classic mystery and detective stories-第62章

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〃Though　my　heart　was　racked　with　agony；　and　I　would　have　died；　aye；

cheerfully〃　（died；　indeed；　as　if　THAT　were　a　penalty！）　〃to　spare

yonder　lovely　child　a　pang；　I　said　to　her　calmly；　'Blanche　de

Bechamel；　did　Goby　de　Mouchy　tell　you　secret　NUMBER　THREE？'



〃She　whispered　a　oui　that　was　quite　faint；　faint　and　small。　　But

her　poor　father　fell　in　convulsions　at　her　feet。



〃She　died　suddenly　that　night。　　Did　I　not　tell　you　those　I　love

come　to　no　good？　　When　General　Bonaparte　crossed　the　Saint　Bernard；

he　saw　in　the　convent　an　old　monk　with　a　white　beard；　wandering

about　the　corridors；　cheerful　and　rather　stout；　but　madmad　as　a

March　hare。　　'General；'　I　said　to　him；　'did　you　ever　see　that　face

before？'　　He　had　not。　　He　had　not　mingled　much　with　the　higher

classes　of　our　society　before　the　Revolution。　　I　knew　the　poor　old

man　well　enough；　he　was　the　last　of　a　noble　race；　and　I　loved　his

child。〃



〃And　did　she　die　by？〃



〃Man！　did　I　say　so？　　Do　I　whisper　the　secrets　of　the　Vehmgericht？

I　say　she　died　that　night：　and　hehe；　the　heartless；　the　villain；

the　betrayer；you　saw　him　seated　in　yonder　curiosity　shop；　by

yonder　guillotine；　with　his　scoundrelly　head　in　his　lap。



〃You　saw　how　slight　that　instrument　was？　　It　was　one　of　the　first

which　Guillotin　made；　and　which　he　showed　to　private　friends　in　a

hangar　in　the　Rue　Picpus；　where　he　lived。　　The　invention　created

some　little　conversation　among　scientific　men　at　the　time；　though　I

remember　a　machine　in　Edinburgh　of　a　very　similar　construction；　two

hundredwell；　many；　many　years　agoand　at　a　breakfast　which

Guillotin　gave　he　showed　us　the　instrument；　and　much　talk　arose

among　us　as　to　whether　people　suffered　under　it。



〃And　now　I　must　tell　you　what　befell　the　traitor　who　had　caused　all

this　suffering。　　Did　he　know　that　the　poor　child's　death　was　a

SENTENCE？　　He　felt　a　cowardly　satisfaction　that　with　her　was　gone

the　secret　of　his　treason。　　Then　he　began　to　doubt。　　I　had　MEANS　to

penetrate　all　his　thoughts；　as　well　as　to　know　his　acts。　　Then　he

became　a　slave　to　a　horrible　fear。　　He　fled　in　abject　terror　to　a

convent。　　They　still　existed　in　Paris；　and　behind　the　walls　of

Jacobins　the　wretch　thought　himself　secure。　　Poor　fool！　　I　had　but

to　set　one　of　my　somnambulists　to　sleep。　　Her　spirit　went　forth　and

spied　the　shuddering　wretch　in　his　cell。　　She　described　the　street；

the　gate；　the　convent；　the　very　dress　which　he　wore；　and　which　you

saw　to…day。



〃And　now　THIS　is　what　happened。　　In　his　chamber　in　the　Rue　St。

Honore；　at　Paris；　sat　a　man　ALONEa　man　who　has　been　maligned；　a

man　who　has　been　called　a　knave　and　charlatan；　a　man　who　has　been

persecuted　even　to　the　death；　it　is　said；　in　Roman　Inquisitions；

forsooth；　and　elsewhere。　　Ha！　ha！　　A　man　who　has　a　mighty　will。



〃And　looking　toward　the　Jacobins　Convent　（of　which；　from　his

chamber；　he　could　see　the　spires　and　trees）；　this　man　WILLED。　　And

it　was　not　yet　dawn。　　And　he　willed；　and　one　who　was　lying　in　his

cell　in　the　convent　of　Jacobins；　awake　and　shuddering　with　terror

for　a　crime　which　he　had　committed；　fell　asleep。



〃But　though　he　was　asleep　his　eyes　were　open。



〃And　after　tossing　and　writhing；　and　clinging　to　the　pallet；　and

saying　'No；　I　will　not　go；'　he　rose　up　and　donned　his　clothesa

gray　coat；　a　vest　of　white　pique；　black　satin　small…clothes；　ribbed

silk　stockings；　and　a　white　stock　with　a　steel　buckle；　and　he

arranged　his　hair；　and　he　tied　his　queue；　all　the　while　being　in

that　strange　somnolence　which　walks；　which　moves；　which　FLIES

sometimes；　which　sees；　which　is　indifferent　to　pain；　which　OBEYS。

And　he　put　on　his　hat；　and　he　went　forth　from　his　cell：　and　though

the　dawn　was　not　yet；　he　trod　the　corridors　as　seeing　them。　　And　he

passed　into　the　cloister；　and　then　into　the　garden　where　lie　the

ancient　dead。　　And　he　came　to　the　wicket；　which　Brother　Jerome　was

opening　just　at　the　dawning。　　And　the　crowd　was　already　waiting

with　their　cans　and　bowls　to　receive　the　alms　of　the　good　brethren。



〃And　he　passed　through　the　crowd　and　went　on　his　way；　and　the　few

people　then　abroad　who　marked　him；　said；　'Tiens！　　How　very　odd　he

looks！　　He　looks　like　a　man　walking　in　his　sleep！'　　This　was　said

by　various　persons：



〃By　milk　women；　with　their　cans　and　carts；　coming　into　the　town。



〃By　roysterers　who　had　been　drinking　at　the　taverns　of　the　Barrier；

for　it　was　Mid…Lent。



〃By　the　sergeants　of　the　watch；　who　eyed　him　sternly　as　he　passed

near　their　halberds。



〃But　he　passed　on　unmoved　by　their　halberds；



〃Unmoved　by　the　cries　of　the　roysterers；



〃By　the　market　women　coming　with　their　milk　and　eggs。



〃He　walked　through　the　Rue　St。　Honore；　I　say：



〃By　the　Rue　Rambuteau；



〃By　the　Rue　St。　Antoine；



〃By　the　King's　Chateau　of　the　Bastille；



〃By　the　Faubourg　St。　Antoine。



〃And　he　came　to　No。　29　in　the　Rue　Picpusa　house　which　then　stood

between　a　court　and　garden



〃That　is；　there　was　a　building　of　one　story；　with　a　great　coach

door。



〃Then　there　was　a　court；　around　which　were　stables；　coach…houses；

offices。



〃Then　there　was　a　housea　two…storied　house；　with　a　perron　in

front。



〃Behind　the　house　was　a　gardena　garden　of　two　hundred　and　fifty

French　feet　in　length。



〃And　as　one　hundred　feet　of　France　equal　one　hundred　and　six　feet

of　England；　this　garden；　my　friend；　equaled　exactly　two　hundred　and

sixty…five　feet　of　British　measure。



〃In　the　center　of　the　garden　was　a　fountain　and　a　statueor；　to

speak　more　correctly；　two　statues。　　One　was　recumbent；a　man。

Over　him；　saber　in　hand；　stood　a　Woman。



〃The　man　was　Olofernes。　　The　woman　was　Judith。　　From　the　head；　from

the　trunk；　the　water　gushed。　　It　was　the　taste　of　the　doctor：was

it　not　a　droll　of　taste？



〃At　the　end　of　the　garden　was　the　doctor's　cabinet　of　study。　　My

faith；　a　singular　cabinet；　and　singular　pictures！



〃Decapitation　of　Charles　Premier　at　Vitehall。



〃Decapitation　of　Montrose　at　Edimbourg。



〃Decapitation　of　Cinq　Mars。　　When　I　tell　you　that　he　was　a　man　of

taste；　charming！



〃Through　this　garden；　by　these　statues；　up　these　stairs；　went　the

pale　figure　of　him　who；　the　porter　said；　knew　the　way　of　the　house。

He　did。　　Turning　neither　right　nor　left；　he　seemed　to　walk　THROUGH

the　statues；　the　obstacles；　the　flower　beds；　the　stairs；　the　door；

the　tables；　the　chairs。



〃In　the　corner　of　the　room　was　THAT　INSTRUMENT；　which　Guillotin　had

just　invented　and　perfected。　　One　day　he　was　to　lay　his　own　head

under　his　own　ax。　　Peace　be　to　his　name！　　With　him　I　deal　not！



〃In　a　frame　of　mahogany；　neatly　worked；　was　a　board　with　a　half

circle　in　it；　over　which　another　board　fitted。　　Above　was　a　heavy

ax；　which　fellyou　know　how。　　It　was　held　up　by　a　rope；　and　when

this　rope　was　untied；　or　cut；　the　steel　fell。



〃To　the　story　which　I　now　have　to　relate；　you　may　give　credence；　or

not；　as　you　will。　　The　sleeping　man　went　up　to　that　instrument。



〃He　laid　his　head　in　it；　asleep。〃



〃Asleep？〃



〃He　then　took　a　little　penknife　out　of　the　pocket　of　his　white

dimity　waistcoat。



〃He　cut　the　rope　asleep。



〃The　ax　descended　on　the　head　of　the　traitor　and　villain。　　The

notch　in　it　was　made　by　the　steel　buckle　of　his　stock；　which　was

cut　through。



〃A　strange　legend　has　got　abroad　that　after　the　deed　was　done；　the

figure　rose；　took　the　head　from　the　basket；　walked　forth　through

the　garden；　and　by　the　screaming　porters　at　the　gate；　and　went　and

laid　itself　down　at　the　Morgue。　　But　for　this　I　will　not　vouch。

Only　of　this　be　sure。　　'There　are　more　things　in　heaven　and　earth；

Horatio；　than　are　dreamed　of　in　your　philosophy。'　　More　and　more

the　light　peeps　through　the　chinks。　　Soon；　amidst　music　ravishing；

the　curtain　will　rise；　and　the　glorious　scene　be　displayed。　　Adieu！

Remember　me。　　Ha！　'tis　dawn；〃　Pinto　said。　　And　he　was　gone。



I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　my　first　movement　was　to　clutch　the　check

which　he