classic mystery and detective stories-第67节

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trammels　of　modern　civilization；　that　while　the　possibilities　of

wrong　are　infinite；　the　openings　for　vengeance　are　few　and

contemptible。　　Only　when　a　man　is　thrown　upon　the　necessities　of

this　'wild　justice'　does　he　discover　how　difficult　vengeance　really

is。　　Had　Agalma　been　my　wife；　I　could　have　wreaked　my　wrath　upon

her；　with　assurance　that　some　of　the　torture　she　inflicted　on　me

was　to　fall　on　her。　　Not　having　this　power　what　was　I　to　do？　　Kill

her？　　That　would　have　afforded　one　moment　of　exquisite

satisfactionbut　to　her　it　would　have　been　simply　deathand　I

wanted　to　kill　the　heart。〃



He　seemed　working　with　an　insane　passion；　so　that　I　regarded　him

with　disgust；　mingled　with　some　doubts　as　to　what　horrors　he　was

about　to　relate。



〃My　plan　was　chosen。　　The　only　way　to　reach　her　heart　was　to　strike

through　her　husband。　　For　several　hours　daily　I　practised　with　the

pistol；　untilin　spite　of　only　having　a　left　handI　acquired

fatal　skill。　　But　this　was　not　enough。　　Firing　at　a　mark　is　simple

work。　　Firing　at　a　manespecially　one　holding　a　pistol　pointed　at

youis　altogether　different。　　I　had　too　often　heard　of　'crack

shots'　missing　their　men；　to　rely　confidently　on　my　skill　in　the

shooting　gallery。　　It　was　necessary　that　my　eye　and　hand　should　be

educated　to　familiarity　with　the　real　object。　　Part　of　the　cause

why　duelists　miss　their　man　is　from　the　trepidation　of　fear。　　I　was

without　fear。　　At　no　moment　in　my　life　have　I　been　afraid；　and　the

chance　of　being　shot　by　Korinski　I　counted　as　nothing。　　The　other

cause　is　unfamiliarity　with　the　mark。　　This　I　secured　myself

against　by　getting　a　lay　figure　of　Korinski's　height；　dressing　it

to　resemble　him；　placing　a　pistol　in　its　hand；　and　then　practising

at　this　mark　in　the　woods。　　After　a　short　time　I　could　send　a

bullet　through　the　thorax　without　taking　more　than　a　hasty　glance

at　the　figure。



〃Thus　prepared；　I　started　for　Paris。　　But　you　will　feel　for　me　when

you　learn　that　my　hungry　heart　was　baffled　of　its　vengeance；　and

baffled　for　ever。　　Agalma　had　been　carried　off　by　scarlet　fever。

Korinski　had　left　Paris；　and　I　felt　no　strong　promptings　to　follow

him；　and　wreak　on　him　a　futile　vengeance。　　It　was　on　HER　my　wrath

had　been　concentrated；　and　I　gnashed　my　teeth　at　the　thought　that

she　had　escaped　me。



〃My　story　is　ended。　　The　months　of　gloomy　depression　which

succeeded；　now　that　I　was　no　longer　sustained　by　the　hope　of

vengeance；　I　need　not　speak　of。　　My　existence　was　desolate；　and

even　now　the　desolation　continues　over　the　whole　region　of　the

emotions。　　I　carry　a　dead　heart　within　me。〃





VIII



A　SECOND　VICTIM





Bourgonef's　story　has　been　narrated　with　some　fullness；　though　in

less　detail　than　he　told　it；　in　order　that　the　reader　may

understand　its　real　bearings　on　MY　story。　　Without　it；　the　motives

which　impelled　the　strange　pertinacity　of　my　pursuit　would　have

been　unintelligible。　　I　have　said　that　a　very　disagreeable

impression　remained　on　my　mind　respecting　certain　aspects　of　his

character；　and　I　felt　somewhat　ashamed　of　my　imperfect　sagacity　in

having　up　to　this　period　been　entirely　blind　to　those　aspects。　　The

truth　is；　every　human　being　is　a　mystery；　and　remains　so　to　the

last。　　We　fancy　we　know　a　character；　we　form　a　distinct　conception

of　it；　for　years　that　conception　remains　unmodified；　and　suddenly

the　strain　of　some　emergency；　of　the　incidental　stimulus　of　new

circumstances；　reveals　qualities　not　simply　unexpected；　but　flatly

contradictory　of　our　previous　conception。　　We　judge　of　a　man　by　the

angle　he　subtends　to　our　eyeonly　thus　CAN　we　judge　of　him；　and

this　angle　depends　on　the　relation　his　qualities　and　circumstances

bear　to　our　interests　and　sympathies。　　Bourgonef　had　charmed　me

intellectually；　morally　I　had　never　come　closer　to　him　than　in　the

sympathies　of　public　questions　and　abstract　theories。　　His　story

had　disclosed　hidden　depths。



My　old　suspicions　reappeared；　and　a　conversation　we　had　two　days

afterwards　helped　to　strengthen　them。



We　had　gone　on　a　visit　to　Schwanthaler；　the　sculptor；　at　his　tiny

little　castle　of　Schwaneck；　a　few　miles　from　Munich。　　The　artist

was　out　for　a　walk；　but　we　were　invited　to　come　in　and　await　his

return；　which　would　be　shortly；　and　meanwhile　Bourgonef　undertook

to　show　me　over　the　castle；　interesting　as　a　bit　of　modern　Gothic；

realizing　on　a　diminutive　scale　a　youthful　dream　of　the　sculptor's。

When　our　survey　was　completedand　it　did　not　take　longwe　sat　at

one　of　the　windows　and　enjoyed　a　magnificent　prospect。　　〃It　is

curious；〃　said　Bourgonef；　〃to　be　shut　up　here　in　this　imitation　of

medieval　masonry；　where　every　detail　speaks　of　the　dead　past；　and

to　think　of　the　events　now　going　on　in　Paris　which　must　find

imitators　all　over　Europe；　and　which　open　to　the　mind　such　vistas

of　the　future。　　What　a　grotesque　anachronism　is　this　Gothic　castle；

built　in　the　same　age　as　that　which　sees　a　reforming　pope！〃



〃Yes；　but　is　not　the　reforming　pope　himself　an　anachronism？〃



〃As　a　Catholic；〃　here　he　smiled；　intimating　that　his　orthodoxy　was

not　very　stringent；　〃I　cannot　admit　that；　as　a　Protestant；　you　must

admit　that　if　there　must　be　a　pope；　he　must　in　these　days　be　a

reformer；　orgive　up　his　temporal　power。　　Not　that　I　look　on　Pio

Nono　as　more　than　a　precursor；　he　may　break　ground；　and　point　the

way；　but　he　is　not　the　man　to　lead　Europe　out　of　its　present　slough

of　despond；　and　under　the　headship　of　the　Church　found　a　new　and

lasting　republic。　　We　want　a　Hildebrand；　one　who　will　be　to　the

nineteenth　century　as　Gregory　was　to　the　eleventh。〃



〃Do　you　believe　in　such　a　possibility？　　Do　you　think　the　Roman

pontiff　can　ever　again　sway　the　destinies　of　Europe？〃



〃I　can　hardly　say　I　believe　it；　yet　I　see　the　possibility　of　such

an　opening　if　the　right　man　were　to　arise。　　But　I　fear　he　will　not

arise；　or　if　he　should；　the　Conclave　will　stifle　him。　　Yet　there　is

but　one　alternative：　either　Europe　must　once　more　join　in　a　crusade

with　a　pope　at　the　head；　or　it　must　hoist　the　red　flag。　　There　is

no　other　issue。〃



〃Heaven　preserve　us　from　both！　　And　I　think　we　shall　be　preserved

from　the　Pope　by　the　rottenness　of　the　Church；　from　the　drapeau

rouge　by　the　indignation　and　horror　of　all　honest　men。　　You　see　how

the　Provisional　Government　has　resisted　the　insane　attempt　of　the

fanatics　to　make　the　red　flag　accepted　as　the　national　banner？〃



〃Yes；　and　it　is　the　one　thing　which　dashes　my　pleasure　in　the　new

revolution。　　It　is　the　one　act　of　weakness　which　the　Government　has

exhibited；　a　concession　which　will　be　fatal　unless　it　be　happily

set　aside　by　the　energetic　party　of　action。〃



〃An　act　of　weakness？　say　rather　an　act　of　strength。　　A　concession？

say　rather　the　repudiation　of　anarchy；　the　assertion　of　law　and

justice。〃



〃Not　a　bit。　　It　was　concession　to　the　fears　of　the　timid；　and　to

the　vanity　of　the　French　people。　　The　tricolor　is　a　French　flag

not　the　banner　of　humanity。　　It　is　because　the　tricolor　has　been

identified　with　the　victories　of　France　that　it　appeals　to　the

vanity　of　the　vainest　of　people。　　They　forget　that　it　is　the　flag

of　a　revolution　which　failed；　and　of　an　empire　which　was　one

perpetual　outrage　to　humanity。　　Whereas　the　red　is　new；　it　is　the

symbol　of　an　energetic；　thorough…going　creed。　　If　it　carries　terror

with　it；　so　much　the　better。　　The　tyrants　and　the　timid　should　be

made　to　tremble。〃



〃I　had　no　idea　you　were　so　bloodthirsty；〃　said　I；　laughing　at　his

vehemence。



〃I　am　not　bloodthirsty　at　all；　I　am　only　logical　and　consistent。

There　is　a　mass　of　sophistry　current　in　the　world　which　sickens　me。

People　talk　of　Robespierre　and　St。　Just；　two　of　the　most　virtuous

men　that　ever　livedand　of　Dominic　and　Torquemada；　two　of　the　most

single…mindedas　if　they　were　cruel　and　bloodthirsty；　whereas　they

were　only　convinced。〃



〃Is　it　from　love　of　paradox　that　you　defend　these　tigers？〃



〃Tigers；　againhow　those　beasts　are　calumniated！〃



He　said　this　with　a　seriousness　which　was　irresistibly　comic。　　I

shouted　with　laughter；　but　he　continued　gravely：



〃You　think　I　am　joking。　　But　let　me　ask　you　why　you　consider　the

tiger　more　bloodthirsty　than　yourself？　　He　springs　upon　his　food

you　buy　yours　from　the　butcher。　　He　cannot　live　without　animal

food：　it　is　a　primal　necessity；　and　he　obeys　the　ordained　instinct。

You　can　live　on　vegetables；　yet　you　slaughter　beasts　of　the　field

and　birds　of　the　air　（or　buy　them　when　slaughtered）；　and　consider

yourself　a　model　of　virtue。　　The　tiger　only　kills　his　food　or　his

enemies；　you　not　only　kill　both；　but　you　kill　one　animal　to　make

gravy　for　another！　　The　tiger　is　less　bloodthirsty　than　the

Christian！〃



〃I　don't　know　how　much　of　that　tirade　is　meant　to　be　serious；　but

to　waive　the　question　of　the　tiger's　morality；　do　you　reallyI

will　not　say　sympathize；but　justify　Robespierre；　Dominic；　St。

Just；　and　the　rest　of　the　fanatics　who