round the red lamp(红灯四周)-第31章
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circulation。 Smith； with his stronger mind； knew his friend's habit； and
made allowance for it now as his thoughts turned towards the man beneath
him。
There was no return of the singular sound； and Smith was about to turn
to his work once more； when suddenly there broke out in the silence of the
night a hoarse cry； a positive screamthe call of a man who is moved and
shaken beyond all control。 Smith sprang out of his chair and dropped his
book。 He was a man of fairly firm fibre； but there was something in this
sudden； uncontrollable shriek of horror which chilled his blood and
pringled in his skin。 Coming in such a place and at such an hour； it
brought a thousand fantastic possibilities into his head。 Should he rush
down； or was it better to wait？ He had all the national hatred of making a
scene； and he knew so little of his neighbour that he would not lightly
intrude upon his affairs。 For a moment he stood in doubt and even as he
balanced the matter there was a quick rattle of footsteps upon the stairs；
and young Monkhouse Lee； half dressed and as white as ashes； burst into
his room。
〃Come down！〃 he gasped。 〃Bellingham's ill。〃
Abercrombie Smith followed him closely down stairs into the sitting…
room which was beneath his own； and intent as he was upon the matter in
hand； he could not but take an amazed glance around him as he crossed
the threshold。 It was such a chamber as he had never seen beforea
museum rather than a study。 Walls and ceiling were thickly covered with
a thousand strange relics from Egypt and the East。 Tall； angular figures
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bearing burdens or weapons stalked in an uncouth frieze round the
apartments。 Above were bull…headed； stork…headed； cat…headed； owl…
headed statues； with viper…crowned； almond…eyed monarchs； and strange；
beetle…like deities cut out of the blue Egyptian lapis lazuli。 Horus and
Isis and Osiris peeped down from every niche and shelf； while across the
ceiling a true son of Old Nile； a great； hanging…jawed crocodile； was slung
in a double noose。
In the centre of this singular chamber was a large； square table； littered
with papers； bottles； and the dried leaves of some graceful； palm…like plant。
These varied objects had all been heaped together in order to make room
for a mummy case； which had been conveyed from the wall； as was
evident from the gap there； and laid across the front of the table。 The
mummy itself； a horrid； black； withered thing； like a charred head on a
gnarled bush； was lying half out of the case； with its clawlike hand and
bony forearm resting upon the table。 Propped up against the sarcophagus
was an old yellow scroll of papyrus； and in front of it； in a wooden
armchair； sat the owner of the room； his head thrown back； his widely…
opened eyes directed in a horrified stare to the crocodile above him； and
his blue； thick lips puffing loudly with every expiration。
〃My God！ he's dying！〃 cried Monkhouse Lee distractedly。
He was a slim； handsome young fellow； olive… skinned and dark…eyed；
of a Spanish rather than of an English type； with a Celtic intensity of
manner which contrasted with the Saxon phlegm of Abercombie Smith。
〃Only a faint； I think；〃 said the medical student。 〃Just give me a hand
with him。 You take his feet。 Now on to the sofa。 Can you kick all
those little wooden devils off？ What a litter it is！ Now he will be all
right if we undo his collar and give him some water。 What has he been
up to at all？〃
〃I don't know。 I heard him cry out。 I ran up。 I know him pretty
well； you know。 It is very good of you to come down。〃
〃His heart is going like a pair of castanets；〃 said Smith； laying his hand
on the breast of the unconscious man。 〃He seems to me to be frightened
all to pieces。 Chuck the water over him！ What a face he has got on
him！〃
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It was indeed a strange and most repellent face； for colour and outline
were equally unnatural。 It was white； not with the ordinary pallor of fear
but with an absolutely bloodless white； like the under side of a sole。 He
was very fat； but gave the impression of having at some time been
considerably fatter； for his skin hung loosely in creases and folds； and was
shot with a meshwork of wrinkles。 Short； stubbly brown hair bristled up
from his scalp； with a pair of thick； wrinkled ears protruding on either side。
His light grey eyes were still open； the pupils dilated and the balls
projecting in a fixed and horrid stare。 It seemed to Smith as he looked
down upon him that he had never seen nature's danger signals flying so
plainly upon a man's countenance； and his thoughts turned more seriously
to the warning which Hastie had given him an hour before。
〃What the deuce can have frightened him so？〃 he asked。
〃It's the mummy。〃
〃The mummy？ How； then？〃
〃I don't know。 It's beastly and morbid。 I wish he would drop it。
It's the second fright he has given me。 It was the same last winter。 I
found him just like this； with that horrid thing in front of him。〃
〃What does he want with the mummy； then？〃
〃Oh； he's a crank； you know。 It's his hobby。 He knows more about
these things than any man in England。 But I wish he wouldn't！ Ah； he's
beginning to come to。〃
A faint tinge of colour had begun to steal back into Bellingham's
ghastly cheeks； and his eyelids shivered like a sail after a calm。 He
clasped and unclasped his hands； drew a long； thin breath between his
teeth； and suddenly jerking up his head； threw a glance of recognition
around him。 As his eyes fell upon the mummy； he sprang off the sofa；
seized the roll of papyrus； thrust it into a drawer； turned the key； and then
staggered back on to the sofa。
〃What's up？〃 he asked。 〃What do you chaps want？〃
〃You've been shrieking out and making no end of a fuss；〃 said
Monkhouse Lee。 〃If our neighbour here from above hadn't come down；
I'm sure I don't know what I should have done with you。〃
〃Ah； it's Abercrombie Smith；〃 said Bellingham； glancing up at him。
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〃How very good of you to come in！ What a fool I am！ Oh； my God；
what a fool I am！〃
He sunk his head on to his hands； and burst into peal after peal of
hysterical laughter。
〃Look here！ Drop it！〃 cried Smith； shaking him roughly by the
shoulder。
〃Your nerves are all in a jangle。 You must drop these little midnight
games with mummies； or you'll be going off your chump。 You're all on
wires now。〃
〃I wonder；〃 said Bellingham； 〃whether you would be as cool as I am if
you had seen〃
〃What then？〃
〃Oh； nothing。 I meant that I wonder if you could sit up at night with
a mummy without trying your nerves。 I have no doubt that you are quite
right。 I dare say that I have been taking it out of myself too much lately。
But I am all right now。 Please don't go； though。 Just wait for a few
minutes until I am quite myself。〃
〃The room is very close；〃 remarked Lee； throwing open the window
and letting in the cool night air。
〃It's balsamic resin；〃 said Bellingham。 He lifted up one of the dried
palmate leaves from the table and frizzled it over the chimney of the lamp。
It broke away into heavy smoke wreaths； and a pungent； biting odour
filled the chamber。 〃It's the sacred plantthe plant of the priests；〃 he
remarked。 〃Do you know anything of Eastern languages； Smith？〃
〃Nothing at all。 Not a word。〃
The answer seemed to lift a weight from the Egyptologist's mind。
〃By…the…way；〃 he continued； 〃how long was it from the time that you
ran down； until I came to my senses？〃
〃Not long。 Some four or five minutes。〃
〃I thought it could not be very long；〃 said he； drawing a long breath。
〃But what a strange thing unconsciousness is！ There is no measurement
to it。 I could not tell from my own sensations if it were seconds or weeks。
Now that gentleman on the table was packed up in the days of the eleventh
dynasty； some forty centuries ago； and yet if he could find his tongue he
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would tell us that this lapse of time has been but a closing of the eyes and
a reopening of them。 He is a singularly fine mummy； Smith。〃
Smith stepped over to the table and looked down with a professional
eye at the black and twisted form in front of him。 The features； though
horribly discoloured； were perfect； and two little nut…like eyes still lurked
in the depths of the black； hollow sockets。 The blotched skin was drawn
tightly from bone to bone； and a tangled wrap of black coarse hair fell
over the ears。 Two thin teeth； like those of a rat； overlay the shrivelled
lower lip。 In its crouching position； with bent joints and craned head；
there was a suggestion of energy about the horrid thing which made
Smith's gorge rise。 The gaunt ribs； with their parchment…like covering；
were exposed； and the sunken； leaden…hued abdomen； with the long slit
where the embalmer had left his mark； but the lower limbs were wrapt
round with coarse yellow bandages。 A number of little clo
