the notch on the ax and on being found out-第68节

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I　had　had　a　very　narrow　escape。　　Another　moment　and　I　should　not
have　lived　to　tell　the　tale。　　The　dagger　that　had　already　immolated
two　of　Bourgonef's　objects　of　vengeance　would　have　been　in　my
breast。　　As　it　was；　at　the　very　moment　when　the　terrible　Ivan　had
thrown　his　arms　around　me　and　was　stifling　me　with　chloroform；　one
of　the　servants　of　the　hotel；　alarmed　or　attracted　by　curiosity　at
the　sound　of　high　words　within　the　room；　had　ventured　to　open　the
door　to　see　what　was　going　on。　　The　alarm　had　been　given；　and
Bourgonef　had　been　arrested　and　handed　over　to　the　police。　　Ivan；
however；　had　disappeared；　nor　were　the　police　ever　able　to　find
him。　　This　mattered　comparatively　little。　　Ivan　without　his　master
was　no　more　redoubtable　than　any　other　noxious　animal。　　As　an
accomplice；　as　an　instrument　to　execute　the　will　of　a　man　like
Bourgonef；　he　was　a　danger　to　society。　　The　directing　intelligence
withdrawn；　he　sank　to　the　level　of　the　brute。　　I　was　not　uneasy；
therefore；　at　his　having　escaped。　　Sufficient　for　me　that　the　real
criminal；　the　mind　that　had　conceived　and　directed　those　fearful
murders；　was　at　last　in　the　hands　of　justice。　　I　felt　that　my　task
had　been　fully　accomplished　when　Bourgonef's　head　fell　on　the
scaffold。



The　Closed　Cabinet


I


It　was　with　a　little　alarm　and　a　good　deal　of　pleasurable
excitement　that　I　looked　forward　to　my　first　grown…up　visit　to
Mervyn　Grange。　　I　had　been　there　several　times　as　a　child；　but
never　since　I　was　twelve　years　old；　and　now　I　was　over　eighteen。
We　were　all　of　us　very　proud　of　our　cousins　the　Mervyns：　it　is　not
everybody　that　can　claim　kinship　with　a　family　who　are　in　full　and
admitted　possession　of　a　secret；　a　curse；　and　a　mysterious　cabinet；
in　addition　to　the　usual　surplusage　of　horrors　supplied　in　such
cases　by　popular　imagination。　　Some　declared　that　a　Mervyn　of　the
days　of　Henry　VIII　had　been　cursed　by　an　injured　abbot　from　the
foot　of　the　gallows。　　Others　affirmed　that　a　dissipated　Mervyn　of
the　Georgian　era　was　still　playing　cards　for　his　soul　in　some
remote　region　of　the　Grange。　　There　were　stories　of　white　ladies
and　black　imps；　of　bloodstained　passages　and　magic　stones。　　We；
proud　of　our　more　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　family；　naturally
gave　no　credence　to　these　wild　inventions。　　The　Mervyns；　indeed；
followed　the　accepted　precedent　in　such　cases；　and　greatly　disliked
any　reference　to　the　reputed　mystery　being　made　in　their　presence；
with　the　inevitable　result　that　there　was　no　subject　so
pertinaciously　discussed　by　their　friends　in　their　absence。　　My
father's　sister　had　married　the　late　Baronet；　Sir　Henry　Mervyn；　and
we　always　felt　that　she　ought　to　have　been　the　means　of　imparting
to　us　a　very　complete　knowledge　of　the　family　secret。　　But　in　this
connection　she　undoubtedly　failed　of　her　duty。　　We　knew　that　there
had　been　a　terrible　tragedy　in　the　family　some　two　or　three　hundred
years　agothat　a　peculiarly　wicked　owner　of　Mervyn；　who　flourished
in　the　latter　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　had　been　murdered　by
his　wife　who　subsequently　committed　suicide。　　We　knew　that　the
mysterious　curse　had　some　connection　with　this　crime；　but　what　the
curse　exactly　was　we　had　never　been　able　to　discover。　　The　history
of　the　family　since　that　time　had　indeed　in　one　sense　been　full　of
misfortune。　　Not　in　every　sense。　　A　coal　mine　had　been　discovered
in　one　part　of　the　estate；　and　a　populous　city　had　grown　over　the
corner　of　another　part；　and　the　Mervyns　of　to…day；　in　spite　of　the
usual　percentage　of　extravagant　heirs　and　political　mistakes；　were
three　times　as　rich　as　their　ancestors　had　been。　　But　still　their
story　was　full　of　bloodshed　and　shame；　of　tales　of　duels　and
suicides；　broken　hearts　and　broken　honor。　　Only　these　calamities
seemed　to　have　little　or　no　relation　to　each　other；　and　what　the
precise　curse　was　that　was　supposed　to　connect　or　account　for　them
we　could　not　learn。　　When　she　first　married；　my　aunt　was　told
nothing　about　it。　　Later　on　in　life；　when　my　father　asked　her　for
the　story；　she　begged　him　to　talk　upon　a　pleasanter　subject；　and
being　unluckily　a　man　of　much　courtesy　and　little　curiosity；　he
complied　with　her　request。　　This；　however；　was　the　only　part　of　the
ghostly　traditions　of　her　husband's　home　upon　which　she　was　so
reticent。　　The　haunted　chamber；　for　instancewhich；　of　course；
existed　at　the　Grangeshe　treated　with　the　greatest　contempt。
Various　friends　and　relations　had　slept　in　it　at　different　times；
and　no　approach　to　any　kind　of　authenticated　ghost…story；　even　of
the　most　trivial　description；　had　they　been　able　to　supply。　　Its
only　claim　to　respect；　indeed；　was　that　it　contained　the　famous
Mervyn　cabinet；　a　fascinating　puzzle　of　which　I　will　speak　later；
but　which　certainly　had　nothing　haunting　or　horrible　about　its
appearance。

My　uncle's　family　consisted　of　three　sons。　　The　eldest；　George；　the
present　baronet；　was　now　in　his　thirties；　married；　and　with
children　of　his　own。　　The　second；　Jack；　was　the　black…sheep　of　the
family。　　He　had　been　in　the　Guards；　but；　about　five　years　back；　had
got　into　some　very　disgraceful　scrape；　and　had　been　obliged　to
leave　the　country。　　The　sorrow　and　the　shame　of　this　had　killed　his
unhappy　mother；　and　her　husband　had　not　long　afterwards　followed
her　to　the　grave。　　Alan；　the　youngest　son；　probably　because　he　was
the　nearest　to　us　in　age；　had　been　our　special　favorite　in　earlier
years。　　George　was　grown　up　before　I　had　well　left　the　nursery；　and
his　hot；　quick　temper　had　always　kept　us　youngsters　somewhat　in　awe
of　him。　　Jack　was　four　years　older　than　Alan；　and；　besides；　his
profession　had；　in　a　way；　cut　his　boyhood　short。　　When　my　uncle　and
aunt　were　abroad；　as　they　frequently　were　for　months　together　on
account　of　her　health；　it　was　Alan；　chiefly；　who　had　to　spend　his
holidays　with　us；　both　as　school…boy　and　as　undergraduate。　　And　a
brighter；　sweeter…tempered　comrade；　or　one　possessed　of　more
diversified　talents　for　the　invention　of　games　or　the　telling　of
stories；　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　find。

For　five　years　together　now　our　ancient　custom　of　an　annual　visit
to　Mervyn　had　been　broken。　　First　there　had　been　the　seclusion　of
mourning　for　my　aunt；　and　a　year　later　for　my　uncle；　then　George
and　his　wife；　Lucy；she　was　a　connection　of　our　own　on　our
mother's　side；　and　very　intimate　with　us　all；had　been　away　for
nearly　two　years　on　a　voyage　round　the　world；　and　since　then
sickness　in　our　own　family　had　kept　us　in　our　turn　a　good　deal
abroad。　　So　that　I　had　not　seen　my　cousins　since　all　the　calamities
which　had　befallen　them　in　the　interval；　and　as　I　steamed
northwards　I　wondered　a　good　deal　as　to　the　changes　I　should　find。
I　was　to　have　come　out　that　year　in　London；　but　ill…health　had
prevented　me；　and　as　a　sort　of　consolation　Lucy　had　kindly　asked　me
to　spend　a　fortnight　at　Mervyn；　and　be　present　at　a　shooting…party；
which　was　to　assemble　there　in　the　first　week　of　October。

I　had　started　early；　and　there　was　still　an　hour　of　the　short
autumn　day　left　when　I　descended　at　the　little　wayside　station；
from　which　a　six…mile　drive　brought　me　to　the　Grange。　　A　dreary
drive　I　found　itthe　round；　gray；　treeless　outline　of　the　fells
stretching　around　me　on　every　side　beneath　the　leaden；　changeless
sky。　　The　night　had　nearly　fallen　as　we　drove　along　the　narrow
valley　in　which　the　Grange　stood：　it　was　too　dark　to　see　the　autumn
tints　of　the　woods　which　clothed　and　brightened　its　sides；　almost
too　dark　to　distinguish　the　old　tower；Dame　Alice's　tower　as　it
was　called；which　stood　some　half　a　mile　farther　on　at　its　head。
But　the　light　shone　brightly　from　the　Grange　windows；　and　all
feeling　of　dreariness　departed　as　I　drove　up　to　the　door。　　Leaving
maid　and　boxes　to　their　fate；　I　ran　up　the　steps　into　the　old；
well…remembered　hall；　and　was　informed　by　the　dignified　man…servant
that　her　ladyship　and　the　tea　were　awaiting　me　in　the　morning…room。

I　found　that　there　was　nobody　staying　in　the　house　except　Alan；　who
was　finishing　the　long　vacation　there：　he　had　been　called　to　the
Bar　a　couple　of　years　before。　　The　guests　were　not　to　arrive　for
another　week；　so　that　I　had　plenty　of　opportunity　in　the　interval
to　make　up　for　lost　time　with　my　cousins。　　I　began　my　observations
that　evening　as　we　sat　down　to　dinner；　a　cozy　party　of　four。　　Lucy
was　quite　unchangedpretty；　foolish；　and　gentle　as　ever。　　George
showed　the　full　five　years'　increase　of　age；　and　seemed　to　have
acquired　a　somewhat　painful　control　of　his　temper。　　Instead　of　the
old　petulant　outbursts；　there　was　at　times　an　air　of　nervous；
irritable　self…restraint；　which　I　found　the　less　pleasant　of　the
two。　　But　it　was　in　Alan　that　the　most　striking　alteration
appeared。　　I　felt　it　the　moment　I　shook　hands　with　him；　and　the
impression　deepened　that　evening　with　every　hour。　　I　told　myself
that　it　was　only　the　natural　difference　between　boy　and　man；
between　twenty　and　twenty…five；　but　I　don't　think　that　I　believed
it。　　Superficially　the　change　was　not　great。　　The　slight…built；
graceful　figure；　the　deep　gray　eyes；　too　small　for　beauty；　the
clear…cut　features；　the　delicate；　sensitive　lips；　close　shaven　now；
as　they　had　been　hairless　then；