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第84节

classic mystery and detective stories-第84节

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

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sharer of his grief。





VIII





Presently he drew his shoulders together with a slight determined

jerk; threw himself back upon the grass; and turning to me; with

that tremulous; haggard smile upon his lips which I knew so well;

but which had never before struck me with such infinite pathos;

〃Luckily;〃 he said; 〃there are other things to do in life besides

being happy。  Only perhaps you understand now what I meant last

night when I spoke of things which flesh and blood cannot bear; and

yet which must be borne。〃



Suddenly and sharply his words roused again into activity the

loathsome memory which my interest in his story had partially

deadened。  He noticed the quick involuntary contraction of my

muscles; and read it aright。  〃That reminds me;〃 he went on; 〃I

must claim your promise。  I have told you my story。  Now; tell me

yours。〃



I told him; not as I have set it down here; though perhaps even in

greater detail; but incoherently; bit by bit; while he helped me

out with gentle questions; quickly comprehending gestures; and

patient waiting during the pauses of exhaustion which perforce

interposed themselves。  As my story approached its climax; his

agitation grew almost equal to my own; and he listened to the

close; his teeth clenched; his brows bent; as if passing again with

me through that awful conflict。  When I had finished; it was some

moments before either of us could speak; and then he burst forth

into bitter self…reproach for having so far yielded to his

brother's angry obstinacy as to allow me to sleep the third night

in that fatal room。



〃It was cowardice;〃 he said; 〃sheer cowardice!  After all that has

happened; I dared not have a quarrel with one of my own blood。  And

yet if I had not hardened my heart; I had reason to know what I was

risking。〃



〃How do you mean?〃 I asked。



〃Those other two girls who slept there;〃 he said; breathlessly; 〃it

was in each case after the third night there that they were found

deaddead; Evie; so runs the story; with a mark upon their necks

similar in shape and position to the death…wound which Margaret

Mervyn inflicted upon herself。〃



I could not speak; but I clutched his hand with an almost

convulsive grip。



〃And I knew the story;I knew it!〃 he cried。  〃As boys we were not

allowed to hear much of our family traditions; but this one I knew。

When my father redid the interior of the east room; he removed at

the same time a board from above the doorway outside; on which had

been writtenit is said by Dame Alice herselfa warning upon this

very subject。  I happened to be present when our old housekeeper;

who had been his nurse; remonstrated with him warmly upon this act;

and I asked her afterwards what the board was; and why she cared

about it so much。  In her excitement she told me the story of those

unhappy girls; repeating again and again that; if the warning were

taken away; evil would come of it。〃



〃And she was right;〃 I said; dully。  〃Oh; if only your father had

left it there!〃



〃I suppose;〃 he answered; speaking more quietly; 〃that he was

impatient of traditions which; as I told you; he at that time more

than half despised。  Indeed he altered the shape of the doorway;

raising it; and making it flat and square; so that the old

inscription could not have been replaced; even had it been wished。

I remember it was fitted round the low Tudor arch which was

previously there。〃



My mind; too worn with many emotions for deliberate thought;

wandered on languidly; and as it were mechanically; upon these last

trivial words。  The doorway presented itself to my view as it had

originally stood; with the discarded warning above it; and then; by

a spontaneous comparison of mental vision; I recalled the painted

board which I had noticed three days before in Dame Alice's tower。

I suggested to Alan that it might have been the identical oneits

shape was as he described。  〃Very likely;〃 he answered; absently。

〃Do you remember what the words were?〃



〃Yes; I think so;〃 I replied。  〃Let me see。〃  And I repeated them

slowly; dragging them out as it were one by one from my memory:





     〃Where the woman sinned the maid shall win;

      But God help the maid that sleeps within。〃





〃You see;〃 I said; turning towards him slowly; 〃the last line is a

warning such as you spoke of。〃



But to my surprise Alan had sprung to his feet; and was looking

down at me; his whole body quivering with excitement。  〃Yes; Evie;〃

he cried; 〃and the first line is a prophecy;where the woman

sinned the maid HAS won。〃  He seized the hand which I instinctively

reached out to him。  〃We have not seen the end of this yet;〃 he

went on; speaking rapidly; and as if articulation had become

difficult to him。  〃Come; Evie; we must go back to the house and

look at the cabinetnow; at once。〃



I had risen to my feet by this time; but I shrank away at those

words。  〃To that room?  Oh; Alanno; I cannot。〃



He had hold of my hand still; and he tightened his grasp upon it。

〃I shall be with you; you will not be afraid with me;〃 he said。

〃Come。〃  His eyes were burning; his face flushed and paled in rapid

alternation; and his hand held mine like a vice of iron。



I turned with him; and we walked back to the Grange; Alan

quickening his pace as he went; till I almost had to run by his

side。  As we approached the dreaded room my sense of repulsion

became almost unbearable; but I was now infected by his excitement;

though I but dimly comprehended its cause。  We met no one on our

way; and in a moment he had hurried me into the house; up the

stairs; and along the narrow passage; and I was once more in the

east room; and in the presence of all the memories of that accursed

night。  For an instant I stood strengthless; helpless; on the

threshold; my gaze fixed panic…stricken on the spot where I had

taken such awful part in that phantom tragedy of evil; then Alan

threw his arm round me; and drew me hastily on in front of the

cabinet。  Without a pause; giving himself time neither to speak nor

think; he stretched out his left hand and moved the buttons one

after another。  How or in what direction he moved them I know not;

but as the last turned with a click; the doors; which no mortal

hand had unclosed for three hundred years; flew back; and the

cabinet stood open。  I gave a little gasp of fear。  Alan pressed

his lips closely together; and turned to me with eager questioning

in his eyes。  I pointed in answer tremblingly at the drawer which I

had seen open the night before。  He drew it out; and there on its

satin bed lay the dagger in its silver sheath。  Still without a

word he took it up; and reaching his right hand round me; for I

could not now have stood had he withdrawn his support; with a swift

strong jerk he unsheathed the blade。  There in the clear autumn

sunshine I could see the same dull stains I had marked in the

flickering candle…light; and over them; still ruddy and moist; were

the drops of my own half…dried blood。  I grasped the lapel of his

coat with both my hands; and clung to him like a child in terror;

while the eyes of both of us remained fixed as if fascinated upon

the knife…blade。  Then; with a sudden start of memory; Alan raised

his to the cornice of the cabinet; and mine followed。  No change

that I could detect had taken place in that twisted goldwork; but

there; clear in the sight of us both; stood forth the words of the

magic motto:





     〃Pure blood shed by the blood…stained knife

      Ends Mervyn shame; heals Mervyn strife。〃





In low steady tones Alan read out the lines; and then there was

silenceon my part of stunned bewilderment; the bewilderment of a

spirit overwhelmed beyond the power of comprehension by rushing;

conflicting emotions。  Alan pressed me closer to him; while the

silence seemed to throb with the beating of his heart and the

panting of his breath。  But except for that he remained motionless;

gazing at the golden message before him。  At length I felt a

movement; and looking up saw his face turned down towards mine; the

lips quivering; the cheeks flushed; the eyes soft with passionate

feeling。  〃We are saved; my darling;〃 he whispered; 〃saved; and

through you。〃  Then he bent his head lower; and there in that room

of horror; I received the first long lover's kiss from my own dear

husband's lips。



     。        。        。        。        。        。



My husband; yes; but not till some time after that。  Alan's first

act; when he had once fully realized that the curse was indeed

removed; wasthrowing his budding practice to the windsto set

sail for America。  There he sought out Jack; and labored hard to

impart to him some of his own newfound hope。  It was slow work; but

he succeeded at last; and only left him when; two years later; he

had handed him over to the charge of a bright…eyed Western girl; to

whom the whole story had been told;

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