classic mystery and detective stories-第16章

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me　to　direct　the　operations。〃



〃Nay；　I　am　well　able　to　afford　the　cost；　for　the　rest　allow　me　to

write　to　you。〃



About　ten　days　after　I　received　a　letter　from　Mr。　J　telling　me

that　he　had　visited　the　house　since　I　had　seen　him；　that　he　had

found　the　two　letters　I　had　described；　replaced　in　the　drawer　from

which　I　had　taken　them；　that　he　had　read　them　with　misgivings　like

my　own；　that　he　had　instituted　a　cautious　inquiry　about　the　woman

to　whom　I　rightly　conjectured　they　had　been　written。　　It　seemed

that　thirty…six　years　ago　（a　year　before　the　date　of　the　letters）

she　had　married；　against　the　wish　of　her　relations；　an　American　of

very　suspicions　character；　in　fact；　he　was　generally　believed　to

have　been　a　pirate。　　She　herself　was　the　daughter　of　very

respectable　tradespeople；　and　had　served　in　the　capacity　of　a

nursery　governess　before　her　marriage。　　She　had　a　brother；　a

widower；　who　was　considered　wealthy；　and　who　had　one　child　of　about

six　years　old。　　A　month　after　the　marriage　the　body　of　this　brother

was　found　in　the　Thames；　near　London　Bridge；　there　seemed　some

marks　of　violence　about　his　throat；　but　they　were　not　deemed

sufficient　to　warrant　the　inquest　in　any　other　verdict　that　that　of

〃found　drowned。〃



The　American　and　his　wife　took　charge　of　the　little　boy；　the

deceased　brother　having　by　his　will　left　his　sister　the　guardian　of

his　only　child；and　in　event　of　the　child's　death　the　sister

inherited。　　The　child　died　about　six　months　afterwards；it　was

supposed　to　have　been　neglected　and　ill…treated。　　The　neighbors

deposed　to　have　heard　it　shriek　at　night。　　The　surgeon　who　had

examined　it　after　death　said　that　it　was　emaciated　as　if　from　want

of　nourishment；　and　the　body　was　covered　with　livid　bruises。　　It

seemed　that　one　winter　night　the　child　had　sought　to　escape；　crept

out　into　the　back　yard；　tried　to　scale　the　wall；　fallen　back

exhausted；　and　been　found　at　morning　on　the　stones　in　a　dying

state。　　But　though　there　was　some　evidence　of　cruelty；　there　was

none　of　murder；　and　the　aunt　and　her　husband　had　sought　to　palliate

cruelty　by　alleging　the　exceeding　stubbornness　and　perversity　of

the　child；　who　was　declared　to　be　half…witted。　　Be　that　as　it　may；

at　the　orphan's　death　the　aunt　inherited　her　brother's　fortune。

Before　the　first　wedded　year　was　out；　the　American　quitted　England

abruptly；　and　never　returned　to　it。　　He　obtained　a　cruising　vessel；

which　was　lost　in　the　Atlantic　two　years　afterwards。　　The　widow　was

left　in　affluence；　but　reverses　of　various　kinds　had　befallen　her：

a　bank　broke；　an　investment　failed；　she　went　into　a　small　business

and　became　insolvent；　then　she　entered　into　service；　sinking　lower

and　lower；　from　housekeeper　down　to　maid…of…all…work；never　long

retaining　a　place；　though　nothing　decided　against　her　character　was

ever　alleged。　　She　was　considered　sober；　honest；　and　peculiarly

quiet　in　her　ways；　still　nothing　prospered　with　her。　　And　so　she

had　dropped　into　the　workhouse；　from　which　Mr。　J　had　taken　her；

to　be　placed　in　charge　of　the　very　house　which　she　had　rented　as

mistress　in　the　first　year　of　her　wedded　life。



Mr。　J　added　that　he　had　passed　an　hour　alone　in　the　unfurnished

room　which　I　had　urged　him　to　destroy；　and　that　his　impressions　of

dread　while　there　were　so　great；　though　he　had　neither　heard　nor

seen　anything；　that　he　was　eager　to　have　the　walls　bared　and　the

floors　removed　as　I　had　suggested。　　He　had　engaged　persons　for　the

work；　and　would　commence　any　day　I　would　name。



The　day　was　accordingly　fixed。　　I　repaired　to　the　haunted　house；

we　went　into　the　blind；　dreary　room；　took　up　the　skirting；　and　then

the　floors。　　Under　the　rafters；　covered　with　rubbish；　was　found　a

trapdoor；　quite　large　enough　to　admit　a　man。　　It　was　closely　nailed

down；　with　clamps　and　rivets　of　iron。　　On　removing　these　we

descended　into　a　room　below；　the　existence　of　which　had　never　been

suspected。　　In　this　room　there　had　been　a　window　and　a　flue；　but

they　had　been　bricked　over；　evidently　for　many　years。　　By　the　help

of　candles　we　examined　this　place；　it　still　retained　some　moldering

furniture；three　chairs；　an　oak　settle；　a　table；all　of　the

fashion　of　about　eighty　years　ago。　　There　was　a　chest　of　drawers

against　the　wall；　in　which　we　found；　half　rotted　away；　old…

fashioned　articles　of　a　man's　dress；　such　as　might　have　been　worn

eighty　or　a　hundred　years　ago　by　a　gentleman　of　some　rank；　costly

steel　buckles　and　buttons；　like　those　yet　worn　in　court　dresses；　a

handsome　court　sword；　in　a　waistcoat　which　had　once　been　rich　with

gold　lace；　but　which　was　now　blackened　and　foul　with　damp；　we　found

five　guineas；　a　few　silver　coins；　and　an　ivory　ticket；　probably　for

some　place　of　entertainment　long　since　passed　away。　　But　our　main

discovery　was　in　a　kind　of　iron　safe　fixed　to　the　wall；　the　lock　of

which　it　cost　us　much　trouble　to　get　picked。



In　this　safe　were　three　shelves　and　two　small　drawers。　　Ranged　on

the　shelves　were　several　small　bottles　of　crystal；　hermetically

stopped。　　They　contained　colorless；　volatile　essences；　of　the

nature　of　which　I　shall　only　say　that　they　were　not　poisons；

phosphor　and　ammonia　entered　into　some　of　them。　　There　were　also

some　very　curious　glass　tubes；　and　a　small　pointed　rod　of　iron；

with　a　large　lump　of　rock　crystal；　and　another　of　amber；also　a

loadstone　of　great　power。



In　one　of　the　drawers　we　found　a　miniature　portrait　set　in　gold；

and　retaining　the　freshness　of　its　colors　most　remarkably；

considering　the　length　of　time　it　had　probably　been　there。　　The

portrait　was　that　of　a　man　who　might　be　somewhat　advanced　in　middle

life；　perhaps　forty…seven　or　forty…eight。　　It　was　a　remarkable

face；a　most　impressive　face。　　If　you　could　fancy　some　mighty

serpent　transformed　into　man；　preserving　in　the　human　lineaments

the　old　serpent　type；　you　would　have　a　better　idea　of　that

countenance　than　long　descriptions　can　convey：　the　width　and

flatness　of　frontal；　the　tapering　elegance　of　contour　disguising

the　strength　of　the　deadly　jaw；　the　long；　large；　terrible　eye；

glittering　and　green　as　the　emerald；and　withal　a　certain　ruthless

calm；　as　if　from　the　consciousness　of　an　immense　power。



Mechanically　I　turned　round　the　miniature　to　examine　the　back　of

it；　and　on　the　back　was　engraved　a　pentacle；　in　the　middle　of　the

pentacle　a　ladder；　and　the　third　step　of　the　ladder　was　formed　by

the　date　1765。　　Examining　still　more　minutely；　I　detected　a　spring；

this；　on　being　pressed；　opened　the　back　of　the　miniature　as　a　lid。

Within…side　the　lid　were　engraved；　〃Marianna　to　thee。　　Be　faithful

in　life　and　in　death　to　。〃　　Here　follows　a　name　that　I　will　not

mention；　but　it　was　not　unfamiliar　to　me。　　I　had　heard　it　spoken　of

by　old　men　in　my　childhood　as　the　name　borne　by　a　dazzling

charlatan　who　had　made　a　great　sensation　in　London　for　a　year　or

so；　and　had　fled　the　country　on　the　charge　of　a　double　murder

within　his　own　house；that　of　his　mistress　and　his　rival。　　I　said

nothing　of　this　to　Mr。　J；　to　whom　reluctantly　I　resigned　the

miniature。



We　had　found　no　difficulty　in　opening　the　first　drawer　within　the

iron　safe；　we　found　great　difficulty　in　opening　the　second：　it　was

not　locked；　but　it　resisted　all　efforts；　till　we　inserted　in　the

chinks　the　edge　of　a　chisel。　　When　we　had　thus　drawn　it　forth；　we

found　a　very　singular　apparatus　in　the　nicest　order。　　Upon　a　small；

thin　book；　or　rather　tablet；　was　placed　a　saucer　of　crystal；　this

saucer　was　filled　with　a　clear　liquid；on　that　liquid　floated　a

kind　of　compass；　with　a　needle　shifting　rapidly　round；　but　instead

of　the　usual　points　of　a　compass　were　seven　strange　characters；　not

very　unlike　those　used　by　astrologers　to　denote　the　planets。　　A

peculiar　but　not　strong　nor　displeasing　odor　came　from　this　drawer；

which　was　lined　with　a　wood　that　we　afterwards　discovered　to　be

hazel。　　Whatever　the　cause　of　this　odor；　it　produced　a　material

effect　on　the　nerves。　　We　all　felt　it；　even　the　two　wo