classic mystery and detective stories-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



morrow；　or　the　next　day？　　Be　assured　of　thisthat　whatever　I　have

determined　to　do　is　past　all　power　of　being　affected　by　a　human

opposition。　　Occupy　yourself　not　with　any　fruitless　attempts；　but

calmly　listen　to　me；　else　I　know　what　to　do。〃　　Seeing　a　suppressed

fury　in　his　eye；　notwithstanding　I　saw　also　some　change　stealing

over　his　features　as　if　from　some　subtle　poison　beginning　to　work

upon　his　frame；　awestruck　I　consented　to　listen；　and　sat　still。

〃It　is　well　that　you　do　so；　for　my　time　is　short。　　Here　is　my　will；

legally　drawn　up；　and　you　will　see　that　I　have　committed　an　immense

property　to　your　discretion。　　Here；　again；　is　a　paper　still　more

important　in　my　eyes；　it　is　also　testamentary；　and　binds　you　to

duties　which　may　not　be　so　easy　to　execute　as　the　disposal　of　my

property。　　But　now　listen　to　something　else；　which　concerns　neither

of　these　papers。　　Promise　me；　in　the　first　place；　solemnly；　that

whenever　I　die　you　will　see　me　buried　in　the　same　grave　as　my　wife；

from　whose　funeral　we　are　just　returned。　　Promise。〃I　promised。

〃Swear。〃I　swore。〃Finally；　promise　me　that；　when　you　read　this

second　paper　which　I　have　put　into　your　hands；　whatsoever　you　may

think　of　it；　you　will　say　nothingpublish　nothing　to　the　world

until　three　years　shall　have　passed。〃I　promised。〃And　now

farewell　for　three　hours。　　Come　to　me　again　about　ten　o'clock；　and

take　a　glass　of　wine　in　memory　of　old　times。〃　　This　he　said

laughingly；　but　even　then　a　dark　spasm　crossed　his　face。　　Yet；

thinking　that　this　might　be　the　mere　working　of　mental　anguish

within　him；　I　complied　with　his　desire；　and　retired。　　Feeling；

however；　but　little　at　ease；　I　devised　an　excuse　for　looking　in

upon　him　about　one　hour　and　a　half　after　I　had　left　him。　　I　knocked

gently　at　his　door；　there　was　no　answer。　　I　knocked　louder；　still

no　answer。　　I　went　in。　　The　light　of　day　was　gone；　and　I　could　see

nothing。　　But　I　was　alarmed　by　the　utter　stillness　of　the　room。　　I

listened　earnestly；　but　not　a　breath　could　be　heard。　　I　rushed　back

hastily　into　the　hall　for　a　lamp；　I　returned；　I　looked　in　upon　this

marvel　of　manly　beauty；　and　the　first　glance　informed　me　that　he

and　all　his　splendid　endowments　had　departed　forever。　　He　had　died；

probably；　soon　after　I　left　him；　and　had　dismissed　me　from　some

growing　instinct　which　informed　him　that　his　last　agonies　were　at

hand。



I　took　up　his　two　testamentary　documents；　both　were　addressed　in

the　shape　of　letters　to　myself。　　The　first　was　a　rapid　though

distinct　appropriation　of　his　enormous　property。　　General　rules

were　laid　down；　upon　which　the　property　was　to　be　distributed；　but

the　details　were　left　to　my　discretion；　and　to　the　guidance　of

circumstances　as　they　should　happen　to　emerge　from　the　various

inquiries　which　it　would　become　necessary　to　set　on　foot。　　This

first　document　I　soon　laid　aside；　both　because　I　found　that　its

provisions　were　dependent　for　their　meaning　upon　the　second；　and

because　to　this　second　document　I　looked　with　confidence　for　a

solution　of　many　mysteries；of　the　profound　sadness　which　had；

from　the　first　of　my　acquaintance　with　him；　possessed　a　man　so

gorgeously　endowed　as　the　favorite　of　nature　and　fortune；　of　his

motives　for　huddling　up；　in　a　clandestine　manner；　that　connection

which　formed　the　glory　of　his　life；　and　possibly　（but　then　I

hesitated）　of　the　late　unintelligible　murders；　which　still　lay

under　as　profound　a　cloud　as　ever。　　Much　of　this　WOULD　be　unveiled

all　might　be：　and　there　and　then；　with　the　corpse　lying　beside　me

of　the　gifted　and　mysterious　writer；　I　seated　myself；　and　read　the

following　statement：





〃MARCH　26；　1817。



〃My　trial　is　finished；　my　conscience；　my　duty；　my　honor；　are

liberated；　my　'warfare　is　accomplished。'　　Margaret；　my　innocent

young　wife；　I　have　seen　for　the　last　time。　　Her；　the　crown　that

might　have　been　of　my　earthly　felicityher；　the　one　temptation　to

put　aside　the　bitter　cup　which　awaited　meher；　sole　seductress　（O

innocent　seductress！）　from　the　stern　duties　which　my　fate　had

imposed　upon　meher；　even　her；　I　have　sacrificed。



〃Before　I　go；　partly　lest　the　innocent　should　be　brought　into

question　for　acts　almost　exclusively　mine；　but　still　more　lest　the

lesson　and　the　warning　which　God；　by　my　hand；　has　written　in　blood

upon　your　guilty　walls；　should　perish　for　want　of　its　authentic

exposition；　hear　my　last　dying　avowal；　that　the　murders　which　have

desolated　so　many　families　within　your　walls；　and　made　the

household　hearth　no　sanctuary；　age　no　charter　of　protection；　are

all　due　originally　to　my　head；　if　not　always　to　my　hand；　as　the

minister　of　a　dreadful　retribution。



〃That　account　of　my　history；　and　my　prospects；　which　you　received

from　the　Russian　diplomatist；　among　some　errors　of　little

importance；　is　essentially　correct。　　My　father　was　not　so

immediately　connected　with　English　blood　as　is　there　represented。

However；　it　is　true　that　he　claimed　descent　from　an　English　family

of　even　higher　distinction　than　that　which　is　assigned　in　the

Russian　statement。　　He　was　proud　of　this　English　descent；　and　the

more　so　as　the　war　with　revolutionary　France　brought　out　more

prominently　than　ever　the　moral　and　civil　grandeur　of　England。

This　pride　was　generous；　but　it　was　imprudent　in　his　situation。

His　immediate　progenitors　had　been　settled　in　Italyat　Rome　first；

but　latterly　at　Milan；　and　his　whole　property；　large　and　scattered；

came；　by　the　progress　of　the　revolution；　to　stand　under　French

domination。　　Many　spoliations　he　suffered；　but　still　he　was　too

rich　to　be　seriously　injured。　　But　he　foresaw；　in　the　progress　of

events；　still　greater　perils　menacing　his　most　capital　resources。

Many　of　the　states　or　princes　in　Italy　were　deeply　in　his　debt；

and；　in　the　great　convulsions　which　threatened　his　country；　he　saw

that　both　the　contending　parties　would　find　a　colorable　excuse　for

absolving　themselves　from　engagements　which　pressed　unpleasantly

upon　their　finances。　　In　this　embarrassment　he　formed　an　intimacy

with　a　French　officer　of　high　rank　and　high　principle。　　My　father's

friend　saw　his　danger；　and　advised　him　to　enter　the　French　service。

In　his　younger　days；　my　father　had　served　extensively　under　many

princes；　and　had　found　in　every　other　military　service　a　spirit　of

honor　governing　the　conduct　of　the　officers。　　Here　only；　and　for

the　first　time；　he　found　ruffian　manners　and　universal　rapacity。

He　could　not　draw　his　sword　in　company　with　such　men；　nor　in　such　a

cause。　　But　at　length；　under　the　pressure　of　necessity；　he　accepted

（or　rather　bought　with　an　immense　bribe）　the　place　of　a　commissary

to　the　French　forces　in　Italy。　　With　this　one　resource；　eventually

he　succeeded　in　making　good　the　whole　of　his　public　claims　upon　the

Italian　states。　　These　vast　sums　he　remitted；　through　various

channels；　to　England；　where　he　became　proprietor　in　the　funds　to　an

immense　amount。　　Incautiously；　however；　something　of　this

transpired；　and　the　result　was　doubly　unfortunate；　for；　while　his

intentions　were　thus　made　known　as　finally　pointing　to　England；

which　of　itself　made　him　an　object　of　hatred　and　suspicion；　it　also

diminished　his　means　of　bribery。　　These　considerations；　along　with

another；　made　some　French　officers　of　high　rank　and　influence　the

bitter　enemies　of　my　father。　　My　mother；　whom　he　had　married　when

holding　a　brigadier…general's　commission　in　the　Austrian　service；

was；　by　birth　and　by　religion；　a　Jewess。　　She　was　of　exquisite

beauty；　and　had　been　sought　in　Morganatic　marriage　by　an　archduke

of　the　Austrian　family；　but　she　had　relied　upon　this　plea；　that

hers　was　the　purest　and　noblest　blood　among　all　Jewish　families

that　her　family　traced　themselves；　by　tradition　and　a　vast　series

of　attestations　under　the　hands　of　the　Jewish　high　priests；　to　the

Maccabees；　and　to　the　royal　houses　of　Judea；　and　that　for　her　it

would　be　a　degradation　to　accept　even　of　a　sovereign　prince　on　the

terms　of　such　marriage。　　This　was　no　vain