the notch on the ax and on being found out-第14节

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of　nourishment；　and　the　body　was　covered　with　livid　bruises。　　It
seemed　that　one　winter　night　the　child　had　sought　to　escape；　crept
out　into　the　back　yard；　tried　to　scale　the　wall；　fallen　back
exhausted；　and　been　found　at　morning　on　the　stones　in　a　dying
state。　　But　though　there　was　some　evidence　of　cruelty；　there　was
none　of　murder；　and　the　aunt　and　her　husband　had　sought　to　palliate
cruelty　by　alleging　the　exceeding　stubbornness　and　perversity　of
the　child；　who　was　declared　to　be　half…witted。　　Be　that　as　it　may；
at　the　orphan's　death　the　aunt　inherited　her　brother's　fortune。
Before　the　first　wedded　year　was　out；　the　American　quitted　England
abruptly；　and　never　returned　to　it。　　He　obtained　a　cruising　vessel；
which　was　lost　in　the　Atlantic　two　years　afterwards。　　The　widow　was
left　in　affluence；　but　reverses　of　various　kinds　had　befallen　her：
a　bank　broke；　an　investment　failed；　she　went　into　a　small　business
and　became　insolvent；　then　she　entered　into　service；　sinking　lower
and　lower；　from　housekeeper　down　to　maid…of…all…work；never　long
retaining　a　place；　though　nothing　decided　against　her　character　was
ever　alleged。　　She　was　considered　sober；　honest；　and　peculiarly
quiet　in　her　ways；　still　nothing　prospered　with　her。　　And　so　she
had　dropped　into　the　workhouse；　from　which　Mr。　J　had　taken　her；
to　be　placed　in　charge　of　the　very　house　which　she　had　rented　as
mistress　in　the　first　year　of　her　wedded　life。

Mr。　J　added　that　he　had　passed　an　hour　alone　in　the　unfurnished
room　which　I　had　urged　him　to　destroy；　and　that　his　impressions　of
dread　while　there　were　so　great；　though　he　had　neither　heard　nor
seen　anything；　that　he　was　eager　to　have　the　walls　bared　and　the
floors　removed　as　I　had　suggested。　　He　had　engaged　persons　for　the
work；　and　would　commence　any　day　I　would　name。

The　day　was　accordingly　fixed。　　I　repaired　to　the　haunted　house；
we　went　into　the　blind；　dreary　room；　took　up　the　skirting；　and　then
the　floors。　　Under　the　rafters；　covered　with　rubbish；　was　found　a
trapdoor；　quite　large　enough　to　admit　a　man。　　It　was　closely　nailed
down；　with　clamps　and　rivets　of　iron。　　On　removing　these　we
descended　into　a　room　below；　the　existence　of　which　had　never　been
suspected。　　In　this　room　there　had　been　a　window　and　a　flue；　but
they　had　been　bricked　over；　evidently　for　many　years。　　By　the　help
of　candles　we　examined　this　place；　it　still　retained　some　moldering
furniture；three　chairs；　an　oak　settle；　a　table；all　of　the
fashion　of　about　eighty　years　ago。　　There　was　a　chest　of　drawers
against　the　wall；　in　which　we　found；　half　rotted　away；　old…
fashioned　articles　of　a　man's　dress；　such　as　might　have　been　worn
eighty　or　a　hundred　years　ago　by　a　gentleman　of　some　rank；　costly
steel　buckles　and　buttons；　like　those　yet　worn　in　court　dresses；　a
handsome　court　sword；　in　a　waistcoat　which　had　once　been　rich　with
gold　lace；　but　which　was　now　blackened　and　foul　with　damp；　we　found
five　guineas；　a　few　silver　coins；　and　an　ivory　ticket；　probably　for
some　place　of　entertainment　long　since　passed　away。　　But　our　main
discovery　was　in　a　kind　of　iron　safe　fixed　to　the　wall；　the　lock　of
which　it　cost　us　much　trouble　to　get　picked。

In　this　safe　were　three　shelves　and　two　small　drawers。　　Ranged　on
the　shelves　were　several　small　bottles　of　crystal；　hermetically
stopped。　　They　contained　colorless；　volatile　essences；　of　the
nature　of　which　I　shall　only　say　that　they　were　not　poisons；
phosphor　and　ammonia　entered　into　some　of　them。　　There　were　also
some　very　curious　glass　tubes；　and　a　small　pointed　rod　of　iron；
with　a　large　lump　of　rock　crystal；　and　another　of　amber；also　a
loadstone　of　great　power。

In　one　of　the　drawers　we　found　a　miniature　portrait　set　in　gold；
and　retaining　the　freshness　of　its　colors　most　remarkably；
considering　the　length　of　time　it　had　probably　been　there。　　The
portrait　was　that　of　a　man　who　might　be　somewhat　advanced　in　middle
life；　perhaps　forty…seven　or　forty…eight。　　It　was　a　remarkable
face；a　most　impressive　face。　　If　you　could　fancy　some　mighty
serpent　transformed　into　man；　preserving　in　the　human　lineaments
the　old　serpent　type；　you　would　have　a　better　idea　of　that
countenance　than　long　descriptions　can　convey：　the　width　and
flatness　of　frontal；　the　tapering　elegance　of　contour　disguising
the　strength　of　the　deadly　jaw；　the　long；　large；　terrible　eye；
glittering　and　green　as　the　emerald；and　withal　a　certain　ruthless
calm；　as　if　from　the　consciousness　of　an　immense　power。

Mechanically　I　turned　round　the　miniature　to　examine　the　back　of
it；　and　on　the　back　was　engraved　a　pentacle；　in　the　middle　of　the
pentacle　a　ladder；　and　the　third　step　of　the　ladder　was　formed　by
the　date　1765。　　Examining　still　more　minutely；　I　detected　a　spring；
this；　on　being　pressed；　opened　the　back　of　the　miniature　as　a　lid。
Within…side　the　lid　were　engraved；　〃Marianna　to　thee。　　Be　faithful
in　life　and　in　death　to　。〃　　Here　follows　a　name　that　I　will　not
mention；　but　it　was　not　unfamiliar　to　me。　　I　had　heard　it　spoken　of
by　old　men　in　my　childhood　as　the　name　borne　by　a　dazzling
charlatan　who　had　made　a　great　sensation　in　London　for　a　year　or
so；　and　had　fled　the　country　on　the　charge　of　a　double　murder
within　his　own　house；that　of　his　mistress　and　his　rival。　　I　said
nothing　of　this　to　Mr。　J；　to　whom　reluctantly　I　resigned　the
miniature。

We　had　found　no　difficulty　in　opening　the　first　drawer　within　the
iron　safe；　we　found　great　difficulty　in　opening　the　second：　it　was
not　locked；　but　it　resisted　all　efforts；　till　we　inserted　in　the
chinks　the　edge　of　a　chisel。　　When　we　had　thus　drawn　it　forth；　we
found　a　very　singular　apparatus　in　the　nicest　order。　　Upon　a　small；
thin　book；　or　rather　tablet；　was　placed　a　saucer　of　crystal；　this
saucer　was　filled　with　a　clear　liquid；on　that　liquid　floated　a
kind　of　compass；　with　a　needle　shifting　rapidly　round；　but　instead
of　the　usual　points　of　a　compass　were　seven　strange　characters；　not
very　unlike　those　used　by　astrologers　to　denote　the　planets。　　A
peculiar　but　not　strong　nor　displeasing　odor　came　from　this　drawer；
which　was　lined　with　a　wood　that　we　afterwards　discovered　to　be
hazel。　　Whatever　the　cause　of　this　odor；　it　produced　a　material
effect　on　the　nerves。　　We　all　felt　it；　even　the　two　workmen　who
were　in　the　room；a　creeping；　tingling　sensation　from　the　tips　of
the　fingers　to　the　roots　of　the　hair。　　Impatient　to　examine　the
tablet；　I　removed　the　saucer。　　As　I　did　so　the　needle　of　the
compass　went　round　and　round　with　exceeding　swiftness；　and　I　felt　a
shock　that　ran　through　my　whole　frame；　so　that　I　dropped　the　saucer
on　the　floor。　　The　liquid　was　spilled；　the　saucer　was　broken；　the
compass　rolled　to　the　end　of　the　room；　and　at　that　instant　the
walls　shook　to　and　fro；　as　if　a　giant　had　swayed　and　rocked　them。

The　two　workmen　were　so　frightened　that　they　ran　up　the　ladder　by
which　we　had　descended　from　the　trapdoor；　but　seeing　that　nothing
more　happened；　they　were　easily　induced　to　return。

Meanwhile　I　had　opened　the　tablet：　it　was　bound　in　plain　red
leather；　with　a　silver　clasp；　it　contained　but　one　sheet　of　thick
vellum；　and　on　that　sheet　were　inscribed；　within　a　double　pentacle；
words　in　old　monkish　Latin；　which　are　literally　to　be　translated
thus：　〃On　all　that　it　can　reach　within　these　walls；　sentient　or
inanimate；　living　or　dead；　as　moves　the　needle；　so　works　my　will！
Accursed　be　the　house；　and　restless　be　the　dwellers　therein。〃

We　found　no　more。　　Mr。　J　burned　the　tablet　and　its　anathema。
He　razed　to　the　foundations　the　part　of　the　building　containing　the
secret　room　with　the　chamber　over　it。　　He　had　then　the　courage　to
inhabit　the　house　himself　for　a　month；　and　a　quieter；　better…
conditioned　house　could　not　be　found　in　all　London。　　Subsequently
he　let　it　to　advantage；　and　his　tenant　has　made　no　complaints。



A　drowning　man　clutching　at　a　strawsuch　is　Dr。　Fenwick；　hero　of
Bulwer…Lytton's　〃Strange　Story〃　when　he　determines　to　lend　himself
to　alleged　〃magic〃　in　the　hope　of　saving　his　suffering　wife　from
the　physical　dangers　which　have　succeeded　her　mental　disease。　　The
proposition　has　been　made　to　him　by　Margrave；　a　wanderer　in　many
countries；　who　has　followed　the　Fenwicks　from　England　to　Australia。
Margrave　declares　that　he　needs　an　accomplice　to　secure　an　〃elixir
of　life〃　which　his　own　failing　strength　demands。　　His　mysterious
mesmeric　or　hypnotic　influence　over　Mrs。　Fenwick　had　in　former　days
been　marked；　and　on　the　basis　of　this　undeniable　fact；　he　has
endeavored　to　show　that　his　own　welfare　and　Mrs。　Fenwick's　are；　in
some　occult　fashion；　knit　together；　and　that　only　by　aiding　him　in
some　extraordinary　experiment　can　the　physician　snatch　his　beloved
Lilian　from　her　impending　doom。

As　the　first　chapter　opens；　Fenwick　is　learning　his　wife's
condition　from　his　friend；　Dr。　Faber。



Bulwer…Lytton


The　Incantation


I


〃I　believe　that　for　at　least　twelve　hours　there　will　be　no　change
in　her　state。　　I　believe　also　that　if　she　recover　from　it；　calm　and
refreshed；　as　from　a　sleep；　the　danger　of　death　will　have　passed
away。〃

〃And　for　twelve　hours　my　presence　would　be　hurtful？〃

〃Rather　say　fatal；　if　my　diagnosis　be　right。〃

I　wrung　my　friend's　hand；　and　we　p