classic mystery and detective stories-第36节

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

Paris；　I　selected　eight；　whom　I　knew　familiarly　as　men　hardened　by

military　experience　against　the　movements　of　pity。　　With　these　as

my　beagles；　I　hunted　for　some　time　in　your　forest　before　opening　my

regular　campaign；　and　I　am　surprised　that　you　did　not　hear　of　the

death　which　met　the　executionerhim　I　mean　who　dared　to　lift　his

hand　against　my　mother。　　This　man　I　met　by　accident　in　the　forest；

and　I　slew　him。　　I　talked　with　the　wretch；　as　a　stranger　at　first；

upon　the　memorable　case　of　the　Jewish　lady。　　Had　he　relented；　had

he　expressed　compunction；　I　might　have　relented。　　But　far

otherwise：　the　dog；　not　dreaming　to　whom　he　spoke；　exulted；　he

But　why　repeat　the　villain's　words？　　I　cut　him　to　pieces。　　Next　I

did　this：　My　agents　I　caused　to　matriculate　separately　at　the

college。　　They　assumed　the　college　dress。　　And　now　mark　the

solution　of　that　mystery　which　caused　such　perplexity。　　Simply　as

students　we　all　had　an　unsuspected　admission　at　any　house。　　Just

then　there　was　a　common　practice；　as　you　will　remember；　among　the

younger　students；　of　going　out　a　maskingthat　is；　of　entering

houses　in　the　academic　dress；　and　with　the　face　masked。　　This

practice　subsisted　even　during　the　most　intense　alarm　from　the

murderers；　for　the　dress　of　the　students　was　supposed　to　bring

protection　along　with　it。　　But；　even　after　suspicion　had　connected

itself　with　this　dress；　it　was　sufficient　that　I　should　appear

unmasked　at　the　head　of　the　maskers；　to　insure　them　a　friendly

reception。　　Hence　the　facility　with　which　death　was　inflicted；　and

that　unaccountable　absence　of　any　motion　toward　an　alarm。　　I　took

hold　of　my　victim；　and　he　looked　at　me　with　smiling　security。　　Our

weapons　were　hid　under　our　academic　robes；　and　even　when　we　drew

them　out；　and　at　the　moment　of　applying　them　to　the　threat；　they

still　supposed　our　gestures　to　be　part　of　the　pantomime　we　were

performing。　　Did　I　relish　this　abuse　of　personal　confidence　in

myself？　　NoI　loathed　it；　and　I　grieved　for　its　necessity；　but　my

mother；　a　phantom　not　seen　with　bodily　eyes；　but　ever　present　to　my

mind；　continually　ascended　before　me；　and　still　I　shouted　aloud　to

my　astounded　victim；　'This　comes　from　the　Jewess！　　Hound　of　hounds！

Do　you　remember　the　Jewess　whom　you　dishonored；　and　the　oaths　which

you　broke　in　order　that　you　might　dishonor　her；　and　the　righteous

law　which　you　violated；　and　the　cry　of　anguish　from　her　son　which

you　scoffed　at？'　　Who　I　was；　what　I　avenged；　and　whom；　I　made　every

man　aware；　and　every　woman；　before　I　punished　them。　　The　details　of

the　cases　I　need　not　repeat。　　One　or　two　I　was　obliged；　at　the

beginning；　to　commit　to　my　Jews。　　The　suspicion　was　thus；　from　the

first；　turned　aside　by　the　notoriety　of　my　presence　elsewhere；　but

I　took　care　that　none　suffered　who　had　not　either　been　upon　the

guilty　list　of　magistrates　who　condemned　the　mother；　or　of　those

who　turned　away　with　mockery　from　the　supplication　of　the　son。



〃It　pleased　God；　however；　to　place　a　mighty　temptation　in　my　path；

which　might　have　persuaded　me　to　forego　all　thoughts　of　vengeance；

to　forget　my　vow；　to　forget　the　voices　which　invoked　me　from　the

grave。　　This　was　Margaret　Liebenheim。　　Ah！　how　terrific　appeared　my

duty　of　bloody　retribution；　after　her　angel's　face　and　angel's

voice　had　calmed　me。　　With　respect　to　her　grandfather；　strange　it

is　to　mention；　that　never　did　my　innocent　wife　appear　so　lovely　as

precisely　in　the　relation　of　granddaughter。　　So　beautiful　was　her

goodness　to　the　old　man；　and　so　divine　was　the　childlike　innocence

on　her　part；　contrasted　with　the　guilty　recollections　associated

with　himfor　he　was　among　the　guiltiest　toward　my　motherstill　I

delayed　HIS　punishment　to　the　last；　and；　for　his　child's　sake；　I

would　have　pardoned　himnay；　I　had　resolved　to　do　so；　when　a

fierce　Jew；　who　had　a　deep　malignity　toward　this　man；　swore　that　he

would　accomplish　HIS　vengeance　at　all　events；　and　perhaps　might　be

obliged　to　include　Margaret　in　the　ruin；　unless　I　adhered　to　the

original　scheme。　　Then　I　yielded；　for　circumstances　armed　this　man

with　momentary　power。　　But　the　night　fixed　on　was　one　in　which　I

had　reason　to　know　that　my　wife　would　be　absent；　for　so　I　had

myself　arranged　with　her；　and　the　unhappy　counter…arrangement　I　do

not　yet　understand。　　Let　me　add；　that　the　sole　purpose　of　my

clandestine　marriage　was　to　sting　her　grandfather's　mind　with　the

belief　that　HIS　family　had　been　dishonored；　even　as　he　had

dishonored　mine。　　He　learned；　as　I　took　care　that　he　should；　that

his　granddaughter　carried　about　with　her　the　promises　of　a　mother；

and　did　not　know　that　she　had　the　sanction　of　a　wife。　　This

discovery　made　him；　in　one　day；　become　eager　for　the　marriage　he

had　previously　opposed；　and　this　discovery　also　embittered　the

misery　of　his　death。　　At　that　moment　I　attempted　to　think　only　of

my　mother's　wrongs；　but；　in　spite　of　all　I　could　do；　this　old　man

appeared　to　me　in　the　light　of　Margaret's　grandfatherand；　had　I

been　left　to　myself；　he　would　have　been　saved。　　As　it　was；　never

was　horror　equal　to　mine　when　I　met　her　flying　to　his　succor。　　I

had　relied　upon　her　absence；　and　the　misery　of　that　moment；　when

her　eye　fell　upon　me　in　the　very　act　of　seizing　her　grandfather；

far　transcended　all　else　that　I　have　suffered　in　these　terrific

scenes。　　She　fainted　in　my　arms；　and　I　and　another　carried　her

upstairs　and　procured　water。　　Meantime　her　grandfather　had　been

murdered；　even　while　Margaret　fainted。　　I　had；　however；　under　the

fear　of　discovery；　though　never　anticipating　a　reencounter　with

herself；　forestalled　the　explanation　requisite　in　such　a　case　to

make　my　conduct　intelligible。　　I　had　told　her；　under　feigned　names；

the　story　of　my　mother　and　my　sisters。　　She　knew　their　wrongs：　she

had　heard　me　contend　for　the　right　of　vengeance。　　Consequently；　in

our　parting　interview；　one　word　only　was　required　to　place　myself

in　a　new　position　to　her　thoughts。　　I　needed　only　to　say　I　was　that

son；　that　unhappy　mother；　so　miserably　degraded　and　outraged；　was

mine。



〃As　to　the　jailer；　he　was　met　by　a　party　of　us。　　Not　suspecting

that　any　of　us　could　be　connected　with　the　family；　he　was　led　to

talk　of　the　most　hideous　details　with　regard　to　my　poor　Berenice。

The　child　had　not；　as　had　been　insinuated；　aided　her　own

degradation；　but　had　nobly　sustained　the　dignity　of　her　sex　and　her

family。　　Such　advantages　as　the　monster　pretended　to　have　gained

over　hersick；　desolate；　and　latterly　deliriouswere；　by　his　own

confession；　not　obtained　without　violence。　　This　was　too　much。

Forty　thousand　lives；　had　he　possessed　them；　could　not　have

gratified　my　thirst　for　revenge。　　Yet；　had　he　but　showed　courage；

he　should　have　died　the　death　of　a　soldier。　　But　the　wretch　showed

cowardice　the　most　abject；　and；but　you　know　his　fate。



〃Now；　then；　all　is　finished；　and　human　nature　is　avenged。　　Yet；　if

you　complain　of　the　bloodshed　and　the　terror；　think　of　the　wrongs

which　created　my　rights；　think　of　the　sacrifice　by　which　I　gave　a

tenfold　strength　to　those　rights；　think　of　the　necessity　for　a

dreadful　concussion　and　shock　to　society；　in　order　to　carry　my

lesson　into　the　councils　of　princes。



〃This　will　now　have　been　effected。　　And　ye；　victims　of　dishonor；

will　be　glorified　in　your　deaths；　ye　will　not　have　suffered　in

vain；　nor　died　without　a　monument。　　Sleep；　therefore；　sister

Berenicesleep；　gentle　Mariamne；　in　peace。　　And　thou；　noble

mother；　let　the　outrages　sown　in　thy　dishonor；　rise　again　and

blossom　in　wide　harvests　of　honor　for　the　women　of　thy　afflicted

race。　　Sleep；　daughters　of　Jerusalem；　in　the　sanctity　of　your

sufferings。　　And　thou；　if　it　be　possible；　even　more　beloved

daughter　of　a　Christian　fold；　whose　company　was　too　soon　denied　to

him　in　life；　open　thy　grave　to　receive　HIM；　who；　in　the　hour　of

death；　wishes　to　remember　no　title　which　he　wore　on　earth　but　that

of　thy　chosen　and　adoring　lover；



〃MAXIMILIAN。〃







Introduction　to　Melmoth　the　Wanderer





Balzac　likens　the　hero　of　one　of　his　short　stories　to　〃Moliere's

Don　Juan；　Goethe's　Faust；　Byron's　Manfred；　Maturin's　Melmothgreat

allegorical　figures　drawn　by　the　greatest　men　of　genius　in　Europe。〃



〃But　what　is　'Melmoth'？　　Why　is　HE　classed　as　'a　great　allegorical

figure'？〃　exclaimed　many　a　surprised　reader。　　Few　had　perusedfew

know　at　this　daythe　terrible　story　of　Melmoth　the　Wanderer；　half

man；　half　devil；　who　has　bartered　away　his　soul　for　the　glory　of

power　and　knowledge；　and；　repenting　of　his　bargain；　tries　again　and

again　to　persuade　some　desperate　human　to　change　places　with　him

penetrates　to　the　refuge　of　misery；　the　death　chamber；　even　the

madhouse；　seeking　one　in　such　utter　agony　as　to　accept　his　help；

and　take　his　cursebut　ever　fails。



Why　this　extraordinary　tale；　told　with　wild　and　compelling　sweep；

has　remained　so　deep　in　oblivion；　appears　immediately　on　a　glance