the woman in the alcove-第25节

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d；　for　I　could　not　see。

〃What　was　his　errand？　What　did　he　want　in　this　empty　house　at　midnight？　Papers　first；　and　then　clothes。　I　heard　him　at　his　desk；　I　heard　him　in　the　closet；　and　afterward　pottering　in　the　old　trunk　I　had　been　so　anxious　to　look　into　myself。　He　must　have　brought　the　key　with　him；　for　it　was　no　time　before　I　heard　him　throwing　out　the　contents　in　a　wild　search　for　something　he　wanted　in　a　great　hurry。　He　found　it　sooner　than　you　would　believe；　and　began　throwing　the　things　back；　when　something　happened。　Expectedly　or　unexpectedly；　his　eye　fell　on　some　object　which　roused　all　his　passions；　and　he　broke　into　loud　exclamations　ending　in　groans。　Finally　he　fell　to　kissing　this　object　with　a　fervor　suggesting　rage；　and　a　rage　suggesting　tenderness　carried　to　the　point　of　agony。　I　have　never　heard　the　like；　my　curiosity　was　so　aroused　that　I　was　on　the　point　of　risking　everything　for　a　look；　when　he　gave　a　sudden　snarl　and　cried　out；　loud　enough　for　me　to　hear：　'Kiss　what　I've　hated？　That　is　as　bad　as　to　kill　what　I've　loved。'　Those　were　the　words。　I　am　sure　he　said　kiss　and　I　am　sure　he　said　kill。〃

〃This　is　very　interesting。　Go　on　with　your　story。　Why　didn't　you　collar　him　while　he　was　in　this　mood？　You　would　have　won　by　the　surprise。

〃I　had　no　pistol；　sir；　and　he　had。　I　heard　him　cock　it。　I　thought　he　was　going　to　take　his　own　life；　and　held　my　breath　for　the　report。　But　nothing　like　that　was　in　his　mind。　Instead；　he　laid　the　pistol　down　and　deliberately　tore　in　two　the　object　of　his　anger。　Then　with　a　smothered　curse　he　made　for　the　door　and　turret　staircase。

〃I　was　for　following；　but　not　till　I　had　seen　what　he　had　destroyed　in　such　an　excess　of　feeling。　I　thought　I　knew；　but　I　wanted　to　feel　sure。　So；　before　risking　myself　in　the　turret；　I　crept　to　the　room　he　had　left　and　felt　about　on　the　floor　till　I　came　upon　these。〃

〃A　torn　photograph！　Mrs。　Fairbrother's！〃

〃Yes。　Have　you　not　heard　how　he　loved　her？　A　foolish　passion；　but　evidently　sincere　and〃

〃Never　mind　comments；　Sweetwater。　Stick　to　facts。〃

〃I　will；　sir。　They　are　interesting　enough。　After　I　had　picked　up　these　scraps　I　stole　back　to　the　turret　staircase。　And　here　I　made　my　first　break。　I　stumbled　in　the　darkness；　and　the　man　below　heard　me；　for　the　pistol　clicked　again。　I　did　not　like　this；　and　had　some　thoughts　of　backing　out　of　my　job。　But　I　didn't。　I　merely　waited　till　I　heard　his　step　again；　then　I　followed。

〃But　very　warily　this　time。　It　was　not　an　agreeable　venture。　It　was　like　descending　into　a　well　with　possible　death　at　the　bottom。　I　could　see　nothing　and　presently　could　hear　nothing　but　the　almost　imperceptible　sliding　of　my　own　fingers　down　the　curve　of　the　wall；　which　was　all　I　had　to　guide　me。　Had　he　stopped　midway；　and　would　my　first　intimation　of　his　presence　be　the　touch　of　cold　steel　or　the　flinging　around　me　of　two　murderous　arms？　I　had　met　with　no　break　in　the　smooth　surface　of　the　wall；　so　could　not　have　reached　the　second　story。　When　I　should　get　there　the　question　would　be　whether　to　leave　the　staircase　and　seek　him　in　the　mazes　of　its　great　rooms；　or　to　keep　on　down　to　the　parlor　floor　and　so　to　the　street；　whither　he　was　possibly　bound。　I　own　that　I　was　almost　tempted　to　turn　on　my　light　and　have　done　with　it；　but　I　remembered　of　how　little　use　I　should　be　to　you　lying　in　this　well　of　a　stairway　with　a　bullet　in　me；　and　so　I　managed　to　compose　myself　and　go　on　as　I　had　begun。　Next　instant　my　fingers　slipped　round　the　edge　of　an　opening；　and　I　knew　that　the　moment　of　decision　had　come。　Realizing　that　no　one　can　move　so　softly　that　he　will　not　give　away　his　presence　in　some　way；　I　paused　for　the　sound　which　I　knew　must　come；　and　when　a　click　rose　from　the　depths　of　the　hall　before　me　I　plunged　into　that　hall　and　thus　into　the　house　proper。

〃Here　it　was　not　so　dark；　yet　I　could　make　out　none　of　the　objects　I　now　and　then　ran　against。　I　passed　a　mirror　（I　hardly　know　how　I　knew　it　to　be　such）；　and　in　that　mirror　I　seemed　to　see　the　ghost　of　a　ghost　flit　by　and　vanish。　It　was　too　much。　I　muttered　a　suppressed　oath　and　plunged　forward；　when　I　struck　against　a　closing　door。　It　flew　open　again　and　I　rushed　in；　turning　on　my　light　in　my　extreme　desperation；　when；　instead　of　hearing　the　sharp　report　of　a　pistol；　as　I　expected；　I　saw　a　second　door　fall　to　before　me；　this　time　with　a　sound　like　the　snap　of　a　spring　lock。　Finding　that　this　was　so；　and　that　all　advance　was　barred　that　way；　I　wheeled　hurriedly　back　toward　the　door　by　which　I　had　entered　the　place；　to　find　that　that　had　fallen　to　simultaneously　with　the　other；　a　single　spring　acting　for　both。　I　was　trappeda　prisoner　in　the　strangest　sort　of　passageway　or　closet；　and；　as　a　speedy　look　about　presently　assured　me；　a　prisoner　with　very　little　hope　of　immediate　escape；　for　the　doors　were　not　only　immovable；　without　even　locks　to　pick　or　panels　to　break　in；　but　the　place　was　bare　of　windows；　and　the　only　communication　which　it　could　be　said　to　have　with　the　outside　world　at　all　was　a　shaft　rising　from　the　ceiling　almost　to　the　top　of　the　house。　Whether　this　served　as　a　ventilator；　or　a　means　of　lighting　up　the　hole　when　both　doors　were　shut；　it　was　much　too　inaccessible　to　offer　any　apparent　way　of　escape。

〃Never　was　a　man　more　thoroughly　boxed　in。　As　I　realized　how　little　chance　there　was　of　any　outside　interference；　how　my　captor；　even　if　he　was　seen　leaving　the　house　by　the　officer　on　duty；　would　be　taken　for　myself　and　so　allowed　to　escape；　I　own　that　I　felt　my　position　a　hopeless　one。　But　anger　is　a　powerful　stimulant；　and　I　was　mortally　angry；　not　only　with　Sears；　but　with　myself。　So　when　I　was　done　swearing　I　took　another　look　around；　and；　finding　that　there　was　no　getting　through　the　walls；　turned　my　attention　wholly　to　the　shaft；　which　would　certainly　lead　me　out　of　the　place　if　I　could　only　find　means　to　mount　it。

〃And　how　do　you　think　I　managed　to　do　this　at　last？　A　look　at　my　bedraggled；　lime…covered　clothes　may　give　you　some　idea。　I　cut　a　passage　for　myself　up　those　perpendicular　walls　as　the　boy　did　up　the　face　of　the　natural　bridge　in　Virginia。　Do　you　remember　that　old　story　in　the　Reader？　It　came　to　me　like　an　inspiration　as　I　stood　looking　up　from　below；　and　though　I　knew　that　I　should　have　to　work　most　of　the　way　in　perfect　darkness；　I　decided　that　a　man's　life　was　worth　some　risk；　and　that　I　had　rather　fall　and　break　my　neck　while　doing　something　than　to　spend　hours　in　maddening　inactivity；　only　to　face　death　at　last　from　slow　starvation。

〃I　had　a　knife；　an　exceedingly　good　knife；　in　my　pocketand　for　the　first　few　steps　I　should　have　the　light　of　my　electric　torch。　The　difficulty　（that　is；　the　first　difficulty）　was　to　reach　the　shaft　from　the　floor　where　I　stood。　There　was　but　one　article　of　furniture　in　the　room；　and　that　was　something　between　a　table　and　a　desk。　No　chairs；　and　the　desk　was　not　high　enough　to　enable　me　to　reach　the　mouth　of　the　shaft。　If　I　could　turn　it　on　end　there　might　be　some　hope。　But　this　did　not　look　feasible。　However；　I　threw　off　my　coat　and　went　at　the　thing　with　a　vengeance；　and　whether　I　was　given　superhuman　power　or　whether　the　clumsy　thing　was　not　as　heavy　as　it　looked；　I　did　finally　succeed　in　turning　it　on　its　end　close　under　the　opening　from　which　the　shaft　rose。　The　next　thing　was　to　get　on　its　top。　That　seemed　about　as　impossible　as　climbing　the　bare　wall　itself；　but　presently　I　bethought　me　of　the　drawers；　and；　though　they　were　locked；　I　did　succeed　by　the　aid　of　my　keys　to　get　enough　of　them　open　to　make　for　myself　a　very　good　pair　of　stairs。

〃I　could　now　see　my　way　to　the　mouth　of　the　shaft；　but　after　that！　Taking　out　my　knife；　I　felt　the　edge。　It　was　a　good　one；　so　was　the　point；　but　was　it　good　enough　to　work　holes　in　plaster？　It　depended　somewhat　upon　the　plaster。　Had　the　masons；　in　finishing　that　shaft；　any　thought　of　the　poor　wretch　who　one　day　would　have　to　pit　his　life　against　the　hardness　of　the　final　covering？　My　first　dig　at　it　would　tell。　I　own　I　trembled　violently　at　the　prospect　of　what　that　first　test　would　mean　to　me；　and　wondered　if　the　perspiration　which　I　felt　starting　at　every　pore　was　the　result　of　the　effort　I　had　been　engaged　in　or　just　plain　fear。

〃Inspector；　I　do　not　intend　to　have　you　live　with　me　through　the　five　mortal　hours　which　followed。　I　was　enabled　to　pierce　that　plaster　with　my　knife；　and　even　to　penetrate　deep　enough　to　afford　a　place　for　the　tips　of　my　fingers　and　afterward　for　the　point　of　my　toes；　digging；　prying；　sweating；　panting；　listening；　first　for　a　sudden　opening　of　the　doors　beneath；　then　for　some　shout　or　wicked　interference　from　above　as　I　worked　my　way　up　inch　by　inch；　foot　by　foot；　to　what　might　not　be　safety　after　it　was　attained。

〃Five　hourssix。　Then　I　struck　something　which　proved　to　be　a　window；　and　when　I　realized　this　and　knew　that　with　but　one　more　effort　I　should　breathe　freely　again；　I　came　as　near　falling　as　I　had　at　any　time　before　I　began　this　terrible　climb。

〃Happily；　I　had　some　premonition　of　my　danger；　and　threw　myself　into　a　position　which　held　me　till　the　dizzy　minute　passed。　Then　I　went　calmly　on　with　my　work；　and　in　another　half…hour　had　reached　the　window；　which；　fortunately　for　me；　not　only　opened　inward；　but　was　of