classic mystery and detective stories-第91章

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You　are　right。　　That　is　the　room　in　which　Hugh　Mervyn　was　murdered

by　his　wife。　　I　was　surprised　at　your　question；　for　I　did　not　know

that　anyone　but　my　brothers　and　myself　were　aware　of　the　fact。　　The

subject　is　never　mentioned：　it　is　closely　connected　with　one

intensely　painful　to　our　family；　and　besides；　if　spoken　of；　there

would　be　inconveniences　arising　from　the　superstitious　terrors　of

servants；　and　the　natural　dislike　of　guests　to　sleep　in　a　room

where　such　a　thing　had　happened。　　Indeed　it　was　largely　with　the

view　of　wiping　out　the　last　memory　of　the　crime's　locality；　that　my

father　renewed　the　interior　of　the　room　some　twenty　years　ago。　　The

only　tradition　which　has　been　adhered　to　in　connection　with　it　is

the　one　which　has　now　been　violated　in　your　personthe　one　which

precludes　any　unmarried　woman　from　sleeping　there。　　Except　for

that；　the　room　has；　as　you　know；　lost　all　sinister　reputation；　and

its　title　of　'haunted'　has　become　purely　conventional。

Nevertheless；　as　I　said；　you　are　rightthat　is　undoubtedly　the

room　in　which　the　murder　was　committed。〃



He　stopped　and　looked　up　at　me；　waiting　for　more。



〃Go　on；　tell　me　about　it；　and　what　followed。〃　　My　lips　formed　the

words；　my　heart　beat　too　faintly　for　my　breath　to　utter　them。



〃About　the　murder　itself　there　is　not　much　to　tell。　　The　man；　I

believe；　was　an　inhuman　scoundrel；　and　the　woman　first　killed　him

in　desperation；　and　afterwards　herself　in　despair。　　The　only　detail

connected　with　the　actual　crime　of　which　I　have　ever　heard；　was　the

gale　that　was　blowing　that　nightthe　fiercest　known　to　this

countryside　in　that　generation；　and　it　has　always　been　said　since

that　any　misfortune　to　the　Mervynsespecially　any　misfortune

connected　with　the　cursecomes　with　a　storm　of　wind。　　That　was　why

I　so　disliked　your　story　of　the　imaginary　tempests　which　have

disturbed　your　nights　since　you　slept　there。　　As　to　what

followed；〃he　gave　a　sigh；〃that　story　is　long　enough　and　full　of

incident。　　On　the　morning　after　the　murder；　so　runs　the　tale；　Dame

Alice　came　down　to　the　Grange　from　the　tower　to　which　she　had

retired　when　her　son's　wickednesses　had　driven　her　from　his　house；

and　there　in　the　presence　of　the　two　corpses　she　foretold　the　curse

which　should　rest　upon　their　descendants　for　generations　to　come。

A　clergyman　who　was　present；　horrified；　it　is　said　at　her　words；

adjured　her　by　the　mercy　of　Heaven　to　place　some　term　to　the　doom

which　she　had　pronounced。　　She　replied　that　no　mortal　might　reckon

the　fruit　of　a　plant　which　drew　its　life　from　hell；　that　a　term

there　should　be；　but　as　it　passed　the　wisdom　of　man　to　fix　it；　so

it　should　pass　the　wit　of　man　to　discover　it。　　She　then　placed　in

the　room　this　cabinet；　constructed　by　herself　and　her　Italian

follower；　and　said　that　the　curse　should　not　depart　from　the　family

until　the　day　when　its　doors　were　unlocked　and　its　legend　read。



〃Such　is　the　story。　　I　tell　it　to　you　as　it　was　told　to　me。　　One

thing　only　is　certain；　that　the　doom　thus　traditionally　foretold

has　been　only　too　amply　fulfilled。〃



〃And　what　was　the　doom？〃



Alan　hesitated　a　little；　and　when　he　spoke　his　voice　was　almost

awful　in　its　passionless　sternness；　in　its　despairing　finality；　it

seemed　to　echo　the　irrevocable　judgment　which　his　words　pronounced：

〃That　the　crimes　against　God　and　each　other　which　had　destroyed　the

parents'　life　should　enter　into　the　children's　blood；　and　that

never　thereafter　should　there　fail　a　Mervyn　to　bring　shame　or　death

upon　one　generation　of　his　father's　house。



〃There　were　two　sons　of　that　ill…fated　marriage；〃　he　went　on　after

a　pause；　〃boys　at　the　time　of　their　parents'　death。　　When　they　grew

up　they　both　fell　in　love　with　the　same　woman；　and　one　killed　the

other　in　a　duel。　　The　story　of　the　next　generation　was　a　peculiarly

sad　one。　　Two　brothers　took　opposite　sides　during　the　civil

troubles；　but　so　fearful　were　they　of　the　curse　which　lay　upon　the

family；　that　they　chiefly　made　use　of　their　mutual　position　in

order　to　protect　and　guard　each　other。　　After　the　wars　were　over；

the　younger　brother；　while　traveling　upon　some　parliamentary

commission；　stopped　a　night　at　the　Grange。　　There；　through　a

mistake；　he　exchanged　the　report　which　he　was　bringing　to　London

for　a　packet　of　papers　implicating　his　brother　and　several　besides

in　a　royalist　plot。　　He　only　discovered　his　error　as　he　handed　the

papers　to　his　superior；　and　was　but　just　able　to　warn　his　brother

in　time　for　him　to　save　his　life　by　flight。　　The　other　men　involved

were　taken　and　executed；　and　as　it　was　known　by　what　means

information　had　reached　the　Government；　the　elder　Mervyn　was

universally　charged　with　the　vilest　treachery。　　It　is　said　that

when　after　the　Restoration　his　return　home　was　rumored　the

neighboring　gentry　assembled；　armed　with　riding　whips；　to　flog　him

out　of　the　country　if　he　should　dare　to　show　his　face　there。　　He

died　abroad；　shame…stricken　and　broken…hearted。　　It　was　his　son；

brought　up　by　his　uncle　in　the　sternest　tenets　of　Puritanism；　who；

coming　home　after　a　lengthened　journey；　found　that　during　his

absence　his　sister　had　been　shamefully　seduced。　　He　turned　her　out

of　doors；　then　and　there；　in　the　midst　of　a　bitter　January　night；

and　the　next　morning　her　dead　body　and　that　of　her　new…born　infant

were　found　half　buried　in　the　fresh…fallen　snow　on　the　top　of　the

wolds。　　The　'white　lady'　is　still　supposed　by　the　villagers　to

haunt　that　side　of　the　glen。　　And　so　it　went　on。　　A　beautiful；

heartless　Mervyn　in　Queen　Anne's　time　enticed　away　the　affections

of　her　sister's　betrothed；　and　on　the　day　of　her　own　wedding　with

him；　her　forsaken　sister　was　found　drowned　by　her　own　act　in　the

pond　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden。　　Two　brothers　were　soldiers

together　in　some　Continental　war；　and　one　was　involuntarily　the

means　of　discovering　and　exposing　the　treason　of　the　other。　　A　girl

was　betrayed　into　a　false　marriage；　and　her　life　ruined　by　a　man

who　came　into　the　house　as　her　brother's　friend；　and　whose　infamous

designs　were　forwarded　and　finally　accomplished　by　that　same

brother's　active　though　unsuspecting　assistance。　　Generation　after

generation；　men　or　women；　guilty　or　innocent；　through　the　action　of

their　own　will　or　in　spite　of　it；　the　curse　has　never　yet　failed　of

its　victims。〃



〃Never　yet？　　But　surely　in　our　own　timeyour　father？〃　　I　did　not

dare　to　put　the　question　which　was　burning　my　lips。



〃Have　you　never　heard　of　the　tragic　end　of　my　poor　young　uncles？〃

he　replied。　　〃They　were　several　years　older　than　my　father。　　When

boys　of　fourteen　and　fifteen　they　were　sent　out　with　the　keeper　for

their　first　shooting　lesson；　and　the　elder　shot　his　brother　through

the　heart。　　He　himself　was　delicate；　and　they　say　that　he　never

entirely　recovered　from　the　shock。　　He　died　before　he　was　twenty；

and　my　father；　then　a　child　of　seven　years　old；　became　the　heir。

It　was　partly；　no　doubt；　owing　to　this　calamity　having　thus

occurred　before　he　was　old　enough　to　feel　it；　that　his　comparative

skepticism　on　the　whole　subject　was　due。　　To　that　I　suppose；　and　to

the　fact　that　he　grew　up　in　an　age　of　railways　and　liberal

culture。〃



〃He　didn't　believe；　then；　in　the　curse？〃



〃Well；　rather；　he　thought　nothing　about　it。　　Until；　that　is；　the

time　came　when　it　took　effect；　to　break　his　heart　and　end　his

life。〃



〃How　do　you　mean？〃



There　was　silence　for　a　little。　　Alan　had　turned　away　his　head；　so

that　I　could　not　see　his　face。　　Then



〃I　suppose　you　have　never　been　told　the　true　story　of　why　Jack　left

the　country？〃



〃No。　　Was　heis　he？〃



〃He　is　one　victim　of　the　curse　in　this　generation；　and　I；　God　help

me；　am　the　other；　and　perhaps　more　wretched　one。〃



His　voice　trembled　and　broke；　and　for　the　first　time　that　day　I

almost　forgot　the　mysterious　horror　of　the　night　before；　in　my　pity

for　the　actual；　tangible　suffering　before　me。　　I　stretched　out　my

hand　to　his；　and　his　fingers　clo