classic mystery and detective stories-第78章

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minded　friends；　whom　you　refuse　to　call　bloodthirsty。〃



〃Constant…minded；　perhaps；　but　why　pitiably　vain？〃



〃Why？　　Because　only　a　diseased　atrocity　of　imagination；　stimulating

a　nature　essentially　base　and　weak　in　its　desire　to　make　itself

conspicuous；　would　or　could　suggest　such　things。　　The　silly　youth

who　'fired　the　Ephesian　dome；'　the　vain　idiot　who　set　fire　to　York

Minster；　the　miserable　Frenchmen　who　have　committed　murder　and

suicide　with　a　view　of　making　their　exit　striking　from　a　world　in

which　their　appearance　had　been　contemptible；　would　all　sink　into

insignificance　beside　the　towering　infamy　of　baseness　whichfor

the　mere　love　of　producing　an　effect　on　the　minds　of　men；　and　thus

drawing　their　attention　upon　him；　which　otherwise　would　never　have

marked　him　at　allcould　scheme　and　execute　crimes　so　horrible　and

inexcusable。　　In　common　charity　to　human　nature；　let　us　suppose　the

wretch　is　mad；　because　otherwise　his　miserable　vanity　would　be　too

loathsome。〃　　I　spoke　with　warmth　and　bitterness；　which　increased　as

I　perceived　him　wincing　under　the　degradation　of　my　contempt。



〃If　his　motive　WERE　vanity；〃　he　said；　〃no　doubt　it　would　be

horrible；　but　may　it　not　have　been　revenge？〃



〃Revenge！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃what！　on　innocent　women？〃



〃You　assume　their　innocence。〃



〃Good　God！　do　you　know　anything　to　the　contrary？〃



〃Not　I。　　But　as　we　are　conjecturing；　I　may　as　well　conjecture　it　to

have　been　the　desire　to　produce　a　startling　effect。〃



〃How　do　you　justify　your　conjecture？〃



〃Simply　enough。　　We　have　to　suppose　a　motive；　let　us　say　it　was

revenge；　and　see　whether　that　will　furnish　a　clue。〃



〃But　it　can't。　　The　two　victims　were　wholly　unconnected　with　each

other　by　any　intermediate　acquaintances；　consequently　there　can

have　been　no　common　wrong　or　common　enmity　in　existence　to　furnish

food　for　vengeance。〃



〃That　may　be　so；　it　may　also　be　that　the　avenger　made　them

vicarious　victims。〃



〃How　so？〃



〃It　is　human　nature。　　Did　you　ever　observe　a　thwarted　child

striking　in　its　anger　the　unoffending　nurse；　destroying　its　toys　to

discharge　its　wrath？　　Did　you　ever　see　a　schoolboy；　unable　to　wreak

his　anger　on　the　bigger　boy　who　has　just　struck　him；　turn　against

the　nearest　smaller　boy　and　beat　him？　　Did　you　ever　know　a

schoolmaster；　angered　by　one　of　the　boy's　parents；　vent　his　pent…up

spleen　upon　the　unoffending　class？　　Did　you　ever　see　a　subaltern

punished　because　an　officer　had　been　reprimanded？　　These　are

familiar　examples　of　vicarious　vengeance。　　When　the　soul　is　stung

to　fury；　it　must　solace　itself　by　the　discharge　of　that　furyit

must　relieve　its　pain　by　the　sight　of　pain　in　others。　　We　are　so

constituted。　　We　need　sympathy　above　all　things。　　In　joy　we　cannot

bear　to　see　others　in　distress；　in　distress　we　see　the　joy　of

others　with　dismal　envy　which　sharpens　our　pain。　　That　is　human

nature。〃



〃And；〃　I　exclaimed；　carried　away　by　my　indignation；　〃you　suppose

that　the　sight　of　these　two　happy　girls；　beaming　with　the　quiet　joy

of　brides；　was　torture　to　some　miserable　wretch　who　had　lost　his

bride。〃



I　had　gone　too　far。　　His　eyes　looked　into　mine。　　I　read　in　his　that

he　divined　the　whole　drift　of　my　suspicionthe　allusion　made　to

himself。　　There　often　passes　into　a　look　more　than　words　can

venture　to　express。　　In　that　look　he　read　that　he　was　discovered；

and　I　read　that　he　had　recognized　it。　　With　perfect　calmness；　but

with　a　metallic　ring　in　his　voice　which　was　like　the　clash　of

swords；　he　said：



〃I　did　not　say　that　I　supposed　this；　but　as　we　were　on　the　wide

field　of　conjectureutterly　without　evidence　one　way　or　the　other；

having　no　clue　either　to　the　man　or　his　motivesI　drew　from　the

general　principles　of　human　nature　a　conclusion　which　was　just　as

plausibleor　absurd　if　you　likeas　the　conclusion　that　the　motive

must　have　been　vanity。〃



〃As　you　say；　we　are　utterly　without　evidence；　and　conjecture　drifts

aimlessly　from　one　thing　to　another。　　After　all；　the　most　plausible

explanation　is　that　of　a　contagion　of　imitation。〃



I　said　this　in　order　to　cover　my　previous　imprudence。　　He　was　not

deceivedthough　for　a　few　moments　I　fancied　he　wasbut　replied：



〃I　am　not　persuaded　of　that　either。　　The　whole　thing　is　a　mystery；

and　I　shall　stay　here　some　time　in　the　hope　of　seeing　it　cleared

up。　　Meanwhile；　for　a　subject　of　conjecture；　let　me　show　you

something　on　which　your　ingenuity　may　profitably　be　employed。〃



He　rose　and　passed　into　his　bedroom。　　I　heard　him　unlocking　and

rummaging　the　drawers；　and　was　silently　reproaching　myself　for　my

want　of　caution　in　having　spoken　as　I　had　done；　though　it　was　now

beyond　all　doubt　that　he　was　the　murderer；　and　that　his　motive　had

been　rightly　guessed；　but　with　this　self…reproach　there　was　mingled

a　self…gratulation　at　the　way　I　had　got　out　of　the　difficulty；　as　I

fancied。



He　returned；　and　as　he　sat　down　I　noticed　that　the　lower　part　of

his　surtout　was　open。　　He　always　wore　a　long　frogged　and　braided

coat　reaching　to　the　kneesas　I　now　know；　for　the　purpose　of

concealing　the　arm　which　hung　（as　he　said；　withered）　at　his　side。

The　two　last　fastenings　were　now　undone。



He　held　in　his　hand　a　tiny　chain　made　of　very　delicate　wire。　　This

he　gave　me；　saying：



〃Now　what　would　you　conjecture　that　to　be？〃



〃Had　it　come　into　my　hands　without　any　remark；　I　should　have　said

it　was　simply　a　very　exquisite　bit　of　ironwork；　but　your　question

points　to　something　more　out　of　the　way。〃



〃It　IS　iron…work；〃　he　said。



Could　I　be　deceived？　　A　third　fastening　of　his　surtout　was　undone！

I　had　seen　but　two　a　moment　ago。



〃And　what　am　I　to　conjecture？〃　I　asked。



〃Where　that　iron　came　from？　　It　was　NOT　from　a　mine。〃　　I　looked　at

it　again；　and　examined　it　attentively。　　On　raising　my　eyes　in

inquiryfortunately　with　an　expression　of　surprise；　since　what　met

my　eyes　would　have　startled　a　cooler　manI　saw　the　fourth

fastening　undone！



〃You　look　surprised；〃　he　continued；　〃and　will　be　more　surprised

when　I　tell　you　that　the　iron　in　your　hands　once　floated　in　the

circulation　of　a　man。　　It　is　made　from　human　blood。〃



〃Human　blood！〃　I　murmured。



He　went　on　expounding　the　physiological　wonders　of　the　blood；how

it　carried；　dissolved　in　its　currents；　a　proportion　of　iron　and

earths；　how　this　iron　was　extracted　by　chemists　and　exhibited　as　a

curiosity；　and　how　this　chain　had　been　manufactured　from　such

extracts。　　I　heard　every　word；　but　my　thoughts　were　hurrying　to　and

fro　in　the　agitation　of　a　supreme　moment。　　That　there　was　a　dagger

underneath　that　coatthat　in　a　few　moments　it　would　flash　forth

that　a　death…struggle　was　at　hand；I　knew　well。　　My　safety

depended　on　presence　of　mind。　　That　incalculable　rapidity　with

which；　in　critical　moments；　the　mind　surveys　all　the　openings　and

resources　of　an　emergency；　had　assured　me　that　there　was　no　weapon

within　reachthat　before　I　could　give　an　alarm　the　tiger　would　be

at　my　throat；　and　that　my　only　chance　was　to　keep　my　eyes　fixed

upon　him；　ready　to　spring　on　him　the　moment　the　next　fastening　was

undone；　and　before　he　could　use　his　arm。



At　last　the　idea　occurred　to　me；　that　as；　with　a　wild　beast；　safety

lies　in　attacking　him　just　before　he　attacks　you；　so　with　this

beast　my　best　chance　was　audacity。　　Looking　steadily　into　his　face；

I　said　slowly：



〃And　you　would　like　to　have　such　a　chain　made　from　my　blood。〃　　I

rose　as　I　spoke。　　He　remained　sitting；　but　was　evidently　taken

aback。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　said。



〃I　mean；〃　said　I；　sternly；　〃that　your　coat　is　unfastened；　and　that

if　another　fastening　is　loosened　in　my　presence；　I　fell　you　to　the

earth。〃



〃You're　a　fool！〃　he　exclaimed。



I　moved　towards　the　door；　keeping　my　eye　fixed　upon　him　as　he　sat

pale　and　glaring　at　me。



〃YOU　are　a　fool；〃　I　said〃　and　worse；　if　you　stir。〃



At　this　moment；　I　know　not　by　what　sense；　as　if　I　had　eyes　at　the

back　of　my　hea