classic mystery and detective stories-第58章

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out；　his　wig　off；　his　very　head　off；　but　he　stopped　this　convulsion

by　stumping　across　the　room　and　seizing　a　little　bottle　of　bright

pink　medicine；　which；　being　opened；　spread　a　singular　acrid

aromatic　odor　through　the　apartment；　and　I　thought　I　sawbut　of

this　I　cannot　take　an　affirmationa　light　green　and　violet　flame

flickering　round　the　neck　of　the　vial　as　he　opened　it。　　By　the　way；

from　the　peculiar　stumping　noise　which　he　made　in　crossing　the

bare…boarded　apartment；　I　knew　at　once　that　my　strange　entertainer

had　a　wooden　leg。　　Over　the　dust　which　lay　quite　thick　on　the

boards；　you　could　see　the　mark　of　one　foot　very　neat　and　pretty；

and　then　a　round　O；　which　was　naturally　the　impression　made　by　the

wooden　stump。　　I　own　I　had　a　queer　thrill　as　I　saw　that　mark；　and

felt　a　secret　comfort　that　it　was　not　CLOVEN。



In　this　desolate　apartment　in　which　Mr。　Pinto　had　invited　me　to　see

him；　there　were　three　chairs；　one　bottomless；　a　little　table　on

which　you　might　put　a　breakfast　tray；　and　not　a　single　other

article　of　furniture。　　In　the　next　room；　the　door　of　which　was

open；　I　could　see　a　magnificent　gilt　dressing　case；　with　some

splendid　diamond　and　ruby　shirt　studs　lying　by　it；　and　a　chest　of

drawers；　and　a　cupboard　apparently　full　of　clothes。



Remembering　him　in　Baden…Baden　in　great　magnificence　I　wondered　at

his　present　denuded　state。　　〃You　have　a　house　elsewhere；　Mr。

Pinto？〃　I　said。



〃Many；〃　says　he。　　〃I　have　apartments　in　many　cities。　　I　lock　dem

up；　and　do　not　carry　mosh　logish。〃



I　then　remembered　that　his　apartment　at　Baden；　where　I　first　met

him；　was　bare；　and　had　no　bed　in　it。



〃There　is；　then；　a　sleeping　room　beyond？〃



〃This　is　the　sleeping　room。〃　　（He　pronounces　it　DIS。　　Can　this；　by

the　way；　give　any　clew　to　the　nationality　of　this　singular　man？）



〃If　you　sleep　on　these　two　old　chairs　you　have　a　rickety　couch；　if

on　the　floor；　a　dusty　one。〃



〃Suppose　I　sleep　up　dere？〃　said　this　strange　man；　and　he　actually

pointed　up　to　the　ceiling。　　I　thought　him　mad　or　what　he　himself

called　〃an　ombog。〃　　〃I　know。　　You　do　not　believe　me；　for　why　should

I　deceive　you？　　I　came　but　to　propose　a　matter　of　business　to　you。

I　told　you　I　could　give　you　the　clew　to　the　mystery　of　the　Two

Children　in　Black；　whom　you　met　at　Baden；　and　you　came　to　see　me。

If　I　told　you　you　would　not　believe　me。　　What　for　try　and　convinz

you？　　Ha　hey？〃　　And　he　shook　his　hand　once；　twice；　thrice；　at　me；

and　glared　at　me　out　of　his　eye　in　a　peculiar　way。



Of　what　happened　now　I　protest　I　cannot　give　an　accurate　account。

It　seemed　to　me　that　there　shot　a　flame　from　his　eye　into　my　brain；

while　behind　his　GLASS　eye　there　was　a　green　illumination　as　if　a

candle　had　been　lit　in　it。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　from　his　long

fingers　two　quivering　flames　issued；　sputtering；　as　it　were；　which

penetrated　me；　and　forced　me　back　into　one　of　the　chairsthe

broken　oneout　of　which　I　had　much　difficulty　in　scrambling；　when

the　strange　glamour　was　ended。　　It　seemed　to　me　that；　when　I　was　so

fixed；　so　transfixed　in　the　broken　chair；　the　man　floated　up　to　the

ceiling；　crossed　his　legs；　folded　his　arms　as　if　he　was　lying　on　a

sofa；　and　grinned　down　at　me。　　When　I　came　to　myself　he　was　down

from　the　ceiling；　and；　taking　me　out　of　the　broken　cane…bottomed

chair；　kindly　enough〃Bah！〃　said　he；　〃it　is　the　smell　of　my

medicine。　　It　often　gives　the　vertigo。　　I　thought　you　would　have

had　a　little　fit。　　Come　into　the　open　air。〃　　And　we　went　down　the

steps；　and　into　Shepherd's　Inn；　where　the　setting　sun　was　just

shining　on　the　statue　of　Shepherd；　the　laundresses　were　traipsing

about；　the　porters　were　leaning　against　the　railings；　and　the

clerks　were　playing　at　marbles；　to　my　inexpressible　consolation。



〃You　said　you　were　going　to　dine　at　the　'Gray's…Inn　Coffee…House；'〃

he　said。　　I　was。　　I　often　dine　there。　　There　is　excellent　wine　at

the　〃Gray's…Inn　Coffee…House〃；　but　I　declare　I　NEVER　SAID　so。　　I

was　not　astonished　at　his　remark；　no　more　astonished　than　if　I　was

in　a　dream。　　Perhaps　I　WAS　in　a　dream。　　Is　life　a　dream？　　Are

dreams　facts？　　Is　sleeping　being　really　awake？　　I　don't　know。　　I

tell　you　I　am　puzzled。　　I　have　read　〃The　Woman　in　White；〃　　〃The

Strange　Story〃not　to　mention　that　story　〃Stranger　than　Fiction〃

in　the　Cornhill　Magazinethat　story　for　which　THREE　credible

witnesses　are　ready　to　vouch。　　I　have　had　messages　from　the　dead；

and　not　only　from　the　dead；　but　from　people　who　never　existed　at

all。　　I　own　I　am　in　a　state　of　much　bewilderment：　but；　if　you

please；　will　proceed　with　my　simple；　my　artless　story。



Well；　then。　　We　passed　from　Shepherd's　Inn　into　Holborn；　and　looked

for　a　while　at　Woodgate's　bric…a…brac　shop；　which　I　never　can　pass

without　delaying　at　the　windowsindeed；　if　I　were　going　to　be

hung；　I　would　beg　the　cart　to　stop；　and　let　me　have　one　look　more

at　that　delightful　omnium　gatherum。　　And　passing　Woodgate's；　we

come　to　Gale's　little　shop；　〃No。　47；〃　which　is　also　a　favorite

haunt　of　mine。



Mr。　Gale　happened　to　be　at　his　door；　and　as　we　exchanged

salutations；　〃Mr。　Pinto；〃　I　said；　〃will　you　like　to　see　a　real

curiosity　in　this　curiosity　shop？　　Step　into　Mr。　Gale's　little　back

room。〃



In　that　little　back　parlor　there　are　Chinese　gongs；　there　are　old

Saxe　and　Sevres　plates；　there　is　Furstenberg；　Carl　Theodor；

Worcester；　Amstel；　Nankin　and　other　jimcrockery。　　And　in　the　corner

what　do　you　think　there　is？　　There　is　an　actual　GUILLOTINE。　　If　you

doubt　me；　go　and　seeGale；　High　Holborn；　No。　47。　　It　is　a　slim

instrument；　much　slighter　than　those　which　they　make　now；some

nine　feet　high；　narrow；　a　pretty　piece　of　upholstery　enough。　　There

is　the　hook　over　which　the　rope　used　to　play　which　unloosened　the

dreadful　ax　above；　and　look！　dropped　into　the　orifice　where　the

head　used　to　gothere　is　THE　AX　itself；　all　rusty；　with　A　GREAT

NOTCH　IN　THE　BLADE。



As　Pinto　looked　at　itMr。　Gale　was　not　in　the　room；　I　recollect；

happening　to　have　been　just　called　out　by　a　customer　who　offered

him　three　pound　fourteen　and　sixpence　for　a　blue　Shepherd　in　pate

tendre；Mr。　Pinto　gave　a　little　start；　and　seemed　crispe　for　a

moment。　　Then　he　looked　steadily　toward　one　of　those　great

porcelain　stools　which　you　see　in　gardensandit　seemed　to　meI

tell　you　I　won't　take　my　affidavitI　may　have　been　maddened　by　the

six　glasses　I　took　of　that　pink　elixirI　may　have　been　sleep…

walking：　perhaps　am　as　I　write　nowI　may　have　been　under　the

influence　of　that　astounding　MEDIUM　into　whose　hands　I　had　fallen

but　I　vow　I　heard　Pinto　say；　with　rather　a　ghastly　grin　at　the

porcelain　stool；





　　　　　〃Nay；　nefer　shague　your　gory　locks　at　me；

　　　　　　Dou　canst　not　say　I　did　it。〃





（He　pronounced　it；　by　the　way；　I　DIT　it；　by　which　I　KNOW　that　Pinto

was　a　German。）



I　heard　Pinto　say　those　very　words；　and　sitting　on　the　porcelain

stool　I　saw；　dimly　at　first；　then　with　an　awful　distinctnessa

ghostan　EIDOLONa　formA　HEADLESS　MAN　seated　with　his　head　in

his　lap；　which　wore　an　expression　of　piteous　surprise。



At　this　minute；　Mr。　Gale　entered　from　the　front　shop　to　show　a

customer　some　Delft　plates；　and　he　did　not　seebut　WE　DIDthe

figure　rise　up　from　the　porcelain　stool；　shake　its　head；　which　it

held　in　its　hand；　and　which　kept　its　eyes　fixed　sadly　on　us；　and

disappear　behind　the　guillotine。



〃Come　to　the　'Gray's…Inn　Coffee…House；'〃　Pinto　said；　〃and　I　will

tell　you　how　the　notch　came　to　the　ax。〃　　And　we　walked　down　Holborn

at　about　thirty…seven　minutes　past　six　o'clock。



If　there　is　anything　in　the　above　statement　which　astonishes　the

reader；　I　promise　him　that　in　the　next　chapter　of　this　little　story

he　will　be　astonished　still　more。





II





〃You　will　excuse　me；〃　I　said　to　my　companion；　〃for　remarking　that

when　you　addressed　the　individual　sitting　on　the　porcelain　stool；

with　his　head　in　his　lap；　your　ordinarily　benevolent　features〃

（this　I　confess　was　a　bouncer；　for　between　ourselves　a　more