three ghost stories-第8章

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Neither　had　Bottles　ever　taken　the　least　notice　of　any　of　our　many

uproars。　　An　imperturbable　and　speechless　man；　he　had　sat　at　his

supper；　with　Streaker　present　in　a　swoon；　and　the　Odd　Girl　marble；

and　had　only　put　another　potato　in　his　cheek；　or　profited　by　the

general　misery　to　help　himself　to　beefsteak　pie。



〃And　so；〃　continued　my　sister；　〃I　exempt　Bottles。　　And　considering；

John；　that　the　house　is　too　large；　and　perhaps　too　lonely；　to　be

kept　well　in　hand　by　Bottles；　you；　and　me；　I　propose　that　we　cast

about　among　our　friends　for　a　certain　selected　number　of　the　most

reliable　and　willingform　a　Society　here　for　three　monthswait

upon　ourselves　and　one　anotherlive　cheerfully　and　sociallyand

see　what　happens。〃



I　was　so　charmed　with　my　sister；　that　I　embraced　her　on　the　spot；

and　went　into　her　plan　with　the　greatest　ardour。



We　were　then　in　the　third　week　of　November；　but；　we　took　our

measures　so　vigorously；　and　were　so　well　seconded　by　the　friends　in

whom　we　confided；　that　there　was　still　a　week　of　the　month

unexpired；　when　our　party　all　came　down　together　merrily；　and

mustered　in　the　haunted　house。



I　will　mention；　in　this　place；　two　small　changes　that　I　made　while

my　sister　and　I　were　yet　alone。　　It　occurring　to　me　as　not

improbable　that　Turk　howled　in　the　house　at　night；　partly　because　he

wanted　to　get　out　of　it；　I　stationed　him　in　his　kennel　outside；　but

unchained；　and　I　seriously　warned　the　village　that　any　man　who　came

in　his　way　must　not　expect　to　leave　him　without　a　rip　in　his　own

throat。　　I　then　casually　asked　Ikey　if　he　were　a　judge　of　a　gun？　　On

his　saying；　〃Yes；　sir；　I　knows　a　good　gun　when　I　sees　her；〃　I　begged

the　favour　of　his　stepping　up　to　the　house　and　looking　at　mine。



〃SHE'S　a　true　one；　sir；〃　said　Ikey；　after　inspecting　a　double…

barrelled　rifle　that　I　bought　in　New　York　a　few　years　ago。　　〃No

mistake　about　HER；　sir。〃



〃Ikey；〃　said　I；　〃don't　mention　it；　I　have　seen　something　in　this

house。〃



〃No；　sir？〃　he　whispered；　greedily　opening　his　eyes。　　〃'Ooded　lady；

sir？〃



〃Don't　be　frightened；〃　said　I。　　〃It　was　a　figure　rather　like　you。〃



〃Lord；　sir？〃



〃Ikey！〃　said　I；　shaking　hands　with　him　warmly：　　I　may　say

affectionately；　〃if　there　is　any　truth　in　these　ghost…stories；　the

greatest　service　I　can　do　you；　is；　to　fire　at　that　figure。　　And　I

promise　you；　by　Heaven　and　earth；　I　will　do　it　with　this　gun　if　I

see　it　again！〃



The　young　man　thanked　me；　and　took　his　leave　with　some　little

precipitation；　after　declining　a　glass　of　liquor。　　I　imparted　my

secret　to　him；　because　I　had　never　quite　forgotten　his　throwing　his

cap　at　the　bell；　because　I　had；　on　another　occasion；　noticed

something　very　like　a　fur　cap；　lying　not　far　from　the　bell；　one

night　when　it　had　burst　out　ringing；　and　because　I　had　remarked　that

we　were　at　our　ghostliest　whenever　he　came　up　in　the　evening　to

comfort　the　servants。　　Let　me　do　Ikey　no　injustice。　　He　was　afraid

of　the　house；　and　believed　in　its　being　haunted；　and　yet　he　would

play　false　on　the　haunting　side；　so　surely　as　he　got　an　opportunity。

The　Odd　Girl's　case　was　exactly　similar。　　She　went　about　the　house

in　a　state　of　real　terror；　and　yet　lied　monstrously　and　wilfully；

and　invented　many　of　the　alarms　she　spread；　and　made　many　of　the

sounds　we　heard。　　I　had　had　my　eye　on　the　two；　and　I　know　it。　　It　is

not　necessary　for　me；　here；　to　account　for　this　preposterous　state

of　mind；　I　content　myself　with　remarking　that　it　is　familiarly　known

to　every　intelligent　man　who　has　had　fair　medical；　legal；　or　other

watchful　experience；　that　it　is　as　well　established　and　as　common　a

state　of　mind　as　any　with　which　observers　are　acquainted；　and　that

it　is　one　of　the　first　elements；　above　all　others；　rationally　to　be

suspected　in；　and　strictly　looked　for；　and　separated　from；　any

question　of　this　kind。



To　return　to　our　party。　　The　first　thing　we　did　when　we　were　all

assembled；　was；　to　draw　lots　for　bedrooms。　　That　done；　and　every

bedroom；　and；　indeed；　the　whole　house；　having　been　minutely　examined

by　the　whole　body；　we　allotted　the　various　household　duties；　as　if

we　had　been　on　a　gipsy　party；　or　a　yachting　party；　or　a　hunting

party；　or　were　shipwrecked。　　I　then　recounted　the　floating　rumours

concerning　the　hooded　lady；　the　owl；　and　Master　B。：　　with　others；

still　more　filmy；　which　had　floated　about　during　our　occupation；

relative　to　some　ridiculous　old　ghost　of　the　female　gender　who　went

up　and　down；　carrying　the　ghost　of　a　round　table；　and　also　to　an

impalpable　Jackass；　whom　nobody　was　ever　able　to　catch。　　Some　of

these　ideas　I　really　believe　our　people　below　had　communicated　to

one　another　in　some　diseased　way；　without　conveying　them　in　words。

We　then　gravely　called　one　another　to　witness；　that　we　were　not

there　to　be　deceived；　or　to　deceivewhich　we　considered　pretty　much

the　same　thingand　that；　with　a　serious　sense　of　responsibility；　we

would　be　strictly　true　to　one　another；　and　would　strictly　follow　out

the　truth。　　The　understanding　was　established；　that　any　one　who

heard　unusual　noises　in　the　night；　and　who　wished　to　trace　them；

should　knock　at　my　door；　lastly；　that　on　Twelfth　Night；　the　last

night　of　holy　Christmas；　all　our　individual　experiences　since　that

then　present　hour　of　our　coming　together　in　the　haunted　house；

should　be　brought　to　light　for　the　good　of　all；　and　that　we　would

hold　our　peace　on　the　subject　till　then；　unless　on　some　remarkable

provocation　to　break　silence。



We　were；　in　number　and　in　character；　as　follows：



Firstto　get　my　sister　and　myself　out　of　the　waythere　were　we

two。　　In　the　drawing　of　lots；　my　sister　drew　her　own　room；　and　I

drew　Master　B。's。　　Next；　there　was　our　first　cousin　John　Herschel；

so　called　after　the　great　astronomer：　　than　whom　I　suppose　a　better

man　at　a　telescope　does　not　breathe。　　With　him；　was　his　wife：　　a

charming　creature　to　whom　he　had　been　married　in　the　previous

spring。　　I　thought　it　（under　the　circumstances）　rather　imprudent　to

bring　her；　because　there　is　no　knowing　what　even　a　false　alarm　may

do　at　such　a　time；　but　I　suppose　he　knew　his　own　business　best；　and

I　must　say　that　if　she　had　been　MY　wife；　I　never　could　have　left　her

endearing　and　bright　face　behind。　　They　drew　the　Clock　Room。　　Alfred

Starling；　an　uncommonly　agreeable　young　fellow　of　eight…and…twenty

for　whom　I　have　the　greatest　liking；　was　in　the　Double　Room；　mine；

usually；　and　designated　by　that　name　from　having　a　dressing…room

within　it；　with　two　large　and　cumbersome　windows；　which　no　wedges　I

was　ever　able　to　make；　would　keep　from　shaking；　in　any　weather；　wind

or　no　wind。　　Alfred　is　a　young　fellow　who　pretends　to　be　〃fast〃

（another　word　for　loose；　as　I　understand　the　term）；　but　who　is　much

too　good　and　sensible　for　that　nonsense；　and　who　would　have

distinguished　himself　before　now；　if　his　father　had　not

unfortunately　left　him　a　small　independence　of　two　hundred　a　year；

on　the　strength　of　which　his　only　occupation　in　life　has　been　to

spend　six。　　I　am　in　hopes；　however；　that　his　Banker　may　break；　or

that　he　may　enter　into　some　speculation　guaranteed　to　pay　twenty　per

cent。；　for；　I　am　convinced　that　if　he　could　only　be　ruined；　his

fortune　is　made。　　Belinda　Bates；　bosom　friend　of　my　sister；　and　a

most　intellectual；　amiable；　and　delightful　girl；　got　the　Picture

Room。　　She　has　a　fine　genius　for　poetry；　combined　with　real　business

earnestness；　and　〃goes　in〃to　use　an　expression　of　Alfred'sfor

Woman's　mission；　Woman's　rights；　Woman's　wrongs；　and　everything　that

is　woman's　with　a　capital　W；　or　is　not　and　ought　to　be；　or　is　and

ought　not　to　be。　　〃Most　praiseworthy；　my　dear；　and　Heaven　prosper

you！〃　I　whispered　to　her　on　the　first　night　of　my　taking　leave　of

her　at　the　Picture…Room　door；　〃but　don't　overdo　it。　　And　in　respect

of　the　great　necessity　there　is；　my　darling；　for　more　employments

being　within　the　reach　of　Woman　than　our　civilisation　has　as　yet

assigned　to　her；　don't　fly　at　the　unfortunat