stories by modern american authors-第12节

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gamut　of　emotionshorror；　conviction；　then　furious　incredulity。

Suddenly　he　began　hastening　hither　and　thither　about　the　room。　　He

moved　the　furniture　with　fierce　jerks；　turning　ever　to　see　the

effect　upon　the　shadow　on　the　wall。　　Not　a　line　of　its　terrible

outlines　wavered。



〃It　must　be　something　in　the　room！〃　he　declared　in　a　voice　which

seemed　to　snap　like　a　lash。



His　face　changed。　　The　inmost　secrecy　of　his　nature　seemed　evident

until　one　almost　lost　sight　of　his　lineaments。　　Rebecca　stood　close

to　her　sofa；　regarding　him　with　woeful；　fascinated　eyes。　　Mrs。

Brigham　clutched　Caroline's　hand。　　They　both　stood　in　a　corner　out

of　his　way。　　For　a　few　moments　he　raged　about　the　room　like　a　caged

wild　animal。　　He　moved　every　piece　of　furniture；　when　the　moving　of

a　piece　did　not　affect　the　shadow；　he　flung　it　to　the　floor；　his

sisters　watching。



Then　suddenly　he　desisted。　　He　laughed　and　began　straightening　the

furniture　which　he　had　flung　down。



〃What　an　absurdity；〃　he　said　easily。　　〃Such　a　to…do　about　a

shadow。〃



〃That's　so；〃　assented　Mrs。　Brigham；　in　a　scared　voice　which　she

tried　to　make　natural。　　As　she　spoke　she　lifted　a　chair　near　her。



〃I　think　you　have　broken　the　chair　that　Edward　was　so　fond　of；〃

said　Caroline。



Terror　and　wrath　were　struggling　for　expression　on　her　face。　　Her

mouth　was　set；　her　eyes　shrinking。　　Henry　lifted　the　chair　with　a

show　of　anxiety。



〃Just　as　good　as　ever；〃　he　said　pleasantly。　　He　laughed　again；

looking　at　his　sisters。　　〃Did　I　scare　you？〃　he　said。　　〃I　should

think　you　might　be　used　to　me　by　this　time。　　You　know　my　way　of

wanting　to　leap　to　the　bottom　of　a　mystery；　and　that　shadow　does

lookqueer；　likeand　I　thought　if　there　was　any　way　of　accounting

for　it　I　would　like　to　without　any　delay。〃



〃You　don't　seem　to　have　succeeded；〃　remarked　Caroline　dryly；　with　a

slight　glance　at　the　wall。



Henry's　eyes　followed　hers　and　he　quivered　perceptibly。



〃Oh；　there　is　no　accounting　for　shadows；〃　he　said；　and　he　laughed

again。　　〃A　man　is　a　fool　to　try　to　account　for　shadows。〃



Then　the　supper　bell　rang；　and　they　all　left　the　room；　but　Henry

kept　his　back　to　the　wall；　as　did；　indeed；　the　others。



Mrs。　Brigham　pressed　close　to　Caroline　as　she　crossed　the　hall。　〃He

looked　like　a　demon！〃　she　breathed　in　her　ear。



Henry　led　the　way　with　an　alert　motion　like　a　boy；　Rebecca　brought

up　the　rear；　she　could　scarcely　walk；　her　knees　trembled　so。



〃I　can't　sit　in　that　room　again　this　evening；〃　she　whispered　to

Caroline　after　supper。



〃Very　well；　we　will　sit　in　the　south　room；〃　replied　Caroline。　　〃I

think　we　will　sit　in　the　south　parlor；〃　she　said　aloud；　〃it　isn't

as　damp　as　the　study；　and　I　have　a　cold。〃



So　they　all　sat　in　the　south　room　with　their　sewing。　　Henry　read

the　newspaper；　his　chair　drawn　close　to　the　lamp　on　the　table。

About　nine　o'clock　he　rose　abruptly　and　crossed　the　hall　to　the

study。　　The　three　sisters　looked　at　one　another。　　Mrs。　Brigham

rose；　folded　her　rustling　skirts　compactly　around　her；　and　began

tiptoeing　toward　the　door。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃　inquired　Rebecca　agitatedly。



〃I　am　going　to　see　what　he　is　about；〃　replied　Mrs。　Brigham

cautiously。



She　pointed　as　she　spoke　to　the　study　door　across　the　hall；　it　was

ajar。　　Henry　had　striven　to　pull　it　together　behind　him；　but　it　had

somehow　swollen　beyond　the　limit　with　curious　speed。　　It　was　still

ajar　and　a　streak　of　light　showed　from　top　to　bottom。　　The　hall

lamp　was　not　lit。



〃You　had　better　stay　where　you　are；〃　said　Caroline　with　guarded

sharpness。



〃I　am　going　to　see；〃　repeated　Mrs。　Brigham　firmly。



Then　she　folded　her　skirts　so　tightly　that　her　bulk　with　its

swelling　curves　was　revealed　in　a　black　silk　sheath；　and　she　went

with　a　slow　toddle　across　the　hall　to　the　study　door。　　She　stood

there；　her　eye　at　the　crack。



In　the　south　room　Rebecca　stopped　sewing　and　sat　watching　with

dilated　eyes。　　Caroline　sewed　steadily。　　What　Mrs。　Brigham；

standing　at　the　crack　in　the　study　door；　saw　was　this：



Henry　Glynn；　evidently　reasoning　that　the　source　of　the　strange

shadow　must　be　between　the　table　on　which　the　lamp　stood　and　the

wall；　was　making　systematic　passes　and　thrusts　all　over　and　through

the　intervening　space　with　an　old　sword　which　had　belonged　to　his

father。　　Not　an　inch　was　left　unpierced。　　He　seemed　to　have　divided

the　space　into　mathematical　sections。　　He　brandished　the　sword　with

a　sort　of　cold　fury　and　calculation；　the　blade　gave　out　flashes　of

light；　the　shadow　remained　unmoved。　　Mrs。　Brigham；　watching；　felt

herself　cold　with　horror。



Finally　Henry　ceased　and　stood　with　the　sword　in　hand　and　raised　as

if　to　strike；　surveying　the　shadow　on　the　wall　threateningly。　　Mrs。

Brigham　toddled　back　across　the　hall　and　shut　the　south　room　door

behind　her　before　she　related　what　she　had　seen。



〃He　looked　like　a　demon！〃　she　said　again。　　〃Have　you　got　any　of

that　old　wine　in　the　house；　Caroline？　　I　don't　feel　as　if　I　could

stand　much　more。〃



Indeed；　she　looked　overcome。　　Her　handsome　placid　face　was　worn　and

strained　and　pale。



〃Yes；　there's　plenty；〃　said　Caroline；　〃you　can　have　some　when　you

go　to　bed。〃



〃I　think　we　had　all　better　take　some；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham。　　〃Oh；　my

God；　Caroline；　what〃



〃Don't　ask　and　don't　speak；〃　said　Caroline。



〃No；　I　am　not　going　to；〃　replied　Mrs。　Brigham；　〃but〃



Rebecca　moaned　aloud。



〃What　are　you　doing　that　for？〃　asked　Caroline　harshly。



〃Poor　Edward；〃　returned　Rebecca。



〃That　is　all　you　have　to　groan　for；〃　said　Caroline。　　〃There　is

nothing　else。〃



〃I　am　going　to　bed；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham。　　〃I　sha'n't　be　able　to　be

at　the　funeral　if　I　don't。〃



Soon　the　three　sisters　went　to　their　chambers　and　the　south　parlor

was　deserted。　　Caroline　called　to　Henry　in　the　study　to　put　out　the

light　before　he　came　upstairs。　　They　had　been　gone　about　an　hour

when　he　came　into　the　room　bringing　the　lamp　which　had　stood　in　the

study。　　He　set　it　on　the　table　and　waited　a　few　minutes；　pacing　up

and　down。　　His　face　was　terrible；　his　fair　complexion　showed　livid；

his　blue　eyes　seemed　dark　blanks　of　awful　reflections。



Then　he　took　the　lamp　up　and　returned　to　the　library。　　He　set　the

lamp　on　the　centre　table；　and　the　shadow　sprang　out　on　the　wall。

Again　he　studied　the　furniture　and　moved　it　about；　but

deliberately；　with　none　of　his　former　frenzy。　　Nothing　affected　the

shadow。　　Then　he　returned　to　the　south　room　with　the　lamp　and　again

waited。　　Again　he　returned　to　the　study　and　placed　the　lamp　on　the

table；　and　the　shadow　sprang　out　upon　the　wall。　　It　was　midnight

before　he　went　upstairs。　　Mrs。　Brigham　and　the　other　sisters；　who

could　not　sleep；　heard　him。



The　next　day　was　the　funeral。　　That　evening　the　family　sat　in　the

south　room。　　Some　relatives　were　with　them。　　Nobody　entered　the

study　until　Henry　carried　a　lamp　in　there　after　the　others　had

retired　for　the　night。　　He　saw　again　the　shadow　on　the　wall　leap　to

an　awful　life　before　the　light。



The　next　morning　at　breakfast　Henry　Glynn　announced　that　he　had　to

go　to　the　city　for　three　days。　　The　sisters　looked　at　him　with

surprise。　　He　very　seldom　left　home；　and　just　now　his　practice　had

been　neglected　on　account　of　Edward's　death。　　He　was　a　physician。



〃How　can　you　leave　your　patients　now？〃　asked　Mrs。　Brigham

wonderingly。



〃I　don't　know　how　to；　but　there　is　no　other　way；〃　replied　Henry

easily。　　〃I　have　had　a　telegram　from　Doctor　Mitford。〃



〃Consultation？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Brigham。



〃I　have　business；〃　replied　Henry。



Doctor　Mitford　was　an　old　classmate　of　his　who　lived　in　a

neighboring　city　and　who　occasionally　called　upon　him　in　the　case

of　a　consultation。



After　he　had　gone　Mrs。　Brigham　said　to　Caroline　that　after　all

Henry　had　not　said　that　he　was　going　to　consult　with　Doctor

Mitford；　and　she　thought　it　very　strange。



〃Everything　is　very　strange；〃　said　Rebecca　with　a　shudder。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　inquired　Caroline　sharply。



〃Nothing；〃　replied　Rebecca。



Nobody　entered　the　library　that　day；　nor　the　next；　nor　the　next。

The　third　day　Henry　was　expected　home；　but　he　did　not　arrive　and

the　last　train　from　the　city　had　come。



〃I　call　it　pretty　queer　work；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham。　　〃The　idea　of　a

doctor　leaving　his　patients　for　three　days　anyhow；　at　such　a　time

as　this；　and　I　know　he　has　some　very　sick　ones；　he　said　so。　　And

the　idea　of　a　consultation　lasting　three　days！　　There　is　no　sense

in　it；　and　NOW　he　has　not　come。　　I　don't　understand　it；　for　my

part。〃



〃I　don't　either；〃　said　Rebecca。



They　were　all　in　the　south　parlor。　　There　was　no　light　in　the　study

opposite；　and　the　door　was　ajar。



Presently　Mrs。　Brigham　roseshe　could　not　have　told　why；　something

seemed　to　impel　her；　some　will　outside　her　own。　　She　went　out　of

the　room；　again　wrapping　her　rustling　skirts　around　that　she　might

pass　n