i and my chimney-第6节

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have　noted　that　I　frequently　applied　my　rule　to　it　in　a　manner

apparently　unnecessary。　Possibly；　also；　at　the　same　time；　you

might　have　observed　in　me　more　or　less　of　perplexity；　to　which；

however；　I　refrained　from　giving　any　verbal　expression。　



I　now　feel　it　obligatory　upon　me　to　inform　you　of　what　was　then

but　a　dim　suspicion；　and　as　such　would　have　been　unwise　to　give

utterance　to；　but　which　now；　from　various　subsequent　calculations

assuming　no　little　probability；　it　may　be　important　that　you

should　not　remain　in　further　ignorance　of。　

　

It　is　my　solemn　duty　to　warn　you；　sir；　that　there　is

architectural　cause　to　conjecture　that　somewhere　concealed　in

your　chimney　is　a　reserved　space；　hermetically　closed；　in　short；　

a　secret　chamber；　or　rather　closet。　How　long　it　has　been　there；

it　is　for　me　impossible　to　say。　What　it　contains　is　hid；　with

itself；　in　darkness。　But　probably　a　secret　closet　would　not　have

been　contrived　except　for　some　extraordinary　object；　whether　for

the　concealment　of　treasure；　or　for　what　other　purpose；　may　be

left　to　those　better　acquainted　with　the　history　of　the　house　to

guess。　



But　enough：　in　making　this　disclosure；　sir；　my　conscience　is

eased。　Whatever　step　you　choose　to　take　upon　it；　is　of　course　a

matter　of　indifference　to　me；　though；　I　confess；　as　respects　the

character　of　the　closet；　I　cannot　but　share　in　a　natural

curiosity。　Trusting　that　you　may　be　guided　aright；　in　determining

whether　it　is　Christian…like　knowingly　to　reside　in　a　house；

hidden　in　which　is　a　secret　closet；　I　remain；　with　much　respect；　

Yours　very　humbly；　



HIRAM　SCRIBE。　





My　first　thought　upon　reading　this　note　was；　not　of　the　alleged

mystery　of　manner　to　which；　at　the　outset；　it　alluded…for　none

such　had　I　at　all　observed　in　the　master…mason　during　his

surveysbut　of　my　late　kinsman；　Captain　Julian　Dacres；　long　a

ship…master　and　merchant　in　the　Indian　trade；　who；　about　thirty

years　ago；　and　at　the　ripe　age　of　ninety；　died　a　bachelor；　and　in

this　very　house；　which　he　had　built。　　He　was　supposed　to　have

retired　into　this　country　with　a　large　fortune。　　But　to　the

general　surprise；　after　being　at　great　cost　in　building　himself

this　mansion；　he　settled　down　into　a　sedate；　reserved　and

inexpensive　old　age；　which　by　the　neighbors　was　thought　all　the

better　for　his　heirs：　but　lo！　upon　opening　the　will；　his　property

was　found　to　consist　but　of　the　house　and　grounds；　and　some　ten

thousand　dollars　in　stocks；　but　the　place；　being　found　heavily

mortgaged；　was　in　consequence　sold。　Gossip　had　its　day；　and　left

the　grass　quietly　to　creep　over　the　captain's　grave；　where　he

still　slumbers　in　a　privacy　as　unmolested　as　if　the　billows　of

the　Indian　Ocean；　instead　of　the　billows　of　inland　verdure；

rolled　over　him。　Still；　I　remembered　long　ago；　hearing　strange

solutions　whispered　by　the　country　people　for　the　mystery

involving　his　will；　and；　by　reflex；　himself；　and　that；　too；　as

well　in　conscience　as　purse。　But　people　who　could　circulate　the

report　（which　they　did）；　that　Captain　Julian　Dacres　had；　in　his


day；　been　a　Borneo　pirate；　surely　were　not　worthy　of　credence　in

their　collateral　notions。　It　is　queer　what　wild　whimsies　of

rumors　will；　like　toadstools；　spring　up　about　any　eccentric

stranger；　who　settling　down　among　a　rustic　population；　keeps

quietly　to　himself。　With　some；　inoffensiveness　would　seem　a　prime

cause　of　offense。　But　what　chiefly　had　led　me　to　scout　at　these

rumors；　particularly　as　referring　to　concealed　treasure；　was　the

circumstance；　that　the　stranger　（the　same　who　razeed　the　roof　and

the　chimney）　into　whose　hands　the　estate　had　passed　on　my

kinsman's　death；　was　of　that　sort　of　character；　that　had　there

been　the　least　ground　for　those　reports；　he　would　speedily　have

tested　them；　by　tearing　down　and　rummaging　the　walls。　



Nevertheless；　the　note　of　Mr。　Scribe；　so　strangely　recalling　the

memory　of　my　kinsman；　very　naturally　chimed　in　with　what　had　been

mysterious；　or　at　least　unexplained；　about　him；　vague　flashings

of　ingots　united　in　my　mind　with　vague　gleamings　of　skulls。　But

the　first　cool　thought　soon　dismissed　such　chimeras；　and；　with　a

calm　smile；　I　turned　towards　my　wife；　who；　meantime；　had　been

sitting　nearby；　impatient　enough；　I　dare　say；　to　know　who　could

have　taken　it　into　his　head　to　write　me　a　letter。　



〃Well；　old　man；〃　said　she；　〃who　is　it　from；　and　what　is　it

about？〃　



〃Read　it；　wife；〃　said　I；　handing　it。



　Read　it　she　did；　and　thensuch　an　explosion！　I　will　not　pretend

to　describe　her　emotions；　or　repeat　her　expressions。　Enough　that

my　daughters　were　quickly　called　in　to　share　the　excitement。

Although　they　had　never　dreamed　of　such　a　revelation　as　Mr。

Scribe's；　yet　upon　the　first　suggestion　they　instinctively　saw

the　extreme　likelihood　of　it。　In　corroboration；　they　cited　first

my　kinsman；　and　second；　my　chimney；　alleging　that　the　profound

mystery　involving　the　former；　and　the　equally　profound　masonry

involving　the　latter；　though　both　acknowledged　facts；　were　alike

preposterous　on　any　other　supposition　than　the　secret　closet。　



But　all　this　time　I　was　quietly　thinking　to　myself：　Could　it　be

hidden　from　me　that　my　credulity　in　this　instance　would　operate

very　favorably　to　a　certain　plan　of　theirs？　How　to　get　to　the

secret　closet；　or　how　to　have　any　certainty　about　it　at　all；

without　making　such　fell　work　with　my　chimney　as　to　render　its

set　destruction　superfluous？　That　my　wife　wished　to　get　rid　of

the　chimney；　it　needed　no　reflection　to　show；　and　that　Mr。

Scribe；　for　all　his　pretended　disinterestedness；　was　not　opposed

to　pocketing　five　hundred　dollars　by　the　operation；　seemed

equally　evident。　That　my　wife　had；　in　secret；　laid　heads　together

with　Mr。　Scribe；　I　at　present　refrain　from　affirming。　But　when　I

consider　her　enmity　against　my　chimney；　and　the　steadiness　with

which　at　the　last　she　is　wont　to　carry　out　her　schemes；　if　by

hook　or　crook　she　can；　especially　after　having　been　once　baffled；

why；　I　scarcely　knew　at　what　step　of　hers　to　be　surprised。　



Of　one　thing　only　was　I　resolved；　that　I　and　my　chimney　should

not　budge。　



In　vain　all　protests。　Next　morning　I　went　out　into　the　road；

where　I　had　noticed　a　diabolical…looking　old　gander；　that；　for

its　doughty　exploits　in　the　way　of　scratching　into　forbidden

enclosures；　had　been　rewarded　by　its　master　with　a　portentous；

four…pronged；　wooden　decoration；　in　the　shape　of　a　collar　of　the

Order　of　the　Garotte。　This　gander　I　cornered　and　rummaging　out

its　stiffest　quill；　plucked　it；　took　it　home；　and　making　a　stiff

pen；　inscribed　the　following　stiff　note：　



CHIMNEY　SIDE；　April　2。　

MR。　SCRIBE

Sir：…For　your　conjecture；　we　return　you　our　joint　thanks　and

compliments；　and　beg　leave　to　assure　you；　that　we　shall　remain；　

Very　faithfully；　

The　same；　

I　AND　MY　CHIMNEY。　



Of　course；　for　this　epistle　we　had　to　endure　some　pretty　sharp

raps。　But　having　at　last　explicitly　understood　from　me　that　Mr。

Scribe's　note　had　not　altered　my　mind　one　jot；　my　wife；　to　move

me；　among　other　things　said；　that　if　she　remembered　aright；　there

was　a　statute　placing　the　keeping　in　private　of　secret　closets　on

the　same　unlawful　footing　with　the　keeping　of　gunpowder。　But　it

had　no　effect。　



A　few　days　after；　my　spouse　changed　her　key。　



It　was　nearly　midnight；　and　all　were　in　bed　but　ourselves；　who

sat　up；　one　in　each　chimney…　corner；　she；　needles　in　hand；

indefatigably　knitting　a　sock；　I；　pipe　in　mouth；　indolently

weaving　my　vapors。　



It　was　one　of　the　first　of　the　chill　nights　in　autumn。　There　was

a　fire　on　the　hearth；　burning　low。　The　air　without　was　torpid　and

heavy；　the　wood；　by　an　oversight；　of　the　sort　called　soggy。　



〃Do　look　at　the　chimney；〃　she　began；　〃can't　you　see　that

something　must　be　in　it？〃　



〃Yes；　wife。　Truly　there　is　smoke　in　the　chimney；　as　in　Mr。

Scribe's　note。〃　



〃Smoke？　Yes；　indeed；　and　in　my　eyes；　too。　How　you　two　wicked　old

sinners　do　smoke！this　wicked　old　chimney　and　you。〃　



〃Wife；〃　said　I；　〃I　and　my　chimney　like　to　have　a　quiet　smoke

together；　it　is　true；　but　we　don't　like　to　be　called　names。〃　



〃Now；　dear　old　man；〃　said　she；　softening　down；　and　a　little

shifting　the　subject；　〃when　you　think　of　that　old　kinsman　of

yours；　you　KNOW　there　must　be　a　secret　closet　in　this　chimney。〃　



〃Secret　ash…hole；　wife；　why　don't　you　have　it？　Yes；　I　dare　say

there　is　a　secret　ash…hole　in　the　chimney；　for　where　do　all　the

ashes　go　to　that　drop　down　the　queer　hole　yonder？〃　

　

〃I　know　where　they　go　to；　I've　been　there　almost　as　many　times　as

the　cat。〃　



〃What　devil；　wife；　prompted　you　to　crawl　into　the　ash…hole？　Don't

you　know　that　St。　Dunstan's　devil　emerged　from　the　ash…hole？　You

will　get　your　death　one　of　these　days；　exploring　all　about　as　you

do。　But　supposing　there　be　a　secret　closet；　what　then？〃　



〃What　then？　why　what　should　be　in　a　secret　closet　but〃　



〃Dry　bones；　wife；〃　b