classic mystery and detective stories-第40章

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was　filled　with　shame　and　grief。　　He　wrote　a　statement　of　the　whole

to　an　Austrian　officer　of　rank；　my　father's　friend；　who　obtained

from　the　emperor　an　order；　claiming　me　as　a　page　of　his　own；　and　an

officer　in　the　household　service。　　O　heavens！　what　a　neglect　that

it　did　not　include　my　sisters！　　However；　the　next　best　thing　was

that　I　should　use　my　influence　at　the　imperial　court　to　get　them

passed　to　Vienna。　　This　I　did；　to　the　utmost　of　my　power。　　But

seven　months　elapsed　before　I　saw　the　emperor。　　If　my　applications

ever　met　his　eye　he　might　readily　suppose　that　your　city；　my

friend；　was　as　safe　a　place　as　another　for　my　sisters。　　Nor　did　I

myself　know　all　its　dangers。　　At　length；　with　the　emperor's　leave

of　absence；　I　returned。　　And　what　did　I　find？　　Eight　months　had

passed；　and　the　faithful　Rachael　had　died。　　The　poor　sisters；

clinging　together；　but　now　utterly　bereft　of　friends；　knew　not

which　way　to　turn。　　In　this　abandonment　they　fell　into　the

insidious　hands　of　the　ruffian　jailer。　　My　eldest　sister；　Berenice；

the　stateliest　and　noblest　of　beauties；　had　attracted　this

ruffian's　admiration　while　she　was　in　the　prison　with　her　mother。

And　when　I　returned　to　your　city；　armed　with　the　imperial　passports

for　all；　I　found　that　Berenice　had　died　in　the　villain's　custody；

nor　could　I　obtain　anything　beyond　a　legal　certificate　of　her

death。　　And；　finally；　the　blooming；　laughing　Mariamne；　she　also　had

diedand　of　affliction　for　the　loss　of　her　sister。　　You；　my

friend；　had　been　absent　upon　your　travels　during　the　calamitous

history　I　have　recited。　　You　had　seen　neither　my　father　nor　my

mother。　　But　you　came　in　time　to　take　under　your　protection；　from

the　abhorred　wretch　the　jailer；　my　little　broken…hearted　Mariamne。

And　when　sometimes　you　fancied　that　you　had　seen　me　under　other

circumstances；　in　her　it　was；　my　dear　friend；　and　in　her　features

that　you　saw　mine。



〃Now　was　the　world　a　desert　to　me。　　I　cared　little；　in　the　way　of

love；　which　way　I　turned。　　But　in　the　way　of　hatred　I　cared

everything。　　I　transferred　myself　to　the　Russian　service；　with　the

view　of　gaining　some　appointment　on　the　Polish　frontier；　which

might　put　it　in　my　power　to　execute　my　vow　of　destroying　all　the

magistrates　of　your　city。　　War；　however；　raged；　and　carried　me　into

far　other　regions。　　It　ceased；　and　there　was　little　prospect　that

another　generation　would　see　it　relighted；　for　the　disturber　of

peace　was　a　prisoner　forever；　and　all　nations　were　exhausted。　　Now；

then；　it　became　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　some　new　mode　for

executing　my　vengeance；　and　the　more　so；　because　annually　some　were

dying　of　those　whom　it　was　my　mission　to　punish。　　A　voice　ascended

to　me；　day　and　night；　from　the　graves　of　my　father　and　mother；

calling　for　vengeance　before　it　should　be　too　late。



I　took　my　measures　thus：　Many　Jews　were　present　at　Waterloo。　　From

among　these；　all　irritated　against　Napoleon　for　the　expectations　he

had　raised；　only　to　disappoint；　by　his　great　assembly　of　Jews　at

Paris；　I　selected　eight；　whom　I　knew　familiarly　as　men　hardened　by

military　experience　against　the　movements　of　pity。　　With　these　as

my　beagles；　I　hunted　for　some　time　in　your　forest　before　opening　my

regular　campaign；　and　I　am　surprised　that　you　did　not　hear　of　the

death　which　met　the　executionerhim　I　mean　who　dared　to　lift　his

hand　against　my　mother。　　This　man　I　met　by　accident　in　the　forest；

and　I　slew　him。　　I　talked　with　the　wretch；　as　a　stranger　at　first；

upon　the　memorable　case　of　the　Jewish　lady。　　Had　he　relented；　had

he　expressed　compunction；　I　might　have　relented。　　But　far

otherwise：　the　dog；　not　dreaming　to　whom　he　spoke；　exulted；　he

But　why　repeat　the　villain's　words？　　I　cut　him　to　pieces。　　Next　I

did　this：　My　agents　I　caused　to　matriculate　separately　at　the

college。　　They　assumed　the　college　dress。　　And　now　mark　the

solution　of　that　mystery　which　caused　such　perplexity。　　Simply　as

students　we　all　had　an　unsuspected　admission　at　any　house。　　Just

then　there　was　a　common　practice；　as　you　will　remember；　among　the

younger　students；　of　going　out　a　maskingthat　is；　of　entering

houses　in　the　academic　dress；　and　with　the　face　masked。　　This

practice　subsisted　even　during　the　most　intense　alarm　from　the

murderers；　for　the　dress　of　the　students　was　supposed　to　bring

protection　along　with　it。　　But；　even　after　suspicion　had　connected

itself　with　this　dress；　it　was　sufficient　that　I　should　appear

unmasked　at　the　head　of　the　maskers；　to　insure　them　a　friendly

reception。　　Hence　the　facility　with　which　death　was　inflicted；　and

that　unaccountable　absence　of　any　motion　toward　an　alarm。　　I　took

hold　of　my　victim；　and　he　looked　at　me　with　smiling　security。　　Our

weapons　were　hid　under　our　academic　robes；　and　even　when　we　drew

them　out；　and　at　the　moment　of　applying　them　to　the　threat；　they

still　supposed　our　gestures　to　be　part　of　the　pantomime　we　were

performing。　　Did　I　relish　this　abuse　of　personal　confidence　in

myself？　　NoI　loathed　it；　and　I　grieved　for　its　necessity；　but　my

mother；　a　phantom　not　seen　with　bodily　eyes；　but　ever　present　to　my

mind；　continually　ascended　before　me；　and　still　I　shouted　aloud　to

my　astounded　victim；　'This　comes　from　the　Jewess！　　Hound　of　hounds！

Do　you　remember　the　Jewess　whom　you　dishonored；　and　the　oaths　which

you　broke　in　order　that　you　might　dishonor　her；　and　the　righteous

law　which　you　violated；　and　the　cry　of　anguish　from　her　son　which

you　scoffed　at？'　　Who　I　was；　what　I　avenged；　and　whom；　I　made　every

man　aware；　and　every　woman；　before　I　punished　them。　　The　details　of

the　cases　I　need　not　repeat。　　One　or　two　I　was　obliged；　at　the

beginning；　to　commit　to　my　Jews。　　The　suspicion　was　thus；　from　the

first；　turned　aside　by　the　notoriety　of　my　presence　elsewhere；　but

I　took　care　that　none　suffered　who　had　not　either　been　upon　the

guilty　list　of　magistrates　who　condemned　the　mother；　or　of　those

who　turned　away　with　mockery　from　the　supplication　of　the　son。



〃It　pleased　God；　however；　to　place　a　mighty　temptation　in　my　path；

which　might　have　persuaded　me　to　forego　all　thoughts　of　vengeance；

to　forget　my　vow；　to　forget　the　voices　which　invoked　me　from　the

grave。　　This　was　Margaret　Liebenheim。　　Ah！　how　terrific　appeared　my

duty　of　bloody　retribution；　after　her　angel's　face　and　angel's

voice　had　calmed　me。　　With　respect　to　her　grandfather；　strange　it

is　to　mention；　that　never　did　my　innocent　wife　appear　so　lovely　as

precisely　in　the　relation　of　granddaughter。　　So　beautiful　was　her

goodness　to　the　old　man；　and　so　divine　was　the　childlike　innocence

on　her　part；　contrasted　with　the　guilty　recollections　associated

with　himfor　he　was　among　the　guiltiest　toward　my　motherstill　I

delayed　HIS　punishment　to　the　last；　and；　for　his　child's　sake；　I

would　have　pardoned　himnay；　I　had　resolved　to　do　so；　when　a

fierce　Jew；　who　had　a　deep　malignity　toward　this　man；　swore　that　he

would　accomplish　HIS　vengeance　at　all　events；　and　perhaps　might　be

obliged　to　include　Margaret　in　the　ruin；　unless　I　adhered　to　the

original　scheme。　　Then　I　yielded；　for　circumstances　armed　this　man

with　momentary　power。　　But　the　night　fixed　on　was　one　in　which　I

had　reason　to　know　that　my　wife　would　be　absent；　for　so　I　had

myself　arranged　with　her；　and　the　unhappy　counter…arrangement　I　do

not　yet　understand。　　Let　me　add；　that　the　sole　purpose　of　my

clandestine　marriage　was　to　sting　her　grandfather's　mind　with　the

belief　that　HIS　family　had　been　dishonored；　even　as　he　had

dishonored　mine。　　He　learned；　as　I　took　care　that　he　should；　that

his　granddaughter　carried　about　with　her　the　promises　of　a　mother；

and　did　not　know　that　she　had　the　sanction　of　a　wife。　　This

discovery　made　him；　in　one　day；　become　eager　for　the　marriage　he

had　previously　opposed；　and　this　discovery　also　embittered　the

misery　of　his　death。　　At　that　moment　I　attempted　to　think　only　of

my　mother's　wrongs；　but；　in　spite　of　all　I　could　do；　this　old　man

appeared　to　me　in　the　light　of　Margaret'