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第56节

classic mystery and detective stories-第56节

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not; as you will。  The sleeping man went up to that instrument。



〃He laid his head in it; asleep。〃



〃Asleep?〃



〃He then took a little penknife out of the pocket of his white

dimity waistcoat。



〃He cut the rope asleep。



〃The ax descended on the head of the traitor and villain。  The

notch in it was made by the steel buckle of his stock; which was

cut through。



〃A strange legend has got abroad that after the deed was done; the

figure rose; took the head from the basket; walked forth through

the garden; and by the screaming porters at the gate; and went and

laid itself down at the Morgue。  But for this I will not vouch。

Only of this be sure。  'There are more things in heaven and earth;

Horatio; than are dreamed of in your philosophy。'  More and more

the light peeps through the chinks。  Soon; amidst music ravishing;

the curtain will rise; and the glorious scene be displayed。  Adieu!

Remember me。  Ha! 'tis dawn;〃 Pinto said。  And he was gone。



I am ashamed to say that my first movement was to clutch the check

which he had left with me; and which I was determined to present

the very moment the bank opened。  I know the importance of these

things; and that men change their mind sometimes。  I sprang through

the streets to the great banking house of Manasseh in Duke Street。

It seemed to me as if I actually flew as I walked。  As the clock

struck ten I was at the counter and laid down my check。



The gentleman who received it; who was one of the Hebrew

persuasion; as were the other two hundred clerks of the

establishment; having looked at the draft with terror in his

countenance; then looked at me; then called to himself two of his

fellow clerks; and queer it was to see all their aquiline beaks

over the paper。



〃Come; come!〃 said I; 〃don't keep me here all day。  Hand me over

the money; short; if you please!〃 for I was; you see; a little

alarmed; and so determined to assume some extra bluster。



〃Will you have the kindness to step into the parlor to the

partners?〃 the clerk said; and I followed him。



〃What; AGAIN?〃 shrieked a bald…headed; red…whiskered gentleman;

whom I knew to be Mr。 Manasseh。  〃Mr。 Salathiel; this is too bad!

Leave me with this gentleman; S。〃  And the clerk disappeared。



〃Sir;〃 he said; 〃I know how you came by this: the Count de Pinto

gave it you。  It is too bad!  I honor my parents; I honor THEIR

parents; I honor their bills!  But this one of grandma's is too

badit is; upon my word; now!  She've been dead these five…and…

thirty years。  And this last four months she has left her burial

place and took to drawing on our 'ouse!  It's too bad; grandma; it

is too bad!〃 and he appealed to me; and tears actually trickled

down his nose。



〃Is it the Countess Sidonia's check or not?〃 I asked; haughtily。



〃But; I tell you; she's dead!  It's a shame!it's a shame!it is;

grandmamma!〃 and he cried; and wiped his great nose in his yellow

pocket handkerchief。  〃Look yearwill you take pounds instead of

guineas?  She's dead; I tell you!  It's no go!  Take the pounds

one tausend pound!ten nice; neat; crisp hundred…pound notes; and

go away vid you; do!〃



〃I will have my bond; sir; or nothing;〃 I said; and I put on an

attitude of resolution which I confess surprised even myself。



〃Wery veil;〃 he shrieked; with many oaths; 〃then you shall have

notingha; ha; ha!noting but a policeman!  Mr。 Abednego; call a

policeman!  Take that; you humbug and impostor!〃 and here with an

abundance of frightful language which I dare not repeat; the

wealthy banker abused and defied me。



Au bout du compte; what was I to do; if a banker did not choose to

honor a check drawn by his dead grandmother?  I began to wish I had

my snuff…box back。  I began to think I was a fool for changing that

little old…fashioned gold for

this slip of strange paper。



Meanwhile the banker had passed from his fit of anger to a paroxysm

of despair。  He seemed to be addressing some person invisible; but

in the room: 〃Look here; ma'am; you've really been coming it too

strong。  A hundred thousand in six months; and now a thousand more!

The 'ouse can't stand it; it WON'T stand it; I say!  What?  Oh!

mercy; mercy!



As he uttered these words; A HAND fluttered over the table in the

air!  It was a female hand: that which I had seen the night before。

That female hand took a pen from the green baize table; dipped it

in a silver inkstand; and wrote on a quarter of a sheet of foolscap

on the blotting book; 〃How about the diamond robbery?  If you do

not pay; I will tell him where they are。〃



What diamonds? what robbery? what was this mystery?  That will

never be ascertained; for the wretched man's demeanor instantly

changed。  〃Certainly; sir;oh; certainly;〃 he said; forcing a

grin。  〃How will you have the money; sir?  All right; Mr。 Abednego。

This way out。〃



〃I hope I shall often see you again;〃 I said; on which I own poor

Manasseh gave a dreadful grin; and shot back into his parlor。



I ran home; clutching the ten delicious; crisp hundred pounds; and

the dear little fifty which made up the account。  I flew through

the streets again。  I got to my chambers。  I bolted the outer

doors。  I sank back in my great chair; and slept。 。 。 。



My first thing on waking was to feel for my money。  Perdition!

Where was I?  Ha!on the table before me was my grandmother's

snuff…box; and by its side one of those awfulthose admirable

sensation novels; which I had been reading; and which are full of

delicious wonder。



But that the guillotine is still to be seen at Mr。 Gale's; No。 47;

High Holborn; I give you MY HONOR。  I suppose I was dreaming about

it。  I don't know。  What is dreaming?  What is life?  Why shouldn't

I sleep on the ceiling?and am I sitting on it now; or on the

floor?  I am puzzled。  But enough。  If the fashion for sensation

novels goes on; I tell you I will write one in fifty volumes。  For

the present; DIXI。  But between ourselves; this Pinto; who fought

at the Colosseum; who was nearly being roasted by the Inquisition;

and sang duets at Holyrood; I am rather sorry to lose him after

three little bits of Roundabout Papers。  Et vous?







Bourgonef





I



AT A TABLE D'HOTE





At the close of February; 1848; I was in Nuremberg。  My original

intention had been to pass a couple of days there on my way to

Munich; that being; I thought; as much time as could reasonably be

spared for so small a city; beckoned as my footsteps were to the

Bavarian Athens; of whose glories of ancient art and German

Renaissance I had formed expectations the most exaggerated

expectations fatal to any perfect enjoyment; and certain to be

disappointed; however great the actual merit of Munich might be。

But after two days at Nuremberg I was so deeply interested in its

antique sequestered life; the charms of which had not been deadened

by previous anticipations; that I resolved to remain there until I

had mastered every detail and knew the place by heart。



I have a story to tell which will move amidst tragic circumstances

of too engrossing a nature to be disturbed by archaeological

interests; and shall not; therefore; minutely describe here what I

observed in Nuremberg; although no adequate description of that

wonderful city has yet fallen in my way。  To readers unacquainted

with this antique place; it will be enough to say that in it the

old German life seems still to a great extent rescued from the all…

devouring; all…equalizing tendencies of European civilization。  The

houses are either of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; or are

constructed after those ancient models。  The citizens have

preserved much of the simple manners and customs of their

ancestors。  The hurrying feet of commerce and curiosity pass

rapidly by; leaving it sequestered from the agitations and the

turmoils of metropolitan existence。  It is as quiet as a village。

During my stay there rose in its quiet streets the startled echoes

of horror at a crime unparalleled in its annals; which; gathering

increased horror from the very peacefulness and serenity of the

scene; arrested the attention and the sympathy in a degree seldom

experienced。  Before narrating that; it will be necessary to go

back a little; that my own connection with it may be intelligible;

especially in the fanciful weaving together of remote conjectures

which strangely involved me in the story。



The table d'hote at the Bayerischer Hof had about thirty visitors

all; with one exception; of that local commonplace which escapes

remark。  Indeed this may almost always be said of tables d'hote;

though there is a current belief; which I cannot share; of a table

d'hote being very delightfulof one being certain to meet pleasant

people there。〃  It may be so。  For many years I believed it was so。

The general verdict received my assent。  I had never met those

delightful people; but was always expectin

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