classic mystery and detective stories-第69节

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

any　evidence　forthcoming　from　Grosshesslohe。　　Sophie's　body　had

been　found　in　the　afternoon　lying　as　if　asleep　in　one　of　the　by…

paths　of　the　wood。　　No　marks　of　a　struggle；　no　traces　of　the

murderer。　　Her　affianced　lover；　who　was　at　Augsburg；　on　hearing　of

her　fate；　hurried　to　Grosshesslohe；　but　could　throw　no　light　on　the

murder；　could　give　no　hint　as　to　a　possible　motive　for　the　deed。

But　this　entire　absence　of　evidence；　or　even　ground　of　suspicion；

only　made　MY　case　the　stronger。　　It　was　the　motiveless　malignity　of

the　deed　which　fastened　it　on　Bourgonef；　or　rather；　it　was　the

absence　of　any　known　motive　elsewhere　which　assured　me　that　I　had

detected　the　motive　in　him。



Should　I　communicate　my　conviction　to　the　police？　　It　was　possible

that　I　might　impress　them　with　at　least　sufficient　suspicion　to

warrant　his　examinationand　in　that　case　the　truth　might　be

elicited；　for　among　the　many　barbarities　and　iniquities　of　the

criminal　procedure　in　Continental　States　which　often　press　heavily

on　the　innocent；　there　is　this　compensating　advantage；　that　the

pressure　on　the　guilty　is　tenfold　heavier。　　If　the　innocent　are

often　unjustly　punishedimprisoned　and　maltreated　before　their

innocence　can　be　establishedthe　guilty　seldom　escape。　　In　England

we　give　the　criminal　not　only　every　chance　of　escape；　but　many

advantages。　　The　love　of　fair…play　is　carried　to　excess。　　It　seems

at　times　as　if　the　whole　arrangements　of　our　procedure　were

established　with　a　view　to　giving　a　criminal　not　only　the　benefit

of　every　doubt；　but　of　every　loophole　through　which　he　can　slip。

Instead　of　this；　the　Continental　procedure　goes　on　the　principle　of

closing　up　every　loophole；　and　of　inventing　endless　traps　into

which　the　accused　may　fall。　　We　warn　the　accused　not　to　say

anything　that　may　be　prejudicial　to　him。　　They　entangle　him　in

contradictions　and　confessions　which　disclose　his　guilt。



Knowing　this；　I　thought　it　very　likely　that；　however　artful

Bourgonef　might　be；　a　severe　examination　might　extort　from　him

sufficient　confirmation　of　my　suspicion　to　warrant　further

procedure。　　But　knowing　also　that　THIS　resort　was　open　to　me　when

all　others　had　failed；　I　resolved　to　wait　and　watch。





IX



FINALE





Two　days　passed；　and　nothing　occurred。　　My　watching　seemed

hopeless；　and　I　resolved　to　try　the　effect　of　a　disguised

interrogatory。　　It　might　help　to　confirm　my　already　settled

conviction；　if　it　did　not　elicit　any　new　evidence。



Seated　in　Bourgonef's　room；　in　the　old　place；　each　with　a　cigar；

and　chatting　as　of　old　on　public　affairs；　I　gradually　approached

the　subject　of　the　recent　murder。



〃Is　it　not　strange；〃　I　said；　〃that　both　these　crimes　should　have

happened　while　we　were　casually　staying　in　both　places？〃



〃Perhaps　we　are　the　criminals；〃　he　replied；　laughing。　　I　shivered

slightly　at　this　audacity。　　He　laughed　as　he　spoke；　but　there　was　a

hard；　metallic；　and　almost　defiant　tone　in　his　voice　which

exasperated　me。



〃Perhaps　we　are；〃　I　answered；　quietly。　　He　looked　full　at　me；　but　I

was　prepared；　and　my　face　told　nothing。　　I　added；　as　in

explanation；　〃The　crime　being　apparently　contagious；　we　may　have

brought　the　infection　from　Nuremberg。〃



〃Do　you　believe　in　that　hypothesis　of　imitation？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　to　believe。　　Do　you　believe　in　there　being　only

one　murderer？　　It　seems　such　a　preposterous　idea。　　We　must　suppose

him；　at　any　rate；　to　be　a　maniac。〃



〃Not　necessarily。　　Indeed　there　seems　to　have　been　too　much　artful

contrivance　in　both　affairs；　not　only　in　the　selection　of　the

victims；　but　in　the　execution　of　the　schemes。　　Cunning　as　maniacs

often　are　they　are　still　maniacs；　and　betray　themselves。〃



〃If　not　a　maniac；〃　said　I；　hoping　to　pique　him；　〃he　must　be　a　man

of　stupendous　and　pitiable　vanity；perhaps　one　of　your　constant…

minded　friends；　whom　you　refuse　to　call　bloodthirsty。〃



〃Constant…minded；　perhaps；　but　why　pitiably　vain？〃



〃Why？　　Because　only　a　diseased　atrocity　of　imagination；　stimulating

a　nature　essentially　base　and　weak　in　its　desire　to　make　itself

conspicuous；　would　or　could　suggest　such　things。　　The　silly　youth

who　'fired　the　Ephesian　dome；'　the　vain　idiot　who　set　fire　to　York

Minster；　the　miserable　Frenchmen　who　have　committed　murder　and

suicide　with　a　view　of　making　their　exit　striking　from　a　world　in

which　their　appearance　had　been　contemptible；　would　all　sink　into

insignificance　beside　the　towering　infamy　of　baseness　whichfor

the　mere　love　of　producing　an　effect　on　the　minds　of　men；　and　thus

drawing　their　attention　upon　him；　which　otherwise　would　never　have

marked　him　at　allcould　scheme　and　execute　crimes　so　horrible　and

inexcusable。　　In　common　charity　to　human　nature；　let　us　suppose　the

wretch　is　mad；　because　otherwise　his　miserable　vanity　would　be　too

loathsome。〃　　I　spoke　with　warmth　and　bitterness；　which　increased　as

I　perceived　him　wincing　under　the　degradation　of　my　contempt。



〃If　his　motive　WERE　vanity；〃　he　said；　〃no　doubt　it　would　be

horrible；　but　may　it　not　have　been　revenge？〃



〃Revenge！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃what！　on　innocent　women？〃



〃You　assume　their　innocence。〃



〃Good　God！　do　you　know　anything　to　the　contrary？〃



〃Not　I。　　But　as　we　are　conjecturing；　I　may　as　well　conjecture　it　to

have　been　the　desire　to　produce　a　startling　effect。〃



〃How　do　you　justify　your　conjecture？〃



〃Simply　enough。　　We　have　to　suppose　a　motive；　let　us　say　it　was

revenge；　and　see　whether　that　will　furnish　a　clue。〃



〃But　it　can't。　　The　two　victims　were　wholly　unconnected　with　each

other　by　any　intermediate　acquaintances；　consequently　there　can

have　been　no　common　wrong　or　common　enmity　in　existence　to　furnish

food　for　vengeance。〃



〃That　may　be　so；　it　may　also　be　that　the　avenger　made　them

vicarious　victims。〃



〃How　so？〃



〃It　is　human　nature。　　Did　you　ever　observe　a　thwarted　child

striking　in　its　anger　the　unoffending　nurse；　destroying　its　toys　to

discharge　its　wrath？　　Did　you　ever　see　a　schoolboy；　unable　to　wreak

his　anger　on　the　bigger　boy　who　has　just　struck　him；　turn　against

the　nearest　smaller　boy　and　beat　him？　　Did　you　ever　know　a

schoolmaster；　angered　by　one　of　the　boy's　parents；　vent　his　pent…up

spleen　upon　the　unoffending　class？　　Did　you　ever　see　a　subaltern

punished　because　an　officer　had　been　reprimanded？　　These　are

familiar　examples　of　vicarious　vengeance。　　When　the　soul　is　stung

to　fury；　it　must　solace　itself　by　the　discharge　of　that　furyit

must　relieve　its　pain　by　the　sight　of　pain　in　others。　　We　are　so

constituted。　　We　need　sympathy　above　all　things。　　In　joy　we　cannot

bear　to　see　others　in　distress；　in　distress　we　see　the　joy　of

others　with　dismal　envy　which　sharpens　our　pain。　　That　is　human

nature。〃



〃And；〃　I　exclaimed；　carried　away　by　my　indignation；　〃you　suppose

that　the　sight　of　these　two　happy　girls；　beaming　with　the　quiet　joy

of　brides；　was　torture　to　some　miserable　wretch　who　had　lost　his

bride。〃



I　had　gone　too　far。　　His　eyes　looked　into　mine。　　I　read　in　his　that

he　divined　the　whole　drift　of　my　suspicionthe　allusion　made　to

himself。　　There　often　passes　into　a　look　more　than　words　can

venture　to　express。　　In　that　look　he　read　that　he　was　discovered；

and　I　read　that　he　had　recognized　it。　　With　perfect　calmness；　but

with　a　metallic　ring　in　his　voice　which　was　like　the　clash　of

swords；　he　said：



〃I　did　not　say　that　I　supposed　this；　but　as　we　were　on　the　wide

field　of　conjectureutterly　without　evidence　one　way　or　the　other；

having　no　clue　either　to　the　man　or　his　motivesI　drew　from　the

general　principles　of　human　nature　a　conclusion　which　was　just　as

plausibleor　absurd　if　you　likeas　the　conclusion　that　the　motive

must　have　been　vanity。〃



〃As　you　say；　we　are　utterly　without　evidence；　and　conjecture　drifts

aimlessly　from　one　thing　to　another。　　After　all；　the　most　plausible

explanation　is　that　of　a　contagion　of　imitation。〃



I　said　this　in　order　to　cover　my　previous　imprudence。　　He　was　not

deceivedthough　for　a　few　moments　I　fancied　he　wasbut　replied：



〃I　am　not　persuaded　of　that　either。　　The　whole　thing　is　a　mystery；

and　I　shall　stay　here　some　time　in　the　hope　of　seeing　it　cleared

up。　　Meanwhile；　for　a　subject　of　conjecture；　let　me　show　you

something　on　which　your　ingenuity　may　profitably　be　employed。〃



He　rose　and　passed　into　his　bedroom。　　I　heard　him　unlocking　and

rummaging　the　drawers；　and　was　silently　reproaching　myself　for　my

want　of　caution　in　having　spoken　as　I　had　done；　though　it　was　now

beyond　all　doubt　that　he　was　the　murderer；　and　that　his　motive　had

been　rightly　guessed；　but　with　this　self…reproach　there　was　mingled

a　self…gratulation　at　the　way　I　had　got　out　of　the　difficulty；　as　I

fancied。



He　returned；　and　as　he　sat　down　I　noticed　that　the　lower　part　of

his　surtout　was　open。　　He　always　wore　a　long　frogged　and　braided

coat　reaching　to