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第8节

classic mystery and detective stories-第8节

小说: classic mystery and detective stories 字数: 每页4000字

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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


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