three ghost stories-第12节

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of　the　man　who　followed　him　was　of　the　colour　of　impure　wax。



I　am　a　bachelor；　and　my　valet　and　his　wife　constitute　my　whole

establishment。　　My　occupation　is　in　a　certain　Branch　Bank；　and　I

wish　that　my　duties　as　head　of　a　Department　were　as　light　as　they

are　popularly　supposed　to　be。　　They　kept　me　in　town　that　autumn；

when　I　stood　in　need　of　change。　　I　was　not　ill；　but　I　was　not　well。

My　reader　is　to　make　the　most　that　can　be　reasonably　made　of　my

feeling　jaded；　having　a　depressing　sense　upon　me　of　a　monotonous

life；　and　being　〃slightly　dyspeptic。〃　　I　am　assured　by　my　renowned

doctor　that　my　real　state　of　health　at　that　time　justifies　no

stronger　description；　and　I　quote　his　own　from　his　written　answer　to

my　request　for　it。



As　the　circumstances　of　the　murder；　gradually　unravelling；　took

stronger　and　stronger　possession　of　the　public　mind；　I　kept　them

away　from　mine　by　knowing　as　little　about　them　as　was　possible　in

the　midst　of　the　universal　excitement。　　But　I　knew　that　a　verdict　of

Wilful　Murder　had　been　found　against　the　suspected　murderer；　and

that　he　had　been　committed　to　Newgate　for　trial。　　I　also　knew　that

his　trial　had　been　postponed　over　one　Sessions　of　the　Central

Criminal　Court；　on　the　ground　of　general　prejudice　and　want　of　time

for　the　preparation　of　the　defence。　　I　may　further　have　known；　but　I

believe　I　did　not；　when；　or　about　when；　the　Sessions　to　which　his

trial　stood　postponed　would　come　on。



My　sitting…room；　bedroom；　and　dressing…room；　are　all　on　one　floor。

With　the　last　there　is　no　communication　but　through　the　bedroom。

True；　there　is　a　door　in　it；　once　communicating　with　the　staircase；

but　a　part　of　the　fitting　of　my　bath　has　beenand　had　then　been　for

some　yearsfixed　across　it。　　At　the　same　period；　and　as　a　part　of

the　same　arrangement；the　door　had　been　nailed　up　and　canvased

over。



I　was　standing　in　my　bedroom　late　one　night；　giving　some　directions

to　my　servant　before　he　went　to　bed。　　My　face　was　towards　the　only

available　door　of　communication　with　the　dressing…room；　and　it　was

closed。　　My　servant's　back　was　towards　that　door。　　While　I　was

speaking　to　him；　I　saw　it　open；　and　a　man　look　in；　who　very

earnestly　and　mysteriously　beckoned　to　me。　　That　man　was　the　man　who

had　gone　second　of　the　two　along　Piccadilly；　and　whose　face　was　of

the　colour　of　impure　wax。



The　figure；　having　beckoned；　drew　back；　and　closed　the　door。　　With

no　longer　pause　than　was　made　by　my　crossing　the　bedroom；　I　opened

the　dressing…room　door；　and　looked　in。　　I　had　a　lighted　candle

already　in　my　hand。　　I　felt　no　inward　expectation　of　seeing　the

figure　in　the　dressing…room；　and　I　did　not　see　it　there。



Conscious　that　my　servant　stood　amazed；　I　turned　round　to　him；　and

said：　　〃Derrick；　could　you　believe　that　in　my　cool　senses　I　fancied

I　saw　a〃　　As　I　there　laid　my　hand　upon　his　breast；　with　a　sudden

start　he　trembled　violently；　and　said；　〃O　Lord；　yes；　sir！　　A　dead

man　beckoning！〃



Now　I　do　not　believe　that　this　John　Derrick；　my　trusty　and　attached

servant　for　more　than　twenty　years；　had　any　impression　whatever　of

having　seen　any　such　figure；　until　I　touched　him。　　The　change　in　him

was　so　startling；　when　I　touched　him；　that　I　fully　believe　he

derived　his　impression　in　some　occult　manner　from　me　at　that

instant。



I　bade　John　Derrick　bring　some　brandy；　and　I　gave　him　a　dram；　and

was　glad　to　take　one　myself。　　Of　what　had　preceded　that　night's

phenomenon；　I　told　him　not　a　single　word。　　Reflecting　on　it；　I　was

absolutely　certain　that　I　had　never　seen　that　face　before；　except　on

the　one　occasion　in　Piccadilly。　　Comparing　its　expression　when

beckoning　at　the　door　with　its　expression　when　it　had　stared　up　at

me　as　I　stood　at　my　window；　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　on　the

first　occasion　it　had　sought　to　fasten　itself　upon　my　memory；　and

that　on　the　second　occasion　it　had　made　sure　of　being　immediately

remembered。



I　was　not　very　comfortable　that　night；　though　I　felt　a　certainty；

difficult　to　explain；　that　the　figure　would　not　return。　　At　daylight

I　fell　into　a　heavy　sleep；　from　which　I　was　awakened　by　John

Derrick's　coming　to　my　bedside　with　a　paper　in　his　hand。



This　paper；　it　appeared；　had　been　the　subject　of　an　altercation　at

the　door　between　its　bearer　and　my　servant。　　It　was　a　summons　to　me

to　serve　upon　a　Jury　at　the　forthcoming　Sessions　of　the　Central

Criminal　Court　at　the　Old　Bailey。　　I　had　never　before　been　summoned

on　such　a　Jury；　as　John　Derrick　well　knew。　　He　believedI　am　not

certain　at　this　hour　whether　with　reason　or　otherwisethat　that

class　of　Jurors　were　customarily　chosen　on　a　lower　qualification

than　mine；　and　he　had　at　first　refused　to　accept　the　summons。　　The

man　who　served　it　had　taken　the　matter　very　coolly。　　He　had　said

that　my　attendance　or　non…attendance　was　nothing　to　him；　there　the

summons　was；　and　I　should　deal　with　it　at　my　own　peril；　and　not　at

his。



For　a　day　or　two　I　was　undecided　whether　to　respond　to　this　call；　or

take　no　notice　of　it。　　I　was　not　conscious　of　the　slightest

mysterious　bias；　influence；　or　attraction；　one　way　or　other。　　Of

that　I　am　as　strictly　sure　as　of　every　other　statement　that　I　make

here。　　Ultimately　I　decided；　as　a　break　in　the　monotony　of　my　life；

that　I　would　go。



The　appointed　morning　was　a　raw　morning　in　the　month　of　November。

There　was　a　dense　brown　fog　in　Piccadilly；　and　it　became　positively

black　and　in　the　last　degree　oppressive　East　of　Temple　Bar。　　I　found

the　passages　and　staircases　of　the　Court…House　flaringly　lighted

with　gas；　and　the　Court　itself　similarly　illuminated。　　I　THINK　that；

until　I　was　conducted　by　officers　into　the　Old　Court　and　saw　its

crowded　state；　I　did　not　know　that　the　Murderer　was　to　be　tried　that

day。　　I　THINK　that；　until　I　was　so　helped　into　the　Old　Court　with

considerable　difficulty；　I　did　not　know　into　which　of　the　two　Courts

sitting　my　summons　would　take　me。　　But　this　must　not　be　received　as

a　positive　assertion；　for　I　am　not　completely　satisfied　in　my　mind

on　either　point。



I　took　my　seat　in　the　place　appropriated　to　Jurors　in　waiting；　and　I

looked　about　the　Court　as　well　as　I　could　through　the　cloud　of　fog

and　breath　that　was　heavy　in　it。　　I　noticed　the　black　vapour　hanging

like　a　murky　curtain　outside　the　great　windows；　and　I　noticed　the

stifled　sound　of　wheels　on　the　straw　or　tan　that　was　littered　in　the

street；　also；　the　hum　of　the　people　gathered　there；　which　a　shrill

whistle；　or　a　louder　song　or　hail　than　the　rest；　occasionally

pierced。　　Soon　afterwards　the　Judges；　two　in　number；　entered；　and

took　their　seats。　　The　buzz　in　the　Court　was　awfully　hushed。　　The

direction　was　given　to　put　the　Murderer　to　the　bar。　　He　appeared

there。　　And　in　that　same　instant　I　recognised　in　him　the　first　of

the　two　men　who　had　gone　down　Piccadilly。



If　my　name　had　been　called　then；　I　doubt　if　I　could　have　answered　to

it　audibly。　　But　it　was　called　about　sixth　or　eighth　in　the　panel；

and　I　was　by　that　time　able　to　say；　〃Here！〃　　Now；　observe。　　As　I

stepped　into　the　box；　the　prisoner；　who　had　been　looking　on

attentively；　but　with　no　sign　of　concern；　became　violently　agitated；

and　beckoned　to　his　attorney。　　The　prisoner's　wish　to　challenge　me

was　so　manifest；　that　it　occasioned　a　pause；　during　which　the

attorney；　with　his　hand　upon　the　dock；　whispered　with　his　client；

and　shook　his　head。　　I　afterwards　had　it　from　that　gentleman；　that

the　prisoner's　first　affrighted　words　to　him　were；　〃AT　ALL　HAZARDS；

CHALLENGE　THAT　MAN！〃　　But　that；　as　he　would　give　no　reason　for　it；

and　admitted　that　he　had　not　even　known　my　name　until　he　heard　it

called　and　I　appeared；　it　was　not　done。



Both　on　the　ground　already　explained；　that　I　wish　to　avoid　reviving

the　unwholesome　memory　of　that　Murderer；　and　also　because　a　detailed

account　of　his　long　trial　is　by　no　means　indispensable　to　my

narrative；　I　shall　confine　myself　closely　to　such　incidents　in　the

ten　days　and　nights　during　which　we；　the　Jury；　were　kept　together；

as　directly　bear　on　my　own　curious　personal　experience。　　It　is　in

that；　and　not　in　the　Murderer；　that　I　seek　to　interest　my　reader。

It　is　to　that；　and　not　to　a　page　of　the　Newgate　Calendar；　that　I　beg

attention。



I　was　chosen　Foreman　of　the　Jury。　　On　the　second　morning　of　the

trial；　after　evidence　had　been　taken　for　two　hours　（I　heard　the

church　clocks　strike）；　happening　to　cast　my　eyes　over　my　brother

jurymen；　I　found　an　inexplicable　difficulty　in　counting　them。　　I

counted　them　several　times；　yet　always　with　the　same　difficulty。　　In

short；　I　made　them　one　too　many。



I　touched　the　brother　jurymen　whose　place　was　next　me；　and　I

whispered　to　him；　〃Oblige　me　by　counting　us。〃　　He　looked　surprised

by　the　request；　but　turned　his　head　and　counted。　〃Why；〃　says　he；

suddenly；　〃we　are　Thirt…；　but　no；　it's　not　possible。　　No。　　We　are

twelve。〃



According　to　my　counting　that　day；　we　were　always　right　in　detail；

but　in　the　gross