it　took

that　of　wrath。



And　how　did　the　Russian　guardsman　conduct　himself　amidst　this

panic？　　Many　were　surprised　at　his　behavior；　some　complained　of　it；

I　did　neither。　　He　took　a　reasonable　interest　in　each　separate

case；　listened　to　the　details　with　attention；　and；　in　the

examination　of　persons　able　to　furnish　evidence；　never　failed　to

suggest　judicious　questions。　　But　still　he　manifested　a　coolness

almost　amounting　to　carelessness；　which　to　many　appeared　revolting。

But　these　people　I　desired　to　notice　that　all　the　other　military

students；　who　had　been　long　in　the　army；　felt　exactly　in　the　same

way。　　In　fact；　the　military　service　of　Christendom；　for　the　last

ten　years；　had　been　anything　but　a　parade　service；　and　to　those；

therefore；　who　were　familiar　with　every　form　of　horrid　butchery；

the　mere　outside　horrors　of　death　had　lost　much　of　their　terror。

In　the　recent　murder　there　had　not　been　much　to　call　forth

sympathy。　　The　family　consisted　of　two　old　bachelors；　two　sisters；

and　one　grandniece。　　The　niece　was　absent　on　a　visit；　and　the　two

old　men　were　cynical　misers；　to　whom　little　personal　intere