stories by modern american authors-第4节

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at　the　mist　and　spray　rising　into　mysterious　shapes；　moving

mystically　in　the　white　light　like　living　things。



〃It's　the　Woman　of　the　Water；〃　she　used　to　say；　and　sometimes　she

would　threaten　that　if　I　did　not　go　to　sleep　the　Woman　of　the　Water

would　steal　up　to　the　high　window　and　carry　me　away　in　her　wet

arms。



The　place　was　gloomy。　　The　broad　basins　of　water　and　the　tall

evergreen　hedges　gave　it　a　funereal　look；　and　the　damp…stained

marble　causeways　by　the　pools　might　have　been　made　of　tombstones。

The　gray　and　weather…beaten　walls　and　towers　without；　the　dark　and

massively　furnished　rooms　within；　the　deep；　mysterious　recesses　and

the　heavy　curtains；　all　affected　my　spirits。　　I　was　silent　and　sad

from　my　childhood。　　There　was　a　great　clock　tower　above；　from　which

the　hours　rang　dismally　during　the　day；　and　tolled　like　a　knell　in

the　dead　of　night。　　There　was　no　light　nor　life　in　the　house；　for

my　mother　was　a　helpless　invalid；　and　my　father　had　grown

melancholy　in　his　long　task　of　caring　for　her。　　He　was　a　thin；　dark

man；　with　sad　eyes；　kind；　I　think；　but　silent　and　unhappy。　　Next　to

my　mother；　I　believe　he　loved　me　better　than　anything　on　earth；　for

he　took　immense　pains　and　trouble　in　teaching　me；　and　what　he

taught　me　I　have　never　forgotten。　　Perhaps　it　was　his　only

amusement；　and　that　may　be　the　reason　why　I　had　no　nursery

governess　or　teacher　of　any　kind　while　he　lived。



I　used　to　be　taken　to　see　my　mother　every　day；　and　sometimes　twice

a　day；　for　an　hour　at　a　time。　　Then　I　sat　upon　a　little　stool　near

her　feet；　and　she　would　ask　me　what　I　had　been　doing；　and　what　I

wanted　to　do。　　I　dare　say　she　saw　already　the　seeds　of　a　profound

melancholy　in　my　nature；　for　she　looked　at　me　always　with　a　sad

smile；　and　kissed　me　with　a　sigh　when　I　was　taken　away。



One　night；　when　I　was　just　six　years　old；　I　lay　awake　in　the

nursery。　　The　door　was　not　quite　shut；　and　the　Welsh　nurse　was

sitting　sewing　in　the　next　room。　　Suddenly　I　heard　her　groan；　and

say　in　a　strange　voice；　〃Onetwoonetwo！〃　　I　was　frightened；

and　I　jumped　up　and　ran　to　the　door；　barefooted　as　I　was。



〃What　is　it；　Judith？〃　I　cried；　clinging　to　her　skirts。　　I　can

remember　the　look　in　her　strange　dark　eyes　as　she　answered：



〃Onetwo　leaden　coffins；　fallen　from　the　ceiling！〃　she　crooned；

working　herself　in　her　chair。　　〃Onetwoa　light　coffin　and　a

heavy　coffin；　falling　to　the　floor！〃



Then　she　seemed　to　notice　me；　and　she　took　me　back　to　bed　and　sang

me　to　sleep　with　a　queer　old　Welsh　song。



I　do　not　know　how　it　was；　but　the　impression　got　hold　of　me　that

she　had　meant　that　my　father　and　mother　were　going　to　die　very

soon。　　They　died　in　the　very　room　where　she　had　been　sitting　that

night。　　It　was　a　great　room；　my　day　nursery；　full　of　sun　when　there

was　any；　and　when　the　days　were　dark　it　was　the　most　cheerful　place

in　the　house。　　My　mother　grew　rapidly　worse；　and　I　was　transferred

to　another　part　of　the　building　to　make　place　for　her。　　They

thought　my　nursery　was　gayer　for　her；　I　suppose；　but　she　could　not

live。　　She　was　beautiful　when　she　was　dead；　and　I　cried　bitterly。



The　light　one；　the　light　onethe　heavy　one　to　come；〃　crooned　the

Welshwoman。　　And　she　was　right。　　My　father　took　the　room　after　my

mother　was　gone；　and　day　by　day　he　grew　thinner　and　paler　and

sadder。



〃The　heavy　one；　the　heavy　oneall　of　lead；〃　moaned　my　nurse；　one

night　in　December；　standing　still；　just　as　she　was　going　to　take

away　the　light　after　putting　me　to　bed。　　Then　she　took　me　up　again

and　wrapped　me　in　a　little　gown；　and　led　me　away　to　my　father's

room。　　She　knocked；　but　no　one　answered。　　She　opened　the　door；　and

we　found　him　in　his　easy　chair　before　the　fire；　very　white；　quite

dead。



So　I　was　alone　with　the　Welshwoman　till　strange　people　came；　and

relations　whom　I　had　never　seen；　and　then　I　heard　them　saying　that

I　must　be　taken　away　to　some　more　cheerful　place。　　They　were　kind

people；　and　I　will　not　believe　that　they　were　kind　only　because　I

was　to　be　very　rich　when　I　grew　to　be　a　man。　　The　world　never

seemed　to　be　a　very　bad　place　to　me；　nor　all　the　people　to　be

miserable　sinners；　even　when　I　was　most　melancholy。　　I　do　not

remember　that　anyone　ever　did　me　any　great　injustice；　nor　that　I

was　ever　oppressed　or　ill　treated　in　any　way；　even　by　the　boys　at

school。　　I　was　sad；　I　suppose；　because　my　childhood　was　so　gloomy；

and；　later；　because　I　was　unlucky　in　everything　I　undertook；　till　I

finally　believed　I　was　pursued　by　fate；　and　I　used　to　dream　that

the　old　Welsh　nurse　and　the　Woman　of　the　Water　between　them　had

vowed　to　pursue　me　to　my　end。　　But　my　natural　disposition　should

have　been　cheerful；　as　I　have　often　thought。



Among　the　lads　of　my　age　I　was　never　last；　or　even　among　the　last；

in　anything；　but　I　was　never　first。　　If　I　trained　for　a　race；　I　was

sure　to　sprain　my　ankle　on　the　day　when　I　was　to　run。　　If　I　pulled

an　oar　with　others；　my　oar　was　sure　to　break。　　If　I　competed　for　a

prize；　some　unforeseen　accident　prevented　my　winning　it　at　the　last

moment。　　Nothing　to　which　I　put　my　hand　succeeded；　and　I　got　the

reputation　of　being　unlucky；　until　my　companions　felt　it　was　always

safe　to　bet　against　me；　no　matter　what　the　appearances　might　be。　　I

became　discouraged　and　listless　in　everything。　　I　gave　up　the　idea

of　competing　for　any　distinction　at　the　University；　comforting

myself　with　the　thought　that　I　could　not　fail　in　the　examination

for　the　ordinary　degree。　　The　day　before　the　examination　began　I

fell　ill；　and　when　at　last　I　recovered；　after　a　narrow　escape　from

death；　I　turned　my　back　upon　Oxford；　and　went　down　alone　to　visit

the　old　place　where　I　had　been　born；　feeble　in　health　and

profoundly　disgusted　and　discouraged。　　I　was　twenty…one　years　of

age；　master　of　myself　and　of　my　fortune；　but　so　deeply　had　the　long

chain　of　small　unlucky　circumstances　affected　me　that　I　thought

seriously　of　shutting　myself　up　from　the　world　to　live　the　life　of

a　hermit　and　to　die　as　soon　as　possible。　　Death　seemed　the　only

cheerful　possibility　in　my　existence；　and　my　thoughts　soon　dwelt

upon　it　altogether。



I　had　never　shown　any　wish　to　return　to　my　own　home　since　I　had

been　taken　away　as　a　little　boy；　and　no　one　had　ever　pressed　me　to

do　so。　　The　place　had　been　kept　in　order　after　a　fashion；　and　did

not　seem　to　have　suffered　during　the　fifteen　years　or　more　of　my

absence。　　Nothing　earthly　could　affect　those　old　gray　walls　that

had　fought　the　elements　for　so　many　centuries。　　The　garden　was　more

wild　than　I　remembered　it；　the　marble　causeways　about　the　pools

looked　more　yellow　and　damp　than　of　old；　and　the　whole　place　at

first　looked　smaller。　　It　was　not　until　I　had　wandered　about　the

house　and　grounds　for　many　hours　that　I　realized　the　huge　size　of

the　home　where　I　was　to　live　in　solitude。　　Then　I　began　to　delight

in　it；　and　my　resolution　to　live　alone　grew　stronger。



The　people　had　turned　out　to　welcome　me；　of　course；　and　I　tried　to

recognize　the　changed　faces　of　the　old　gardener　and　the　old

housekeeper；　and　to　call　them　by　name。　　My　old　nurse　I　knew　at

once。　　She　had　grown　very　gray　since　she　heard　the　coffins　fall　in

the　nursery　fifteen　years　before；　but　her　strange　eyes　were　the

same；　and　the　look　in　them　woke　all　my　old　memories。　　She　went　over

the　house　with　me。



〃And　how　is　the　Woman　of　the　Water？〃　I　asked；　trying　to　laugh　a

little。　　〃Does　she　still　play　in　the　moonlight？〃



〃She　is　hungry；〃　answered　the　Welshwoman；　in　a　low　voice。



〃Hungry？　　Then　we　will　feed　her。〃　　I　laughed。　　But　old　Judith

turned　very　pale；　and　looked　at　me　strangely。



〃Feed　her？　　Ayeyou　will　feed　her　well；〃　she　muttered；　glancing

behind　her　at　the　ancient　housekeeper；　who　tottered　after　us　with

feeble　steps　through　the　halls　and　passages。



I　did　not　think　much　of　her　words。　　She　had　always　talked　oddly；　as

Welshwomen　will；　and　though　I　was　very　melancholy　I　am　sure　I　was

not　superstitious；　and　I　was　certainly　not　timid。　　Only；　as　in　a

far…off　dream；　I　seemed　to　see　her　standing　with　the　light　in　her

hand　and　muttering；　〃The　heavy　oneall　of　lead；〃　and　then　leading

a　little　boy　through　the　long　corridors　to　see　his　father　lying

dead　in　a　great　easy　chair　before　a　smoldering　fire。　　So　we　went

over　the　house；　and　I　chose　the　rooms　where　I　would　live；　and　the

servants　I　had　brought　with　me　ordered　and　arranged　everything；　and

I　had　no　more　trouble。　　I　did　not　care　what　they　did　provided　I　was

left　in　peace　and　was　not　expected　to　give　directions；　for　I　was

more　listless　than　ever；　owing　to　the　effects　of　my　illness　at

college。



I　dined　in　solitary　state；　and　the　melancholy　grandeur　of　the　vast

old　dining…room　pleased　me。　　Then　I　went　to　the　room　I　had　selected

for　my　study；　and　sat　down　in　a　deep　chair；　under　a　bright　light；

to　think；　or　to　let　my　thoughts　meander　through　labyrinths　of　their

own　choosing；　utterly　indifferent　to　the　course　they　might　take。



The　tal