three ghost stories-第14章

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his。



For　a　day　or　two　I　was　undecided　whether　to　respond　to　this　call；　or

take　no　notice　of　it。　　I　was　not　conscious　of　the　slightest

mysterious　bias；　influence；　or　attraction；　one　way　or　other。　　Of

that　I　am　as　strictly　sure　as　of　every　other　statement　that　I　make

here。　　Ultimately　I　decided；　as　a　break　in　the　monotony　of　my　life；

that　I　would　go。



The　appointed　morning　was　a　raw　morning　in　the　month　of　November。

There　was　a　dense　brown　fog　in　Piccadilly；　and　it　became　positively

black　and　in　the　last　degree　oppressive　East　of　Temple　Bar。　　I　found

the　passages　and　staircases　of　the　Court…House　flaringly　lighted

with　gas；　and　the　Court　itself　similarly　illuminated。　　I　THINK　that；

until　I　was　conducted　by　officers　into　the　Old　Court　and　saw　its

crowded　state；　I　did　not　know　that　the　Murderer　was　to　be　tried　that

day。　　I　THINK　that；　until　I　was　so　helped　into　the　Old　Court　with

considerable　difficulty；　I　did　not　know　into　which　of　the　two　Courts

sitting　my　summons　would　take　me。　　But　this　must　not　be　received　as

a　positive　assertion；　for　I　am　not　completely　satisfied　in　my　mind

on　either　point。



I　took　my　seat　in　the　place　appropriated　to　Jurors　in　waiting；　and　I

looked　about　the　Court　as　well　as　I　could　through　the　cloud　of　fog

and　breath　that　was　heavy　in　it。　　I　noticed　the　black　vapour　hanging

like　a　murky　curtain　outside　the　great　windows；　and　I　noticed　the

stifled　sound　of　wheels　on　the　straw　or　tan　that　was　littered　in　the

street；　also；　the　hum　of　the　people　gathered　there；　which　a　shrill

whistle；　or　a　louder　song　or　hail　than　the　rest；　occasionally

pierced。　　Soon　afterwards　the　Judges；　two　in　number；　entered；　and

took　their　seats。　　The　buzz　in　the　Court　was　awfully　hushed。　　The

direction　was　given　to　put　the　Murderer　to　the　bar。　　He　appeared

there。　　And　in　that　same　instant　I　recognised　in　him　the　first　of

the　two　men　who　had　gone　down　Piccadilly。



If　my　name　had　been　called　then；　I　doubt　if　I　could　have　answered　to

it　audibly。　　But　it　was　called　about　sixth　or　eighth　in　the　panel；

and　I　was　by　that　time　able　to　say；　〃Here！〃　　Now；　observe。　　As　I

stepped　into　the　box；　the　prisoner；　who　had　been　looking　on

attentively；　but　with　no　sign　of　concern；　became　violently　agitated；

and　beckoned　to　his　attorney。　　The　prisoner's　wish　to　challenge　me

was　so　manifest；　that　it　occasioned　a　pause；　during　which　the

attorney；　with　his　hand　upon　the　dock；　whispered　with　his　client；

and　shook　his　head。　　I　afterwards　had　it　from　that　gentleman；　that

the　prisoner's　first　affrighted　words　to　him　were；　〃AT　ALL　HAZARDS；

CHALLENGE　THAT　MAN！〃　　But　that；　as　he　would　give　no　reason　for　it；

and　admitted　that　he　had　not　even　known　my　name　until　he　heard　it

called　and　I　appeared；　it　was　not　done。



Both　on　the　ground　already　explained；　that　I　wish　to　avoid　reviving

the　unwholesome　memory　of　that　Murderer；　and　also　because　a　detailed

account　of　his　long　trial　is　by　no　means　indispensable　to　my

narrative；　I　shall　confine　myself　closely　to　such　incidents　in　the

ten　days　and　nights　during　which　we；　the　Jury；　were　kept　together；

as　directly　bear　on　my　own　curious　personal　experience。　　It　is　in

that；　and　not　in　the　Murderer；　that　I　seek　to　interest　my　reader。

It　is　to　that；　and　not　to　a　page　of　the　Newgate　Calendar；　that　I　beg

attention。



I　was　chosen　Foreman　of　the　Jury。　　On　the　second　morning　of　the

trial；　after　evidence　had　been　taken　for　two　hours　（I　heard　the

church　clocks　strike）；　happening　to　cast　my　eyes　over　my　brother

jurymen；　I　found　an　inexplicable　difficulty　in　counting　them。　　I

counted　them　several　times；　yet　always　with　the　same　difficulty。　　In

short；　I　made　them　one　too　many。



I　touched　the　brother　jurymen　whose　place　was　next　me；　and　I

whispered　to　him；　〃Oblige　me　by　counting　us。〃　　He　looked　surprised

by　the　request；　but　turned　his　head　and　counted。　〃Why；〃　says　he；

suddenly；　〃we　are　Thirt…；　but　no；　it's　not　possible。　　No。　　We　are

twelve。〃



According　to　my　counting　that　day；　we　were　always　right　in　detail；

but　in　the　gross　we　were　always　one　too　many。　　There　was　no

appearanceno　figureto　account　for　it；　but　I　had　now　an　inward

foreshadowing　of　the　figure　that　was　surely　coming。



The　Jury　were　housed　at　the　London　Tavern。　　We　all　slept　in　one

large　room　on　separate　tables；　and　we　were　constantly　in　the　charge

and　under　the　eye　of　the　officer　sworn　to　hold　us　in　safe…keeping。

I　see　no　reason　for　suppressing　the　real　name　of　that　officer。　　He

was　intelligent；　highly　polite；　and　obliging；　and　（I　was　glad　to

hear）　much　respected　in　the　City。　　He　had　an　agreeable　presence；

good　eyes；　enviable　black　whiskers；　and　a　fine　sonorous　voice。　　His

name　was　Mr。　Harker。



When　we　turned　into　our　twelve　beds　at　night；　Mr。　Harker's　bed　was

drawn　across　the　door。　　On　the　night　of　the　second　day；　not　being

disposed　to　lie　down；　and　seeing　Mr。　Harker　sitting　on　his　bed；　I

went　and　sat　beside　him；　and　offered　him　a　pinch　of　snuff。　　As　Mr。

Harker's　hand　touched　mine　in　taking　it　from　my　box；　a　peculiar

shiver　crossed　him；　and　he　said；　〃Who　is　this？〃



Following　Mr。　Harker's　eyes；　and　looking　along　the　room；　I　saw　again

the　figure　I　expected；the　second　of　the　two　men　who　had　gone　down

Piccadilly。　　I　rose；　and　advanced　a　few　steps；　then　stopped；　and

looked　round　at　Mr。　Harker。　　He　was　quite　unconcerned；　laughed；　and

said　in　a　pleasant　way；　〃I　thought　for　a　moment　we　had　a　thirteenth

juryman；　without　a　bed。　　But　I　see　it　is　the　moonlight。〃



Making　no　revelation　to　Mr。　Harker；　but　inviting　him　to　take　a　walk

with　me　to　the　end　of　the　room；　I　watched　what　the　figure　did。　　It

stood　for　a　few　moments　by　the　bedside　of　each　of　my　eleven　brother

jurymen；　close　to　the　pillow。　　It　always　went　to　the　right…hand　side

of　the　bed；　and　always　passed　out　crossing　the　foot　of　the　next　bed。

It　seemed；　from　the　action　of　the　head；　merely　to　look　down

pensively　at　each　recumbent　figure。　　It　took　no　notice　of　me；　or　of

my　bed；　which　was　that　nearest　to　Mr。　Harker's。　　It　seemed　to　go　out

where　the　moonlight　came　in；　through　a　high　window；　as　by　an　aerial

flight　of　stairs。



Next　morning　at　breakfast；　it　appeared　that　everybody　present　had

dreamed　of　the　murdered　man　last　night；　except　myself　and　Mr。

Harker。



I　now　felt　as　convinced　that　the　second　man　who　had　gone　down

Piccadilly　was　the　murdered　man　（so　to　speak）；　as　if　it　had　been

borne　into　my　comprehension　by　his　immediate　testimony。　　But　even

this　took　place；　and　in　a　manner　for　which　I　was　not　at　all

prepared。



On　the　fifth　day　of　the　trial；　when　the　case　for　the　prosecution　was

drawing　to　a　close；　a　miniature　of　the　murdered　man；　missing　from

his　bedroom　upon　the　discovery　of　the　deed；　and　afterwards　found　in

a　hiding…place　where　the　Murderer　had　been　seen　digging；　was　put　in

evidence。　　Having　been　identified　by　the　witness　under　examination；

it　was　handed　up　to　the　Bench；　and　thence　handed　down　to　be

inspected　by　the　Jury。　　As　an　officer　in　a　black　gown　was　making　his

way　with　it　across　to　me；　the　figure　of　the　second　man　who　had　gone

down　Piccadilly　impetuously　started　from　the　crowd；　caught　the

miniature　from　the　officer；　and　gave　it　to　me　with　his　own　hands；　at

the　same　time　saying；　in　a　low　and　hollow　tone；before　I　saw　the

miniature；　which　was　in　a　locket；〃I　WAS　YOUNGER　THEN；　AND　MY　FACE

WAS　NOT　THEN　DRAINED　OF　BLOOD。〃　　It　also　came　between　me　and　the

brother　juryman　to　whom　I　would　have　given　the　miniature；　and

between　him　and　the　brother　juryman　to　whom　he　would　have　given　it；

and　so　passed　it　on　through　the　whole　of　our　number；　and　back　into

my　possession。　　Not　one　of　them；　however；　detected　this。



At　table；　and　generally　when　we　were　shut　up　together　in　Mr。

Harker's　custody；　we　had　from　the　first　naturally　discussed　the

day's　proceedings　a　good　deal。　　On　that　fifth　day；　the　case　for　the

prosecution　being　closed；　and　we　having　that　side　of　the　question　in

a　completed　shape　before　us；　our　discussion　was　more　anima