classic mystery and detective stories-第51节

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　　　　　　Unseen；　both　when　we　wake　and　when　we　sleep。'





〃'How　often；'　says　Father　Adam；　'from　the　steep　of　echoing　hill　or

thicket；　have　we　heard　celestial　voices　to　the　midnight　air；　sole；

or　responsive　to　each　other's　notes；　singing！'　　After　the　Act　of

Disobedience；　when　the　erring　pair　from　Eden　took　their　solitary

way；　and　went　forth　to　toil　and　trouble　on　common　earththough　the

Glorious　Ones　no　longer　were　visible；　you　cannot　say　they　were

gone。　　It　was　not　that　the　Bright　Ones　were　absent；　but　that　the

dim　eyes　of　rebel　man　no　longer　could　see　them。　　In　your　chamber

hangs　a　picture　of　one　whom　you　never　knew；　but　whom　you　have　long

held　in　tenderest　regard；　and　who　was　painted　for　you　by　a　friend

of　mine；　the　Knight　of　Plympton。　　She　communes　with　you。　　She

smiles　on　you。　　When　your　spirits　are　low；　her　bright　eyes　shine　on

you　and　cheer　you。　　Her　innocent　sweet　smile　is　a　caress　to　you。

She　never　fails　to　soothe　you　with　her　speechless　prattle。　　You

love　her。　　She　is　alive　with　you。　　As　you　extinguish　your　candle

and　turn　to　sleep；　though　your　eyes　see　her　not；　is　she　not　there

still　smiling？　　As　you　lie　in　the　night　awake；　and　thinking　of　your

duties；　and　the　morrow's　inevitable　toil　oppressing　the　busy；

weary；　wakeful　brain　as　with　a　remorse；　the　crackling　fire　flashes

up　for　a　moment　in　the　grate；　and　she　is　there；　your　little

Beauteous　Maiden；　smiling　with　her　sweet　eyes！　　When　moon　is　down；

when　fire　is　out；　when　curtains　are　drawn；　when　lids　are　closed；　is

she　not　there；　the　little　Beautiful　One；　though　invisible；　present

and　smiling　still？　　Friend；　the　Unseen　Ones　are　round　about　us。

Does　it　not　seem　as　if　the　time　were　drawing　near　when　it　shall　be

given　to　men　to　behold　them？〃



The　print　of　which　my　friend　spoke；　and　which；　indeed；　hangs　in　my

room；　though　he　has　never　been　there；　is　that　charming　little

winter　piece　of　Sir　Joshua；　representing　the　little　Lady　Caroline

Montague；　afterwards　Duchess　of　Buccleuch。　　She　is　represented　as

standing　in　the　midst　of　a　winter　landscape；　wrapped　in　muff　and

cloak；　and　she　looks　out　of　her　picture　with　a　smile　so　exquisite

that　a　Herod　could　not　see　her　without　being　charmed。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Mr。　PINTO；〃　I　said　to　the　person　with　whom　I

was　conversing。　　（I　wonder；　by　the　way；　that　I　was　not　surprised　at

his　knowing　how　fond　I　am　of　this　print。）　　〃You　spoke　of　the　Knight

of　Plympton。　　Sir　Joshua　died　1792：　and　you　say　he　was　your　dear

friend？〃



As　I　spoke　I　chanced　to　look　at　Mr。　Pinto；　and　then　it　suddenly

struck　me：　Gracious　powers！　　Perhaps　you　ARE　a　hundred　years　old；

now　I　think　of　it。　　You　look　more　than　a　hundred。　　Yes；　you　may　be

a　thousand　years　old　for　what　I　know。　　Your　teeth　are　false。　　One

eye　is　evidently　false。　　Can　I　say　that　the　other　is　not？　　If　a

man's　age　may　be　calculated　by　the　rings　round　his　eyes；　this　man

may　be　as　old　as　Methuselah。　　He　has　no　beard。　　He　wears　a　large

curly　glossy　brown　wig；　and　his　eyebrows　are　painted　a　deep　olive…

green。　　It　was　odd　to　hear　this　man；　this　walking　mummy；　talking

sentiment；　in　these　queer　old　chambers　in　Shepherd's　Inn。



Pinto　passed　a　yellow　bandanna　handkerchief　over　his　awful　white

teeth；　and　kept　his　glass　eye　steadily　fixed　on　me。　　〃Sir　Joshua's

friend？〃　said　he　（you　perceive；　eluding　my　direct　question）。　　〃Is

not　everyone　that　knows　his　pictures　Reynolds's　friend？　　Suppose　I

tell　you　that　I　have　been　in　his　painting　room　scores　of　times；　and

that　his　sister　The　has　made　me　tea；　and　his　sister　Toffy　has　made

coffee　for　me？　　You　will　only　say　I　am　an　old　ombog。〃　　（Mr。　Pinto；

I　remarked；　spoke　all　languages　with　an　accent　equally　foreign。）

〃Suppose　I　tell　you　that　I　knew　Mr。　Sam　Johnson；　and　did　not　like

him？　that　I　was　at　that　very　ball　at　Madame　Cornelis'；　which　you

have　mentioned　in　one　of　your　littlewhat　do　you　call　them？bah！

my　memory　begins　to　fail　mein　one　of　your　little　Whirligig

Papers？　　Suppose　I　tell　you　that　Sir　Joshua　has　been　here；　in　this

very　room？〃



〃Have　you；　then；　had　these　apartments　formorethanseventy

years？〃　I　asked。



〃They　look　as　if　they　had　not　been　swept　for　that　timedon't　they？

Hey？　　I　did　not　say　that　I　had　them　for　seventy　years；　but　that　Sir

Joshua　has　visited　me　here。〃



〃When？〃　I　asked；　eying　the　man　sternly；　for　I　began　to　think　he　was

an　impostor。



He　answered　me　with　a　glance　still　more　stern：　〃Sir　Joshua　Reynolds

was　here　this　very　morning；　with　Angelica　Kaufmann　and　Mr。　Oliver

Goldschmidt。　　He　is　still　very　much　attached　to　Angelica；　who　still

does　not　care　for　him。　　Because　he　is　dead　（and　I　was　in　the　fourth

mourning　coach　at　his　funeral）　is　that　any　reason　why　he　should　not

come　back　to　earth　again？　　My　good　sir；　you　are　laughing　at　me。　　He

has　sat　many　a　time　on　that　very　chair　which　you　are　now　occupying。

There　are　several　spirits　in　the　room　now；　whom　you　cannot　see。

Excuse　me。〃　　Here　he　turned　round　as　if　he　was　addressing　somebody；

and　began　rapidly　speaking　a　language　unknown　to　me。　　〃It　is

Arabic；〃　he　said；　〃a　bad　patois；　I　own。　　I　learned　it　in　Barbary；

when　I　was　a　prisoner　among　the　Moors。　　In　anno　1609；　bin　ick　aldus

ghekledt　gheghaen。　　Ha！　you　doubt　me：　look　at　me　well。　　At　least　I

am　like〃



Perhaps　some　of　my　readers　remember　a　paper　of　which　the　figure　of

a　man　carrying　a　barrel　formed　the　initial　letter；　and　which　I

copied　from　an　old　spoon　now　in　my　possession。　　As　I　looked　at　Mr。

Pinto　I　do　declare　he　looked　so　like　the　figure　on　that　old　piece

of　plate　that　I　started　and　felt　very　uneasy。　　〃Ha！〃　said　he；

laughing　through　his　false　teeth　（I　declare　they　were　falseI

could　see　utterly　toothless　gums　working　up　and　down　behind　the

pink　coral）；　〃you　see　I　wore　a　beard　den；　I　am　shafed　now；　perhaps

you　tink　I　am　A　SPOON。　　Ha；　ha！〃　　And　as　he　laughed　he　gave　a　cough

which　I　thought　would　have　coughed　his　teeth　out；　his　glass　eye

out；　his　wig　off；　his　very　head　off；　but　he　stopped　this　convulsion

by　stumping　across　the　room　and　seizing　a　little　bottle　of　bright

pink　medicine；　which；　being　opened；　spread　a　singular　acrid

aromatic　odor　through　the　apartment；　and　I　thought　I　sawbut　of

this　I　cannot　take　an　affirmationa　light　green　and　violet　flame

flickering　round　the　neck　of　the　vial　as　he　opened　it。　　By　the　way；

from　the　peculiar　stumping　noise　which　he　made　in　crossing　the

bare…boarded　apartment；　I　knew　at　once　that　my　strange　entertainer

had　a　wooden　leg。　　Over　the　dust　which　lay　quite　thick　on　the

boards；　you　could　see　the　mark　of　one　foot　very　neat　and　pretty；

and　then　a　round　O；　which　was　naturally　the　impression　made　by　the

wooden　stump。　　I　own　I　had　a　queer　thrill　as　I　saw　that　mark；　and

felt　a　secret　comfort　that　it　was　not　CLOVEN。



In　this　desolate　apartment　in　which　Mr。　Pinto　had　invited　me　to　see

him；　there　were　three　chairs；　one　bottomless；　a　little　table　on

which　you　might　put　a　breakfast　tray；　and　not　a　single　other

article　of　furniture。　　In　the　next　room；　the　door　of　which　was

open；　I　could　see　a　magnificent　gilt　dressing　case；　with　some

splendid　diamond　and　ruby　shirt　studs　lying　by　it；　and　a　chest　of

drawers；　and　a　cupboard　apparently　full　of　clothes。



Remembering　him　in　Baden…Baden　in　great　magnificence　I　wondered　at

his　present　denuded　state。　　〃You　have　a　house　elsewhere；　Mr。

Pinto？〃　I　said。



〃Many；〃　says　he。　　〃I　have　apartments　in　many　cities。　　I　lock　dem

up；　and　do　not　carry　mosh　logish。〃



I　then　remembered　that　his　apartment　at　Baden；　where　I　first　met

him；　was　bare；　and　had　no　bed　in　it。



〃There　is；　then；　a　sleeping　room　beyond？〃



〃This　is　the　sleeping　room。〃　　（He　pronounces　it　DIS。　　Can　this；　by

the　way；　give　any　clew　to　the　nationality　of　this　singular　man？）



〃If　you　sleep　on　these　two　old　chairs　you　have　a　rickety　couch；　if

on　the　floor；　a　dusty　one。〃



〃Suppose　I　sleep　up　dere？〃　said　this　strange　man；　and　he　actually

pointed　up　to　the　ceiling。　　I　thought　him　mad　or　what　he　himself

called　〃an　ombog。〃　　〃I　know。　　You　do　not　believe　me；　for　why　should

I　deceive　you？　　I　came　but　to　propose　a　matter　of　business　to　you。

I　told　you　I　could　give　you　the　clew　to　the　mystery　of　the　Two

Children　in　Black；　whom　you　met　at　Baden；　and　you　came　to　see　me。

If　I　told　you　you　would　not　believe　me。　　What　for　try　and　convinz

you？　　Ha　hey？〃　　And　he　shook　his　hand　once；　twice；　thrice；　at　me；

and　glared　at　me　out　of　his　eye　in　a　peculiar　way。



Of　what　happened　now　I　protest　I　cannot　give　an　accurate　account。

It　seemed　to　me　that　there　shot　a　flame　from　his　eye　into　my　brain；

while　behind　his　GLASS　eye　there　was　a　green　illumination　as　if　a

candle　had　been　lit　in　it。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　from　his　long

fingers　two　quivering　flames　issued；　sputtering；　as　it　were；　which

penetrated　me；　and　forced　me　back　into　one　of　the　chairsthe

broken　oneout　of　which　I　had　much　difficulty　in　scrambling；　when

the　strange　glamour　was　ended。　　It　seemed　to　me　that；　when　I　was　so

fixed；　so　transfixed　in　the　broke