classic mystery and detective stories-第35节

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humbled　myself　to　the　dust；　I；　the　haughtiest　of　God's　creatures；

knelt　and　prayed　to　them　for　the　sake　of　my　mother。　　I　besought

them　that　I　might　undergo　the　punishment　ten　times　over　in　her

stead。　　And　once　or　twice　I　DID　obtain　the　encouragement　of　a　few

natural　tearsgiven　more；　however；　as　I　was　told；　to　my　piety　than

to　my　mother's　deserts。　　But　rarely　was　I　heard　out　with　patience；

and　from　some　houses　repelled　with　personal　indignities。　　The　day

came：　I　saw　my　mother　half　undressed　by　the　base　officials；　I　heard

the　prison　gates　expand；　I　heard　the　trumpets　of　the　magistracy

sound。　　She　had　warned　me　what　to　do；　I　had　warned　myself。　　Would　I

sacrifice　a　retribution　sacred　and　comprehensive；　for　the　momentary

triumph　over　an　individual？　　If　not；　let　me　forbear　to　look　out　of

doors；　for　I　felt　that　in　the　selfsame　moment　in　which　I　saw　the

dog　of　an　executioner　raise　his　accursed　hand　against　my　mother；

swifter　than　the　lightning　would　my　dagger　search　his　heart。　　When

I　heard　the　roar　of　the　cruel　mob；　I　pausedenduredforbore。　　I

stole　out　by　by…lanes　of　the　city　from　my　poor　exhausted　sisters；

whom　I　left　sleeping　in　each　other's　innocent　arms；　into　the

forest。　　There　I　listened　to　the　shouting　populace；　there　even　I

fancied　that　I　could　trace　my　poor　mother's　route　by　the　course　of

the　triumphant　cries。　　There；　even　then；　even　then；　I　madeO

silent　forest！　thou　heardst　me　when　I　madea　vow　that　I　have　kept

too　faithfully。　　Mother；　thou　art　avenged：　sleep；　daughter　of

Jerusalem！　for　at　length　the　oppressor　sleeps　with　thee。　　And　thy

poor　son　has　paid；　in　discharge　of　his　vow；　the　forfeit　of　his　own

happiness；　of　a　paradise　opening　upon　earth；　of　a　heart　as　innocent

as　thine；　and　a　face　as　fair。



〃I　returned；　and　found　my　mother　returned。　　She　slept　by　starts；

but　she　was　feverish　and　agitated；　and　when　she　awoke　and　first　saw

me；　she　blushed；　as　if　I　could　think　that　real　degradation　had

settled　upon　her。　　Then　it　was　that　I　told　her　of　my　vow。　　Her　eyes

were　lambent　with　fierce　light　for　a　moment；　but；　when　I　went　on

more　eagerly　to　speak　of　my　hopes　and　projects；　she　called　me　to

herkissed　me；　and　whispered：　'Oh；　not　so；　my　son！　think　not　of

methink　not　of　vengeancethink　only　of　poor　Berenice　and

Mariamne。'　　Aye；　that　thought　WAS　startling。　　Yet　this　magnanimous

and　forbearing　mother；　as　I　knew　by　the　report　of　our　one　faithful

female　servant；　had；　in　the　morning；　during　her　bitter　trial；

behaved　as　might　have　become　a　daughter　of　Judas　Maccabaeus：　she

had　looked　serenely　upon　the　vile　mob；　and　awed　even　them　by　her

serenity；　she　had　disdained　to　utter　a　shriek　when　the　cruel　lash

fell　upon　her　fair　skin。　　There　is　a　point　that　makes　the　triumph

over　natural　feelings　of　pain　easy　or　not　easythe　degree　in　which

we　count　upon　the　sympathy　of　the　bystanders。　　My　mother　had　it　not

in　the　beginning；　but；　long　before　the　end；　her　celestial　beauty；

the　divinity　of　injured　innocence；　the　pleading　of　common　womanhood

in　the　minds　of　the　lowest　class；　and　the　reaction　of　manly　feeling

in　the　men；　had　worked　a　great　change　in　the　mob。　　Some　began　now

to　threaten　those　who　had　been　active　in　insulting　her。　　The

silence　of　awe　and　respect　succeeded　to　noise　and　uproar；　and

feelings　which　they　scarcely　understood；　mastered　the　rude　rabble

as　they　witnessed　more　and　more　the　patient　fortitude　of　the

sufferer。　　Menaces　began　to　rise　toward　the　executioner。　　Things

wore　such　an　aspect　that　the　magistrates　put　a　sudden　end　to　the

scene。



〃That　day　we　received　permission　to　go　home　to　our　poor　house　in

the　Jewish　quarter。　　I　know　not　whether　you　are　learned　enough　in

Jewish　usages　to　be　aware　that　in　every　Jewish　house；　where　old

traditions　are　kept　up；　there　is　one　room　consecrated　to　confusion；

a　room　always　locked　up　and　sequestered　from　vulgar　use；　except　on

occasions　of　memorable　affliction；　where　everything　is　purposely　in

disorderbrokenshatteredmutilated：　to　typify；　by　symbols

appalling　to　the　eye；　that　desolation　which　has　so　long　trampled　on

Jerusalem；　and　the　ravages　of　the　boar　within　the　vineyards　of

Judea。　　My　mother；　as　a　Hebrew　princess；　maintained　all　traditional

customs。　　Even　in　this　wretched　suburb　she　had　her　'chamber　of

desolation。'　　There　it　was　that　I　and　my　sisters　heard　her　last

words。　　The　rest　of　her　sentence　was　to　be　carried　into　effect

within　a　week。　　She；　meantime；　had　disdained　to　utter　any　word　of

fear；　but　that　energy　of　self…control　had　made　the　suffering　but

the　more　bitter。　　Fever　and　dreadful　agitation　had　succeeded。　　Her

dreams　showed　sufficiently　to　us；　who　watched　her　couch；　that

terror　for　the　future　mingled　with　the　sense　of　degradation　for　the

past。　　Nature　asserted　her　rights。　　But　the　more　she　shrank　from

the　suffering；　the　more　did　she　proclaim　how　severe　it　had　been；

and　consequently　how　noble　the　self…conquest。　　Yet；　as　her　weakness

increased；　so　did　her　terror；　until　I　besought　her　to　take　comfort；

assuring　her　that；　in　case　any　attempt　should　be　made　to　force　her

out　again　to　public　exposure；　I　would　kill　the　man　who　came　to

execute　the　orderthat　we　would　all　die　togetherand　there　would

be　a　common　end　to　her　injuries　and　her　fears。　　She　was　reassured

by　what　I　told　her　of　my　belief　that　no　future　attempt　would　be

made　upon　her。　　She　slept　more　tranquillybut　her　fever　increased；

and　slowly　she　slept　away　into　the　everlasting　sleep　which　knows　of

no　to…morrow。



〃Here　came　a　crisis　in　my　fate。　　Should　I　stay　and　attempt　to

protect　my　sisters？　　But；　alas！　what　power　had　I　to　do　so　among　our

enemies？　　Rachael　and　I　consulted；　and　many　a　scheme　we　planned。

Even　while　we　consulted；　and　the　very　night　after　my　mother　had

been　committed　to　the　Jewish　burying　ground；　came　an　officer；

bearing　an　order　for　me　to　repair　to　Vienna。　　Some　officer　in　the

French　army；　having　watched　the　transaction　respecting　my　parents；

was　filled　with　shame　and　grief。　　He　wrote　a　statement　of　the　whole

to　an　Austrian　officer　of　rank；　my　father's　friend；　who　obtained

from　the　emperor　an　order；　claiming　me　as　a　page　of　his　own；　and　an

officer　in　the　household　service。　　O　heavens！　what　a　neglect　that

it　did　not　include　my　sisters！　　However；　the　next　best　thing　was

that　I　should　use　my　influence　at　the　imperial　court　to　get　them

passed　to　Vienna。　　This　I　did；　to　the　utmost　of　my　power。　　But

seven　months　elapsed　before　I　saw　the　emperor。　　If　my　applications

ever　met　his　eye　he　might　readily　suppose　that　your　city；　my

friend；　was　as　safe　a　place　as　another　for　my　sisters。　　Nor　did　I

myself　know　all　its　dangers。　　At　length；　with　the　emperor's　leave

of　absence；　I　returned。　　And　what　did　I　find？　　Eight　months　had

passed；　and　the　faithful　Rachael　had　died。　　The　poor　sisters；

clinging　together；　but　now　utterly　bereft　of　friends；　knew　not

which　way　to　turn。　　In　this　abandonment　they　fell　into　the

insidious　hands　of　the　ruffian　jailer。　　My　eldest　sister；　Berenice；

the　stateliest　and　noblest　of　beauties；　had　attracted　this

ruffian's　admiration　while　she　was　in　the　prison　with　her　mother。

And　when　I　returned　to　your　city；　armed　with　the　imperial　passports

for　all；　I　found　that　Berenice　had　died　in　the　villain's　custody；

nor　could　I　obtain　anything　beyond　a　legal　certificate　of　her

death。　　And；　finally；　the　blooming；　laughing　Mariamne；　she　also　had

diedand　of　affliction　for　the　loss　of　her　sister。　　You；　my

friend；　had　been　absent　upon　your　travels　during　the　calamitous

history　I　have　recited。　　You　had　seen　neither　my　father　nor　my

mother。　　But　you　came　in　time　to　take　under　your　protection；　from

the　abhorred　wretch　the　jailer；　my　little　broken…hearted　Mariamne。

And　when　sometimes　you　fancied　that　you　had　seen　me　under　other

circumstances；　in　her　it　was；　my　dear　friend；　and　in　her　features

that　you　saw　mine。



〃Now　was　the　world　a　desert　to　me。　　I　cared　little；　in　the　way　of

love；　which　way　I　turned。　　But　in　the　way　of　hatred　I　cared

everything。　　I　transferred　myself　to　the　Russian　service；　with　the

view　of　gaining　some　appointment　on　the　Polish　frontier；　which

might　put　it　in　my　power　to　execute　my　vow　of　destroying　all　the

magistrates　of　your　city。　　War；　however；　raged；　and　carried　me　into

far　other　regions。　　It　ceased；　and　there　was　little　prospect　that

another　generation　would　see　it　relighted；　for　the　disturber　of

peace　was　a　prisoner　forever；　and　all　nations　were　exhausted。　　Now；

then；　it　became　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　some　new　mode　for

executing　my　vengeance；　and　the　more　so；　because　annually　some　were

dying　of　those　whom　it　was　my　mission　to　punish。　　A　voice　ascended

to　me；　day　and　night；　from　the　graves　of　my　father　and　mother；

calling　for　vengeance　before　it　should　be　too　late。



I　took　my　measures　thus：　Many　Jews　were　present　at　Waterloo。　　From

among　these；　all　irritated　against　Napoleon　for　the　expectations　he

had　raised；　only　to　disappoint；　by　his　great　assembly　of　Jews　at

Paris；　I　selected　eight；　whom　I