i and my chimney-第6章

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〃But　when　is　Mr。　Scribe　to　begin　to　pull　it　down？〃　asked　Anna。



　〃Not　to…day；　Anna；〃　said　I。　



〃WHEN；　then？〃　demanded　Julia；　in　alarm。



Now；　if　this　chimney　of　mine　was；　for　size；　a　sort　of　belfry；　for

ding…donging　at　me　about　it；　my　wife　and　daughters　were　a　sort　of

bells；　always　chiming　together；　or　taking　up　each　other's

melodies　at　every　pause；　my　wife　the　key…clapper　of　all。　A　very

sweet　ringing；　and　pealing；　and　chiming；　I　confess；　but　then；　the

most　silvery　of　bells　may；　sometimes；　dismally　toll；　as　well　as

merrily　play。　And　as　touching　the　subject　in　question；　it　became

so　now。　Perceiving　a　strange　relapse　of　opposition　in　me；　wife

and　daughters　began　a　soft　and　dirge…like；　melancholy　tolling

over　it。　



At　length　my　wife；　getting　much　excited；　declared　to　me；　with

pointed　finger；　that　so　long　as　that　chimney　stood；　she　should

regard　it　as　the　monument　of　what　she　called　my　broken　pledge。

But　finding　this　did　not　answer；　the　next　day；　she　gave　me　to

understand　that　either　she　or　the　chimney　must　quit　the　house。　



Finding　matters　coming　to　such　a　pass；　I　and　my　pipe

philosophized　over　them　awhile；　and　finally　concluded　between　us；

that　little　as　our　hearts　went　with　the　plan；　yet　for　peace'

sake；　I　might　write　out　the　chimney's　death…warrant；　and；　while

my　hand　was　in；　scratch　a　note　to　Mr。　Scribe。　



Considering　that　I；　and　my　chimney；　and　my　pipe；　from　having　been

so　much　together；　were　three　great　cronies；　the　facility　with

which　my　pipe　consented　to　a　project　so　fatal　to　the　goodliest　of

our　trio；　or　rather；　the　way　in　　which　I　and　my　pipe；　in　secret；

conspired　togetber；　as　it　were；　against　our　unsuspicious　old

comradethis　may　seem　rather　strange；　if　not　suggestive　of　sad

reflections　upon　us　two。　But；　indeed；　we；　sons　of　clay；　that　is

my　pipe　and　I；　are　no　wbit　better　than　the　rest。　Far　from　us；

indeed；　to　have　volunteered　the　betrayal　of　our　crony。　We　are　of

a　peaceable　nature；　too。　But　that　love　of　peace　it　was　which　made

us　false　to　a　mutual　friend；　as　soon　as　his　cause　demanded　a

vigorous　vindication。　But；　I　rejoice　to　add；　that　better　and

braver　thoughts　soon　returned；　as　will　now　briefly　be　set　forth。　



To　my　note；　Mr。　Scribe　replied　in　person。



Once　more　we　made　a　survey；　mainly　now　with　a　view　to　a　pecuniary

estimate。　



〃I　will　do　it　for　five　hundred　dollars；〃　said　Mr。　Scribe　at　last；

again　hat　in　hand。　



〃Very　well；　Mr。　Scribe；　I　will　think　of　it；〃　replied　I；　again

bowing　him　to　the　door。



Not　unvexed　by　this；　for　the　second　time；　unexpected　response；

again　he　withdrew；　and　from　my　wife；　and　daughters　again　burst

the　old　exclamations。　



The　truth　is；　resolved　how　I　would；　at　the　last　pinch　I　and　my

chimney　could　not　be　parted。　



So　Holofernes　will　have　his　way；　never　mind　whose　heart　breaks

for　it〃　said　my　wife　next　morning；　at　breakfast；　in　that

half…didactic；　half…reproachful　way　of　hers；　which　is　harder　to

bear　than　her　most　energetic　assault。　Holofernes；　too；　is　with

her　a　pet　name　for　any　fell　domestic　despot。　So；　whenever；

against　her　most　ambitious　innovations；　those　which　saw　me　quite

across　the　grain；　I；　as　in　the　present　instance；　stand　with

however　little　steadfastness　on　the　defence；　she　is　sure　to　call

me　Holofernes；　and　ten　to　one　takes　the　first　opportunity　to　read

aloud；　with　a　suppressed　emphasis；　of　an　evening；　the　first

newspaper　paragraph　about　some　tyrannic　day…laborer；　who；　after

being　for　many　years　the　Caligula　of　his　family；　ends　by　beating

his　long…suffering　spouse　to　death；　with　a　garret　door　wrenched

off　its　hinges；　and　then；　pitching　his　little　innocents　out　of

the　window；　suicidally　turns　inward　towards　the　broken　wall

scored　with　the　butcher's　and　baker's　bills；　and　so　rushes

headlong　to　his　dreadful　account。　



Nevertheless；　for　a　few　days；　not　a　little　to　my　surprise；　I

heard　no　further　reproaches。　An　intense　calm　pervaded　my　wife；

but　beneath　which；　as　in　the　sea；　there　was　no　knowing　what

portentous　movements　might　be　going　on。　She　frequently　went

abroad；　and　in　a　direction　which　I　thought　not　unsuspicious；

namely；　in　the　direction　of　New　Petra；　a　griffin…like　house　of

wood　and　stucco；　in　the　highest　style　of　ornamental　art；　graced

with　four　chimneys　in　the　form　of　erect　dragons　spouting　smoke

from　their　nostrils；　the　elegant　modern　residence　of　Mr。　Scribe；

which　he　had　built　for　the　purpose　of　a　standing　advertisement；

not　more　of　his　taste　as　an　architect；　than　his　solidity　as　a

master…mason。　



At　last；　smoking　my　pipe　one　morning；　I　heard　a　rap　at　the　door；

and　my　wife；　with　an　air　unusually　quiet　for　her　brought　me　a

note。　　As　I　have　no　correspondents　except　Solomon；　with　whom　in

his　sentiments；　at　least；　I　entirely　correspond；　the　note

occasioned　me　some　little　surprise；　which　was　not　dismissed　upon

reading　the　following：　



NEW　PETRA；　April　1st。　

SirDuring　my　last　examination　of　your　chimney；　possibly　you　may

have　noted　that　I　frequently　applied　my　rule　to　it　in　a　manner

apparently　unnecessary。　Possibly；　also；　at　the　same　time；　you

might　have　observed　in　me　more　or　less　of　perplexity；　to　which；

however；　I　refrained　from　giving　any　verbal　expression。　



I　now　feel　it　obligatory　upon　me　to　inform　you　of　what　was　then

but　a　dim　suspicion；　and　as　such　would　have　been　unwise　to　give

utterance　to；　but　which　now；　from　various　subsequent　calculations

assuming　no　little　probability；　it　may　be　important　that　you

should　not　remain　in　further　ignorance　of。　

　

It　is　my　solemn　duty　to　warn　you；　sir；　that　there　is

architectural　cause　to　conjecture　that　somewhere　concealed　in

your　chimney　is　a　reserved　space；　hermetically　closed；　in　short；　

a　secret　chamber；　or　rather　closet。　How　long　it　has　been　there；

it　is　for　me　impossible　to　say。　What　it　contains　is　hid；　with

itself；　in　darkness。　But　probably　a　secret　closet　would　not　have

been　contrived　except　for　some　extraordinary　object；　whether　for

the　concealment　of　treasure；　or　for　what　other　purpose；　may　be

left　to　those　better　acquainted　with　the　history　of　the　house　to

guess。　



But　enough：　in　making　this　disclosure；　sir；　my　conscience　is

eased。　Whatever　step　you　choose　to　take　upon　it；　is　of　course　a

matter　of　indifference　to　me；　though；　I　confess；　as　respects　the

character　of　the　closet；　I　cannot　but　share　in　a　natural

curiosity。　Trusting　that　you　may　be　guided　aright；　in　determining

whether　it　is　Christian…like　knowingly　to　reside　in　a　house；

hidden　in　which　is　a　secret　closet；　I　remain；　with　much　respect；　

Yours　very　humbly；　



HIRAM　SCRIBE。　





My　first　thought　upon　reading　this　note　was；　not　of　the　alleged

mystery　of　manner　to　which；　at　the　outset；　it　alluded…for　none

such　had　I　at　all　observed　in　the　master…mason　during　his

surveysbut　of　my　late　kinsman；　Captain　Julian　Dacres；　long　a

ship…master　and　merchant　in　the　Indian　trade；　who；　about　thirty

years　ago；　and　at　the　ripe　age　of　ninety；　died　a　bachelor；　and　in

this　very　house；　which　he　had　built。　　He　was　supposed　to　have

retired　into　this　country　with　a　large　fortune。　　But　to　the

general　surprise；　after　being　at　great　cost　in　building　himself

this　mansion；　he　settled　down　into　a　sedate；　reserved　and

inexpensive　old　age；　which　by　the　neighbors　was　thought　all　the

better　for　his　heirs：　but　lo！　upon　opening　the　will；　his　property

was　found　to　consist　but　of　the　house　and　grounds；　and　some　ten

thousand　dollars　in　stocks；　but　the　place；　being　found　heavily

mortgaged；　was　in　consequence　sold。　Gossip　had　its　day；　and　left

the　grass　quietly　to　creep　over　the　captain's　grave；　where　he

still　slumbers　in　a　privacy　as　unmolested　as　if　the　billows　of

the　Indian　Ocean；　instead　of　the　billows　of　inland　verdure；

rolled　over　him。　Still；　I　remembered　long　ago；　hearing　strange

solutions　whispered　by　the　country　people　for　the　mystery

involving　his　will；　and；　by　reflex；　himself；　and　that；　too；　as

well　in　conscience　as　purse。　But　people　who　could　c