the notch on the ax and on being found out-第31部分

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assuring　her　that；　in　case　any　attempt　should　be　made　to　force　her
out　again　to　public　exposure；　I　would　kill　the　man　who　came　to
execute　the　orderthat　we　would　all　die　togetherand　there　would
be　a　common　end　to　her　injuries　and　her　fears。　　She　was　reassured
by　what　I　told　her　of　my　belief　that　no　future　attempt　would　be
made　upon　her。　　She　slept　more　tranquillybut　her　fever　increased；
and　slowly　she　slept　away　into　the　everlasting　sleep　which　knows　of
no　to…morrow。

〃Here　came　a　crisis　in　my　fate。　　Should　I　stay　and　attempt　to
protect　my　sisters？　　But；　alas！　what　power　had　I　to　do　so　among　our
enemies？　　Rachael　and　I　consulted；　and　many　a　scheme　we　planned。
Even　while　we　consulted；　and　the　very　night　after　my　mother　had
been　committed　to　the　Jewish　burying　ground；　came　an　officer；
bearing　an　order　for　me　to　repair　to　Vienna。　　Some　officer　in　the
French　army；　having　watched　the　transaction　respecting　my　parents；
was　filled　with　shame　and　grief。　　He　wrote　a　statement　of　the　whole
to　an　Austrian　officer　of　rank；　my　father's　friend；　who　obtained
from　the　emperor　an　order；　claiming　me　as　a　page　of　his　own；　and　an
officer　in　the　household　service。　　O　heavens！　what　a　neglect　that
it　did　not　include　my　sisters！　　However；　the　next　best　thing　was
that　I　should　use　my　influence　at　the　imperial　court　to　get　them
passed　to　Vienna。　　This　I　did；　to　the　utmost　of　my　power。　　But
seven　months　elapsed　before　I　saw　the　emperor。　　If　my　applications
ever　met　his　eye　he　might　readily　suppose　that　your　city；　my
friend；　was　as　safe　a　place　as　another　for　my　sisters。　　Nor　did　I
myself　know　all　its　dangers。　　At　length；　with　the　emperor's　leave
of　absence；　I　returned。　　And　what　did　I　find？　　Eight　months　had
passed；　and　the　faithful　Rachael　had　died。　　The　poor　sisters；
clinging　together；　but　now　utterly　bereft　of　friends；　knew　not
which　way　to　turn。　　In　this　abandonment　they　fell　into　the
insidious　hands　of　the　ruffian　jailer。　　My　eldest　sister；　Berenice；
the　stateliest　and　noblest　of　beauties；　had　attracted　this
ruffian's　admiration　while　she　was　in　the　prison　with　her　mother。
And　when　I　returned　to　your　city；　armed　with　the　imperial　passports
for　all；　I　found　that　Berenice　had　died　in　the　villain's　custody；
nor　could　I　obtain　anything　beyond　a　legal　certificate　of　her
death。　　And；　finally；　the　blooming；　laughing　Mariamne；　she　also　had
diedand　of　affliction　for　the　loss　of　her　sister。　　You；　my
friend；　had　been　absent　upon　your　travels　during　the　calamitous
history　I　have　recited。　　You　had　seen　neither　my　father　nor　my
mother。　　But　you　came　in　time　to　take　under　your　protection；　from
the　abhorred　wretch　the　jailer；　my　little　broken…hearted　Mariamne。
And　when　sometimes　you　fancied　that　you　had　seen　me　under　other
circumstances；　in　her　it　was；　my　dear　friend；　and　in　her　features
that　you　saw　mine。

〃Now　was　the　world　a　desert　to　me。　　I　cared　little；　in　the　way　of
love；　which　way　I　turned。　　But　in　the　way　of　hatred　I　cared
everything。　　I　transferred　myself　to　the　Russian　service；　with　the
view　of　gaining　some　appointment　on　the　Polish　frontier；　which
might　put　it　in　my　power　to　execute　my　vow　of　destroying　all　the
magistrates　of　your　city。　　War；　however；　raged；　and　carried　me　into
far　other　regions。　　It　ceased；　and　there　was　little　prospect　that
another　generation　would　see　it　relighted；　for　the　disturber　of
peace　was　a　prisoner　forever；　and　all　nations　were　exhausted。　　Now；
then；　it　became　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　some　new　mode　for
executing　my　vengeance；　and　the　more　so；　because　annually　some　were
dying　of　those　whom　it　was　my　mission　to　punish。　　A　voice　ascended
to　me；　day　and　night；　from　the　graves　of　my　father　and　mother；
calling　for　vengeance　before　it　should　be　too　late。

I　took　my　measures　thus：　Many　Jews　were　present　at　Waterloo。　　From
among　these；　all　irritated　against　Napoleon　for　the　expectations　he
had　raised；　only　to　disappoint；　by　his　great　assembly　of　Jews　at
Paris；　I　selected　eight；　whom　I　knew　familiarly　as　men　hardened　by
military　experience　against　the　movements　of　pity。　　With　these　as
my　beagles；　I　hunted　for　some　time　in　your　forest　before　opening　my
regular　campaign；　and　I　am　surprised　that　you　did　not　hear　of　the
death　which　met　the　executionerhim　I　mean　who　dared　to　lift　his
hand　against　my　mother。　　This　man　I　met　by　accident　in　the　forest；
and　I　slew　him。　　I　talked　with　the　wretch；　as　a　stranger　at　first；
upon　the　memorable　case　of　the　Jewish　lady。　　Had　he　relented；　had
he　expressed　compunction；　I　might　have　relented。　　But　far
otherwise：　the　dog；　not　dreaming　to　whom　he　spoke；　exulted；　he
But　why　repeat　the　villain's　words？　　I　cut　him　to　pieces。　　Next　I
did　this：　My　agents　I　caused　to　matriculate　separately　at　the
college。　　They　assumed　the　college　dress。　　And　now　mark　the
solution　of　that　mystery　which　caused　such　perplexity。　　Simply　as
students　we　all　had　an　unsuspected　admission　at　any　house。　　Just
then　there　was　a　common　practice；　as　you　will　remember；　among　the
younger　students；　of　going　out　a　maskingthat　is；　of　entering
houses　in　the　academic　dress；　and　with　the　face　masked。　　This
practice　subsisted　even　during　the　most　intense　alarm　from　the
murderers；　for　the　dress　of　the　students　was　supposed　to　bring
protection　along　with　it。　　But；　even　after　suspicion　had　connected
itself　with　this　dress；　it　was　sufficient　that　I　should　appear
unmasked　at　the　head　of　the　maskers；　to　insure　them　a　friendly
reception。　　Hence　the　facility　with　which　death　was　inflicted；　and
that　unaccountable　absence　of　any　motion　toward　an　alarm。　　I　took
hold　of　my　victim；　and　he　looked　at　me　with　smiling　security。　　Our
weapons　were　hid　under　our　academic　robes；　and　even　when　we　drew
them　out；　and　at　the　moment　of　applying　them　to　the　threat；　they
still　supposed　our　gestures　to　be　part　of　the　pantomime　we　were
performing。　　Did　I　relish　this　abuse　of　personal　confidence　in
myself？　　NoI　loathed　it；　and　I　grieved　for　its　necessity；　but　my
mother；　a　phantom　not　seen　with　bodily　eyes；　but　ever　present　to　my
mind；　continually　ascended　before　me；　and　still　I　shouted　aloud　to
my　astounded　victim；　'This　comes　from　the　Jewess！　　Hound　of　hounds！
Do　you　remember　the　Jewess　whom　you　dishonored；　and　the　oaths　which
you　broke　in　order　that　you　might　dishonor　her；　and　the　righteous
law　which　you　violated；　and　the　cry　of　anguish　from　her　son　which
you　scoffed　at？'　　Who　I　was；　what　I　avenged；　and　whom；　I　made　every
man　aware；　and　every　woman；　before　I　punished　them。　　The　details　of
the　cases　I　need　not　repeat。　　One　or　two　I　was　obliged；　at　the
beginning；　to　commit　to　my　Jews。　　The　suspicion　was　thus；　from　the
first；　turned　aside　by　the　notoriety　of　my　presence　elsewhere；　but
I　took　care　that　none　suffered　who　had　not　either　been　upon　the
guilty　list　of　magistrates　who　condemned　the　mother；　or　of　those
who　turned　away　with　mockery　from　the　supplication　of　the　son。

〃It　pleased　God；　however；　to　place　a　mighty　temptation　in　my　path；
which　might　have　persuaded　me　to　forego　all　thoughts　of　vengeance；
to　forget　my　vow；　to　forget　the　voices　which　invoked　me　from　the
grave。　　This　was　Margaret　Liebenheim。　　Ah！　how　terrific　appeared　my
duty　of　bloody　retribution；　after　her　angel's　face　and　angel's
voice　had　calmed　me。　　With　respect　to　her　grandfather；　strange　it
is　to　mention；　that　never　did　my　innocent　wife　appear　so　lovely　as
precisely　in　the　relation　of　granddaughter。　　So　beautiful　was　her
goodness　to　the　old　man；　and　so　divine　was　the　childlike　innocence
on　her　part；　contrasted　with　the　guilty　recollections　associated
with　himfor　he　was　among　the　guiltiest　toward　my　motherstill　I
delayed　HIS　punishment　to　the　last；　and；　for　his　child's　sake；　I
would　have　pardoned　himnay；　I　had　resolved　to　do　so；　when　a
fierce　Jew；　who　had　a　deep　malignity　toward　this　man；　swore　that　he
would　accomplish　HIS　vengeance　at　all　events；　and　perhaps　might　be
obliged　to　include　Margaret　in　the　ruin；　unless　I　adhered　to　the
original　scheme。　　Then　I　yielded；　for　circumstances　armed　this　man
with　momentary　power。　　But　the　night　fixed　on　was　one　in　which　I
had　reason　to　know　that　my　wife　would　be　absent；　for　so　I　had
myself　arranged　with　her；　and　the　unhappy　counter…arrangement　I　do
not　yet　understand。　　Let　me　add；　that　the　sole　purpose　of　my
clandestine　marriage　was　to　sting　her　grandfather's　mind　with　the
belief　that　HIS　family　had　been　dishonored；　even　as　he　had
dishonored　mine。　　He　learned；　as　I　took　care　that　he　should；　that
his　granddaughter　carried　about　with　her　the　promises　of　a　mother；
and　did　not　know　that　she　had　the　sanction　of　a　wife。　　This
discovery　made　him；　in　one　day；　become　eager　for　the　marriage　he
had　previously　opposed；　and　this　discovery　also　embittered　the
misery　of　his　death。　　At　that　moment　I　attempted　to　think　only　of
my　mother's　wrongs；　but；　in　spite　of　all　I　could　do；　this　old　man
appeared　to　me　in　the　light　of　Margaret's　grandfatherand；　had　I
been　left　to　myself；　he　would　have　been　saved。　　As　it　was；　never
was　horror　equal　to　mine　when　I　met　her　flying　to　his　succor。　　I
had　relied　upon　her　absence；　and　the　misery　of　that　moment；　when
her　eye　fell　upon　me　in　the　very　act　of　seizing　her　grandfather；
far　transcended　all　else　that　I　have　suffered　in　these　terrific
scenes。　　She　fainted　in　my　arms；　and　I　and　another　carried　her
upstairs　and　procured　water。　　Meantime　her　grandfather　had　been
murdered；　even　while　Margaret　fainted。　　I　had；　however；　under　the
fear　of　discovery；　though　never　anticipating　a　reencounter　with
herself；　forestalled　the　explanation　requisite　in　such　a　case　to
make　my　conduct　intelligible。　　I　had　told　her；　under　feigned　names；
the　story　of　my　mother　and　my　sisters。　　She　knew　their　wrongs：　she
had　heard　me　contend　for　the　right　of　vengeance。　　Consequently；　in
our　parting　interview；　one　word　only　was　required　to　place　myself
in　a　new　position　to　her　thoughts。　　I　needed　only　to　say　I　was　that
son；　that　unhappy　mother；　so　miserably　degraded　and　outraged；　was
mine。

〃As　to　the　jailer；　he　was　met　by　a　party　of　us。　　Not　suspecting
that　any　of　us　could　be　connected　with　the　family；　he　was　led　to
talk　of　the　most　hideous　details　with　regard　to　my　poor　Berenice。
The　child　had　not；　as　had　been　insinuated；　aided　her　own
degr