the works of edgar allan poe-5-第7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！



The　arrangements　of　the　room　had　been　left　to　Trippetta's　superintendence；
but；　in　some　particulars；　it　seems；　she　had　been　guided　by　the　calmer
judgment　of　her　friend　the　dwarf。　At　his　suggestion　it　was　that；　on　this
occasion；　the　chandelier　was　removed。　Its　waxen　drippings　（which；　in
weather　so　warm；　it　was　quite　impossible　to　prevent）　would　have　been
seriously　detrimental　to　the　rich　dresses　of　the　guests；　who；　on　account
of　the　crowded　state　of　the　saloon；　could　not　all　be　expected　to　keep　from
out　its　centre；　that　is　to　say；　from　under　the　chandelier。　Additional
sconces　were　set　in　various　parts　of　the　hall；　out　of　the　war；　and　a
flambeau；　emitting　sweet　odor；　was　placed　in　the　right　hand　of　each　of　the
Caryaides　＇Caryatides＇　that　stood　against　the　wall　　some　fifty　or　sixty
altogether。

The　eight　ourang…outangs；　taking　Hop…Frog's　advice；　waited　patiently　until
midnight　（when　the　room　was　thoroughly　filled　with　masqueraders）　before
making　their　appearance。　No　sooner　had　the　clock　ceased　striking；　however；
than　they　rushed；　or　rather　rolled　in；　all　together　　for　the　impediments
of　their　chains　caused　most　of　the　party　to　fall；　and　all　to　stumble　as
they　entered。

The　excitement　among　the　masqueraders　was　prodigious；　and　filled　the　heart
of　the　king　with　glee。　As　had　been　anticipated；　there　were　not　a　few　of
the　guests　who　supposed　the　ferocious…looking　creatures　to　be　beasts　of
some　kind　in　reality；　if　not　precisely　ourang…outangs。　Many　of　the　women
swooned　with　affright；　and　had　not　the　king　taken　the　precaution　to
exclude　all　weapons　from　the　saloon；　his　party　might　soon　have　expiated
their　frolic　in　their　blood。　As　it　was；　a　general　rush　was　made　for　the
doors；　but　the　king　had　ordered　them　to　be　locked　immediately　upon　his
entrance；　and；　at　the　dwarf's　suggestion；　the　keys　had　been　deposited　with
him。

While　the　tumult　was　at　its　height；　and　each　masquerader　attentive　only　to
his　own　safety　（for；　in　fact；　there　was　much　real　danger　from　the　pressure
of　the　excited　crowd）；　the　chain　by　which　the　chandelier　ordinarily　hung；
and　which　had　been　drawn　up　on　its　removal；　might　have　been　seen　very
gradually　to　descend；　until　its　hooked　extremity　came　within　three　feet　of
the　floor。

Soon　after　this；　the　king　and　his　seven　friends　having　reeled　about　the
hall　in　all　directions；　found　themselves；　at　length；　in　its　centre；　and；
of　course；　in　immediate　contact　with　the　chain。　While　they　were　thus
situated；　the　dwarf；　who　had　followed　noiselessly　at　their　heels；　inciting
them　to　keep　up　the　commotion；　took　hold　of　their　own　chain　at　the
intersection　of　the　two　portions　which　crossed　the　circle　diametrically
and　at　right　angles。　Here；　with　the　rapidity　of　thought；　he　inserted　the
hook　from　which　the　chandelier　had　been　wont　to　depend；　and；　in　an
instant；　by　some　unseen　agency；　the　chandelier…chain　was　drawn　so　far
upward　as　to　take　the　hook　out　of　reach；　and；　as　an　inevitable
consequence；　to　drag　the　ourang…outangs　together　in　close　connection；　and
face　to　face。

The　masqueraders；　by　this　time；　had　recovered；　in　some　measure；　from　their
alarm；　and；　beginning　to　regard　the　whole　matter　as　a　well…contrived
pleasantry；　set　up　a　loud　shout　of　laughter　at　the　predicament　of　the
apes。

〃Leave　them　to　me！〃　now　screamed　Hop…Frog；　his　shrill　voice　making　itself
easily　heard　through　all　the　din。　〃Leave　them　to　me。　I　fancy　I　know　them。
If　I　can　only　get　a　good　look　at　them；　I　can　soon　tell　who　they　are。〃

Here；　scrambling　over　the　heads　of　the　crowd；　he　managed　to　get　to　the
wall；　when；　seizing　a　flambeau　from　one　of　the　Caryatides；　he　returned；　as
he　went；　to　the　centre　of　the　room…leaping；　with　the　agility　of　a　monkey；
upon　the　kings　head；　and　thence　clambered　a　few　feet　up　the　chain；　holding
down　the　torch　to　examine　the　group　of　ourang…outangs；　and　still
screaming：　〃I　shall　soon　find　out　who　they　are！〃

And　now；　while　the　whole　assembly　（the　apes　included）　were　convulsed　with
laughter；　the　jester　suddenly　uttered　a　shrill　whistle；　when　the　chain
flew　violently　up　for　about　thirty　feet　　dragging　with　it　the　dismayed
and　struggling　ourang…outangs；　and　leaving　them　suspended　in　mid…air
between　the　sky…light　and　the　floor。　Hop…Frog；　clinging　to　the　chain　as　it
rose；　still　maintained　his　relative　position　in　respect　to　the　eight
maskers；　and　still　（as　if　nothing　were　the　matter）　continued　to　thrust　his
torch　down　toward　them；　as　though　endeavoring　to　discover　who　they　were。

So　thoroughly　astonished　was　the　whole　company　at　this　ascent；　that　a　dead
silence；　of　about　a　minute's　duration；　ensued。　It　was　broken　by　just　such
a　low；　harsh；　grating　sound；　as　had　before　attracted　the　attention　of　the
king　and　his　councillors　when　the　former　threw　the　wine　in　the　face　of
Trippetta。　But；　on　the　present　occasion；　there　could　be　no　question　as　to
whence　the　sound　issued。　It　came　from　the　fang　　like　teeth　of　the　dwarf；
who　ground　them　and　gnashed　them　as　he　foamed　at　the　mouth；　and　glared；
with　an　expression　of　maniacal　rage；　into　the　upturned　countenances　of　the
king　and　his　seven　companions。

〃Ah；　ha！〃　said　at　length　the　infuriated　jester。　〃Ah；　ha！　I　begin　to　see
who　these　people　are　now！〃　Here；　pretending　to　scrutinize　the　king　more
closely；　he　held　the　flambeau　to　the　flaxen　coat　which　enveloped　him；　and
which　instantly　burst　into　a　sheet　of　vivid　flame。　In　less　than　half　a
minute　the　whole　eight　ourang…outangs　were　blazing　fiercely；　amid　the
shrieks　of　the　multitude　who　gazed　at　them　from　below；　horror…stricken；
and　without　the　power　to　render　them　the　slightest　assistance。

At　length　the　flames；　suddenly　increasing　in　virulence；　forced　the　jester
to　climb　higher　up　the　chain；　to　be　out　of　their　reach；　and；　as　he　made
this　movement；　the　crowd　again　sank；　for　a　brief　instant；　into　silence。
The　dwarf　seized　his　opportunity；　and　once　more　spoke：

〃I　now　see　distinctly。〃　he　said；　〃what　manner　of　people　these　maskers　are。
They　are　a　great　king　and　his　seven　privy…councillors；　　a　king　who　does
not　scruple　to　strike　a　defenceless　girl　and　his　seven　councillors　who
abet　him　in　the　outrage。　As　for　myself；　I　am　simply　Hop…Frog；　the　jester
　and　this　is　my　last　jest。〃

Owing　to　the　high　combustibility　of　both　the　flax　and　the　tar　to　which　it
adhered；　the　dwarf　had　scarcely　made　an　end　of　his　brief　speech　before　the
work　of　vengeance　was　complete。　The　eight　corpses　swung　in　their　chains；　a
fetid；　blackened；　hideous；　and　indistinguishable　mass。　The　cripple　hurled
his　torch　at　them；　clambered　leisurely　to　the　ceiling；　and　disappeared
through　the　sky…light。

It　is　supposed　that　Trippetta；　stationed　on　the　roof　of　the　saloon；　had
been　the　accomplice　of　her　friend　in　his　fiery　revenge；　and　that；
together；　they　effected　their　escape　to　their　own　country：　for　neither　was
seen　again。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　MAN　OF　THE　CROWD。

Ce　grand　malheur；　de　ne　pouvoir　阾re　seul。

　　　　　　　　　_La　Bruy鑢e_。

　　　　IT　was　well　said　of　a　certain　German　book　that　〃_er　lasst　sich　nicht
lesen_〃　…　it　does　not　permit　itself　to　be　read。　There　are　some　secrets
which　do　not　permit　themselves　to　be　told。　Men　die　nightly　in　their　beds；
wringing　the　hands　of　ghostly　confessors　and　looking　them　piteously　in　the
eyes　　die　with　despair　of　heart　and　convulsion　of　throat；　on　account　of
the　hideousness　of　mysteries　which　will　not　suffer　themselves　to　be
revealed。　Now　and　then；　alas；　the　conscience　of　man　takes　up　a　burthen　so
heavy　in　horror　that　it　can　be　thrown　down　only　into　the　grave。　And　thus
the　essence　of　all　crime　is　undivulged。

　　　　Not　long　ago；　about　the　closing　in　of　an　evening　in　autumn；　I　sat　at
the　large　bow　window　of　the　D　Coffee…House　in　London。　For　some　months
I　had　been　ill　in　health；　but　was　now　convalescent；　and；　with　returning
strength；　found　myself　in　one　of　those　happy　moods　which　are　so　precisely
the　converse　of　ennui　…　moods　of　the　keenest　appetency；　when　the　film　from
the　mental　vision　departs　…　the　〃PL》　0　BDT　；B？L　…　and　the　intellect；
electrified；　surpasses　as　greatly　its　every…day　condition；　as　does　the
vivid　yet　candid　reason　of　Leibnitz；　the　mad　and　flimsy　rhetoric　of
Gorgias。　Merely　to　breathe　was　enjoyment；　and　I　derived　positive　pleas