the darrow enigma(达罗之迷)-第17章
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make in my interests … hut Bombay is such a long way … and 〃
〃If suspicion directed me to the North Pole；〃 he interrupted； 〃I should
start with equal alacrity；〃 and he held out his hand to her to bid her
farewell。 She took it in a way that bespoke a world of gratitude； if
nothing more。 He retained the small hand； while he said： 〃Have you
forgotten； my friend； your promise to your father？ Do you not see in what
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terrible relations it may place you？ How important； then； that no effort
should be spared to prevent you from becoming indebted to one unmanly
enough to take advantage of your position。 I shall use every means
within my power to myself discover your father's murderer； and you may
comfort yourself with the assurance that； if successful； I shall make no
demand of any kind whatsoever upon your gratitude。 I think you
understand me。〃
As he said this Gwen looked him full in the face。 A little nervous
tremor seized the corners of her mouth； and the tears sprang to her eyes。
〃Good…bye〃 was all she could say before she was compelled to turn aside
to conceal her emotion。
Maitland； observing her agitation； said to her tenderly： 〃Your gratitude
for the little that I have already done is reward； more than ample； for all I
shall ever be able to do。 Good…bye；〃 and he left the room。
Oh； man with your microscope！ How is it that you find the smallest
speck of dust； yet miss the mountain？ Does the time seem too short？ It
would not if you realised that events； not clocks； were the real measure
thereof。
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THE EPISODE OF RAMA
RAGOBAH
CHAPTER I
Life is but a poor accountant when it leaves the Future to
balance its entries long years after the parties to the transactions are
but a handful of insolvent dust。 When； in such wise； the chiefest
item of one side of the sheet fails to explain itself to the other； the
tragic is attained。
On the day following Maitland's departure On for New York； Mr。
Darrow was buried。 The Osborne theory seemed to be universally
accepted； and many women who had never seen Mr。 Darrow during his
life attended his funeral； curious to see what sort of a person this suicide
might be。 Gwen bore the ordeal with a fortitude which spoke volumes
for her strength of character； and I took good care； when it was all over；
that she should not be left alone。 In compliance with Maitland's request；
whose will； since her promise to him； was law to her； she prepared to close
the house and take up her abode with us。
It was on the night of the funeral； just after the lamps were lighted； that
an event occurred which made a deep impression upon Gwen； though
neither she nor I fully appreciated its significance till weeks afterward。
Gwen； who was to close the house on the morrow； was going from
room to room collecting such little things as she wished to take with her。
The servants had been dismissed and she was entirely alone in the house。
She had gathered the things she had collected in a little heap upon the
sitting…room table； preparatory to doing them up。 She could think of but
one thing more which she must take … a cabinet photograph of her father。
This was upon the top of the piano in the room where he had met his death。
She knew its exact location and could have put her hand right upon it had
it been perfectly dark； which it was not。 She arose； therefore； and；
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without taking a light with her； went into the parlour。 A faint afterglow
illumined the windows and suffused the room with an uncertain； dim；
ghostly light which lent to all its objects that vague flatness from which
the imagination carves what shapes。 it lists。 As Gwen reached for the
picture； a sudden conviction possessed her that her father stood just behind
her in the exact spot where he had met his death； … that if she turned she
would see him again with his hand clutching his throat and his eyes
starting from their sockets with that never…to…be…forgotten look of frenzied
helplessness。
It would be difficult to find a woman upon whom superstition has so
slight a hold as it has upon Gwen Darrow； yet； for all that； it required an
effort for her to turn and gaze toward the centre of the room。 A dim； ill…
defined stain of light fell momentarily upon the chair in which the dead
man had sat； and then flickered unsteadily across the room and； as it
seemed to her； out through its western side； the while a faint； rustling
sound caught her ear。 She was plainly conscious； too； of a something
swishing by her； as if a strong draught had just fallen upon her。 She was
not naturally superstitious； as I have said before； yet there was something
in the gloom； the deserted house； and this fatal room with its untold story
of death which； added to her weird perceptions and that indescribable
conviction of an unseen presence； caused even Gwen to press her hand
convulsively upon her throbbing heart。 For the first time in her life the
awful possibilities of darkness were fully borne in upon her and she knew
just how her father had felt。
In a moment； however； she had recovered from her first shock and had
begun to reason。 Might not the sound she had heard； and the movement
she had felt； both be explained by an open window？ She knew she had
closed and locked all the windows of the room when she had finished
airing it after the funeral； and she was not aware that anyone had been
there since； yet she said to herself that perhaps one of the servants had
come in and opened a window without her knowledge。 She turned and
looked。 The lower sash of the eastern window … the one through which
she felt sure death had approached her father … was raised to its utmost。
〃How=20fortunate；〃 she murmured； 〃that I discovered this before
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leaving。〃
She was all but fully reassured now； as she stepped to the window to
close it。 Remembering how the sash stuck in the casing she raised both
hands to forcibly lower it。 As she did so a strong arm caught the sash
from the outer side； and a stalwart masculine form arose directly in front
of her。 His great height brought his head almost to a level with her own；
despite the fact that he was standing upon the ground outside。 He was so
near that she could feel his breath upon her face。 His eyes； like two great
coals of fire； blazed into hers with a sinister and threatening light。 His
countenance seemed to utterly surpass any personal malignancy and to
exhibit itself as a type of all the hatreds that ever poisoned human hearts。
Only a moment before Gwen had felt a creepy； sickening sensation
stealing over her as the result of an ill…defined and apparently causeless
dread。 Now an actual； imminent； and fearful peril confronted her。
Under such circumstances most women would have fainted； and； indeed；
if Gwen had herself been asked how she would have acted under such a
supreme test； she would have prophesied the same maidenly course as her
own； yet； in the real exigency … how little do we know of ourselves； save
what actual experience has taught us！ … this is precisely what she did not
do。 When the horrible apparition first rose in her very face； as it were； a
momentary weakness caught her and she clung to the sash for support。
Then the wonderful fire of the malignant eyes； green； serpentine；
opalescent； with the wave…like flux of a glowworm's light seen under a
glass； riveted her attention。 She had ceased to tremble。 Our fear of death
varies with our desire for life。 Dulled by a great grief； she did not so very
much care what became of her。 The future's burden was heavy； and if it
were necessary she now put it down； there would still be a sense of relief。
As this thought passed like a shadow over her consciousness she felt
herself irresistibly attracted to the awful face before her。 Her assailant's
gaze seemed to have wound itself about her own till she could not
disentangle it。 She was dimly conscious that she was falling under a
spell and summoned all her remaining strength to break it。 Quick as the
uncoiling of a released spring； and without the slightest movement of
warning； she threw her entire weight upon the sash in a last endeavour to
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close the window； but the man's upraised arm held both her weight and it；
as if its muscles had been rods of steel。 Gwen saw a long knife in his
free hand； … saw the light shimmer along its blade； saw him raise it aloft to
plunge it into her bosom； yet made no movement to withdraw beyond his
reach and uttered no cry for help。 It seemed to her that all this was
happening to another and that she herself was only a fascinated spectator。
She was wondering whether or not the victim would try to defend herself
when the knife began its descent。 It seemed ages
