classic mystery and detective stories-第15节

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flatness　of　frontal；　the　tapering　elegance　of　contour　disguising

the　strength　of　the　deadly　jaw；　the　long；　large；　terrible　eye；

glittering　and　green　as　the　emerald；and　withal　a　certain　ruthless

calm；　as　if　from　the　consciousness　of　an　immense　power。



Mechanically　I　turned　round　the　miniature　to　examine　the　back　of

it；　and　on　the　back　was　engraved　a　pentacle；　in　the　middle　of　the

pentacle　a　ladder；　and　the　third　step　of　the　ladder　was　formed　by

the　date　1765。　　Examining　still　more　minutely；　I　detected　a　spring；

this；　on　being　pressed；　opened　the　back　of　the　miniature　as　a　lid。

Within…side　the　lid　were　engraved；　〃Marianna　to　thee。　　Be　faithful

in　life　and　in　death　to　。〃　　Here　follows　a　name　that　I　will　not

mention；　but　it　was　not　unfamiliar　to　me。　　I　had　heard　it　spoken　of

by　old　men　in　my　childhood　as　the　name　borne　by　a　dazzling

charlatan　who　had　made　a　great　sensation　in　London　for　a　year　or

so；　and　had　fled　the　country　on　the　charge　of　a　double　murder

within　his　own　house；that　of　his　mistress　and　his　rival。　　I　said

nothing　of　this　to　Mr。　J；　to　whom　reluctantly　I　resigned　the

miniature。



We　had　found　no　difficulty　in　opening　the　first　drawer　within　the

iron　safe；　we　found　great　difficulty　in　opening　the　second：　it　was

not　locked；　but　it　resisted　all　efforts；　till　we　inserted　in　the

chinks　the　edge　of　a　chisel。　　When　we　had　thus　drawn　it　forth；　we

found　a　very　singular　apparatus　in　the　nicest　order。　　Upon　a　small；

thin　book；　or　rather　tablet；　was　placed　a　saucer　of　crystal；　this

saucer　was　filled　with　a　clear　liquid；on　that　liquid　floated　a

kind　of　compass；　with　a　needle　shifting　rapidly　round；　but　instead

of　the　usual　points　of　a　compass　were　seven　strange　characters；　not

very　unlike　those　used　by　astrologers　to　denote　the　planets。　　A

peculiar　but　not　strong　nor　displeasing　odor　came　from　this　drawer；

which　was　lined　with　a　wood　that　we　afterwards　discovered　to　be

hazel。　　Whatever　the　cause　of　this　odor；　it　produced　a　material

effect　on　the　nerves。　　We　all　felt　it；　even　the　two　workmen　who

were　in　the　room；a　creeping；　tingling　sensation　from　the　tips　of

the　fingers　to　the　roots　of　the　hair。　　Impatient　to　examine　the

tablet；　I　removed　the　saucer。　　As　I　did　so　the　needle　of　the

compass　went　round　and　round　with　exceeding　swiftness；　and　I　felt　a

shock　that　ran　through　my　whole　frame；　so　that　I　dropped　the　saucer

on　the　floor。　　The　liquid　was　spilled；　the　saucer　was　broken；　the

compass　rolled　to　the　end　of　the　room；　and　at　that　instant　the

walls　shook　to　and　fro；　as　if　a　giant　had　swayed　and　rocked　them。



The　two　workmen　were　so　frightened　that　they　ran　up　the　ladder　by

which　we　had　descended　from　the　trapdoor；　but　seeing　that　nothing

more　happened；　they　were　easily　induced　to　return。



Meanwhile　I　had　opened　the　tablet：　it　was　bound　in　plain　red

leather；　with　a　silver　clasp；　it　contained　but　one　sheet　of　thick

vellum；　and　on　that　sheet　were　inscribed；　within　a　double　pentacle；

words　in　old　monkish　Latin；　which　are　literally　to　be　translated

thus：　〃On　all　that　it　can　reach　within　these　walls；　sentient　or

inanimate；　living　or　dead；　as　moves　the　needle；　so　works　my　will！

Accursed　be　the　house；　and　restless　be　the　dwellers　therein。〃



We　found　no　more。　　Mr。　J　burned　the　tablet　and　its　anathema。

He　razed　to　the　foundations　the　part　of　the　building　containing　the

secret　room　with　the　chamber　over　it。　　He　had　then　the　courage　to

inhabit　the　house　himself　for　a　month；　and　a　quieter；　better…

conditioned　house　could　not　be　found　in　all　London。　　Subsequently

he　let　it　to　advantage；　and　his　tenant　has　made　no　complaints。







A　drowning　man　clutching　at　a　strawsuch　is　Dr。　Fenwick；　hero　of

Bulwer…Lytton's　〃Strange　Story〃　when　he　determines　to　lend　himself

to　alleged　〃magic〃　in　the　hope　of　saving　his　suffering　wife　from

the　physical　dangers　which　have　succeeded　her　mental　disease。　　The

proposition　has　been　made　to　him　by　Margrave；　a　wanderer　in　many

countries；　who　has　followed　the　Fenwicks　from　England　to　Australia。

Margrave　declares　that　he　needs　an　accomplice　to　secure　an　〃elixir

of　life〃　which　his　own　failing　strength　demands。　　His　mysterious

mesmeric　or　hypnotic　influence　over　Mrs。　Fenwick　had　in　former　days

been　marked；　and　on　the　basis　of　this　undeniable　fact；　he　has

endeavored　to　show　that　his　own　welfare　and　Mrs。　Fenwick's　are；　in

some　occult　fashion；　knit　together；　and　that　only　by　aiding　him　in

some　extraordinary　experiment　can　the　physician　snatch　his　beloved

Lilian　from　her　impending　doom。



As　the　first　chapter　opens；　Fenwick　is　learning　his　wife's

condition　from　his　friend；　Dr。　Faber。







Bulwer…Lytton





The　Incantation





I





〃I　believe　that　for　at　least　twelve　hours　there　will　be　no　change

in　her　state。　　I　believe　also　that　if　she　recover　from　it；　calm　and

refreshed；　as　from　a　sleep；　the　danger　of　death　will　have　passed

away。〃



〃And　for　twelve　hours　my　presence　would　be　hurtful？〃



〃Rather　say　fatal；　if　my　diagnosis　be　right。〃



I　wrung　my　friend's　hand；　and　we　parted。



Oh；　to　lose　her　now；　now　that　her　love　and　her　reason　had　both

returned；　each　more　vivid　than　before！　　Futile；　indeed；　might　be

Margrave's　boasted　secret；　but　at　least　in　that　secret　was　hope。

In　recognized　science　I　saw　only　despair。



And　at　that　thought　all　dread　of　this　mysterious　visitor　vanished

all　anxiety　to　question　more　of　his　attributes　or　his　history。　　His

life　itself　became　to　me　dear　and　precious。　　What　if　it　should　fail

me　in　the　steps　of　the　process；　whatever　that　was；　by　which　the

life　of　my　Lilian　might　be　saved！



The　shades　of　evening　were　now　closing　in。　　I　remembered　that　I　had

left　Margrave　without　even　food　for　many　hours。　　I　stole　round　to

the　back　of　the　house；　filled　a　basket　with　elements　more　generous

than　those　of　the　former　day；　extracted　fresh　drugs　from　my　stores；

and；　thus　laden；　hurried　back　to　the　hut。　　I　found　Margrave　in　the

room　below；　seated　on　his　mysterious　coffer；　leaning　his　face　on

his　hand。　　When　I　entered；　he　looked　up；　and　said：



〃You　have　neglected　me。　　My　strength　is　waning。　　Give　me　more　of

the　cordial；　for　we　have　work　before　us　tonight；　and　I　need

support。〃



He　took　for　granted　my　assent　to　his　wild　experiment；　and　he　was

right。



I　administered　the　cordial。　　I　placed　food　before　him；　and　this

time　he　did　not　eat　with　repugnance。　　I　poured　out　wine；　and　he

drank　it　sparingly；　but　with　ready　compliance；　saying；　〃In　perfect

health；　I　looked　upon　wine　as　poison；　now　it　is　like　a　foretaste　of

the　glorious　elixir。〃



After　he　had　thus　recruited　himself；　he　seemed　to　acquire　an　energy

that　startlingly　contrasted　with　his　languor　the　day　before；　the

effort　of　breathing　was　scarcely　perceptible；　the　color　came　back

to　his　cheeks；　his　bended　frame　rose　elastic　and　erect。



〃If　I　understood　you　rightly；〃　said　I；　〃the　experiment　you　ask　me

to　aid　can　be　accomplished　in　a　single　night？〃



〃In　a　single　nightthis　night。〃



〃Command　me。　　Why　not　begin　at　once？　　What　apparatus　or　chemical

agencies　do　you　need？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Margrave。　　〃Formerly；　how　I　was　misled！　　Formerly；　how

my　conjectures　blundered！　　I　thought；　when　I　asked　you　to　give　a

month　to　the　experiment　I　wish　to　make；　that　I　should　need　the

subtlest　skill　of　the　chemist。　　I　then　believed；　with　Van　Helmont；

that　the　principle　of　life　is　a　gas；　and　that　the　secret　was　but　in

the　mode　by　which　the　gas　might　be　rightly　administered。　　But　now；

all　that　I　need　is　contained　in　this　coffer；　save　one　very　simple

materialfuel　sufficient　for　a　steady　fire　for　six　hours。　　I　see

even　that　is　at　hand；　piled　up　in　your　outhouse。　　And　now　for　the

substance　itselfto　that　you　must　guide　me。〃



〃Explain。〃



〃Near　this　very　spot　is　there　not　goldin　mines　yet　undiscovered

and　gold　of　the　purest　metal？〃



〃There　is。　　What　then？　　Do　you；　with　the　alchemists；　blend　in　one

discovery；　gold　and　life？〃



〃No。　　But　it　is　only　where　the　chemistry　of　earth　or　of　man

produces　gold；　that　the　substance　from　which　the　great　pabulum　of

life　is　extracted　by　ferment　can　be　found。　　Possibly；　in　the

attempts　at　that　transmutation　of　metals；　which　I　think　your　own

great　chemist；　Sir　Humphry　Davy；　allowed　might　be　possible；　but

held　not　to　be　worth　the　cost　of　the　processpossibly；　in　those

attempts；　some　scanty　grains　of　this　substance　were　found　by　the

alchemists；　in　the　crucible；　with　grains　of　the　metal　as　niggardly

yielded　by　pitiful　mimicry　of　Nature's　stupendous　laboratory；　and

from　such　grains　enough　of　the　essence　might；　perhaps；　have　been

drawn　forth；　to　add　a　few　years　of　existence　to　some　feeble

graybeardgranting；　what　rests　on　no　proofs；　that　some　of　the

alchemists　reached　an　age　rarely　given　to　man。　　But　it　is　not　in

the　miserly　crucible；　it　is　in　the　matrix　of　Nature　herself；　that

we　must　seek　in　prolific　abundance　Nature's　grand　principlelife。

As　the　loadstone　is　rife　with　the　mag