classic mystery and detective stories-第35章

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figure；　whose　shadow；　projected　half　across　the　street　（there　were

no　flagged　ways　then；　chains　and　posts　were　the　only　defense　of　the

foot　passenger）；　appeared　to　him　of　gigantic　magnitude。　　He　had

been　so　long　accustomed　to　contend　with　these　phantoms　of　the

imagination；　that　he　took　a　kind　of　stubborn　delight　in　subduing

them。　　He　walked　up　to　the　object；　and　observing　the　shadow　only

was　magnified；　and　the　figure　was　the　ordinary　height　of　man；　he

approached　it；　and　discovered　the　very　object　of　his　search；the

man　whom　he　had　seen　for　a　moment　in　Valencia；　and；　after　a　search

of　four　years；　recognized　at　the　theater。



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〃You　were　in　quest　of　me？〃〃I　was。〃　　〃Have　you　anything　to　inquire

of　me？〃〃Much。〃　　〃Speak；　then。〃〃This　is　no　place。〃　　〃No　place！

poor　wretch；　I　am　independent　of　time　and　place。　　Speak；　if　you

have　anything　to　ask　or　to　learn。〃〃I　have　many　things　to　ask；　but

nothing　to　learn；　I　hope；　from　you。〃　　〃You　deceive　yourself；　but

you　will　be　undeceived　when　next　we　meet。〃〃And　when　shall　that

be？〃　said　Stanton；　grasping　his　arm；　〃name　your　hour　and　your

place。〃　　〃The　hour　shall　be　midday；〃　answered　the　stranger；　with　a

horrid　and　unintelligible　smile；　〃and　the　place　shall　be　the　bare

walls　of　a　madhouse；　where　you　shall　rise　rattling　in　your　chains；

and　rustling　from　your　straw；　to　greet　me；yet　still　you　shall

have　THE　CURSE　OF　SANITY；　and　of　memory。　　My　voice　shall　ring　in

your　ears　till　then；　and　the　glance　of　these　eyes　shall　be

reflected　from　every　object；　animate　or　inanimate；　till　you　behold

them　again。〃〃Is　it　under　circumstances　so　horrible　we　are　to　meet

again？〃　said　Stanton；　shrinking　under　the　full…lighted　blaze　of

those　demon　eyes。　　〃I　never；〃　said　the　stranger；　in　an　emphatic

tone；〃I　never　desert　my　friends　in　misfortune。　　When　they　are

plunged　in　the　lowest　abyss　of　human　calamity；　they　are　sure　to　be

visited　by　me。〃



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The　narrative；　when　Melmoth　was　again　able　to　trace　its

continuation；　described　Stanton；　some　years　after；　plunged　in　a

state　the　most　deplorable。



He　had　been　always　reckoned　of　a　singular　turn　of　mind；　and　the

belief　of　this；　aggravated　by　his　constant　talk　of　Melmoth；　his

wild　pursuit　of　him；　his　strange　behavior　at　the　theater；　and　his

dwelling　on　the　various　particulars　of　their　extraordinary

meetings；　with　all　the　intensity　of　the　deepest　conviction　（while

he　never　could　impress　them　on　any　one's　conviction　but　his　own）；

suggested　to　some　prudent　people　the　idea　that　he　was　deranged。

Their　malignity　probably　took　part　with　their　prudence。　　The

selfish　Frenchman*　says；　we　feel　a　pleasure　even　in　the　misfortunes

of　our　friends；a　plus　forte　in　those　of　our　enemies；　and　as

everyone　is　an　enemy　to　a　man　of　genius　of　course；　the　report　of

Stanton's　malady　was　propagated　with　infernal　and　successful

industry。　　Stanton's　next　relative；　a　needy　unprincipled　man；

watched　the　report　in　its　circulation；　and　saw　the　snares　closing

round　his　victim。　　He　waited　on　him　one　morning；　accompanied　by　a

person　of　a　grave；　though　somewhat　repulsive　appearance。　　Stanton

was　as　usual　abstracted　and　restless；　and；　after　a　few　moments'

conversation；　he　proposed　a　drive　a　few　miles　out　of　London；　which

he　said　would　revive　and　refresh　him。　　Stanton　objected；　on　account

of　the　difficulty　of　getting　a　hackney　coach　（for　it　is　singular

that　at　this　period　the　number　of　private　equipages；　though

infinitely　fewer　than　they　are　now；　exceeded　the　number　of　hired

ones）；　and　proposed　going　by　water。　　This；　however；　did　not　suit

the　kinsman's　views；　and；　after　pretending　to　send　for　a　carriage

（which　was　in　waiting　at　the　end　of　the　street）；　Stanton　and　his

companions　entered　it；　and　drove　about　two　miles　out　of　London。





*　Rochefoucauld。





The　carriage　then　stopped。　　Come；　Cousin；〃　said　the　younger

Stanton；〃come　and　view　a　purchase　I　have　made。〃　　Stanton　absently

alighted；　and　followed　him　across　a　small　paved　court；　the　other

person　followed。　　〃In　troth；　Cousin；〃　said　Stanton；　〃your　choice

appears　not　to　have　been　discreetly　made；　your　house　has　somewhat

of　a　gloomy　aspect。〃〃Hold　you　content；　Cousin；〃　replied　the

other；　〃I　shall　take　order　that　you　like　it　better；　when　you　have

been　some　time　a　dweller　therein。〃　　Some　attendants　of　a　mean

appearance；　and　with　most　suspicious　visages；　awaited　them　on　their

entrance；　and　they　ascended　a　narrow　staircase；　which　led　to　a　room

meanly　furnished。　　〃Wait　here；〃　said　the　kinsman；　to　the　man　who

accompanied　them；　〃till　I　go　for　company　to　divertise　my　cousin　in

his　loneliness。〃　　They　were　left　alone。　　Stanton　took　no　notice　of

his　companion；　but　as　usual　seized　the　first　book　near　him；　and

began　to　read。　　It　was　a　volume　in　manuscript；they　were　then　much

more　common　than　now。



The　first　lines　struck　him　as　indicating　insanity　in　the　writer。

It　was　a　wild　proposal　（written　apparently　after　the　great　fire　of

London）　to　rebuild　it　with　stone；　and　attempting　to　prove；　on　a

calculation　wild；　false；　and　yet　sometimes　plausible；　that　this

could　be　done　out　of　the　colossal　fragments　of　Stonehenge；　which

the　writer　proposed　to　remove　for　that　purpose。　　Subjoined　were

several　grotesque　drawings　of　engines　designed　to　remove　those

massive　blocks；　and　in　a　corner　of　the　page　was　a　note；〃I　would

have　drawn　these　more　accurately；　but　was　not　allowed　a　KNIFE　to

mend　my　pen。〃



The　next　was　entitled；　〃A　modest　proposal　for　the　spreading　of

Christianity　in　foreign　parts；　whereby　it　is　hoped　its

entertainment　will　become　general　all　over　the　world。〃This　modest

proposal　was；　to　convert　the　Turkish　ambassadors　（who　had　been　in

London　a　few　years　before）；　by　offering　them　their　choice　of　being

strangled　on　the　spot；　or　becoming　Christians。　　Of　course　the

writer　reckoned　on　their　embracing　the　easier　alternative；　but　even

this　was　to　be　clogged　with　a　heavy　condition；namely；　that　they

must　be　bound　before　a　magistrate　to　convert　twenty　Mussulmans　a

day；　on　their　return　to　Turkey。　　The　rest　of　the　pamphlet　was

reasoned　very　much　in　the　conclusive　style　of　Captain　Bobadil；

these　twenty　will　convert　twenty　more　apiece；　and　these　two　hundred

converts；　converting　their　due　number　in　the　same　time；　all　Turkey

would　be　converted　before　the　Grand　Signior　knew　where　he　was。

Then　comes　the　coup　d'eclat；one　fine　morning；　every　minaret　in

Constantinople　was　to　ring　out　with　bells；　instead　of　the　cry　of

the　Muezzins；　and　the　Imaum；　coming　out　to　see　what　was　the　matter；

was　to　be　encountered　by　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　in

pontificalibus；　performing　Cathedral　service　in　the　church　of　St。

Sophia；　which　was　to　finish　the　business。　　Here　an　objection

appeared　to　arise；　which　the　ingenuity　of　the　writer　had

anticipated。〃It　may　be　redargued；〃　saith　he；　〃by　those　who　have

more　spleen　than　brain；　that　forasmuch　as　the　Archbishop　preacheth

in　English；　he　will　not　thereby　much　edify　the　Turkish　folk；　who　do

altogether　hold　in　a　vain　gabble　of　their　own。〃　　But　this　（to　use

his　own　language）　he　〃evites；〃　by　judiciously　observing；　that　where

service　was　performed　in　an　unknown　tongue；　the　devotion　of　the

people　was　always　observed　to　be　much　increased　thereby；　as；　for

instance；　in　the　church　of　Rome；that　St。　Augustine；　with　his

monks；　advanced　to　meet　King　Ethelbert　singing　litanies　（in　a

language　his　majesty　could　not　possibly　have　understood）；　and

converted　him　and　his　whole　court　on　the　spot；that　the　sybilline

books。　。　。　。



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Cum　multis　aliis。



Between　the　pages　were　cut　most　exquisitely　in　paper　the　likenesses

of　some　of　these　Turkish　ambassadors；　the　hair　of　the　beards；　in

particular；　was　feathered　with　a　delicacy　of　touch　that　seemed　the

work　of　fairy　fingers；but　the　pages　ended　with　a　complaint　of　the

operator；　that　his　scissors　had　been　taken　from　him。　　However；　he

consoled　himself　and　the　reader　with　the　assurance；　that　he　would

that　night　catch　a　moonbeam　as　it　entered　through　the　grating；　and；

when　he　had　whetted　it　on　the　iron　knobs　of　his　door；　would　do

wonders　with　it。　　In　the　next　page　was　found　a　melancholy　proof　of

powerful　but　prostrated　intellect。　　It　contained　some　insane　lines；

ascribed　to　Lee　the　dramatic　poet；　commencing；





　　　　　〃O　that　my　lungs　could　bleat　like　buttered　pease；〃　&c。





There　is　no　proof　whatever　that　these　miserable　lines　were　really

written　by　Lee；　except　that　the　measure　is　the　fashionable　quatrain

of　the　period。　　It　is　singular　that　Stanton　read　on　without

suspicion　of　his　own　danger；　quite　absorbed　in　the　album　of　a

madhouse；　without　ever　reflecting　on　the　place　where　he　was；　and

which　such　compositions　too　manifestly　designated。



It　was　after　a　long　interval　that　he　looked　round；　and　perceived

that　his　companion　was　gone。　　Bells　were　unusual　then。　　He

proceeded　to　the　door；it　was　fastened。　　He　called　aloud；his

voice　was　echoed　in　a　moment　by　many　others；　but　in　tones　so　wild

and　discordant；　that　he　desisted　in　involuntary　terror。　　As　the　day

advanced；　and　no　one　approached；　he　tried　the　window；　and　then

perceived　for　the　first　time　it　was　grated。　　It　looked　out　on　the

narrow　flagged　yard；　in　which　no　human　being　was；　and　if　there　had；

from　such　a　being　no　human　feeling　could　have　been　extracted。



Sickening　with　unspeakable　horror；　he　sunk　rather　than　sat　down

beside　the　miserable　window；　and　〃wished　for　day。〃



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At　midnight　he　started　from　a　doze；　half　a　swoon；　half　a　sleep；

which　probably　the　hardness　of　his　seat；　and　of　the　deal　table　on

which　he　leaned；　had　not　contributed　to　prolong。



He　was　in　complete　darkness；　the　horror　of　his　situation　struck　him

at　once；　and　for　a　moment　he　was　indeed　almost　qualified　for　an

inmate　of　that　dreadful　mansion。　　He　felt　his　way　to　the　door；

shook　it　with　desperate　strength；　and　uttered　the　most　frightful

cries；　mixed　with　expostulations　and　commands。　　His　cries　were　in　a

moment　echoed　by　a　hundred　voices。　　In　maniacs　there　is　a　peculiar

malignity；　accompanied　by　an　extraordinary　acuteness　of　some　of　the

senses；　particularly　in　distinguishing　the　voice　of　a　stranger。

The　cries　that　he　heard　on　every　side　seemed　like　a　wild　and

infernal　yell　of　joy；　that　their　mansion　of　misery　had　obtained

another　tenant。



He　paused；　exhausted；a　quick　and　thundering　step　was　heard　in　the

passage。　　The　door　was　opened；　and　a　man　of　savage　appearance　stood

at　the　entrance；two　more　were　seen　indistinctly　in　the　passage。

〃Release　me；　villain！〃〃Stop；　my　fine　fellow；　what's　all　this

noise　for？〃　　〃Where　am　I？〃　　〃Where　you　ought　to　be。〃　　〃Will　you

dare　to　detain　me？〃〃Yes；　and　a　little　more　than　that；〃　answered

the　ruffian；　applying　a　loaded　horsewhip　to　his　back　and　shoulders；

till　the　patient　soon　fell　to　the　ground　conv