stories by modern american authors-第11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！




〃His　death　was　very　sudden；〃　said　she。



Henry's　eyelids　quivered　slightly　but　his　gaze　was　unswerving。



〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃it　was　very　sudden。　　He　was　sick　only　a　few

hours。〃



〃What　did　you　call　it？〃



〃Gastric。〃



〃You　did　not　think　of　an　examination？〃



〃There　was　no　need。　　I　am　perfectly　certain　as　to　the　cause　of　his

death。〃



Suddenly　Mrs。　Brigham　felt　a　creep　as　of　some　live　horror　over　her

very　soul。　　Her　flesh　prickled　with　cold；　before　an　inflection　of

his　voice。　　She　rose；　tottering　on　weak　knees。



〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　Henry　in　a　strange；　breathless　voice。



Mrs。　Brigham　said　something　incoherent　about　some　sewing　which　she

had　to　do；　some　black　for　the　funeral；　and　was　out　of　the　room。　She

went　up　to　the　front　chamber　which　she　occupied。　　Caroline　was

there。　　She　went　close　to　her　and　took　her　hands；　and　the　two

sisters　looked　at　each　other。



〃Don't　speak；　don't；　I　won't　have　it！〃　said　Caroline　finally　in　an

awful　whisper。



〃I　won't；〃　replied　Emma。



That　afternoon　the　three　sisters　were　in　the　study；　the　large　front

room　on　the　ground　floor　across　the　hall　from　the　south　parlor；

when　the　dusk　deepened。



Mrs。　Brigham　was　hemming　some　black　material。　　She　sat　close　to　the

west　window　for　the　waning　light。　　At　last　she　laid　her　work　on　her

lap。



〃It's　no　use；　I　cannot　see　to　sew　another　stitch　until　we　have　a

light；〃　said　she。



Caroline；　who　was　writing　some　letters　at　the　table；　turned　to

Rebecca；　in　her　usual　place　on　the　sofa。



〃Rebecca；　you　had　better　get　a　lamp；〃　she　said。



Rebecca　started　up；　even　in　the　dusk　her　face　showed　her　agitation。



〃It　doesn't　seem　to　me　that　we　need　a　lamp　quite　yet；〃　she　said　in

a　piteous；　pleading　voice　like　a　child's。



〃Yes；　we　do；〃　returned　Mrs。　Brigham　peremptorily。　　〃We　must　have　a

light。　　I　must　finish　this　to…night　or　I　can't　go　to　the　funeral；

and　I　can't　see　to　sew　another　stitch。〃



〃Caroline　can　see　to　write　letters；　and　she　is　farther　from　the

window　than　you　are；〃　said　Rebecca。



〃Are　you　trying　to　save　kerosene　or　are　you　lazy；　Rebecca　Glynn？〃

cried　Mrs。　Brigham。　　〃I　can　go　and　get　the　light　myself；　but　I　have

this　work　all　in　my　lap。〃



Caroline's　pen　stopped　scratching。



〃Rebecca；　we　must　have　the　light；〃　said　she。



〃Had　we　better　have　it　in　here？〃　asked　Rebecca　weakly。



〃Of　course！　　Why　not？〃　cried　Caroline　sternly。



〃I　am　sure　I　don't　want　to　take　my　sewing　into　the　other　room；　when

it　is　all　cleaned　up　for　to…morrow；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham。



〃Why；　I　never　heard　such　a　to…do　about　lighting　a　lamp。〃



Rebecca　rose　and　left　the　room。　　Presently　she　entered　with　a　lamp

a　large　one　with　a　white　porcelain　shade。　　She　set　it　on　a　table；

an　old…fashioned　card…table　which　was　placed　against　the　opposite

wall　from　the　window。　　That　wall　was　clear　of　bookcases　and　books；

which　were　only　on　three　sides　of　the　room。　　That　opposite　wall　was

taken　up　with　three　doors；　the　one　small　space　being　occupied　by

the　table。　　Above　the　table　on　the　old…fashioned　paper；　of　a　white

satin　gloss；　traversed　by　an　indeterminate　green　scroll；　hung　quite

high　a　small　gilt　and　black…framed　ivory　miniature　taken　in　her

girlhood　of　the　mother　of　the　family。　　When　the　lamp　was　set　on　the

table　beneath　it；　the　tiny　pretty　face　painted　on　the　ivory　seemed

to　gleam　out　with　a　look　of　intelligence。



〃What　have　you　put　that　lamp　over　there　for？〃　asked　Mrs。　Brigham；

with　more　of　impatience　than　her　voice　usually　revealed。　　〃Why

didn't　you　set　it　in　the　hall　and　have　done　with　it。　　Neither

Caroline　nor　I　can　see　if　it　is　on　that　table。〃



〃I　thought　perhaps　you　would　move；〃　replied　Rebecca　hoarsely。



〃If　I　do　move；　we　can't　both　sit　at　that　table。　　Caroline　has　her

paper　all　spread　around。　　Why　don't　you　set　the　lamp　on　the　study

table　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　then　we　can　both　see？〃



Rebecca　hesitated。　　Her　face　was　very　pale。　　She　looked　with　an

appeal　that　was　fairly　agonizing　at　her　sister　Caroline。



〃Why　don't　you　put　the　lamp　on　this　table；　as　she　says？〃　asked

Caroline；　almost　fiercely。　　〃Why　do　you　act　so；　Rebecca？〃



〃I　should　think　you　WOULD　ask　her　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham。　　〃She

doesn't　act　like　herself　at　all。〃



Rebecca　took　the　lamp　and　set　it　on　the　table　in　the　middle　of　the

room　without　another　word。　　Then　she　turned　her　back　upon　it

quickly　and　seated　herself　on　the　sofa；　and　placed　a　hand　over　her

eyes　as　if　to　shade　them；　and　remained　so。



〃Does　the　light　hurt　your　eyes；　and　is　that　the　reason　why　you

didn't　want　the　lamp？〃　asked　Mrs。　Brigham　kindly。



〃I　always　like　to　sit　in　the　dark；〃　replied　Rebecca　chokingly。　Then

she　snatched　her　handkerchief　hastily　from　her　pocket　and　began　to

weep。　　Caroline　continued　to　write；　Mrs。　Brigham　to　sew。



Suddenly　Mrs。　Brigham　as　she　sewed　glanced　at　the　opposite　wall。

The　glance　became　a　steady　stare。　　She　looked　intently；　her　work

suspended　in　her　hands。　　Then　she　looked　away　again　and　took　a　few

more　stitches；　then　she　looked　again；　and　again　turned　to　her　task。

At　last　she　laid　her　work　in　her　lap　and　stared　concentratedly。　She

looked　from　the　wall　around　the　room；　taking　note　of　the　various

objects；　she　looked　at　the　wall　long　and　intently。　　Then　she　turned

to　her　sisters。



〃What　IS　that？〃　said　she。



〃What？〃　asked　Caroline　harshly；　her　pen　scratched　loudly　across　the

paper。



Rebecca　gave　one　of　her　convulsive　gasps。



〃That　strange　shadow　on　the　wall；〃　replied　Mrs。　Brigham。



Rebecca　sat　with　her　face　hidden：　Caroline　dipped　her　pen　in　the

inkstand。



〃Why　don't　you　turn　around　and　look？〃　asked　Mrs。　Brigham　in　a

wondering　and　somewhat　aggrieved　way。



〃I　am　in　a　hurry　to　finish　this　letter；　if　Mrs。　Wilson　Ebbit　is

going　to　get　word　in　time　to　come　to　the　funeral；〃　replied　Caroline

shortly。



Mrs。　Brigham　rose；　her　work　slipping　to　the　floor；　and　she　began

walking　around　the　room；　moving　various　articles　of　furniture；　with

her　eyes　on　the　shadow。



Then　suddenly　she　shrieked　out：



〃Look　at　this　awful　shadow！　　What　is　it？　　Caroline；　look；　look！

Rebecca；　look！　　WHAT　IS　IT？〃



All　Mrs。　Brigham's　triumphant　placidity　was　gone。　　Her　handsome

face　was　livid　with　horror。　　She　stood　stiffly　pointing　at　the

shadow。



〃Look！〃　said　she；　pointing　her　finger　at　it。　　〃Look！　　What　is　it？〃



Then　Rebecca　burst　out　in　a　wild　wail　after　a　shuddering　glance　at

the　wall：



〃Oh；　Caroline；　there　it　is　again！　　There　it　is　again！〃



〃Caroline　Glynn；　you　look！〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham。　　〃Look！　　What　is

that　dreadful　shadow？〃



Caroline　rose；　turned；　and　stood　confronting　the　wall。



〃How　should　I　know？〃　she　said。



〃It　has　been　there　every　night　since　he　died；〃　cried　Rebecca。



〃Every　night？〃



〃Yes。　　He　died　Thursday　and　this　is　Saturday；　that　makes　three

nights；〃　said　Caroline　rigidly。　　She　stood　as　if　holding　herself

calm　with　a　vise　of　concentrated　will。



〃Itit　looks　likelike〃　stammered　Mrs。　Brigham　in　a　tone　of

intense　horror。



〃I　know　what　it　looks　like　well　enough；〃　said　Caroline。　　〃I've　got

eyes　in　my　head。〃



〃It　looks　like　Edward；〃　burst　out　Rebecca　in　a　sort　of　frenzy　of

fear。　　〃Only〃



〃Yes；　it　does；〃　assented　Mrs。　Brigham；　whose　horror…stricken　tone

matched　her　sister's；　〃only　　Oh；　it　is　awful！　　What　is　it；

Caroline？〃



〃I　ask　you　again；　how　should　I　know？〃　replied　Caroline。　　〃I　see　it

there　like　you。　　How　should　I　know　any　more　than　you？〃



〃It　MUST　be　something　in　the　room；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham；　staring

wildly　around。



〃We　moved　everything　in　the　room　the　first　night　it　came；〃　said

Rebecca；　〃it　is　not　anything　in　the　room。〃



Caroline　turned　upon　her　with　a　sort　of　fury。　　〃Of　course　it　is

something　in　the　room；〃　said　she。　　〃How　you　act！　　What　do　you　mean

by　talking　so？　　Of　course　it　is　something　in　the　room。〃



〃Of　course；　it　is；〃　agreed　Mrs。　Brigham；　looking　at　Caroline

suspiciously。　　〃Of　course　it　must　be。　　It　is　only　a　coincidence。　It

just　happens　so。　　Perhaps　it　is　that　fold　of　the　window　curtain

that　makes　it。　　It　must　be　something　in　the　room。〃



〃It　is　not　anything　in　the　room；〃　repeated　Rebecca　with　obstinate

horror。



The　door　opened　suddenly　and　Henry　Glynn　entered。　　He　began　to

speak；　then　his　eyes　followed　the　direction　of　the　others'。　　He

stood　stock　still　staring　at　the　shadow　on　the　wall。　　It　was　life

size　and　stretched　across　the　white　parallelogram　of　a　door；　half

across　the　wall　space　on　which　the　picture　hung。



〃What　is　that？〃　he　demanded　in　a　strange　voice。



〃It　must　be　due　to　something　in　the　room；　Mrs。　Brigham　said

faintly。



〃It　is　not　due　to　anything　in　the　room；〃　said　Rebecca　again　with

the　shrill　insistency　of　terror。



〃How　you　act；　Rebecca　Glynn；〃　said　Caroline。



Henry　Glynn　stood　and　stared　a　moment　longer。　　His　face　showed　a

gamut　of　emotionshorror；　conviction；　then　furious　increduli