classic mystery and detective stories-第94章

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your　family；　your　name；　me　if　you　will；　and　may　God　forgive　me　that

you　were　ever　born　into　the　world！'〃



Alan　stopped　with　a　shudder；　and　then　continued；　dully；　〃It　was

when　I　heard　those　words；　the　most　terrible　that　a　father　could

have　uttered；　that　I　first　understood　all　that　that　old　sixteenth…

century　tale　might　mean　to　me　and　mine；I　have　realized　it　vividly

enough　since。　　Early　the　next　morning；　when　the　dawn　was　just

breaking；　Jack　came　to　the　door　of　my　room　to　bid　me　good…by。　　All

his　passion　was　gone。　　His　looks　and　tones　seemed　part　and　parcel

of　the　dim　gray　morning　light。　　He　freely　withdrew　all　the　charges

he　had　made　against　me　the　night　before；　forgave　me　all　the　share

that　I　had　had　in　his　misfortunes；　and　then　begged　that　I　would

never　come　near　him；　or　let　him　hear　from　me　again。　　'The　curse　is

heavy　upon　us　both；'　he　said；　'and　it　is　the　only　favor　which　you

can　do　me。'　　I　have　never　seen　him　since。〃



〃But　you　have　heard　of　him！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃what　has　become　of　him？〃



Alan　raised　himself　to　a　sitting　posture。　　〃The　last　that　I　heard；〃

he　said；　with　a　catch　in　his　voice；　〃was　that　in　his　misery　and

hopelessness　he　was　taking　to　drink。　　George　writes　to　him；　and

does　what　he　can；　but　II　dare　not　say　a　word；　for　fear　it　should

turn　to　poison　on　my　lips；I　dare　not　lift　a　hand　to　help　him；　for

fear　it　should　have　power　to　strike　him　to　the　ground。　　The　worst

may　be　yet　to　come；　I　am　still　living；　still　living：　there　are

depths　of　shame　to　which　he　has　not　sunk。　　And　oh；　Evie；　Evie；　he

is　my　own；　my　best…loved　brother！〃



All　his　composure　was　gone　now。　　His　voice　rose　to　a　kind　of　wail

with　the　last　words；　and　folding　his　arms　on　his　raised　knee；　he

let　his　head　fall　upon　them；　while　his　figure　quivered　with

scarcely　restrained　emotion。　　There　was　a　silence　for　some　moments

while　he　sat　thus；　I　looking　on　in　wretched　helplessness　beside

him。　　Then　he　raised　his　head；　and；　without　looking　round　at　me；

went　on　in　a　low　tone：　〃And　what　is　in　the　future？　　I　pray　that

death　instead　of　shame　may　be　the　portion　of　the　next　generation；

and　I　look　at　George's　boys　only　to　wonder　which　of　them　is　the

happy　one　who　shall　some　day　lie　dead　at　his　brother's　feet。　　Are

you　surprised　at　my　resolution　never　to　marry？　　The　fatal　prophecy

is　rich　in　its　fulfillment；　none　of　our　name　and　blood　are　safe；

and　the　day　might　come　when　I　too　should　have　to　call　upon　my

children　to　curse　me　for　their　birth；should　have　to　watch　while

the　burden　which　I　could　no　longer　bear　alone　pressed　the　life　from

their　mother's　heart。〃



Through　the　tragedy　of　this　speech　I　was　conscious　of　a　faint

suggestion　of　comfort；　a　far…off　glimmer；　as　of　unseen　home…lights

on　a　midnight　sky。　　I　was　in　no　mood　then　to　understand；　or　to　seek

to　understand；　what　it　was；　but　I　know　now　that　his　words　had

removed　the　weight　of　helpless　banishment　from　my　spiritthat　his

heart；　speaking　through　them　to　my　own；　had　made　me　for　life　the

sharer　of　his　grief。





VIII





Presently　he　drew　his　shoulders　together　with　a　slight　determined

jerk；　threw　himself　back　upon　the　grass；　and　turning　to　me；　with

that　tremulous；　haggard　smile　upon　his　lips　which　I　knew　so　well；

but　which　had　never　before　struck　me　with　such　infinite　pathos；

〃Luckily；〃　he　said；　〃there　are　other　things　to　do　in　life　besides

being　happy。　　Only　perhaps　you　understand　now　what　I　meant　last

night　when　I　spoke　of　things　which　flesh　and　blood　cannot　bear；　and

yet　which　must　be　borne。〃



Suddenly　and　sharply　his　words　roused　again　into　activity　the

loathsome　memory　which　my　interest　in　his　story　had　partially

deadened。　　He　noticed　the　quick　involuntary　contraction　of　my

muscles；　and　read　it　aright。　　〃That　reminds　me；〃　he　went　on；　〃I

must　claim　your　promise。　　I　have　told　you　my　story。　　Now；　tell　me

yours。〃



I　told　him；　not　as　I　have　set　it　down　here；　though　perhaps　even　in

greater　detail；　but　incoherently；　bit　by　bit；　while　he　helped　me

out　with　gentle　questions；　quickly　comprehending　gestures；　and

patient　waiting　during　the　pauses　of　exhaustion　which　perforce

interposed　themselves。　　As　my　story　approached　its　climax；　his

agitation　grew　almost　equal　to　my　own；　and　he　listened　to　the

close；　his　teeth　clenched；　his　brows　bent；　as　if　passing　again　with

me　through　that　awful　conflict。　　When　I　had　finished；　it　was　some

moments　before　either　of　us　could　speak；　and　then　he　burst　forth

into　bitter　self…reproach　for　having　so　far　yielded　to　his

brother's　angry　obstinacy　as　to　allow　me　to　sleep　the　third　night

in　that　fatal　room。



〃It　was　cowardice；〃　he　said；　〃sheer　cowardice！　　After　all　that　has

happened；　I　dared　not　have　a　quarrel　with　one　of　my　own　blood。　　And

yet　if　I　had　not　hardened　my　heart；　I　had　reason　to　know　what　I　was

risking。〃



〃How　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked。



〃Those　other　two　girls　who　slept　there；〃　he　said；　breathlessly；　〃it

was　in　each　case　after　the　third　night　there　that　they　were　found

deaddead；　Evie；　so　runs　the　story；　with　a　mark　upon　their　necks

similar　in　shape　and　position　to　the　death…wound　which　Margaret

Mervyn　inflicted　upon　herself。〃



I　could　not　speak；　but　I　clutched　his　hand　with　an　almost

convulsive　grip。



〃And　I　knew　the　story；I　knew　it！〃　he　cried。　　〃As　boys　we　were　not

allowed　to　hear　much　of　our　family　traditions；　but　this　one　I　knew。

When　my　father　redid　the　interior　of　the　east　room；　he　removed　at

the　same　time　a　board　from　above　the　doorway　outside；　on　which　had

been　writtenit　is　said　by　Dame　Alice　herselfa　warning　upon　this

very　subject。　　I　happened　to　be　present　when　our　old　housekeeper；

who　had　been　his　nurse；　remonstrated　with　him　warmly　upon　this　act；

and　I　asked　her　afterwards　what　the　board　was；　and　why　she　cared

about　it　so　much。　　In　her　excitement　she　told　me　the　story　of　those

unhappy　girls；　repeating　again　and　again　that；　if　the　warning　were

taken　away；　evil　would　come　of　it。〃



〃And　she　was　right；〃　I　said；　dully。　　〃Oh；　if　only　your　father　had

left　it　there！〃



〃I　suppose；〃　he　answered；　speaking　more　quietly；　〃that　he　was

impatient　of　traditions　which；　as　I　told　you；　he　at　that　time　more

than　half　despised。　　Indeed　he　altered　the　shape　of　the　doorway；

raising　it；　and　making　it　flat　and　square；　so　that　the　old

inscription　could　not　have　been　replaced；　even　had　it　been　wished。

I　remember　it　was　fitted　round　the　low　Tudor　arch　which　was

previously　there。〃



My　mind；　too　worn　with　many　emotions　for　deliberate　thought；

wandered　on　languidly；　and　as　it　were　mechanically；　upon　these　last

trivial　words。　　The　doorway　presented　itself　to　my　view　as　it　had

originally　stood；　with　the　discarded　warning　above　it；　and　then；　by

a　spontaneous　comparison　of　mental　vision；　I　recalled　the　painted

board　which　I　had　noticed　three　days　before　in　Dame　Alice's　tower。

I　suggested　to　Alan　that　it　might　have　been　the　identical　oneits

shape　was　as　he　described。　　〃Very　likely；〃　he　answered；　absently。

〃Do　you　remember　what　the　words　were？〃



〃Yes；　I　think　so；〃　I　replied。　　〃Let　me　see。〃　　And　I　repeated　them

slowly；　dragging　them　out　as　it　were　one　by　one　from　my　memory：





　　　　　〃Where　the　woman　sinned　the　maid　shall　win；

　　　　　　But　God　help　the　maid　that　sleeps　within。〃





〃You　see；〃　I　said；　turning　towards　him　slowly；　〃the　last　line　is　a

warning　such　as　you　spoke　of。〃



But　to　my　surprise　Alan　had　sprung　to　his　feet；　and　was　looking

down　at　me；　his　whole　body　quivering　with　excitement。　　〃Yes；　Evie；〃

he　cried；　〃and　the　first　line　is　a　prophecy；where　the　woman

sinned　the　maid　HAS　won。〃　　He　seized　the　hand　which　I　instinctively

reached　out　to　him。　　〃We　have　not　seen　the　end　of　this　yet；〃　he

went　on；　speaking　rapidly；　and　as　if　articulation　had　become

difficult　to　him。　　〃Come；　Evie；　we　must　go　back　to　the　house　and

look　at　the　cabinetnow；　at　once。〃



I　had　risen　to　my　feet　by　this　time；　but　I　shrank　away　at　those

words。　　〃To　that　room？　　Oh；　Alanno；　I　cannot。〃



H