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第54节

classic mystery and detective stories-第54节

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the headless man。



〃Your poor gr…ndm…ther was right just now; when she said she was

not my first love。  'Twas one of those banale expressions〃 (here

Mr。 P。 blushed once more) 〃which we use to women。  We tell each she

is our first passion。  They reply with a similar illusory formula。

No man is any woman's first love; no woman any man's。  We are in

love in our nurse's arms; and women coquette with their eyes before

their tongue can form a word。  How could your lovely relative love

me?  I was far; far too old for her。  I am older than I look。  I am

so old that you would not believe my age were I to tell you。  I

have loved many and many a woman before your relative。  It has not

always been fortunate for them to love me。  Ah; Sophronia!  Round

the dreadful circus where you fell; and whence I was dragged

corpselike by the heels; there sat multitudes more savage than the

lions which mangled your sweet form!  Ah; tenez! when we marched to

the terrible stake together at Valladolidthe Protestant and the

J  But away with memory!  Boy! it was happy for thy grandam that

she loved me not。



〃During that strange period;〃 he went on; 〃when the teeming Time

was great with the revolution that was speedily to be born; I was

on a mission in Paris with my excellent; my maligned friend;

Cagliostro。  Mesmer was one of our band。  I seemed to occupy but an

obscure rank in it: though; as you know; in secret societies the

humble man may be a chief and directorthe ostensible leader but a

puppet moved by unseen hands。  Never mind who was chief; or who was

second。  Never mind my age。  It boots not to tell it: why shall I

expose myself to your scornful incredulityor reply to your

questions in words that are familiar to you; but which you cannot

understand?  Words are symbols of things which you know; or of

things which you don't know。  If you don't know them; to speak is

idle。〃  (Here I confess Mr。 P。 spoke for exactly thirty…eight

minutes; about physics; metaphysics; language; the origin and

destiny of man; during which time I was rather bored; and to

relieve my ennui; drank a half glass or so of wine。)  〃LOVE;

friend; is the fountain of youth!  It may not happen to me once

once in an age: but when I love then I am young。  I loved when I

was in Paris。  Bathilde; Bathilde; I loved theeah; how fondly!

Wine; I say; more wine!  Love is ever young。  I was a boy at the

little feet of Bathilde de Bechamelthe fair; the fond; the

fickle; ah; the false!〃  The strange old man's agony was here

really terrific; and he showed himself much more agitated than when

he had been speaking about my gr…ndm…th…r。



〃I thought Blanche might love me。  I could speak to her in the

language of all countries; and tell her the lore of all ages。  I

could trace the nursery legends which she loved up to their

Sanscrit source; and whisper to her the darkling mysteries of the

Egyptian Magi。  I could chant for her the wild chorus that rang in

the disheveled Eleusinian revel: I could tell her and I would; the

watchword never known but to one woman; the Saban Queen; which

Hiram breathed in the abysmal ear of SolomonYou don't attend。

Psha! you have drunk too much wine!〃  Perhaps I may as well own

that I was NOT attending; for he had been carrying on for about

fifty…seven minutes; and I don't like a man to have ALL the talk to

himself。



〃Blanche de Bechamel was wild; then; about this secret of Masonry。

In early; early days I loved; I married a girl fair as Blanche;

who; too; was tormented by curiosity; who; too; would peep into my

closet; into the only secret guarded from her。  A dreadful fate

befell poor Fatima。  An ACCIDENT shortened her life。  Poor thing!

she had a foolish sister who urged her on。  I always told her to

beware of Ann。  She died。  They said her brothers killed me。  A

gross falsehood。  AM I dead?  If I were; could I pledge you in this

wine?〃



〃Was your name;〃 I asked; quite bewildered; 〃was your name; pray;

then; ever Blueb?〃



〃Hush! the waiter will overhear you。  Methought we were speaking of

Blanche de Bechamel。  I loved her; young man。  My pearls; and

diamonds; and treasure; my wit; my wisdom; my passion; I flung them

all into the child's lap。  I was a fool。  Was strong Samson not as

weak as I?  Was Solomon the Wise much better when Balkis wheedled

him?  I said to the kingBut enough of that; I spake of Blanche de

Bechamel。



〃Curiosity was the poor child's foible。  I could see; as I talked

to her; that her thoughts were elsewhere (as yours; my friend; have

been absent once or twice to…night)。  To know the secret of Masonry

was the wretched child's mad desire。  With a thousand wiles;

smiles; caresses; she strove to coax it from mefrom MEha! ha!



〃I had an apprenticethe son of a dear friend; who died by my side

at Rossbach; when Soubise; with whose army I happened to be;

suffered a dreadful defeat for neglecting my advice。  The Young

Chevalier Goby de Mouchy was glad enough to serve as my clerk; and

help in some chemical experiments in which I was engaged with my

friend Dr。 Mesmer。  Bathilde saw this young man。  Since women were;

has it not been their business to smile and deceive; to fondle and

lure?  Away!  From the very first it has been so!〃  And as my

companion spoke; he looked as wicked as the serpent that coiled

round the tree; and hissed a poisoned counsel to the first woman。



〃One evening I went; as was my wont; to see Blanche。  She was

radiant: she was wild with spirits: a saucy triumph blazed in her

blue eyes。  She talked; she rattled in her childish way。  She

uttered; in the course of her rhapsody; a hintan intimationso

terrible that the truth flashed across me in a moment。  Did I ask

her?  She would lie to me。  But I knew how to make falsehood

impossible。  And I ordered her to go to sleep。〃



At this moment the clock (after its previous convulsions) sounded

TWELVE。  And as the new Editor* of the Cornhill Magazineand HE; I

promise you; won't stand any nonsensewill only allow seven pages;

I am obliged to leave off at THE VERY MOST INTERESTING POINT OF THE

STORY。





* Mr。 Thackeray retired from the Editorship of the Cornhill

Magazine in March; 1862





III





〃Are you of our fraternity?  I see you are not。  The secret which

Mademoiselle de Bechamel confided to me in her mad triumph and wild

hoyden spiritsshe was but a child; poor thing; poor thing; scarce

fifteen;but I love them younga folly not unusual with the old!〃

(Here Mr。 Pinto thrust his knuckles into his hollow eyes; and; I am

sorry to say; so little regardful was he of personal cleanliness;

that his tears made streaks of white over his guarled dark hands。)

〃Ah; at fifteen; poor child; thy fate was terrible!  Go to!  It is

not good to love me; friend。  They prosper not who do。  I divine

you。  You need not say what you are thinking〃



In truth; I was thinking; if girls fall in love with this sallow;

hook…nosed; glass…eyed; wooden…legged; dirty; hideous old man; with

the sham teeth; they have a queer taste。  THAT is what I was

thinking。



〃Jack Wilkes said the handsomest man in London had but half an

hour's start of him。  And; without vanity; I am scarcely uglier

than Jack Wilkes。  We were members of the same club at Medenham

Abbey; Jack and I; and had many a merry night together。  Well; sir;

IMary of Scotland knew me but as a little hunchbacked music

master; and yet; and yet; I think she was not indifferent to her

David Rizand SHE came to misfortune。  They all dothey all do!〃



〃Sir; you are wandering from your point!〃 I said; with some

severity。  For; really; for this old humbug to hint that he had

been the baboon who frightened the club at Medenham; that he had

been in the Inquisition at Valladolidthat under the name of D。

Riz; as he called it; he had known the lovely Queen of Scotswas a

LITTLE too much。  〃Sir;〃 then I said; 〃you were speaking about a

Miss Bechamel。  I really have not time to hear all of your

biography。〃



〃Faith; the good wine gets into my head。〃  (I should think so; the

old toper!  Four bottles all but two glasses。)  〃To return to poor

Blanche。  As I sat laughing; joking with her; she let slip a word;

a little word; which filled me with dismay。  Some one had told her

a part of the Secretthe secret which has been divulged scarce

thrice in three thousand yearsthe Secret of the Freemasons。  Do

you know what happens to those uninitiate who learn that secret? to

those wretched men; the initiate who reveal it?〃



As Pinto spoke to me; he looked through and through me with his

horrible piercing glance; so that I sat quite uneasily on my bench。

He continued: 〃Did I question her awake?  I knew she would lie to

me。  Poor child!  I loved her no less because I did not believe a

word she said。  I loved her blue eye; her golden hair; her

delicious voice; that was true in song; though when she spoke;

false as Eblis!  You are aware that I p

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