stories by modern american authors-第60节

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events　of　this　night；　and　determined　to　take　up　my　abode　henceforth

at　my　brother's。　　Whether　I　should　inform　him　of　what　had　happened

was　a　question　which　seemed　to　demand　some　consideration。　　My

safety　unquestionably　required　that　I　should　abandon　my　present

habitation。



As　my　thoughts　began　to　flow　with　fewer　impediments；　the　image　of

Pleyel；　and　the　dubiousness　of　his　condition；　again　recurred　to　me。

I　again　ran　over　the　possible　causes　of　his　absence　on　the

preceding　day。　　My　mind　was　attuned　to　melancholy。　　I　dwelt；　with

an　obstinacy　for　which　I　could　not　account；　on　the　idea　of　his

death。　　I　painted　to　myself　his　struggles　with　the　billows；　and　his

last　appearance。　　I　imagined　myself　a　midnight　wanderer　on　the

shore；　and　to　have　stumbled　on　his　corpse；　which　the　tide　had　cast

up。　　These　dreary　images　affected　me　even　to　tears。　　I　endeavored

not　to　restrain　them。　　They　imparted　a　relief　which　I　had　not

anticipated。　　The　more　copiously　they　flowed；　the　more　did　my

general　sensations　appear　to　subside　into　calm；　and　a　certain

restlessness　give　way　to　repose。



Perhaps；　relieved　by　this　effusion；　the　slumber　so　much　wanted

might　have　stolen　on　my　senses；　had　there　been　no　new　cause　of

alarm。





VI





I　was　aroused　from　this　stupor　by　sounds　that　evidently　arose　in

the　next　chamber。　　Was　it　possible　that　I　had　been　mistaken　in　the

figure　which　I　had　seen　on　the　bank？　or　had　Carwin；　by　some

inscrutable　means；　penetrated　once　more　into　this　chamber？　　The

opposite　door　opened；　footsteps　came　forth；　and　the　person；

advancing　to　mine；　knocked。



So　unexpected　an　incident　robbed　me　of　all　presence　of　mind；　and；

starting　up；　I　involuntarily　exclaimed；　〃Who　is　there？〃　　An　answer

was　immediately　given。　　The　voice；　to　my　inexpressible

astonishment；　was　Pleyel's。



〃It　is　I。　　Have　you　risen？　　If　you　have　not；　make　haste；　I　want

three　minutes'　conversation　with　you　in　the　parlor。　　I　will　wait

for　you　there。〃　　Saying　this；　he　retired　from　the　door。



Should　I　confide　in　the　testimony　of　my　ears？　　If　that　were　true；

it　was　Pleyel　that　had　been　hitherto　immured　in　the　opposite

chamber；　he　whom　my　rueful　fancy　had　depicted　in　so　many　ruinous

and　ghastly　shapes；　he　whose　footsteps　had　been　listened　to　with

such　inquietude！　　What　is　man；　that　knowledge　is　so　sparingly

conferred　upon　him！　that　his　heart　should　be　wrung　with　distress；

and　his　frame　be　exanimated　with　fear；　though　his　safety　be

encompassed　with　impregnable　walls！　　What　are　the　bounds　of　human

imbecility！　　He　that　warned　me　of　the　presence　of　my　foe　refused

the　intimation　by　which　so　many　racking　fears　would　have　been

precluded。



Yet　who　would　have　imagined　the　arrival　of　Pleyel　at　such　an　hour？

His　tone　was　desponding　and　anxious。　　Why　this　unseasonable

summons？　and　why　this　hasty　departure？　　Some　tidings　he；　perhaps；

bears　of　mysterious　and　unwelcome　import。



My　impatience　would　not　allow　me　to　consume　much　time　in

deliberation；　I　hastened　down。　　Pleyel　I　found　standing　at　a

window；　with　eyes　cast　down　as　in　meditation；　and　arms　folded　on

his　breast。　　Every　line　in　his　countenance　was　pregnant　with

sorrow。　　To　this　was　added　a　certain　wanness　and　air　of　fatigue。

The　last　time　I　had　seen　him　appearances　had　been　the　reverse　of

these。　　I　was　startled　at　the　change。　　The　first　impulse　was　to

question　him　as　to　the　cause。　　This　impulse　was　supplanted　by　some

degree　of　confusion；　flowing　from　a　consciousness　that　love　had　too

large；　and；　as　it　might　prove；　a　perceptible；　share　in　creating

this　impulse。　　I　was　silent。



Presently　be　raised　his　eyes　and　fixed　them　upon　me。　　I　read　in

them　an　anguish　altogether　ineffable。　　Never　had　I　witnessed　a　like

demeanor　in　Pleyel。　　Never；　indeed；　had　I　observed　a　human

countenance　in　which　grief　was　more　legibly　inscribed。　　He　seemed

struggling　for　utterance；　but；　his　struggles　being　fruitless；　he

shook　his　head　and　turned　away　from　me。



My　impatience　would　not　allow　me　to　be　longer　silent。　　〃What；〃　said

I；　〃for　heaven's　sake；　my　friend；what　is　the　matter？〃



He　started　at　the　sound　of　my　voice。　　His　looks；　for　a　moment；

became　convulsed　with　an　emotion　very　different　from　grief。　　His

accents　were　broken　with　rage：



〃The　matter！　　O　wretch！thus　exquisitely　fashioned；on　whom

nature　seemed　to　have　exhausted　all　her　graces；　with　charms　so

awful　and　so　pure！　how　art　thou　fallen！　　From　what　height　fallen！

A　ruin　so　complete；so　unheard　of！〃



His　words　were　again　choked　by　emotion。　　Grief　and　pity　were　again

mingled　in　his　features。　　He　resumed；　in　a　tone　half　suffocated　by

sobs：



〃But　why　should　I　upbraid　thee？　　Could　I　restore　to　thee　what　thou

hast　lost；　efface　this　cursed　stain；　snatch　thee　from　the　jaws　of

this　fiend；　I　would　do　it。　　Yet　what　will　avail　my　efforts？　　I　have

not　arms　with　which　to　contend　with　so　consummate；　so　frightful　a

depravity。



〃Evidence　less　than　this　would　only　have　excited　resentment　and

scorn。　　The　wretch　who　should　have　breathed　a　suspicion　injurious

to　thy　honor　would　have　been　regarded　without　anger：　not　hatred　or

envy　could　have　prompted　him；　it　would　merely　be　an　argument　of

madness。　　That　my　eyes；　that　my　ears；　should　bear　witness　to　thy

fall！　　By　no　other　way　could　detestable　conviction　be　imparted。



〃Why　do　I　summon　thee　to　this　conference？　　Why　expose　myself　to　thy

derision？　　Here　admonition　and　entreaty　are　vain。　　Thou　knowest　him

already　for　a　murderer　and　thief。　　I　thought　to　have　been　the　first

to　disclose　to　thee　his　infamy；　to　have　warned　thee　of　the　pit　to

which　thou　art　hastening；　but　thy　eyes　are　open　in　vain。　　Oh；　foul

and　insupportable　disgrace！



〃There　is　but　one　path。　　I　know　you　will　disappear　together。　　In

thy　ruin；　how　will　the　felicity　and　honor　of　multitudes　be

involved！　　But　it　must　come。　　This　scene　shall　not　be　blotted　by

his　presence。　　No　doubt　thou　wilt　shortly　see　thy　detested

paramour。　　This　scene　will　be　again　polluted　by　a　midnight

assignation。　　Inform　him　of　his　dangers；　tell　him　that　his　crimes

are　known；　let　him　fly　far　and　instantly　from　this　spot；　if　he

desires　to　avoid　the　fate　which　menaced　him　in　Ireland。



〃And　wilt　thou　not　stay　behind？　　But　shame　upon　my　weakness！　　I

know　not　what　I　would　say。　　I　have　done　what　I　purposed。　　To　stay

longer；　to　expostulate；　to　beseech；　to　enumerate　the　consequences

of　thy　act；what　end　can　it　serve　but　to　blazon　thy　infamy　and

embitter　our　woes？　　And　yet；　oh；　thinkthink　ere　it　be　too　late

on　the　distresses　which　thy　flight　will　entail　upon　us；　on　the

base；　groveling；　and　atrocious　character　of　the　wretch　to　whom　thou

hast　sold　thy　honor。　　But　what　is　this？　　Is　not　thy　effrontery

impenetrable　and　thy　heart　thoroughly　cankered？　　Oh；　most　specious

and　most　profligate　of　women！〃



Saying　this；　he　rushed　out　of　the　house。　　I　saw　him　in　a　few

moments　hurrying　along　the　path　which　led　to　my　brother's。　　I　had

no　power　to　prevent　his　going；　or　to　recall　or　to　follow　him。　　The

accents　I　had　heard　were　calculated　to　confound　and　bewilder。　　I

looked　around　me；　to　assure　myself　that　the　scene　was　real。　　I

moved；　that　I　might　banish　the　doubt　that　I　was　awake。　　Such

enormous　imputations　from　the　mouth　of　Pleyel！　　To　be　stigmatized

with　the　names　of　wanton　and　profligate！　　To　be　charged　with　the

sacrifice　of　honor！　with　midnight　meetings　with　a　wretch　known　to

be　a　murderer　and　thief！　with　an　intention　to　fly　in　his　company！



What　I　had　heard　was　surely　the　dictate　of　frenzy；　or　it　was　built

upon　some　fatal；　some　incomprehensible　mistake。　　After　the　horrors

of　the　night；　after　undergoing　perils　so　imminent　from　this　man；　to

be　summoned　to　an　interview　like　this！to　find　Pleyel　fraught　with

a　belief　that；　instead　of　having　chosen　death　as　a　refuge　from　the

violence　of　this　man；　I　had　hugged　his　baseness　to　my　heart；　had

sacrificed　for　him　my　purity；　my　spotless　name；　my　friendships；　and

my　fortune！　　That　even　madness　could　engender　accusations　like

these　was　not　to　be　believed。



What　evidence　could　possibly　suggest　conceptions　so　wild？　　After

the　unlooked…for　interview　with　Carwin　in　my　chamber；　he　retired。

Could　Pleyel　have　observed　his　exit？　　It　was　not　long　after　that

Pleyel　himself　entered。　　Did　he　build　on　this　incident　his　odious

conclusions？　　Could　the　long　series　of　my　actions　and　sentiments

grant　me　no　exemption　from　suspicions　so　foul？　　Was　it　not　more

rational　to　infer　that　Carwin's　designs　had　been　illicit？　that　my

life　had　been　endangered　by　the　fury　of　one　whom；　by　some　means；　he

had　discovered　to　be　an　assassin　and　robber？　that　my　honor　had　been

assailed；　not　by　blandishments；　but　by　violence？



He　has　judged　me　without　hearing。　　He　has　drawn　from　dubious

appearances　conclusions　the　most　improbable　and　unjust。　　He　has

loaded　me　with　all　outrageous　epithets。　　He　has　ranked　me　with

prostitutes　and　thieves。　　I　cannot　pardon　thee；　Pleyel；　for　this

injustice。　　Thy　und