the queen of hearts-第45节

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pattering　rain；　once　more　looking　out　into　the　black　darkness。

Still　the　dead　man！

The　darkness　forced　his　mind　back　upon　itself；　and　set　his　memory
at　work；　reviving　with　a　painfully　vivid　distinctness　the
momentary　impression　it　had　received　from　his　first　sight　of　the
corpse。　Before　long　the　face　seemed　to　be　hovering　out　in　the
middle　of　the　darkness；　confronting　him　through　the　window；　with
the　paleness　whiterwith　the　dreadful　dull　line　of　light　between
the　imperfectly…closed　eyelids　broader　than　he　had　seen　itwith
the　parted　lips　slowly　dropping　further　and　further　away　from
each　otherwith　the　features　growing　larger　and　moving　closer；
till　they　seemed　to　fill　the　window；　and　to　silence　the　rain；　and
to　shut　out　the　night。

The　sound　of　a　voice　shouting　below　stairs　woke　him　suddenly　from
the　dream　of　his　own　distempered　fancy。　He　recognized　it　as　the
voice　of　the　landlord。

〃Shut　up　at　twelve；　Ben；〃　he　heard　it　say。　〃I'm　off　to　bed。〃

He　wiped　away　the　damp　that　had　gathered　on　his　forehead；
reasoned　with　himself　for　a　little　while；　and　resolved　to　shake
his　mind　free　of　the　ghastly　counterfeit　which　still　clung　to　it
by　forcing　himself　to　confront；　if　it　was　only　for　a　moment；　the
solemn　reality。　Without　allowing　himself　an　instant　to　hesitate；
he　parted　the　curtains　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　and　looked
through。

There　was　the　sad；　peaceful；　white　face；　with　the　awful　mystery
of　stillness　on　it；　laid　back　upon　the　pillow。　No　stir；　no　change
there！　He　only　looked　at　it　for　a　moment　before　he　closed　the
curtains　again；　but　that　moment　steadied　him；　calmed　him；
restored　himmind　and　bodyto　himself。　He　returned　to　his　old
occupation　of　walking　up　and　down　the　room；　persevering　in　it
this　time　till　the　clock　struck　again。

Twelve。

As　the　sound　of　the　clock…bell　died　away；　it　was　succeeded　by　the
confused　noise　downstairs　of　the　drinkers　in　the　taproom　leaving
the　house。　The　next　sound；　after　an　interval　of　silence；　was
caused　by　the　barring　of　the　door　and　the　closing　of　the　shutters
at　the　back　of　the　inn。　Then　the　silence　followed　again；　and　was
disturbed　no　more。

He　was　alone　nowabsolutely；　hopelessly　alone　with　the　dead　man
till　the　next　morning。

The　wick　of　the　candle　wanted　trimming　again。　He　took　up　the
snuffers；　but　paused　suddenly　on　the　very　point　of　using　them；
and　looked　attentively　at　the　candlethen　back；　over　his
shoulder；　at　the　curtained　bedthen　again　at　the　candle。　It　had
been　lighted　for　the　first　time　to　show　him　the　way　upstairs；　and
three　parts　of　it；　at　least；　were　already　consumed。　In　another
hour　it　would　be　burned　out。　In　another　hour；　unless　he　called　at
once　to　the　man　who　had　shut　up　the　inn　for　a　fresh　candle；　he
would　be　left　in　the　dark。

Strongly　as　his　mind　had　been　affected　since　he　had　entered　the
room；　his　unreasonable　dread　of　encountering　ridicule　and　of
exposing　his　courage　to　suspicion　had　not
　altogether　lost　its　influence　over　him　even　yet。

He　lingered　irresolutely　by　the　table；　waiting　till　he　could
prevail　on　himself　to　open　the　door；　and　call　from　the　landing；
to　the　man　who　had　shut　up　the　inn。　In　his　present　hesitating
frame　of　mind；　it　was　a　kind　of　relief　to　gain　a　few　moments　only
by　engaging　in　the　trifling　occupation　of　snuffing　the　candle。
His　hand　trembled　a　little；　and　the　snuffers　were　heavy　and
awkward　to　use。　When　he　closed　them　on　the　wick；　he　closed　them　a
hair…breadth　too　low。　In　an　instant　the　candle　was　out；　and　the
room　was　plunged　in　pitch　darkness。

The　one　impression　which　the　absence　of　light　immediately
produced　on　his　mind　was　distrust　of　the　curtained　beddistrust
which　shaped　itself　into　no　distinct　idea；　but　which　was　powerful
enough；　in　its　very　vagueness；　to　bind　him　down　to　his　chair；　to
make　his　heart　beat　fast；　and　to　set　him　listening　intently。　No
sound　stirred　in　the　room；　but　the　familiar　sound　of　the　rain
against　the　window；　louder　and　sharper　now　than　he　had　heard　it
yet。

Still　the　vague　distrust；　the　inexpressible　dread　possessed　him；
and　kept　him　in　his　chair。　He　had　put　his　carpet…bag　on　the　table
when　he　first　entered　the　room；　and　he　now　took　the　key　from　his
pocket；　reached　out　his　hand　softly；　opened　the　bag；　and　groped
in　it　for　his　traveling　writing…case；　in　which　he　knew　that　there
was　a　small　store　of　matches。　When　he　had　got　one　of　the　matches
he　waited　before　he　struck　it　on　the　coarse　wooden　table；　and
listened　intently　again　without　knowing　why。　Still　there　was　no
sound　in　the　room　but　the　steady；　ceaseless　rattling　sound　of　the
rain。

He　lighted　the　candle　again　without　another　moment　of　delay；　and；
on　the　instant　of　its　burning　up；　the　first　object　in　the　room
that　his　eyes　sought　for　was　the　curtained　bed。

Just　before　the　light　had　been　put　out　he　had　looked　in　that
direction；　and　had　seen　no　change；　no　disarrangement　of　any　sort
in　the　folds　of　the　closely…drawn　curtains。

When　he　looked　at　the　bed　now；　he　saw　hanging　over　the　side　of　it
a　long　white　hand。

It　lay　perfectly　motionless　midway　on　the　side　of　the　bed；　where
the　curtain　at　the　head　and　the　curtain　at　the　foot　met。　Nothing
more　was　visible。　The　clinging　curtains　hid　everything　but　the
long　white　hand。

He　stood　looking　at　it；　unable　to　stir；　unable　to　call
outfeeling　nothing；　knowing　nothingevery　faculty　he　possessed
gathered　up　and　lost　in　the　one　seeing　faculty。　How　long　that
first　panic　held　him　he　never　could　tell　afterward。　It　might　have
been　only　for　a　momentit　might　have　been　for　many　minutes
together。　How　he　got　to　the　bedwhether　he　ran　to　it　headlong；
or　whether　he　approached　it　slowly；　how　he　wrought　himself　up　to
unclose　the　curtains　and　look　in；　he　never　has　remembered；　and
never　will　remember　to　his　dying　day。　It　is　enough　that　he　did　go
to　the　bed；　and　that　he　did　look　inside　the　curtains。

The　man　had　moved。　One　of　his　arms　was　outside　the　clothes；　his
face　was　turned　a　little　on　the　pillow；　his　eyelids　were　wide
open。　Changed　as　to　position　and　as　to　one　of　the　features；　the
face　was　otherwise　fearfully　and　wonderfully　unaltered。　The　dead
paleness　and　the　dead　quiet　were　on　it　still。

One　glance　showed　Arthur　thisone　glance　before　he　flew
breathlessly　to　the　door　and　alarmed　the　house。

The　man　whom　the　landlord　called　〃Ben〃　was　the　first　to　appear　on
the　stairs。　In　three　words　Arthur　told　him　what　had　happened；　and
sent　him　for　the　nearest　doctor。

I；　who　tell　you　this　story；　was　then　staying　with　a　medical
friend　of　mine；　in　practice　at　Doncaster；　taking　care　of　his
patients　for　him　during　his　absence　in　London；　and　I；　for　the
time　being；　was　the　nearest　doctor。　They　had　sent　for　me　from　the
inn　when　the　stranger　was　taken　ill　in　the　afternoon；　but　I　was
not　at　home；　and　medical　assistance　was　sought　for　elsewhere。
When　the　man　from　The　Two　Robins　rang　the　night…bell；　I　was　just
thinking　of　going　to　bed。　Naturally　enough；　I　did　not　believe　a
word　of　his　story　about　〃a　dead　man　who　had　come　to　life　again。〃
However；　I　put　on　my　hat；　armed　myself　with　one　or　two　bottles　of
restorative　medicine；　and　ran　to　the　inn；　expecting　to　find
nothing　more　remarkable；　when　I　got　there；　than　a　patient　in　a
fit。

My　surprise　at　finding　that　the　man　had　spoken　the　literal　truth
was　almost；　if　not　quite；　equaled　by　my　astonishment　at　finding
myself　face　to　face　with　Arthur　Holliday　as　soon　as　I　entered　the
bedroom。　It　was　no　time　then　for　giving　or　seeking　explanations。
We　just　shook　hands　amazedly；　and　then　I　ordered　everybody　but
Arthur　out　of　the　room；　and　hurried　to　the　man　on　the　bed。

The　kitchen　fire　had　not　been　long　out。　There　was　plenty　of　hot
water　in　the　boiler；　and　plenty　of　flannel　to　be　had。　With　these；
with　my　medicines；　and　with　such　help　as　Arthur　could　render
under　my　direction；　I　dragged　the　man　literally　out　of　the　jaws
of　death。　In　less　than　an　hour　from　the　time　when　I　had　been
called　in；　he　was　alive　and　talking　in　the　bed　on　which　he　had
been　laid　out　to　wait　for　the　coroner's　inquest。

You　will　naturally　ask　me　what　had　been　the　matter　with　him；　and
I　might　treat　you；　in　reply；　to　a　long　theory；　plentifully
sprinkled　with　what　the　children　call　hard　words。　I　prefer
telling　you　that；　in　this　case；　cause　and　effect　could　not　be
satisfactorily　joined　together　by　any　theory　whatever。　There　are
mysteries　in　life　and　the　conditions　of　it　which　human　science
has　not　fathomed　yet；　and　I　candidly　confess　to　you　that；　in
bringing　that　man　back　to　existence；　I　was；　morally　speaking；
groping　haphazard　in　the　dark。　I　know　（from　the　testimony　of　the
doctor　who　attended　him　in　the　afternoon）　that　the　vital
machinery；　so　far　as　its　action　is　appreciable　by　our　senses；
had；　in　this　case；　unquestionably　stopped；　and　I　am　equally
certain　（seeing　that　I　recovered　him）　that　the　vital　principle
was　not　extinct。　When　I　add　that　he　had　suffered　from　a　long　and
complicated　illness；　and　that　his　whole　nervous　system　was
utterly　deranged；　I　have　told　you　all　I　really　know　of　the
physical　condition　of　my　dead…alive　patient　at　the　Two　Robins
Inn。

When　he　〃came　to；〃　as　the　phrase　goes；　he　was　a　startling　object
to　look　at；　with　his　colorless　face；　his　sunken　cheeks；　his　wild
black　eyes；　and　h