stories by modern american authors-第20节

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The　evidence　produced　against　you　was　of　such　powerful　and

overwhelming　character　that　it　seems　to　have　left　no　doubt　in　the

minds　of　the　jury；　nor　indeed　in　the　mind　of　any　person　present　in

this　court　room。



〃Had　the　question　of　your　guilt　been　submitted　to　these　twelve

arbiters；　a　conviction　would　certainly　have　resulted　and　the　death

penalty　would　have　been　imposed。　　But　the　law；　rigid；　passionless；

even…eyed；　has　thrust　in　between　you　and　the　wrath　of　your　fellows

and　saved　you　from　it。　　I　do　not　cry　out　against　the　impotency　of

the　law；　it　is　perhaps　as　wise　as　imperfect　humanity　could　make　it。

I　deplore；　rather；　the　genius　of　evil　men　who；　by　cunning　design；

are　enabled　to　slip　through　the　fingers　of　this　law。　　I　have　no

word　of　censure　or　admonition　for　you；　Victor　Ancona。　　The　law　of

New　York　compels　me　to　acquit　you。　　I　am　only　its　mouthpiece；　with

my　individual　wishes　throttled。　　I　speak　only　those　things　which

the　law　directs　I　shall　speak。



〃You　are　now　at　liberty　to　leave　this　court　room；　not　guiltless　of

the　crime　of　murder；　perhaps；　but　at　least　rid　of　its　punishment。

The　eyes　of　men　may　see　Cain's　mark　on　your　brow；　but　the　eyes　of

the　Law　are　blind　to　it。〃



When　the　audience　fully　realized　what　the　judge　had　said　they　were

amazed　and　silent。　　They　knew　as　well　as　men　could　know；　that

Victor　Ancona　was　guilty　of　murder；　and　yet　he　was　now　going　out　of

the　court　room　free。　　Could　it　happen　that　the　law　protected　only

against　the　blundering　rogue？　　They　had　heard　always　of　the　boasted

completeness　of　the　law　which　magistrates　from　time　immemorial　had

labored　to　perfect；　and　now　when　the　skillful　villain　sought　to

evade　it；　they　saw　how　weak　a　thing　it　was。





V





The　wedding　march　of　Lohengrin　floated　out　from　the　Episcopal

Church　of　St。　Mark；　clear　and　sweet；　and　perhaps　heavy　with　its

paradox　of　warning。　　The　theater　of　this　coming　contract　before

high　heaven　was　a　wilderness　of　roses　worth　the　taxes　of　a　county。

The　high　caste　of　Manhattan；　by　the　grace　of　the　check　book；　were

present；　clothed　in　Parisian　purple　and　fine　linen；　cunningly　and

marvelously　wrought。



Over　in　her　private　pew；　ablaze　with　jewels；　and　decked　with

fabrics　from　the　deft　hand　of　many　a　weaver；　sat　Mrs。　Miriam

Steuvisant　as　imperious　and　self…complacent　as　a　queen。　　To　her　it

was　all　a　kind　of　triumphal　procession；　proclaiming　her　ability　as

a　general。　　With　her　were　a　choice　few　of　the　genus　homo；　which

obtains　at　the　five…o'clock　teas；　instituted；　say　the　sages；　for

the　purpose　of　sprinkling　the　holy　water　of　Lethe。



〃Czarina；〃　whispered　Reggie　Du　Puyster；　leaning　forward；　〃I　salute

you。　　The　ceremony　sub　jugum　is　superb。〃



〃Walcott　is　an　excellent　fellow；〃　answered　Mrs。　Steuvisant；　〃not　a

vice；　you　know；　Reggie。〃



〃Aye；　Empress；〃　put　in　the　others；　〃a　purist　taken　in　the　net。　　The

clean…skirted　one　has　come　to　the　altar。　　Vive　la　vertu！〃



Samuel　Walcott；　still　sunburned　from　his　cruise；　stood　before　the

chancel　with　the　only　daughter　of　the　blue　blooded　St。　Clairs。　　His

face　was　clear　and　honest　and　his　voice　firm。　　This　was　life　and

not　romance。　　The　lid　of　the　sepulcher　had　closed　and　he　had

slipped　from　under　it。　　And　now；　and　ever　after；　the　hand　red　with

murder　was　clean　as　any。



The　minister　raised　his　voice；　proclaiming　the　holy　union　before

God；　and　this　twain；　half　pure；　half　foul；　now　by　divine　ordinance

one　flesh；　bowed　down　before　it。　　No　blood　cried　from　the　ground。

The　sunlight　of　high　noon　streamed　down　through　the　window　panes

like　a　benediction。



Back　in　the　pew　of　Mrs。　Miriam　Steuvisant；　Reggie　Du　Puyster　turned

down　his　thumb。　　〃Habet！〃　he　said。





From　〃The　Strange　Schemes　of　Randolph　Mason；〃　by　Melville　Davisson

Post。　　Copyright；　1896；　by　G。　P。　Putnam's　Sons。







Ambrose　Bierce



An　Heiress　from　Redhorse





CORONADO；　June　20th。



I　find　myself　more　and　more　interested　in　him。　　It　is　not；　I　am

sure；　hisdo　you　know　any　noun　corresponding　to　the　adjective

〃handsome〃？　　One　does　not　like　to　say　〃beauty〃　when　speaking　of　a

man。　　He　is　handsome　enough；　heaven　knows；　I　should　not　even　care

to　trust　you　with　himfaithful　of　all　possible　wives　that　you　are

when　he　looks　his　best；　as　he　always　does。　　Nor　do　I　think　the

fascination　of　his　manner　has　much　to　do　with　it。　　You　recollect

that　the　charm　of　art　inheres　in　that　which　is　undefinable；　and　to

you　and　me；　my　dear　Irene；　I　fancy　there　is　rather　less　of　that　in

the　branch　of　art　under　consideration　than　to　girls　in　their　first

season。　　I　fancy　I　know　how　my　fine　gentleman　produces　many　of　his

effects；　and　could；　perhaps；　give　him　a　pointer　on　heightening

them。　　Nevertheless；　his　manner　is　something　truly　delightful。　　I

suppose　what　interests　me　chiefly　is　the　man's　brains。　　His

conversation　is　the　best　I　have　ever　heard；　and　altogether　unlike

anyone's　else。　　He　seems　to　know　everything；　as；　indeed；　he　ought；

for　he　has　been　everywhere；　read　everything；　seen　all　there　is　to

seesometimes　I　think　rather　more　than　is　good　for　himand　had

acquaintance　with　the　QUEEREST　people。　　And　then　his　voiceIrene；

when　I　hear　it　I　actually　feel　as　if　I　ought　to　have　PAID　AT　THE

DOOR；　though；　of　course；　it　is　my　own　door。





July　3d。



I　fear　my　remarks　about　Dr。　Barritz　must　have　been；　being

thoughtless；　very　silly；　or　you　would　not　have　written　of　him　with

such　levity；　not　to　say　disrespect。　　Believe　me；　dearest；　he　has

more　dignity　and　seriousness　（of　the　kind；　I　mean；　which　is　not

inconsistent　with　a　manner　sometimes　playful　and　always　charming）

than　any　of　the　men　that　you　and　I　ever　met。　　And　young　Raynoryou

knew　Raynor　at　Montereytells　me　that　the　men　all　like　him；　and

that　he　is　treated　with　something　like　deference　everywhere。　　There

is　a　mystery；　toosomething　about　his　connection　with　the

Blavatsky　people　in　Northern　India。　　Raynor　either　would　not　or

could　not　tell　me　the　particulars。　　I　infer　that　Dr。　Barritz　is

thoughtdon't　you　dare　to　laugh　at　mea　magician！　　Could　anything

be　finer　than　that？　　An　ordinary　mystery　is　not；　of　course；　as　good

as　a　scandal；　but　when　it　relates　to　dark　and　dreadful　practices

to　the　exercise　of　unearthly　powerscould　anything　be　more

piquant？　　It　explains；　too；　the　singular　influence　the　man　has　upon

me。　　It　is　the　undefinable　in　his　artblack　art。　　Seriously；　dear；

I　quite　tremble　when　he　looks　me　full　in　the　eyes　with　those

unfathomable　orbs　of　his；　which　I　have　already　vainly　attempted　to

describe　to　you。　　How　dreadful　if　we　have　the　power　to　make　one

fall　in　love！　　Do　you　know　if　the　Blavatsky　crowd　have　that　power

outside　of　Sepoy？





July　1



The　strangest　thing！　　Last　evening　while　Auntie　was　attending　one

of　the　hotel　hops　（I　hate　them）　Dr。　Barritz　called。　　It　was

scandalously　lateI　actually　believe　he　had　talked　with　Auntie　in

the　ballroom；　and　learned　from　her　that　I　was　alone。　　I　had　been

all　the　evening　contriving　how　to　worm　out　of　him　the　truth　about

his　connection　with　the　Thugs　in　Sepoy；　and　all　of　that　black

business；　but　the　moment　he　fixed　his　eyes　on　me　（for　I　admitted

him；　I'm　ashamed　to　say）　I　was　helpless；　I　trembled；　I　blushed；　I

O　Irene；　Irene；　I　love　the　man　beyond　expression；　and　you　know　how

it　is　yourself！



Fancy！　　I；　an　ugly　duckling　from　Redhorsedaughter　（they　say）　of

old　Calamity　Jimcertainly　his　heiress；　with　no　living　relation

but　an　absurd　old　aunt；　who　spoils　me　a　thousand　and　fifty　ways

absolutely　destitute　of　everything　but　a　million　dollars　and　a　hope

in　ParisI　daring　to　love　a　god　like　him！　　My　dear；　if　I　had　you

here；　I　could　tear　your　hair　out　with　mortification。



I　am　convinced　that　he　is　aware　of　my　feeling；　for　he　stayed　but　a

few　moments；　said　nothing　but　what　another　man　might　have　said　half

as　well；　and　pretending　that　he　had　an　engagement　went　away。　　I

learned　to…day　（a　little　bird　told　methe　bell　bird）　that　he　went

straight　to　bed。　　How　does　that　strike　you　as　evidence　of　exemplary

habits？





July　17th。



That　little　wretch；　Raynor；　called　yesterday；　and　his　babble　set　me

almost　wild。　　He　never　runs　downthat　is　to　say；　when　he

exterminates　a　score　of　reputations；　more　or　less；　he　does　not

pause　between　one　reputation　and　the　next。　　（By　the　way；　he

inquired　about　you；　and　his　manifestations　of　interest　in　you　had；

I　confess；　a　good　deal　of　vraisemblance。）



Mr。　Raynor　observes　no　game　laws；　like　Death　（which　he　would

inflict　if　slander　were　fatal）　he　has　all　seasons　for　his　own。　　But

I　like　him；　for　we　knew　one　another　at　Redhorse　when　we　were　young

and　true…hearted　and　barefooted。　　He　was　known　in　those　far　fair

days　as　〃Giggles；〃　and　IO　Irene；　can　you　ever　forgive　me？I　was

called　〃Gunny。〃　　God　knows　why；　perhaps　in　allusion　to　the　material

of　my　pinafores；　perhaps　because　the　name　is　in　alliteration　with

〃Giggles；〃　for　Gig　and　I　were　inseparable　playmates；　and　the　miners

may　have　th