the works of edgar allan poe-3-第59章

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When　I　said　these　words；　I　of　course　expected　some　lively　sally　from
Bedloe　in　reply；　but；　to　my　astonishment；　he　hesitated；　trembled；
became　fearfully　pallid；　and　remained　silent。　I　looked　toward
Templeton。　He　sat　erect　and　rigid　in　his　chair　　his　teeth
chattered；　and　his　eyes　were　starting　from　their　sockets。　〃Proceed！〃
he　at　length　said　hoarsely　to　Bedloe。

〃For　many　minutes；〃　continued　the　latter；　〃my　sole　sentiment　　my
sole　feeling　　was　that　of　darkness　and　nonentity；　with　the
consciousness　of　death。　At　length　there　seemed　to　pass　a　violent　and
sudden　shock　through　my　soul；　as　if　of　electricity。　With　it　came　the
sense　of　elasticity　and　of　light。　This　latter　I　felt　　not　saw。　In
an　instant　I　seemed　to　rise　from　the　ground。　But　I　had　no　bodily；　no
visible；　audible；　or　palpable　presence。　The　crowd　had　departed。　The
tumult　had　ceased。　The　city　was　in　comparative　repose。　Beneath　me　lay
my　corpse；　with　the　arrow　in　my　temple；　the　whole　head　greatly
swollen　and　disfigured。　But　all　these　things　I　felt　　not　saw。　I
took　interest　in　nothing。　Even　the　corpse　seemed　a　matter　in　which　I
had　no　concern。　Volition　I　had　none；　but　appeared　to　be　impelled　into
motion；　and　flitted　buoyantly　out　of　the　city；　retracing　the
circuitous　path　by　which　I　had　entered　it。　When　I　had　attained　that
point　of　the　ravine　in　the　mountains　at　which　I　had　encountered　the
hyena；　I　again　experienced　a　shock　as　of　a　galvanic　battery；　the
sense　of　weight；　of　volition；　of　substance；　returned。　I　became　my
original　self；　and　bent　my　steps　eagerly　homeward　　but　the　past　had
not　lost　the　vividness　of　the　real　　and　not　now；　even　for　an
instant；　can　I　compel　my　understanding　to　regard　it　as　a　dream。〃

〃Nor　was　it；〃　said　Templeton；　with　an　air　of　deep　solemnity；　〃yet　it
would　be　difficult　to　say　how　otherwise　it　should　be　termed。　Let　us
suppose　only；　that　the　soul　of　the　man　of　to…day　is　upon　the　verge　of
some　stupendous　psychal　discoveries。　Let　us　content　ourselves　with
this　supposition。　For　the　rest　I　have　some　explanation　to　make。　Here
is　a　watercolor　drawing；　which　I　should　have　shown　you　before；　but
which　an　unaccountable　sentiment　of　horror　has　hitherto　prevented　me
from　showing。〃

We　looked　at　the　picture　which　he　presented。　I　saw　nothing　in　it　of
an　extraordinary　character；　but　its　effect　upon　Bedloe　was
prodigious。　He　nearly　fainted　as　he　gazed。　And　yet　it　was　but　a
miniature　portrait　　a　miraculously　accurate　one；　to　be　sure　　of
his　own　very　remarkable　features。　At　least　this　was　my　thought　as　I
regarded　it。

〃You　will　perceive；〃　said　Templeton；　〃the　date　of　this　picture　　it
is　here；　scarcely　visible；　in　this　corner　　1780。　In　this　year　was
the　portrait　taken。　It　is　the　likeness　of　a　dead　friend　　a　Mr。
Oldeb　　to　whom　I　became　much　attached　at　Calcutta；　during　the
administration　of　Warren　Hastings。　I　was　then　only　twenty　years　old。
When　I　first　saw　you；　Mr。　Bedloe；　at　Saratoga；　it　was　the　miraculous
similarity　which　existed　between　yourself　and　the　painting　which
induced　me　to　accost　you；　to　seek　your　friendship；　and　to　bring　about
those　arrangements　which　resulted　in　my　becoming　your　constant
companion。　In　accomplishing　this　point；　I　was　urged　partly；　and
perhaps　principally；　by　a　regretful　memory　of　the　deceased；　but　also；
in　part；　by　an　uneasy；　and　not　altogether　horrorless　curiosity
respecting　yourself。

〃In　your　detail　of　the　vision　which　presented　itself　to　you　amid　the
hills；　you　have　described；　with　the　minutest　accuracy；　the　Indian
city　of　Benares；　upon　the　Holy　River。　The　riots；　the　combat；　the
massacre；　were　the　actual　events　of　the　insurrection　of　Cheyte　Sing；
which　took　place　in　1780；　when　Hastings　was　put　in　imminent　peril　of
his　life。　The　man　escaping　by　the　string　of　turbans　was　Cheyte　Sing
himself。　The　party　in　the　kiosk　were　sepoys　and　British　officers；
headed　by　Hastings。　Of　this　party　I　was　one；　and　did　all　I　could　to
prevent　the　rash　and　fatal　sally　of　the　officer　who　fell；　in　the
crowded　alleys；　by　the　poisoned　arrow　of　a　Bengalee。　That　officer　was
my　dearest　friend。　It　was　Oldeb。　You　will　perceive　by　these
manuscripts；〃　（here　the　speaker　produced　a　note…book　in　which　several
pages　appeared　to　have　been　freshly　written；）　〃that　at　the　very
period　in　which　you　fancied　these　things　amid　the　hills；　I　was
engaged　in　detailing　them　upon　paper　here　at　home。〃

In　about　a　week　after　this　conversation；　the　following　paragraphs
appeared　in　a　Charlottesville　paper：

〃We　have　the　painful　duty　of　announcing　the　death　of　Mr。　Augustus
Bedlo；　a　gentleman　whose　amiable　manners　and　many　virtues　have　long
endeared　him　to　the　citizens　of　Charlottesville。

〃Mr。　B。；　for　some　years　past；　has　been　subject　to　neuralgia；　which
has　often　threatened　to　terminate　fatally；　but　this　can　be　regarded
only　as　the　mediate　cause　of　his　decease。　The　proximate　cause　was　one
of　especial　singularity。　In　an　excursion　to　the　Ragged　Mountains；　a
few　days　since；　a　slight　cold　and　fever　were　contracted；　attended
with　great　determination　of　blood　to　the　head。　To　relieve　this；　Dr。
Templeton　resorted　to　topical　bleeding。　Leeches　were　applied　to　the
temples。　In　a　fearfully　brief　period　the　patient　died；　when　it
appeared　that　in　the　jar　containing　the　leeches；　had　been　introduced；
by　accident；　one　of　the　venomous　vermicular　sangsues　which　are　now
and　then　found　in　the　neighboring　ponds。　This　creature　fastened
itself　upon　a　small　artery　in　the　right　temple。　Its　close　resemblance
to　the　medicinal　leech　caused　the　mistake　to　be　overlooked　until　too
late。

〃N。　B。　The　poisonous　sangsue　of　Charlottesville　may　always　be
distinguished　from　the　medicinal　leech　by　its　blackness；　and
especially　by　its　writhing　or　vermicular　motions；　which　very　nearly
resemble　those　of　a　snake。〃

I　was　speaking　with　the　editor　of　the　paper　in　question；　upon　the
topic　of　this　remarkable　accident；　when　it　occurred　to　me　to　ask　how
it　happened　that　the　name　of　the　deceased　had　been　given　as　Bedlo。

〃I　presume；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　authority　for　this　spelling；　but　I
have　always　supposed　the　name　to　be　written　with　an　e　at　the　end。〃

〃Authority？　　no；〃　he　replied。　〃It　is　a　mere　typographical　error。
The　name　is　Bedlo　with　an　e；　all　the　world　over；　and　I　never　knew　it
to　be　spelt　otherwise　in　my　life。〃

〃Then；〃　said　I　mutteringly；　as　I　turned　upon　my　heel；　〃then　indeed
has　it　come　to　pass　that　one　truth　is　stranger　than　any　fiction　
for　Bedloe；　without　the　e；　what　is　it　but　Oldeb　conversed！　And　this
man　tells　me　that　it　is　a　typographical　error。〃

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　SPECTACLES

MANY　years　ago；　it　was　the　fashion　to　ridicule　the　idea　of　〃love　at
first　sight；〃　but　those　who　think；　not　less　than　those　who　feel
deeply；　have　always　advocated　its　existence。　Modern　discoveries；
indeed；　in　what　may　be　termed　ethical　magnetism　or　magnetoesthetics；
render　it　probable　that　the　most　natural；　and；　consequently；　the
truest　and　most　intense　of　the　human　affections　are　those　which　arise
in　the　heart　as　if　by　electric　sympathy　　in　a　word；　that　the
brightest　and　most　enduring　of　the　psychal　fetters　are　those　which
are　riveted　by　a　glance。　The　confession　I　am　about　to　make　will　add
another　to　the　already　almost　innumerable　instances　of　the　truth　of
the　position。

My　story　requires　that　I　should　be　somewhat　minute。　I　am　still　a　very
young　man　　not　yet　twenty…two　years　of　age。　My　name；　at　present；　is
a　very　usual　and　rather　plebeian　one　　Simpson。　I　say　〃at　present；〃
for　it　is　only　lately　that　I　have　been　so　called　　having
legislatively　adopted　this　surname　within　the　last　year　in　order　to
receive　a　large　inheritance　left　me　by　a　distant　male　relative；
Adolphus　Simpson；　Esq。　The　bequest　was　conditioned　upon　my　taking　the
name　of　the　testator；　　the　family；　not　the　Christian　name；　my
Christian　name　is　Napoleon　Bonaparte　　or；　more　properly；　these　are
my　first　and　middle　appellations。

I　assumed　the　name；　Simpson；　with　some　reluctance；　as　in　my　true
patronym；　Froissart；　I　felt　a　very　pardonable　pride　　believing　that
I　could　trace　a　descent　from　the　immortal　author　of　the　〃Chronicles。〃
While　on　the　subject　of　names；　by　the　bye；　I　may　mention　a　singular
coincidence　of　sound　attending　the　names　of　some　of　my　i