the works of edgar allan poe-5-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


strengthen　the　structure　throughout　its　extent。　With　the　edge　of　this
brace　it　appeared　evident　that　the　neck　of　my　unfortunate　friend　had　come
precisely　in　contact。

He　did　not　long　survive　his　terrible　loss。　The　homoeopathists　did　not　give
him　little　enough　physic；　and　what　little　they　did　give　him　he　hesitated
to　take。　So　in　the　end　he　grew　worse；　and　at　length　died；　a　lesson　to　all
riotous　livers。　I　bedewed　his　grave　with　my　tears；　worked　a　bar　sinister
on　his　family　escutcheon；　and；　for　the　general　expenses　of　his　funeral；
sent　in　my　very　moderate　bill　to　the　transcendentalists。　The　scoundrels
refused　to　pay　it；　so　I　had　Mr。　Dammit　dug　up　at　once；　and　sold　him　for
dog's　meat。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THOU　ART　THE　MAN

I　WILL　now　play　the　Oedipus　to　the　Rattleborough　enigma。　I　will　expound　to
you　　as　I　alone　can　　the　secret　of　the　enginery　that　effected　the
Rattleborough　miracle　　the　one；　the　true；　the　admitted；　the　undisputed；
the　indisputable　miracle；　which　put　a　definite　end　to　infidelity　among　the
Rattleburghers　and　converted　to　the　orthodoxy　of　the　grandames　all　the
carnal…minded　who　had　ventured　to　be　sceptical　before。

This　event　　which　I　should　be　sorry　to　discuss　in　a　tone　of　unsuitable
levity　　occurred　in　the　summer　of　18。　Mr。　Barnabas　Shuttleworthy　
one　of　the　wealthiest　and　most　respectable　citizens　of　the　borough　　had
been　missing　for　several　days　under　circumstances　which　gave　rise　to
suspicion　of　foul　play。　Mr。　Shuttleworthy　had　set　out　from　Rattleborough
very　early　one　Saturday　morning；　on　horseback；　with　the　avowed　intention
of　proceeding　to　the　city　of…；　about　fifteen　miles　distant；　and　of
returning　the　night　of　the　same　day。　Two　hours　after　his　departure；
however；　his　horse　returned　without　him；　and　without　the　saddle…bags　which
had　been　strapped　on　his　back　at　starting。　The　animal　was　wounded；　too；
and　covered　with　mud。　These　circumstances　naturally　gave　rise　to　much
alarm　among　the　friends　of　the　missing　man；　and　when　it　was　found；　on
Sunday　morning；　that　he　had　not　yet　made　his　appearance；　the　whole　borough
arose　en　masse　to　go　and　look　for　his　body。

The　foremost　and　most　energetic　in　instituting　this　search　was　the　bosom
friend　of　Mr。　Shuttleworthy　　a　Mr。　Charles　Goodfellow；　or；　as　he　was
universally　called；　〃Charley　Goodfellow；〃　or　〃Old　Charley　Goodfellow。〃
Now；　whether　it　is　a　marvellous　coincidence；　or　whether　it　is　that　the
name　itself　has　an　imperceptible　effect　upon　the　character；　I　have　never
yet　been　able　to　ascertain；　but　the　fact　is　unquestionable；　that　there
never　yet　was　any　person　named　Charles　who　was　not　an　open；　manly；　honest；
good…natured；　and　frank…hearted　fellow；　with　a　rich；　clear　voice；　that　did
you　good　to　hear　it；　and　an　eye　that　looked　you　always　straight　in　the
face；　as　much　as　to　say：　〃I　have　a　clear　conscience　myself；　am　afraid　of
no　man；　and　am　altogether　above　doing　a　mean　action。〃　And　thus　all　the
hearty；　careless；　〃walking　gentlemen〃　of　the　stage　are　very　certain　to　be
called　Charles。

Now；　〃Old　Charley　Goodfellow；〃　although　he　had　been　in　Rattleborough　not
longer　than　six　months　or　thereabouts；　and　although　nobody　knew　any　thing
about　him　before　he　came　to　settle　in　the　neighborhood；　had　experienced　no
difficulty　in　the　world　in　making　the　acquaintance　of　all　the　respectable
people　in　the　borough。　Not　a　man　of　them　but　would　have　taken　his　bare
word　for　a　thousand　at　any　moment；　and　as　for　the　women；　there　is　no
saying　what　they　would　not　have　done　to　oblige　him。　And　all　this　came　of
his　having　been　christened　Charles；　and　of　his　possessing；　in　consequence；
that　ingenuous　face　which　is　proverbially　the　very　〃best　letter　of
recommendation。〃

I　have　already　said　that　Mr。　Shuttleworthy　was　one　of　the　most　respectable
and；　undoubtedly；　he　was　the　most　wealthy　man　in　Rattleborough；　while　〃Old
Charley　Goodfellow〃　was　upon　as　intimate　terms　with　him　as　if　he　had　been
his　own　brother。　The　two　old　gentlemen　were　next…door　neighbours；　and；
although　Mr。　Shuttleworthy　seldom；　if　ever；　visited　〃Old　Charley；〃　and
never　was　known　to　take　a　meal　in　his　house；　still　this　did　not　prevent
the　two　friends　from　being　exceedingly　intimate；　as　I　have　just　observed；
for　〃Old　Charley〃　never　let　a　day　pass　without　stepping　in　three　or　four
times　to　see　how　his　neighbour　came　on；　and　very　often　he　would　stay　to
breakfast　or　tea；　and　almost　always　to　dinner；　and　then　the　amount　of　wine
that　was　made　way　with　by　the　two　cronies　at　a　sitting；　it　would　really　be
a　difficult　thing　to　ascertain。　〃Old　Charleys〃　favorite　beverage　was
Chateau…Margaux；　and　it　appeared　to　do　Mr。　Shuttleworthy's　heart　good　to
see　the　old　fellow　swallow　it；　as　he　did；　quart　after　quart；　so　that；　one
day；　when　the　wine　was　in　and　the　wit　as　a　natural　consequence；　somewhat
out；　he　said　to　his　crony；　as　he　slapped　him　upon　the　back　　〃I　tell　you
what　it　is；　'Old　Charley；'　you　are；　by　all　odds；　the　heartiest　old　fellow
I　ever　came　across　in　all　my　born　days；　and；　since　you　love　to　guzzle　the
wine　at　that　fashion；　I'll　be　darned　if　I　don't　have　to　make　thee　a
present　of　a　big　box　of　the　Chateau…Margaux。　Od　rot　me；〃　　（Mr。
Shuttleworthy　had　a　sad　habit　of　swearing；　although　he　seldom　went　beyond
〃Od　rot　me；〃　or　〃By　gosh；〃　or　〃By　the　jolly　golly；〃）　　〃Od　rot　me；〃　says
he；　〃if　I　don't　send　an　order　to　town　this　very　afternoon　for　a　double　box
of　the　best　that　can　be　got；　and　I'll　make　ye　a　present　of　it；　I　will！　
ye　needn't　say　a　word　now　　I　will；　I　tell　ye；　and　there's　an　end　of　it；
so　look　out　for　it　　it　will　come　to　hand　some　of　these　fine　days；
precisely　when　ye　are　looking　for　it　the　least！〃　I　mention　this　little　bit
of　liberality　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Shuttleworthy；　just　by　way　of　showing　you
how　very　intimate　an　understanding　existed　between　the　two　friends。

Well；　on　the　Sunday　morning　in　question；　when　it　came　to　be　fairly
understood　that　Mr。　Shuttleworthy　had　met　with　foul　play；　I　never　saw　any
one　so　profoundly　affected　as　〃Old　Charley　Goodfellow。〃　When　he　first
heard　that　the　horse　had　come　home　without　his　master；　and　without　his
master's　saddle…bags；　and　all　bloody　from　a　pistol…shot；　that　had　gone
clean　through　and　through　the　poor　animal's　chest　without　quite　killing
him；　when　he　heard　all　this；　he　turned　as　pale　as　if　the　missing　man　had
been　his　own　dear　brother　or　father；　and　shivered　and　shook　all　over　as　if
he　had　had　a　fit　of　the　ague。

At　first　he　was　too　much　overpowered　with　grief　to　be　able　to　do　any　thing
at　all；　or　to　concert　upon　any　plan　of　action；　so　that　for　a　long　time　he
endeavored　to　dissuade　Mr。　Shuttleworthy's　other　friends　from　making　a
stir　about　the　matter；　thinking　it　best　to　wait　awhile　　say　for　a　week
or　two；　or　a　month；　or　two　　to　see　if　something　wouldn't　turn　up；　or　if
Mr。　Shuttleworthy　wouldn't　come　in　the　natural　way；　and　explain　his
reasons　for　sending　his　horse　on　before。　I　dare　say　you　have　often
observed　this　disposition　to　temporize；　or　to　procrastinate；　in　people　who
are　labouring　under　any　very　poignant　sorrow。　Their　powers　of　mind　seem　to
be　rendered　torpid；　so　that　they　have　a　horror　of　any　thing　like　action；
and　like　nothing　in　the　world　so　well　as　to　lie　quietly　in　bed　and　〃nurse
their　grief；〃　as　the　old　ladies　express　it　　that　is　to　say；　ruminate
over　the　trouble。

The　people　of　Rattleborough　had；　indeed；　so　high　an　opinion　of　the　wisdom
and　discretion　of　〃Old　Charley；〃　that　the　greater　part　of　them　felt
disposed　to　agree　with　him；　and　not　make　a　stir　in　the　business　〃until
something　should　turn　up；〃　as　the　honest　old　gentleman　worded　it；　and　I
believe　that；　after　all　this　would　have　been　the　general　determination；
but　for　the　very　suspicious　interference　of　Mr。　Shuttleworthy's　nephew；　a
young　man　of　very　dissipated　habits；　and　otherwise　of　rather　bad
character。　This　nephew；　whose　name　was　Pennifeather；　would　listen　to
nothing　like　reason　in　the　matter　of　〃lying　quiet；〃　but　insisted　upon
making　immediate　search　for　the　〃corpse　of　the　murdered　man。　　This　was
the　expression　he　employed；　and　Mr。　Goodfellow　acutely　remarked　at　the
time；　that　it　was　〃a　singular　expression；　to　say　no　more。〃　This　remark　of
'Old　Charley's；'　too；　had　great　effect　upon　the　crowd；　and