the works of edgar allan poe-5-第11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！


his　heart；　and　for　himself　（Mr。　Goodfellow）；　so　far　from　pushing　the
suspicious　circumstances　to　extremity；　which　he　was　sorry　to　say；　really
had　arisen　against　Mr。　Pennifeather；　he　（Mr。　Goodfellow）　would　make　every
exertion　in　his　power；　would　employ　all　the　little　eloquence　in　his
possession　to　　to　　to　　soften　down；　as　much　as　he　could
conscientiously　do　so；　the　worst　features　of　this　really　exceedingly
perplexing　piece　of　business。〃

Mr。　Goodfellow　went　on　for　some　half　hour　longer　in　this　strain；　very　much
to　the　credit　both　of　his　head　and　of　his　heart；　but　your　warm…hearted
people　are　seldom　apposite　in　their　observations　　they　run　into　all
sorts　of　blunders；　contre…temps　and　mal　apropos…isms；　in　the
hot…headedness　of　their　zeal　to　serve　a　friend　　thus；　often　with　the
kindest　intentions　in　the　world；　doing　infinitely　more　to　prejudice　his
cause　than　to　advance　it。

So；　in　the　present　instance；　it　turned　out　with　all　the　eloquence　of　〃Old
Charley〃；　for；　although　he　laboured　earnestly　in　behalf　of　the　suspected；
yet　it　so　happened；　somehow　or　other；　that　every　syllable　he　uttered　of
which　the　direct　but　unwitting　tendency　was　not　to　exalt　the　speaker　in
the　good　opinion　of　his　audience；　had　the　effect　to　deepen　the　suspicion
already　attached　to　the　individual　whose　cause　he　pleaded；　and　to　arouse
against　him　the　fury　of　the　mob。

One　of　the　most　unaccountable　errors　committed　by　the　orator　was　his
allusion　to　the　suspected　as　〃the　heir　of　the　worthy　old　gentleman　Mr。
Shuttleworthy。〃　The　people　had　really　never　thought　of　this　before。　They
had　only　remembered　certain　threats　of　disinheritance　uttered　a　year　or
two　previously　by　the　uncle　（who　had　no　living　relative　except　the
nephew）；　and　they　had；　therefore；　always　looked　upon　this　disinheritance
as　a　matter　that　was　settled　　so　single…minded　a　race　of　beings　were　the
Rattleburghers；　but　the　remark　of　〃Old　Charley〃　brought　them　at　once　to　a
consideration　of　this　point；　and　thus　gave　them　to　see　the　possibility　of
the　threats　having　been　nothing　more　than　a　threat。　And　straightway
hereupon；　arose　the　natural　question　of　cui　bono？　　a　question　that
tended　even　more　than　the　waistcoat　to　fasten　the　terrible　crime　upon　the
young　man。　And　here；　lest　I　may　be　misunderstood；　permit　me　to　digress　for
one　moment　merely　to　observe　that　the　exceedingly　brief　and　simple　Latin
phrase　which　I　have　employed；　is　invariably　mistranslated　and
misconceived。　〃Cui　bono？〃　in　all　the　crack　novels　and　elsewhere；　　in
those　of　Mrs。　Gore；　for　example；　（the　author　of　〃Cecil；〃）　a　lady　who
quotes　all　tongues　from　the　Chaldaean　to　Chickasaw；　and　is　helped　to　her
learning；　〃as　needed；〃　upon　a　systematic　plan；　by　Mr。　Beckford；　　in　all
the　crack　novels；　I　say；　from　those　of　Bulwer　and　Dickens　to　those　of
Bulwer　and　Dickens　to　those　of　Turnapenny　and　Ainsworth；　the　two　little
Latin　words　cui　bono　are　rendered　〃to　what　purpose？〃　or；　（as　if　quo　bono；）
〃to　what　good。〃　Their　true　meaning；　nevertheless；　is　〃for　whose
advantage。〃　Cui；　to　whom；　bono；　is　it　for　a　benefit。　It　is　a　purely　legal
phrase；　and　applicable　precisely　in　cases　such　as　we　have　now　under
consideration；　where　the　probability　of　the　doer　of　a　deed　hinges　upon　the
probability　of　the　benefit　accruing　to　this　individual　or　to　that　from　the
deed's　accomplishment。　Now　in　the　present　instance；　the　question　cui　bono？
very　pointedly　implicated　Mr。　Pennifeather。　His　uncle　had　threatened　him；
after　making　a　will　in　his　favour；　with　disinheritance。　But　the　threat　had
not　been　actually　kept；　the　original　will；　it　appeared；　had　not　been
altered。　Had　it　been　altered；　the　only　supposable　motive　for　murder　on　the
part　of　the　suspected　would　have　been　the　ordinary　one　of　revenge；　and
even　this　would　have　been　counteracted　by　the　hope　of　reinstation　into　the
good　graces　of　the　uncle。　But　the　will　being　unaltered；　while　the　threat
to　alter　remained　suspended　over　the　nephew's　head；　there　appears　at　once
the　very　strongest　possible　inducement　for　the　atrocity；　and　so　concluded；
very　sagaciously；　the　worthy　citizens　of　the　borough　of　Rattle。

Mr。　Pennifeather　was；　accordingly；　arrested　upon　the　spot；　and　the　crowd；
after　some　further　search；　proceeded　homeward；　having　him　in　custody。　On
the　route；　however；　another　circumstance　occurred　tending　to　confirm　the
suspicion　entertained。　Mr。　Goodfellow；　whose　zeal　led　him　to　be　always　a
little　in　advance　of　the　party；　was　seen　suddenly　to　run　forward　a　few
paces；　stoop；　and　then　apparently　to　pick　up　some　small　object　from　the
grass。　Having　quickly　examined　it　he　was　observed；　too；　to　make　a　sort　of
half　attempt　at　concealing　it　in　his　coat　pocket；　but　this　action　was
noticed；　as　I　say；　and　consequently　prevented；　when　the　object　picked　up
was　found　to　be　a　Spanish　knife　which　a　dozen　persons　at　once　recognized
as　belonging　to　Mr。　Pennifeather。　Moreover；　his　initials　were　engraved
upon　the　handle。　The　blade　of　this　knife　was　open　and　bloody。

No　doubt　now　remained　of　the　guilt　of　the　nephew；　and　immediately　upon
reaching　Rattleborough　he　was　taken　before　a　magistrate　for　examination。

Here　matters　again　took　a　most　unfavourable　turn。　The　prisoner；　being
questioned　as　to　his　whereabouts　on　the　morning　of　Mr。　Shuttleworthy's
disappearance；　had　absolutely　the　audacity　to　acknowledge　that　on　that
very　morning　he　had　been　out　with　his　rifle　deer…stalking；　in　the
immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　pool　where　the　blood…stained　waistcoat　had
been　discovered　through　the　sagacity　of　Mr。　Goodfellow。

This　latter　now　came　forward；　and；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　asked
permission　to　be　examined。　He　said　that　a　stern　sense　of　the　duty　he　owed
his　Maker；　not　less　than　his　fellow…men；　would　permit　him　no　longer　to
remain　silent。　Hitherto；　the　sincerest　affection　for　the　young　man
（notwithstanding　the　latter's　ill…treatment　of　himself；　Mr。　Goodfellow）
had　induced　him　to　make　every　hypothesis　which　imagination　could　suggest；
by　way　of　endeavoring　to　account　for　what　appeared　suspicious　in　the
circumstances　that　told　so　seriously　against　Mr。　Pennifeather；　but　these
circumstances　were　now　altogether　too　convincing　　too　damning；　he　would
hesitate　no　longer　　he　would　tell　all　he　knew；　although　his　heart　（Mr。
Goodfellow's）　should　absolutely　burst　asunder　in　the　effort。　He　then　went
on　to　state　that；　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　previous　to　Mr。
Shuttleworthy's　departure　for　the　city；　that　worthy　old　gentleman　had
mentioned　to　his　nephew；　in　his　hearing　（Mr。　Goodfellow's）；　that　his
object　in　going　to　town　on　the　morrow　was　to　make　a　deposit　of　an
unusually　large　sum　of　money　in　the　〃Farmers　and　Mechanics'　Bank；〃　and
that；　then　and　there；　the　said　Mr。　Shuttleworthy　had　distinctly　avowed　to
the　said　nephew　his　irrevocable　determination　of　rescinding　the　will
originally　made；　and　of　cutting　him　off　with　a　shilling。　He　（the　witness）
now　solemnly　called　upon　the　accused　to　state　whether　what　he　（the
witness）　had　just　stated　was　or　was　not　the　truth　in　every　substantial
particular。　Much　to　the　astonishment　of　every　one　present；　Mr。
Pennifeather　frankly　admitted　that　it　was。

The　magistrate　now　considered　it　his　duty　to　send　a　couple　of　constables
to　search　the　chamber　of　the　accused　in　the　house　of　his　uncle。　From　this
search　they　almost　immediately　returned　with　the　well…known　steel…bound；
russet　leather　pocket…book　which　the　old　gentleman　had　been　in　the　habit
of　carrying　for　years。　Its　valuable　contents；　however；　had　been
abstracted；　and　the　magistrate　in　vain　endeavored　to　extort　from　the
prisoner　the　use　which　had　been　made　of　them；　or　the　place　of　their
concealment。　Indeed；　he　obstinately　denied　all　knowledge　of　the　matter。
The　constables；　also；　discovered；　between　the　bed　and　sacking　of　the
unhappy　man；　a　shirt　and　neck…handkerchief　both　marked　with　the　initials
of　his　name；　and　both　hideously　besmeared　with　the　blood　of　the　victim。

At　this　juncture；　it　was　announced　that　the　horse　of　the　murdered　man　had
just　expired　in　the　stable　from　the　effects　of　the　wound　he　had　received；
and　it　was　proposed　by　Mr。　Goodfellow　that　a　post　mortem　examination　of
the　beast　should　be　immediately　made；　with　the　view；　if　possible；　of
discovering　the　ball。　This　was　accordingly　done；　and；　as　if　to　demonstrate
beyond　a　question　the　guilt　of　the　accused；　Mr。　Goodfellow；　after
considerable　searching　in　the　cavity　of　the　chest　was　enabled　to　detect
and　to　pull　forth　a　bullet　of　very　extraordinary　size；　which；　upon　trial；
was　found　to　be　exactly　adapted　to　the　bore　of　Mr。　Pennifeather's　rifle；
while　it　was　far　too　large　for　that　of　any　other　person　in　the　borough　or
its　vicinity。　To　render　the　matter　even　surer　yet；　however；　this　bullet
was　discovered　to　have　a　flaw　or　seam　at　right　angles　to　the　usual　suture；
and　upon　examination；　this　seam　corresponded　precisely　with　an　accidental
ridge　or　elevation　in　a　pair　of　moulds　acknowledged　by　the　accused　himself
to　be　his　own　property。　Upon　finding　of　this　bullet；　the　examining
magistrate　refused　to　listen　to　any　farther　testimony；　and　immediately
committed　the　prisoner　for　trial…declining　resolutely　to　take　any　bail　in
the　case；　although　against　this　severity　Mr。　Goodfellow　very　warmly
remonstrated；　and　offered　to　become　surety　in　whatever　amount　might　be
required。　This　generosity　on　the　part　of　〃Old　Charley〃　was　only　in
accordance　with　the　whole　tenour　of　his　amiable　and　chivalrous　conduct
during　the　entire　period　of　his　sojourn　in　the　borough　of　Rattle。　In　the
present　instance　the　worthy　man　was　so　entirely　carried　away　by　the
excessive　warmth　of　his　sympathy；　that　he　seemed　to　have　quite　forgotten；
when　he　offered　to　go　bail　for　his　young　friend；　that　he　himself　（Mr。
Goodfellow）　did　not　possess　a　single　dollar's　worth　of　property　upon　the
face　of　the　earth。

The　result　of　the　committal　may　be　readily　foreseen。　Mr。　Pennifeather；
amid　the　loud　execrations　of　all　Rattleborough；　was　brought　to　trial　at
the　next　criminal　sessions；　when　the　chain　of　circumstantial　evidence
（strengthened　as　it　was　by　some　additional　damning　facts；　which　Mr。
Goodfellow's　sensitive　conscientiousness　forbade　him　to　withhold　from　the
court）　was　considered　so　unbroken　and　so　thoroughly　conclusive；　that　the
jury；　without　leaving　their　seats；　returned　an　immediate　verdict　of
〃Guilty　of　murder　in　the　first　degree。〃　Soon　afterward　the　unhappy　wretch
received　sentence　of　death；　and　was　remanded　to　the　county　jail　to　await
the　inexorable　vengeance　of　the　law。

In　the　meantime；　the　noble　behavior　of　〃Old　Charley　Goodfellow；　had　doubly
endeared　him　to　the　honest　citizens　of　the　borough。　He　became　ten　times　a
greater　favorite　than　ever；　and；　as　a　natural　result　of　the　hospitality
with　which　he　was　treated；　he　relaxed；　as　it　were；　perforce；　the　extremely
parsimonious　habits　which　his　poverty　had　hitherto　impelled　him　to
observe；　and　very　frequently　had　little　reunions　at　his　own　house；　when
wit　and　jollity　reigned　supreme…dampened　a　little；　of　course；　by　the
occasional　remembrance　of　the　untoward　and　melancholy　fate　which　impended
over　the　nephew　of　the　late　lamented　bosom　friend　of　the　generous　host。

One　fine　day；　this　magnanimous　old　gentleman　was　agreeably　surprised　at
the　receipt　of　the　following　letter：…

Charle