classic mystery and detective stories-第31节

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Meantime　the　marriage　between　Margaret　Liebenheim　and　Maximilian

was　understood　to　be　drawing　near。　　Yet　one　thing　struck　everybody

with　astonishment。　　As　far　as　the　young　people　were　concerned；

nobody　could　doubt　that　all　was　arranged；　for　never　was　happiness

more　perfect　than　that　which　seemed　to　unite　them。　　Margaret　was

the　impersonation　of　May…time　and　youthful　rapture；　even　Maximilian

in　her　presence　seemed　to　forget　his　gloom；　and　the　worm　which

gnawed　at　his　heart　was　charmed　asleep　by　the　music　of　her　voice；

and　the　paradise　of　her　smiles。　　But；　until　the　autumn　came；

Margaret's　grandfather　had　never　ceased　to　frown　upon　this

connection；　and　to　support　the　pretensions　of　Ferdinand。　　The

dislike；　indeed；　seemed　reciprocal　between　him　and　Maximilian。

Each　avoided　the　other's　company　and　as　to　the　old　man；　he　went　so

far　as　to　speak　sneeringly　of　Maximilian。　　Maximilian　despised　him

too　heartily　to　speak　of　him　at　all。　　When　he　could　not　avoid

meeting　him；　he　treated　him　with　a　stern　courtesy；　which　distressed

Margaret　as　often　as　she　witnessed　it。　　She　felt　that　her

grandfather　had　been　the　aggressor；　and　she　felt　also　that　he　did

injustice　to　the　merits　of　her　lover。　　But　she　had　a　filial

tenderness　for　the　old　man；　as　the　father　of　her　sainted　mother；

and　on　his　own　account；　continually　making　more　claims　on　her　pity；

as　the　decay　of　his　memory；　and　a　childish　fretfulness　growing　upon

him　from　day　to　day；　marked　his　increasing　imbecility。



Equally　mysterious　it　seemed；　that　about　this　time　Miss　Liebenheim

began　to　receive　anonymous　letters；　written　in　the　darkest　and　most

menacing　terms。　　Some　of　them　she　showed　to　me。　　I　could　not　guess

at　their　drift。　　Evidently　they　glanced　at　Maximilian；　and　bade　her

beware　of　connection　with　him；　and　dreadful　things　were　insinuated

about　him。　　Could　these　letters　be　written　by　Ferdinand？　　Written

they　were　not；　but　could　they　be　dictated　by　him？　　Much　I　feared

that　they　were；　and　the　more　so　for　one　reason。



All　at　once；　and　most　inexplicably；　Margaret's　grandfather　showed　a

total　change　of　opinion　in　his　views　as　to　her　marriage。　　Instead

of　favoring　Harrelstein's　pretensions；　as　he　had　hitherto　done；　he

now　threw　the　feeble　weight　of　his　encouragement　into　Maximilian's

scale；　though；　from　the　situation　of　all　the　parties；　nobody

attached　any　PRACTICAL　importance　to　the　change　in　Mr。　Liebenheim's

way　of　thinking。　　Nobody？　　Is　that　true？　　No；　one　person　DID　attach

the　greatest　weight　to　the　changepoor；　ruined　Ferdinand。　　He；　so

long　as　there　was　one　person　to　take　his　part；　so　long　as　the

grandfather　of　Margaret　showed　countenance　to　himself；　had　still

felt　his　situation　not　utterly　desperate。



Thus　were　things　situated；　when　in　November；　all　the　leaves　daily

blowing　off　from　the　woods；　and　leaving　bare　the　most　secret　haunts

of　the　thickets；　the　body　of　the　jailer　was　left　exposed　in　the

forest；　but　not；　as　I　and　my　friend　had　conjectured；　hanged。　　No；

he　had　died　apparently　by　a　more　horrid　deathby　that　of

crucifixion。　　The　tree；　a　remarkable　one；　bore　upon　a　part　of　its

trunk　this　brief　but　savage　inscription：〃T。　H。；　jailer　at　…；

Crucified　July　1；　1816。〃



A　great　deal　of　talk　went　on　throughout　the　city　upon　this

discovery；　nobody　uttered　one　word　of　regret　on　account　of　the

wretched　jailer；　on　the　contrary；　the　voice　of　vengeance；　rising　up

in　many　a　cottage；　reached　my　ears　in　every　direction　as　I　walked

abroad。　　The　hatred　in　itself　seemed　horrid　and　unchristian；　and

still　more　so　after　the　man's　death；　but；　though　horrid　and

fiendish　for　itself；　it　was　much　more　impressive；　considered　as　the

measure　and　exponent　of　the　damnable　oppression　which　must　have

existed　to　produce　it。



At　first；　when　the　absence　of　the　jailer　was　a　recent　occurrence；

and　the　presence　of　the　murderers　among　us　was；　in　consequence；

revived　to　our　anxious　thoughts；　it　was　an　event　which　few　alluded

to　without　fear。　　But　matters　were　changed　now；　the　jailer　had　been

dead　for　months；　and　this　interval；　during　which　the　murderer's

hand　had　slept；　encouraged　everybody　to　hope　that　the　storm　had

passed　over　our　city；　that　peace　had　returned　to　our　hearths；　and

that　henceforth　weakness　might　sleep　in　safety；　and　innocence

without　anxiety。　　Once　more　we　had　peace　within　our　walls；　and

tranquillity　by　our　firesides。　　Again　the　child　went　to　bed　in

cheerfulness；　and　the　old　man　said　his　prayers　in　serenity。

Confidence　was　restored；　peace　was　re…established；　and　once　again

the　sanctity　of　human　life　became　the　rule　and　the　principle　for

all　human　hands　among　us。　　Great　was　the　joy；　the　happiness　was

universal。



O　heavens！　by　what　a　thunderbolt　were　we　awakened　from　our

security！　　On　the　night　of　the　twenty…seventh　of　December；　half　an

hour；　it　might　be；　after　twelve　o'clock；　an　alarm　was　given　that

all　was　not　right　in　the　house　of　Mr。　Liebenheim。　　Vast　was　the

crowd　which　soon　collected　in　breathless　agitation。　　In　two　minutes

a　man　who　had　gone　round　by　the　back　of　the　house　was　heard

unbarring　Mr。　Liebenheim's　door：　he　was　incapable　of　uttering　a

word；　but　his　gestures；　as　he　threw　the　door　open　and　beckoned　to

the　crowd；　were　quite　enough。　　In　the　hall；　at　the　further

extremity；　and　as　if　arrested　in　the　act　of　making　for　the　back

door；　lay　the　bodies　of　old　Mr。　Liebenheim　and　one　of　his　sisters；

an　aged　widow；　on　the　stair　lay　another　sister；　younger　and

unmarried；　but　upward　of　sixty。　　The　hall　and　lower　flight　of

stairs　were　floating　with　blood。　　Where；　then；　was　Miss　Liebenheim；

the　granddaughter？　　That　was　the　universal　cry；　for　she　was　beloved

as　generally　as　she　was　admired。　　Had　the　infernal　murderers　been

devilish　enough　to　break　into　that　temple　of　innocent　and　happy

life？　　Everyone　asked　the　question；　and　everyone　held　his　breath　to

listen；　but　for　a　few　moments　no　one　dared　to　advance；　for　the

silence　of　the　house　was　ominous。　　At　length　some　one　cried　out

that　Miss　Liebenheim　had　that　day　gone　upon　a　visit　to　a　friend；

whose　house　was　forty　miles　distant　in　the　forest。　　〃Aye；〃　replied

another；〃　she　had　settled　to　go；　but　I　heard　that　something　had

stopped　her。〃　　The　suspense　was　now　at　its　height；　and　the　crowd

passed　from　room　to　room；　but　found　no　traces　of　Miss　Liebenheim。

At　length　they　ascended　the　stair；　and　in　the　very　first　room；　a

small　closet；　or　boudoir；　lay　Margaret；　with　her　dress　soiled

hideously　with　blood。　　The　first　impression　was　that　she　also　had

been　murdered；　but；　on　a　nearer　approach；　she　appeared　to　be

unwounded；　and　was　manifestly　alive。　　Life　had　not　departed；　for

her　breath　sent　a　haze　over　a　mirror；　but　it　was　suspended；　and　she

was　laboring　in　some　kind　of　fit。　　The　first　act　of　the　crowd　was

to　carry　her　into　the　house　of　a　friend　on　the　opposite　side　of　the

street；　by　which　time　medical　assistance　had　crowded　to　the　spot。

Their　attentions　to　Miss　Liebenheim　had　naturally　deranged　the

condition　of　things　in　the　little　room；　but　not　before　many　people

found　time　to　remark　that　one　of　the　murderers　must　have　carried

her　with　his　bloody　hands　to　the　sofa　on　which　she　lay；　for　water

had　been　sprinkled　profusely　over　her　face　and　throat；　and　water

was　even　placed　ready　to　her　hand；　when　she　might　happen　to

recover；　upon　a　low　foot…stool　by　the　side　of　the　sofa。



On　the　following　morning；　Maximilian；　who　had　been　upon　a　hunting

party　in　the　forest；　returned　to　the　city；　and　immediately　learned

the　news。　　I　did　not　see　him　for　some　hours　after；　but　he　then

appeared　to　me　thoroughly　agitated；　for　the　first　time　I　had　known

him　to　be　so。　　In　the　evening　another　perplexing　piece　of

intelligence　transpired　with　regard　to　Miss　Liebenheim；　which　at

first　afflicted　every　friend　of　that　young　lady。　　It　was　that　she

had　been　seized　with　the　pains　of　childbirth；　and　delivered　of　a

son；　who；　however；　being　born　prematurely；　did　not　live　many　hours。

Scandal；　however；　was　not　allowed　long　to　batten　upon　this

imaginary　triumph；　for　within　two　hours　after　the　circulation　of

this　first　rumor；　followed　a　second；　authenticated；　announcing　that

Maximilian　had　appeared　with　the　confessor　of　the　Liebenheim

family；　at　the　residence　of　the　chief　magistrate；　and　there

produced　satisfactory　proofs　of　his　marriage　with　Miss　Liebenheim；

which　had　been　duly　celebrated；　though　with　great　secrecy；　nearly

eight　months　before。　　In　our　city；　as　in　all　the　cities　of　our

country；　clandestine　marriages；　witnessed；　perhaps；　by　two　friends

only　of　the　parties；　besides　the　officiating　priest；　are

exceedingly　common。　　In　the　mere　fact；　therefore；　taken　separately；

there　was　nothing　to　surprise　us；　but；　taken　in　connection　with　the

general　position　of　the　parties；　it　DID　surprise　us　all；　nor　could

we　conjecture　the　reason　for　a　step　apparently　so　needless。　　For；

that　Maximilian　could　have　thought　it　any　point　of　prudence　or

necessity　to　secure　the　hand　of　Margaret　Liebenheim　by　a　private