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第41节

classic mystery and detective stories-第41节

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

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bridal chamber; where the young pair had retired。



They hurried to the door; but the father was first。  They burst it

open; and found the bride a corse in the arms of her husband。



        。        。        。        。        。



He never recovered his reason; the family deserted the mansion

rendered terrible by so many misfortunes。  One apartment is still

tenanted by the unhappy maniac; his were the cries you heard as you

traversed the deserted rooms。  He is for the most part silent

during the day; but at midnight he always exclaims; in a voice

frightfully piercing; and hardly human; 〃They are coming! they are

coming!〃 and relapses into profound silence。



The funeral of Father Olavida was attended by an extraordinary

circumstance。  He was interred in a neighboring convent; and the

reputation of his sanctity; joined to the interest caused by his

extraordinary death; collected vast numbers at the ceremony。  His

funeral sermon was preached by a monk of distinguished eloquence;

appointed for the purpose。  To render the effect of his discourse

more powerful; the corse; extended on a bier; with its face

uncovered; was placed in the aisle。  The monk took his text from

one of the prophets;〃Death is gone up into our palaces。〃  He

expatiated on mortality; whose approach; whether abrupt or

lingering; is alike awful to man。He spoke of the vicisstudes of

empires with much eloquence and learning; but his audience were not

observed to be much affected。He cited various passages from the

lives of the saints; descriptive of the glories of martyrdom; and

the heroism of those who had bled and blazed for Christ and his

blessed mother; but they appeared still waiting for something to

touch them more deeply。  When he inveighed against the tyrants

under whose bloody persecution those holy men suffered; his hearers

were roused for a moment; for it is always easier to excite a

passion than a moral feeling。  But when he spoke of the dead; and

pointed with emphatic gesture to the corse; as it lay before them

cold and motionless; every eye was fixed; and every ear became

attentive。  Even the lovers; who; under pretense of dipping their

fingers into the holy water; were contriving to exchange amorous

billets; forbore for one moment this interesting intercourse; to

listen to the preacher。  He dwelt with much energy on the virtues

of the deceased; whom he declared to be a particular favorite of

the Virgin; and enumerating the various losses that would be caused

by his departure to the community to which he belonged; to society;

and to religion at large; he at last worked up himself to a

vehement expostulation with the Deity on the occasion。  〃Why hast

thou;〃 he exclaimed; 〃why hast thou; Oh God! thus dealt with us?

Why hast thou snatched from our sight this glorious saint; whose

merits; if properly applied; doubtless would have been sufficient

to atone for the apostasy of St。 Peter; the opposition of St。 Paul

(previous to his conversion); and even the treachery of Judas

himself?  Why hast thou; Oh God! snatched him from us?〃and a deep

and hollow voice from among the congregation answered;〃Because he

deserved his fate。〃  The murmurs of approbation with which the

congregation honored this apostrophe half drowned this

extraordinary interruption; and though there was some little

commotion in the immediate vicinity of the speaker; the rest of the

audience continued to listen intently。  〃What;〃 proceeded the

preacher; pointing to the corse; 〃what hath laid thee there;

servant of God?〃〃Pride; ignorance; and fear;〃 answered the same

voice; in accents still more thrilling。  The disturbance now became

universal。  The preacher paused; and a circle opening; disclosed

the figure of a monk belonging to the convent; who stood among

them。



        。        。        。        。        。



After all the usual modes of admonition; exhortation; and

discipline had been employed; and the bishop of the diocese; who;

under the report of these extraordinary circumstances; had visited

the convent in person to obtain some explanation from the

contumacious monk in vain; it was agreed; in a chapter

extraordinary; to surrender him to the power of the Inquisition。

He testified great horror when this determination was made known to

him;and offered to tell over and over again all that he COULD

relate of the cause of Father Olavida's death。  His humiliation;

and repeated offers of confession; came too late。  He was conveyed

to the Inquisition。  The proceedings of that tribunal are rarely

disclosed; but there is a secret report (I cannot answer for its

truth) of what he said and suffered there。  On his first

examination; he said he would relate all he COULD。  He was told

that was not enough; he must relate all he knew。



        。        。        。        。        。



〃Why did you testify such horror at the funeral of Father

Olavida?〃〃Everyone testified horror and grief at the death of

that venerable ecclesiastic; who died in the odor of sanctity。  Had

I done otherwise; it might have been reckoned a proof of my guilt。〃

〃Why did you interrupt the preacher with such extraordinary

exclamations?〃To this no answer。  〃Why do you refuse to explain

the meaning of those exclamations?〃No answer。  〃Why do you

persist in this obstinate and dangerous silence?  Look; I beseech

you; brother; at the cross that is suspended against this wall;〃

and the Inquisitor pointed to the large black crucifix at the back

of the chair where he sat; 〃one drop of the blood shed there can

purify you from all the sin you have ever committed; but all that

blood; combined with the intercession of the Queen of Heaven; and

the merits of all its martyrs; nay; even the absolution of the

Pope; cannot deliver you from the curse of dying in unrepented

sin。〃〃What sin; then; have I committed?〃〃The greatest of all

possible sins; you refuse answering the questions put to you at the

tribunal of the most holy and merciful Inquisition;you will not

tell us what you know concerning the death of Father Olavida。〃〃I

have told you that I believe he perished in consequence of his

ignorance and presumption。〃  〃What proof can you produce of that?〃

〃He sought the knowledge of a secret withheld from man。〃  〃What

was that?〃〃The secret of discovering the presence or agency of

the evil power。〃  〃Do you possess that secret?〃After much

agitation on the part of the prisoner; he said distinctly; but very

faintly; 〃My master forbids me to disclose it。〃  〃If your master

were Jesus Christ; he would not forbid you to obey the commands; or

answer the questions of the Inquisition。〃〃I am not sure of that。〃

There was a general outcry of horror at these words。  The

examination then went on。  〃If you believed Olavida to be guilty of

any pursuits or studies condemned by our mother the church; why did

you not denounce him to the Inquisition?〃〃Because I believed him

not likely to be injured by such pursuits; his mind was too weak;

he died in the struggle;〃 said the prisoner with great emphasis。

〃You believe; then; it requires strength of mind to keep those

abominable secrets; when examined as to their nature and

tendency?〃〃No; I rather imagine strength of body。〃  〃We shall try

that presently;〃 said an Inquisitor; giving a signal for the

torture。



        。        。        。        。        。



The prisoner underwent the first and second applications with

unshrinking courage; but on the infliction of the water…torture;

which is indeed insupportable to humanity; either to suffer or

relate; he exclaimed in the gasping interval; he would disclose

everything。  He was released; refreshed; restored; and the

following day uttered the following remarkable confession。 。 。 。



        。        。        。        。        。



The old Spanish woman further confessed to Stanton; that。 。 。 。



        。        。        。        。        。



and that the Englishman certainly had been seen in the neighborhood

since;seen; as she had heard; that very night。  〃Great Gd!〃

exclaimed Stanton; as he recollected the stranger whose demoniac

laugh had so appalled him; while gazing on the lifeless bodies of

the lovers; whom the lightning had struck and blasted。





As the manuscript; after a few blotted and illegible pages; became

more distinct; Melmoth read on; perplexed and unsatisfied; not

knowing what connection this Spanish story could have with his

ancestor; whom; however; he recognized under the title of the

Englishman; and wondering how Stanton could have thought it worth

his while to follow him to Ireland; write a long manuscript about

an event that occurred in Spain; and leave it in the hands of his

family; to 〃verify untrue things;〃 in the language of Dogberry;

his wonder was diminished; though his curiosity was still more

inflamed; by the perusal of the next lines; which he made out with

some difficulty。  It seems Stanton was now in England。




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