classic mystery and detective stories-第29节

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had　a　misgiving　that　he　had　done　wrong。　　A　man　entered　in　a

horseman's　cloak；　and　so　muffled　up　that　the　journeyman　could

discover　none　of　his　features。　　In　a　low　tone　the　stranger　said；

〃Where's　Heinberg？〃〃Upstairs。〃〃Call　him　down；　then。〃　　The

journeyman　went　to　the　door　by　which　Mr。　Heinberg　had　left　him；　and

called；　〃Mr。　Heinberg；　here's　one　wanting　you！〃　　Mr。　Heinberg　heard

him；　for　the　man　could　distinctly　catch　these　words：　〃God　bless　me！

has　the　man　opened　the　door？　　O；　the　traitor！　　I　see　it。〃　　Upon

this　he　felt　more　and　more　consternation；　though　not　knowing　why。

Just　then　he　heard　a　sound　of　feet　behind　him。　　On　turning　round；

he　beheld　three　more　men　in　the　room；　one　was　fastening　the　outer

door；　one　was　drawing　some　arms　from　a　cupboard；　and　two　others

were　whispering　together。　　He　himself　was　disturbed　and　perplexed；

and　felt　that　all　was　not　right。　　Such　was　his　confusion；　that

either　all　the　men's　faces　must　have　been　muffled　up；　or　at　least

he　remembered　nothing　distinctly　but　one　fierce　pair　of　eyes

glaring　upon　him。　　Then；　before　he　could　look　round；　came　a　man

from　behind　and　threw　a　sack　over　his　head；　which　was　drawn　tight

about　his　waist；　so　as　to　confine　his　arms；　as　well　as　to　impede

his　hearing　in　part；　and　his　voice　altogether。　　He　was　then　pushed

into　a　room；　but　previously　he　had　heard　a　rush　upstairs；　and　words

like　those　of　a　person　exulting；　and　then　a　door　closed。　　Once　it

opened；　and　he　could　distinguish　the　words；　in　one　voice；　〃And　for

THAT！〃　to　which　another　voice　replied；　in　tones　that　made　his　heart

quake；　〃Aye；　for　THAT；　sir。〃　　And　then　the　same　voice　went　on

rapidly　to　say；　〃O　dog！　could　you　hope〃at　which　word　the　door

closed　again。　　Once　he　thought　that　he　heard　a　scuffle；　and　he　was

sure　that　he　heard　the　sound　of　feet；　as　if　rushing　from　one　corner

of　a　room　to　another。　　But　then　all　was　hushed　and　still　for　about

six　or　seven　minutes；　until　a　voice　close　to　his　ear　said；　〃Now；

wait　quietly　till　some　persons　come　in　to　release　you。　　This　will

happen　within　half　an　hour。〃　　Accordingly；　in　less　than　that　time；

he　again　heard　the　sound　of　feet　within　the　house；　his　own　bandages

were　liberated；　and　he　was　brought　to　tell　his　story　at　the　police

office。　　Mr。　Heinberg　was　found　in　his　bedroom。　　He　had　died　by

strangulation；　and　the　cord　was　still　tightened　about　his　neck。

During　the　whole　dreadful　scene　his　youthful　wife　had　been　locked

into　a　closet；　where　she　heard　or　saw　nothing。



In　the　second　case；　the　object　of　vengeance　was　again　an　elderly

man。　　Of　the　ordinary　family；　all　were　absent　at　a　country　house；

except　the　master　and　a　female　servant。　　She　was　a　woman　of

courage；　and　blessed　with　the　firmest　nerves；　so　that　she　might

have　been　relied　on　for　reporting　accurately　everything　seen　or

heard。　　But　things　took　another　course。　　The　first　warning　that　she

had　of　the　murderers'　presence　was　from　their　steps　and　voices

already　in　the　hall。　　She　heard　her　master　run　hastily　into　the

hall；　crying　out；　〃Lord　Jesus！Mary；　Mary；　save　me！〃　　The　servant

resolved　to　give　what　aid　she　could；　seized　a　large　poker；　and　was

hurrying　to　his　assistance；　when　she　found　that　they　had　nailed　up

the　door　of　communication　at　the　head　of　the　stairs。　　What　passed

after　this　she　could　not　tell；　for；　when　the　impulse　of　intrepid

fidelity　had　been　balked；　and　she　found　that　her　own　safety　was

provided　for　by　means　which　made　it　impossible　to　aid　a　poor　fellow

creature　who　had　just　invoked　her　name；　the　generous…hearted

creature　was　overcome　by　anguish　of　mind；　and　sank　down　on　the

stair；　where　she　lay；　unconscious　of　all　that　succeeded；　until　she

found　herself　raised　in　the　arms　of　a　mob　who　had　entered　the

house。　　And　how　came　they　to　have　entered？　　In　a　way

characteristically　dreadful。　　The　night　was　starlit；　the　patrols

had　perambulated　the　street　without　noticing　anything　suspicious；

when　two　foot　passengers；　who　were　following　in　their　rear；

observed　a　dark…colored　stream　traversing　the　causeway。　　One　of

them；　at　the　same　instant　tracing　the　stream　backward　with　his

eyes；　observed　that　it　flowed　from　under　the　door　of　Mr。　Munzer；

and；　dipping　his　finger　in　the　trickling　fluid；　he　held　it　up　to

the　lamplight；　yelling　out　at　the　moment；　〃Why；　this　is　blood！〃　　It

was　so；　indeed；　and　it　was　yet　warm。　　The　other　saw；　heard；　and

like　an　arrow　flew　after　the　horse　patrol；　then　in　the　act　of

turning　the　corner。　　One　cry；　full　of　meaning；　was　sufficient　for

ears　full　of　expectation。　　The　horsemen　pulled　up；　wheeled；　and　in

another　moment　reined　up　at　Mr。　Munzer's　door。　　The　crowd；

gathering　like　the　drifting　of　snow；　supplied　implements　which　soon

forced　the　chains　of　the　door　and　all　other　obstacles。　　But　the

murderous　party　had　escaped；　and　all　traces　of　their　persons　had

vanished；　as　usual。



Rarely　did　any　case　occur　without　some　peculiarity　more　or　less

interesting。　　In　that　which　happened　on　the　following　night；　making

the　fifth　in　the　series；　an　impressive　incident　varied　the　monotony

of　horrors。　　In　this　case　the　parties　aimed　at　were　two　elderly

ladies；　who　conducted　a　female　boarding　school。　　None　of　the　pupils

had　as　yet　returned　to　school　from　their　vacation；　but　two　sisters；

young　girls　of　thirteen　and　sixteen；　coming　from　a　distance；　had

stayed　at　school　throughout　the　Christmas　holidays。　　It　was　the

youngest　of　these　who　gave　the　only　evidence　of　any　value；　and　one

which　added　a　new　feature　of　alarm　to　the　existing　panic。　　Thus　it

was　that　her　testimony　was　given：　On　the　day　before　the　murder；　she

and　her　sister　were　sitting　with　the　old　ladies　in　a　room　fronting

to　the　street；　the　elder　ladies　were　reading；　the　younger　ones

drawing。　　Louisa；　the　youngest；　never　had　her　ear　inattentive　to

the　slightest　sound；　and　once　it　struck　her　that　she　heard　the

creaking　of　a　foot　upon　the　stairs。　　She　said　nothing；　but；

slipping　out　of　the　room；　she　ascertained　that　the　two　female

servants　were　in　the　kitchen；　and　could　not　have　been　absent；　that

all　the　doors　and　windows；　by　which　ingress　was　possible；　were　not

only　locked；　but　bolted　and　barreda　fact　which　excluded　all

possibility　of　invasion　by　means　of　false　keys。　　Still　she　felt

persuaded　that　she　had　heard　the　sound　of　a　heavy　foot　upon　the

stairs。　　It　was；　however；　daylight；　and　this　gave　her　confidence；

so　that；　without　communicating　her　alarm　to　anybody；　she　found

courage　to　traverse　the　house　in　every　direction；　and；　as　nothing

was　either　seen　or　heard；　she　concluded　that　her　ears　had　been　too

sensitively　awake。　　Yet　that　night；　as　she　lay　in　bed；　dim　terrors

assailed　her；　especially　because　she　considered　that；　in　so　large　a

house；　some　closet　or　other　might　have　been　overlooked；　and；　in

particular；　she　did　not　remember　to　have　examined　one　or　two

chests；　in　which　a　man　could　have　lain　concealed。　　Through　the

greater　part　of　the　night　she　lay　awake；　but　as　one　of　the　town

clocks　struck　four；　she　dismissed　her　anxieties；　and　fell　asleep。

The　next　day；　wearied　with　this　unusual　watching；　she　proposed　to

her　sister　that　they　should　go　to　bed　earlier　than　usual。　　This

they　did；　and；　on　their　way　upstairs；　Louisa　happened　to　think

suddenly　of　a　heavy　cloak；　which　would　improve　the　coverings　of　her

bed　against　the　severity　of　the　night。　　The　cloak　was　hanging　up　in

a　closet　within　a　closet；　both　leading　off　from　a　large　room　used

as　the　young　ladies'　dancing　school。　　These　closets　she　had

examined　on　the　previous　day；　and　therefore　she　felt　no　particular

alarm　at　this　moment。　　The　cloak　was　the　first　article　which　met

her　sight；　it　was　suspended　from　a　hook　in　the　wall；　and　close　to

the　door。　　She　took　it　down；　but；　in　doing　so；　exposed　part　of　the

wall　and　of　the　floor；　which　its　folds　had　previously　concealed。

Turning　away　hastily；　the　chances　were　that　she　had　gone　without

making　any　discovery。　　In　the　act　of　turning；　however；　her　light

fell　brightly　on　a　man's　foot　and　leg。　　Matchless　was　her　presence

of　mind；　having　previously　been　humming　an　air；　she　continued　to　do

so。　　But　now　came　the　trial；　her　sister　was　bending　her　steps　to

the　same　closet。　　If　she　suffered　her　to　do　so；　Lottchen　would

stumble　on　the　same　discovery；　and　expire　of　fright。　　On　the　other

hand；　if　she　gave　her　a　hint；　Lottchen　would　either　fail　to

understand　her；　or；　gaining　but　a　glimpse　of　her　meaning；　would

shriek　aloud；　or　by　some　equally　decisive　expression　convey　the

fatal　news　to　the　assassin　that　he　had　been　discovered。　　In　this

torturing　dilemma　fear　prompted　an　expedient；　which　to　Lottchen

appeared　madness；　and　to　Louisa　herself　the　act　of　a　sibyl　instinct

with　blind　inspiration。　　〃Here；〃　said　she；　〃is　our　dancing　room。

When　shall　we　all　meet　and　dance　again　together？〃　　Saying　which；

she　commenced　a　wild　dance；　whirling　her　candle　round　her　head

until　the　motion　extinguished　it；　then；　eddying　round　her　sister　in

narrowing　circles；　she　seized　Lottchen's　candle　also；　blew　i