three ghost stories-第9节

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present　general　disclosure。　　Agitated　by　a　multitude　of　curious

thoughts；　I　retired　to　my　room；　that　night；　prepared　to　encounter

some　new　experience　of　a　spectral　character。　　Nor　was　my　preparation

needless；　for；　waking　from　an　uneasy　sleep　at　exactly　two　o'clock　in

the　morning；　what　were　my　feelings　to　find　that　I　was　sharing　my　bed

with　the　skeleton　of　Master　B。！



I　sprang　up；　and　the　skeleton　sprang　up　also。　　I　then　heard　a

plaintive　voice　saying；　〃Where　am　I？　　What　is　become　of　me？〃　and；

looking　hard　in　that　direction；　perceived　the　ghost　of　Master　B。



The　young　spectre　was　dressed　in　an　obsolete　fashion：　　or　rather；

was　not　so　much　dressed　as　put　into　a　case　of　inferior　pepper…and…

salt　cloth；　made　horrible　by　means　of　shining　buttons。　　I　observed

that　these　buttons　went；　in　a　double　row；　over　each　shoulder　of　the

young　ghost；　and　appeared　to　descend　his　back。　　He　wore　a　frill

round　his　neck。　　His　right　hand　（which　I　distinctly　noticed　to　be

inky）　was　laid　upon　his　stomach；　connecting　this　action　with　some

feeble　pimples　on　his　countenance；　and　his　general　air　of　nausea；　I

concluded　this　ghost　to　be　the　ghost　of　a　boy　who　had　habitually

taken　a　great　deal　too　much　medicine。



〃Where　am　I？〃　said　the　little　spectre；　in　a　pathetic　voice。　　〃And

why　was　I　born　in　the　Calomel　days；　and　why　did　I　have　all　that

Calomel　given　me？〃



I　replied；　with　sincere　earnestness；　that　upon　my　soul　I　couldn't

tell　him。



〃Where　is　my　little　sister；〃　said　the　ghost；　〃and　where　my　angelic

little　wife；　and　where　is　the　boy　I　went　to　school　with？〃



I　entreated　the　phantom　to　be　comforted；　and　above　all　things　to

take　heart　respecting　the　loss　of　the　boy　he　went　to　school　with。　　I

represented　to　him　that　probably　that　boy　never　did；　within　human

experience；　come　out　well；　when　discovered。　　I　urged　that　I　myself

had；　in　later　life；　turned　up　several　boys　whom　I　went　to　school

with；　and　none　of　them　had　at　all　answered。　　I　expressed　my　humble

belief　that　that　boy　never　did　answer。　　I　represented　that　he　was　a

mythic　character；　a　delusion；　and　a　snare。　　I　recounted　how；　the

last　time　I　found　him；　I　found　him　at　a　dinner　party　behind　a　wall

of　white　cravat；　with　an　inconclusive　opinion　on　every　possible

subject；　and　a　power　of　silent　boredom　absolutely　Titanic。　　I

related　how；　on　the　strength　of　our　having　been　together　at　〃Old

Doylance's；〃　he　had　asked　himself　to　breakfast　with　me　（a　social

offence　of　the　largest　magnitude）；　how；　fanning　my　weak　embers　of

belief　in　Doylance's　boys；　I　had　let　him　in；　and　how；　he　had　proved

to　be　a　fearful　wanderer　about　the　earth；　pursuing　the　race　of　Adam

with　inexplicable　notions　concerning　the　currency；　and　with　a

proposition　that　the　Bank　of　England　should；　on　pain　of　being

abolished；　instantly　strike　off　and　circulate；　God　knows　how　many

thousand　millions　of　ten…and…sixpenny　notes。



The　ghost　heard　me　in　silence；　and　with　a　fixed　stare。　　〃Barber！〃　it

apostrophised　me　when　I　had　finished。



〃Barber？〃　I　repeatedfor　I　am　not　of　that　profession。



〃Condemned；〃　said　the　ghost；　〃to　shave　a　constant　change　of

customersnow；　menow；　a　young　mannow；　thyself　as　thou　artnow；

thy　fathernow；　thy　grandfather；　condemned；　too；　to　lie　down　with　a

skeleton　every　night；　and　to　rise　with　it　every　morning〃



（I　shuddered　on　hearing　this　dismal　announcement。）



〃Barber！　　Pursue　me！〃



I　had　felt；　even　before　the　words　were　uttered；　that　I　was　under　a

spell　to　pursue　the　phantom。　　I　immediately　did　so；　and　was　in

Master　B。's　room　no　longer。



Most　people　know　what　long　and　fatiguing　night　journeys　had　been

forced　upon　the　witches　who　used　to　confess；　and　who；　no　doubt；　told

the　exact　truthparticularly　as　they　were　always　assisted　with

leading　questions；　and　the　Torture　was　always　ready。　　I　asseverate

that；　during　my　occupation　of　Master　B。's　room；　I　was　taken　by　the

ghost　that　haunted　it；　on　expeditions　fully　as　long　and　wild　as　any

of　those。　　Assuredly；　I　was　presented　to　no　shabby　old　man　with　a

goat's　horns　and　tail　（something　between　Pan　and　an　old　clothesman）；

holding　conventional　receptions；　as　stupid　as　those　of　real　life　and

less　decent；　but；　I　came　upon　other　things　which　appeared　to　me　to

have　more　meaning。



Confident　that　I　speak　the　truth　and　shall　be　believed；　I　declare

without　hesitation　that　I　followed　the　ghost；　in　the　first　instance

on　a　broom…stick；　and　afterwards　on　a　rocking…horse。　　The　very　smell

of　the　animal's　paintespecially　when　I　brought　it　out；　by　making

him　warmI　am　ready　to　swear　to。　　I　followed　the　ghost；　afterwards；

in　a　hackney　coach；　an　institution　with　the　peculiar　smell　of　which；

the　present　generation　is　unacquainted；　but　to　which　I　am　again

ready　to　swear　as　a　combination　of　stable；　dog　with　the　mange；　and

very　old　bellows。　　（In　this；　I　appeal　to　previous　generations　to

confirm　or　refute　me。）　　I　pursued　the　phantom；　on　a　headless　donkey：

at　least；　upon　a　donkey　who　was　so　interested　in　the　state　of　his

stomach　that　his　head　was　always　down　there；　investigating　it；　on

ponies；　expressly　born　to　kick　up　behind；　on　roundabouts　and　swings；

from　fairs；　in　the　first　cabanother　forgotten　institution　where

the　fare　regularly　got　into　bed；　and　was　tucked　up　with　the　driver。



Not　to　trouble　you　with　a　detailed　account　of　all　my　travels　in

pursuit　of　the　ghost　of　Master　B。；　which　were　longer　and　more

wonderful　than　those　of　Sinbad　the　Sailor；　I　will　confine　myself　to

one　experience　from　which　you　may　judge　of　many。



I　was　marvellously　changed。　　I　was　myself；　yet　not　myself。　　I　was

conscious　of　something　within　me；　which　has　been　the　same　all

through　my　life；　and　which　I　have　always　recognised　under　all　its

phases　and　varieties　as　never　altering；　and　yet　I　was　not　the　I　who

had　gone　to　bed　in　Master　B。's　room。　　I　had　the　smoothest　of　faces

and　the　shortest　of　legs；　and　I　had　taken　another　creature　like

myself；　also　with　the　smoothest　of　faces　and　the　shortest　of　legs；

behind　a　door；　and　was　confiding　to　him　a　proposition　of　the　most

astounding　nature。



This　proposition　was；　that　we　should　have　a　Seraglio。



The　other　creature　assented　warmly。　　He　had　no　notion　of

respectability；　neither　had　I。　　It　was　the　custom　of　the　East；　it

was　the　way　of　the　good　Caliph　Haroun　Alraschid　（let　me　have　the

corrupted　name　again　for　once；　it　is　so　scented　with　sweet

memories！）；　the　usage　was　highly　laudable；　and　most　worthy　of

imitation。　　〃O；　yes！　　Let　us；〃　said　the　other　creature　with　a　jump；

〃have　a　Seraglio。〃



It　was　not　because　we　entertained　the　faintest　doubts　of　the

meritorious　character　of　the　Oriental　establishment　we　proposed　to

import；　that　we　perceived　it　must　be　kept　a　secret　from　Miss

Griffin。　　It　was　because　we　knew　Miss　Griffin　to　be　bereft　of　human

sympathies；　and　incapable　of　appreciating　the　greatness　of　the　great

Haroun。　　Mystery　impenetrably　shrouded　from　Miss　Griffin　then；　let

us　entrust　it　to　Miss　Bule。



We　were　ten　in　Miss　Griffin's　establishment　by　Hampstead　Ponds；

eight　ladies　and　two　gentlemen。　　Miss　Bule；　whom　I　judge　to　have

attained　the　ripe　age　of　eight　or　nine；　took　the　lead　in　society。　　I

opened　the　subject　to　her　in　the　course　of　the　day；　and　proposed

that　she　should　become　the　Favourite。



Miss　Bule；　after　struggling　with　the　diffidence　so　natural　to；　and

charming　in；　her　adorable　sex；　expressed　herself　as　flattered　by　the

idea；　but　wished　to　know　how　it　was　proposed　to　provide　for　Miss

Pipson？　　Miss　Bulewho　was　understood　to　have　vowed　towards　that

young　lady；　a　friendship；　halves；　and　no　secrets；　until　death；　on

the　Church　Service　and　Lessons　complete　in　two　volumes　with　case　and

lockMiss　Bule　said　she　could　not；　as　the　friend　of　Pipson；

disguise　from　herself；　or　me；　that　Pipson　was　not　one　of　the　common。



Now；　Miss　Pipson；　having　curly　hair　and　blue　eyes　（which　was　my　idea

of　anything　mortal　and　feminine　that　was　called　Fair）；　I　promptly

replied　that　I　regarded　Miss　Pipson　in　the　light　of　a　Fair

Circassian。



〃And　what　then？〃　Miss　Bule　pensively　asked。



I　replied　that　she　must　be　inveigled　by　a　Merchant；　brought　to　me

veiled；　and　purchased　as　a　slave。



＇The　other　creature　had　already　fallen　into　the　second　male　place　in

the　State；　and　was　set　apart　for　Grand　Vizier。　　He　afterwards

resisted　this　disposal　of　events；　but　had　his　hair　pulled　until　he

yielded。＇



〃Shall　I　not　be　jealous？〃　Miss　Bule　inquired；　casting　down　her　eyes。



〃Zobeide；　no；〃　I　replied；　〃you　will　ever　be　the　favourite　Sultana；

the　first　place　in　my　heart；　and　on　my　throne；　will　be　ever　yours。〃



Miss　Bule；　upon　that　assurance；　consented　to　propound　the　idea　to

her　seven　beautiful　companions。　　It　occurring　to　me；　in　the　course

of　the　same　day；　that　we　knew　we　could　trust　a　grinning　and　good…

natured　soul　called　Tabby；　who　was　the　serving　drudge　of　the　house；

and　had　no　more　figure　than　one　of　the　beds；　and　upon　whose　face

there　was　always　more　o