three ghost stories-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





In　a　word；　I　should　have　set　this　man　down　as　one　of　the　safest　of

men　to　be　employed　in　that　capacity；　but　for　the　circumstance　that

while　he　was　speaking　to　me　he　twice　broke　off　with　a　fallen　colour；

turned　his　face　towards　the　little　bell　when　it　did　NOT　ring；　opened

the　door　of　the　hut　（which　was　kept　shut　to　exclude　the　unhealthy

damp）；　and　looked　out　towards　the　red　light　near　the　mouth　of　the

tunnel。　　On　both　of　those　occasions；　he　came　back　to　the　fire　with

the　inexplicable　air　upon　him　which　I　had　remarked；　without　being

able　to　define；　when　we　were　so　far　asunder。



Said　I；　when　I　rose　to　leave　him；　〃You　almost　make　me　think　that　I

have　met　with　a　contented　man。〃



（I　am　afraid　I　must　acknowledge　that　I　said　it　to　lead　him　on。）



〃I　believe　I　used　to　be　so；〃　he　rejoined；　in　the　low　voice　in　which

he　had　first　spoken；　〃but　I　am　troubled；　sir；　I　am　troubled。〃



He　would　have　recalled　the　words　if　he　could。　　He　had　said　them；

however；　and　I　took　them　up　quickly。



〃With　what？　　What　is　your　trouble？〃



〃It　is　very　difficult　to　impart；　sir。　　It　is　very；　very　difficult　to

speak　of。　　If　ever　you　make　me　another　visit；　I　will　try　to　tell

you。〃



〃But　I　expressly　intend　to　make　you　another　visit。　　Say；　when　shall

it　be？〃



〃I　go　off　early　in　the　morning；　and　I　shall　be　on　again　at　ten　to…

morrow　night；　sir。〃



〃I　will　come　at　eleven。〃



He　thanked　me；　and　went　out　at　the　door　with　me。　　〃I'll　show　my

white　light；　sir；〃　he　said；　in　his　peculiar　low　voice；　〃till　you

have　found　the　way　up。　　When　you　have　found　it；　don't　call　out！　　And

when　you　are　at　the　top；　don't　call　out！〃



His　manner　seemed　to　make　the　place　strike　colder　to　me；　but　I　said

no　more　than；　〃Very　well。〃



〃And　when　you　come　down　to…morrow　night；　don't　call　out！　　Let　me　ask

you　a　parting　question。　　What　made　you　cry；　'Halloa！　　Below　there！'

to…night？〃



〃Heaven　knows；〃　said　I。　　〃I　cried　something　to　that　effect〃



〃Not　to　that　effect；　sir。　　Those　were　the　very　words。　　I　know　them

well。〃



〃Admit　those　were　the　very　words。　　I　said　them；　no　doubt；　because　I

saw　you　below。〃



〃For　no　other　reason？〃



〃What　other　reason　could　I　possibly　have？〃



〃You　had　no　feeling　that　they　were　conveyed　to　you　in　any

supernatural　way？〃



〃No。〃



He　wished　me　good…night；　and　held　up　his　light。　　I　walked　by　the

side　of　the　down　Line　of　rails　（with　a　very　disagreeable　sensation

of　a　train　coming　behind　me）　until　I　found　the　path。　　It　was　easier

to　mount　than　to　descend；　and　I　got　back　to　my　inn　without　any

adventure。



Punctual　to　my　appointment；　I　placed　my　foot　on　the　first　notch　of

the　zigzag　next　night；　as　the　distant　clocks　were　striking　eleven。

He　was　waiting　for　me　at　the　bottom；　with　his　white　light　on。　　〃I

have　not　called　out；〃　I　said；　when　we　came　close　together；　〃may　I

speak　now？〃　　〃By　all　means；　sir。〃　　〃Good…night；　then；　and　here's　my

hand。〃　　〃Good…night；　sir；　and　here's　mine。〃　　With　that　we　walked

side　by　side　to　his　box；　entered　it；　closed　the　door；　and　sat　down

by　the　fire。



〃I　have　made　up　my　mind；　sir；〃　he　began；　bending　forward　as　soon　as

we　were　seated；　and　speaking　in　a　tone　but　a　little　above　a　whisper；

〃that　you　shall　not　have　to　ask　me　twice　what　troubles　me。　　I　took

you　for　some　one　else　yesterday　evening。　　That　troubles　me。〃



〃That　mistake？〃



〃No。　　That　some　one　else。〃



〃Who　is　it？〃



〃I　don't　know。〃



〃Like　me？〃



〃I　don't　know。　　I　never　saw　the　face。　　The　left　arm　is　across　the

face；　and　the　right　arm　is　waved；violently　waved。　　This　way。〃



I　followed　his　action　with　my　eyes；　and　it　was　the　action　of　an　arm

gesticulating；　with　the　utmost　passion　and　vehemence；　〃For　God's

sake；　clear　the　way！〃



〃One　moonlight　night；〃　said　the　man；　〃I　was　sitting　here；　when　I

heard　a　voice　cry；　'Halloa！　　Below　there！'　　I　started　up；　looked

from　that　door；　and　saw　this　Some　one　else　standing　by　the　red　light

near　the　tunnel；　waving　as　I　just　now　showed　you。　　The　voice　seemed

hoarse　with　shouting；　and　it　cried；　'Look　out！　　Look　out！'　　And　then

attain；　'Halloa！　　Below　there！　　Look　out！'　　I　caught　up　my　lamp；

turned　it　on　red；　and　ran　towards　the　figure；　calling；　'What's

wrong？　　What　has　happened？　　Where？'　　It　stood　just　outside　the

blackness　of　the　tunnel。　　I　advanced　so　close　upon　it　that　I

wondered　at　its　keeping　the　sleeve　across　its　eyes。　　I　ran　right　up

at　it；　and　had　my　hand　stretched　out　to　pull　the　sleeve　away；　when

it　was　gone。〃



〃Into　the　tunnel？〃　said　I。



〃No。　　I　ran　on　into　the　tunnel；　five　hundred　yards。　　I　stopped；　and

held　my　lamp　above　my　head；　and　saw　the　figures　of　the　measured

distance；　and　saw　the　wet　stains　stealing　down　the　walls　and

trickling　through　the　arch。　　I　ran　out　again　faster　than　I　had　run

in　（for　I　had　a　mortal　abhorrence　of　the　place　upon　me）；　and　I

looked　all　round　the　red　light　with　my　own　red　light；　and　I　went　up

the　iron　ladder　to　the　gallery　atop　of　it；　and　I　came　down　again；

and　ran　back　here。　　I　telegraphed　both　ways；　'An　alarm　has　been

given。　　Is　anything　wrong？'　　The　answer　came　back；　both　ways；　'All

well。'〃



Resisting　the　slow　touch　of　a　frozen　finger　tracing　out　my　spine；　I

showed　him　how　that　this　figure　must　be　a　deception　of　his　sense　of

sight；　and　how　that　figures；　originating　in　disease　of　the　delicate

nerves　that　minister　to　the　functions　of　the　eye；　were　known　to　have

often　troubled　patients；　some　of　whom　had　become　conscious　of　the

nature　of　their　affliction；　and　had　even　proved　it　by　experiments

upon　themselves。　　〃As　to　an　imaginary　cry；〃　said　I；　〃do　but　listen

for　a　moment　to　the　wind　in　this　unnatural　valley　while　we　speak　so

low；　and　to　the　wild　harp　it　makes　of　the　telegraph　wires。〃



That　was　all　very　well；　he　returned；　after　we　had　sat　listening　for

a　while；　and　he　ought　to　know　something　of　the　wind　and　the　wires；

he　who　so　often　passed　long　winter　nights　there；　alone　and　watching。

But　he　would　beg　to　remark　that　he　had　not　finished。



I　asked　his　pardon；　and　he　slowly　added　these　words；　touching　my

arm；　…



〃Within　six　hours　after　the　Appearance；　the　memorable　accident　on

this　Line　happened；　and　within　ten　hours　the　dead　and　wounded　were

brought　along　through　the　tunnel　over　the　spot　where　the　figure　had

stood。〃



A　disagreeable　shudder　crept　over　me；　but　I　did　my　best　against　it。

It　was　not　to　be　denied；　I　rejoined；　that　this　was　a　remarkable

coincidence；　calculated　deeply　to　impress　his　mind。　　But　it　was

unquestionable　that　remarkable　coincidences　did　continually　occur；

and　they　must　be　taken　into　account　in　dealing　with　such　a　subject。

Though　to　be　sure　I　must　admit；　I　added　（for　I　thought　I　saw　that　he

was　going　to　bring　the　objection　to　bear　upon　me）；　men　of　common

sense　did　not　allow　much　for　coincidences　in　making　the　ordinary

calculations　of　life。



He　again　begged　to　remark　that　he　had　not　finished。



I　again　begged　his　pardon　for　being　betrayed　into　interruptions。



〃This；〃　he　said；　again　laying　his　hand　upon　my　arm；　and　glancing

over　his　shoulder　with　hollow　eyes；　〃was　just　a　year　ago。　　Six　or

seven　months　passed；　and　I　had　recovered　from　the　surprise　and

shock；　when　one　morning；　as　the　day　was　breaking；　I；　standing　at　the

door；　looked　towards　the　red　light；　and　saw　the　spectre　again。〃　　He

stopped；　with　a　fixed　look　at　me。



〃Did　it　cry　out？〃



〃No。　　It　was　silent。〃



〃Did　it　wave　its　arm？〃



〃No。　　It　leaned　against　the　shaft　of　the　light；　with　both　hands

before　the　face。　　Like　this。〃



Once　more　I　followed　his　action　with　my　eyes。　　It　was　an　action　of

mourning。　　I　have　seen　such　an　attitude　in　stone　figures　on　tombs。



〃Did　you　go　up　to　it？〃



〃I　came　in　and　sat　down；　partly　to　collect　my　thoughts；　partly

because　it　had　turned　me　faint。　　When　I　went　to　the　door　again；

daylight　was　above　me；　and　the　ghost　was　gone。〃



〃But　nothing　followed？　　Nothing　came　of　this？〃



He　touched　me　on　the　arm　with　his　forefinger　twice　or　thrice　giving

a　ghastly　nod　each　time：…



〃That　very　day；　as　a　train　came　out　of　the　tunnel；　I　noticed；　at　a

carriage　window　on　my　side；　what　looked　like　a　confusion　of　hands

and　heads；　and　something　waved。　　I　saw　it　just　in　time　to　signal　the

driver；　Stop！　　He　shut　off；　and　put　his　brake　on；　but　the　train

drifted　past　here　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　or　more。　　I　ran　after

it；　and；　as　I　went　along；　heard　terrible　screams　and　cries。　　A

beautiful　young　lady　had　died　instantaneously　in　one　of　the

compartments；　and　was　brought　in　here；　and　laid　down　on　this　floor

between　us。〃



Involuntarily　I　pushed　my　chair　back；　as　I　looked　from　the　boards　at

which　he　pointed　to　himself。



〃True；　sir。　　True。　　Precisely　as　it　happened；　so　I　tell　it　you。〃



I　could　think　of　nothing　to　say；　to　any　purpose；　and　my　mouth　was

very　dry。　　The　wind　and　the　wires　took　up　the　story　with　a　long

lamenting　wail。



He　resumed。　　〃Now；　sir；　mark　this；　a