stories by modern american authors-第66节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　the　impotence　of　reason　over　my　own　conduct；　conscious　of　my

cowardly　rashness　and　my　criminal　despair；　I　doubted　whether　anyone

could　be　steadfast　and　wise。



Such　was　my　weakness；　that　even　in　the　midst　of　these　thoughts　my

mind　glided　into　abhorrence　of　Carwin；　and　I　uttered；　in　a　low

voice；　〃O　Carwin！　Carwin！　what　hast　thou　to　answer　for？〃



My　brother　immediately　noticed　the　involuntary　exclamation。

〃Clara！〃　said　he；　〃be　thyself。　　Equity　used　to　be　a　theme　for　thy

eloquence。　　Reduce　its　lessons　to　practice；　and　be　just　to　that

unfortunate　man。　　The　instrument　has　done　its　work；　and　I　am

satisfied。



〃I　thank　thee；　my　God；　for　this　last　illumination！　　My　enemy　is

thine　also。　　I　deemed　him　to　be　a　man；the　man　with　whom　I　have

often　communed；　but　now　thy　goodness　has　unveiled　to　me　his　true

nature。　　As　the　performer　of　thy　behests；　he　is　my　friend。〃



My　heart　began　now　to　misgive　me。　　His　mournful　aspect　had

gradually　yielded　place　to　a　serene　brow。　　A　new　soul　appeared　to

actuate　his　frame；　and　his　eyes　to　beam　with　preternatural　luster。

These　symptoms　did　not　abate；　and　he　continued：



〃Clara；　I　must　not　leave　thee　in　doubt。　　I　know　not　what　brought

about　thy　interview　with　the　being　whom　thou　callest　Carwin。　　For　a

time　I　was　guilty　of　thy　error；　and　deduced　from　his　incoherent

confessions　that　I　had　been　made　the　victim　of　human　malice。　　He

left　us　at　my　bidding；　and　I　put　up　a　prayer　that　my　doubts　should

be　removed。　　Thy　eyes　were　shut　and　thy　ears　sealed　to　the　vision

that　answered　my　prayer。



〃I　was　indeed　deceived。　　The　form　thou　hast　seen　was　the

incarnation　of　a　demon。　　The　visage　and　voice　which　urged　me　to　the

sacrifice　of　my　family　were　his。　　Now　he　personates　a　human　form；

then　he　was　environed　with　the　luster　of　heaven。



〃Clara；〃　he　continued；　advancing　closer　to　me；　〃thy　death　must

come。　　This　minister　is　evil；　but　he　from　whom　his　commission　was

received　is　God。　　Submit　then　with　all　thy　wonted　resignation　to　a

decree　that　cannot　be　reversed　or　resisted。　　Mark　the　clock。　　Three

minutes　are　allowed　to　thee；　in　which　to　call　up　thy　fortitude　and

prepare　thee　for　thy　doom。〃　　There　he　stopped。



Even　now；　when　this　scene　exists　only　in　memory；　when　life　and　all

its　functions　have　sunk　into　torpor；　my　pulse　throbs；　and　my　hairs

uprise；　my　brows　are　knit；　as　then；　and　I　gaze　around　me　in

distraction。　　I　was　unconquerably　averse　to　death；　but　death；

imminent　and　full　of　agony　as　that　which　was　threatened；　was

nothing。　　This　was　not　the　only　or　chief　inspirer　of　my　fears。



For　him；　not　for　myself；　was　my　soul　tormented。　　I　might　die；　and

no　crime；　surpassing　the　reach　of　mercy；　would　pursue　me　to　the

presence　of　my　Judge；　but　my　assassin　would　survive　to　contemplate

his　deed；　and　that　assassin　was　Wieland！



Wings　to　bear　me　beyond　his　reach　I　had　not。　　I　could　not　vanish

with　a　thought。　　The　door　was　open；　but　my　murderer　was　interposed

between　that　and　me。　　Of　self…defense　I　was　incapable。　　The　frenzy

that　lately　prompted　me　to　blood　was　gone：　my　state　was　desperate；

my　rescue　was　impossible。



The　weight　of　these　accumulated　thoughts　could　not　be　borne。　　My

sight　became　confused；　my　limbs　were　seized　with　convulsion；　I

spoke；　but　my　words　were　half　formed：



〃Spare　me；　my　brother！　　Look　down；　righteous　Judge！　snatch　me　from

this　fate！　take　away　this　fury　from　him；　or　turn　it　elsewhere！　〃



Such　was　the　agony　of　my　thoughts　that　I　noticed　not　steps　entering

my　apartment。　　Supplicating　eyes　were　cast　upward；　but　when　my

prayer　was　breathed　I　once　more　wildly　gazed　at　the　door。　　A　form

met　my　sight；　I　shuddered　as　if　the　God　whom　I　invoked　were

present。　　It　was　Carwin　that　again　intruded；　and　who　stood　before

me；　erect　in　attitude　and　steadfast　in　look！



The　sight　of　him　awakened　new　and　rapid　thoughts。　　His　recent　tale

was　remembered；　his　magical　transitions　and　mysterious　energy　of

voice。　　Whether　he　were　infernal　or　miraculous　or　human；　there　was

no　power　and　no　need　to　decide。　　Whether　the　contriver　or　not　of

this　spell；　he　was　able　to　unbind　it；　and　to　check　the　fury　of　my

brother。　　He　had　ascribed　to　himself　intentions　not　malignant。

Here　now　was　afforded　a　test　of　his　truth。　　Let　him　interpose；　as

from　above；　revoke　the　savage　decree　which　the　madness　of　Wieland

has　assigned　to　heaven；　and　extinguish　forever　this　passion　for

blood！



My　mind　detected　at　a　glance　this　avenue　to　safety。　　The

recommendations　it　possessed　thronged　as　it　were　together；　and　made

but　one　impression　on　my　intellect。　　Remoter　effects　and　collateral

dangers　I　saw　not。　　Perhaps　the　pause　of　an　instant　had　sufficed　to

call　them　up。　　The　improbability　that　the　influence　which　governed

Wieland　was　external　or　human；　the　tendency　of　this　stratagem　to

sanction　so　fatal　an　error　or　substitute　a　more　destructive　rage　in

place　of　this；　the　insufficiency　of　Carwin's　mere　muscular　forces

to　counteract　the　efforts　and　restrain　the　fury　of　Wieland；　might；

at　a　second　glance；　have　been　discovered；　but　no　second　glance　was

allowed。　　My　first　thought　hurried　me　to　action；　and；　fixing　my

eyes　upon　Carwin；　I　exclaimed；



〃O　wretch！　once　more　hast　thou　come？　　Let　it　be　to　abjure　thy

malice；　to　counterwork　this　hellish　stratagem；　to　turn　from　me　and

from　my　brother　this　desolating　rage！



〃Testify　thy　innocence　or　thy　remorse；　exert　the　powers　which

pertain　to　thee；　whatever　they　be；　to　turn　aside　this　ruin。　　Thou

art　the　author　of　these　horrors！　　What　have　I　done　to　deserve　thus

to　die？　　How　have　I　merited　this　unrelenting　persecution？　　I　adjure

thee；　by　that　God　whose　voice　thou　hast　dared　to　counterfeit；　to

save　my　life！



〃Wilt　thou　then　go？leave　me！　　Succorless！〃



Carwin　listened　to　my　entreaties　unmoved；　and　turned　from　me。　　He

seemed　to　hesitate　a　moment；then　glided　through　the　door。　　Rage

and　despair　stifled　my　utterance。　　The　interval　of　respite　was

past；　the　pangs　reserved　for　me　by　Wieland　were　not　to　be　endured；

my　thoughts　rushed　again　into　anarchy。　　Having　received　the　knife

from　his　hand；　I　held　it　loosely　and　without　regard；　but　now　it

seized　again　my　attention；　and　I　grasped　it　with　force。



He　seemed　to　notice　not　the　entrance　or　exit　of　Carwin。　　My　gesture

and　the　murderous　weapon　appeared　to　have　escaped　his　notice。　　His

silence　was　unbroken；　his　eye；　fixed　upon　the　clock　for　a　time；　was

now　withdrawn；　fury　kindled　in　every　feature；　all　that　was　human　in

his　face　gave　way　to　an　expression　supernatural　and　tremendous。　　I

felt　my　left　arm　within　his　grasp。



Even　now　I　hesitated　to　strike。　　I　shrunk　from　his　assault；　but　in

vain。



Here　let　me　desist。　　Why　should　I　rescue　this　event　from　oblivion？

Why　should　I　paint　this　detestable　conflict？　　Why　not　terminate　at

once　this　series　of　horrors？Hurry　to　the　verge　of　the　precipice；

and　cast　myself　forever　beyond　remembrance　and　beyond　hope？



Still　I　live；　with　this　load　upon　my　breast；　with　this　phantom　to

pursue　my　steps；　with　adders　lodged　in　my　bosom；　and　stinging　me　to

madness；　still　I　consent　to　live！



Yes！　　I　will　rise　above　the　sphere　of　mortal　passions；　I　will　spurn

at　the　cowardly　remorse　that　bids　me　seek　impunity　in　silence；　or

comfort　in　forgetfulness。　　My　nerves　shall　be　new…strung　to　the

task。　　Have　I　not　resolved？　　I　will　die。　　The　gulf　before　me　is

inevitable　and　near。　　I　will　die；　but　then　only　when　my　tale　is　at

an　end。





III





My　right　hand；　grasping　the　unseen　knife；　was　still　disengaged。　　It

was　lifted　to　strike。　　All　my　strength　was　exhausted　but　what　was

sufficient　to　the　performance　of　this　deed。　　Already　was　the　energy

awakened　and　the　impulse　given　that　should　bear　the　fatal　steel　to

his　heart；　whenWieland　shrunk　back；　his　hand　was　withdrawn。

Breathless　with　affright　and　desperation；　I　stood；　freed　from　his

grasp；　unassailed；　untouched。



Thus　long　had　the　power　which　controlled　the　scene　forborne　to

interfere：　but　now　his　might　was　irresistible；　and　Wieland　in　a

moment　was　disarmed　of　all　his　purposes。　　A　voice；　louder　than

human　organs　could　produce；　shriller　than　language　can　depict；

burst　from　the　ceiling　and　commanded　himTO　HOLD！



Trouble　and　dismay　succeeded　to　the　steadfastness　that　had　lately

been　displayed　in　the　looks　of　Wieland。　　His　eyes　roved　from　one

quarter　to　another；　with　an　expression　of　doubt。　　He　seemed　to　wait

for　a　further　intimation。



Carwin's　agency　was　here　easily　recognized。　　I　had　besought　him　to

interpose　in　my　defense。　　He　had　flown。　　I　had　imagined　him　deaf　to

my　prayer；　and　resolute　to　see　me　perish；　yet　he　disappeared　merely

to　devise　and　execute　the　means　of　my　relief。



Why　did　he　not　forbear　when　this　end　was　accomplished？　　Why　did　his

misjudging　zeal　and　accursed　precipitation　overpass　that　limit？　　Or

meant　he　thus　to　crown　the　scene；　and　conduct　his　inscrutable　plots

to　this　consummation？



Such　ideas　were　the　fruit　of　subseq