three ghost stories-第13节

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twelve。〃



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

but　in　the　gross　we　were　always　one　too　many。　　There　was　no

appearanceno　figureto　account　for　it；　but　I　had　now　an　inward

foreshadowing　of　the　figure　that　was　surely　coming。



The　Jury　were　housed　at　the　London　Tavern。　　We　all　slept　in　one

large　room　on　separate　tables；　and　we　were　constantly　in　the　charge

and　under　the　eye　of　the　officer　sworn　to　hold　us　in　safe…keeping。

I　see　no　reason　for　suppressing　the　real　name　of　that　officer。　　He

was　intelligent；　highly　polite；　and　obliging；　and　（I　was　glad　to

hear）　much　respected　in　the　City。　　He　had　an　agreeable　presence；

good　eyes；　enviable　black　whiskers；　and　a　fine　sonorous　voice。　　His

name　was　Mr。　Harker。



When　we　turned　into　our　twelve　beds　at　night；　Mr。　Harker's　bed　was

drawn　across　the　door。　　On　the　night　of　the　second　day；　not　being

disposed　to　lie　down；　and　seeing　Mr。　Harker　sitting　on　his　bed；　I

went　and　sat　beside　him；　and　offered　him　a　pinch　of　snuff。　　As　Mr。

Harker's　hand　touched　mine　in　taking　it　from　my　box；　a　peculiar

shiver　crossed　him；　and　he　said；　〃Who　is　this？〃



Following　Mr。　Harker's　eyes；　and　looking　along　the　room；　I　saw　again

the　figure　I　expected；the　second　of　the　two　men　who　had　gone　down

Piccadilly。　　I　rose；　and　advanced　a　few　steps；　then　stopped；　and

looked　round　at　Mr。　Harker。　　He　was　quite　unconcerned；　laughed；　and

said　in　a　pleasant　way；　〃I　thought　for　a　moment　we　had　a　thirteenth

juryman；　without　a　bed。　　But　I　see　it　is　the　moonlight。〃



Making　no　revelation　to　Mr。　Harker；　but　inviting　him　to　take　a　walk

with　me　to　the　end　of　the　room；　I　watched　what　the　figure　did。　　It

stood　for　a　few　moments　by　the　bedside　of　each　of　my　eleven　brother

jurymen；　close　to　the　pillow。　　It　always　went　to　the　right…hand　side

of　the　bed；　and　always　passed　out　crossing　the　foot　of　the　next　bed。

It　seemed；　from　the　action　of　the　head；　merely　to　look　down

pensively　at　each　recumbent　figure。　　It　took　no　notice　of　me；　or　of

my　bed；　which　was　that　nearest　to　Mr。　Harker's。　　It　seemed　to　go　out

where　the　moonlight　came　in；　through　a　high　window；　as　by　an　aerial

flight　of　stairs。



Next　morning　at　breakfast；　it　appeared　that　everybody　present　had

dreamed　of　the　murdered　man　last　night；　except　myself　and　Mr。

Harker。



I　now　felt　as　convinced　that　the　second　man　who　had　gone　down

Piccadilly　was　the　murdered　man　（so　to　speak）；　as　if　it　had　been

borne　into　my　comprehension　by　his　immediate　testimony。　　But　even

this　took　place；　and　in　a　manner　for　which　I　was　not　at　all

prepared。



On　the　fifth　day　of　the　trial；　when　the　case　for　the　prosecution　was

drawing　to　a　close；　a　miniature　of　the　murdered　man；　missing　from

his　bedroom　upon　the　discovery　of　the　deed；　and　afterwards　found　in

a　hiding…place　where　the　Murderer　had　been　seen　digging；　was　put　in

evidence。　　Having　been　identified　by　the　witness　under　examination；

it　was　handed　up　to　the　Bench；　and　thence　handed　down　to　be

inspected　by　the　Jury。　　As　an　officer　in　a　black　gown　was　making　his

way　with　it　across　to　me；　the　figure　of　the　second　man　who　had　gone

down　Piccadilly　impetuously　started　from　the　crowd；　caught　the

miniature　from　the　officer；　and　gave　it　to　me　with　his　own　hands；　at

the　same　time　saying；　in　a　low　and　hollow　tone；before　I　saw　the

miniature；　which　was　in　a　locket；〃I　WAS　YOUNGER　THEN；　AND　MY　FACE

WAS　NOT　THEN　DRAINED　OF　BLOOD。〃　　It　also　came　between　me　and　the

brother　juryman　to　whom　I　would　have　given　the　miniature；　and

between　him　and　the　brother　juryman　to　whom　he　would　have　given　it；

and　so　passed　it　on　through　the　whole　of　our　number；　and　back　into

my　possession。　　Not　one　of　them；　however；　detected　this。



At　table；　and　generally　when　we　were　shut　up　together　in　Mr。

Harker's　custody；　we　had　from　the　first　naturally　discussed　the

day's　proceedings　a　good　deal。　　On　that　fifth　day；　the　case　for　the

prosecution　being　closed；　and　we　having　that　side　of　the　question　in

a　completed　shape　before　us；　our　discussion　was　more　animated　and

serious。　　Among　our　number　was　a　vestryman；the　densest　idiot　I

have　ever　seen　at　large；who　met　the　plainest　evidence　with　the

most　preposterous　objections；　and　who　was　sided　with　by　two　flabby

parochial　parasites；　all　the　three　impanelled　from　a　district　so

delivered　over　to　Fever　that　they　ought　to　have　been　upon　their　own

trial　for　five　hundred　Murders。　　When　these　mischievous　blockheads

were　at　their　loudest；　which　was　towards　midnight；　while　some　of　us

were　already　preparing　for　bed；　I　again　saw　the　murdered　man。　　He

stood　grimly　behind　them；　beckoning　to　me。　　On　my　going　towards

them；　and　striking　into　the　conversation；　he　immediately　retired。

This　was　the　beginning　of　a　separate　series　of　appearances；　confined

to　that　long　room　in　which　we　were　confined。　　Whenever　a　knot　of　my

brother　jurymen　laid　their　heads　together；　I　saw　the　head　of　the

murdered　man　among　theirs。　　Whenever　their　comparison　of　notes　was

going　against　him；　he　would　solemnly　and　irresistibly　beckon　to　me。



It　will　be　borne　in　mind　that　down　to　the　production　of　the

miniature；　on　the　fifth　day　of　the　trial；　I　had　never　seen　the

Appearance　in　Court。　　Three　changes　occurred　now　that　we　entered　on

the　case　for　the　defence。　　Two　of　them　I　will　mention　together；

first。　　The　figure　was　now　in　Court　continually；　and　it　never　there

addressed　itself　to　me；　but　always　to　the　person　who　was　speaking　at

the　time。　　For　instance：　　the　throat　of　the　murdered　man　had　been

cut　straight　across。　　In　the　opening　speech　for　the　defence；　it　was

suggested　that　the　deceased　might　have　cut　his　own　throat。　　At　that

very　moment；　the　figure；　with　its　throat　in　the　dreadful　condition

referred　to　（this　it　had　concealed　before）；　stood　at　the　speaker's

elbow；　motioning　across　and　across　its　windpipe；　now　with　the　right

hand；　now　with　the　left；　vigorously　suggesting　to　the　speaker

himself　the　impossibility　of　such　a　wound　having　been　self…inflicted

by　either　hand。　　For　another　instance：　　a　witness　to　character；　a

woman；　deposed　to　the　prisoner's　being　the　most　amiable　of　mankind。

The　figure　at　that　instant　stood　on　the　floor　before　her；　looking

her　full　in　the　face；　and　pointing　out　the　prisoner's　evil

countenance　with　an　extended　arm　and　an　outstretched　finger。



The　third　change　now　to　be　added　impressed　me　strongly　as　the　most

marked　and　striking　of　all。　　I　do　not　theorise　upon　it；　I　accurately

state　it；　and　there　leave　it。　　Although　the　Appearance　was　not

itself　perceived　by　those　whom　it　addressed；　its　coming　close　to

such　persons　was　invariably　attended　by　some　trepidation　or

disturbance　on　their　part。　　It　seemed　to　me　as　if　it　were　prevented；

by　laws　to　which　I　was　not　amenable；　from　fully　revealing　itself　to

others；　and　yet　as　if　it　could　invisibly；　dumbly；　and　darkly

overshadow　their　minds。　　When　the　leading　counsel　for　the　defence

suggested　that　hypothesis　of　suicide；　and　the　figure　stood　at　the

learned　gentleman's　elbow；　frightfully　sawing　at　its　severed　throat；

it　is　undeniable　that　the　counsel　faltered　in　his　speech；　lost　for　a

few　seconds　the　thread　of　his　ingenious　discourse；　wiped　his

forehead　with　his　handkerchief；　and　turned　extremely　pale。　　When　the

witness　to　character　was　confronted　by　the　Appearance；　her　eyes　most

certainly　did　follow　the　direction　of　its　pointed　finger；　and　rest

in　great　hesitation　and　trouble　upon　the　prisoner's　face。　　Two

additional　illustrations　will　suffice。　　On　the　eighth　day　of　the

trial；　after　the　pause　which　was　every　day　made　early　in　the

afternoon　for　a　few　minutes'　rest　and　refreshment；　I　came　back　into

Court　with　the　rest　of　the　Jury　some　little　time　before　the　return

of　the　Judges。　　Standing　up　in　the　box　and　looking　about　me；　I

thought　the　figure　was　not　there；　until；　chancing　to　raise　my　eyes

to　the　gallery；　I　saw　it　bending　forward；　and　leaning　over　a　very

decent　woman；　as　if　to　assure　itself　whether　the　Judges　had　resumed

their　seats　or　not。　　Immediately　afterwards　that　woman　screamed；

fainted；　and　was　carried　out。　　So　with　the　venerable；　sagacious；　and

patient　Judge　who　conducted　the　trial。　　When　the　case　was　over；　and

he　settled　himself　and　his　papers　to　sum　up；　the　murdered　man；

entering　by　the　Judges'　door；　advanced　to　his　Lordship's　desk；　and

looked　eagerly　over　his　shoulder　at　the　pages　of　his　notes　which　he

was　turning。　　A　change　came　over　his　Lordship's　face；　his　hand

stopped；　the　peculiar　shiver；　that　I　knew　so　well；　passed　over　him；

he　faltered；　〃Excuse　me；　gentlemen；　for　a　few　moments。　　I　am

somewhat　oppressed　by　the　vitiated　air；〃　and　did　not　recover　until

he　had　drunk　a　glass　of　water。



Through　all　the　monotony　of　six　of　those　interminable　ten　days；the

same　Judges　and　others　on　the　bench；　the　same　Murderer　in　the　dock；

the　same　lawyers　at　the　table；　the　same　tones　of　question　and　answer

rising　to　the　roof　of　the　court；　the　same　scratching　of　the　Judge's

pen；　the　same　ushers　going