classic mystery and detective stories-第76节

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spirit　sobs；　and　now　they　were　pressing　on；　crowding　through　the

room；eager；　eager　to　reach　their　prey。　　Nearer　they　came；nearer

still！　　They　were　round　my　bed　now！　　Through　my　closed　eyelids　I

could　almost　see　their　dreadful　shapes；　in　all　my　quivering　flesh　I

felt　their　terrors　as　they　bent　over　me；lower；　lower。　。　。　。



With　a　start　I　aroused　myself　and　sat　up。　　Was　I　asleep　or　awake？

I　was　trembling　all　over　still；　and　it　required　the　greatest　effort

of　courage　I　had　ever　made　to　enable　me　to　spring　from　my　bed　and

strike　a　light。　　What　a　state　my　nerves　or　my　digestion　must　be　in！

From　my　childhood　the　wind　had　always　affected　me　strangely；　and　I

blamed　myself　now　for　allowing　my　imagination　to　run　away　with　me

at　the　first。　　I　found　a　novel　which　I　had　brought　up　to　my　room

with　me；　one　of　the　modern；　Chinese…American　school；　where　human

nature　is　analyzed　with　the　patient；　industrious　indifference　of

the　true　Celestial。　　I　took　the　book　to　bed　with　me；　and　soon　under

its　soothing　influences　fell　asleep。　　I　dreamt　a　good　deal；

nightmares；　the　definite　recollection　of　which；　as　is　so　often　the

case；　vanished　from　my　mind　as　soon　as　I　awoke；　leaving　only　a

vague　impression　of　horror。　　They　had　been　connected　with　the　wind；

of　that　alone　I　was　conscious；　and　I　went　down　to　breakfast；

maliciously　hoping　that　others'　rest　had　been　as　much　disturbed　as

my　own。



To　my　surprise；　however；　I　found　that　I　had　again　been　the　only

sufferer。　　Indeed；　so　impressed　were　most　of　the　party　with　the

quiet　in　which　their　night　had　been　passed；　that　they　boldly

declared　my　storm　to　have　been　the　creature　of　my　dreams。　　There　is

nothing　more　annoying　when　you　feel　yourself　aggrieved　by　fate　than

to　be　told　that　your　troubles　have　originated　in　your　own　fancy；　so

I　dropped　the　subject。　　Though　the　discussion　spread　for　a　few

minutes　round　the　whole　table；　Alan　took　no　part　in　it。　　Neither

did　George；　except　for　what　I　thought　a　rather　unnecessarily　rough

expression　of　his　disbelief　in　the　cause　of　my　night's　disturbance。

As　we　rose　from　breakfast　I　saw　Alan　glance　towards　his　brother；

and　make　a　movement；　evidently　with　the　purpose　of　speaking　to　him。

Whether　or　not　George　was　aware　of　the　look　or　action；　I　cannot

say；　but　at　the　same　moment　he　made　rapidly　across　the　room　to

where　one　of　his　principal　guests　was　standing；　and　at　once　engaged

him　in　conversation。　　So　earnestly　and　so　volubly　was　he　borne　on；

that　they　were　still　talking　together　when　we　ladies　appeared　again

some　minutes　later；　prepared　for　our　walk　to　church。　　That　was　not

the　only　occasion　during　the　day　on　which　I　witnessed　as　I　thought

the　same　by…play　going　on。　　Again　and　again　Alan　appeared　to　be

making　efforts　to　engage　George　in　private　conversation；　and　again

and　again　the　latter　successfully　eluded　him。



The　church　was　about　a　mile　away　from　the　house；　and　as　Lucy　did

not　like　having　the　carriages　out　on　a　Sunday；　one　service　a　week

as　a　rule　contented　the　household。　　In　the　afternoon　we　took　the

usual　Sunday　walk。　　On　returning　from　it；　I　had　just　taken　off　my

outdoor　things；　and　was　issuing　from　my　bedroom；　when　I　found

myself　face　to　face　with　Alan。　　He　was　coming　out　of　George's

study；　and　had　succeeded　apparently　in　obtaining　that　interview　for

which　he　had　been　all　day　seeking。　　One　glance　at　his　face　told　me

what　its　nature　had　been。　　We　paused　opposite　each　other　for　a

moment；　and　he　looked　at　me　earnestly。



〃Are　you　going　to　church？〃　he　inquired　at　last；　abruptly。



〃No；〃　I　answered；　with　some　surprise。　　〃I　did　not　know　that　any　one

was　going　this　evening。〃



〃Will　you　come　with　me？〃



〃Yes；　certainly；　if　you　don't　mind　waiting　a　moment　for　me　to　put

my　things　on。〃



〃There's　plenty　of　time；〃　he　answered；　〃meet　me　in　the　hall。〃



A　few　minutes　later　we　started。



It　was　a　calm；　cloudless　night；　and　although　the　moon　was　not　yet

half…full；　and　already　past　her　meridian；　she　filled　the　clear　air

with　gentle　light。　　Not　a　word　broke　our　silence。　　Alan　walked

hurriedly；　looking　straight　before　him；　his　head　upright；　his　lips

twitching　nervously；　while　every　now　and　then　a　half…uttered　moan

escaped　unconsciously　from　between　them。　　At　last　I　could　bear　it

no　longer；　and　burst　forth　with　the　first　remark　which　occurred　to

me。　　We　were　passing　a　big；　black；　queer…shaped　stone　standing　in

rather　a　lonely　uncultivated　spot　at　one　end　of　the　garden。　　It　was

an　old　acquaintance　of　my　childhood；　but　my　thoughts　had　been

turned　towards　it　now　from　the　fact　that　I　could　see　it　from　my

bedroom　window；　and　had　been　struck　afresh　by　its　uncouth；

incongruous　appearance。



〃Isn't　there　some　story　connected　with　that　stone？〃　I　asked。　　〃I

remember　that　we　always　called　it　the　Dead　Stone　as　children。〃



Alan　cast　a　quick；　sidelong　glance　in　that　direction；　and　his　brows

contracted　in　an　irritable　frown。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　answered

shortly；　〃they　say　that　there　is　a　woman　buried　beneath　it；　I

believe。〃



〃A　woman　buried　there！〃　I　exclaimed　in　surprise；　〃but　who？〃



〃How　should　I　know？　　They　know　nothing　whatever　about　it。　　The

place　is　full　of　stupid　traditions　of　that　kind。〃　　Then；　looking

suspiciously　round　at　me；　〃Why　do　you　ask？〃



〃I　don't　know；　it　was　just　something　to　say；〃　I　answered

plaintively。　　His　strange　mood　so　worked　upon　my　nerves；　that　it

was　all　that　I　could　do　to　restrain　my　tears。　　I　think　that　my　tone

struck　his　conscience；　for　he　made　a　few　feverish　attempts　at

conversation　after　that。　　But　they　were　so　entirely　abortive　that

he　soon　abandoned　the　effort；　and　we　finished　our　walk　to　church　as

speechlessly　as　we　had　begun　it。



The　service　was　bright；　and　the　sermon　perhaps　a　little

commonplace；　but　sensible　as　it　seemed　to　me　in　matter；　and

adequate　in　style。　　The　peaceful　evening　hymn　which　followed；　the

short　solemn　pause　of　silent　prayer　at　the　end；　soothed　and

refreshed　my　spirit。　　A　hasty　glance　at　my　companion's　face　as　he

stood　waiting　for　me　in　the　porch；　with　the　full　light　from　the

church　streaming　round　him；　assured　me　that　the　same　influence　had

touched　him　too。　　Haggard　and　sad　he　still　looked；　it　is　true；　but

his　features　were　composed；　and　the　expression　of　actual　pain　had

left　his　eyes。



Silent　as　we　had　come　we　started　homeward　through　the　waning

moonlight；　but　this　silence　was　of　a　very　different　nature　to　the

other；　and　after　a　minute　or　two　I　did　not　hesitate　to　break　it。



〃It　was　a　good　sermon？〃　I　observed；　interrogatively。



〃Yes；〃　he　assented；　〃I　suppose　you　would　call　it　so；　but　I　confess

that　I　should　have　found　the　text　more　impressive　without　its

exposition。〃



〃Poor　man！〃



〃But　don't　you　often　find　it　so？〃　he　asked。　　〃Do　you　not　often

wish；　to　take　this　evening's　instance；　that　clergymen　would　infuse

themselves　with　something　of　St。　Paul's　own　spirit？　　Then　perhaps

they　would　not　water　all　the　strength　out　of　his　words　in　their

efforts　to　explain　them。〃



〃That　is　rather　a　large　demand　to　make　upon　them；　is　it　not？〃



〃Is　it？〃　he　questioned。　　〃I　don't　ask　them　to　be　inspired　saints。

I　don't　expect　St。　Paul's　breadth　and　depth　of　thought。　　But　could

they　not　have　something　of　his　vigorous　completeness；　something　of

the　intensity　of　his　feeling　and　belief？　　Look　at　the　text　of　to…

night。　　Did　not　the　preacher's　examples　and　applications　take

something　from　its　awful　unqualified　strength？〃



〃Awful！〃　I　exclaimed；　in　surprise；　〃that　is　hardly　the　expression　I

should　have　used　in　connection　with　those　words。〃



〃Why　not？〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　　The　text　is　very　beautiful；　of　course；　and　at

times；　when　people　are　tiresome　and　one　ought　to　be　nice　to　them；

it　is　very　difficult　to　act　up　to。　　But〃



〃But　you　think　that　'awful'　is　rather　a　big　adjective　to　use　for　so

small　a　duty；〃　interposed　Alan；　and　the　moonlight　showed　the

flicker　of　a　smile　upon　his　face。　　Then　he　continued；　gravely；　〃I

doubt　whether　you　yourself　realize　the　full　import　of　the　words。

The　precept　of　charity　is　not　merely　a　code　of　rules　by　which　to

order　our　conduct　to　our　neighbors；　it　is　the　picture　of　a

spiritual　condition；　and　such；　where　it　exists　in　us；　must　by　its

very　nature　be　roused　into　activity　by　anything　that　affects　us。

So　with　this　particular　injunction；　every　circumstance　in　our　lives

is　a　challenge　to　it；　and　in　presence　of　all　alike　it　admits　of　one

attitude　only：　'Beareth　all　things；　endureth　all　things。'　　I　hope

it　will　be　long　before　that　'all'　sticks　in　your　gizzard；　Evie；

before　you　come　face　to　face　with　things　which　nature　cannot　bear；

and　yet　which　must　be　borne。〃



He　stopped；　his　voice　quivering；　and　then　after　a　pause　went　on

again　more　calmly；　〃And　throughout　it　is　the　same。　　Moral　precepts

everywhere；　which　will　admit　of　no　compromise；　no　limitation；　and

yet　which　are　at　war　with　our　strongest　passions。　　If　one　could

only　interpose　some　'unless；'　some　'except