classic mystery and detective stories-第11章

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behind　me。　　I　humbly　beg　you；　honored　sir；　to　order　my　clothes；　and

whatever　wages　are　due　to　me；　to　be　sent　to　my　mother's；　at

Walworth；John　knows　her　address。〃





The　letter　ended　with　additional　apologies；　somewhat　incoherent；

and　explanatory　details　as　to　effects　that　had　been　under　the

writer's　charge。



This　flight　may　perhaps　warrant　a　suspicion　that　the　man　wished　to

go　to　Australia；　and　had　been　somehow　or　other　fraudulently　mixed

up　with　the　events　of　the　night。　　I　say　nothing　in　refutation　of

that　conjecture；　rather；　I　suggest　it　as　one　that　would　seem　to

many　persons　the　most　probable　solution　of　improbable　occurrences。

My　belief　in　my　own　theory　remained　unshaken。　　I　returned　in　the

evening　to　the　house；　to　bring　away　in　a　hack　cab　the　things　I　had

left　there；　with　my　poor　dog's　body。　　In　this　task　I　was　not

disturbed；　nor　did　any　incident　worth　note　befall　me；　except　that

still；　on　ascending　and　descending　the　stairs；　I　heard　the　same

footfall　in　advance。　　On　leaving　the　house；　I　went　to　Mr。　J's。

He　was　at　home。　　I　returned　him　the　keys；　told　him　that　my

curiosity　was　sufficiently　gratified；　and　was　about　to　relate

quickly　what　had　passed；　when　he　stopped　me；　and　said；　though　with

much　politeness；　that　he　had　no　longer　any　interest　in　a　mystery

which　none　had　ever　solved。



I　determined　at　least　to　tell　him　of　the　two　letters　I　had　read；　as

well　as　of　the　extraordinary　manner　in　which　they　had　disappeared；

and　I　then　inquired　if　he　thought　they　had　been　addressed　to　the

woman　who　had　died　in　the　house；　and　if　there　were　anything　in　her

early　history　which　could　possibly　confirm　the　dark　suspicions　to

which　the　letters　gave　rise。　　Mr。　J　seemed　startled；　and；　after

musing　a　few　moments；　answered；　〃I　am　but　little　acquainted　with

the　woman's　earlier　history；　except　as　I　before　told　you；　that　her

family　were　known　to　mine。　　But　you　revive　some　vague　reminiscences

to　her　prejudice。　　I　will　make　inquiries；　and　inform　you　of　their

result。　　Still；　even　if　we　could　admit　the　popular　superstition

that　a　person　who　had　been　either　the　perpetrator　or　the　victim　of

dark　crimes　in　life　could　revisit；　as　a　restless　spirit；　the　scene

in　which　those　crimes　had　been　committed；　I　should　observe　that　the

house　was　infested　by　strange　sights　and　sounds　before　the　old

woman　diedyou　smilewhat　would　you　say？〃



〃I　would　say　this；　that　I　am　convinced；　if　we　could　get　to　the

bottom　of　these　mysteries；　we　should　find　a　living　human　agency。〃



〃What！　you　believe　it　is　all　an　imposture？　　For　what　object？〃



〃Not　an　imposture　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　the　word。　　If　suddenly　I

were　to　sink　into　a　deep　sleep；　from　which　you　could　not　awake　me；

but　in　that　sleep　could　answer　questions　with　an　accuracy　which　I

could　not　pretend　to　when　awake；tell　you　what　money　you　had　in

your　pocket；　nay；　describe　your　very　thoughts；it　is　not

necessarily　an　imposture；　any　more　than　it　is　necessarily

supernatural。　　I　should　be；　unconsciously　to　myself；　under　a

mesmeric　influence；　conveyed　to　me　from　a　distance　by　a　human　being

who　had　acquired　power　over　me　by　previous　rapport。〃



〃But　if　a　mesmerizer　could　so　affect　another　living　being；　can　you

suppose　that　a　mesmerizer　could　also　affect　inanimate　objects：　move

chairs；open　and　shut　doors？〃



〃Or　impress　our　senses　with　the　belief　in　such　effects；we　never

having　been　en　rapport　with　the　person　acting　on　us？　　No。　　What　is

commonly　called　mesmerism　could　not　do　this；　but　there　may　be　a

power　akin　to　mesmerism；　and　superior　to　it；the　power　that　in　the

old　days　was　called　Magic。　　That　such　a　power　may　extend　to　all

inanimate　objects　of　matter；　I　do　not　say；　but　if　so；　it　would　not

be　against　Nature；it　would　be　only　a　rare　power　in　Nature　which

might　be　given　to　constitutions　with　certain　peculiarities；　and

cultivated　by　practice　to　an　extraordinary　degree。　　That　such　a

power　might　extend　over　the　dead；that　is；　over　certain　thoughts

and　memories　that　the　dead　may　still　retain；and　compel；　not　that

which　ought　properly　to　be　called　the　SOUL；　and　which　is　far　beyond

human　reach；　but　rather　a　phantom　of　what　has　been　most　earth…

stained　on　earth；　to　make　itself　apparent　to　our　senses；　is　a　very

ancient　though　obsolete　theory　upon　which　I　will　hazard　no　opinion。

But　I　do　not　conceive　the　power　would　be　supernatural。　　Let　me

illustrate　what　I　mean　from　an　experiment　which　Paracelsus

describes　as　not　difficult；　and　which　the　author　of　the

'Curiosities　of　Literature'　cites　as　credible：　A　flower　perishes；

you　burn　it。　　Whatever　were　the　elements　of　that　flower　while　it

lived　are　gone；　dispersed；　you　know　not　whither；　you　can　never

discover　nor　re…collect　them。　　But　you　can；　by　chemistry；　out　of

the　burned　dust　of　that　flower；　raise　a　spectrum　of　the　flower；

just　as　it　seemed　in　life。　　It　may　be　the　same　with　the　human

being。　　The　soul　has　as　much　escaped　you　as　the　essence　or　elements

of　the　flower。　　Still　you　may　make　a　spectrum　of　it。　　And　this

phantom；　though　in　the　popular　superstition　it　is　held　to　be　the

soul　of　the　departed；　must　not　be　confounded　with　the　true　soul；　it

is　but　the　eidolon　of　the　dead　form。　　Hence；　like　the　best…attested

stories　of　ghosts　or　spirits；　the　thing　that　most　strikes　us　is　the

absence　of　what　we　hold　to　be　soul；that　is；　of　superior

emancipated　intelligence。　　These　apparitions　come　for　little　or　no

object；they　seldom　speak　when　they　do　come；　if　they　speak；　they

utter　no　ideas　above　those　of　an　ordinary　person　on　earth。

American　spirit　seers　have　published　volumes　of　communications；　in

prose　and　verse；　which　they　assert　to　be　given　in　the　names　of　the

most　illustrious　dead：　Shakespeare；　Bacon；Heaven　knows　whom。

Those　communications；　taking　the　best；　are　certainly　not　a　whit　of

higher　order　than　would　be　communications　from　living　persons　of

fair　talent　and　education；　they　are　wondrously　inferior　to　what

Bacon；　Shakespeare；　and　Plato　said　and　wrote　when　on　earth。　　Nor；

what　is　more　noticeable；　do　they　ever　contain　an　idea　that　was　not

on　the　earth　before。　　Wonderful；　therefore；　as　such　phenomena　may

be　（granting　them　to　be　truthful）；　I　see　much　that　philosophy　may

question；　nothing　that　it　is　incumbent　on　philosophy　to　deny；

namely；　nothing　supernatural。　　They　are　but　ideas　conveyed　somehow

or　other　（we　have　not　yet　discovered　the　means）　from　one　mortal

brain　to　another。　　Whether；　in　so　doing；　tables　walk　of　their　own

accord；　or　fiendlike　shapes　appear　in　a　magic　circle；　or　bodiless

hands　rise　and　remove　material　objects；　or　a　Thing　of　Darkness；

such　as　presented　itself　to　me；　freeze　our　blood；still　am　I

persuaded　that　these　are　but　agencies　conveyed；　as　by　electric

wires；　to　my　own　brain　from　the　brain　of　another。　　In　some

constitutions　there　is　a　natural　chemistry；　and　those　constitutions

may　produce　chemic　wonders；in　others　a　natural　fluid；　call　it

electricity；　and　these　may　produce　electric　wonders。　　But　the

wonders　differ　from　Normal　Science　in　this；they　are　alike

objectless；　purposeless；　puerile；　frivolous。　　They　lead　on　to　no

grand　results；　and　therefore　the　world　does　not　heed；　and　true

sages　have　not　cultivated　them。　　But　sure　I　am；　that　of　all　I　saw

or　heard；　a　man；　human　as　myself；　was　the　remote　originator；　and　I

believe　unconsciously　to　himself　as　to　the　exact　effects　produced；

for　this　reason：　no　two　persons；　you　say；　have　ever　told　you　that

they　experienced　exactly　the　same　thing。　　Well；　observe；　no　two

persons　ever　experience　exactly　the　same　dream。　　If　this　were　an

ordinary　imposture；　the　machinery　would　be　arranged　for　results

that　would　but　little　vary；　if　it　were　a　supernatural　agency

permitted　by　the　Almighty；　it　would　surely　be　for　some　definite

end。　　These　phenomena　belong　to　neither　class；　my　persuasion　is；

that　they　originate　in　some　brain　now　far　distant；　that　that　brain

had　no　distinct　volition　in　anything　that　occurred；　that　what　does

occur　reflects　but　its　devious；　motley；　ever…shifting；　half…formed

thoughts；　in　short；　that　it　has　been　but　the　dreams　of　such　a　brain

put　into　action　and　invested　with　a　semisubstance。　　That　this　brain

is　of　immense　power；　that　it　can　set　matter　into　movement；　that　it

is　malignant　and　destructive；　I　believe；　some　material　force　must

have　killed　my　dog；　the　same　force　might；　for　aught　I　know；　have

sufficed　to　kill　myself；　had　I　been　as　subjugated　by　terror　as　the

dog；had　my　intellect　or　my　spirit　given　me　no　countervailing

resistance　in　my　will。〃



〃It　killed　your　dog；that　is　fearful！　　Indeed　it　is　strange　that

no　animal　can　be　induced　to　stay　in　that　house；　not　even　a　cat。

Rats　and　mice　are　never　found　in　it。〃



〃The　instincts　of　the　brute　creation　detect　influences　deadly　to

their　existence。　　Man's　reason　has　a　sense　less　subtle；　because　it

has　a　resisting　power　more　supreme。　　But　enough；　do　you　comprehend

my　theory？〃



〃Yes；　though　imperfectly；and　I　accept　any　crotchet　（pardon　the

word）；　however　odd；　rather　than　embrace　at　once　the　notion　of

ghosts　and　hobgoblins　we　imbibed　in　our　nurseries。　　Still；　to　my

unfortunate　house；　the　evil　is　the　same。　　What　on　earth　can　I　do

with　the　house？〃



〃I　will　tell　you　what　I　would　do。　　I　am　convinced　from　my　own

internal　feelings　that　the　small；　unfurnished　room　at　right　angles

to　the　door　of　the　bedroom　which　I　occupied；　forms　a　starting　point

or　receptacle　for　the　influences　which　haunt　the　house；　and　I

strongly　advise　you　to　have　the　walls　opened；　the　floor　removed；

nay；　the　whole　room　pulled　down。　　I　observe　that　it　is　detached

from　the　body　of　the　house；　built　over　the　small　backyard；　and

could　be　removed　without　injury　to　the　rest　of　the　building。〃



〃And　you　think；　if　I　did　that〃



〃You　would　cut　off　the　telegraph　wires。　　Try　it。　　I　am　so　persuaded

that　I　am　right；　that　I　will　pay　half　the　expense　if　you　will　allow

me　to　direct　the　operations。〃



〃Nay；　I　am　well　able　to　afford　the　cost；　for　the　rest　allow　me　to

write　to　you。〃



About　ten　days　after　I　received　a　letter　from　Mr。　J　telling　me

that　he　had　visited　the　house　since　I　had　seen　him；　that　he　had

found　the　two　letters　I　had　described；　replaced　in　the　drawer　from

which　I　had　taken　them；　that　he　had　read　them　with　misgivings　like

my　own；　that　he　had　instituted　a　cautious　inquiry　about　the　woman

to　whom　I　rightly　conjectured　they　had　been　written。　　It　seemed

that　thirty…six　years　ago　（a　year　before　the　date　of　the　letters）

she　had　married；　against　the　wish　of　her　relations；　an　American　of

very　suspicions　character；　in　fact；　he　was　generally　believed　to

have　been　a　pirate。　　She　herself　was　the　daughter　of　very

respectable　tradespeople；　and　had　served　in　the　capacity　of　a

nursery　governess　before　her　marriage。　　She　had　a　brother；　a

widower；　who　was　considered　wealthy；　and　who　had　one　child　of　about

six　years　old。　　A　month　after　the　marriage　the　body　of　this　brother

was　found　in　the　Thames；　near　London　Bridge；　there