classic mystery and detective stories-第68节

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

Just；　and　the　rest　of　the　fanatics　who　have　waded　to　their　ends

through　blood。〃



〃He　who　wills　the　END；　wills　the　MEANS。〃



〃A　devil's　maxim。〃



〃But　a　truth。　　What　the　foolish　world　shrinks　at　as

bloodthirstiness　and　cruelty　is　very　often　mere　force　and　constancy

of　intellect。　　It　is　not　that　fanatics　thirst　for　bloodfar　from

it；but　they　thirst　for　the　triumph　of　their　cause。　　Whatever

obstacle　lies　on　their　path　must　be　removed；　if　a　torrent　of　blood

is　the　only　thing　that　will　sweep　it　awaythe　torrent　must　sweep。〃



〃And　sweep　with　it　all　the　sentiments　of　pity；　mercy；　charity；

love？〃



〃No；　these　sentiments　may　give　a　sadness　to　the　necessity；　they

make　the　deed　a　sacrifice；　but　they　cannot　prevent　the　soul　from

seeing　the　aim　to　which　it　tends。〃



〃This　is　detestable　doctrine！　　It　is　the　sophism　which　has

destroyed　families；　devastated　cities；　and　retarded　the　moral

progress　of　the　world　more　than　anything　else。　　No　single　act　of

injustice　is　ever　done　on　this　earth　but　it　tends　to　perpetuate　the

reign　of　iniquity。　　By　the　feelings　it　calls　forth　it　keeps　up　the

native　savagery　of　the　heart。　　It　breeds　injustice；　partly　by

hardening　the　minds　of　those　who　assent；　and　partly　by　exciting　the

passion　of　revenge　in　those　who　resist。〃



〃You　are　wrong。　　The　great　drag…chain　on　the　car　of　progress　is　the

faltering　inconsistency　of　man。　　Weakness　is　more　cruel　than

sternness。　　Sentiment　is　more　destructive　than　logic。〃



The　arrival　of　Schwanthaler　was　timely；　for　my　indignation　was

rising。　　The　sculptor　received　us　with　great　cordiality；　and　in　the

pleasure　of　the　subsequent　hour　I　got　over　to　some　extent　the

irritation　Bourgonef's　talk　had　excited。



The　next　day　I　left　Munich　for　the　Tyrol。　　My　parting　with

Bourgonef　was　many　degrees　less　friendly　than　it　would　have　been　a

week　before。　　I　had　no　wish　to　see　him　again；　and　therefore　gave

him　no　address　or　invitation　in　case　he　should　come　to　England。　　As

I　rolled　away　in　the　Malleposte；　my　busy　thoughts　reviewed　all　the

details　of　our　acquaintance；　and　the　farther　I　was　carried　from　his

presence；　the　more　obtrusive　became　the　suspicions　which　connected

him　with　the　murder　of　Lieschen　Lehfeldt。　　How；　or　upon　what

motive；　was　indeed　an　utter　mystery。　　He　had　not　mentioned　the　name

of　Lehfeldt。　　He　had　not　mentioned　having　before　been　at　Nuremberg。

At　Heidelberg　the　tragedy　occurredor　was　Heidelberg　only　a　mask？

It　occurred　to　me　that　he　had　first　ascertained　that　I　had　never

been　at　Heidelberg　before　he　placed　the　scene　of　his　story　there。



Thoughts　such　as　these　tormented　me。　　Imagine；　then；　the　horror

with　which　I　heard；　soon　after　my　arrival　at　Salzburg；　that　a

murder　had　been　committed　at　Grosshessloheone　of　the　pretty

environs　of　Munich　much　resorted　to　by　holiday　folkcorresponding

in　all　essential　features　with　the　murder　at　Nuremberg！　　In　both

cases　the　victim　was　young　and　pretty。　　In　both　cases　she　was　found

quietly　lying　on　the　ground；　stabbed　to　the　heart；　without　any

other　traces　of　violence。　　In　both　cases　she　was　a　betrothed　bride；

and　the　motive　of　the　unknown　assassin　a　mystery。



Such　a　correspondence　in　the　essential　features　inevitably

suggested　an　appalling　mystery　of　unity　in　these　crimes；either　as

the　crimes　of　one　man；　committed　under　some　impulse　of　motiveless

malignity　and　thirst　for　innocent　bloodor　as　the　equally

appalling　effect　of　IMITATION　acting　contagiously　upon　a　criminal

imagination；　of　which　contagion　there　have　been；　unfortunately；　too

many　exampleshorrible　crimes　prompting　certain　weak　and　feverish

imaginations；　by　the　very　horror　they　inspire；　first　to　dwell　on；

and　finally　to　realize　their　imitations。



It　was　this　latter　hypothesis　which　found　general　acceptance。

Indeed　it　was　the　only　one　which　rested　upon　any　ground　of

experience。　　The　disastrous　influence　of　imitation；　especially

under　the　fascination　of　horror；　was　well　known。　　The　idea　of　any

diabolical　malice　moving　one　man　to　pass　from　city　to　city；　and

there　quietly　single　out　his　victimsboth　of　them；　by　the　very

hypothesis；　unrelated　to　him；　both　of　them　at　the　epoch　of　their

lives；　when





　　　　　〃The　bosom's　lord　sits　lightly　on　its　throne；〃





when　the　peace　of　the　heart　is　assured；　and　the　future　is　radiantly

beckoning　to　them；that　any　man　should　choose　such　victims　for

such　crimes　was　too　preposterous　an　idea　long　to　be　entertained。

Unless　the　man　were　mad；　the　idea　was　inconceivable；　and　even　a

monomaniac　must　betray　himself　in　such　a　course；　because　he　would

necessarily　conceive　himself　to　be　accomplishing　some　supreme　act

of　justice。



It　was　thus　I　argued；　and　indeed　I　should　much　have　preferred　to

believe　that　one　maniac　were　involved；　rather　than　the　contagion　of

crime；since　one　maniac　must　inevitably　be　soon　detected；　whereas

there　were　no　assignable　limits　to　the　contagion　of　imitation。　　And

this　it　was　which　so　profoundly　agitated　German　society。　　In　every

family　in　which　there　happened　to　be　a　bride；　vague　tremors　could

not　be　allayed；　and　the　absolute　powerlessness　which　resulted　from

the　utter　uncertainty　as　to　the　quarter　in　which　this　dreaded

phantom　might　next　appear；　justified　and　intensified　those　tremors。

Against　such　an　apparition　there　was　no　conceivable　safeguard。

From　a　city　stricken　with　the　plague；　from　a　district　so　stricken；

flight　is　possible；　and　there　are　the　resources　of　medical　aid。

But　from　a　moral　plague　like　this；　what　escape　was　possible？



So　passionate　and　profound　became　the　terror；　that　I　began　to　share

the　opinion　which　I　heard　expressed；　regretting　the　widespread

publicity　of　the　modern　press；　since；　with　many　undeniable

benefits；　it　carried　also　the　fatal　curse　of　distributing　through

households；　and　keeping　constantly　under　the　excitement　of

discussion；　images　of　crime　and　horror　which　would　tend　to

perpetuate　and　extend　the　excesses　of　individual　passion。　　The　mere

dwelling　long　on　such　a　topic　as　this　was　fraught　with　evil。



This　and　more　I　heard　discussed　as　I　hurried　back　to　Munich。　　To

Munich？　　Yes；　thither　I　was　posting　with　all　speed。　　Not　a　shadow

of　doubt　now　remained　in　my　mind。　　I　knew　the　assassin；　and　was

resolved　to　track　and　convict　him。　　Do　not　suppose　that　THIS　time　I

was　led　away　by　the　vagrant　activity　of　my　constructive

imagination。　　I　had　something　like　positive　proof。　　No　sooner　had　I

learned　that　the　murder　had　been　committed　at　Grosshesslohe；　than

my　thoughts　at　once　carried　me　to　a　now　memorable　visit　I　had　made

there　in　company　with　Bourgonef　and　two　young　Bavarians。　　At　the

hotel　where　we　dined；　we　were　waited　on　by　the　niece　of　the

landlord；　a　girl　of　remarkable　beauty；　who　naturally　excited　the

attention　of　four　young　men；　and　furnished　them　with　a　topic　of

conversation。　　One　of　the　Bavarians　had　told　us　that　she　would　one

day　be　perhaps　one　of　the　wealthiest　women　in　the　country；　for　she

was　engaged　to　be　married　to　a　young　farmer　who　had　recently　found

himself；　by　a　rapid　succession　of　deaths；　sole　heir　to　a　great

brewer；　whose　wealth　was　known　to　be　enormous。



At　this　moment　Sophie　entered　bringing　wine；　and　I　saw　Bourgonef

slowly　turn　his　eyes　upon　her　with　a　look　which　then　was　mysterious

to　me；　but　which　now　spoke　too　plainly　its　dreadful　meaning。



What　is　there　in　a　look；　you　will　say？　　Perhaps　nothing；　or　it　may

be　everything。　　To　my　unsuspecting；　unenlightened　perception；

Bourgonef's　gaze　was　simply　the　melancholy　and　half…curious　gaze

which　such　a　man　might　be　supposed　to　cast　upon　a　young　woman　who

had　been　made　the　topic　of　an　interesting　discourse。　　But　to　my

mind；　enlightened　as　to　his　character；　and　instructed　as　to　his

peculiar　feelings　arising　from　his　own　story；　the　gaze　was　charged

with　horror。　　It　marked　a　victim。　　The　whole　succession　of　events

rose　before　me　in　vivid　distinctness；　the　separate　details　of

suspicion　gathered　into　unity。



Great　as　was　Bourgonef's　command　over　his　features；　he　could　not

conceal　uneasiness　as　well　as　surprise　at　my　appearance　at　the

table　d'hote　in　Munich。　　I　shook　hands　with　him；　putting　on　as

friendly　a　mask　as　I　could；　and　replied　to　his　question　about　my

sudden　return　by　attributing　it　to　unexpected　intelligence　received

at　Salzburg。



〃Nothing　serious；　I　hope？〃



〃Well；　I'm　afraid　it　will　prove　very　serious；〃　I　said。　　〃But　we

shall　see。　　Meanwhile　my　visit　to　the　Tyrol　must　be　given　up　or

postponed。〃



〃Do　you　remain　here；　then？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　my　movements　will　be。〃



Thus　I　had　prepared　him　for　any　reserve　or　strangeness　in　my

manner；　and　I　had　concealed　from　him　the　course　of　my　movements；

for　at　whatever　cost；　I　was　resolved　to　follow　him　and　bring　him　to

justice。



But　how？　　Evidence　I　had　none　that　could　satisfy　any　one　else；

however　convincing　it　might　be　to　my　own　mind。　　Nor　did　there　seem

an