the notch on the ax and on being found out-第32节

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farewell　for　three　hours。　　Come　to　me　again　about　ten　o'clock；　and
take　a　glass　of　wine　in　memory　of　old　times。〃　　This　he　said
laughingly；　but　even　then　a　dark　spasm　crossed　his　face。　　Yet；
thinking　that　this　might　be　the　mere　working　of　mental　anguish
within　him；　I　complied　with　his　desire；　and　retired。　　Feeling；
however；　but　little　at　ease；　I　devised　an　excuse　for　looking　in
upon　him　about　one　hour　and　a　half　after　I　had　left　him。　　I　knocked
gently　at　his　door；　there　was　no　answer。　　I　knocked　louder；　still
no　answer。　　I　went　in。　　The　light　of　day　was　gone；　and　I　could　see
nothing。　　But　I　was　alarmed　by　the　utter　stillness　of　the　room。　　I
listened　earnestly；　but　not　a　breath　could　be　heard。　　I　rushed　back
hastily　into　the　hall　for　a　lamp；　I　returned；　I　looked　in　upon　this
marvel　of　manly　beauty；　and　the　first　glance　informed　me　that　he
and　all　his　splendid　endowments　had　departed　forever。　　He　had　died；
probably；　soon　after　I　left　him；　and　had　dismissed　me　from　some
growing　instinct　which　informed　him　that　his　last　agonies　were　at
hand。

I　took　up　his　two　testamentary　documents；　both　were　addressed　in
the　shape　of　letters　to　myself。　　The　first　was　a　rapid　though
distinct　appropriation　of　his　enormous　property。　　General　rules
were　laid　down；　upon　which　the　property　was　to　be　distributed；　but
the　details　were　left　to　my　discretion；　and　to　the　guidance　of
circumstances　as　they　should　happen　to　emerge　from　the　various
inquiries　which　it　would　become　necessary　to　set　on　foot。　　This
first　document　I　soon　laid　aside；　both　because　I　found　that　its
provisions　were　dependent　for　their　meaning　upon　the　second；　and
because　to　this　second　document　I　looked　with　confidence　for　a
solution　of　many　mysteries；of　the　profound　sadness　which　had；
from　the　first　of　my　acquaintance　with　him；　possessed　a　man　so
gorgeously　endowed　as　the　favorite　of　nature　and　fortune；　of　his
motives　for　huddling　up；　in　a　clandestine　manner；　that　connection
which　formed　the　glory　of　his　life；　and　possibly　（but　then　I
hesitated）　of　the　late　unintelligible　murders；　which　still　lay
under　as　profound　a　cloud　as　ever。　　Much　of　this　WOULD　be　unveiled
all　might　be：　and　there　and　then；　with　the　corpse　lying　beside　me
of　the　gifted　and　mysterious　writer；　I　seated　myself；　and　read　the
following　statement：


〃MARCH　26；　1817。

〃My　trial　is　finished；　my　conscience；　my　duty；　my　honor；　are
liberated；　my　'warfare　is　accomplished。'　　Margaret；　my　innocent
young　wife；　I　have　seen　for　the　last　time。　　Her；　the　crown　that
might　have　been　of　my　earthly　felicityher；　the　one　temptation　to
put　aside　the　bitter　cup　which　awaited　meher；　sole　seductress　（O
innocent　seductress！）　from　the　stern　duties　which　my　fate　had
imposed　upon　meher；　even　her；　I　have　sacrificed。

〃Before　I　go；　partly　lest　the　innocent　should　be　brought　into
question　for　acts　almost　exclusively　mine；　but　still　more　lest　the
lesson　and　the　warning　which　God；　by　my　hand；　has　written　in　blood
upon　your　guilty　walls；　should　perish　for　want　of　its　authentic
exposition；　hear　my　last　dying　avowal；　that　the　murders　which　have
desolated　so　many　families　within　your　walls；　and　made　the
household　hearth　no　sanctuary；　age　no　charter　of　protection；　are
all　due　originally　to　my　head；　if　not　always　to　my　hand；　as　the
minister　of　a　dreadful　retribution。

〃That　account　of　my　history；　and　my　prospects；　which　you　received
from　the　Russian　diplomatist；　among　some　errors　of　little
importance；　is　essentially　correct。　　My　father　was　not　so
immediately　connected　with　English　blood　as　is　there　represented。
However；　it　is　true　that　he　claimed　descent　from　an　English　family
of　even　higher　distinction　than　that　which　is　assigned　in　the
Russian　statement。　　He　was　proud　of　this　English　descent；　and　the
more　so　as　the　war　with　revolutionary　France　brought　out　more
prominently　than　ever　the　moral　and　civil　grandeur　of　England。
This　pride　was　generous；　but　it　was　imprudent　in　his　situation。
His　immediate　progenitors　had　been　settled　in　Italyat　Rome　first；
but　latterly　at　Milan；　and　his　whole　property；　large　and　scattered；
came；　by　the　progress　of　the　revolution；　to　stand　under　French
domination。　　Many　spoliations　he　suffered；　but　still　he　was　too
rich　to　be　seriously　injured。　　But　he　foresaw；　in　the　progress　of
events；　still　greater　perils　menacing　his　most　capital　resources。
Many　of　the　states　or　princes　in　Italy　were　deeply　in　his　debt；
and；　in　the　great　convulsions　which　threatened　his　country；　he　saw
that　both　the　contending　parties　would　find　a　colorable　excuse　for
absolving　themselves　from　engagements　which　pressed　unpleasantly
upon　their　finances。　　In　this　embarrassment　he　formed　an　intimacy
with　a　French　officer　of　high　rank　and　high　principle。　　My　father's
friend　saw　his　danger；　and　advised　him　to　enter　the　French　service。
In　his　younger　days；　my　father　had　served　extensively　under　many
princes；　and　had　found　in　every　other　military　service　a　spirit　of
honor　governing　the　conduct　of　the　officers。　　Here　only；　and　for
the　first　time；　he　found　ruffian　manners　and　universal　rapacity。
He　could　not　draw　his　sword　in　company　with　such　men；　nor　in　such　a
cause。　　But　at　length；　under　the　pressure　of　necessity；　he　accepted
（or　rather　bought　with　an　immense　bribe）　the　place　of　a　commissary
to　the　French　forces　in　Italy。　　With　this　one　resource；　eventually
he　succeeded　in　making　good　the　whole　of　his　public　claims　upon　the
Italian　states。　　These　vast　sums　he　remitted；　through　various
channels；　to　England；　where　he　became　proprietor　in　the　funds　to　an
immense　amount。　　Incautiously；　however；　something　of　this
transpired；　and　the　result　was　doubly　unfortunate；　for；　while　his
intentions　were　thus　made　known　as　finally　pointing　to　England；
which　of　itself　made　him　an　object　of　hatred　and　suspicion；　it　also
diminished　his　means　of　bribery。　　These　considerations；　along　with
another；　made　some　French　officers　of　high　rank　and　influence　the
bitter　enemies　of　my　father。　　My　mother；　whom　he　had　married　when
holding　a　brigadier…general's　commission　in　the　Austrian　service；
was；　by　birth　and　by　religion；　a　Jewess。　　She　was　of　exquisite
beauty；　and　had　been　sought　in　Morganatic　marriage　by　an　archduke
of　the　Austrian　family；　but　she　had　relied　upon　this　plea；　that
hers　was　the　purest　and　noblest　blood　among　all　Jewish　families
that　her　family　traced　themselves；　by　tradition　and　a　vast　series
of　attestations　under　the　hands　of　the　Jewish　high　priests；　to　the
Maccabees；　and　to　the　royal　houses　of　Judea；　and　that　for　her　it
would　be　a　degradation　to　accept　even　of　a　sovereign　prince　on　the
terms　of　such　marriage。　　This　was　no　vain　pretension　of
ostentatious　vanity。　　It　was　one　which　had　been　admitted　as　valid
for　time　immemorial　in　Transylvania　and　adjacent　countries；　where
my　mother's　family　were　rich　and　honored；　and　took　their　seat　among
the　dignitaries　of　the　land。　　The　French　officers　I　have　alluded
to；　without　capacity　for　anything　so　dignified　as　a　deep　passion；
but　merely　in　pursuit　of　a　vagrant　fancy　that　would；　on　the　next
day；　have　given　place　to　another　equally　fleeting；　had　dared　to
insult　my　mother　with　proposals　the　most　licentiousproposals　as
much　below　her　rank　and　birth；　as；　at　any　rate；　they　would　have
been　below　her　dignity　of　mind　and　her　purity。　　These　she　had
communicated　to　my　father；　who　bitterly　resented　the　chains　of
subordination　which　tied　up　his　hands　from　avenging　his　injuries。
Still　his　eye　told　a　tale　which　his　superiors　could　brook　as　little
as　they　could　the　disdainful　neglect　of　his　wife。　　More　than　one
had　been　concerned　in　the　injuries　to　my　father　and　mother；　more
than　one　were　interested　in　obtaining　revenge。　　Things　could　be
done　in　German　towns；　and　by　favor　of　old　German　laws　or　usages；
which　even　in　France　could　not　have　been　tolerated。　　This　my
father's　enemies　well　knew；　but　this　my　father　also　knew；　and　he
endeavored　to　lay　down　his　office　of　commissary。　　That；　however；
was　a　favor　which　he　could　not　obtain。　　He　was　compelled　to　serve
on　the　German　campaign　then　commencing；　and　on　the　subsequent　one
of　Friedland　and　Eylau。　　Here　he　was　caught　in　some　one　of　the
snares　laid　for　him；　first　trepanned　into　an　act　which　violated
some　rule　of　the　service；　and　then　provoked　into　a　breach　of
discipline　against　the　general　officer　who　had　thus　trepanned　him。
Now　was　the　long…sought　opportunity　gained；　and　in　that　very
quarter　of　Germany　best　fitted　for　improving　it。　　My　father　was
thrown　into　prison　in　your　city；　subjected　to　the　atrocious
oppression　of　your　jailer；　and　the　more　detestable　oppression　of
your　local　laws。　　The　charges　against　him　were　thought　even　to
affect　his　life；　and　he　was　humbled　into　suing　for　permission　to
send　for　his　wife　and　children。　　Already；　to　his　proud　spirit；　it
was　punishment　enough　that　he　should　be　reduced　to　sue　for　favor　to
one　of　his　bitterest　foes。　　But　it　was　no　part　of　their　plan　to
refuse　THAT。　　By　way　of　expediting　my　mother's　arrival；　a　military
courier；　with　every　facility　for　the　journey；　was　forwarded　to　her
without　delay。　　My　mother；　her　two　daughters；　and　myself；　were　then
residing　in　Venice。　　I　had；　through　the　aid　of　my　father's
connections　in　Austria；　been