novel notes-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃I　couldn't；　sir；〃　Jimmy　answered；　〃I　was　so　queer。　　Mother　made　me　go　to　bed。〃

〃You　seemed　all　right　in　the　morning；〃　I　said；　〃what's　made　you　queer？〃

〃What　Mr。　Jones　give　me；　sir：　　it　upset　me　awful。〃

A　light　broke　in　upon　me。

〃What　did　you　say；　Jimmy；　when　you　got　to　Mr。　Jones's　shop？〃　I　asked。

〃I　told　'im　what　you　said；　sir；　that　'e　was　to　give　me　something　to　counteract　the　effects　of　vegetable　poisoning。　　And　that　it　was　to　be　very　strong；　and　enough　for　four。〃

〃And　what　did　he　say？〃

〃'E　said　that　was　only　your　nonsense；　sir；　and　that　I'd　better　have　enough　for　one　to　begin　with；　and　then　'e　asked　me　if　I'd　been　eating　green　apples　again。〃

〃And　you　told　him？〃

〃Yees；　sir；　I　told　'im　I'd　'ad　a　few；　and　'e　said　it　served　me　right；　and　that　'e　'oped　it　would　be　a　warning　to　me。　　And　then　'e　put　something　fizzy　in　a　glass　and　told　me　to　drink　it。〃

〃And　you　drank　it？〃

〃Yees；　sir。〃

〃It　never　occurred　to　you；　Jimmy；　that　there　was　nothing　the　matter　with　youthat　you　were　never　feeling　better　in　your　life；　and　that　you　did　not　require　any　medicine？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Did　one　single　scintilla　of　thought　of　any　kind　occur　to　you　in　connection　with　the　matter；　Jimmy；　from　beginning　to　end？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

People　who　never　met　Jimmy　disbelieve　this　story。　　They　argue　that　its　premises　are　in　disaccord　with　the　known　laws　governing　human　nature；　that　its　details　do　not　square　with　the　average　of　probability。　　People　who　have　seen　and　conversed　with　Jimmy　accept　it　with　simple　faith。

The　advent　of　Jephsonwhich　I　trust　the　reader　has　not　entirely　forgottencheered　us　up　considerably。　　Jephson　was　always　at　his　best　when　all　other　things　were　at　their　worst。　　It　was　not　that　he　struggled　in　Mark　Tapley　fashion　to　appear　most　cheerful　when　most　depressed；　it　was　that　petty　misfortunes　and　mishaps　genuinely　amused　and　inspirited　him。　　Most　of　us　can　recall　our　unpleasant　experiences　with　amused　affection；　Jephson　possessed　the　robuster　philosophy　that　enabled　him　to　enjoy　his　during　their　actual　progress。　　He　arrived　drenched　to　the　skin；　chuckling　hugely　at　the　idea　of　having　come　down　on　a　visit　to　a　houseboat　in　such　weather。

Under　his　warming　influence；　the　hard　lines　on　our　faces　thawed；　and　by　supper　time　we　were；　as　all　Englishmen　and　women　who　wish　to　enjoy　life　should　be；　independent　of　the　weather。

Later　on；　as　if　disheartened　by　our　indifference；　the　rain　ceased；　and　we　took　our　chairs　out　on　the　deck；　and　sat　watching　the　lightning；　which　still　played　incessantly。　　Then；　not　unnaturally；　the　talk　drifted　into　a　sombre　channel；　and　we　began　recounting　stories；　dealing　with　the　gloomy　and　mysterious　side　of　life。

Some　of　these　were　worth　remembering；　and　some　were　not。　　The　one　that　left　the　strongest　impression　on　my　mind　was　a　tale　that　Jephson　told　us。

I　had　been　relating　a　somewhat　curious　experience　of　my　own。　　I　met　a　man　in　the　Strand　one　day　that　I　knew　very　well；　as　I　thought；　though　I　had　not　seen　him　for　years。　　We　walked　together　to　Charing　Cross；　and　there　we　shook　hands　and　parted。　　Next　morning；　I　spoke　of　this　meeting　to　a　mutual　friend；　and　then　I　learnt；　for　the　first　time；　that　the　man　had　died　six　months　before。

The　natural　inference　was　that　I　had　mistaken　one　man　for　another；　an　error　that；　not　having　a　good　memory　for　faces；　I　frequently　fall　into。　　What　was　remarkable　about　the　matter；　however；　was　that　throughout　our　walk　I　had　conversed　with　the　man　under　the　impression　that　he　was　that　other　dead　man；　and；　whether　by　coincidence　or　not；　his　replies　had　never　once　suggested　to　me　my　mistake。

As　soon　as　I　finished；　Jephson；　who　had　been　listening　very　thoughtfully；　asked　me　if　I　believed　in　spiritualism　〃to　its　fullest　extent。〃

〃That　is　rather　a　large　question；〃　I　answered。　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　'spiritualism　to　its　fullest　extent'？〃

〃Well；　do　you　believe　that　the　spirits　of　the　dead　have　not　only　the　power　of　revisiting　this　earth　at　their　will；　but　that；　when　here；　they　have　the　power　of　action；　or　rather；　of　exciting　to　action？　Let　me　put　a　definite　case。　　A　spiritualist　friend　of　mine；　a　sensible　and　by　no　means　imaginative　man；　once　told　me　that　a　table；　through　the　medium　of　which　the　spirit　of　a　friend　had　been　in　the　habit　of　communicating　with　him；　came　slowly　across　the　room　towards　him；　of　its　own　accord；　one　night　as　he　sat　alone；　and　pinioned　him　against　the　wall。　　Now　can　any　of　you　believe　that；　or　can't　you？〃

〃I　could；〃　Brown　took　it　upon　himself　to　reply；　〃but；　before　doing　so；　I　should　wish　for　an　introduction　to　the　friend　who　told　you　the　story。　　Speaking　generally；〃　he　continued；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　the　difference　between　what　we　call　the　natural　and　the　supernatural　is　merely　the　difference　between　frequency　and　rarity　of　occurrence。　Having　regard　to　the　phenomena　we　are　compelled　to　admit；　I　think　it　illogical　to　disbelieve　anything　we　are　unable　to　disprove。〃

〃For　my　part；〃　remarked　MacShaughnassy；　〃I　can　believe　in　the　ability　of　our　spirit　friends　to　give　the　quaint　entertainments　credited　to　them　much　easier　than　I　can　in　their　desire　to　do　so。〃

〃You　mean；〃　added　Jephson；　〃that　you　cannot　understand　why　a　spirit；　not　compelled　as　we　are　by　the　exigencies　of　society；　should　care　to　spend　its　evenings　carrying　on　a　laboured　and　childish　conversation　with　a　room　full　of　abnormally　uninteresting　people。〃

〃That　is　precisely　what　I　cannot　understand；〃　MacShaughnassy　agreed。

〃Nor　I；　either；〃　said　Jephson。　　〃But　I　was　thinking　of　something　very　different　altogether。　　Suppose　a　man　died　with　the　dearest　wish　of　his　heart　unfulfilled；　do　you　believe　that　his　spirit　might　have　power　to　return　to　earth　and　complete　the　interrupted　work？〃

〃Well；〃　answered　MacShaughnassy；　〃if　one　admits　the　possibility　of　spirits　retaining　any　interest　in　the　affairs　of　this　world　at　all；　it　is　certainly　more　reasonable　to　imagine　them　engaged　upon　a　task　such　as　you　suggest；　than　to　believe　that　they　occupy　themselves　with　the　performance　of　mere　drawing…room　tricks。　　But　what　are　you　leading　up　to？〃

〃Why；　to　this；〃　replied　Jephson；　seating　himself　straddle…legged　across　his　chair；　and　leaning　his　arms　upon　the　back。　　〃I　was　told　a　story　this　morning　at　the　hospital　by　an　old　French　doctor。　　The　actual　facts　are　few　and　simple；　all　that　is　known　can　be　read　in　the　Paris　police　records　of　sixty…two　years　ago。

〃The　most　important　part　of　the　case；　however；　is　the　part　that　is　not　known；　and　that　never　will　be　known。

〃The　story　begins　with　a　great　wrong　done　by　one　man　unto　another　man。　　What　the　wrong　was　I　do　not　know。　　I　am　inclined　to　think；　however；　it　was　connected　with　a　woman。　　I　think　that；　because　he　who　had　been　wronged　hated　him　who　had　wronged　him　with　a　hate　such　as　does　not　often　burn　in　a　man's　brain；　unless　it　be　fanned　by　the　memory　of　a　woman's　breath。

〃Still　that　is　only　conjecture；　and　the　point　is　immaterial。　　The　man　who　had　done　the　wrong　fled；　and　the　other　man　followed　him。　　It　became　a　point…to…point　race；　the　first　man　having　the　advantage　of　a　day's　start。　　The　course　was　the　whole　world；　and　the　stakes　were　the　first　man's　life。

〃Travellers　were　few　and　far　between　in　those　days；　and　this　made　the　trail　easy　to　follow。　　The　first　man；　never　knowing　how　far　or　how　near　the　other　was　behind　him；　and　hoping　now　and　again　that　he　might　have　baffled　him；　would　rest　for　a　while。　　The　second　man；　knowing　always　just　how　far　the　first　one　was　before　him；　never　paused；　and　thus　each　day　the　man　who　was　spurred　by　Hate　drew　nearer　to　the　man　who　was　spurred　by　Fear。

〃At　this　town　the　answer　to　the　never…varied　question　would　be：…

〃'At　seven　o'clock　last　evening；　M'sieur。'

〃'Sevenah；　eighteen　hours。　　Give　me　something　to　eat；　quick；　while　the　horses　are　being　put　to。'

〃At　the　next　the　calculation　would　be　sixteen　hours。

〃Passing　a　lonely　chalet；　Monsieur　puts　his　head　out　of　the　window：…

〃'How　long　since　a　carriage　passed　this　way；　with　a　tall；　fair　man　inside？'

〃'Such　a　one　passed　early　this　morning；　M'sieur。'

〃'Thanks；　drive　on；　a　hundred　francs　apiece　if　you　are　through　the　pass　before　daybreak。'

〃'And　what　for　dead　horses；　M'sieur？'

〃'Twice　their　value　when　living。'

〃One　day　the　man　who　was　ridden　by　Fear　looked　up；　and　saw　before　him　the　open　door　of　a　cathedral；　and；　passing　in；　knelt　down　and　prayed。　　He　prayed　long　and　fervently；　for　men；　when　they　are　in　sore　straits；　clutch　eagerly　at　the　straws　of　faith。　　He　prayed　that　he　might　be　forgiven　his　sin；　and；　more　important　still；　that　he　might　be　pardoned　the　consequences　of　his　sin；　and　be　delivered　from　his　adversary；　and　a　few　chairs　from　him；　facing　him；　knelt　his　enemy；　praying　also。

〃But　the　second　man's　prayer；　being　a　thanksgiving　merely；　was　short；　so　that　when　the　first　man　raised　his　eyes；　he　saw　the　face　of　his　enemy　gazing　at　him　across　the　chair…tops；　with　a　mocking　smile　upon　it。

〃He　made　no　attempt　to　rise；　but　remained　kneeling；　fascinated　by　the　look　of　joy　that　shone　out　of　the　other　man's　eyes。　　And　the　other　man　moved　the　high…backed　chairs　one　by　one；　and　came　towards　him　softly。

〃Then；　just　as　the　man　who　had　been　wronged　stood　beside　the　man　who　had　wronged　him；　full　of　gladness　that