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第11节

classic mystery and detective stories-第11节

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

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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; the dagger with the other; I was not willing that my

weapons should share the fate of the watch。  Thus armed; I looked

round the floor;no sign of the watch。  Three slow; loud; distinct

knocks were now heard at the bed head; my servant called out; 〃Is

that you; sir?〃



〃No; be on your guard。〃



The dog now roused himself and sat on his haunches; his ears moving

quickly backward and forward。  He kept his eyes fixed on me with a

look so strange that he concentered all my attention on himself。

Slowly he rose up; all his hair bristling; and stood perfectly

rigid; and with the same wild stare。  I had no time; however; to

examine the dog。  Presently my servant emerged from his room; and

if ever I saw horror in the human face; it was then。  I should not

have recognized him had we met in the street; so altered was every

lineament。  He passed by me quickly; saying; in a whisper that

seemed scarcely to come from his lips; 〃Run; run! it is after me!〃

He gained the door to the landing; pulled it open; and rushed

forth。  I followed him into the landing involuntarily; calling him

to stop; but; without heeding me; he bounded down the stairs;

clinging to the balusters; and taking several steps at a time。  I

heard; where I stood; the street door open;heard it again clap

to。  I was left alone in the haunted house。



It was but for a moment that I remained undecided whether or not to

follow my servant; pride and curiosity alike forbade so dastardly a

flight。  I re…entered my room; closing the door after me; and

proceeded cautiously into the interior chamber。  I encountered

nothing to justify my servant's terror。  I again carefully examined

the walls; to see if there were any concealed door。  I could find

no trace of one;not even a seam in the dull…brown paper with

which the room was hung。  How; then; had the THING; whatever it

was; which had so scared him; obtained ingress except though my own

chamber?



I returned to my room; shut and locked the door that opened upon

the interior one; and stood on the hearth; expectant and prepared。

I now perceived that the dog had slunk into an angle of the wall;

and was pressing himself close against it; as if literally striving

to force his way into it。  I approached the animal and spoke to it;

the poor brute was evidently beside itself with terror。  It showed

all its teeth; the slaver dropping from its jaws; and would

certainly have bitten me if I had touched it。  It did not seem to

recognize me。  Whoever has seen at the Zoological Gardens a rabbit;

fascinated by a serpent; cowering in a corner; may form some idea

of the anguish which the dog exhibited。  Finding all efforts to

soothe the animal in vain; and fearing that his bite might be as

venomous in that state as in the madness of hydrophobia; I left him

alone; placed my weapons on the table beside the fire; seated

myself; and recommenced my Macaulay。



Perhaps; in order not to appear seeking credit for a courage; or

rather a coolness; which the reader may conceive I exaggerate; I

may be pardoned if I pause to indulge in one or two egotistical

remarks。



As I hold presence of mind; or what is called courage; to be

precisely proportioned to familiarity with the circumstances that

lead to it; so I should say that I had been long sufficiently

familiar with all experiments that appertain to the marvelous。  I

had witnessed many very extraordinary phenomena in various parts of

the world;phenomena that would be either totally disbelieved if I

stated them; or ascribed to supernatural agencies。  Now; my theory

is that the supernatural is the impossible; and that what is called

supernatural is only a something in the laws of Nature of which we

have been hitherto ignorant。  Therefore; if a ghost rise before me;

I have not the right to say; 〃So; then; the supernatural is

possible;〃 but rather; 〃So; then; the apparition of a ghost is;

contrary to received opinion; within the laws of Nature;that is;

not supernatural。〃



Now; in all that I had hitherto witnessed; and indeed in all the

wonders which the amateurs of mystery in our age record as facts; a

material living agency is always required。  On the Continent you

will find still magicians who assert that they can raise spirits。

Assume for the moment that they assert truly; still the living

material form of the magician is present; and he is the material

agency by which; from some constitutional peculiarities; certain

strange phenomena are represented to your natural senses。



Accept; again; as truthful; the tales of spirit manifestation in

America;musical or other sounds; writings on paper; produced by

no discernible hand; articles of furniture moved without apparent

human agency; or the actual sight and touch of hands; to which no

bodies seem to belong;still there must be found the MEDIUM; or

living being; with constitutional peculiarities capable of

obtaining these signs。  In fine; in all such marvels; supposing

even that there is no imposture; there must be a human being like

ourselves by whom; or through whom; the effects presented to human

beings are produced。  It is so with the now familiar phenomena of

mesmerism or electro…biology; the mind of the person operated on is

affected through a material living agent。  Nor; supposing it true

that a mesmerized patient can respond to the will or passes of a

mesmerizer a hundred miles distant; is the response less occasioned

by a material being; it may be through a material fluidcall it

Electric; call it Odic; call it what you willwhich has the power

of traversing space and passing obstacles; that the material effect

is communicated from one to the other。  Hence; all that I had

hitherto witnessed; or expected to witness; in this strange house;

I believed to be occasioned through some agency or medium as mortal

as myself; and this idea necessarily prevented the awe with which

those who regard as supernatural things that are not within the

ordinary operations of Nature; might have been impressed by the

adventures of that memorable night。



As; then; it was my conjecture that all that was presented; or

would be presented to my senses; must originate in some human being

gifted by constitution with the power so to present them; and

having some motive so to do; I felt an interest in my theory which;

in its way; was rather philosophical than superstitious。  And I can

sincerely say that I was in as tranquil a temper for observation as

any practical experimentalist could be in awaiting the effects of

some rare; though perhaps perilous; chemical combination。  Of

course; the more I kept my mind detached from fancy; the more the

temper fitted for observation would be obtained; and I therefore

riveted eye and thought on the strong daylight sense in the page of

my Macaulay。



I now became aware that something interposed between the page and

the light;the page was overshadowed。  I looked up; and I saw what

I shall find it very difficult; perhaps impossible; to describe。



It was a Darkness shaping itself forth from the air in very

undefined outline。  I cannot say it was of a human form; and yet it

had more resemblance to a human form; or rather shadow; than to

anything else。  As it stood; wholly apart and distinct from the air

and the light around it; its dimensions seemed gigantic; the summit

nearly touching the ceiling。  While I gazed; a feeling of intense

cold seized me。  An iceberg before me could not more have chilled

me; nor could the cold of an iceberg have been more purely

physical。  I feel convinced that it was not the cold caused by

fear。  As I continued to gaze; I thoughtbut this I cannot say

with precisionthat I distinguished two eyes looking down on me

from the height。  One moment I fancied that I distinguished them

clearly; the next they seemed gone; but still two rays of a pale…

blue light frequently shot through the darkness; as from the height

on which I half believed; half doubted; that I had encountered the

eyes。



I strove to speak;my voice utterly failed me; I could only think

to myself; 〃Is this fear?  It is NOT fear!〃  I strove to rise;in

vain; I felt as if weighed down by an irresistible force。  Indeed;

my impression was that of an immense and overwhelming Power opposed

to my volition;that sense of utter inadequacy to cope with a

force beyond man's; which one may feel PHYSICALLY in a storm at

sea; in a conflagration; or when confronting some terrible wild

beast; or rather; perhaps; the shark of the ocean; I felt MORALLY。

Opposed to my will was another will; as far superior to its

strength as storm; fire; and shark are superior in material force

to the force of man。



And now; as this impression grew on me;now came; at last; horror;

horror to a degree that no words can convey。  Still I retained

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