classic mystery and detective stories-第9节

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

allowed；　after　the　third　night；　that　it　was　impossible　to　stay　a

fourth　in　that　house。　　Accordingly；　on　the　fourth　morning　I

summoned　the　woman　who　kept　the　house　and　attended　on　us；　and　told

her　that　the　rooms　did　not　quite　suit　us；　and　we　would　not　stay　out

our　week。　　She　said　dryly；　'I　know　why；　you　have　stayed　longer　than

any　other　lodger。　　Few　ever　stayed　a　second　night；　none　before　you

a　third。　　But　I　take　it　they　have　been　very　kind　to　you。'



〃'They；who？'　I　asked；　affecting　to　smile。



〃'Why；　they　who　haunt　the　house；　whoever　they　are。　　I　don't　mind

them。　　I　remember　them　many　years　ago；　when　I　lived　in　this　house；

not　as　a　servant；　but　I　know　they　will　be　the　death　of　me　some　day。

I　don't　care；I'm　old；　and　must　die　soon　anyhow；　and　then　I　shall

be　with　them；　and　in　this　house　still。'　　The　woman　spoke　with　so

dreary　a　calmness　that　really　it　was　a　sort　of　awe　that　prevented

my　conversing　with　her　further。　　I　paid　for　my　week；　and　too　happy

were　my　wife　and　I　to　get　off　so　cheaply。〃



〃You　excite　my　curiosity；〃　said　I；　〃nothing　I　should　like　better

than　to　sleep　in　a　haunted　house。　　Pray　give　me　the　address　of　the

one　which　you　left　so　ignominiously。〃



My　friend　gave　me　the　address；　and　when　we　parted；　I　walked

straight　toward　the　house　thus　indicated。



It　is　situated　on　the　north　side　of　Oxford　Street；　in　a　dull　but

respectable　thoroughfare。　　I　found　the　house　shut　up；no　bill　at

the　window；　and　no　response　to　my　knock。　　As　I　was　turning　away；　a

beer…boy；　collecting　pewter　pots　at　the　neighboring　areas；　said　to

me；　〃Do　you　want　any　one　at　that　house；　sir？〃



〃Yes；　I　heard　it　was　to　be　let。〃



〃Let！why；　the　woman　who　kept　it　is　dead；has　been　dead　these

three　weeks；　and　no　one　can　be　found　to　stay　there；　though　Mr。　J

offered　ever　so　much。　　He　offered　mother；　who　chars　for　him；　one

pound　a　week　just　to　open　and　shut　the　windows；　and　she　would　not。〃



〃Would　not！and　why？〃



〃The　house　is　haunted；　and　the　old　woman　who　kept　it　was　found　dead

in　her　bed；　with　her　eyes　wide　open。　　They　say　the　devil　strangled

her。〃



〃Pooh！　　You　speak　of　Mr。　J。　　Is　he　the　owner　of　the　house？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Where　does　he　live？〃



〃In　G　Street；　No。　。〃



〃What　is　he？　　In　any　business？〃



〃No；　sir；nothing　particular；　a　single　gentleman。〃



I　gave　the　potboy　the　gratuity　earned　by　his　liberal　information；

and　proceeded　to　Mr。　J　；　in　G　Street；　which　was　close　by

the　street　that　boasted　the　haunted　house。　　I　was　lucky　enough　to

find　Mr。　J　at　home；an　elderly　man　with　intelligent

countenance　and　prepossessing　manners。



I　communicated　my　name　and　my　business　frankly。　　I　said　I　heard　the

house　was　considered　to　be　haunted；　that　I　had　a　strong　desire　to

examine　a　house　with　so　equivocal　a　reputation；　that　I　should　be

greatly　obliged　if　he　would　allow　me　to　hire　it；　though　only　for　a

night。　　I　was　willing　to　pay　for　that　privilege　whatever　he　might

be　inclined　to　ask。　　〃Sir；〃　said　Mr。　J；　with　great　courtesy；

〃the　house　is　at　your　service；　for　as　short　or　as　long　a　time　as

you　please。　　Rent　is　out　of　the　question；the　obligation　will　be

on　my　side　should　you　be　able　to　discover　the　cause　of　the　strange

phenomena　which　at　present　deprive　it　of　all　value。　　I　cannot　let

it；　for　I　cannot　even　get　a　servant　to　keep　it　in　order　or　answer

the　door。　　Unluckily　the　house　is　haunted；　if　I　may　use　that

expression；　not　only　by　night；　but　by　day；　though　at　night　the

disturbances　are　of　a　more　unpleasant　and　sometimes　of　a　more

alarming　character。　　The　poor　old　woman　who　died　in　it　three　weeks

ago　was　a　pauper　whom　I　took　out　of　a　workhouse；　for　in　her

childhood　she　had　been　known　to　some　of　my　family；　and　had　once

been　in　such　good　circumstances　that　she　had　rented　that　house　of

my　uncle。　　She　was　a　woman　of　superior　education　and　strong　mind；

and　was　the　only　person　I　could　ever　induce　to　remain　in　the　house。

Indeed；　since　her　death；　which　was　sudden；　and　the　coroner's

inquest；　which　gave　it　a　notoriety　in　the　neighborhood；　I　have　so

despaired　of　finding　any　person　to　take　charge　of　the　house；　much

more　a　tenant；　that　I　would　willingly　let　it　rent　free　for　a　year

to　anyone　who　would　pay　its　rates　and　taxes。〃



〃How　long　is　it　since　the　house　acquired　this　sinister　character？〃



〃That　I　can　scarcely　tell　you；　but　very　many　years　since。　　The　old

woman　I　spoke　of；　said　it　was　haunted　when　she　rented　it　between

thirty　and　forty　years　ago。　　The　fact　is；　that　my　life　has　been

spent　in　the　East　Indies；　and　in　the　civil　service　of　the　Company。

I　returned　to　England　last　year；　on　inheriting　the　fortune　of　an

uncle；　among　whose　possessions　was　the　house　in　question。　　I　found

it　shut　up　and　uninhabited。　　I　was　told　that　it　was　haunted；　that

no　one　would　inhabit　it。　　I　smiled　at　what　seemed　to　me　so　idle　a

story。　　I　spent　some　money　in　repairing　it；　added　to　its　old…

fashioned　furniture　a　few　modern　articles；advertised　it；　and

obtained　a　lodger　for　a　year。　　He　was　a　colonel　on　half　pay。　　He

came　in　with　his　family；　a　son　and　a　daughter；　and　four　or　five

servants：　they　all　left　the　house　the　next　day；　and；　although　each

of　them　declared　that　he　had　seen　something　different　from　that

which　had　scared　the　others；　a　something　still　was　equally　terrible

to　all。　　I　really　could　not　in　conscience　sue；　nor　even　blame；　the

colonel　for　breach　of　agreement。　　Then　I　put　in　the　old　woman　I

have　spoken　of；　and　she　was　empowered　to　let　the　house　in

apartments。　　I　never　had　one　lodger　who　stayed　more　than　three

days。　　I　do　not　tell　you　their　stories；to　no　two　lodgers　have

there　been　exactly　the　same　phenomena　repeated。　　It　is　better　that

you　should　judge　for　yourself；　than　enter　the　house　with　an

imagination　influenced　by　previous　narratives；　only　be　prepared　to

see　and　to　hear　something　or　other；　and　take　whatever　precautions

you　yourself　please。〃



〃Have　you　never　had　a　curiosity　yourself　to　pass　a　night　in　that

house？〃



〃Yes。　　I　passed　not　a　night；　but　three　hours　in　broad　daylight

alone　in　that　house。　　My　curiosity　is　not　satisfied；　but　it　is

quenched。　　I　have　no　desire　to　renew　the　experiment。　　You　cannot

complain；　you　see；　sir；　that　I　am　not　sufficiently　candid；　and

unless　your　interest　be　exceedingly　eager　and　your　nerves　unusually

strong；　I　honestly　add；　that　I　advise　you　NOT　to　pass　a　night　in

that　house。



〃My　interest　IS　exceedingly　keen；〃　said　I；　〃and　though　only　a

coward　will　boast　of　his　nerves　in　situations　wholly　unfamiliar　to

him；　yet　my　nerves　have　been　seasoned　in　such　variety　of　danger

that　I　have　the　right　to　rely　on　them；even　in　a　haunted　house。〃



Mr。　J　said　very　little　more；　he　took　the　keys　of　the　house　out

of　his　bureau；　gave　them　to　me；and；　thanking　him　cordially　for

his　frankness；　and　his　urbane　concession　to　my　wish；　I　carried　off

my　prize。



Impatient　for　the　experiment；　as　soon　as　I　reached　home；　I　summoned

my　confidential　servant；a　young　man　of　gay　spirits；　fearless

temper；　and　as　free　from　superstitious　prejudice　as　anyone　I　could

think　of。



F；〃　said　I；　〃you　remember　in　Germany　how　disappointed　we　were

at　not　finding　a　ghost　in　that　old　castle；　which　was　said　to　be

haunted　by　a　headless　apparition？　　Well；　I　have　heard　of　a　house　in

London　which；　I　have　reason　to　hope；　is　decidedly　haunted。　　I　mean

to　sleep　there　to…night。　　From　what　I　hear；　there　is　no　doubt　that

something　will　allow　itself　to　be　seen　or　to　be　heard；something；

perhaps；　excessively　horrible。　　Do　you　think　if　I　take　you　with　me；

I　may　rely　on　your　presence　of　mind；　whatever　may　happen？〃



〃Oh；　sir；　pray　trust　me；〃　answered　F；　grinning　with　delight。



〃Very　well；　then　here　are　the　keys　of　the　house；this　is　the

address。　　Go　now；select　for　me　any　bedroom　you　please；　and　since

the　house　has　not　been　inhabited　for　weeks；　make　up　a　good　fire；

air　the　bed　well；see；　of　course；　that　there　are　candles　as　well

as　fuel。　　Take　with　you　my　revolver　and　my　dagger；so　much　for　my

weapons；　arm　yourself　equally　well；　and　if　we　are　not　a　match　for　a

dozen　ghosts；　we　shall　be　but　a　sorry　couple　of　Englishmen。



I　was　engaged　for　the　rest　of　the　day　on　business　so　urgent　that　I

had　not　leisure　to　think　much　on　the　nocturnal　adventure　to　which　I

had　plighted　my　honor。　　I　dined　alone；　and　very　late；　and　while

dining；　read；　as　is　my　habit。　　I　selected　one　of　the　volumes　of

Macaulay's　Essays。　　I　thought　to　myself　that　I　would　take　the　book

with　me；　there　was　so　much　of　healthfulness　in　the　style；　and

practical　life　in　the　subjects；　that　it　would　serve　as　an　antidote

against　the　influences　of　superstitious　fancy。



Accordingly；　about　half…past　nine；　I　put　the　book　into　my　pocket；

and　strolled　leisurely　toward　the　haunted　house。　　I　took　with　me　a

favorite　dog：　an　exceedingly　sharp；　bold；　and　vigilant　bull

terrier；a　dog　fond　of　prowling　about　strange；　ghostly　corners　and

passages　at　night