classic mystery and detective stories-第49章

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at　once；　and　for　a　moment　he　was　indeed　almost　qualified　for　an

inmate　of　that　dreadful　mansion。　　He　felt　his　way　to　the　door；

shook　it　with　desperate　strength；　and　uttered　the　most　frightful

cries；　mixed　with　expostulations　and　commands。　　His　cries　were　in　a

moment　echoed　by　a　hundred　voices。　　In　maniacs　there　is　a　peculiar

malignity；　accompanied　by　an　extraordinary　acuteness　of　some　of　the

senses；　particularly　in　distinguishing　the　voice　of　a　stranger。

The　cries　that　he　heard　on　every　side　seemed　like　a　wild　and

infernal　yell　of　joy；　that　their　mansion　of　misery　had　obtained

another　tenant。



He　paused；　exhausted；a　quick　and　thundering　step　was　heard　in　the

passage。　　The　door　was　opened；　and　a　man　of　savage　appearance　stood

at　the　entrance；two　more　were　seen　indistinctly　in　the　passage。

〃Release　me；　villain！〃〃Stop；　my　fine　fellow；　what's　all　this

noise　for？〃　　〃Where　am　I？〃　　〃Where　you　ought　to　be。〃　　〃Will　you

dare　to　detain　me？〃〃Yes；　and　a　little　more　than　that；〃　answered

the　ruffian；　applying　a　loaded　horsewhip　to　his　back　and　shoulders；

till　the　patient　soon　fell　to　the　ground　convulsed　with　rage　and

pain。　　〃Now　you　see　you　are　where　you　ought　to　be；〃　repeated　the

ruffian；　brandishing　the　horsewhip　over　him；　〃and　now　take　the

advice　of　a　friend；　and　make　no　more　noise。　　The　lads　are　ready　for

you　with　the　darbies；　and　they'll　clink　them　on　in　the　crack　of

this　whip；　unless　you　prefer　another　touch　of　it　first。〃　　They　then

were　advancing　into　the　room　as　he　spoke；　with　fetters　in　their

hands　（strait　waistcoats　being　then　little　known　or　used）；　and

showed；　by　their　frightful　countenances　and　gestures；　no

unwillingness　to　apply　them。　　Their　harsh　rattle　on　the　stone

pavement　made　Stanton's　blood　run　cold；　the　effect；　however；　was

useful。　　He　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　acknowledge　his　（supposed）

miserable　condition；　to　supplicate　the　forbearance　of　the　ruthless

keeper；　and　promise　complete　submission　to　his　orders。　　This

pacified　the　ruffian；　and　he　retired。



Stanton　collected　all　his　resolution　to　encounter　the　horrible

night；　he　saw　all　that　was　before　him；　and　summoned　himself　to　meet

it。　　After　much　agitated　deliberation；　he　conceived　it　best　to

continue　the　same　appearance　of　submission　and　tranquillity；　hoping

that　thus　he　might　in　time　either　propitiate　the　wretches　in　whose

hands　he　was；　or；　by　his　apparent　inoffensiveness；　procure　such

opportunities　of　indulgence；　as　might　perhaps　ultimately　facilitate

his　escape。　　He　therefore　determined　to　conduct　himself　with　the

utmost　tranquillity；　and　never　to　let　his　voice　be　heard　in　the

house；　and　he　laid　down　several　other　resolutions　with　a　degree　of

prudence　which　he　already　shuddered　to　think　might　be　the　cunning

of　incipient　madness；　or　the　beginning　result　of　the　horrid　habits

of　the　place。



These　resolutions　were　put　to　desperate　trial　that　very　night。

Just　next　to　Stanton's　apartment　were　lodged　two　most　uncongenial

neighbors。　　One　of　them　was　a　puritanical　weaver；　who　had　been

driven　mad　by　a　single　sermon　from　the　celebrated　Hugh　Peters；　and

was　sent　to　the　madhouse　as　full　of　election　and　reprobation　as　he

could　hold；and　fuller。　　He　regularly　repeated　over　the　five

points　while　daylight　lasted；　and　imagined　himself　preaching　in　a

conventicle　with　distinguished　success；　toward　twilight　his　visions

were　more　gloomy；　and　at　midnight　his　blasphemies　became　horrible。

In　the　opposite　cell　was　lodged　a　loyalist　tailor；　who　had　been

ruined　by　giving　credit　to　the　cavaliers　and　their　ladies；（for　at

this　time；　and　much　later；　down　to　the　reign　of　Anne；　tailors　were

employed　by　females　even　to　make　and　fit　on　their　stays）；who　had

run　mad　with　drink　and　loyalty　on　the　burning　of　the　Rump；　and　ever

since　had　made　the　cells　of　the　madhouse　echo　with　fragments　of　the

ill…fated　Colonel　Lovelace's　song；　scraps　from　Cowley's　〃Cutter　of

Coleman　street；〃　and　some　curious　specimens　from　Mrs。　Aphra　Behn's

plays；　where　the　cavaliers　are　denominated　the　heroicks；　and　Lady

Lambert　and　Lady　Desborough　represented　as　going　to　meeting；　their

large　Bibles　carried　before　them　by　their　pages；　and　falling　in

love　with　two　banished　cavaliers　by　the　way。　　The　voice　in　which　he

shrieked　out　such　words　was　powerfully　horrible；　but　it　was　like

the　moan　of　an　infant　compared　to　the　voice　which　took　up　and

reechoed　the　cry；　in　a　tone　that　made　the　building　shake。　　It　was

the　voice　of　a　maniac；　who　had　lost　her　husband；　children；

subsistence；　and　finally　her　reason；　in　the　dreadful　fire　of

London。　　The　cry　of　fire　never　failed　to　operate　with　terrible

punctuality　on　her　associations。　　She　had　been　in　a　disturbed

sleep；　and　now　started　from　it　as　suddenly　as　on　that　dreadful

night。　　It　was　Saturday　night　too；　and　she　was　always　observed　to

be　particularly　violent　on　that　night；it　was　the　terrible　weekly

festival　of　insanity　with　her。　　She　was　awake；　and　busy　in　a　moment

escaping　from　the　flames；　and　she　dramatized　the　whole　scene　with

such　hideous　fidelity；　that　Stanton's　resolution　was　far　more　in

danger　from　her　than　from　the　battle　between　his　neighbors

Testimony　and　Hothead。　　She　began　exclaiming　she　was　suffocated　by

the　smoke；　then　she　sprung　from　her　bed；　calling　for　a　light；　and

appeared　to　be　struck　by　the　sudden　glare　that　burst　through　her

casement。〃The　last　day；〃　she　shrieked；　〃The　last　day！　　The　very

heavens　are　on　fire！〃〃That　will　not　come　till　the　Man　of　Sin　be

first　destroyed；〃　cried　the　weaver；　〃thou　ravest　of　light　and　fire；

and　yet　thou　art　in　utter　darkness。I　pity　thee；　poor　mad　soul；　I

pity　thee！〃　　The　maniac　never　heeded　him；　she　appeared　to　be

scrambling　up　a　staircase　to　her　children's　room。　　She　exclaimed

she　was　scorched；　singed；　suffocated；　her　courage　appeared　to　fail；

and　she　retreated。　　〃But　my　children　are　there！〃　she　cried　in　a

voice　of　unspeakable　agony；　as　she　seemed　to　make　another　effort；

〃here　I　amhere　I　am　come　to　save　you。Oh　God！　　They　are　all

blazing！Take　this　armno；　not　that；　it　is　scorched　and　disabled

well；　any　armtake　hold　of　my　clothesno；　they　are　blazing　too！

Well；　take　me　all　on　fire　as　I　am！And　their　hair；　how　it

hisses！Water；　one　drop　of　water　for　my　youngesthe　is　but　an

infantfor　my　youngest；　and　let　me　burn！〃　　She　paused　in　horrid

silence；　to　watch　the　fall　of　a　blazing　rafter　that　was　about　to

shatter　the　staircase　on　which　she　stood。〃The　roof　has　fallen　on

my　head！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃The　earth　is　weak；　and　all　the

inhabitants　thereof；〃　chanted　the　weaver；　〃I　bear　up　the　pillars　of

it。〃



The　maniac　marked　the　destruction　of　the　spot　where　she　thought　she

stood　by　one　desperate　bound；　accompanied　by　a　wild　shriek；　and

then　calmly　gazed　on　her　infants　as　they　rolled　over　the　scorching

fragments；　and　sunk　into　the　abyss　of　fire　below。　　〃There　they　go；

onetwothreeall！〃　and　her　voice　sunk　into　low　mutterings；　and

her　convulsions　into　faint；　cold　shudderings；　like　the　sobbings　of

a　spent　storm；　as　she　imagined　herself　to　〃stand　in　safety　and

despair；〃　amid　the　thousand　houseless　wretches　assembled　in　the

suburbs　of　London　on　the　dreadful　nights　after　the　fire；　without

food；　roof；　or　raiment；　all　gazing　on　the　burning　ruins　of　their

dwellings　and　their　property。　　She　seemed　to　listen　to　their

complaints；　and　even　repeated　some　of　them　very　affectingly；　but

invariably　answered　them　with　the　same　words；　〃But　I　have　lost　all

my　childrenall！〃　　It　was　remarkable；　that　when　this　sufferer

began　to　rave；　all　the　others　became　silent。　　The　cry　of　nature

hushed　every　other　cry；she　was　the　only　patient　in　the　house　who

was　not　mad　from　politics；　religion；　ebriety；　or　some　perverted

passion；　and　terrifying　as　the　outbreak　of　her　frenzy　always　was；

Stanton　used　to　await　it　as　a　kind　of　relief　from　the　dissonant；

melancholy；　and　ludicrous　ravings　of　the　others。



But　the　utmost　efforts　of　his　resolution　began　to　sink　under　the

continued　horrors　of　the　place。　　The　impression　on　his　senses　began

to　def