three ghost stories(三个鬼故事)-第4章
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Three Ghost Stories
THE HAUNTED HOUSE
CHAPTER ITHE MORTALS IN THE HOUSE
Under none of the accredited ghostly circumstances； and environed by
none of the conventional ghostly surroundings； did I first make
acquaintance with the house which is the subject of this Christmas piece。 I
saw it in the daylight； with the sun upon it。 There was no wind； no rain； no
lightning； no thunder； no awful or unwonted circumstance； of any kind； to
heighten its effect。 More than that： I had come to it direct from a railway
station： it was not more than a mile distant from the railway station； and；
as I stood outside the house； looking back upon the way I had come； I
could see the goods train running smoothly along the embankment in the
valley。 I will not say that everything was utterly commonplace； because I
doubt if anything can be that； except to utterly commonplace people… …and
there my vanity steps in； but； I will take it on myself to say that anybody
might see the house as I saw it； any fine autumn morning。
The manner of my lighting on it was this。
I was travelling towards London out of the North； intending to stop by
the way； to look at the house。 My health required a temporary residence in
the country； and a friend of mine who knew that； and who had happened
to drive past the house； had written to me to suggest it as a likely place。 I
had got into the train at midnight； and had fallen asleep； and had woke up
and had sat looking out of window at the brilliant Northern Lights in the
sky； and had fallen asleep again； and had woke up again to find the night
gone； with the usual discontented conviction on me that I hadn't been to
sleep at all；upon which question； in the first imbecility of that condition；
I am ashamed to believe that I would have done wager by battle with the
man who sat opposite me。 That opposite man had had； through the night
as that opposite man always hasseveral legs too many； and all of them
too long。 In addition to this unreasonable conduct （which was only to be
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Three Ghost Stories
expected of him）； he had had a pencil and a pocket…book； and had been
perpetually listening and taking notes。 It had appeared to me that these
aggravating notes related to the jolts and bumps of the carriage； and I
should have resigned myself to his taking them； under a general
supposition that he was in the civil…engineering way of life； if he had not
sat staring straight over my head whenever he listened。 He was a goggle…
eyed gentleman of a perplexed aspect； and his demeanour became
unbearable。
It was a cold； dead morning （the sun not being up yet）； and when I had
out…watched the paling light of the fires of the iron country； and the curtain
of heavy smoke that hung at once between me and the stars and between
me and the day； I turned to my fellow…traveller and said：
〃I BEG your pardon； sir； but do you observe anything particular in me〃？
For； really； he appeared to be taking down； either my travelling…cap or my
hair； with a minuteness that was a liberty。
The goggle…eyed gentleman withdrew his eyes from behind me； as if
the back of the carriage were a hundred miles off； and said； with a lofty
look of compassion for my insignificance：
〃In you； sir？B。〃
〃B； sir？〃 said I； growing warm。
〃I have nothing to do with you； sir；〃 returned the gentleman； 〃pray let
me listenO。〃
He enunciated this vowel after a pause； and noted it down。
At first I was alarmed； for an Express lunatic and no communication
with the guard； is a serious position。 The thought came to my relief that
the gentleman might be what is popularly called a Rapper： one of a sect
for （some of） whom I have the highest respect； but whom I don't believe in。
I was going to ask him the question； when he took the bread out of my
mouth。
〃You will excuse me；〃 said the gentleman contemptuously； 〃if I am too
much in advance of common humanity to trouble myself at all about it。 I
have passed the nightas indeed I pass the whole of my time nowin
spiritual intercourse。〃
〃O！〃 said I； somewhat snappishly。
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〃The conferences of the night began；〃 continued the gentleman；
turning several leaves of his note…book； 〃with this message： 'Evil
communications corrupt good manners。'〃
〃Sound；〃 said I； 〃but； absolutely new？〃
〃New from spirits；〃 returned the gentleman。
I could only repeat my rather snappish 〃O！〃 and ask if I might be
favoured with the last communication。
〃'A bird in the hand；'〃 said the gentleman； reading his last entry with
great solemnity； 〃'is worth two in the Bosh。'〃
〃Truly I am of the same opinion；〃 said I； 〃but shouldn't it be Bush？〃
〃It came to me； Bosh；〃 returned the gentleman。
The gentleman then informed me that the spirit of Socrates had
delivered this special revelation in the course of the night。 〃My friend； I
hope you are pretty well。 There are two in this railway carriage。 How do
you do？ There are seventeen thousand four hundred and seventy…nine
spirits here； but you cannot see them。 Pythagoras is here。 He is not at
liberty to mention it； but hopes you like travelling。〃 Galileo likewise had
dropped in； with this scientific intelligence。 〃I am glad to see you； AMICO。
COME STA？ Water will freeze when it is cold enough。 ADDIO！〃 In the
course of the night； also； the following phenomena had occurred。 Bishop
Butler had insisted on spelling his name； 〃Bubler；〃 for which offence
against orthography and good manners he had been dismissed as out of
temper。 John Milton （suspected of wilful mystification） had repudiated the
authorship of Paradise Lost； and had introduced； as joint authors of that
poem； two Unknown gentlemen； respectively named Grungers and
Scadgingtone。 And Prince Arthur； nephew of King John of England； had
described himself as tolerably comfortable in the seventh circle； where he
was learning to paint on velvet； under the direction of Mrs。 Trimmer and
Mary Queen of Scots。
If this should meet the eye of the gentleman who favoured me with
these disclosures； I trust he will excuse my confessing that the sight of the
rising sun； and the contemplation of the magnificent Order of the vast
Universe； made me impatient of them。 In a word； I was so impatient of
them； that I was mightily glad to get out at the next station； and to
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exchange these clouds and vapours for the free air of Heaven。
By that time it was a beautiful morning。 As I walked away among such
leaves as had already fallen from the golden； brown； and russet trees； and
as I looked around me on the wonders of Creation； and thought of the
steady； unchanging； and harmonious laws by which they are sustained； the
gentleman's spiritual intercourse seemed to me as poor a piece of journey…
work as ever this world saw。 In which heathen state of mind； I came within
view of the house； and stopped to examine it attentively。
It was a solitary house； standing in a sadly neglected garden： a pretty
even square of some two acres。 It was a house of about the time of George
the Second； as stiff； as cold； as formal； and in as bad taste； as could
possibly be desired by the most loyal admirer of the whole quartet of
Georges。 It was uninhabited； but had； within a year or two； been cheaply
repaired to render it habitable； I say cheaply； because the work had been
done in a surface manner； and was already decaying as to the paint and
plaster； though the colours were fresh。 A lop…sided board drooped over the
garden wall； announcing that it was 〃to let on very reasonable terms； well
furnished。〃 It was much too closely and heavily shadowed by trees； and； in
particular； there were six tall poplars before the front windows； which
were excessively melancholy； and the site of which had been extremely ill
chosen。
It was easy to see that it was an avoided housea house that was
shunned by the village； to which my eye was guided by a church spire
some half a mile offa house that nobody would take。 And the natural
inference was； that it had the reputation of being a haunted house。
No period within the four…and…twenty hours of day and night is so
solemn to me； as the early morning。 In the summer…time； I often rise very
early； and repair to my room to do a day's work before breakfast； and I am
always on those occasions deeply impressed by the stillness and solitude
around me。 Besides that there is something awful in the being surrounded
by familiar faces asleepin the knowledge that those who are dearest to us
and to whom we are dearest； are profoundly unconscious of us； in an
impassive state； anticipative of that mysterious condition to which we are
all tendingthe stopped life； the broken threads of yesterday； the deserted
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seat； the closed book； the unfinished but abandoned occupation； all are
images of Death。 The tranquillity of the hour is the tranquillity of Death。
The colour and the chill have the same association。 Even a certain air that
familiar household objects take upon them when they first emerge from
the shadows of the night into the morning； of being newer； and as they
used to be long ago； has its counterpart in the subsidence of the worn face
of maturity or age； in death； into the old youthful look。 Moreover； I once
saw the apparition of my father； at this hour。 He was alive and well； and
nothing ever came of it； but I saw him in the daylight； sitting with his back
towards me； on a seat that stood
