classic mystery and detective stories-第2章

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my　mind；　and　I　found　the　landlord　of　the　little　inn；　sanding　his

door…step。　　I　bespoke　breakfast；　and　broached　the　subject　of　the

house。



〃Is　it　haunted？〃　I　asked。



The　landlord　looked　at　me；　shook　his　head；　and　answered；　〃I　say

nothing。〃



〃Then　it　IS　haunted？〃



〃Well！〃　cried　the　landlord；　in　an　outburst　of　frankness　that　had

the　appearance　of　desperation〃I　wouldn't　sleep　in　it。〃



〃Why　not？〃



〃If　I　wanted　to　have　all　the　bells　in　a　house　ring；　with　nobody　to

ring　'em；　and　all　the　doors　in　a　house　bang；　with　nobody　to　bang

'em；　and　all　sorts　of　feet　treading　about；　with　no　feet　there；　why；

then；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃I'd　sleep　in　that　house。〃



〃Is　anything　seen　there？〃



The　landlord　looked　at　me　again；　and　then；　with　his　former

appearance　of　desperation；　called　down　his　stable…yard　for　〃Ikey！〃



The　call　produced　a　high…shouldered　young　fellow；　with　a　round　red

face；　a　short　crop　of　sandy　hair；　a　very　broad　humorous　mouth；　a

turned…up　nose；　and　a　great　sleeved　waistcoat　of　purple　bars；　with

mother…of…pearl　buttons；　that　seemed　to　be　growing　upon　him；　and　to

be　in　a　fair　wayif　it　were　not　prunedof　covering　his　head　and

overrunning　his　boots。



〃This　gentleman　wants　to　know；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃if　anything's

seen　at　the　Poplars。〃



〃'Ooded　woman　with　a　howl；〃　said　Ikey；　in　a　state　of　great

freshness。



〃Do　you　mean　a　cry？〃



〃I　mean　a　bird；　sir。〃



〃A　hooded　woman　with　an　owl。　　Dear　me！　　Did　you　ever　see　her？〃



〃I　seen　the　howl。〃



〃Never　the　woman？〃



〃Not　so　plain　as　the　howl；　but　they　always　keeps　together。〃



〃Has　anybody　ever　seen　the　woman　as　plainly　as　the　owl？〃



〃Lord　bless　you；　sir！　　Lots。〃



〃Who？〃



〃Lord　bless　you；　sir！　　Lots。〃



〃The　general…dealer　opposite；　for　instance；　who　is　opening　his

shop？〃



〃Perkins？　　Bless　you；　Perkins　wouldn't　go　a…nigh　the　place。　　No！〃

observed　the　young　man；　with　considerable　feeling；　〃he　an't

overwise；　an't　Perkins；　but　he　an't　such　a　fool　as　THAT。〃



（Here；　the　landlord　murmured　his　confidence　in　Perkins's　knowing

better。）



〃Who　isor　who　wasthe　hooded　woman　with　the　owl？　　Do　you　know？〃



〃Well！〃　said　Ikey；　holding　up　his　cap　with　one　hand　while　he

scratched　his　head　with　the　other；　〃they　say；　in　general；　that　she

was　murdered；　and　the　howl　he　'ooted　the　while。〃



This　very　concise　summary　of　the　facts　was　all　I　could　learn；

except　that　a　young　man；　as　hearty　and　likely　a　young　man　as　ever　I

see；　had　been　took　with　fits　and　held　down　in　'em；　after　seeing　the

hooded　woman。　　Also；　that　a　personage；　dimly　described　as　〃a　hold

chap；　a　sort　of　one…eyed　tramp；　answering　to　the　name　of　Joby；

unless　you　challenged　him　as　Greenwood；　and　then　he　said；　'Why　not？

and　even　if　so；　mind　your　own　business；'〃　had　encountered　the

hooded　woman；　a　matter　of　five　or　six　times。　　But；　I　was　not

materially　assisted　by　these　witnesses：　inasmuch　as　the　first　was

in　California；　and　the　last　was；　as　Ikey　said　（and　he　was　confirmed

by　the　landlord）；　Anywheres。



Now；　although　I　regard　with　a　hushed　and　solemn　fear；　the

mysteries；　between　which　and　this　state　of　existence　is　interposed

the　barrier　of　the　great　trial　and　change　that　fall　on　all　the

things　that　live；　and　although　I　have　not　the　audacity　to　pretend

that　I　know　anything　of　them；　I　can　no　more　reconcile　the　mere

banging　of　doors；　ringing　of　bells；　creaking　of　boards；　and　such…

like　insignificances；　with　the　majestic　beauty　and　pervading

analogy　of　all　the　Divine　rules　that　I　am　permitted　to　understand；

than　I　had　been　able；　a　little　while　before；　to　yoke　the　spiritual

intercourse　of　my　fellow…　traveller　to　the　chariot　of　the　rising

sun。　　Moreover；　I　had　lived　in　two　haunted　housesboth　abroad。　　In

one　of　these；　an　old　Italian　palace；　which　bore　the　reputation　of

being　very　badly　haunted　indeed；　and　which　had　recently　been　twice

abandoned　on　that　account；　I　lived　eight　months；　most　tranquilly

and　pleasantly：　notwithstanding　that　the　house　had　a　score　of

mysterious　bedrooms；　which　were　never　used；　and　possessed；　in　one

large　room　in　which　I　sat　reading；　times　out　of　number　at　all

hours；　and　next　to　which　I　slept；　a　haunted　chamber　of　the　first

pretensions。　　I　gently　hinted　these　considerations　to　the　landlord。

And　as　to　this　particular　house　having　a　bad　name；　I　reasoned　with

him；　Why；　how　many　things　had　bad　names　undeservedly；　and　how　easy

it　was　to　give　bad　names；　and　did　he　not　think　that　if　he　and　I

were　persistently　to　whisper　in　the　village　that　any　weird…looking

old　drunken　tinker　of　the　neighborhood　had　sold　himself　to　the

Devil；　he　would　come　in　time　to　be　suspected　of　that　commercial

venture！　　All　this　wise　talk　was　perfectly　ineffective　with　the

landlord；　I　am　bound　to　confess；　and　was　as　dead　a　failure　as　ever

I　made　in　my　life。



To　cut　this　part　of　the　story　short；　I　was　piqued　about　the　haunted

house；　and　was　already　half　resolved　to　take　it。　　So；　after

breakfast；　I　got　the　keys　from　Perkins's　brother…in…law　（a　whip　and

harness　maker；　who　keeps　the　Post　Office；　and　is　under　submission

to　a　most　rigorous　wife　of　the　Doubly　Seceding　Little　Emmanuel

persuasion）；　and　went　up　to　the　house；　attended　by　my　landlord　and

by　Ikey。



Within；　I　found　it；　as　I　had　expected；　transcendently　dismal。　　The

slowly　changing　shadows　waved　on　it　from　the　heavy　trees；　were

doleful　in　the　last　degree；　the　house　was　ill…placed；　ill…built；

ill…planned；　and　ill…fitted。　　It　was　damp；　it　was　not　free　from　dry

rot；　there　was　a　flavor　of　rats　in　it；　and　it　was　the　gloomy　victim

of　that　indescribable　decay　which　settles　on　all　the　work　of　man's

hands　whenever　it's　not　turned　to　man's　account。　　The　kitchens　and

offices　were　too　large；　and　too　remote　from　each　other。　　Above

stairs　and　below；　waste　tracts　of　passage　intervened　between

patches　of　fertility　represented　by　rooms；　and　there　was　a　mouldy

old　well　with　a　green　growth　upon　it；　hiding　like　a　murderous　trap；

near　the　bottom　of　the　back…stairs；　under　the　double　row　of　bells。

One　of　these　bells　was　labelled；　on　a　black　ground　in　faded　white

letters；　MASTER　B。　　This；　they　told　me；　was　the　bell　that　rang　the

most。



〃Who　was　Master　B。？〃　I　asked。　　〃Is　it　known　what　he　did　while　the

owl　hooted？〃



〃Rang　the　bell；〃　said　Ikey。



I　was　rather　struck　by　the　prompt　dexterity　with　which　this　young

man　pitched　his　fur　cap　at　the　bell；　and　rang　it　himself。　　It　was　a

loud；　unpleasant　bell；　and　made　a　very　disagreeable　sound。　　The

other　bells　were　inscribed　according　to　the　names　of　the　rooms　to

which　their　wires　were　conducted：　as　〃Picture　Room；〃　〃Double　Room；〃

〃Clock　Room；〃　and　the　like。　　Following　Master　B。's　bell　to　its

source　I　found　that　young　gentleman　to　have　had　but　indifferent

third…class　accommodation　in　a　triangular　cabin　under　the　cock…

loft；　with　a　corner　fireplace　which　Master　B。　must　have　been

exceedingly　small　if　he　were　ever　able　to　warm　himself　at；　and　a

corner　chimney…piece　like　a　pyramidal　staircase　to　the　ceiling　for

Tom　Thumb。　　The　papering　of　one　side　of　the　room　had　dropped　down

bodily；　with　fragments　of　plaster　adhering　to　it；　and　almost

blocked　up　the　door。　It　appeared　that　Master　B。；　in　his　spiritual

condition；　always　made　a　point　of　pulling　the　paper　down。　　Neither

the　landlord　nor　Ikey　could　suggest　why　he　made　such　a　fool　of

himself。



Except　that　the　house　had　an　immensely　large　rambling　loft　at　top；

I　made　no　other　discoveries。　　It　was　moderately　well　furnished；　but

sparely。　　Some　of　the　furnituresay；　a　thirdwas　as　old　as　the

house；　the　rest　was　of　various　periods　within　the　last　half…

century。　I　was　referred　to　a　corn…chandler　in　the　market…place　of

the　county　town　to　treat　for　the　house。　　I　went　that　day；　and　I

took　it　for　six　months。



It　was　just　the　middle　of　October　when　I　moved　in　with　my　maiden

sister　（I　venture　to　call　her　eight…and…thirty；　she　is　so　very

handsome；　sensible；　and　engaging）。　　We　took　with　us；　a　deaf　stable…

man；　my　bloodhound　Turk；　two　women　servants；　and　a　young　person

called　an　Odd　Girl。　　I　have　reason　to　record　of　the　attendant　last

enumerated；　who　was　one　of　the　Saint　Lawrence's　Union　Female

Orphans；　that　she　was　a　fatal　mistake　and　a　disastrous　engagement。



The　year　was　dying　early；　the　leaves　were　falling　fast；　it　was　a

raw　cold　day　when　we　took　possession；　and　the　gloom　of　the　house

was　most　depressing。　　The　cook　（an　amiable　woman；　but　of　a　weak

turn　of　intellect）　burst　into　tears　on　beholding　the　kitchen；　and

requested　that　her　silver　watch　might　be　delivered　over　to　her

sister　（2　Tuppintock's　Gardens；　Liggs's　Walk；　Clapham　Rise）；　in　the

event　of　anything　happening　to　her　from　the　damp。　　Streaker；　the

housemaid；　feigned　cheerfulness；　but　was　the　greater　martyr。　　The

Odd　Girl；　who　had　never　been　in　the　country；　alone　was　pleased；　and

made　arrangements　for　sowing　an　acorn　in　the　garden　outside　the

scullery　window；　and　rearing　an　oak。



We　went；　before　dark；　through　all　the　naturalas　opposed　to

supernaturalmiseries　incidental　to　our　state。　　Dispiriting

reports　ascended　（like　the　smoke）　from　the　basement　in　volumes；　and

descended　from　the　upper　rooms。　　There　was　no　rolling…pin；　there

was　no　salamander　（which　failed　to　surprise　me；　for　I　don't　know

what　it　is）；　there　was　nothing　in　the　house；　what　there　was；　was

broken；　the　last　people　must　have　lived　like　pigs；　what　could　the

meaning　of　the　landlord　be？　　Through　these　distresses；　the　Odd　Girl

was　cheerful　and　exemplary。　　But　within　four　hours　after　dark　we

had　got　into　a　supernatural　groove；　and　the　Odd　Girl　had　seen

〃Eyes；〃　and　was　in　hysterics。



My　sister　and　I　had　agreed　to　keep　the　haunting　strictly　to

ourselves；　and　my　impression　was；　and　still　is；　that　I　had　not　left

Ikey；　when　he　helped　to　unload　the　cart；　alone　with　the　women；　or

any　one　of　them；　for　one　minute。　　Nevertheless；　as　I　say；　the　Odd

Girl　had　〃seen　Eyes〃　（no　other　explanation　could　ever　be　drawn　from

her）；　before　nine；　and　by　ten　o'clock　had　had　as　much　vinegar

applied　to　her　as　would　pickle　a　handsome　salmon。



I　leave　a　discerning　public　to　judge　of　my　feelings；　when；　under

these　untoward　circumstances；　at　about　half…past　ten　o'clock　Master

B。's　bell　began　to　ring　in　a　most　infuriated　manner；　and　Turk

howled　until　the　house　resounded　with　his　lamentations！



I　hope　I　may　never　again　be　in　a　state　of　mind　so　unchristian　as

the　mental　frame　in　which　I　lived　for　some　weeks；　respecting　the

memory　of　Master　B。　　Whether　his　bell　was　rung　by　rats；　or　mice；　or

bats；　or　wind；　or　what　other　accidental　vibration；　or　sometimes　by

one　cause；　sometimes　another；　and　sometimes　by　collusion；　I　don't

know；　but；　certain　it　is；　that　it　did　ring　two　nights　out　of　three；

until　I　conceived　the　happy　idea　of　twisting　Master　B。's　neckin

other　words；　breaking　his　bell　short　offand　silencing　that　young

gentleman；　as　to　my　experience　and　belief；　for　ever。



But