classic mystery and detective stories-第19章

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soul　but　what　he　acknowledged　the　sovereign　necessity　of　prayer。

In　my　awe；　in　my　rapture；　all　my　thoughts　seemed　enlarged　and

illumed　and　exalted。　　I　prayedall　my　soul　seemed　one　prayer。　　All

my　past；　with　its　pride　and　presumption　and　folly；　grew　distinct　as

the　form　of　a　penitent；　kneeling　for　pardon　before　setting　forth　on

the　pilgrimage　vowed　to　a　shrine。　　And；　sure　now；　in　the　deeps　of　a

soul　first　revealed　to　myself；　that　the　Dead　do　not　die　forever；　my

human　love　soared　beyond　its　brief　trial　of　terror　and　sorrow。

Daring　not　to　ask　from　Heaven's　wisdom　that　Lilian；　for　my　sake；

might　not　yet　pass　away　from　the　earth；　I　prayed　that　my　soul　might

be　fitted　to　bear　with　submission　whatever　my　Maker　might　ordain。

And　if　surviving　herwithout　whom　no　beam　from　yon　material　sun

could　ever　warm　into　joy　a　morrow　in　human　lifeso　to　guide　my

steps　that　they　might　rejoin　her　at　last；　and　in　rejoining；　regain

forever！



How　trivial　now　became　the　weird　riddle；　that；　a　little　while

before；　had　been　clothed　in　so　solemn　an　awe！　　What　mattered　it　to

the　vast　interests　involved　in　the　clear　recognition　of　Soul　and

Hereafter；　whether　or　not　my　bodily　sense；　for　a　moment；　obscured

the　face　of　the　Nature　I　should　one　day　behold　as　a　spirit？

Doubtless　the　sights　and　the　sounds　which　had　haunted　the　last

gloomy　night；　the　calm　reason　of　Faber　would　strip　of　their　magical

seemings；　the　Eyes　in　the　space　and　the　Foot　in　the　circle　might　be

those　of　no　terrible　Demons；　but　of　the　wild's　savage　children　whom

I　had　seen；　halting；　curious　and　mute；　in　the　light　of　the　morning。

The　tremor　of　the　ground　（if　not；　as　heretofore；　explicable　by　the

illusory　impression　of　my　own　treacherous　senses）　might　be　but　the

natural　effect　of　elements　struggling　yet　under　a　soil　unmistakably

charred　by　volcanoes。　　The　luminous　atoms　dissolved　in　the　caldron

might　as　little　be　fraught　with　a　vital　elixir　as　are　the　splendors

of　naphtha　or　phosphor。　　As　it　was；　the　weird　rite　had　no　magic

result。　　The　magician　was　not　rent　limb　from　limb　by　the　fiends。

By　causes　as　natural　as　ever　extinguished　life's　spark　in　the　frail

lamp　of　clay；　he　had　died　out　of　sightunder　the　black　veil。



What　mattered　henceforth　to　Faith；　in　its　far　grander　questions　and

answers；　whether　Reason；　in　Faber；　or　Fancy；　in　me；　supplied　the

more　probable　guess　at　a　hieroglyph　which；　if　construed　aright；　was

but　a　word　of　small　mark　in　the　mystical　language　of　Nature？　　If

all　the　arts　of　enchantment　recorded　by　Fable　were　attested　by

facts　which　Sages　were　forced　to　acknowledge；　Sages　would　sooner　or

later　find　some　cause　for　such　portentsnot　supernatural。　　But

what　Sage；　without　cause　supernatural；　both　without　and　within　him；

can　guess　at　the　wonders　he　views　in　the　growth　of　a　blade　of

grass；　or　the　tints　on　an　insect's　wing？　　Whatever　art　Man　can

achieve　in　his　progress　through　time；　Man's　reason；　in　time；　can

suffice　to　explain。　　But　the　wonders　of　God？　　These　belong　to　the

Infinite；　and　these；　O　Immortal！　will　but　develop　new　wonder　on

wonder；　though　thy　sight　be　a　spirit's；　and　thy　leisure　to　track

and　to　solve　an　eternity。



As　I　raised　my　face　from　my　clasped　hands；　my　eyes　fell　full　upon　a

form　standing　in　the　open　doorway。　　There；　where　on　the　night　in

which　Lilian's　long　struggle　for　reason　and　life　had　begun；　the

Luminous　Shadow　had　been　beheld　in　the　doubtful　light　of　a　dying

moon　and　a　yet　hazy　dawn；　there；　on　the　threshold；　gathering　round

her　bright　locks　the　aureole　of　the　glorious　sun；　stood　Amy；　the

blessed　child！　　And　as　I　gazed；　drawing　nearer　and　nearer　to　the

silenced　house；　and　that　Image　of　Peace　on　its　threshold；　I　felt

that　Hope　met　me　at　the　doorHope　in　the　child's　steadfast　eyes；

Hope　in　the　child's　welcoming　smile！



〃I　was　at　watch　for　you；〃　whispered　Amy。　　〃All　is　well。〃



〃She　lives　stillshe　lives！　　Thank　God；　thank　God！〃



〃She　livesshe　will　recover！〃　said　another　voice；　as　my　head　sunk

on　Faber's　shoulder。　　〃For　some　hours　in　the　night　her　sleep　was

disturbed；　convulsed。　　I　feared；　then；　the　worst。　　Suddenly；　just

before　the　dawn；　she　called　out　aloud；　still　in　sleep：



〃'The　cold　and　dark　shadow　has　passed　away　from　me　and　from　Allen

passed　away　from　us　both　forever！'



〃And　from　that　moment　the　fever　left　her；　the　breathing　became

soft；　the　pulse　steady；　and　the　color　stole　gradually　back　to　her

cheek。　　The　crisis　is　past。　　Nature's　benign　Disposer　has　permitted

Nature　to　restore　your　life's　gentle　partner；　heart　to　heart；　mind

to　mind〃



〃And　soul　to　soul；〃　I　cried　in　my　solemn　joy。　　〃Above　as　below；

soul　to　soul！〃　　Then；　at　a　sign　from　Faber；　the　child　took　me　by

the　hand　and　led　me　up　the　stairs　into　Lilian's　room。



Again　those　dear　arms　closed　around　me　in　wifelike　and　holy　love；

and　those　true　lips　kissed　away　my　tearseven　as　now；　at　the

distance　of　years　from　that　happy　morn；　while　I　write　the　last

words　of　this　Strange　Story；　the　same　faithful　arms　close　around

me；　the　same　tender　lips　kiss　away　my　tears。







Thomas　De　Quincey





The　Avenger





〃Why　callest　thou　me　murderer；　and　not　rather　the　wrath　of　God

burning　after　the　steps　of　the　oppressor；　and　cleansing　the　earth

when　it　is　wet　with　blood？〃





That　series　of　terrific　events　by　which　our　quiet　city　and

university　in　the　northeastern　quarter　of　Germany　were　convulsed

during　the　year　1816；　has　in　itself；　and　considered　merely　as　a

blind　movement　of　human　tiger…passion　ranging　unchained　among　men；

something　too　memorable　to　be　forgotten　or　left　without　its　own

separate　record；　but　the　moral　lesson　impressed　by　these　events　is

yet　more　memorable；　and　deserves　the　deep　attention　of　coming

generations　in　their　struggle　after　human　improvement；　not　merely

in　its　own　limited　field　of　interest　directly　awakened；　but　in　all

analogous　fields　of　interest；　as　in　fact　already；　and　more　than

once；　in　connection　with　these　very　events；　this　lesson　has

obtained　the　effectual　attention　of　Christian　kings　and　princes

assembled　in　congress。　　No　tragedy；　indeed；　among　all　the　sad　ones

by　which　the　charities　of　the　human　heart　or　of　the　fireside　have

ever　been　outraged；　can　better　merit　a　separate　chapter　in　the

private　history　of　German　manners　or　social　life　than　this

unparalleled　case。　　And；　on　the　other　hand；　no　one　can　put　in　a

better　claim　to　be　the　historian　than　myself。



I　was　at　the　time；　and　still　am；　a　professor　in　that　city　and

university　which　had　the　melancholy　distinction　of　being　its

theater。　　I　knew　familiarly　all　the　parties　who　were　concerned　in

it；　either　as　sufferers　or　as　agents。　　I　was　present　from　first　to

last；　and　watched　the　whole　course　of　the　mysterious　storm　which

fell　upon　our　devoted　city　in　a　strength　like　that　of　a　West　Indian

hurricane；　and　which　did　seriously　threaten　at　one　time　to

depopulate　our　university；　through　the　dark　suspicions　which

settled　upon　its　members；　and　the　natural　reaction　of　generous

indignation　in　repelling　them；　while　the　city　in　its　more

stationary　and　native　classes　would　very　soon　have　manifested　THEIR

awful　sense　of　things；　of　the　hideous　insecurity　for　life；　and　of

the　unfathomable　dangers　which　had　undermined　their　hearths　below

their　very　feet；　by　sacrificing；　whenever　circumstances　allowed

them；　their　houses　and　beautiful　gardens　in　exchange　for　days

uncursed　by　panic；　and　nights　unpolluted　by　blood。　　Nothing；　I　can

take　upon　myself　to　assert；　was　left　undone　of　all　that　human

foresight　could　suggest；　or　human　ingenuity　could　accomplish。　　But

observe　the　melancholy　result：　the　more　certain　did　these

arrangements　strike　people　as　remedies　for　the　evil；　so　much　the

more　effectually　did　they　aid　the　terror；　but；　above　all；　the　awe；

the　sense　of　mystery；　when　ten　cases　of　total　extermination；

applied　to　separate　households；　had　occurred；　in　every　one　of　which

these　precautionary　aids　had　failed　to　yield　the　slightest

assistance。　　The　horror；　the　perfect　frenzy　of　fear；　which　seized

upon　the　town　after　that　experience；　baffles　all　attempt　at

description。　　Had　these　various　contrivances　failed　merely　in　some

human　and　intelligible　way；　as　by　bringing　the　aid　too　tardily

still；　in　such　cases；　though　the　danger　would　no　less　have　been

evidently　deepened；　nobody　would　have　felt　any　further　mystery　than

what；　from　the　very　first；　rested　upon　the　persons　and　the　motives

of　the　murderers。　　But；　as　it　was；　when；　in　ten　separate　cases　of

exterminating　carnage；　the　astounded　police；　after　an　examination

the　most　searching；　pursued　from　day　to　day；　and　almost　exhausting

the　patience　by　the　minuteness　of　the　investigation；　had　finally

pronounced　that　no　attempt　apparently　had　been　made　to　benefit　by

any　of　the　signals　preconcerted；　that　no　footstep　apparently　had

moved　in　that　directionthen；　and　after　that　result；　a　blind

misery　of　fear　fell　upon　the　population；　so　much　the　worse　than　any

anguish　of　a　beleaguered　city　that　is　awaiting　the　storming　fury　of

a　victorious　enemy；　by　how　much　the　shadowy；　the　uncertain；　the

infinite；　is　at　all　times　more　potent　in　mastering　the　mind　than　a

danger　that　is　known；　measurable；　palpable；　and　human。　　The　very

police；　instead　of　offering　protection　or　encouragement；　were

seized　with　terror　for　themselves。　　And　the　general　feeling；　as　it

was　described　to　me　by　a　grave　citizen　whom　I　met　in　a　morning　walk

（for　the　overmastering　sense　of　a　public　calamity　broke　down　every

barrier　of　reserve；　and　all　men　talked　freely　to　all　men　in　the

streets；　as　they　would　have　done　during　the　rockings　of　an

earthquake）；　was；　even　among　the　boldest；　like　that　which　sometimes

takes　possession　of　the　mind　in　dreamswhen　one　feels　oneself

sleeping　alone；　utterly　divided　from　all　call　or　hearing　of

friends；　doors　open　that　should　be　shut；　or　unlocked　that　should　be

triply　secured；　the　very　walls　gone；　barriers　swallowed　up　by

unknown　abysses；　nothing　around　one　but　frail　curtains；　and　a　world

of　illimitable　night；　whisperings　at　a　distance；　correspondence

going　on　between　darkness　and　darkness；　like　one　deep　calling　to

another；　and　the　dreamer's　own　heart　the　center　from　which　the

whole　network　of　this　unimaginable　chaos　radiates；　by　means　of

which　the　blank　PRIVATIONS　of　silence　and　darkness　become　powers

the　most　POSITIVE　and　awful。



Agencies　of　fear；　as　of　any　other　passion；　and；　above　all；　of

passion　felt　in　communion　with　thousands；　and　in　which　the　heart

beats　in　conscious　sympathy　with　an　entire　city；　through　all　its

regions　of　high　and　low；　young　and　old；　strong　and　weak；　such

agencies　avail　to　raise　and　transfigure　the　natures　of　men；　mean

minds　become　elevated；　dull　men　become　eloquent；　and　when　matters

came　to　this　crisis；　the　public　feeling；　as　made　known　by　voice；

gesture；　manner；　or　words；　was　such　that　no　stranger　could

represent　it　to　his　fancy。　　In　that　respect；　therefore；　I　had　an

advantage；　bei