classic mystery and detective stories-第59节

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evidence　went。



Wild　and　vague　were　the　conjectures。　　All　were　baffled　in　the

attempt　to　give　them　a　definite　direction。　　The　crime　was

apparently　prompted　by　revengecertainly　not　by　lust；　or　desire　of

money。　　But　she　was　not　known　to　stand　in　any　one's　way。　　In　this

utter　blank　as　to　the　assignable　motive；　I；　perhaps　alone　among　the

furious　crowd；　had　a　distinct　suspicion　of　the　assassin。　　No　sooner

had　the　news　reached　me；　than　with　the　specification　of　the　theater

of　the　crime　there　at　once　flashed　upon　me　the　intellectual　vision

of　the　criminal：　the　stranger　with　the　dark　beard　and　startled　eyes

stood　confessed　before　me！　　I　held　my　breath　for　a　few　moments；　and

then　there　came　a　tide　of　objections　rushing　over　my　mind；

revealing　the　inadequacy　of　the　grounds　on　which　rested　my

suspicions。　　What　were　the　grounds？　　I　had　seen　a　man　in　a

particular　spot；　not　an　unfrequented　spot；　on　the　evening　of　the

night　when　the　crime　had　been　committed　there；　that　man　had　seemed

to　recognize　me；　and　wished　to　avoid　being　recognized。　　Obviously

these　grounds　were　too　slender　to　bear　any　weight　of　construction

such　as　I　had　based　on　them。　　Mere　presence　on　the　spot　could　no

more　inculpate　him　than　it　could　inculpate　me；　if　I　had　met　him

there；　equally　had　he　met　me　there。　　Nor　even　if　my　suspicion　were

correct　that　he　knew　me；　and　refused　to　recognize　me；　could　that　be

any　argument　tending　to　criminate　him　in　an　affair　wholly

disconnected　with　me。　　Besides；　he　was　walking　peaceably；　openly；

and　he　looked　like　a　gentleman。　　All　these　objections　pressed

themselves　upon　me；　and　kept　me　silent。　　But　in　spite　of　their

force　I　could　not　prevent　the　suspicion　from　continually　arising。

Ashamed　to　mention　it；　because　it　may　have　sounded　too　absurd；　I

could　not　prevent　my　constructive　imagination　indulging　in　its

vagaries；　and　with　this　secret　conviction　I　resolved　to　await

events；　and　in　case　suspicion　from　other　quarters　should　ever

designate　the　probable　assassin；　I　might　then　come　forward　with　my

bit　of　corroborative　evidence；　should　the　suspected　assassin　be　the

stranger　of　the　archway。



By　twelve　o'clock　a　new　direction　was　given　to　rumor。　　Hitherto　the

stories；　when　carefully　sifted　of　all　exaggerations　of　flying

conjecture；　had　settled　themselves　into　something　like　this：　　The

Lehfeldts　had　retired　to　rest　at　a　quarter　before　ten；　as　was　their

custom。　　They　had　seen　Lieschen　go　into　her　bedroom　for　the　night；

and　had　themselves　gone　to　sleep　with　unclouded　minds。　　From　this

peaceful　security　they　were　startled　early　in　the　morning　by　the

appalling　news　of　the　calamity　which　had　fallen　on　them。

Incredulous　at　first；　as　well　they　might　be；　and　incapable　of

believing　in　a　ruin　so　unexpected　and　so　overwhelming；　they

imagined　some　mistake；　asserting　that　Lieschen　was　in　her　own　room。

Into　that　room　they　rushed；　and　there　the　undisturbed　bed；　and　the

open　window；　but　a　few　feet　from　the　garden；　silently　and

pathetically　disclosed　the　fatal　truth。　　The　bereaved　parents

turned　a　revealing　look　upon　each　other's　whitened　faces；　and　then

slowly　retired　from　the　room；　followed　in　affecting　silence　by　the

others。　　Back　into　their　own　room　they　went。　　The　father　knelt

beside　the　bed；　and；　sobbing；　prayed。　　The　mother　sat　staring　with

a　stupefied　stare；　her　lips　faintly　moving。　　In　a　short　while　the

flood　of　grief；　awakened　to　a　thorough　consciousness；　burst　from

their　laboring　hearts。　　When　the　first　paroxysms　were　over　they

questioned　others；　and　gave　incoherent　replies　to　the　questions

addressed　to　them。　　From　all　which　it　resulted　that　Lieschen's

absence；　though　obviously　voluntary；　was　wholly　inexplicable　to

them；　and　no　clew　whatever　could　be　given　as　to　the　motives　of　the

crime。　　When　these　details　became　known；　conjecture　naturally

interpreted　Lieschen's　absence　at　night　as　an　assignation。　　But

with　whom？　　She　was　not　known　to　have　a　lover。　　Her　father；　on

being　questioned；　passionately　affirmed　that　she　had　none；　she

loved　no　one　but　her　parents；　poor　child！　　Her　mother；　on　being

questioned；　told　the　same　storyadding；　however；　that　about

seventeen　months　before；　she　had　fancied　that　Lieschen　was　a　little

disposed　to　favor　Franz　Kerkel；　their　shopman；　but　on　being　spoken

to　on　the　subject　with　some　seriousness；　and　warned　of　the　distance

between　them；　she　had　laughed　heartily　at　the　idea；　and　since　then

had　treated　Franz　with　so　much　indifference　that　only　a　week　ago

she　had　drawn　from　her　mother　a　reproof　on　the　subject。



〃I　told　her　Franz　was　a　good　lad；　though　not　good　enough　for　her；

and　that　she　ought　to　treat　him　kindly。　　But　she　said　my　lecture

had　given　her　an　alarm；　lest　Franz　should　have　got　the　same　maggot

into　his　head。〃



This　was　the　story　now　passing　through　the　curious　crowds　in　every

street。　　After　hearing　it　I　had　turned　into　a　tobacconist's　in　the

Adlergrasse；　to　restock　my　cigar…case；　and　found　there；　as

everywhere；　a　group　discussing　the　one　topic　of　the　hour。　　Herr

Fischer；　the　tobacconist；　with　a　long　porcelain　pipe　pendent　from

his　screwed…up　lips；　was　solemnly　listening　to　the　particulars

volubly　communicated　by　a　stout　Bavarian　priest；　while　behind　the

counter；　in　a　corner；　swiftly　knitting；　sat　his　wife；　her　black

bead…like　eyes　also　fixed　on　the　orator。　　Of　course　I　was　dragged

into　the　conversation。　　Instead　of　attending　to　commercial

interests；　they　looked　upon　me　as　the　possible　bearer　of　fresh

news。　　Nor　was　it　without　a　secret　satisfaction　that　I　found　I

could　gratify　them　in　that　respect。　　They　had　not　heard　of　Franz

Kerkel　in　the　matter。　　No　sooner　had　I　told　what　I　had　heard　than

the　knitting…needles　of　the　vivacious　little　woman　were　at　once

suspended。



〃Ach　Je！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I　see　it　all。　　He's　the　wretch！〃



〃Who？〃　we　all　simultaneously　inquired。



〃Who？　　Why；　Kerkel；　of　course。　　If　she　changed；　and　treated　him

with　indifference；　it　was　because　she　loved　him；　and　he　has

murdered　the　poor　thing。〃



〃How　you　run　on；　wife！〃　remonstrated　Fischer；　while　the　priest

shook　a　dubious　head。



〃I　tell　you　it　is　so。　　I'm　positive。〃



〃If　she　loved　him。〃



〃She　did；　I　tell　you。　　Trust　a　woman　for　seeing　through　such

things。〃



〃Well；　say　she　did；〃　continued　Fischer；　〃and　I　won't　deny　that　it

may　be　so；　but　then　that　makes　against　the　idea　of　his　having　done

her　any　harm。〃



〃Don't　tell　me；〃　retorted　the　convinced　woman。　　〃She　loved　him。

She　went　out　to　meet　him　in　secret；　and　he　murdered　herthe

villain　did。　　I'm　as　sure　of　it　as　if　these　eyes　had　seen　him　do

it。〃



The　husband　winked　at　us；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃You　hear　these

women！〃　and　the　priest　and　I　endeavored　to　reason　her　out　of　her

illogical　position。　　But　she　was　immovable。　　Kerkel　had　murdered

her；　she　knew　it；　she　couldn't　tell　why；　but　she　knew　it。　　Perhaps

he　was　jealous；　who　knows？　　At　any　rate；　he　ought　to　be　arrested。



And　by　twelve　o'clock；　as　I　said；　a　new　rumor　ran　through　the

crowd；　which　seemed　to　confirm　the　little　woman　in　her　rash　logic。

Kerkel　had　been　arrested；　and　a　waistcoat　stained　with　blood　had

been　found　in　his　room！　　By　half…past　twelve　the　rumor　ran　that　he

had　confessed　the　crime。　　This；　however；　proved　on　inquiry　to　be

the　hasty　anticipation　of　public　indignation。　　He　had　been

arrested；　the　waistcoat　had　been　found：　so　much　was　authentic；　and

the　suspicions　gathered　ominously　over　him。



When　first　Frau　Fischer　had　started　the　suggestion　it　flew　like

wildfire。　　Then　people　suddenly　noticed；　as　very　surprising；　that

Kerkel　had　not　that　day　made　his　appearance　at　the　shop。　　His

absence　had　not　been　noticed　in　the　tumult　of　grief　and　inquiry；

but　it　became　suddenly　invested　with　a　dreadful　significance；　now

that　it　was　rumored　that　he　had　been　Lieschen's　lover。　　Of　all　men

he　would　be　the　most　affected　by　the　tragic　news；　of　all　men　he

would　have　been　the　first　to　tender　sympathy　and　aid　to　the

afflicted　parents；　and　the　most　clamorous　in　the　search　for　the

undiscovered　culprit。　　Yet；　while　all　Nuremberg　was　crowding　round

the　house　of　sorrow；　which　was　also　his　house　of　business；　he　alone

remained　away。　　This　naturally　pointed　suspicion　at　him。　　When　the

messengers　had　gone　to　seek　him；　his　mother　refused　them　admission；

declaring　in　incoherent　phrases；　betraying　great　agitation；　that

her　son　was　gone　distracted　with　grief　and　could　see　no　one。　　On

this　it　was　determined　to　order　his　arrest。　　The　police　went；　the

house　was　searched；　and　the　waistcoat　found。



The　testimony　of　the　girl　who　lived　as　servant　in　Kerkel's　house

was　also　criminatory。　　She　deposed　that　on　the　night　in　question

she　awoke　about　half…past　eleven　with　a　violent　toothache；　she　was

certain　as　to　the　hour；　because　she　heard　the　clock　afterwards

strike　twelve。　　She　felt　some　alarm　at　hearing　voices　in　the　rooms

at　an　hour　when　her　mistress　and　young　master　must　long　ago　have

gone　to　bed；　but　as　the　voices　were　se