the darrow enigma-第1章

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The　Darrow　Enigma

by　Melvin　L。　Severy






CONTENTS


THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　DARKENED　ROOM
　　　　CHAPTER　I
　　　　CHAPTER　II
　　　　CHAPTER　III
　　　　CHAPTER　IV

THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　SEALED　DOCUMENT
　　　　CHAPTER　I

THE　EPISODE　OF　RAMA　RAGOBAH
　　　　CHAPTER　I
　　　　CHAPTER　II

THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　PARALLEL　READERS
　　　　CHAPTER　I
　　　　CHAPTER　II
　　　　CHAPTER　III

THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　TALETALE　THUMB
　　　　CHAPTER　I
　　　　CHAPTER　II
　　　　CHAPTER　III
　　　　CHAPTER　IV
　　　　CHAPTER　V






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　DARKENED　ROOM


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　I


　　　　　What　shall　we　say　when　Dream…Pictures　leave　their　frames
　　　　　　　　　　　　of　night　and　push　us　from　the　waking　world？

As　the　part　I　played　in　the　events　I　am　about　to　narrate　was　rather
that　of　a　passive　observer　than　of　an　active　participant；　I　need　say
little　of　myself。　　I　am　a　graduate　of　a　Western　university　and；　by
profession；　a　physician。　　My　practice　is　now　extensive；　owing　to　my
blundering　into　fame　in　a　somewhat　singular　manner；　but　a　year　ago
I　had；　I　assure　you；　little　enough　to　do。　　Inasmuch　as　my　practice
is　now　secure；　I　feel　perfectly　free　to　confess　that　the　cure　I
effected　in　the　now　celebrated　case　of　Mrs。　P…　was　altogether　the
result　of　chance；　and　not；　as　I　was　then　only　too　glad　to　have
people　believe；　due　to　an　almost　supernatural　power　of　diagnosis。

Mrs。　P…　was　not　more　surprised　at　the　happy　result　than　was　I；　the
only　difference　being　that　she　showed　her　astonishment；　while　I
endeavoured　to　conceal　mine；　and　affected　to　look　upon　the　whole
thing　as　a　matter　of　course。

My　fame　spread；　the　case　got　into　the　medical　journals；　where　my
skill　was　much　lauded；　and　my　practice　became　enormous。　　There　is
but　one　thing　further　I　need　mention　regarding　myself：　that　is；
that　I　am　possessed　of　a　memory　which　my　friends　are　pleased　to
consider　phenomenal。　　I　can　repeat　a　lecture；　sermon；　or
conversation　almost　word　for　word　after　once　hearing　it；　provided
always；　that　the　subject　commands　my　interest。　　My　humble　abilities
in　this　direction　have　never　ceased　to　be　a　source　of　wonderment　to
my　acquaintance；　though　I　confess；　for　my　own　part；　when　I　compare
them　with　those　of　Blind　Tom；　or　of　the　man　who；　after　a　single
reading；　could　correctly　repeat　the　London　Times；　advertisements
and　all；　they　seem　modest　indeed。

It　was　about　the　time　when；　owing　to　the　blessed　Mrs。　P　…；　my
creditors　were　beginning　to　receive　some　attention；　that　I　first　met
George　Maitland。　　He　had　need；　he　said；　of　my　professional　services；
he　felt　much　under　the　weather；　could　I　give　him　something　which
would　brace　him　up　a　bit；　he　had　some　important　chemical　work　on
hand　which　he　could　not　afford　to　put　by；　in　fact；　he　didn't　mind
saying　that　he　was　at　work　upon　a　table　of　atomical　pitches　to　match
Dalton's　atomic　weights；　if　he　succeeded　in　what　he　had　undertaken
he　would　have　solved　the　secret　of　the　love　and　hatred　of　atoms；
and　unions　hitherto　unknown　could　easily　be　effected。

I　do　not　know　how　long　he　would　have　continued　had　not　my　interest
in　the　subject　caused　me　to　interrupt　him。　　　I　was　something　of　an
experimenter　myself；　and　here　was　a　man　who　could　help　me。

It　was　a　dream　of　mine　that　the　great　majority　of　ailments　could　be
cured　by　analysing　a　patient's　blood；　and　then　injecting　into　his
veins　such　chemicals　as　were　found　wanting；　or　were　necessary　to
counteract　the　influence　of　any　deleterious　matter　present。　　There
were；　of　course；　difficulties　in　the　way；　but　had　they　not　already
at　Cornell　University　done　much　the　same　for　vegetable　life？　　And
did　not　those　plants　which　had　been　set　in　sea　sand　out　of　which
every　particle　of　nutriment　had　been　roasted；　and　which　were　then
artificially　fed　with　a　solution　of　the　chemicals　of　which　they　were
known　to　be　composed；　grow　twice　as　rank　as　those　which　had　been　set
in　the　soil　ordinarily　supposed　to　be　best　adapted　to　them？　　What
was　the　difference　between　a　human　cell　and　a　plant　cell？　　Yes；　since
my　patient　was　a　chemist；　I　would　cultivate　his　acquaintance。

He　proceeded　to　tell　me　how　he　felt；　but　I　could　make　nothing　of　it；
so　I　forthwith　did　the　regulation　thing；　what　should　we　doctors　do
without　it！　　I　looked　at　his　tongue；　pulled　down　his　eyelid；　and
pronounced　him　bilious。　　Yes；　there　were　the　little　brown　spots　under
his　skin　…　freckles；　perhaps　…　and　probably　he　had　an　occasional
ringing　in　his　ears。　　He　was　willing　to　admit　that　he　was　dizzy　on
suddenly　rising　from　a　stooping　posture；　and　that　eggs；　milk；　and
coffee　were　poison　to　him；　and　he　afterward　told　me　he　should　have
said　the　same　of　any　other　three　articles　I　might　have　mentioned；　for
he　looked　so　hale　and　vigorous；　and　felt　so　disgracefully　well；　that
he　was　ashamed　of　himself。　　We　have　had　many　a　laugh　over　it　since。
The　fact　of　the　matter　is　the　only　affliction　from　which　he　was
suffering　was　an　inordinate　desire　to　make　my　acquaintance。　　Not　for
my　own　sake　…　oh；　dear；　no！　…　but　because　I　was　John　Darrow's　family
physician；　and　would　be　reasonably　sure　to　know　Gwen　Darrow；　that
gentleman's　daughter。　　He　had　first　met　her；　he　told　me　after　we　had
become　intimate；　at　an　exhibition　of　paintings　by　William　T。　Richards；
　…　but；　as　you　will　soon　be　wondering　if　it　were；　on　his　part；　a　case
of　love　at　first　sight；　I　had　best　relate　the　incident　to　you　in　his
own　words　as　he　told　it　to　me。　　This　will　relieve　me　of　passing　any
judgment　upon　the　matter；　for　you　will　then　know　as　much　about　it　as
I；　and；　doubtless；　be　quite　as　capable　of　answering　the　question；　for
candour　compels　me　to　own　that　my　knowledge　of　the　human　heart　is
entirely　professional。　　Think　of　searching　for　Cupid's　darts　with　a
stethoscope！

〃I　was　standing；〃　Maitland　said；　〃before　a　masterpiece　of　sea　and
rock；　such　as　only　Richards　can　paint。　　It　was　a　view　of　Land's　End；
Cornwall；　and　in　the　artist's　very　best　vein。　　My　admiration　made
me　totally　unmindful　of　my　surroundings；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that；
although　the　gallery　was　crowded；　I　caught　myself　expressing　my
delight　in　a　perfectly　audible　undertone。　　My　enthusiasm；　since　it
was　addressed　to　no　one；　soon　began　to　attract　attention；　and　people
stopped　looking　at　the　pictures　to　look　at　me。　　I　was　conscious　of
this　in　a　vague；　far…off　way；　much　as　one　is　conscious　of　a
conversation　which　seems　to　have　followed　him　across　the　borderland
of　sleep；　and　I　even　thought　that　I　ought　to　be　embarrassed。　　How
long　I　remained　thus　transported　I　do　not　know。　　The　first　thing　I
remember　is　hearing　someone　close　beside　me　take　a　quick；　deep
breath；　one　of　those　full　inhalations　natural　to　all　sensitive
natures　when　they　come　suddenly　upon　something　sublime。　　…I　turned
and　looked。　　I　have　said　I　was　transported　by　that　canvas　of　sea
and　rocks；　and　have；　therefore；　no　word　left　to　describe　the　emotion
with　which　I　gazed　upon　the　exquisite；　living；　palpitating　picture
beside　me。　　A　composite　photograph　of　all　the　Madonnas　ever　painted；
from　the　Sistine　to　Bodenhausen's；　could　not　have　been　more　lovely；
more　ineffably　womanly　than　that　young　girl；　radiant　with　the　divine
glow　of　artistic　delight　…　at　least；　that　is　my　opinion；　which；　by
the　bye；　I　should；　perhaps；　have　stated　a　little　more　gingerly；
inasmuch　as　you　are　yourself　acquainted　with　the　young　lady。　　Now；
don't　look　incredulous　＇noticing　my　surprise＇。　　Black　hair　…　not
brown；　black；　clear　pink　and　white　complexion；　large；　deep　violet
eyes　with　a　remarkable　poise　to　them。〃　…　Here　I　continued　the
description　for　him：　〃Slight　of　figure；　a　full；　honest　waist；
without　a　suggestion　of　that　execrable　death…trap；　Dame　Fashion's
hideous　cuirass；　a　little　above　middle　height；　deliberate；　and
therefore　graceful；　in　all　her　movements；　carries　herself　in　a　way
to　impress　one　with　the　idea　that　she　is　innocent；　without　that
time…honoured　concomitant；　ignorance；　half　girl；　half　woman；　shy；
yet　strong；　and　in　a　word；　very　beautiful　…　that's　Gwen　Darrow。〃
I　paused　here；　and　Maitland　went　on　somewhat　dubiously：　〃Yes；　it's
not　hard　to　locate　such　a　woman。　　She　makes　her　presence　as　clearly
felt　among　a　million　of　her　sex　as　does　a　grain　of　fuchsine　in　a
hogshead　of　water。　　If；　with　a　few　ounces　of　this；　Tyndall　could
colour　Lake　Geneva；　so　with　Gwen　Darrow　one　might；　such　is　the　power
of　the　ideal；　change　the　ethical　status　of　a　continent。〃

He　then　told　me　how　he　had　made　a　study　of　Miss　Darrow's　movements；
and　had　met　her　many　times　since；　in　fact；　so　often　that　he　fancied；
from　something　in　her　manner；　that　she　had　begun　to　wonder　if　his
frequent　appearance　were　not　something　more　than　a　coincidence。　　The
fear　that　she　might　think　him　dogging　her　footsteps　worried　him；　and
he　began　as　sedulously　to　avoid　the　places　he　knew　she　frequented；
as　he　previously　had　sought　them。　　　This；　he　confessed；　made　him
utterly　miserable。　　He　had；　to　be　sure；　never　spoken　to　her；　but　it
was　everything　to　be　able　to　see　her。　　When　he　could　endure　it　no
longer　he　had　come　to　me　under　pretence　of　feeling　ill；　that　he
might；　when　he　had　made　my　acquaintance；　get　me　to　introduce　him　to
the　Darrows。

You　will　understand；　of　course；　that　I　did　not　learn　all　this　at　our
first　interview。　　Maitland　did　not　take　me　into　his　confidence　until
we　had　had　a　conference　at　his　laboratory　devoted　entirely　to
scientific　speculations。　　On　this　occasion　he　surprised　me　not　a
little　by　turning　to　me　suddenly　and　saying：　〃Some　of　the　grandest
sacrifices　the　world　has　ever　known；　if　one　may　judge　by　the
fortitude　they　require；=20and　the　pain　they　cause；　have　occurred　in
the　laboratory。〃　　I　looked　at　him　inquiringly；　and　he　continued：
〃When　a　man；　simply　for　the　great　love　of　truth　that　is　in　him；　has
given　his　life　to　the　solution　of　some　problem；　and　has　at　last
arrived；　after　years　of　closest　application；　at　some　magnificent
generalisation　…　when　he　has；　perhaps；　published　his　conclusions；
and　received　the　grateful　homage　of　all　lovers　of　truth；　his　life
has；　indeed；　borne　fruit。　　Of　him　may　it　then　be　justly　said　that
his

　　　　　　　〃'。　。　。　life　hath　blossomed　downward　like
　　　　　　　　　The　purple　bell…flower。'

But　suddenly；　in　the　privacy　of　his　laboratory；　a　single　fact　arises
from　the　test…tube　in　his　trembling　hand　and　confronts　him！　　His
brain　reels；　the　glass　torment　falls　upon　the　floor；　and　shatters
into　countless　pieces；　but　he　is　not　conscious　of　it；　for　he　feels
it　thrust　through　his　heart。　　When　he　recovers　from　the　first　shock；
he　can　only　ejaculate：　'Is　it　possible？'　　After　a　little　he　is　able
to　reason。　　'I　was　fatigued；'　he　says；　'perhaps　my　senses　erred。　　I
can　repeat　the　experiment　again；　and　be　sure。　　But　if　it　overthrow
those　conclusions　for　which　I　have　given　my　life？'　he　gasps。　　'My
generalisation　is　firmly　established　in　the　minds　of　all　…　all　but
myself　…　no　one　will　ever　chance　upon　this　particular　experiment；
and　it　may　not　disprove　my　theory　after　all；　better；　much　better；
that　the　floor　there　keep　the　secret　of　it　all　both　from　me　and　from
others！'　　But　even　as　he　says　this　to　himself　he　has　taken　a　new
tube　from　the　rack　and　crawled　…　ten　years　older　for　that　last　ten
minutes　…　to　his　chemical　case。　　The　life…long　habit　of　truth　is　so
strong