selected writings-第27节

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marrow；　nevertheless。　Ulrich　scarcely　slept；　his　mind　haunted　by

visions　and　his　limbs　shaking　with　cold。



Day　was　breaking　when　he　got　up。　His　legs　were　as　stiff　as　iron

bars；　and　his　spirits　so　low　that　he　was　ready　to　weep；　while　his

heart　was　beating　so　that　he　almost　fell　with　excitement　whenever

he　thought　he　heard　a　noise。



Suddenly　he　imagined　that　he　ALSO　was　going　to　die　of　cold　in　the

midst　of　this　vast　solitude。　The　terror　of　such　a　death　roused

his　energies　and　gave　him　renewed　vigor。　He　was　descending　toward

the　inn；　falling　down　and　getting　up　again；　and　followed　at　a

distance　by　Sam；　who　was　limping　on　three　legs。　They　did　not

reach　Schwarenbach　until　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　The　house

was　empty；　and　the　young　man　made　a　fire；　had　something　to　eat；

and　went　to　sleep；　so　worn…out　that　he　did　not　think　of　anything

more。



He　slept　for　a　long　time；　for　a　very　long　time；　the　unconquerable

sleep　of　exhaustion。　But　suddenly　a　voice；　a　cry；　a　name：

〃Ulrich；〃　aroused　him　from　his　profound　slumber；　and　made　him　sit

up　in　bed。　Had　he　been　dreaming？　Was　it　one　of　those　strange

appeals　which　cross　the　dreams　of　disquieted　minds？　No；　he　heard

it　still；　that　reverberating　cry；which　had　entered　at　his　ears

and　remained　in　his　brain；thrilling　him　to　the　tips　of　his

sinewy　fingers。　Certainly；　somebody　had　cried　out；　and　called：

〃Ulrich！〃　There　was　somebody　there；　near　the　house；　there　could

be　no　doubt　of　that；　and　he　opened　the　door　and　shouted：　〃Is　it

you；　Gaspard？〃　with　all　the　strength　of　his　lungs。　But　there　was

no　reply；　no　murmur；　no　groan；　nothing。　It　was　quite　dark；　and

the　snow　looked　wan。



The　wind　had　risen；　that　icy　wind　which　cracks　the　rocks；　and

leaves　nothing　alive　on　those　deserted　heights。　It　came　in　sudden

gusts；　more　parching　and　more　deadly　than　the　burning　wind　of　the

desert；　and　again　Ulrich　shouted：　〃Gaspard！　Gaspard！　Gaspard！〃

Then　he　waited　again。　Everything　was　silent　on　the　mountain！　Then

he　shook　with　terror；　and　with　a　bound　he　was　inside　the　inn。　He

shut　and　bolted　the　door；　and　then　fell　into　a　chair；　trembling

all　over；　for　he　felt　certain　that　his　comrade　had　called　him　at

the　moment　of　dissolution。



He　was　certain　of　that；　as　certain　as　one　is　of　conscious　life　or

of　taste　when　eating。　Old　Gaspard　Hari　had　been　dying　for　two

days　and　three　nights　somewhere；　in　some　hole；　in　one　of　those

deep；　untrodden　ravines　whose　whiteness　is　more　sinister　than

subterranean　darkness。　He　had　been　dying　for　two　days　and　three

nights　and　he　had　just　then　died；　thinking　of　his　comrade。　His

soul；　almost　before　it　was　released；　had　taken　its　flight　to　the

inn　where　Ulrich　was　sleeping；　and　it　had　called　him　by　that

terrible　and　mysterious　power　which　the　spirits　of　the　dead

possess。　That　voiceless　soul　had　cried　to　the　worn…out　soul　of

the　sleeper；　it　had　uttered　its　last　farewell；　or　its　reproach；

or　its　curse　on　the　man　who　had　not　searched　carefully　enough。



And　Ulrich　felt　that　it　was　there；　quite　close　to　him；　behind　the

wall；　behind　the　door　which　he　had　just　fastened。　It　was

wandering　about；　like　a　night　bird　which　skims　a　lighted　window

with　his　wings；　and　the　terrified　young　man　was　ready　to　scream

with　horror。　He　wanted　to　run　away；　but　did　not　dare　go　out；　he

did　not　dare；　and　would　never　dare　in　the　future；　for　that

phantom　would　remain　there　day　and　night；　round　the　inn；　as　long

as　the　old　man's　body　was　not　recovered　and　deposited　in　the

consecrated　earth　of　a　churchyard。



Daylight　came；　and　Kunsi　recovered　some　of　his　courage　with　the

return　of　the　bright　sun。　He　prepared　his　meal；　gave　his　dog　some

food；　and　then　remained　motionless　on　a　chair；　tortured　at　heart

as　he　thought　of　the　old　man　lying　on　the　snow。　Then；　as　soon　as

night　once　more　covered　the　mountains；　new　terrors　assailed　him。

He　now　walked　up　and　down　the　dark　kitchen；　which　was　scarcely

lighted　by　the　flame　of　one　candle。　He　walked　from　one　end　of　it

to　the　other　with　great　strides；　listening；　listening　to　hear　the

terrible　cry　of　the　preceding　night　again　break　the　dreary

silence　outside。　He　felt　himself　alone；　unhappy　man；　as　no　man

had　ever　been　alone　before！　Alone　in　this　immense　desert　of　snow；

alone　five　thousand　feet　above　the　inhabited　earth；　above　human

habitations；　above　that　stirring；　noisy；　palpitating　life；　alone

under　an　icy　sky！　A　mad　longing　impelled　him　to　run　away；　no

matter　where；　to　get　down　to　Loeche　by　flinging　himself　over　the

precipice；　but　he　did　not　even　dare　to　open　the　door；　as　he　felt

sure　that　the　other；　the　DEAD；　man　would　bar　his　road；　so　that　he

might　not　be　obliged　to　remain　up　there　alone。



Toward　midnight；　tired　with　walking；　worn…out　by　grief　and　fear；

he　fell　into　a　doze　in　his　chair；　for　he　was　afraid　of　his　bed；

as　one　is　of　a　haunted　spot。　But　suddenly　the　strident　cry　of　the

preceding　evening　pierced　his　ears；　so　shrill　that　Ulrich

stretched　out　his　arms　to　repulse　the　ghost；　and　he　fell　on　to

his　back　with　his　chair。



Sam；　who　was　awakened　by　the　noise；　began　to　howl　as　frightened

dogs　do；　and　trotted　all　about　the　house　trying　to　find　out　where

the　danger　came　from。　When　he　got　to　the　door；　he　sniffed　beneath

it；　smelling　vigorously；　with　his　coat　bristling　and　his　tail

stiff　while　he　growled　angrily。　Kunsi；　who　was　terrified；　jumped

up；　and　holding　his　chair　by　one　leg；　cried：　〃Don't　come　in；

don't　come　in；　or　I　shall　kill　you。〃　And　the　dog；　excited　by　this

threat；　barked　angrily　at　that　invisible　enemy　who　defied　his

master's　voice。　By　degrees；　however；　he　quieted　down；　came　back

and　stretched　himself　in　front　of　the　fire。　But　he　was　uneasy；

and　kept　his　head　up；　and　growled　between　his　teeth。



Ulrich；　in　turn；　recovered　his　senses；　but　as　he　felt　faint　with

terror；　he　went　and　got　a　bottle　of　brandy　out　of　the　sideboard；

and　drank　off　several　glasses；　one　after　another；　at　a　gulp。　His

ideas　became　vague；　his　courage　revived；　and　a　feverish　glow　ran

through　his　veins。



He　ate　scarcely　anything　the　next　day；　and　limited　himself　to

alcohol；　so　he　lived　for　several　days；　like　a　drunken　brute。　As

soon　as　he　thought　of　Gaspard　Hari　he　began　to　drink　again；　and

went　on　drinking　until　he　fell　on　to　the　floor；　overcome　by

intoxication。　And　there　he　remained　on　his　face；　dead　drunk；　his

limbs　benumbed；　and　snoring　with　his　face　to　the　ground。　But

scarcely　had　he　digested　the　maddening　and　burning　liquor；　than

the　same　cry；　〃Ulrich；〃　woke　him　like　a　bullet　piercing　his

brain；　and　he　got　up；　still　staggering；　stretching　out　his　hands

to　save　himself　from　falling；　and　calling　to　Sam　to　help　him。　And

the　dog；　who　appeared　to　be　going　mad　like　his　master；　rushed　to

the　door；　scratched　it　with　his　claws；　and　gnawed　it　with　his

long　white　teeth；　while　the　young　man；　his　neck　thrown　back；　and

his　head　in　the　air；　drank　the　brandy　in　gulps；　as　if　it　were

cold　water；　so　that　it　might　by　and　by　send　his　thoughts；　his

frantic　terror；　and　his　memory；　to　sleep　again。



In　three　weeks　he　had　consumed　all　his　stock　of　ardent　spirits。

But　his　continual　drunkenness　only　lulled　his　terror；　which　awoke

more　furiously　than　ever；　as　soon　as　it　was　impossible　for　him　to

calm　it　by　drinking。　His　fixed　idea；　which　had　been　intensified

by　a　month　of　drunkenness；　and　which　was　continually　increasing

in　his　absolute　solitude？　pene…trated　him　like　a　gimlet。　He　now

walked　about　his　house　like　a　wild　beast　in　its　cage；　putting　his

eat　to　the　door　to　listen　if　the　other　were　there；　and　defying

him　through　the　wall。　Then　as　soon　as　he　dozed；　overcome　by

fatigue；　he　heard　the　voice　which　made　him　leap　to　his　feet。



At　last　one　night；　as　cowards　do　when　driven　to　extremity；　he

sprang　to　the　door　and　opened　it；　to　see　who　was　calling　him；　and

to　force　him　to　keep　quiet。　But　such　a　gust　of　cold　wind　blew

into　his　face　that　it　chilled　him　to　the　bone。　He　closed　and

bolted　the　door　again　immediately；　without　noticing　that　Sam　had

rushed　out。　Then；　as　he　was　shivering　with　cold；　he　threw　some

wood　on　the　fire；　and　sat　down　in　front　of　it　to　warm　himself。

But　suddenly　he　started；　for　somebody　was　scratching　at　the　wall；

and　crying。　In　desperation　he　called　out：　〃Go　away！〃　but　was

answered　by　another　long；　sorrowful　wail。



Then　all　his　remaining　senses　forsook　him；　from　sheer　fright。　He

repeated：　〃Go　away！〃　and　turned　round　to　find　some　corner　in

which　to　hide；　while　the　other　person　went　round　the　house　still

crying；　and　rubbing　against　the　wall。　Ulrich　went　to　the　oak

sideboard；　which　was　full　of　plates　and　dishes　and　of　provisions；

and　lifting　it　up　with　superhuman　strength；　he　dragged　it　to　the

door；　so　as　to　form　a　barricade。　Then　piling　up　all　the　rest　of

the　furniture；　the　mattresses；　paillasses；　and　chairs；　he　stopped

up　the　windows　as　men　do　when　assailed　by　an　enemy。



But　the　person　outside　now　uttered　long；　plaintive；　mournful

groans；　to　which　the　young　man　replie