classic mystery and detective stories-第11节

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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