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第10节

classic mystery and detective stories-第10节

小说: classic mystery and detective stories 字数: 每页4000字

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terrier;a dog fond of prowling about strange; ghostly corners and

passages at night in search of rats; a dog of dogs for a ghost。



I reached the house; knocked; and my servant opened with a cheerful

smile。



We did not stay long in the drawing…rooms;in fact; they felt so

damp and so chilly that I was glad to get to the fire upstairs。  We

locked the doors of the drawing…rooms;a precaution which; I

should observe; we had taken with all the rooms we had searched

below。  The bedroom my servant had selected for me was the best on

the floor;a large one; with two windows fronting the street。  The

four…posted bed; which took up no inconsiderable space; was

opposite to the fire; which burned clear and bright; a door in the

wall to the left; between the bed and the window; communicated with

the room which my servant appropriated to himself。  This last was a

small room with a sofa bed; and had no communication with the

landing place;no other door but that which conducted to the

bedroom I was to occupy。  On either side of my fireplace was a

cupboard without locks; flush with the wall; and covered with the

same dull…brown paper。  We examined these cupboards;only hooks to

suspend female dresses; nothing else; we sounded the walls;

evidently solid; the outer walls of the building。  Having finished

the survey of these apartments; warmed myself a few moments; and

lighted my cigar; I then; still accompanied by F; went forth to

complete my reconnoiter。  In the landing place there was another

door; it was closed firmly。  〃Sir;〃 said my servant; in surprise;

〃I unlocked this door with all the others when I first came; it

cannot have got locked from the inside; for〃



Before he had finished his sentence; the door; which neither of us

then was touching; opened quietly of itself。  We looked at each

other a single instant。  The same thought seized both;some human

agency might be detected here。  I rushed in first; my servant

followed。  A small; blank; dreary room without furniture; a few

empty boxes and hampers in a corner; a small window; the shutters

closed; not even a fireplace; no other door but that by which we

had entered; no carpet on the floor; and the floor seemed very old;

uneven; worm…eaten; mended here and there; as was shown by the

whiter patches on the wood; but no living being; and no visible

place in which a living being could have hidden。  As we stood

gazing round; the door by which we had entered closed as quietly as

it had before opened; we were imprisoned。



For the first time I felt a creep of indefinable horror。  Not so my

servant。  〃Why; they don't think to trap us; sir; I could break

that trumpery door with a kick of my foot。〃



〃Try first if it will open to your hand;〃 said I; shaking off the

vague apprehension that had seized me; 〃while I unclose the

shutters and see what is without。〃



I unbarred the shutters;the window looked on the little back yard

I have before described; there was no ledge without;nothing to

break the sheer descent of the wall。  No man getting out of that

window would have found any footing till he had fallen on the

stones below。



F; meanwhile; was vainly attempting to open the door。  He now

turned round to me and asked my permission to use force。  And I

should here state; in justice to the servant; that; far from

evincing any superstitious terrors; his nerve; composure; and even

gayety amidst circumstances so extraordinary; compelled my

admiration; and made me congratulate myself on having secured a

companion in every way fitted to the occasion。  I willingly gave

him the permission he required。  But though he was a remarkably

strong man; his force was as idle as his milder efforts; the door

did not even shake to his stoutest kick。  Breathless and panting;

he desisted。  I then tried the door myself; equally in vain。  As I

ceased from the effort; again that creep of horror came over me;

but this time it was more cold and stubborn。  I felt as if some

strange and ghastly exhalation were rising up from the chinks of

that rugged floor; and filling the atmosphere with a venomous

influence hostile to human life。  The door now very slowly and

quietly opened as of its own accord。  We precipitated ourselves

into the landing place。  We both saw a large; pale lightas large

as the human figure; but shapeless and unsubstantialmove before

us; and ascend the stairs that led from the landing into the

attics。  I followed the light; and my servant followed me。  It

entered; to the right of the landing; a small garret; of which the

door stood open。  I entered in the same instant。  The light then

collapsed into a small globule; exceedingly brilliant and vivid;

rested a moment on a bed in the corner; quivered; and vanished。  We

approached the bed and examined it;a half…tester; such as is

commonly found in attics devoted to servants。  On the drawers that

stood near it we perceived an old faded silk kerchief; with the

needle still left in a rent half repaired。  The kerchief was

covered with dust; probably it had belonged to the old woman who

had last died in that house; and this might have been her sleeping

room。  I had sufficient curiosity to open the drawers: there were a

few odds and ends of female dress; and two letters tied round with

a narrow ribbon of faded yellow。  I took the liberty to possess

myself of the letters。  We found nothing else in the room worth

noticing;nor did the light reappear; but we distinctly heard; as

we turned to go; a pattering footfall on the floor; just before us。

We went through the other attics (in all four); the footfall still

preceding us。  Nothing to be seen;nothing but the footfall heard。

I had the letters in my hand; just as I was descending the stairs I

distinctly felt my wrist seized; and a faint; soft effort made to

draw the letters from my clasp。  I only held them the more tightly;

and the effort ceased。



We regained the bedchamber appropriated to myself; and I then

remarked that my dog had not followed us when we had left it。  He

was thrusting himself close to the fire; and trembling。  I was

impatient to examine the letters; and while I read them; my servant

opened a little box in which he had deposited the weapons I had

ordered him to bring; took them out; placed them on a table close

at my bed head; and then occupied himself in soothing the dog; who;

however; seemed to heed him very little。



The letters were short;they were dated; the dates exactly thirty…

five years ago。  They were evidently from a lover to his mistress;

or a husband to some young wife。  Not only the terms of expression;

but a distinct reference to a former voyage; indicated the writer

to have been a seafarer。  The spelling and handwriting were those

of a man imperfectly educated; but still the language itself was

forcible。  In the expressions of endearment there was a kind of

rough; wild love; but here and there were dark unintelligible hints

at some secret not of love;some secret that seemed of crime。  〃We

ought to love each other;〃 was one of the sentences I remember;

〃for how everyone else would execrate us if all was known。〃  Again:

〃Don't let anyone be in the same room with you at night;you talk

in your sleep。〃  And again: 〃What's done can't be undone; and I

tell you there's nothing against us unless the dead could come to

life。〃  Here there was underlined in a better handwriting (a

female's); 〃They do!〃  At the end of the letter latest in date the

same female hand had written these words: 〃Lost at sea the 4th of

June; the same day as〃



I put down the letters; and began to muse over their contents。



Fearing; however; that the train of thought into which I fell might

unsteady my nerves; I fully determined to keep my mind in a fit

state to cope with whatever of marvelous the advancing night might

bring forth。  I roused myself; laid the letters on the table;

stirred up the fire; which was still bright and cheering; and

opened my volume of Macaulay。  I read quietly enough till about

half past eleven。  I then threw myself dressed upon the bed; and

told my servant he might retire to his own room; but must keep

himself awake。  I bade him leave open the door between the two

rooms。  Thus alone; I kept two candles burning on the table by my

bed head。  I placed my watch beside the weapons; and calmly resumed

my Macaulay。  Opposite to me the fire burned clear; and on the

hearth rug; seemingly asleep; lay the dog。  In about twenty minutes

I felt an exceedingly cold air pass by my cheek; like a sudden

draught。  I fancied the door to my right; communicating with the

landing place; must have got open; but no;it was closed。  I then

turned my glance to my left; and saw the flame of the candles

violently swayed as by a wind。  At the same moment the watch beside

the revolver softly slid from the table;softly; softly; no

visible hand;it was gone。  I sprang up; seizing the revolver with

the one hand;

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