classic mystery and detective stories-第38部分

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　　　　　〃The　fair　sat　panting　at　a　courtier's　play；

　　　　　　And　not　a　mask　went　unimproved　away。〃





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It　was　that　memorable　night；　when；　according　to　the　history　of　the

veteran　Betterton；*　Mrs。　Barry；　who　personated　Roxana；　had　a　green…

room　squabble　with　Mrs。　Bowtell；　the　representative　of　Statira；

about　a　veil；　which　the　partiality　of　the　property　man　adjudged　to

the　latter。　　Roxana　suppressed　her　rage　till　the　fifth　act；　when；

stabbing　Statira；　she　aimed　the　blow　with　such　force　as　to　pierce

through　her　stays；　and　inflict　a　severe　though　not　dangerous　wound。

Mrs。　Bowtell　fainted；　the　performance　was　suspended；　and；　in　the

commotion　which　this　incident　caused　in　the　house；　many　of　the

audience　rose；　and　Stanton　among　them。　　It　was　at　this　moment　that；

in　a　seat　opposite　to　him；　he　discovered　the　object　of　his　search

for　four　years；the　Englishman　whom　he　had　met　in　the　plains　of

Valencia；　and　whom　he　believed　the　same　with　the　subject　of　the

extraordinary　narrative　he　had　heard　there。





*　Vide　Betterton's　History　of　the　Stage。





He　was　standing　up。　　There　was　nothing　particular　or　remarkable　in

his　appearance；　but　the　expression　of　his　eyes　could　never　be

mistaken　or　forgotten。　　The　heart　of　Stanton　palpitated　with

violence；a　mist　overspread　his　eye；a　nameless　and　deadly

sickness；　accompanied　with　a　creeping　sensation　in　every　pore；　from

which　cold　drops　were　gushing；　announced　the。　。　。　。



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Before　he　had　well　recovered；　a　strain　of　music；　soft；　solemn；　and

delicious；　breathed　round　him；　audibly　ascending　from　the　ground；

and　increasing　in　sweetness　and　power　till　it　seemed　to　fill　the

whole　building。　　Under　the　sudden　impulse　of　amazement　and

pleasure；　he　inquired　of　some　around　him　from　whence　those

exquisite　sounds　arose。　　But；　by　the　manner　in　which　he　was

answered；　it　was　plain　that　those　he　addressed　considered　him

insane；　and；　indeed；　the　remarkable　change　in　his　expression　might

well　justify　the　suspicion。　　He　then　remembered　that　night　in

Spain；　when　the　same　sweet　and　mysterious　sounds　were　heard　only　by

the　young　bridegroom　and　bride；　of　whom　the　latter　perished　on　that

very　night。　　〃And　am　I　then　to　be　the　next　victim？〃　thought

Stanton；　〃and　are　those　celestial　sounds；　that　seem　to　prepare　us

for　heaven；　only　intended　to　announce　the　presence　of　an　incarnate

fiend；　who　mocks　the　devoted　with　'airs　from　heaven；'　while　he

prepares　to　surround　them　with　'blasts　from　hell'？〃　　It　is　very

singular　that　at　this　moment；　when　his　imagination　had　reached　its

highest　pitch　of　elevation；when　the　object　he　had　pursued　so　long

and　fruitlessly；　had　in　one　moment　become　as　it　were　tangible　to

the　grasp　both　of　mind　and　body；when　this　spirit；　with　whom　he

had　wrestled　in　darkness；　was　at　last　about　to　declare　its　name；

that　Stanton　began　to　feel　a　kind　of　disappointment　at　the　futility

of　his　pursuits；　like　Bruce　at　discovering　the　source　of　the　Nile；

or　Gibbon　on　concluding　his　History。　　The　feeling　which　he　had

dwelt　on　so　long；　that　he　had　actually　converted　it　into　a　duty；

was　after　all　mere　curiosity；　but　what　passion　is　more　insatiable；

or　more　capable　of　giving　a　kind　of　romantic　grandeur　to　all　its

wanderings　and　eccentricities？　　Curiosity　is　in　one　respect　like

love；　it　always　compromises　between　the　object　and　the　feeling；　and

provided　the　latter　possesses　sufficient　energy；　no　matter　how

contemptible　the　former　may　be。　　A　child　might　have　smiled　at　the

agitation　of　Stanton；　caused　as　it　was　by　the　accidental　appearance

of　a　stranger；　but　no　man；　in　the　full　energy　of　his　passions；　was

there；　but　must　have　trembled　at　the　horrible　agony　of　emotion　with

which　he　felt　approaching；　with　sudden　and　irresistible　velocity；

the　crisis　of　his　destiny。



When　the　play　was　over；　he　stood　for　some　moments　in　the　deserted

streets。　　It　was　a　beautiful　moonlight　night；　and　he　saw　near　him　a

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