classic mystery and detective stories-第79章

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At　this　moment；　I　know　not　by　what　sense；　as　if　I　had　eyes　at　the

back　of　my　head；　I　was　aware　of　some　one　moving　behind　me；　yet　I

dared　not　look　aside。　　Suddenly　two　mighty　folds　of　darkness　seemed

to　envelop　me　like　arms。　　A　powerful　scent　ascended　my　nostrils。

There　was　a　ringing　in　my　ears；　a　beating　at　my　heart。　　Darkness

came　on；　deeper　and　deeper；　like　huge　waves。　　I　seemed　growing　to

gigantic　stature。　　The　waves　rolled　on　faster　and　faster。　　The

ringing　became　a　roaring。　　The　beating　became　a　throbbing。　　Lights

flashed　across　the　darkness。　　Forms　moved　before　me。　　On　came　the

waves　hurrying　like　a　tide；　and　I　sank　deeper　and　deeper　into　this

mighty　sea　of　darkness。　　Then　all　was　silent。　　Consciousness　was

still。



　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



How　long　I　remained　unconscious；　I　cannot　tell。　　But　it　must　have

been　some　considerable　time。　　When　consciousness　once　more　began　to

dawn　within　me；　I　found　myself　lying　on　a　bed　surrounded　by　a　group

of　eager；　watching　faces；　and　became　aware　of　a　confused　murmur　of

whispering　going　on　around　me。　　〃Er　Lebt〃　（he　lives）　were　the　words

which　greeted　my　opening　eyeswords　which　I　recognized　as　coming

from　my　landlord。



I　had　had　a　very　narrow　escape。　　Another　moment　and　I　should　not

have　lived　to　tell　the　tale。　　The　dagger　that　had　already　immolated

two　of　Bourgonef's　objects　of　vengeance　would　have　been　in　my

breast。　　As　it　was；　at　the　very　moment　when　the　terrible　Ivan　had

thrown　his　arms　around　me　and　was　stifling　me　with　chloroform；　one

of　the　servants　of　the　hotel；　alarmed　or　attracted　by　curiosity　at

the　sound　of　high　words　within　the　room；　had　ventured　to　open　the

door　to　see　what　was　going　on。　　The　alarm　had　been　given；　and

Bourgonef　had　been　arrested　and　handed　over　to　the　police。　　Ivan；

however；　had　disappeared；　nor　were　the　police　ever　able　to　find

him。　　This　mattered　comparatively　little。　　Ivan　without　his　master

was　no　more　redoubtable　than　any　other　noxious　animal。　　As　an

accomplice；　as　an　instrument　to　execute　the　will　of　a　man　like

Bourgonef；　he　was　a　danger　to　society。　　The　directing　intelligence

withdrawn；　he　sank　to　the　level　of　the　brute。　　I　was　not　uneasy；

therefore；　at　his　having　escaped。　　Sufficient　for　me　that　the　real

criminal；　the　mind　that　had　conceived　and　directed　those　fearful

murders；　was　at　last　in　the　hands　of　justice。　　I　felt　that　my　task

had　been　fully　accomplished　when　Bourgonef's　head　fell　on　the

scaffold。







The　Closed　Cabinet





I





It　was　with　a　little　alarm　and　a　good　deal　of　pleasurable

excitement　that　I　looked　forward　to　my　first　grown…up　visit　to

Mervyn　Grange。　　I　had　been　there　several　times　as　a　child；　but

never　since　I　was　twelve　years　old；　and　now　I　was　over　eighteen。

We　were　all　of　us　very　proud　of　our　cousins　the　Mervyns：　it　is　not

everybody　that　can　claim　kinship　with　a　family　who　are　in　full　and

admitted　possession　of　a　secret；　a　curse；　and　a　mysterious　cabinet；

in　addition　to　the　usual　surplusage　of　horrors　supplied　in　such

cases　by　popular　imagination。　　Some　declared　that　a　Mervyn　of　the

days　of　Henry　VIII　had　been　cursed　by　an　injured　abbot　from　the

foot　of　the　gallows。　　Others　affirmed　that　a　dissipated　Mervyn　of

the　Georgian　era　was　still　playing　cards　for　his　soul　in　some

remote　region　of　the　Grange。　　There　were　stories　of　white　ladies

and　black　imps；　of　bloodstained　passages　and　magic　stones。　　We；

proud　of　our　more　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　family；　naturally

gave　no　credence　to　these　wild　inventions。　　The　Mervyns；　indeed；

followed　the　accepted　precedent　in　such　cases；　and　greatly　disliked

any　reference　to　the　reputed　mystery　being　made　in　their　presence；

with　the　inevitable　result　that　there　was　no　subject　so

pertinaciously　discussed　by　their　friends　in　their　absence。　　My

father's　sister　had　married　the　late　Baronet；　Sir　Henry　Mervyn；　and

we　always　felt　that　she　ought　to　have　been　the　means　of　imparting

to　us　a　very　complete　knowledge　of　the　family　secret。　　But　in　this

connection　she　undoubtedly　failed　of　her　duty。　　We　knew　that　there

had　been　a　terrible　tragedy　in　the　family　some　two　or　three　hundred

years　agothat　a　peculiarly　wicked　owner　of　Mervyn；　who　flourished

in　the　latter　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　had　been　murdered　by

his　wife　who　subsequently　committed　suicide。　　We　knew　that　the

mysterious　curse　had　some　connection　with　this　crime；　but　what　the

curse　exactly　was　we　had　never　been　able　to　discover。　　The　history

of　the　family　since　that　time　had　indeed　in　one　sense　been　full　of

misfortune。　　Not　in　every　sense。　　A　coal　mine　had　been　discovered

in　one　part　of　the　estate；　and　a　populous　city　had　grown　over　the

corner　of　another　part；　and　the　Mervyns　of　to…day；　in　spite　of　the

usual　percentage　of　extravagant　heirs　and　political　mistakes；　were

three　times　as　rich　as　their　ancestors　had　been。　　But　still　their

story　was　full　of　bloodshed　and　shame；　of　tales　of　duels　and

suicides；　broken　hearts　and　broken　honor。　　Only　these　calamities

seemed　to　have　little　or　no　relation　to　each　other；　and　what　the

precise　curse　was　that　was　supposed　to　connect　or　account　for　them

we　could　not　learn。　　When　she　first　married；　my　aunt　was　told

nothing　about　it。　　Later　on　in　life；　when　my　father　asked　her　for

the　story；　she　begged　him　to　talk　upon　a　pleasanter　subject；　and

being　unluckily　a　man　of　much　courtesy　and　little　curiosity；　he

complied　with　her　request。　　This；　however；　was　the　only　part　of　the

ghostly　traditions　of　her　husband's　home　upon　which　she　was　so

reticent。　　The　haunted　chamber；　for　instancewhich；　of　course；

existed　at　the　Grangeshe　treated　with　the　greatest　contempt。

Various　friends　and　relations　had　slept　in　it　at　different　times；

and　no　approach　to　any　kind　of　authenticated　ghost…story；　even　of

the　most　trivial　description；　had　they　been　able　to　supply。　　Its

only　claim　to　respect；　indeed；　was　that　it　contained　the　famous

Mervyn　cabinet；　a　fascinating　puzzle　of　which　I　will　speak　later；

but　which　certainly　had　nothing　haunting　or　horrible　about　its

appearance。



My　uncle's　family　consisted　of　three　sons。　　The　eldest；　George；　the

present　baronet；　was　now　in　his　thirties；　married；　and　with

children　of　his　own。　　The　second；　Jack；　was　the　black…sheep　of　the

family。　　He　had　been　in　the　Guards；　but；　about　five　years　back；　had

got　into　some　very　disgraceful　scrape；　and　had　been　obliged　to

leave　the　country。　　The　sorrow　and　the　shame　of　this　had　killed　his

unhappy　mother；　and　her　husband　had　not　long　afterwards　followed

her　to　the　grave。　　Alan；　the　youngest　son；　probably　because　he　was

the　nearest　to　us　in　age；　had　been　our　special　favorite　in　earlier

years。　　George　was　grown　up　before　I　had　well　left　the　nursery；　and

his　hot；　quick　temper　had　always　kept　us　youngsters　somewhat　in　awe

of　him。　　Jack　was　four　years　older　than　Alan；　and；　besides；　his

profession　had；　in　a　way；　cut　his　boyhood　short。　　When　my　uncle　and

aunt　were　abroad；　as　they　frequently　were　for　months　together　on

account　of　her　health；　it　was　Alan；　chiefly；　who　had　to　spend　his

holidays　with　us；　both　as　school…boy　and　as　undergraduate。　　And　a

brighter；　sweeter…tempered　comrade；　or　one　possessed　of　more

diversified　talents　for　the　invention　of　games　or　the　telling　of

stories；　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　find。



For　five　years　together　now　our　ancient　custom　of　an　annual　visit

to　Mervyn　had　been　broken。　　First　there　had　been　the　seclusion　of

mourning　for　my　aunt；　and　a　year　later　for　my　uncle；　then　George

and　his　wife；　Lucy；she　was　a　connection　of　our　own　on　our

mother's　side；　and　very　intimate　with　us　all；had　been　away　for

nearly　two　years　on　a　voyage　round　the　world；　and　since　then

sickness　in　our　own　family　had　kept　us　in　our　turn　a　good　deal

abroad。　　So　that　I　had　not　seen　my　cousins　since　all　the　calamities

which　had　befallen　them　in　the　interval；　and　as　I　steamed

northwards　I　wondered　a　good　deal　as　to　the　changes　I　should　find。