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第29节

classic mystery and detective stories-第29节

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

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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

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