classic mystery and detective stories-第26章

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crowd　which　soon　collected　in　breathless　agitation。　　In　two　minutes

a　man　who　had　gone　round　by　the　back　of　the　house　was　heard

unbarring　Mr。　Liebenheim's　door：　he　was　incapable　of　uttering　a

word；　but　his　gestures；　as　he　threw　the　door　open　and　beckoned　to

the　crowd；　were　quite　enough。　　In　the　hall；　at　the　further

extremity；　and　as　if　arrested　in　the　act　of　making　for　the　back

door；　lay　the　bodies　of　old　Mr。　Liebenheim　and　one　of　his　sisters；

an　aged　widow；　on　the　stair　lay　another　sister；　younger　and

unmarried；　but　upward　of　sixty。　　The　hall　and　lower　flight　of

stairs　were　floating　with　blood。　　Where；　then；　was　Miss　Liebenheim；

the　granddaughter？　　That　was　the　universal　cry；　for　she　was　beloved

as　generally　as　she　was　admired。　　Had　the　infernal　murderers　been

devilish　enough　to　break　into　that　temple　of　innocent　and　happy

life？　　Everyone　asked　the　question；　and　everyone　held　his　breath　to

listen；　but　for　a　few　moments　no　one　dared　to　advance；　for　the

silence　of　the　house　was　ominous。　　At　length　some　one　cried　out

that　Miss　Liebenheim　had　that　day　gone　upon　a　visit　to　a　friend；

whose　house　was　forty　miles　distant　in　the　forest。　　〃Aye；〃　replied

another；〃　she　had　settled　to　go；　but　I　heard　that　something　had

stopped　her。〃　　The　suspense　was　now　at　its　height；　and　the　crowd

passed　from　room　to　room；　but　found　no　traces　of　Miss　Liebenheim。

At　length　they　ascended　the　stair；　and　in　the　very　first　room；　a

small　closet；　or　boudoir；　lay　Margaret；　with　her　dress　soiled

hideously　with　blood。　　The　first　impression　was　that　she　also　had

been　murdered；　but；　on　a　nearer　approach；　she　appeared　to　be

unwounded；　and　was　manifestly　alive。　　Life　had　not　departed；　for

her　breath　sent　a　haze　over　a　mirror；　but　it　was　suspended；　and　she

was　laboring　in　some　kind　of　fit。　　The　first　act　of　the　crowd　was

to　carry　her　into　the　house　of　a　friend　on　the　opposite　side　of　the

street；　by　which　time　medical　assistance　had　crowded　to　the　spot。

Their　attentions　to　Miss　Liebenheim　had　naturally　deranged　the

condition　of　things　in　the　little　room；　but　not　before　many　people

found　time　to　remark　that　one　of　the　murderers　must　have　carried

her　with　his　bloody　hands　to　the　sofa　on　which　she　lay；　for　water

had　been　sprinkled　profusely　over　her　face　and　throat；　and　water

was　even　placed　ready　to　her　hand；　when　she　might　happen　to

recover；　upon　a　low　foot…stool　by　the　side　of　the　sofa。



On　the　following　morning；　Maximilian；　who　had　been　upon　a　hunting

party　in　the　forest；　returned　to　the　city；　and　immediately　learned

the　news。　　I　did　not　see　him　for　some　hours　after；　but　he　then

appeared　to　me　thoroughly　agitated；　for　the　first　time　I　had　known

him　to　be　so。　　In　the　evening　another　perplexing　piece　of

intelligence　transpired　with　regard　to　Miss　Liebenheim；　which　at

first　afflicted　every　friend　of　that　young　lady。　　It　was　that　she

had　been　seized　with　the　pains　of　childbirth；　and　delivered　of　a

son；　who；　however；　being　born　prematurely；　did　not　live　many　hours。

Scandal；　however；　was　not　allowed　long　to　batten　upon　this

imaginary　triumph；　for　within　two　hours　after　the　circulation　of

this　first　rumor；　followed　a　second；　authenticated；　announcing　that

Maximilian　had　appeared　with　the　confessor　of　the　Liebenheim

family；　at　the　residence　of　the　chief　magistrate；　and　there

produced　satisfactory　proofs　of　his　marriage　with　Miss　Liebenheim；

which　had　been　duly　celebrated；　though　with　great　secrecy；　nearly

eight　months　before。　　In　our　city；　as　in　all　the　cities　of　our

country；　clandestine　marriages；　witnessed；　perhaps；　by　two　friends

only　of　the　parties；　besides　the　officiating　priest；　are

exceedingly　common。　　In　the　mere　fact；　therefore；　taken　separately；

there　was　nothing　to　surprise　us；　but；　taken　in　connection　with　the

general　position　of　the　parties；　it　DID　surprise　us　all；　nor　could

we　conjecture　the　reason　for　a　step　apparently　so　needless。　　For；

that　Maximilian　could　have　thought　it　any　point　of　prudence　or

necessity　to　secure　the　hand　of　Margaret　Liebenheim　by　a　private

marriage；　against　the　final　opposition　of　her　grandfather；　nobody

who　knew　the　parties；　who　knew　the　perfect　love　which　possessed

Miss　Liebenbeim；　the　growing　imbecility　of　her　grandfather；　or　the

utter　contempt　with　which　Maximilian　regarded　him；　could　for　a

moment　believe。　　Altogether；　the　matter　was　one　of　profound

mystery。



Meantime；　it　rejoiced　me　that　poor　Margaret's　name　had　been　thus

rescued　from　the　fangs　of　the　scandalmongers。　　These　harpies　had

their　prey　torn　from　them　at　the　very　moment　when　they　were　sitting

down　to　the　unhallowed　banquet。　　For　this　I　rejoiced；　but　else

there　was　little　subject　for　rejoicing　in　anything　which　concerned

poor　Margaret。　　Long　she　lay　in　deep　insensibility；　taking　no

notice　of　anything；　rarely　opening　her　eyes；　and　apparently

unconscious　of　the　revolutions；　as　they　succeeded；　of　morning　or

evening；　light　or　darkness；　yesterday　or　to…day。　　Great　was　the

agitation　which　convulsed　the　heart　of　Maximilian　during　this

period；　he　walked　up　and　down　in　the　cathedral　nearly　all　day　long；

and　the　ravages　which　anxiety　was　working　in　his　physical　system

might　be　read　in　his　face。　　People　felt　it　an　intrusion　upon　the

sanctity　of　his　grief　to　look　at　him　too　narrowly；　and　the　whole

town　sympathized　with　his　situation。



At　length　a　change　took　place　in　Margaret；　but　one　which　the

medical　men　announced　to　Maximilian　as　boding　ill　for　her　recovery。

The　wanderings　of　her　mind　did　not　depart；　but　they　altered　their

character。　　She　became　more　agitated；　she　would　start　up　suddenly；

and　strain　her　eye…sight　after　some　figure　which　she　seemed　to　see；

then　she　would　apostrophize　some　person　in　the　most　piteous　terms；

beseeching　him；　with　streaming　eyes；　to　spare　her　old　grandfather。

〃Look；　look；〃　she　would　cry　out；　〃look　at　his　gray　hairs！　　O；　sir！

he　is　but　a　child；　he　does　not　know　what　he　says；　and　he　will　soon

be　out　of　the　way　and　in　his　grave；　and　very　soon；　sir；　he　will

give　you　no　more　trouble。〃　　Then；　again；　she　would　mutter

indistinctly　for　hours　together；　sometimes　she　would　cry　out

frantically；　and　say　things　which　terrified　the　bystanders；　and

which　the　physicians　would　solemnly　caution　them　how　they　repeated；

then　she　would　weep；　and　invoke　Maximilian　to　come　and　aid　her。

But　seldom；　indeed；　did　that　name　pass　her　lips　that　she　did　not

again　begin　to　strain　her　eyeballs；　and　start　up　in　bed　to　watch

some　phantom　of　her　poor；　fevered　heart；　as　if　it　seemed　vanishing

into　some　mighty　distance。



After　nearly　seven　weeks　passed　in　this　agitating　state；　suddenly；

on　one　morning；　the　earliest　and　the　loveliest　of　dawning　spring；　a

change　was　announced　to　us　all　as　having　taken　place　in　Margaret；

but　it　was　a　change；　alas！　that　ushered　in　the　last　great　change　of

all。　　The　conflict；　which　had　for　so　long　a　period　raged　within

her；　and　overthrown　her　reason；　was　at　an　end；　the　strife　was　over；

and　nature　was　settling　into　an　everlasting　rest。　　In　the　course　of

the　night　she　had　recovered　her　senses。　　When　the　morning　light

penetrated　through　her　curtain；　she　recognized　her　attendants；　made

inquiries　as　to　the　month　and　the　day　of　the　month；　and　then；

sensible　that　she　could　not　outlive　the　day；　she　requested　that　her

confessor　might　be　summoned。



About　an　hour　and　a　half　the　confessor　remained　alone　with　her。　　At

the　end　of　that　time　he　came　out；　and　hastily　summoned　the

attendants；　for　Margaret；　he　said；　was　sinking　into　a　fainting　fit。

The　confessor　himself　might　have　passed　through　many　a　fit；　so　much

was　he　changed　by　the　results　of　this　interview。　　I　crossed　him

coming　out　of　the　house。　　I　spoke　to　himI　called　to　him；　but　he

heard　me　nothe　saw　me　not。　　He　saw　nobody。　　Onward　he　strode　to

the　cathedral；　where　Maximilian　was　sure　to　be　found；　pacing　about

upon　the　graves。　　Him　he　seized　by　the　arm；　whispered　something

into　his　ear；　and　then　both　retired　into　one　of　the　many

sequestered　chapels　in　which　lights　are　continually　burning。　　There

they　had　some　conversation；　but　not　very　long；　for　within　five

minutes　Maximilian　strode　away　to　the　house　in　which　his　young　wife

was　dying。　　One　step　seemed　to　carry　him　upstairs。　　The　attendants；

according　to　the　directions　they　had　received　from　the　physicians；

mustered　at　the　head　of　the　stairs　to　oppose　him。　　But　that　was

idle：　before　the　rights　which　he　held　as　a　lover　and　a　husband

before　the　still　more　sacred　rights　of　grief；　which　he　carried　in

his　countenance；　all　opposition　fled　like　a　dream。　　There　was；

besides；　a　fury　in　his　eye。　　A　motion　of　his　hand　waved　them　off

like　summer　flies；　he　entered　the　room；　and　once　again；　for　the

last　time；　he　was　in　company　with　his　beloved。



What　passed　who　could　pretend　to　guess？　　Something　more　than　two

hours　had　elapsed；　during　which　Margaret　had　been　able　to　talk

occasionally；　which　was　known；　because　at　times　the　attendants

heard　the　sound　of　Maximilian's　voice　evidently　in　tones　of　reply

to　something　which　she　had　said。　　At　the　end　of　that　time；　a　little

bell；　placed　near　the　bedside；　was　rung　hastily。　　A　fainting　fit

had　seized　Margaret；　but　she　recovered　almost　before　her　women

applied　the　usual　remedies。　　They　lingered；　however；　a　little；

looking　at　the　youthful　couple　with　an　interest　which　no　restraints

availed　to　check。　　Their　hands　were　locked　together；　and　in

Margaret's　eyes　there　gleamed　a　farewell　light　of　love；　which

settled　upon　Maximilian；　and　seemed　to　indicate　that　she　was

becoming　speechless。　　Just　at　this　moment　she　made　a　feeble　effort

to　draw　Maximilian　toward　her；　he　bent　forward　and　kissed　her　with

an　anguish　that　made　the　most　callous　weep；　and　then　he　whispered

something　into　her　ear；　upon　which　the　attendants　retired；　taking

this　as　a　proof　that　their　presence　was　a　hindrance　to　a　free

communication。　　But　they　heard　no　more　talking；　and　in　less　than

ten　minutes　they　returned。　　Maximilian　and　Margaret　still　retained

their　former　position。　　Their　hands　were　fast　locked　together；　the

same　parting　ray　of　affection；　the　same　farewell　light　of　love；　was

in　the　eye　of　Margaret；　and　still　it　settled　upon　Maximilian。　　But

her　eyes　were　beginning　to　grow　dim；　mists　were　rapidly　stealing

over　them。　　Maximilian；　who　sat　stupefied　and　like　one　not　in　his

right　mind；　now；　at　the　gentle　request　of　the　women；　resigned　his

seat；　for　the　hand　which　had　clasped　his　had　already　relaxed　its

hold；　the　farewell　gleam　of　love　had　departed。　　One　of　the　women

closed　her　eyelids；　and　there　fell　asleep　forever　the　loveliest

flower　that　our　city　had　reared　for　generations。



The　funeral　took　place　on　the　fourth　day　after　her　death。　　In　the

morning　of　that　day；　from　strong　affectionhaving　known　her　from

an　infantI　begged　permission　to　see　the　corpse。　　She　was　in　her

coffin；　snowdrops　and　crocuses　were　laid　upon　her　innocent　bosom；

and　roses；　of　that　sort　which　the　season　allowed；　over　h