three ghost stories-第9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！



country；　if　an　unthought…of　means　of　escape　had　not　opened　before

me。



One　day；　we　were　out　walking；　two　and　twoon　which　occasion　the

Vizier　had　his　usual　instructions　to　take　note　of　the　boy　at　the

turn…pike；　and　if　he　profanely　gazed　（which　he　always　did）　at　the

beauties　of　the　Hareem；　to　have　him　bowstrung　in　the　course　of　the

nightand　it　happened　that　our　hearts　were　veiled　in　gloom。　　An

unaccountable　action　on　the　part　of　the　antelope　had　plunged　the

State　into　disgrace。　　That　charmer；　on　the　representation　that　the

previous　day　was　her　birthday；　and　that　vast　treasures　had　been　sent

in　a　hamper　for　its　celebration　（both　baseless　assertions）；　had

secretly　but　most　pressingly　invited　thirty…five　neighbouring

princes　and　princesses　to　a　ball　and　supper：　　with　a　special

stipulation　that　they　were　〃not　to　be　fetched　till　twelve。〃　　This

wandering　of　the　antelope's　fancy；　led　to　the　surprising　arrival　at

Miss　Griffin's　door；　in　divers　equipages　and　under　various　escorts；

of　a　great　company　in　full　dress；　who　were　deposited　on　the　top　step

in　a　flush　of　high　expectancy；　and　who　were　dismissed　in　tears。　　At

the　beginning　of　the　double　knocks　attendant　on　these　ceremonies；

the　antelope　had　retired　to　a　back　attic；　and　bolted　herself　in；　and

at　every　new　arrival；　Miss　Griffin　had　gone　so　much　more　and　more

distracted；　that　at　last　she　had　been　seen　to　tear　her　front。

Ultimate　capitulation　on　the　part　of　the　offender；　had　been　followed

by　solitude　in　the　linen…closet；　bread　and　water　and　a　lecture　to

all；　of　vindictive　length；　in　which　Miss　Griffin　had　used

expressions：　　Firstly；　〃I　believe　you　all　of　you　knew　of　it；〃

Secondly；　〃Every　one　of　you　is　as　wicked　as　another；〃　Thirdly；　〃A

pack　of　little　wretches。〃



Under　these　circumstances；　we　were　walking　drearily　along；　and　I

especially；　with　my。　　Moosulmaun　responsibilities　heavy　on　me；　was

in　a　very　low　state　of　mind；　when　a　strange　man　accosted　Miss

Griffin；　and；　after　walking　on　at　her　side　for　a　little　while　and

talking　with　her；　looked　at　me。　　Supposing　him　to　be　a　minion　of　the

law；　and　that　my　hour　was　come；　I　instantly　ran　away；　with　the

general　purpose　of　making　for　Egypt。



The　whole　Seraglio　cried　out；　when　they　saw　me　making　off　as　fast　as

my　legs　would　carry　me　（I　had　an　impression　that　the　first　turning

on　the　left；　and　round　by　the　public…house；　would　be　the　shortest

way　to　the　Pyramids）；　Miss　Griffin　screamed　after　me；　the　faithless

Vizier　ran　after　me；　and　the　boy　at　the　turnpike　dodged　me　into　a

corner；　like　a　sheep；　and　cut　me　off。　　Nobody　scolded　me　when　I　was

taken　and　brought　back；　Miss　Griffin　only　said；　with　a　stunning

gentleness；　This　was　very　curious！　　Why　had　I　run　away　when　the

gentleman　looked　at　me？



If　I　had　had　any　breath　to　answer　with；　I　dare　say　I　should　have

made　no　answer；　having　no　breath；　I　certainly　made　none。　　Miss

Griffin　and　the　strange　man　took　me　between　them；　and　walked　me　back

to　the　palace　in　a　sort　of　state；　but　not　at　all　（as　I　couldn't　help

feeling；　with　astonishment）　in　culprit　state。



When　we　got　there；　we　went　into　a　room　by　ourselves；　and　Miss

Griffin　called　in　to　her　assistance；　Mesrour；　chief　of　the　dusky

guards　of　the　Hareem。　　Mesrour；　on　being　whispered　to；　began　to　shed

tears。　　〃Bless　you；　my　precious！〃　said　that　officer；　turning　to　me；

〃your　Pa's　took　bitter　bad！〃



I　asked；　with　a　fluttered　heart；　〃Is　he　very　ill？〃



〃Lord　temper　the　wind　to　you；　my　lamb！〃　said　the　good　Mesrour；

kneeling　down；　that　I　might　have　a　comforting　shoulder　for　my　head

to　rest　on；　〃your　Pa's　dead！〃



Haroun　Alraschid　took　to　flight　at　the　words；　the　Seraglio　vanished；

from　that　moment；　I　never　again　saw　one　of　the　eight　of　the　fairest

of　the　daughters　of　men。



I　was　taken　home；　and　there　was　Debt　at　home　as　well　as　Death；　and

we　had　a　sale　there。　　My　own　little　bed　was　so　superciliously　looked

upon　by　a　Power　unknown　to　me；　hazily　called　〃The　Trade；〃　that　a

brass　coal…scuttle；　a　roasting…jack；　and　a　birdcage；　were　obliged　to

be　put　into　it　to　make　a　Lot　of　it；　and　then　it　went　for　a　song。　　So

I　heard　mentioned；　and　I　wondered　what　song；　and　thought　what　a

dismal　song　it　must　have　been　to　sing！



Then；　I　was　sent　to　a　great；　cold；　bare；　school　of　big　boys；　where

everything　to　eat　and　wear　was　thick　and　clumpy；　without　being

enough；　where　everybody；　largo　and　small；　was　cruel；　where　the　boys

knew　all　about　the　sale；　before　I　got　there；　and　asked　me　what　I　had

fetched；　and　who　had　bought　me；　and　hooted　at　me；　〃Going；　going；

gone！〃　　I　never　whispered　in　that　wretched　place　that　I　had　been

Haroun；　or　had　had　a　Seraglio：　　for；　I　knew　that　if　I　mentioned　my

reverses；　I　should　be　so　worried；　that　I　should　have　to　drown　myself

in　the　muddy　pond　near　the　playground；　which　looked　like　the　beer。



Ah　me；　ah　me！　　No　other　ghost　has　haunted　the　boy's　room；　my

friends；　since　I　have　occupied　it；　than　the　ghost　of　my　own

childhood；　the　ghost　of　my　own　innocence；　the　ghost　of　my　own　airy

belief。　　Many　a　time　have　I　pursued　the　phantom：　　never　with　this

man's　stride　of　mine　to　come　up　with　it；　never　with　these　man's

hands　of　mine　to　touch　it；　never　more　to　this　man's　heart　of　mine　to

hold　it　in　its　purity。　　And　here　you　see　me　working　out；　as

cheerfully　and　thankfully　as　I　may；　my　doom　of　shaving　in　the　glass

a　constant　change　of　customers；　and　of　lying　down　and　rising　up　with

the　skeleton　allotted　to　me　for　my　mortal　companion。









THE　TRIAL　FOR　MURDER。









I　have　always　noticed　a　prevalent　want　of　courage；　even　among

persons　of　superior　intelligence　and　culture；　as　to　imparting　their

own　psychological　experiences　when　those　have　been　of　a　strange

sort。　　Almost　all　men　are　afraid　that　what　they　could　relate　in　such

wise　would　find　no　parallel　or　response　in　a　listener's　internal

life；　and　might　be　suspected　or　laughed　at。　　A　truthful　traveller；

who　should　have　seen　some　extraordinary　creature　in　the　likeness　of

a　sea…serpent；　would　have　no　fear　of　mentioning　it；　but　the　same

traveller；　having　had　some　singular　presentiment；　impulse；　vagary　of

thought；　vision　（so…called）；　dream；　or　other　remarkable　mental

impression；　would　hesitate　considerably　before　he　would　own　to　it。

To　this　reticence　I　attribute　much　of　the　obscurity　in　which　such

subjects　are　involved。　　We　do　not　habitually　communicate　our

experiences　of　these　subjective　things　as　we　do　our　experiences　of

objective　creation。　　The　consequence　is；　that　the　general　stock　of

experience　in　this　regard　appears　exceptional；　and　really　is　so；　in

respect　of　being　miserably　imperfect。



In　what　I　am　going　to　relate；　I　have　no　intention　of　setting　up；

opposing；　or　supporting；　any　theory　whatever。　　I　know　the　history　of

the　Bookseller　of　Berlin；　I　have　studied　the　case　of　the　wife　of　a

late　Astronomer　Royal　as　related　by　Sir　David　Brewster；　and　I　have

followed　the　minutest　details　of　a　much　more　remarkable　case　of

Spectral　Illusion　occurring　within　my　private　circle　of　friends。　　It

may　be　necessary　to　state　as　to　this　last；　that　the　sufferer　（a

lady）　was　in　no　degree；　however　distant；　related　to　me。　　A　mistaken

assumption　on　that　head　might　suggest　an　explanation　of　a　part　of　my

own　case；but　only　a　part；which　would　be　wholly　without

foundation。　　It　cannot　be　referred　to　my　inheritance　of　any

developed　peculiarity；　nor　had　I　ever　before　any　at　all　similar

experience；　nor　have　I　ever　had　any　at　all　similar　experience　since。



It　does　not　signify　how　many　years　ago；　or　how　few；　a　certain　murder

was　committed　in　England；　which　attracted　great　attention。　　We　hear

more　than　enough　of　murderers　as　they　rise　in　succession　to　their

atrocious　eminence；　and　I　would　bury　the　memory　of　this　particular

brute；　if　I　could；　as　his　body　was　buried；　in　Newgate　Jail。　　I

purposely　abstain　from　giving　any　direct　clue　to　the　criminal's

individuality。



When　the　murder　was　first　discovered；　no　suspicion　fellor　I　ought

rather　to　say；　for　I　cannot　be　too　precise　in　my　facts；　it　was

nowhere　publicly　hinted　that　any　suspicion　fellon　the　man　who　was

afterwards　brought　to　trial。　　As　no　reference　was　at　that　time　made

to　him　in　the　newspapers；　it　is　obviously　impossible　that　any

description　of　him　can　at　that　time　have　been　given　in　the

newspapers。　　It　is　essential　that　this　fact　be　remembered。



Unfolding　at　breakfast　my　morning　paper；　containing　the　account　of

that　first　discovery；　I　found　it　to　be　deeply　interesting；　and　I

read　it　with　close　attention。　　I　read　it　twice；　if　not　three　times。

The　discovery　had　been　made　in　a　bedroom；　and；　when　I　laid　down　the

paper；　I　was　aware　of　a　flashrushflowI　do　not　know　what　to

call　it；no　word　I　can　find　is　satisfactorily　descriptive；in

which　I　seemed　to　see　that　bedroom　passing　through　my　room；　like　a

picture　impossibly　painted　on　a　running　river。　　Though　almost

instantaneous　in　its　passing；　it　was　perfectly　clear；　so　clear　that

I　distinctly；　and　with　a　sense　of　relief；　observed　the　absence　of

the　dead　body　from　the　bed。



It　was　in　no　romantic　place　that　I　had　this　curious　sensation；　but

in　chambers　in　Piccadilly；　very　near　to　the　corner　of　St。　James's

Street。　　It　was　entirely　new　to　me。　　I　was　in　my　easy…chair　at　the

moment；　and　the　sensation　was　accompanied　with　a　peculiar　shiver

which　started　the　chair　from　its　position。　　（But　it　is　to　be　noted

that　the　chair　ran　easily　on　castors。）　　I　went　to　one　of　the　windows

（there　are　two　in　the　room；　and　the　room　is　on　the　second　floor）　to

refresh　my　eyes　with　the　moving　objects　down　in　Piccadilly。　　It　was

a　bright　autumn　morning；　and　the　street　was　sparkling　and　cheerful。

The　wind　was　high。　　As　I　looked　out；　it　brought　down　from　the　Park　a

quantity　of　fallen　leaves；　which　a　gust　took；　and　whirled　into　a

spiral　pillar。　　As　the　pillar　fell　and　the　leaves　dispersed；　I　saw

two　men　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　way；　going　from　West　to　East。

They　were　one　behind　the　other。　　The　foremost　man　often　looked　back

over　his　shoulder。　　The　second　man　followed　him；　at　a　distance　of

some　thirty　paces；　with　his　right　hand　menacingly　raised。　　First；

the　singularity　and　steadiness　of　this　threatening　gesture　in　so

public　a　thoroughfare　attracted　my　attention；　and　next；　the　more

remarkable　circumstance　that　nobody　heeded　it。　　Both　men　threaded

their　way　among　the　other　passengers　with　a　smoothness　hardly

consistent　even　with　the　action　of　walking　on　a　pavement；　and　no

single　creature；　that　I　could　see；　gave　them　place；　touched　them；　or

looked　after　them。　　In　passing　before　my　windows；　they　both　stared

up　at　me。　　I　saw　their　two　faces　very　distinctly；　and　I　knew　that　I

could　recognise　them　anywhere。　　Not　that　I　had　consciously　noticed

anything　very　remarkable　in　either　face；　except　that　the　man　who

went　first　had　an　unusually　lowering　appearance；　and　that　the　face

of　the　man　who　followed　him　was　of　the　colour　of　impure　wax。



I　am　a　bachelor；　a