selected writings-第51节

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no　results；　I　am　risking　my　post。　It　would　be　very　different　if

you　could　adduce　any　proofs　for　your　suspicions。　I　do　not　deny

that　I　should　like　to　see　the　clerical　party；　which　will；　I　fear；

be　the　ruin　of　Austria；　receive　a　staggering　blow；　try；

therefore；　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　this　business；　and　then　we

will　talk　it　over　again。〃



About　a　month　passed；　without　the　young　Latitudinarian　being

heard　of。　Suddenly；　he　came　one　evening；　in　a　great　state　of

excitement；　and　told　the　Inspector　that　he　was　in　a　position　to

expose　the　priestly　deceit　which　he　had　mentioned；　if　the

authorities　would　assist　him。　The　police　director　asked　for

further　information。



〃I　have　obtained　a　number　of　important　clues；〃　said　the　young

man。　〃In　the　first　place；　my　father　confessed　to　me　that　my

mother　did　not　appear　to　him　in　our　house；　but　in　the　churchyard

where　she　is　buried。　My　mother　was　consumptive　for　many　years；

and　a　few　weeks　before　her　death　she　went　to　the　village　of

S；　where　she　died　and　was　buried。　In　addition　to　this；　I

found　out　from　our　footman　that　my　father　has　already　left　the

house　twice；　late　at　night；　in　company　of　X；　the　Jesuit

priest；　and　that　on　both　occasions　he　did　not　return　till

morning。　Each　time　he　was　remarkably　uneasy　and　low…spirited

after　his　return；　and　had　three　masses　said　for　my　dead　mother。

He　also　told　me　just　now　that　he　has　to　leave　home　this　evening

on　business；　but；　immediately　after　he　told　me　that；　our　footman

saw　the　Jesuit　go　out　of　the　house。　We　may；　therefore；　assume

that　he　intends　this　evening　to　consult　the　spirit　of　my　dead

mother　again；　and　this　would　be　an　excellent　opportunity　to　solve

the　matter；　if　you　do　not　object　to　opposing　the　most　powerful

force　in　the　Empire　for　the　sake　of　such　an　insignificant

individual　as　myself。〃



〃Every　citizen　has　an　equal　right　to　the　protection　of　the

State；〃　the　police　director　replied；　〃and　I　think　that　I　have

shown　often　enough　that　I　am　not　wanting　in　courage　to　perform　my

duty；　no　matter　how　serious　the　consequences　may　be。　But　only

very　young　men　act　without　any　prospects　of　success；　because　they

are　carried　away　by　their　feelings。　When　you　came　to　me　the　first

time；　I　was　obliged　to　refuse　your　request　for　assistance；　but

to…day　your　request　is　just　and　reasonable。　It　is　now　eight

o'clock；　I　shall　expect　you　in　two　hours'　time；　here　in　my

office。　At　present；　all　you　have　to　do　is　to　hold　your　tongue；

everything　else　is　my　affair。〃



As　soon　as　it　was　dark；　four　men　got　into　a　closed　carriage　in

the　yard　of　the　police…office；　and　were　driven　in　the　direction

of　the　village　of　S。　Their　carriage；　however；　did　not　enter

the　village；　but　stopped　at　the　edge　of　a　small　wood　in　the

immediate　neighborhood。　Here　all　four　alighted：　the　police

director；　accompanied　by　the　young　Latitudinarian；　a　police

sergeant；　and　an　ordinary　policeman；　the　latter　however；　dressed

in　plain　clothes。



〃The　first　thing　for　us　to　do　is　to　examine　the　locality

carefully；〃　said　the　police　director。　〃It　is　eleven　o'clock　and

the　exorcisers　of　ghosts　will　not　arrive　before　midnight；　so　we

have　time　to　look　round　us；　and　to　lay　our　plans。〃



The　four　men　went　to　the　churchyard；　which　lay　at　the　end　of　the

village；　near　the　little　wood。　Everything　was　as　still　as　death；

and　not　a　soul　was　to　be　seen。　The　sexton　was　evidently　sitting

in　the　public　house；　for　they　found　the　door　of　his　cottage

locked；　as　well　as　the　door　of　the　little　chapel　that　stood　in

the　middle　of　the　churchyard。



〃Where　is　your　mother's　grave？〃　the　police　director　asked。　As

there　were　only　a　few　stars　visible；　it　was　not　easy　to　find　it；

but　at　last　they　managed　it；　and　the　police　director　surveyed　the

neighborhood　of　it。



〃The　position　is　not　a　very　favorable　one　for　us；〃　he　said　at

last；　〃there　is　nothing　here；　not　even　a　shrub；　behind　which　we

could　hide。〃



But　just　then；　the　policeman　reported　that　he　had　tried　to　get

into　the　sexton's　hut　through　the　door　or　a　window；　and　that　at

last　he　had　succeeded　in　doing　so　by　breaking　open　a　square　in　a

window　which　had　been　mended　with　paper；　that　he　had　opened　it

and　obtained　possession　of　the　key；　which　he　brought　to　the

police　director。



The　plans　were　very　quickly　settled。　The　police　director　had　the

chapel　opened　and　went　in　with　the　young　Latitudinarian；　then　he

told　the　police　sergeant　to　lock　the　door　behind　him　and　to　put

the　key　back　where　he　had　found　it；　and　to　shut　the　window　of　the

sexton's　cottage　carefully。　Lastly；　he　made　arrangements　as　to

what　they　were　to　do；　in　case　anything　unforeseen　should　occur；

whereupon　the　sergeant　and　the　constable　left　the　churchyard；　and

lay　down　in　a　ditch　at　some　distance　from　the　gate；　but　opposite

to　it。



Almost　as　soon　as　the　clock　struck　half　past　eleven；　they　heard

steps　near　the　chapel；　whereupon　the　police　director　and　the

young　Latitudinarian　went　to　the　window　in　order　to　watch　the

beginning　of　the　exorcism；　and　as　the　chapel　was　in　total

darkness；　they　thought　that　they　should　be　able　to　see　without

being　seen；　but　matters　turned　out　differently　from　what　they

expected。



Suddenly；　the　key　turned　in　the　lock。　They　barely　had　time　to

conceal　themselves　behind　the　altar；　before　two　men　came　in；　one

of　whom　was　carrying　a　dark　lantern。　One　was　the　young　man's

father；　an　elderly　man　of　the　middle　class；　who　seemed　very

unhappy　and　depressed；　the　other　the　Jesuit　father　X；　a　tall；

lean；　big…boned　man；　with　a　thin；　bilious　face；　in　which　two

large　gray　eyes　shone　restlessly　under　bushy；　black　eyebrows。　He

lit　the　tapers；　which　were　standing　on　the　altar；　and　began　to

say　a　〃Requiem　Mass〃；　while　the　old　man　kneeled　on　the　altar

steps　and　served　him。



When　it　was　over；　the　Jesuit　took　the　book　of　the　Gospels　and　the

holy…water　sprinkler；　and　went　slowly　out　of　the　chapel；　the　old

man　following　him　with　the　holy…water　basin　in　one　hand；　and　a

taper　in　the　other。　Then　the　police　director　left　his　hiding

place；　and　stooping　down；　so　as　not　to　be　seen；　crept　to　the

chapel　window；　where　he　cowered　down　carefully；　the　young　man

followed　his　example。　They　were　now　looking　straight　at　his

mother's　grave。



The　Jesuit；　followed　by　the　superstitious　old　man；　walked　three

times　round　the　grave；　then　he　remained　standing　before　it；　and

by　the　light　of　the　taper　read　a　few　passages　from　the　Gospel。

Then　he　dipped　the　holy…water　sprinkler　three　times　into　the

holy…water　basin；　and　sprinkled　the　grave　three　times。　Then　both

returned　to　the　chapel；　kneeled　down　outside　it　with　their　faces

toward　the　grave；　and　began　to　pray　aloud；　until　at　last　the

Jesuit　sprang　up；　in　a　species　of　wild　ecstasy；　and　cried　out

three　times　in　a　shrill　voice：



〃Exsurge！　Exsurge！　Exsurge！〃＇1＇



＇1＇　Arise！



Scarcely　had　the　last　words　of　the　exorcism　died　away；　when

thick；　blue　smoke　rose　out　of　the　grave；　rapidly　grew　into　a

cloud；　and　began　to　assume　the　outlines　of　a　human　body；　until　at

last　a　tall；　white　figure　stood　behind　the　grave；　and　beckoned

with　its　hand。



〃Who　art　thou？〃　the　Jesuit　asked　solemnly；　while　the　old　man

began　to　cry。



〃When　I　was　alive；　I　was　called　Anna　Maria　B；〃　replied　the

ghost　in　a　hollow　voice。



〃Will　you　answer　all　my　questions？〃　the　priest　continued。



〃As　far　as　I　can。〃



〃Have　you　not　yet　been　delivered　from　purgatory　by　our　prayers；

and　by　all　the　Masses　for　your　soul；　which　we　have　said　for　you？〃



〃Not　yet；　but　soon；　soon　I　shall　be。〃



〃When？〃



〃As　soon　as　that　blasphemer；　my　son；　has　been　punished。〃



〃Has　that　not　already　happened？　Has　not　your　husband　disinherited

his　lost　son；　and　in　his　place　made　the　Church　his　heir？〃



〃That　is　not　enough。〃



〃What　must　he　do　besides？〃



〃He　must　deposit　his　will　with　the　Judicial　Authorities；　as　his

last　will　and　testament；　and　drive　the　reprobate　out　of　his

house。〃



〃Consider　well　what　you　are　saying；　must　this　really　be？〃



〃It　must；　or　otherwise　I　shall　have　to　languish　in　purgatory　much

longer；〃　the　sepulchral　voice　replied　with　a　deep　sigh；　but　the

next　moment　the　ghost　yelled　out　in　terror：　〃Oh！　Good　Lord！〃　and

began　to　run　away　as　fast　as　it　could。　A　shrill　whistle　was

heard；　and　then　another；　and　the　police　director　laid　his　hand　on

the　shoulder　of　the　exorciser　with　the　remark：



〃You　are　in　custody。〃



Meanwhile；　the　police　sergeant　and　the　policeman；　who　had　come

into　the　churchyard；　had　caught　the　ghost；　and　dragged　it

forward。　It　was　the　sexton；　who　had　put　on　a　flowing；　white

dress；　and　wore　a　wax　mask；　which　bore　a　striking　resemblance　to

his　mother；　so　the　son　declared。



When　the　case　was　heard；　it　was　proved　that　the　mask　had　been

very　skillfully　made　from　a　portrait　of　the　deceased　woman。　The

government　gave　orders　that　the　matter　should　be　investigated　as

secretly　as　possible；　and　left　the　punishment　of　Father　Xto