three ghost stories-第4节

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hand。　　As　the　engine　came　out　of　the　tunnel；　his　back　was　towards

her；　and　she　cut　him　down。　　That　man　drove　her；　and　was　showing　how

it　happened。　　Show　the　gentleman；　Tom。〃



The　man；　who　wore　a　rough　dark　dress；　stepped　back　to　his　former

place　at　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel。



〃Coming　round　the　curve　in　the　tunnel；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　saw　him　at

the　end；　like　as　if　I　saw　him　down　a　perspective…glass。　　There　was

no　time　to　check　speed；　and　I　knew　him　to　be　very　careful。　　As　he

didn't　seem　to　take　heed　of　the　whistle；　I　shut　it　off　when　we　were

running　down　upon　him；　and　called　to　him　as　loud　as　I　could　call。〃



〃What　did　you　say？〃



〃I　said；　'Below　there！　　Look　out！　　Look　out！　　For　God's　sake；　clear

the　way！'〃



I　started。



〃Ah！　it　was　a　dreadful　time；　sir。　　I　never　left　off　calling　to　him。

I　put　this　arm　before　my　eyes　not　to　see；　and　I　waved　this　arm　to

the　last；　but　it　was　no　use。〃





Without　prolonging　the　narrative　to　dwell　on　any　one　of　its　curious

circumstances　more　than　on　any　other；　I　may；　in　closing　it；　point

out　the　coincidence　that　the　warning　of　the　Engine…Driver　included；

not　only　the　words　which　the　unfortunate　Signal…man　had　repeated　to

me　as　haunting　him；　but　also　the　words　which　I　myselfnot　hehad

attached；　and　that　only　in　my　own　mind；　to　the　gesticulation　he　had

imitated。









THE　HAUNTED　HOUSE









CHAPTER　ITHE　MORTALS　IN　THE　HOUSE







Under　none　of　the　accredited　ghostly　circumstances；　and　environed　by

none　of　the　conventional　ghostly　surroundings；　did　I　first　make

acquaintance　with　the　house　which　is　the　subject　of　this　Christmas

piece。　　I　saw　it　in　the　daylight；　with　the　sun　upon　it。　　There　was

no　wind；　no　rain；　no　lightning；　no　thunder；　no　awful　or　unwonted

circumstance；　of　any　kind；　to　heighten　its　effect。　　More　than　that：

I　had　come　to　it　direct　from　a　railway　station：　　it　was　not　more

than　a　mile　distant　from　the　railway　station；　and；　as　I　stood

outside　the　house；　looking　back　upon　the　way　I　had　come；　I　could　see

the　goods　train　running　smoothly　along　the　embankment　in　the　valley。

I　will　not　say　that　everything　was　utterly　commonplace；　because　I

doubt　if　anything　can　be　that；　except　to　utterly　commonplace　people…

…and　there　my　vanity　steps　in；　but；　I　will　take　it　on　myself　to　say

that　anybody　might　see　the　house　as　I　saw　it；　any　fine　autumn

morning。



The　manner　of　my　lighting　on　it　was　this。



I　was　travelling　towards　London　out　of　the　North；　intending　to　stop

by　the　way；　to　look　at　the　house。　　My　health　required　a　temporary

residence　in　the　country；　and　a　friend　of　mine　who　knew　that；　and

who　had　happened　to　drive　past　the　house；　had　written　to　me　to

suggest　it　as　a　likely　place。　　I　had　got　into　the　train　at　midnight；

and　had　fallen　asleep；　and　had　woke　up　and　had　sat　looking　out　of

window　at　the　brilliant　Northern　Lights　in　the　sky；　and　had　fallen

asleep　again；　and　had　woke　up　again　to　find　the　night　gone；　with　the

usual　discontented　conviction　on　me　that　I　hadn't　been　to　sleep　at

all；upon　which　question；　in　the　first　imbecility　of　that

condition；　I　am　ashamed　to　believe　that　I　would　have　done　wager　by

battle　with　the　man　who　sat　opposite　me。　　That　opposite　man　had　had；

through　the　nightas　that　opposite　man　always　hasseveral　legs　too

many；　and　all　of　them　too　long。　　In　addition　to　this　unreasonable

conduct　（which　was　only　to　be　expected　of　him）；　he　had　had　a　pencil

and　a　pocket…book；　and　had　been　perpetually　listening　and　taking

notes。　　It　had　appeared　to　me　that　these　aggravating　notes　related

to　the　jolts　and　bumps　of　the　carriage；　and　I　should　have　resigned

myself　to　his　taking　them；　under　a　general　supposition　that　he　was

in　the　civil…engineering　way　of　life；　if　he　had　not　sat　staring

straight　over　my　head　whenever　he　listened。　　He　was　a　goggle…eyed

gentleman　of　a　perplexed　aspect；　and　his　demeanour　became

unbearable。



It　was　a　cold；　dead　morning　（the　sun　not　being　up　yet）；　and　when　I

had　out…watched　the　paling　light　of　the　fires　of　the　iron　country；

and　the　curtain　of　heavy　smoke　that　hung　at　once　between　me　and　the

stars　and　between　me　and　the　day；　I　turned　to　my　fellow…traveller

and　said：



〃I　BEG　your　pardon；　sir；　but　do　you　observe　anything　particular　in

me〃？　　For；　really；　he　appeared　to　be　taking　down；　either　my

travelling…cap　or　my　hair；　with　a　minuteness　that　was　a　liberty。



The　goggle…eyed　gentleman　withdrew　his　eyes　from　behind　me；　as　if

the　back　of　the　carriage　were　a　hundred　miles　off；　and　said；　with　a

lofty　look　of　compassion　for　my　insignificance：



〃In　you；　sir？B。〃



〃B；　sir？〃　said　I；　growing　warm。



〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　you；　sir；〃　returned　the　gentleman；　〃pray

let　me　listenO。〃



He　enunciated　this　vowel　after　a　pause；　and　noted　it　down。



At　first　I　was　alarmed；　for　an　Express　lunatic　and　no　communication

with　the　guard；　is　a　serious　position。　　The　thought　came　to　my

relief　that　the　gentleman　might　be　what　is　popularly　called　a

Rapper：　　one　of　a　sect　for　（some　of）　whom　I　have　the　highest

respect；　but　whom　I　don't　believe　in。　　I　was　going　to　ask　him　the

question；　when　he　took　the　bread　out　of　my　mouth。



〃You　will　excuse　me；〃　said　the　gentleman　contemptuously；　〃if　I　am

too　much　in　advance　of　common　humanity　to　trouble　myself　at　all

about　it。　　I　have　passed　the　nightas　indeed　I　pass　the　whole　of　my

time　nowin　spiritual　intercourse。〃



〃O！〃　said　I；　somewhat　snappishly。



〃The　conferences　of　the　night　began；〃　continued　the　gentleman；

turning　several　leaves　of　his　note…book；　〃with　this　message：　　'Evil

communications　corrupt　good　manners。'〃



〃Sound；〃　said　I；　〃but；　absolutely　new？〃



〃New　from　spirits；〃　returned　the　gentleman。



I　could　only　repeat　my　rather　snappish　〃O！〃　and　ask　if　I　might　be

favoured　with　the　last　communication。



〃'A　bird　in　the　hand；'〃　said　the　gentleman；　reading　his　last　entry

with　great　solemnity；　〃'is　worth　two　in　the　Bosh。'〃



〃Truly　I　am　of　the　same　opinion；〃　said　I；　〃but　shouldn't　it　be

Bush？〃



〃It　came　to　me；　Bosh；〃　returned　the　gentleman。



The　gentleman　then　informed　me　that　the　spirit　of　Socrates　had

delivered　this　special　revelation　in　the　course　of　the　night。　　〃My

friend；　I　hope　you　are　pretty　well。　　There　are　two　in　this　railway

carriage。　　How　do　you　do？　　There　are　seventeen　thousand　four　hundred

and　seventy…nine　spirits　here；　but　you　cannot　see　them。　　Pythagoras

is　here。　　He　is　not　at　liberty　to　mention　it；　but　hopes　you　like

travelling。〃　　Galileo　likewise　had　dropped　in；　with　this　scientific

intelligence。　　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you；　AMICO。　COME　STA？　　Water　will

freeze　when　it　is　cold　enough。　　ADDIO！〃　　In　the　course　of　the　night；

also；　the　following　phenomena　had　occurred。　　Bishop　Butler　had

insisted　on　spelling　his　name；　〃Bubler；〃　for　which　offence　against

orthography　and　good　manners　he　had　been　dismissed　as　out　of　temper。

John　Milton　（suspected　of　wilful　mystification）　had　repudiated　the

authorship　of　Paradise　Lost；　and　had　introduced；　as　joint　authors　of

that　poem；　two　Unknown　gentlemen；　respectively　named　Grungers　and

Scadgingtone。　　And　Prince　Arthur；　nephew　of　King　John　of　England；

had　described　himself　as　tolerably　comfortable　in　the　seventh

circle；　where　he　was　learning　to　paint　on　velvet；　under　the

direction　of　Mrs。　Trimmer　and　Mary　Queen　of　Scots。



If　this　should　meet　the　eye　of　the　gentleman　who　favoured　me　with

these　disclosures；　I　trust　he　will　excuse　my　confessing　that　the

sight　of　the　rising　sun；　and　the　contemplation　of　the　magnificent

Order　of　the　vast　Universe；　made　me　impatient　of　them。　　In　a　word；　I

was　so　impatient　of　them；　that　I　was　mightily　glad　to　get　out　at　the

next　station；　and　to　exchange　these　clouds　and　vapours　for　the　free

air　of　Heaven。



By　that　time　it　was　a　beautiful　morning。　　As　I　walked　away　among

such　leaves　as　had　already　fallen　from　the　golden；　brown；　and　russet

trees；　and　as　I　looked　around　me　on　the　wonders　of　Creation；　and

thought　of　the　steady；　unchanging；　and　harmonious　laws　by　which　they

are　sustained；　the　gentleman's　spiritual　intercourse　seemed　to　me　as

poor　a　piece　of　journey…work　as　ever　this　world　saw。　　In　which

heathen　state　of　mind；　I　came　within　view　of　the　house；　and　stopped

to　examine　it　attentively。



It　was　a　solitary　house；　standing　in　a　sadly　neglected　garden：　　a

pretty　even　square　of　some　two　acres。　　It　was　a　house　of　about　the

time　of　George　the　Second；　as　stiff；　as　cold；　as　formal；　and　in　as

bad　taste；　as　could　possibly　be　desired　by　the　most　loyal　admirer　of

the　whole　quartet　of　Georges。　　It　was　uninhabited；　but　had；　within　a

year　or　two；　been　cheaply　repaired　to　render　it　habitable；　I　say

cheaply；　because　the　work　had　been　done　in　a　surface　manner；　and　was

already　decaying　as　to　the　paint　and　plaster；　though　the　colours

were　fresh。　　A　lop…sided　board　drooped　over　the　garden　wall；

announcing　that　it　was　〃to　let　on　very　reasonable　terms；　well

furnished。〃　　It　was　much