the musgrave ritual-第2节

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！


Hurlstone；　and　the　police　have　been　able　to　throw　no　light　upon　the

matter。　It　is　really　the　most　extraordinary　and　inexplicable

business。'

　　〃You　can　imagine　with　what　eagerness　I　listened　to　him；　Watson；

for　the　very　chance　for　which　I　had　been　panting　during　all　those

months　of　inaction　seemed　to　have　come　within　my　reach。　In　my　inmost

heart　I　believed　that　I　could　succeed　where　others　failed；　and　now　I

had　the　opportunity　to　test　myself。

　　〃'Pray　let　me　have　the　details；'　I　cried。

　　〃Reginald　Musgrave　sat　down　opposite　to　me　and　lit　the　cigarette

which　I　bad　pushed　towards　him。

　　〃'You　must　know；'　said　he；　'that　though　I　am　a　bachelor；　I　have　to

keep　up　a　considerable　staff　of　servants　at　Hurlstone；　for　it　is　a

rambling　old　place　and　takes　a　good　deal　of　looking　after。　I　preserve；

too；　and　in　the　pheasant　months　I　usually　have　a　house…party；　so

that　it　would　not　do　to　be　short…handed。　Altogether　there　are　eight

maids；　the　cook；　the　butler；　two　footmen；　and　a　boy。　The　garden　and

the　stables　of　course　have　a　separate　staff。

　　〃'Of　these　servants　the　one　who　had　been　longest　in　our　service

was　Brunton；　the　butler。　He　was　a　young　schoolmaster　out　of　place　when

he　was　first　taken　up　by　my　father；　but　he　was　a　man　of　great　energy

and　character；　and　he　soon　became　quite　invaluable　in　the　household。

He　was　a　well…grown；　handsome　man；　with　a　splendid　forehead；　and

though　he　has　been　with　us　for　twenty　years　he　cannot　be　more　than

forty　now。　With　his　personal　advantages　and　his　extraordinary

gifts…for　he　can　speak　several　languages　and　play　nearly　every　musical

instrument…it　is　wonderful　that　he　should　have　been　satisfied　so

long　in　such　a　position；　but　I　suppose　that　he　was　comfortable　and

lacked　energy　to　make　any　change。　The　butler　of　Hurlstone　is　always

a　thing　that　is　remembered　by　all　who　visit　us。

　　〃'But　this　paragon　has　one　fault。　He　is　a　bit　of　a　Don　Juan；　and　you

can　imagine　that　for　a　man　like　him　it　is　not　a　very　difficult　part　to

play　in　a　quiet　country　district。　When　he　was　married　it　was　all

right；　but　since　he　has　been　a　widower　we　have　had　no　end　of　trouble

with　him。　A　few　months　ago　we　were　in　hopes　that　he　was　about　to

settle　down　again；　for　he　became　engaged　to　Rachel　Howells；　our　second

housemaid；　but　he　has　thrown　her　over　since　then　and　taken　up　with

Janet　Tregellis；　the　daughter　of　the　head　game…keeper。　Rachel…who　is　a

very　good　girl；　but　of　an　excitable　Welsh　temperament…had　a　sharp

touch　of　brain…fever　and　goes　about　the　house　now…or　did　until

yesterday…like　a　black…eyed　shadow　of　her　former　self。　That　was　our

first　drama　at　Hurlstone；　but　a　second　one　came　to　drive　it　from　our

minds；　and　it　was　prefaced　by　the　disgrace　and　dismissal　of　butler

Brunton。

　　〃'This　was　how　it　came　about。　I　have　said　that　the　man　was

intelligent；　and　this　very　intelligence　has　caused　his　ruin；　for　it

seems　to　have　led　to　an　insatiable　curiosity　about　things　which　did

not　in　the　least　concern　him。　I　had　no　idea　of　the　lengths　to　which

this　would　carry　him　until　the　merest　accident　opened　my　eyes　to　it。

　　〃'I　have　said　that　the　house　is　a　rambling　one。　One　day　last　week…on

Thursday　night；　to　be　more　exact…I　found　that　I　could　not　sleep；

having　foolishly　taken　a　cup　of　strong　cafe　noir　after　my　dinner。

After　struggling　against　it　until　two　in　the　morning；　I　felt　that　it

was　quite　hopeless；　so　I　rose　and　lit　the　candle　with　the　intention　of

continuing　a　novel　which　I　was　reading。　The　book；　however；　had　been

left　in　the　billiard…room；　so　I　pulled　on　my　dressing…gown　and　started

off　to　get　it。

　　〃'In　order　to　reach　the　billiard…room　I　had　to　descend　a　flight　of

stairs　and　then　to　cross　the　head　of　a　passage　which　led　to　the

library　and　the　gun…room。　You　can　imagine　my　surprise　when；　as　I

looked　down　this　corridor；　I　saw　a　glimmer　of　light　coming　from　the

open　door　of　the　library。　I　had　myself　extinguished　the　lamp　and

closed　the　door　before　coming　to　bed。　Naturally　my　first　thought　was

of　burglars。　The　corridors　at　Hurlstone　have　their　walls　largely

decorated　with　trophies　of　old　weapons。　From　one　of　these　I　picked　a

battle…axe；　and　then；　leaving　my　candle　behind　me；　I　crept　on　tiptoe

down　the　passage　and　peeped　in　at　the　open　door。

　　〃'Brunton；　the　butler；　was　in　the　library。　He　was　sitting；　fully

dressed；　in　an　easy…chair；　with　a　slip　of　paper　which　looked　like　a

map　upon　his　knee；　and　his　forehead　sunk　forward　upon　his　hand　in　deep

thought。　I　stood　dumb　with　astonishment；　watching　him　from　the

darkness。　A　small　taper　on　the　edge　of　the　table　shed　a　feeble　light

which　sufficed　to　show　me　that　he　was　fully　dressed。　Suddenly；　as　I

looked；　he　rose　from　his　chair；　and；　walking　over　to　a　bureau　at　the

side；　he　unlocked　it　and　drew　out　one　of　the　drawers。　From　this　he

took　a　paper；　and；　returning　to　his　seat；　he　flattened　it　out　beside

the　taper　on　the　edge　of　the　table　and　began　to　study　it　with　minute

attention。　My　indignation　at　this　calm　examination　of　our　family

documents　overcame　me　so　far　that　I　took　a　step　forward；　and

Brunton；　looking　up；　saw　me　standing　in　the　doorway。　He　sprang　to

his　feet；　his　face　turned　livid　with　fear；　and　he　thrust　into　his

breast　the　chart…like　paper　which　he　had　been　originally　studying。

　　〃'〃So！〃　said　I。　〃'〃This　is　how　you　repay　the　trust　which　we　have

reposed　in　you。　You　will　leave　my　service　to…morrow。〃

　　〃'He　bowed　with　the　look　of　a　man　who　is　utterly　crushed　and　slunk

past　me　without　a　word。　The　taper　was　still　on　the　table；　and　by　its

light　I　glanced　to　see　what　the　paper　was　which　Brunton　had　taken　from

the　bureau。　To　my　surprise　it　was　nothing　of　any　importance　at　all；

but　simply　a　copy　of　the　questions　and　answers　in　the　singular　old

observance　called　the　Musgrave　Ritual。　It　is　a　sort　of　ceremony

peculiar　to　our　family；　which　each　Musgrave　for　centuries　past　has

gone　through　on　his　coming　of　age…a　thing　of　private　interest；　and

perhaps　of　some　little　importance　to　the　archaeologist；　like　our　own

blazonings　and　charges；　but　of　no　practical　use　whatever。'

　　〃'We　had　better　come　back　to　the　paper　afterwards；'　said　I。

　　〃'If　you　think　it　really　necessary；'　he　answered　with　some

hesitation。　'To　continue　my　statement；　however：　I　relocked　the　bureau；

using　the　key　which　Brunton　had　left；　and　I　had　turned　to　go　when　I

was　surprised　to　find　that　the　butler　had　returned；　and　was　standing

before　me。

　　〃'〃Mr。　Musgrave；　sir；〃　he　cried　in　a　voice　which　was　hoarse　with

emotion；　〃I　can't　bear　disgrace；　sir。　I've　always　been　proud　above

my　station　in　life；　and　disgrace　would　kill　me。　My　blood　will　be　on

your　head；　sir…it　will；　indeed…if　you　drive　me　to　despair。　If　you

cannot　keep　me　after　what　has　passed；　then　for　God's　sake　let　me

give　you　notice　and　leave　in　a　month；　as　if　of　my　own　free　will。　I

could　stand　that；　Mr。　Musgrave；　but　not　to　be　cast　out　before　all

the　folk　that　I　know　so　well。〃

　　〃'〃You　don't　deserve　much　consideration；　Brunton；〃　I　answered。　〃Your

conduct　has　been　most　infamous。　However；　as　you　have　been　a　long

time　in　the　family；　I　have　no　wish　to　bring　public　disgrace　upon

you。　A　month；　however；　is　too　long。　Take　yourself　away　in　a　week；

and　give　what　reason　you　like　for　going。〃

　　〃'〃Only　a　week；　sir？〃　he　cried　in　a　despairing　voice。　〃A

fortnight…say　at　least　a　fortnight！〃

　　〃'〃A　week；〃　I　repeated；　〃and　you　may　consider　yourself　to　have

been　very　leniently　dealt　with。〃

　　〃'He　crept　away；　his　face　sunk　upon　his　breast；　like　a　broken　man；

while　I　put　out　the　light　and　returned　to　my　room。

　　〃'For　two　days　after　this　Brunton　was　most　assiduous　in　his

attention　to　his　duties。　I　made　no　allusion　to　what　had　passed　and

waited　with　some　curiosity　to　see　how　he　would　cover　his　disgrace。

On　the　third　morning；　however；　he　did　not　appear；　as　was　his　custom；

after　breakfast　to　receive　my　instructions　for　the　day。　As　I　left

the　dining…room　I　happened　to　meet　Rachel　Howells；　the　maid。　I　have

told　you　that　she　had　only　recently　recovered　from　an　illness　and

was　looking　so　wretchedly　pale　and　wan　that　I　remonstrated　with　her

for　being　at　work。

　　〃'〃You　should　be　in　bed；〃　I　said。　〃Come　back　to　your　duties　when　you

are　stronger。〃

　　〃'She　looked　at　me　with　so　strange　an　expression　that　I　began　to

suspect　that　her　brain　was　affected。

　　〃'〃I　am　strong　enough；　Mr。　Musgrave；〃　said　she。

　　〃'〃We　will　see　what　the　doctor　says；〃　I　answered。　〃You　must　stop

work　now；　and　when　you　go　downstairs　just　say　that　I　wish　to　see

Brunton。〃

　　〃'〃The　butler　is　gone；〃　said　she。

　　〃'〃Gone！　Gone　where？〃

　　〃'〃He　is　gone。　No　one　has　seen　him。　He　is　not　in　his　room。　Oh；

yes；　he　is　gone；　he　is　gone！〃　She　fell　back　against　the　wall　with

shriek　after　shriek　of　laughter；　while　I；　horrified　at　this　sudden

hysterical　attack；　rushed　to　the　bell　to　summon　help。　The　girl　was

taken　to　her　room；　still　screaming　and　sobbing；　while　I　made　inquiries

about　Brunton。　There　was　no　doubt　about　it　that　he　had　disappeared。

His　bed　had　not　been　slept　in；　he　had　been　seen　by　no　one　since　he　had

retired　to　his　room　the　night　before；　and　yet　it　was　difficult　to

see　how　he　could　have　left