classic mystery and detective stories-第20章

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

advantage；　being　upon　the　spot　through　the　whole　course　of　the

affair；　for　giving　a　faithful　narrative；　as　I　had　still　more

eminently；　from　the　sort　of　central　station　which　I　occupied；　with

respect　to　all　the　movements　of　the　case。　　I　may　add　that　I　had

another　advantage；　not　possessed；　or　not　in　the　same　degree；　by　any

other　inhabitant　of　the　town。　　I　was　personally　acquainted　with

every　family　of　the　slightest　account　belonging　to　the　resident

population；　whether　among　the　old　local　gentry；　or　the　new　settlers

whom　the　late　wars　had　driven　to　take　refuge　within　our　walls。



It　was　in　September；　1815；　that　I　received　a　letter　from　the　chief

secretary　to　the　Prince　of　M；　a　nobleman　connected　with　the

diplomacy　of　Russia；　from　which　I　quote　an　extract：　〃I　wish；　in

short；　to　recommend　to　your　attentions；　and　in　terms　stronger　than

I　know　how　to　devise；　a　young　man　on　whose　behalf　the　czar　himself

is　privately　known　to　have　expressed　the　very　strongest　interest。

He　was　at　the　battle　of　Waterloo　as　an　aide…de…camp　to　a　Dutch

general　officer；　and　is　decorated　with　distinctions　won　upon　that

awful　day。　　However；　though　serving　in　that　instance　under　English

orders；　and　although　an　Englishman　of　rank；　he　does　not　belong　to

the　English　military　service。　　He　has　served；　young　as　he　is；　under

VARIOUS　banners；　and　under　ours；　in　particular；　in　the　cavalry　of

our　imperial　guard。　　He　is　English　by　birth；　nephew　to　the　Earl　of

E。；　and　heir　presumptive　to　his　immense　estates。　　There　is　a　wild

story　current；　that　his　mother　was　a　gypsy　of　transcendent　beauty；

which　may　account　for　his　somewhat　Moorish　complexion；　though；

after　all；　THAT　is　not　of　a　deeper　tinge　than　I　have　seen　among

many　an　Englishman。　　He　is　himself　one　of　the　noblest　looking　of

God's　creatures。　　Both　father　and　mother；　however；　are　now　dead。

Since　then　he　has　become　the　favorite　of　his　uncle；　who　detained

him　in　England　after　the　emperor　had　departedand；　as　this　uncle

is　now　in　the　last　stage　of　infirmity；　Mr。　Wyndham's　succession　to

the　vast　family　estates　is　inevitable；　and　probably　near　at　hand。

Meantime；　he　is　anxious　for　some　assistance　in　his　studies。

Intellectually　he　stands　in　the　very　first　rank　of　men；　as　I　am

sure　you　will　not　be　slow　to　discover；　but　his　long　military

service；　and　the　unparalleled　tumult　of　our　European　history　since

1805；　have　interfered　（as　you　may　suppose）　with　the　cultivation　of

his　mind；　for　he　entered　the　cavalry　service　of　a　German　power　when

a　mere　boy；　and　shifted　about　from　service　to　service　as　the

hurricane　of　war　blew　from　this　point　or　from　that。　　During　the

French　anabasis　to　Moscow　he　entered　our　service；　made　himself　a

prodigious　favorite　with　the　whole　imperial　family；　and　even　now　is

only　in　his　twenty…second　year。　　As　to　his　accomplishments；　they

will　speak　for　themselves；　they　are　infinite；　and　applicable　to

every　situation　of　life。　　Greek　is　what　he　wants　from　you；never

ask　about　terms。　　He　will　acknowledge　any　trouble　he　may　give　you；

as　he　acknowledges　all　trouble；　en　prince。　　And　ten　years　hence　you

will　look　back　with　pride　upon　having　contributed　your　part　to　the

formation　of　one　whom　all　here　at　St。　Petersburg；　not　soldiers

only；　but　we　diplomates；　look　upon　as　certain　to　prove　a　great　man；

and　a　leader　among　the　intellects　of　Christendom。〃



Two　or　three　other　letters　followed；　and　at　length　it　was　arranged

that　Mr。　Maximilian　Wyndham　should　take　up　his　residence　at　my

monastic　abode　for　one　year。　　He　was　to　keep　a　table；　and　an

establishment　of　servants；　at　his　own　cost；　was　to　have　an

apartment　of　some　dozen　or　so　of　rooms；　the　unrestricted　use　of　the

library；　with　some　other　public　privileges　willingly　conceded　by

the　magistracy　of　the　town；　in　return　for　all　which　he　was　to　pay

me　a　thousand　guineas；　and　already　beforehand；　by　way　of

acknowledgment　for　the　public　civilities　of　the　town；　he　sent；

through　my　hands；　a　contribution　of　three　hundred　guineas　to　the

various　local　institutions　for　education　of　the　poor；　or　for

charity。



The　Russian　secretary　had　latterly　corresponded　with　me　from　a

little　German　town；　not　more　than　ninety　miles　distant；　and；　as　he

had　special　couriers　at　his　service；　the　negotiations　advanced　so

rapidly　that　all　was　closed　before　the　end　of　September。　　And；　when

once　that　consummation　was　attained；　I；　that　previously　had

breathed　no　syllable　of　what　was　stirring；　now　gave　loose　to　the

interesting　tidings；　and　suffered　them　to　spread　through　the　whole

compass　of　the　town。　　It　will　be　easily　imagined　that　such　a　story；

already　romantic　enough　in　its　first　outline；　would　lose　nothing　in

the　telling。　　An　Englishman　to　begin　with；　which　name　of　itself；

and　at　all　times；　is　a　passport　into　German　favor；　but　much　more

since　the　late　memorable　wars　that　but　for　Englishmen　would　have

drooped　into　disconnected　effortsnext；　an　Englishman　of　rank　and

of　the　haute　noblessethen　a　soldier　covered　with　brilliant

distinctions；　and　in　the　most　brilliant　arm　of　the　service；　young；

moreover；　and　yet　a　veteran　by　his　experiencefresh　from　the　most

awful　battle　of　this　planet　since　the　day　of　Pharsalia；radiant

with　the　favor　of　courts　and　of　imperial　ladies；　finally　（which

alone　would　have　given　him　an　interest　in　all　female　hearts）；　an

Antinous　of　faultless　beauty；　a　Grecian　statue；　as　it　were；　into

which　the　breath　of　life　had　been　breathed　by　some　modern

Pygmalion；such　a　pomp　of　gifts　and　endowments　settling　upon　one

man's　head；　should　not　have　required　for　its　effect　the　vulgar

consummation　（and　yet　to　many　it　WAS　the　consummation　and　crest　of

the　whole）　that　he　was　reputed　to　be　rich　beyond　the　dreams　of

romance　or　the　necessities　of　a　fairy　tale。　　Unparalleled　was　the

impression　made　upon　our　stagnant　society；　every　tongue　was　busy　in

discussing　the　marvelous　young　Englishman　from　morning　to　night；

every　female　fancy　was　busy　in　depicting　the　personal　appearance　of

this　gay　apparition。



On　his　arrival　at　my　house；　I　became　sensible　of　a　truth　which　I

had　observed　some　years　before。　　The　commonplace　maxim　is；　that　it

is　dangerous　to　raise　expectations　too　high。　　This；　which　is　thus

generally　expressed；　and　without　limitation；　is　true　only

conditionally；　it　is　true　then　and　there　only　where　there　is　but

little　merit　to　sustain　and　justify　the　expectation。　　But　in　any

case　where　the　merit　is　transcendent　of　its　kind；　it　is　always

useful　to　rack　the　expectation　up　to　the　highest　point。　　In

anything　which　partakes　of　the　infinite；　the　most　unlimited

expectations　will　find　ample　room　for　gratification；　while　it　is

certain　that　ordinary　observers；　possessing　little　sensibility；

unless　where　they　have　been　warned　to　expect；　will　often　fail　to

see　what　exists　in　the　most　conspicuous　splendor。　　In　this　instance

it　certainly　did　no　harm　to　the　subject　of　expectation　that　I　had

been　warned　to　look　for　so　much。　　The　warning；　at　any　rate；　put　me

on　the　lookout　for　whatever　eminence　there　might　be　of　grandeur　in

his　personal　appearance；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　this　existed　in

such　excess；　so　far　transcending　anything　I　had　ever　met　with　in　my

experience；　that　no　expectation　which　it　is　in　words　to　raise　could

have　been　disappointed。



These　thoughts　traveled　with　the　rapidity　of　light　through　my

brain；　as　at　one　glance　my　eye　took　in　the　supremacy　of　beauty　and

power　which　seemed　to　have　alighted　from　the　clouds　before　me。

Power；　and　the　contemplation　of　power；　in　any　absolute　incarnation

of　grandeur　or　excess；　necessarily　have　the　instantaneous　effect　of

quelling　all　perturbation。　　My　composure　was　restored　in　a　moment。

I　looked　steadily　at　him。　　We　both　bowed。　　And；　at　the　moment　when

he　raised　his　head　from　that　inclination；　I　caught　the　glance　of

his　eye；　an　eye　such　as　might　have　been　looked　for　in　a　face　of

such　noble　lineaments





　　　　　〃Blending　the　nature　of　the　star

　　　　　　With　that　of　summer　skies；〃





and；　therefore；　meant　by　nature　for　the　residence　and　organ　of

serene　and　gentle　emotions；　but　it　surprised；　and　at　the　same　time

filled　me　more　almost　with　consternation　than　with　pity；　to　observe

that　in　those　eyes　a　light　of　sadness　had　settled　more　profound

than　seemed　possible　for　youth；　or　almost　commensurate　to　a　human

sorrow；　a　sadness　that　might　have　become　a　Jewish　prophet；　when

laden　with　inspirations　of　woe。



Two　months　had　now　passed　away　since　the　arrival　of　Mr。　Wyndham。

He　had　been　universally　introduced　to　the　superior　society　of　the

place；　and；　as　I　need　hardly　say；　universally　received　with　favor

and　distinction。　　In　reality；　his　wealth　and　importance；　his

military　honors；　and　the　dignity　of　his　character；　as　expressed　in

his　manners　and　deportment；　were　too　eminent　to　allow　of　his　being

treated　with　less　than　the　highest　attention　in　any　society

whatever。　　But　the　effect　of　these　various　advantages；　enforced　and

recommended　as　they　were　by　a　personal　beauty　so　rare；　was　somewhat

too　potent　for　the　comfort　and　self…possession　of　ordinary　people；

and　really　exceeded　in　a　painful　degree　the　standard　of　pretensions

under　which　such　people　could　feel　themselves　at　their　ease。　　He

was　not　naturally　of　a　reserved　turn；　far　from　it。　　His　disposition

had　been　open；　frank；　and　confiding；　originally；　and　his　roving；

adventurous　life；　of　which　considerably　more　than　one　half　had　been

passed　in　camps；　had　communicated　to　his　manners　a　more　than

military　frankness。　　But　the　profound　melancholy　which　possessed

him；　from　whatever　cause　it　arose；　necessarily　chilled　the　native

freedom　of　his　demeanor；　unless　when　it　was　revived　by　strength　of

friendship　or　of　love。　　The　effect　was　awkward　and　embarrassing　to

all　parties。　　Every　voice　paused　or　faltered　when　he　entered　a

roomdead　silence　ensuednot　an　eye　but　was　directed　upon　him；　or

else；　sunk　in　timidity；　settled　upon　the　floor；　and　young　ladies

seriously　lost　the　power；　for　a　time；　of　doing　more　than　murmuring

a　few　confused；　half…inarticulate　syllables；　or　half…inarticulate

sounds。　　The　solemnity；　in　fact；　of　a　first　presentation；　and　the

utter　impossibility　of　soon　recovering　a　free；　unembarrassed

movement　of　conversation；　made　such　scenes　really　distressing　to

all　who　participated　in　them；　either　as　actors　or　spectators。

Certainly　this　result　was　not　a　pure　effect　of　manly　beauty；

however　heroic；　and　in　whatever　excess；　it　arose　in　part　from　the

many　and　extraordinary　endowments　which　had　centered　in　his　person；

not　less　from　fortune　than　from　nature；　in　part　also；　as　I　have

said；　from　the　profound　sadness　and　freezing　gravity　of　Mr。

Wyndham's　manner；　but　still　more　from　the　perplexing　mystery　which

surrounded　that　sadness。



Were　there；　then；　no　exceptions　to　this　condition　of　awestruck

admiration？　　Yes；　one　at　least　there　was　in　whose　bosom　the　spell

of　all…conquering　passi