stories by modern american authors-第58节

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Twice　have　you　been　saved　by　his　accursed　interposition。　　But　for

him　I　should　long　ere　now　have　borne　away　the　spoils　of　your

honor。〃



He　looked　at　me　with　greater　steadfastness　than　before。　　I　became

every　moment　more　anxious　for　my　safety。　　It　was　with　difficulty　I

stammered　out　an　entreaty　that　he　would　instantly　depart；　or　suffer

me　to　do　so。　　He　paid　no　regard　to　my　request；　but　proceeded　in　a

more　impassioned　manner：



〃What　is　it　you　fear？　　Have　I　not　told　you　you　are　safe？　　Has　not

one　in　whom　you　more　reasonably　place　trust　assured　you　of　it？

Even　if　I　execute　my　purpose；　what　injury　is　done？　　Your　prejudices

will　call　it　by　that　name；　but　it　merits　it　not。



〃I　was　impelled　by　a　sentiment　that　does　you　honor；　a　sentiment

that　would　sanctify　my　deed；　but；　whatever　it　be；　you　are　safe。　　Be

this　chimera　still　worshiped；　I　will　do　nothing　to　pollute　it。〃

There　he　stopped。



The　accents　and　gestures　of　this　man　left　me　drained　of　all

courage。　　Surely；　on　no　other　occasion　should　I　have　been　thus

pusillanimous。　　My　state　I　regarded　as　a　hopeless　one。　　I　was

wholly　at　the　mercy　of　this　being。　　Whichever　way　I　turned　my　eyes；

I　saw　no　avenue　by　which　I　might　escape。　　The　resources　of　my

personal　strength；　my　ingenuity；　and　my　eloquence；　I　estimated　at

nothing。　　The　dignity　of　virtue　and　the　force　of　truth　I　had　been

accustomed　to　celebrate；　and　had　frequently　vaunted　of　the

conquests　which　I　should　make　with　their　assistance。



I　used　to　suppose　that　certain　evils　could　never　befall　a　being　in

possession　of　a　sound　mind；　that　true　virtue　supplies　us　with

energy　which　vice　can　never　resist；　that　it　was　always　in　our　power

to　obstruct；　by　his　own　death；　the　designs　of　an　enemy　who　aimed　at

less　than　our　life。　　How　was　it　that　a　sentiment　like　despair　had

now　invaded　me；　and　that　I　trusted　to　the　protection　of　chance；　or

to　the　pity　of　my　persecutor？



His　words　imparted　some　notion　of　the　injury　which　he　had

meditated。　　He　talked　of　obstacles　that　had　risen　in　his　way。　　He

had　relinquished　his　design。　　These　sources　supplied　me　with

slender　consolation。　　There　was　no　security　but　in　his　absence。

When　I　looked　at　myself；　when　I　reflected　on　the　hour　and　the

place；　I　was　overpowered　by　horror　and　dejection。



He　was　silent；　museful；　and　inattentive　to　my　situation；　yet　made

no　motion　to　depart。　　I　was　silent　in　my　turn。　　What　could　I　say？

I　was　confident　that　reason　in　this　contest　would　be　impotent。　　I

must　owe　my　safety　to　his　own　suggestions。　　Whatever　purpose

brought　him　hither；　he　had　changed　it。　　Why　then　did　he　remain？

His　resolutions　might　fluctuate；　and　the　pause　of　a　few　minutes

restore　to　him　his　first　resolutions。



Yet　was　not　this　the　man　whom　we　had　treated　with　unwearied

kindness？　whose　society　was　endeared　to　us　by　his　intellectual

elevation　and　accomplishments？　who　had　a　thousand　times　expatiated

on　the　usefulness　and　beauty　of　virtue？　　Why　should　such　a　one　be

dreaded？　　If　I　could　have　forgotten　the　circumstances　in　which　our

interview　had　taken　place；　I　might　have　treated　his　words　as　jests。

Presently；　he　resumed：



〃Fear　me　not：　the　space　that　severs　us　is　small；　and　all　visible

succor　is　distant。　　You　believe　yourself　completely　in　my　power；

that　you　stand　upon　the　brink　of　ruin。　　Such　are　your　groundless

fears。　　I　cannot　lift　a　finger　to　hurt　you。　　Easier　would　it　be　to

stop　the　moon　in　her　course　than　to　injure　you。　　The　power　that

protects　you　would　crumble　my　sinews　and　reduce　me　to　a　heap　of

ashes　in　a　moment；　if　I　were　to　harbor　a　thought　hostile　to　your

safety。



〃Thus　are　appearances　at　length　solved。　　Little　did　I　expect　that

they　originated　hence。　　What　a　portion　is　assigned　to　you！　　Scanned

by　the　eyes　of　this　intelligence；　your　path　will　be　without　pits　to

swallow　or　snares　to　entangle　you。　　Environed　by　the　arms　of　this

protection；　all　artifices　will　be　frustrated　and　all　malice

repelled。〃



Here　succeeded　a　new　pause。　　I　was　still　observant　of　every　gesture

and　look。　　The　tranquil　solemnity　that　had　lately　possessed　his

countenance　gave　way　to　a　new　expression。　　All　now　was　trepidation

and　anxiety。



〃I　must　be　gone；〃　said　he；　in　a　faltering　accent。　　〃Why　do　I　linger

here？　　I　will　not　ask　your　forgiveness。　　I　see　that　your　terrors

are　invincible。　　Your　pardon　will　be　extorted　by　fear；　and　not

dictated　by　compassion。　　I　must　fly　from　you　forever。　　He　that

could　plot　against　your　honor　must　expect　from　you　and　your　friends

persecution　and　death。　　I　must　doom　myself　to　endless　exile。〃



Saying　this；　he　hastily　left　the　room。　　I　listened　while　he

descended　the　stairs；　and；　unbolting　the　outer　door；　went　forth。　　I

did　not　follow　him　with　my　eyes；　as　the　moonlight　would　have

enabled　me　to　do。　　Relieved　by　his　absence；　and　exhausted　by　the

conflict　of　my　fears；　I　threw　myself　on　a　chair；　and　resigned

myself　to　those　bewildering　ideas　which　incidents　like　these　could

not　fail　to　produce。





V





Order　could　not　readily　be　introduced　into　my　thoughts。　　The　voice

still　rung　in　my　ears。　　Every　accent　that　was　uttered　by　Carwin　was

fresh　in　my　remembrance。　　His　unwelcome　approach；　the　recognition

of　his　person；　his　hasty　departure；　produced　a　complex　impression

on　my　mind　which　no　words　can　delineate。　　I　strove　to　give　a　slower

motion　to　my　thoughts；　and　to　regulate　a　confusion　which　became

painful；　but　my　efforts　were　nugatory。　　I　covered　my　eyes　with　my

hand；　and　sat；　I　know　not　how　long；　without　power　to　arrange　or

utter　my　conceptions。



I　had　remained　for　hours；　as　I　believed；　in　absolute　solitude。　　No

thought　of　personal　danger　had　molested　my　tranquillity。　　I　had

made　no　preparation　for　defense。　　What　was　it　that　suggested　the

design　of　perusing　my　father's　manuscript？　　If；　instead　of　this；　I

had　retired　to　bed　and　to　sleep；　to　what　fate　might　I　not　have　been

reserved。　　The　ruffian；　who　must　almost　have　suppressed　his

breathings　to　screen　himself　from　discovery；　would　have　noticed

this　signal；　and　I　should　have　awakened　only　to　perish　with

affright；　and　to　abhor　myself。　　Could　I　have　remained　unconscious

of　my　danger？　　Could　I　have　tranquilly　slept　in　the　midst　of　so

deadly　a　snare？



And　who　was　he　that　threatened　to　destroy　me？　　By　what　means　could

he　hide　himself　in　this　closet？　　Surely　he　is　gifted　with

supernatural　power。　　Such　is　the　enemy　of　whose　attempts　I　was

forewarned。　　Daily　I　had　seen　him　and　conversed　with　him。　　Nothing

could　be　discerned　through　the　impenetrable　veil　of　his　duplicity。

When　busied　in　conjectures　as　to　the　author　of　the　evil　that　was

threatened；　my　mind　did　not　light　for　a　moment　upon　his　image。　　Yet

has　he　not　avowed　himself　my　enemy？　　Why　should　he　be　here　if　he

had　not　meditated　evil？



He　confesses　that　this　has　been　his　second　attempt。　　What　was　the

scene　of　his　former　conspiracy？　　Was　it　not　he　whose　whispers

betrayed　him？　　Am　I　deceived？　or　was　there　not　a　faint　resemblance

between　the　voice　of　this　man　and　that　which　talked　of　grasping　my

throat　and　extinguishing　my　life　in　a　moment？　　Then　he　had　a

colleague　in　his　crime；　now　he　is　alone。　　Then　death　was　the　scope

of　his　thoughts；　now　an　injury　unspeakably　more　dreadful。　　How

thankful　should　I　be　to　the　power　that　has　interposed　to　save　me！



That　power　is　invisible。　　It　is　subject　to　the　cognizance　of　one　of

my　senses。　　What　are　the　means　that　will　inform　me　of　what　nature

it　is？　　He　has　set　himself　to　counter…work　the　machinations　of　this

man；　who　had　menaced　destruction　to　all　that　is　dear　to　me；　and

whose　coming　had　surmounted　every　human　impediment。　　There　was　none

to　rescue　me　from　his　grasp。　　My　rashness　even　hastened　the

completion　of　his　scheme；　and　precluded　him　from　the　benefits　of

deliberation。　　I　had　robbed　him　of　the　power　to　repent　and　forbear。

Had　I　been　apprised　of　the　danger；　I　should　have　regarded　my

conduct　as　the　means　of　rendering　my　escape　from　it　impossible。

Such；　likewise；　seem　to　have　been　the　fears　of　my　invisible

protector。　　Else　why　that　startling　entreaty　to　refrain　from

opening　the　closet？　　By　what　inexplicable　infatuation　was　I

compelled　to　proceed？



〃Surely；〃　said　I；　〃there　is　omnipotence　in　the　cause　that　changed

the　views　of　a　man　like　Carwin。　　The　divinity　that　shielded　me　from

his　attempts　will　take　suitable　care　of　my　future　safety。　　Thus　to

yield　to　my　fears　is　to　deserve　that　they　should　be　real。〃



Scarcely　had　I　uttered　these　words；　when　my　attention　was　startled

by　the　sound　of　footsteps。　　They　denoted　some　one　stepping　into　the

piazza　in　front　of　my　house。　　My　new…born　confidence　was

extinguished　in　a　moment。　　Carwin；　I　thought；　had　repented　his

departure；　and　was　hastily　returning。　　The　possibility　that　his

return　was　prompted　by　intentions　consistent　with　my　safety　found

no　place　in　my　mind。　　Images　of　violation　and　murder　assailed　me

anew；　and　the　terrors　which　succeeded　almost　incapacitated　me