three ghost stories-第4部分

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usual　discontented　conviction　on　me　that　I　hadn't　been　to　sleep　at

all；upon　which　question；　in　the　first　imbecility　of　that

condition；　I　am　ashamed　to　believe　that　I　would　have　done　wager　by

battle　with　the　man　who　sat　opposite　me。　　That　opposite　man　had　had；

through　the　nightas　that　opposite　man　always　hasseveral　legs　too

many；　and　all　of　them　too　long。　　In　addition　to　this　unreasonable

conduct　（which　was　only　to　be　expected　of　him）；　he　had　had　a　pencil

and　a　pocket…book；　and　had　been　perpetually　listening　and　taking

notes。　　It　had　appeared　to　me　that　these　aggravating　notes　related

to　the　jolts　and　bumps　of　the　carriage；　and　I　should　have　resigned

myself　to　his　taking　them；　under　a　general　supposition　that　he　was

in　the　civil…engineering　way　of　life；　if　he　had　not　sat　staring

straight　over　my　head　whenever　he　listened。　　He　was　a　goggle…eyed

gentleman　of　a　perplexed　aspect；　and　his　demeanour　became

unbearable。



It　was　a　cold；　dead　morning　（the　sun　not　being　up　yet）；　and　when　I

had　out…watched　the　paling　light　of　the　fires　of　the　iron　country；

and　the　curtain　of　heavy　smoke　that　hung　at　once　between　me　and　the

stars　and　between　me　and　the　day；　I　turned　to　my　fellow…traveller

and　said：



〃I　BEG　your　pardon；　sir；　but　do　you　observe　anything　particular　in

me〃？　　For；　really；　he　appeared　to　be　taking　down；　either　my

travelling…cap　or　my　hair；　with　a　minuteness　that　was　a　liberty。



The　goggle…eyed　gentleman　withdrew　his　eyes　from　behind　me；　as　if

the　back　of　the　carriage　were　a　hundred　miles　off；　and　said；　with　a

lofty　look　of　compassion　for　my　insignificance：



〃In　you；　sir？B。〃



〃B；　sir？〃　said　I；　growing　warm。



〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　you；　sir；〃　returned　the　gentleman；　〃pray

let　me　listenO。〃



He　enunciated　this　vowel　after　a　pause；　and　noted　it　down。



At　first　I　was　alarmed；　for　an　Express　lunatic　and　no　communication

with　the　guard；　is　a　serious　position。　　The　thought　came　to　my

relief　that　the　gentleman　might　be　what　is　popularly　called　a

Rapper：　　one　of　a　sect　for　（some　of）　whom　I　have　the　highest

respect；　but　whom　I　don't　believe　in。　　I　was　going　to　ask　him　the

question；　when　he　took　the　bread　out　of　my　mouth。



〃You　will　excuse　me；〃　said　the　gentleman　contemptuously；　〃if　I　am

too　much　in　advance　of　common　humanity　to　trouble　myself　at　all

about　it。　　I　have　passed　the　nightas　indeed　I　pass　the　whole　of　my

time　nowin　spiritual　intercourse。〃



〃O！〃　said　I；　somewhat　snappishly。



〃The　conferences　of　the　night　began；〃　continued　the　gentleman；

turning　several　leaves　of　his　note…book；　〃with　this　message：　　'Evil

communications　corrupt　good　manners。'〃



〃Sound；〃　said　I；　〃but；　absolutely　new？〃



〃New　from　spirits；〃　returned　the　gentleman。



I　could　only　repeat　my　rather　snappish　〃O！〃　and　ask　if　I　might　be

favoured　with　the　last　communication。



〃'A　bird　in　the　hand；'〃　said　the　gentleman；　reading　his　last　entry

with　great　solemnity；　〃'is　worth　two　in　the　Bosh。'〃



〃Truly　I　am　of　the　same　opinion；〃　said　I；　〃but　shouldn't　it　be

Bush？〃



〃It　came　to　me；　Bosh；〃　returned　the　gentleman。



The　gentleman　then　informed　me　that　the　spirit　of　Socrates　had

delivered　this　special　revelation　in　the　course　of　the　night。　　〃My

friend；　I　hope　you　are　pretty　well。　　There　are　two　in　this　railway

carriage。　　How　do　you　do？　　There　are　seventeen　thousand　four　hundred

and　seventy…nine　spirits　here；　but　you　cannot　see　them。　　Pythagoras

is　here。　　He　is　not　at　liberty　to　mention　it；　but　hopes　you　like

travelling。〃　　Galileo　likewise　had　dropped　in；　with　this　scientific

intelligence。　　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you；　AMICO。　COME　STA？　　Water　will

freeze　when　it　is　cold　enough。　　ADDIO！〃　　In　the　course　of　the　night；

also；　the　following　phenomena　had　occurred。　　Bishop　Butler　had

insisted　on　spelling　his　name；　〃Bubler；〃　for　which　offence　against

orthography　and　good　manners　he　had　been　dismissed　as　out　of　temper。

John　Milton　（suspected　of　wilful　mystification）　had　repudiated　the

authorship　of　Paradise　Lost；　and　had　introduced；　as　joint　authors　of

that　poem；　two　Unknown　gentlemen；　respectively　named　Grungers　and

Scadgingtone。　　And　Prince　Arthur；　nephew　of　King　John　of　England；

had　described　himself　as　tolerably　comfortable　in　the　seventh

circle；　where　he　was　learning　to　paint　on　velvet；　under　the

direction　of　Mrs。　Trimmer　and　Mary　Queen　of　Scots。



If　this　should　meet　the　eye　of　the　gentleman　who　favoured　me　with

these　disclosures；　I　trust　he　will　excuse　my　confessing　that　the

sight　of　the　rising　sun；　and　the　contemplation　of　the　magnificent

Order　of　the　vast　Universe；　made　me　impatient　of　them。　　In　a　word；　I

was　so　impatient　of　them；　that　I　was　mightily　glad　to　get　out　at　the

next　station；　and　to　exchange　these　clouds　and　vapours　for　the　free

air　of　Heaven。



By　that　time　it　was　a　beautiful　morning。　　As　I　walked　away　among

such　leaves　as　had　already　fallen　from　the　golden；　brown；　and　russet

trees；　and　as　I　looked　around　me　on　the　wonders　of　Creation；　and

thought　of　the　steady；　unchanging；　and　harmonious　laws　by　which　they

are　sustained；　the　gentleman's　spiritual　intercourse　seemed　to　me　as

poor　a　piece　of　journey…work　as　ever　this　world　saw。　　In　which

heathen　state　of　mind；　I　came　within　view　of　the　house；　and　stopped

to　examine　it　attentively。



It　was　a　solitary　house；　standing　in　a　sadly　neglected　garden：　　a

pretty　even　square　of　some　two　acres。　　It　was　a　house　of　about　the

time　of　George　the　Second；　as　stiff；　as　cold；　as　formal；　and　in　as

bad　taste；　as　could　possibly　be　desired　by　the　most　loyal　admirer　of

the　whole　quartet　of　Georges。　　It　was　uninhabited；　but　had；　within　a

year　or　two；　been　cheaply　repaired　to　render　it　habitable；　I　say

cheaply；　because　the　work　had　been　done　in　a　surface　manner；　and　was

already　decaying　as　to　the　paint　and　plaster；　though　the　colours

were　fresh。　　A　lop…sided　board　drooped　over　the　garden　wall；

announcing　that　it　was　〃to　let　on　very　reasonable　terms；　well

furnished。〃　　It　was　much　too　closely　and　heavily　shadowed　by　trees；

and；　in　particular；　there　were　six　tall　poplars　before　the　front

windows；　which　were　excessively　melancholy；　and　the　site　of　which

had　been　extremely　ill　chosen。



It　was　easy　to　see　that　it　was　an　avoided　housea　house　that　was

shunned　by　the　village；　to　which　my　eye　was　guided　by　a　church　spire

some　half　a　mile　offa　house　that　nobody　would　take。　　And　the

natural　inference　was；　that　it　had　the　reputation　of　being　a　haunted

house。



No　period　within　the　four…and…twenty　hours　of　day　and　night　is　so

solemn　to　me；　as　the　early　morning。　　In　the　summer…time；　I　often

rise　very　early；　and　repair　to　my　room　to　do　a　day's　work　before

breakfast；　and　I　am　always　on　those　occasions　deeply　impressed　by

the　stillness　and　solitude　around　me。　　Besides　that　there　is

something　awful　in　the　being　surrounded　by　familiar　faces　asleepin

the　knowledge　that　those　who　are　dearest　to　us　and　to　whom　we　are

dearest；　are　profoundly　unconscious　of　us；　in　an　impassive　state；

anticipative　of　that　mysterious　condition　to　which　we　are　all

tendingthe　stopped　life；　the　broken　threads　of　yesterday；　the

deserted　seat；　the　closed　book；　the　unfinished　but　abandoned

occupation；　all　are　images　of　Death。　　The　tranquillity　of　the　hour

is　the　tranquillity　of　Death。　　The　colour　and　the　chill　have　the

same　association。　　Even　a　certain　air　that　familiar　household

objects　take　upon　them　when　they　first　emerge　from　the　shadows　of

the　night　into　the　morning；　of　being　newer；　and　as　they　used　to　be

long　ago；　has　its　counterpart　in　the　subsidence　of　the　worn　face　of

maturity　or　age；　in　death；　into　the　old　youthful　look。　　Moreover；　I

once　saw　the　apparition　of　my　father；　at　this　hour。　　He　was　alive

and　well；　and　nothing　ever　came　of　it；　but　I　saw　him　in　the

daylight；　sitting　with　his　back　towards　me；　on　a　seat　that　stood

beside　my　bed。　　His　head　was　resting　on　his　hand；　and　whether　he　was

slumbering　or　grieving；　I　could　not　discern。　　Amazed　to　see　him

there；　I　sat　up；　moved　my　position；　leaned　out　of　bed；　and　watched

him。　　As　he　did　not　move；　I　spoke　to　him　more　than　once。　　As　he　did

not　move　then；　I　became　alarmed　and　laid　my　hand　upon　his　shoulder；

as　I　thoughtand　there　was　no　such　thing。



For　all　these　reasons；　and　for　others　less　easily　and　briefly

statable；　I　find　the　early　morning　to　be　my　most　ghostly　time。　　Any

house　would　be　more　or　less　haunted；　to　me；　in　the　early　morning；

and　a　haunted　house　could　scarcely　address　me　to　greater　advantage

than　then。



I　walked　on　into　the　village；　with　the　desertion　of　this　house　upon

my　mind；　and　I　found　the　landlord　of　the　little　inn；　sanding　his

door…step。　　I　bespoke　breakfast；　and　broached　the　subject　of　the

house。



〃Is　it　haunted？〃　I　asked。



The　landlord　looked　at　me；　shook　his　head；　and　answered；　〃I　say

nothing。〃



〃Then　it　IS　haunted？〃



〃Well！〃　cried　the　landlord；　in　an　outburst　of　frankness　that　had　the

appearance　of　desperation〃I　wouldn't　sleep　in　it。〃



〃Why　not？〃



〃If　I　wanted　to　have　all　the　bells　in　a　house　ring；　with　nobody　to

ring　'em；　and　all　the　doors　in　a　house　bang；　with　nobody　to　bang

'em；　and　all　sorts　of　feet　treading　about；　with　no　feet　there；　why；

then；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃I'd　sleep　in　that　house。〃



〃Is　anything　seen　there？〃



The　landlord　looked　at　me　again；　and　then；　with　his　former

appearance　of　desperation；　called　down　his　stable…yard　for　〃Ikey！〃



The　call　produced　a　high…shouldered　young　fellow；　with　a　round　red

face；　a　short　crop　of　sandy　hair；　a　very　broad　humorous　mouth；　a

turned…up　nose；　and　a　great　sleeved　waistcoat　of　purple　bars；　with

mother…of…pearl　buttons；　that　seemed　to　be　growing　upon　him；　and　to

be　in　a　fair　wayif　it　were　not　prunedof　covering　his　head　and

overunning　his　boots。



〃This　gentleman　wants　to　know；〃　said　the　landlord；　〃if　anything's

seen　at　the　Poplars。〃



〃'Ooded　woman　with　a　howl；〃　said　Ikey；　in　a　state　of　great

freshne