classic mystery and detective stories-第41节

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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。



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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。



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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。



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〃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。



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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。　。　。　。



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



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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。