classic mystery and detective stories-第8节

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〃What　is　its　warning　against？〃　he　said；　ruminating；　with　his　eyes

on　the　fire；　and　only　by　times　turning　them　on　me。　　〃What　is　the

danger？　　Where　is　the　danger？　　There　is　danger　overhanging

somewhere　on　the　Line。　　Some　dreadful　calamity　will　happen。　　It　is

not　to　be　doubted　this　third　time；　after　what　has　gone　before。　　But

surely　this　is　a　cruel　haunting　of　ME。　　What　can　I　do？〃



He　pulled　out　his　handkerchief；　and　wiped　the　drops　from　his　heated

forehead。



〃If　I　telegraph　Danger；　on　either　side　of　me；　or　on　both；　I　can

give　no　reason　for　it；〃　he　went　on；　wiping　the　palms　of　his　hands。

〃I　should　get　into　trouble；　and　do　no　good。　　They　would　think　I　was

mad。　　This　is　the　way　it　would　work；Message：　　'Danger！　　Take

care！'　　Answer：　　'What　Danger？　　Where？'　　Message：　　'Don't　know。

But；　for　God's　sake；　take　care！'　　They　would　displace　me。　　What

else　could　they　do？〃



His　pain　of　mind　was　most　pitiable　to　see。　　It　was　the　mental

torture　of　a　conscientious　man；　oppressed　beyond　endurance　by　an

unintelligible　responsibility　involving　life。



〃When　it　first　stood　under　the　Danger…light；〃　he　went　on；　putting

his　dark　hair　back　from　his　head；　and　drawing　his　hands　outward

across　and　across　his　temples　in　an　extremity　of　feverish　distress；

〃why　not　tell　me　where　that　accident　was　to　happen；if　it　must

happen？　　Why　not　tell　me　how　it　could　be　averted；if　it　could　have

been　averted？　　When　on　its　second　coming　it　hid　its　face；　why　not

tell　me；　instead；　'She　is　going　to　die。　　Let　them　keep　her　at

home'？　　If　it　came；　on　those　two　occasions；　only　to　show　me　that

its　warnings　were　true；　and　so　to　prepare　me　for　the　third；　why　not

warn　me　plainly　now？　　And　I；　Lord　help　me！　　A　mere　poor　signal…man

on　this　solitary　station！　　Why　not　go　to　somebody　with　credit　to　be

believed；　and　power　to　act？〃



When　I　saw　him　in　this　state；　I　saw　that　for　the　poor　man's　sake；

as　well　as　for　the　public　safety；　what　I　had　to　do　for　the　time　was

to　compose　his　mind。　　Therefore；　setting　aside　all　question　of

reality　or　unreality　between　us；　I　represented　to　him　that　whoever

thoroughly　discharged　his　duty　must　do　well；　and　that　at　least　it

was　his　comfort　that　he　understood　his　duty；　though　he　did　not

understand　these　confounding　Appearances。　　In　this　effort　I

succeeded　far　better　than　in　the　attempt　to　reason　him　out　of　his

conviction。　　He　became　calm；　the　occupations　incidental　to　his　post

as　the　night　advanced　began　to　make　larger　demands　on　his

attention：　and　I　left　him　at　two　in　the　morning。　　I　had　offered　to

stay　through　the　night；　but　he　would　not　hear　of　it。



That　I　more　than　once　looked　back　at　the　red　light　as　I　ascended

the　pathway；　that　I　did　not　like　the　red　light；　and　that　I　should

have　slept　but　poorly　if　my　bed　had　been　under　it；　I　see　no　reason

to　conceal。　　Nor　did　I　like　the　two　sequences　of　the　accident　and

the　dead　girl。　　I　see　no　reason　to　conceal　that　either。



But　what　ran　most　in　my　thoughts　was　the　consideration　how　ought　I

to　act；　having　become　the　recipient　of　this　disclosure？　　I　had

proved　the　man　to　be　intelligent；　vigilant；　painstaking；　and　exact；

but　how　long　might　he　remain　so；　in　his　state　of　mind？　　Though　in　a

subordinate　position；　still　he　held　a　most　important　trust；　and

would　I　（for　instance）　like　to　stake　my　own　life　on　the　chances　of

his　continuing　to　execute　it　with　precision？



Unable　to　overcome　a　feeling　that　there　would　be　something

treacherous　in　my　communicating　what　he　had　told　me　to　his

superiors　in　the　Company；　without　first　being　plain　with　himself

and　proposing　a　middle　course　to　him；　I　ultimately　resolved　to

offer　to　accompany　him　（otherwise　keeping　his　secret　for　the

present）　to　the　wisest　medical　practitioner　we　could　hear　of　in

those　parts；　and　to　take　his　opinion。　　A　change　in　his　time　of　duty

would　come　round　next　night；　he　had　apprised　me；　and　he　would　be

off　an　hour　or　two　after　sunrise；　and　on　again　soon　after　sunset。

I　had　appointed　to　return　accordingly。



Next　evening　was　a　lovely　evening；　and　I　walked　out　early　to　enjoy

it。　　The　sun　was　not　yet　quite　down　when　I　traversed　the　field…path

near　the　top　of　the　deep　cutting。　　I　would　extend　my　walk　for　an

hour；　I　said　to　myself；　half　an　hour　on　and　half　an　hour　back；　and

it　would　then　be　time　to　go　to　my　signal…man's　box。



Before　pursuing　my　stroll；　I　stepped　to　the　brink；　and　mechanically

looked　down；　from　the　point　from　which　I　had　first　seen　him。　　I

cannot　describe　the　thrill　that　seized　upon　me；　when；　close　at　the

mouth　of　the　tunnel；　I　saw　the　appearance　of　a　man；　with　his　left

sleeve　across　his　eyes；　passionately　waving　his　right　arm。



The　nameless　horror　that　oppressed　me　passed　in　a　moment；　for　in　a

moment　I　saw　that　this　appearance　of　a　man　was　a　man　indeed；　and

that　there　was　a　little　group　of　other　men；　standing　at　a　short

distance；　to　whom　he　seemed　to　be　rehearsing　the　gesture　he　made。

The　Danger…light　was　not　yet　lighted。　　Against　its　shaft；　a　little

low　hut；　entirely　new　to　me；　had　been　made　of　some　wooden　supports

and　tarpaulin。　　It　looked　no　bigger　than　a　bed。



With　an　irresistible　sense　that　something　was　wrong；with　a

flashing　self…reproachful　fear　that　fatal　mischief　had　come　of　my

leaving　the　man　there；　and　causing　no　one　to　be　sent　to　overlook　or

correct　what　he　did；I　descended　the　notched　path　with　all　the

speed　I　could　make。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　I　asked　the　men。



〃Signal…man　killed　this　morning；　sir。〃



〃Not　the　man　belonging　to　that　box？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃Not　the　man　I　know？〃



〃You　will　recognise　him；　sir；　if　you　knew　him；〃　said　the　man　who

spoke　for　the　others；　solemnly　uncovering　his　own　head；　and　raising

an　end　of　the　tarpaulin；　〃for　his　face　is　quite　composed。〃



〃Oh；　how　did　this　happen；　how　did　this　happen？〃　I　asked；　turning

from　one　to　another　as　the　hut　closed　in　again。



〃He　was　cut　down　by　an　engine；　sir。　　No　man　in　England　knew　his

work　better。　　But　somehow　he　was　not　clear　of　the　outer　rail。　　It

was　just　at　broad　day。　　He　had　struck　the　light；　and　had　the　lamp

in　his　hand。　　As　the　engine　came　out　of　the　tunnel；　his　back　was

towards　her；　and　she　cut　him　down。　　That　man　drove　her；　and　was

showing　how　it　happened。　　Show　the　gentleman；　Tom。〃



The　man；　who　wore　a　rough　dark　dress；　stepped　back　to　his　former

place　at　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel。



〃Coming　round　the　curve　in　the　tunnel；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　saw　him　at

the　end；　like　as　if　I　saw　him　down　a　perspective…glass。　　There　was

no　time　to　check　speed；　and　I　knew　him　to　be　very　careful。　　As　he

didn't　seem　to　take　heed　of　the　whistle；　I　shut　it　off　when　we　were

running　down　upon　him；　and　called　to　him　as　loud　as　I　could　call。〃



〃What　did　you　say？〃



〃I　said；　'Below　there！　　Look　out！　　Look　out！　　For　God's　sake；　clear

the　way！'〃



I　started。



〃Ah！　it　was　a　dreadful　time；　sir。　　I　never　left　off　calling　to　him。

I　put　this　arm　before　my　eyes　not　to　see；　and　I　waved　this　arm　to

the　last；　but　it　was　no　use。〃





Without　prolonging　the　narrative　to　dwell　on　any　one　of　its　curious

circumstances　more　than　on　any　other；　I　may；　in　closing　it；　point

out　the　coincidence　that　the　warning　of　the　Engine…Driver　included；

not　only　the　words　which　the　unfortunate　Signal…man　had　repeated　to

me　as　haunting　him；　but　also　the　words　which　I　myselfnot　hehad

attached；　and　that　only　in　my　own　mind；　to　the　gesticulation　he　had

imitated。







Bulwer　Lytton





The　Haunted　and　the　Haunters；

Or；　The　House　and　the　Brain





A　friend　of　mine；　who　is　a　man　of　letters　and　a　philosopher；　said

to　me　one　day；　as　if　between　jest　and　earnest；　〃Fancy！　since　we

last　met　I　have　discovered　a　haunted　house　in　the　midst　of　London。〃



〃Really　haunted；and　by　what？ghosts？〃



〃Well；　I　can't　answer　that　question；　all　I　know　is　this：　six　weeks

ago　my　wife　and　I　were　in　search　of　a　furnished　apartment。　　Passing

a　quiet　street；　we　saw　on　the　window　of　one　of　the　houses　a　bill；

'Apartments；　Furnished。'　　The　situation　suited　us；　we　entered　the

house；　liked　the　rooms；　engaged　them　by　the　week；and　left　them

the　third　day。　　No　power　on　earth　could　have　reconciled　my　wife　to

stay　longer；　and　I　don't　wonder　at　it。〃



〃What　did　you　see？〃



〃Excuse　me；　I　have　no　desire　to　be　ridiculed　as　a　superstitious

dreamer；nor；　on　the　other　hand；　could　I　ask　you　to　accept　on　my

affirmation　what　you　would　hold　to　be　incredible　without　the

evidence　of　your　own　senses。　　Let　me　only　say　this；　it　was　not　so

much　what　we　saw　or　heard　（in　which　you　might　fairly　suppose　that

we　were　the　dupes　of　our　own　excited　fancy；　or　the　victims　of

imposture　in　others）　that　drove　us　away；　as　it　was　an　indefinable

terror　which　seized　both　of　us　whenever　we　passed　by　the　door　of　a

certain　unfurnished　room；　in　which　we　neither　saw　nor　heard

anything。　　And　the　strangest　marvel　of　all　was；　that　for　once　in　my

life　I　agreed　with　my　wife；　silly　woman　though　she　be；and