stories by modern american authors-第63节

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his　station　was　at　some　distance；　that　his　attitude　was　not

menacing；　that　his　ominous　visage　was　concealed；　may　account　for　my

now　escaping　a　shock　violent　as　those　which　were　past。　　I　withdrew

my　eyes；　but　was　not　again　deserted　by　my　senses。



On　perceiving　that　I　had　recovered　my　sensibility；　he　lifted　his

head。　　This　motion　attracted　my　attention。　　His　countenance　was

mild；　but　sorrow　and　astonishment　sat　upon　his　features。　　I　averted

my　eyes　and　feebly　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　fly！fly　far　and　forever！I

cannot　behold　you　and　live！〃



He　did　not　rise　upon　his　feet；　but　clasped　his　hands；　and　said；　in

a　tone　of　deprecation；　〃I　will　fly。　　I　am　become　a　fiend；　the　sight

of　whom　destroys。　　Yet　tell　me　my　offense！　　You　have　linked　curses

with　my　name；　you　ascribe　to　me　a　malice　monstrous　and　infernal。　　I

look　around：　all　is　loneliness　and　desert！　　This　house　and　your

brother's　are　solitary　and　dismantled！　　You　die　away　at　the　sight

of　me！　　My　fear　whispers　that　some　deed　of　horror　has　been

perpetrated；　that　I　am　the　undesigning　cause。〃



What　language　was　this？　　Had　he　not　avowed　himself　a　ravisher？　　Had

not　this　chamber　witnessed　his　atrocious　purposes？　　I　besought　him

with　new　vehemence　to　go。



He　lifted　his　eyes：〃Great　heaven！　what　have　I　done？　　I　think　I

know　the　extent　of　my　offenses。　　I　have　acted；　but　my　actions　have

possibly　effected　more　than　I　designed。　　This　fear　has　brought　me

back　from　my　retreat。　　I　come　to　repair　the　evil　of　which　my

rashness　was　the　cause；　and　to　prevent　more　evil。　　I　come　to

confess　my　errors。〃



〃Wretch！〃　I　cried；　when　my　suffocating　emotions　would　permit　me　to

speak；　〃the　ghosts　of　my　sister　and　her　children；do　they　not　rise

to　accuse　thee？　　Who　was　it　that　blasted　the　intellect　of　Wieland？

Who　was　it　that　urged　him　to　fury　and　guided　him　to　murder？　　Who；

but　thou　and　the　devil；　with　whom　thou　art　confederated？〃



At　these　words　a　new　spirit　pervaded　his　countenance。　　His　eyes

once　more　appealed　to　heaven。　　〃If　I　have　memoryif　I　have　being

I　am　innocent。　　I　intended　no　ill；　but　my　folly；　indirectly　and

remotely；　may　have　caused　it。　　But　what　words　are　these？　　Your

brother　lunatic！　　His　children　dead！〃



What　should　I　infer　from　this　deportment？　　Was　the　ignorance　which

these　words　implied　real　or　pretended？　　Yet　how　could　I　imagine　a

mere　human　agency　in　these　events？　　But；　if　the　influence　was

preternatural　or　maniacal　in　my　brother's　case；　they　must　be

equally　so　in　my　own。　　Then　I　remembered　that　the　voice　exerted　was

to　save　me　from　Carwin's　attempts。　　These　ideas　tended　to　abate　my

abhorrence　of　this　man；　and　to　detect　the　absurdity　of　my

accusations。



〃Alas！〃　said　I；　〃I　have　no　one　to　accuse。　　Leave　me　to　my　fate。

Fly　from　a　scene　stained　with　cruelty；　devoted　to　despair。〃



Carwin　stood　for　a　time　musing　and　mournful。　　At　length　he　said；

〃What　has　happened？　　I　came　to　expiate　my　crimes：　let　me　know　them

in　their　full　extent。　　I　have　horrible　forebodings！　　What　has

happened？〃



I　was　silent；　but；　recollecting　the　intimation　given　by　this　man

when　he　was　detected　in　my　closet；　which　implied　some　knowledge　of

that　power　which　interfered　in　my　favor；　I　eagerly　inquired；　〃What

was　that　voice　which　called　upon　me　to　hold　when　I　attempted　to

open　the　closet？　　What　face　was　that　which　I　saw　at　the　bottom　of

the　stairs？　　Answer　me　truly。〃



〃I　came　to　confess　the　truth。　　Your　allusions　are　horrible　and

strange。　　Perhaps　I　have　but　faint　conceptions　of　the　evils　which

my　infatuation　has　produced；　but　what　remains　I　will　perform。　　It

was　MY　VOICE　that　you　heard！　　It　was　MY　FACE　that　you　saw！〃



For　a　moment　I　doubted　whether　my　remembrance　of　events　were　not

confused。　　How　could　he　be　at　once　stationed　at　my　shoulder　and

shut　up　in　my　closet？　　How　could　he　stand　near　me　and　yet　be

invisible？　　But　if　Carwin's　were　the　thrilling　voice　and　the　fiery

image　which　I　had　heard　and　seen；　then　was　he　the　prompter　of　my

brother；　and　the　author　of　these　dismal　outrages。



Once　more　I　averted　my　eyes　and　struggled　for　speech：〃Begone！

thou　man　of　mischief！　　Remorseless　and　implacable　miscreant；

begone！〃



〃I　will　obey；〃　said　he；　in　a　disconsolate　voice；　〃yet；　wretch　as　I

am；　am　I　unworthy　to　repair　the　evils　that　I　have　committed？　　I

came　as　a　repentant　criminal。　　It　is　you　whom　I　have　injured；　and

at　your　bar　am　I　willing　to　appear　and　confess　and　expiate　my

crimes。　　I　have　deceived　you；　I　have　sported　with　your　terrors；　I

have　plotted　to　destroy　your　reputation。　　I　come　now　to　remove　your

terrors；　to　set　you　beyond　the　reach　of　similar　fears；　to　rebuild

your　fame　as　far　as　I　am　able。



〃This　is　the　amount　of　my　guilt；　and　this　the　fruit　of　my　remorse。

Will　you　not　hear　me？　　Listen　to　my　confession；　and　then　denounce

punishment。　　All　I　ask　is　a　patient　audience。〃



〃What！〃　I　replied；　〃was　not　thine　the　voice　that　commanded　my

brother　to　imbrue　his　hands　in　the　blood　of　his　children？to

strangle　that　angel　of　sweetness；　his　wife？　　Has　he　not　vowed　my

death；　and　the　death　of　Pleyel；　at　thy　bidding？　　Hast　thou　not　made

him　the　butcher　of　his　family？changed　him　who　was　the　glory　of

his　species　into　worse　than　brute？robbed　him　of　reason　and

consigned　the　rest　of　his　days　to　fetters　and　stripes？〃



Carwin's　eyes　glared　and　his　limbs　were　petrified　at　this

intelligence。　　No　words　were　requisite　to　prove　him　guiltless　of

these　enormities：　at　the　time；　however；　I　was　nearly　insensible　to

these　exculpatory　tokens。　　He　walked　to　the　farther　end　of　the

room；　and；　having　recovered　some　degree　of　composure；　he　spoke：



〃I　am　not　this　villain。　　I　have　slain　no　one；　I　have　prompted　none

to　slay；　I　have　handled　a　tool　of　wonderful　efficacy　without

malignant　intentions；　but　without　caution。　　Ample　will　be　the

punishment　of　my　temerity；　if　my　conduct　has　contributed　to　this

evil。〃　　He　paused。



I　likewise　was　silent。　　I　struggled　to　command　myself　so　far　as　to

listen　to　the　tale　which　he　should　tell。　　Observing　this；　he

continued：



〃You　are　not　apprised　of　the　existence　of　a　power　which　I　possess。

I　know　not　by　what　name　to　call　it。＇1＇　　It　enables　me　to　mimic

exactly　the　voice　of　another；　and　to　modify　the　sound　so　that　it

shall　appear　to　come　from　what　quarter　and　be　uttered　at　what

distance　I　please。



〃I　know　not　that　everyone　possesses　this　power。　　Perhaps；　though　a

casual　position　of　my　organs　in　my　youth　showed　me　that　I　possessed

it；　it　is　an　art　which　may　be　taught　to　all。　　Would　to　God　I　had

died　unknowing　of　the　secret！　　It　has　produced　nothing　but

degradation　and　calamity。〃





＇1＇　Biloquium；　or　ventrilocution。　　Sound　is　varied　according　to　the

variations　of　direction　and　distance。　　The　art　of　the　ventriloquist

consists　in　modifying　his　voice　according　to　all　these　variations；

without　changing　his　place。　　See　the　work　of　the　Abbe　de　la

Chappelle；　in　which　are　accurately　recorded　the　performances　of　one

of　these　artists；　and　some　ingenious　though　unsatisfactory


speculations　are　given　on　the　means　by　which　the　effects　are

produced。　　This　power　is；　perhaps；　given　by　nature；　but　is

doubtless　improvable；　if　not　acquirable；　by　art。　　It　may；　possibly；

consist　in　an　unusual　flexibility　or　extension　of　the　bottom　of　the

tongue　and　the　uvula。　　That　speech　is　producible　by　these　alone

must　be　granted；　since　anatomists　mention　two　instances　of　persons

speaking　without　a　tongue。　　In　one　case　the　organ　was　originally

wanting；　but　its　place　was　supplied　by　a　small　tubercle；　and　the

uvula　was　perfect。　　In　the　other　the　tongue　was　destroyed　by

disease；　but　probably　a　small　part　of　it　remained。



This　power　is　difficult　to　explain；　but　the　fact　is　undeniable。

Experience　shows　that　the　human　voice　can　imitate　the　voice　of　all

men　and　of　all　inferior　animals。　　The　sound　of　musical　instruments；

and　even　noises　from　the　contact　of　inanimate　substances；　have　been

accurately　imitated。　　The　mimicry　of　animals　is　notorious；　and　Dr。

Burney　（〃Musical　Travels〃）　mentions　one　who　imitated　a　flute　and

violin；　so　as　to　deceive　even　his　ears。







THIRD　PART





I





＇After　Carwin's　confession　of　his　powers　of　ventriloquism　all　the

mysteries　are　cleared　upsave　one。　　The　owner　of　the　voice　heard

in　Clara's　chamber；　on　the　first　night　after　the　wanderer　appeared

at　Mettingen；　the　threatener　on　the　edge　of　the　precipice；　the　spy

in　Clara's　closet；　and　would…be　intruder；　the　manipulator　of　the

vile　plot　that　destroyed　her　lover's　confidenceall　these　hidden

identities　have　materialized　in　the　person　of　this　one　unhappy　man。

But　while　confessing　the　prying　disposition　which　led　to　these

sins；　in　efforts　to　protect　himself　from　discovery；　Carwin　still

denies　that　Wieland's　mad　acts　were　perpetrated　at　his

instigation。＇





〃I　have　uttered　the　truth。　　This　is　the　extent　of　my　offenses。　　You

tell　me　a　horrid　tale　of　Wieland　being　led　to　the　destruction　of

his　wife　and　ch