the purcell papers-2-第7部分

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write　this　foul　and　infamous　libel；　but　it

shall　be　your　last。　Men　will　universally

believe　you　mad；　if　I　choose　to　call　for　an

inquiry。　I　can　make　you　appear　so。　The

suspicions　expressed　in　this　letter　are　the

hallucinations　and　alarms　of　moping　lunacy。

I　have　defeated　your　first　attempt；　madam；

and　by　the　holy　God；　if　ever　you　make

another；　chains；　straw；　darkness；　and　the

keeper's　whip　shall　be　your　lasting　portion！'



With　these　astounding　words　he　left　the

room；　leaving　me　almost　fainting。



I　was　now　almost　reduced　to　despair；

my　last　cast　had　failed；　I　had　no　course

left　but　that　of　eloping　secretly　from　the

castle；　and　placing　myself　under　the

protection　of　the　nearest　magistrate。　I　felt

if　this　were　not　done；　and　speedily；　that　I

should　be　MURDERED。



No　one；　from　mere　description；　can　have

an　idea　of　the　unmitigated　horror　of　my

situationa　helpless；　weak；　inexperienced

girl；　placed　under　the　power　and　wholly

at　the　mercy　of　evil　men；　and　feeling　that

she　had　it　not　in　her　power　to　escape　for

a　moment　from　the　malignant　influences

under　which　she　was　probably　fated　to　fall；

and　with　a　consciousness　that　if　violence；

if　murder　were　designed；　her　dying　shriek

would　be　lost　in　void　space；　no　human

being　would　be　near　to　aid　her；　no　human

interposition　could　deliver　her。



I　had　seen　Edward　but　once　during　his

visit；　and　as　I　did　not　meet　with　him

again；　I　began　to　think　that　he　must　have

taken　his　departurea　conviction　which

was　to　a　certain　degree　satisfactory；　as　I

regarded　his　absence　as　indicating　the

removal　of　immediate　danger。



Emily　also　arrived　circuitously　at　the

same　conclusion；　and　not　without　good

grounds；　for　she　managed　indirectly　to

learn　that　Edward's　black　horse　had　actually

been　for　a　day　and　part　of　a　night　in

the　castle　stables；　just　at　the　time　of　her

brother's　supposed　visit。　The　horse　had

gone；　and；　as　she　argued；　the　rider　must

have　departed　with　it。



This　point　being　so　far　settled；　I　felt　a

little　less　uncomfortable：　when　being　one

day　alone　in　my　bedroom；　I　happened　to

look　out　from　the　window；　and；　to　my　un…

utterable　horror；　I　beheld；　peering　through

an　opposite　casement；　my　cousin　Edward's

face。　Had　I　seen　the　evil　one　himself　in

bodily　shape；　I　could　not　have　experienced

a　more　sickening　revulsion。



I　was　too　much　appalled　to　move　at

once　from　the　window；　but　I　did　so　soon

enough　to　avoid　his　eye。　He　was　looking

fixedly　into　the　narrow　quadrangle　upon

which　the　window　opened。　I　shrank　back

unperceived；　to　pass　the　rest　of　the　day

in　terror　and　despair。　I　went　to　my　room

early　that　night；　but　I　was　too　miserable

to　sleep。



At　about　twelve　o'clock；　feeling　very

nervous；　I　determined　to　call　my　cousin

Emily；　who　slept；　you　will　remember；　in

the　next　room；　which　communicated　with

mine　by　a　second　door。　By　this　private

entrance　I　found　my　way　into　her　chamber；

and　without　difficulty　persuaded　her　to

return　to　my　room　and　sleep　with　me。

We　accordingly　lay　down　together；　she

undressed；　and　I　with　my　clothes　on；　for　I

was　every　moment　walking　up　and　down

the　room；　and　felt　too　nervous　and　miserable

to　think　of　rest　or　comfort。



Emily　was　soon　fast　asleep；　and　I　lay

awake；　fervently　longing　for　the　first　pale

gleam　of　morning；　reckoning　every　stroke

of　the　old　clock　with　an　impatience　which

made　every　hour　appear　like　six。



It　must　have　been　about　one　o'clock

when　I　thought　I　heard　a　slight　noise　at

the　partition…door　between　Emily's　room

and　mine；　as　if　caused　by　somebody's

turning　the　key　in　the　lock。　I　held　my

breath；　and　the　same　sound　was　repeated

at　the　second　door　of　my　roomthat　which

opened　upon　the　lobbythe　sound　was

here　distinctly　caused　by　the　revolution　of

the　bolt　in　the　lock；　and　it　was　followed　by

a　slight　pressure　upon　the　door　itself；　as　if

to　ascertain　the　security　of　the　lock。



The　person；　whoever　it　might　be；　was

probably　satisfied；　for　I　heard　the　old

boards　of　the　lobby　creak　and　strain；　as　if

under　the　weight　of　somebody　moving

cautiously　over　them。　My　sense　of　hearing

became　unnaturally；　almost　painfully

acute。　I　suppose　the　imagination　added

distinctness　to　sounds　vague　in　themselves。

I　thought　that　I　could　actually　hear　the

breathing　of　the　person　who　was　slowly

returning　down　the　lobby。　At　the　head　of

the　staircase　there　appeared　to　occur　a

pause；　and　I　could　distinctly　hear　two　or

three　sentences　hastily　whispered；　the

steps　then　descended　the　stairs　with

apparently　less　caution。　I　now　ventured　to

walk　quickly　and　lightly　to　the　lobby…door；

and　attempted　to　open　it；　it　was　indeed

fast　locked　upon　the　outside；　as　was　also

the　other。



I　now　felt　that　the　dreadful　hour　was

come；　but　one　desperate　expedient

remainedit　was　to　awaken　Emily；　and　by

our　united　strength　to　attempt　to　force

the　partition…door；　which　was　slighter　than

the　other；　and　through　this　to　pass　to　the

lower　part　of　the　house；　whence　it　might

be　possible　to　escape　to　the　grounds；　and

forth　to　the　village。



I　returned　to　the　bedside　and　shook

Emily；　but　in　vain。　Nothing　that　I　could

do　availed　to　produce　from　her　more　than

a　few　incoherent　wordsit　was　a　death…

like　sleep。　She　had　certainly　drank　of

some　narcotic；　as　had　I　probably　also；　spite

of　all　the　caution　with　which　I　had

examined　everything　presented　to　us　to

eat　or　drink。



I　now　attempted；　with　as　little　noise　as

possible；　to　force　first　one　door；　then　the

otherbut　all　in　vain。　I　believe　no

strength　could　have　effected　my　object；　for

both　doors　opened　inwards。　I　therefore

collected　whatever　movables　I　could　carry

thither；　and　piled　them　against　the　doors；

so　as　to　assist　me　in　whatever　attempts　I

should　make　to　resist　the　entrance　of　those

without。　I　then　returned　to　the　bed　and

endeavoured　again；　but　fruitlessly；　to

awaken　my　cousin。　It　was　not　sleep；　it

was　torpor；　lethargy；　death。　I　knelt　down

and　prayed　with　an　agony　of　earnestness；

and　then　seating　myself　upon　the　bed；　I

awaited　my　fate　with　a　kind　of　terrible

tranquillity。



I　heard　a　faint　clanking　sound　from　the

narrow　court　which　I　have　already

mentioned；　as　if　caused　by　the　scraping　of

some　iron　instrument　against　stones　or

rubbish。　I　at　first　determined　not　to

disturb　the　calmness　which　I　now　felt；　by

uselessly　watching　the　proceedings　of　those

who　sought　my　life；　but　as　the　sounds

continued；　the　horrible　curiosity　which　I

felt　overcame　every　other　emotion；　and　I

determined；　at　all　hazards；　to　gratify　it。

I　therefore　crawled　upon　my　knees　to

the　window；　so　as　to　let　the　smallest

portion　of　my　head　appear　above　the

sill。



The　moon　was　shining　with　an　uncertain

radiance　upon　the　antique　grey　buildings；

and　obliquely　upon　the　narrow　court

beneath；　one　side　of　which　was　therefore

clearly　illuminated；　while　the　other　was

lost　in　obscurity；　the　sharp　outlines　of　the

old　gables；　with　their　nodding　clusters　of

ivy；　being　at　first　alone　visible。



Whoever　or　whatever　occasioned　the

noise　which　had　excited　my　curiosity；　was

concealed　under　the　shadow　of　the　dark

side　of　the　quadrangle。　I　placed　my　hand

over　my　eyes　to　shade　them　from　the

moonlight；　which　was　so　bright　as　to　be

almost　dazzling；　and；　peering　into　the

darkness；　I　first　dimly；　but　afterwards　gradually；

almost　with　full　distinctness；　beheld　the

form　of　a　man　engaged　in　digging　what

appeared　to　be　a　rude　hole　close　under　the

wall。　Some　implements；　probably　a　shovel

and　pickaxe；　lay　beside　him；　and　to　these

he　every　now　and　then　applied　himself　as

the　nature　of　the　ground　required。　He

pursued　his　task　rapidly；　and　with　as　little

noise　as　possible。



'So；'　thought　I；　as；　shovelful　after　shovel…

ful；　the　dislodged　rubbish　mounted　into　a

heap；　'they　are　digging　the　grave　in　which；

before　two　hours　pass；　I　must　lie；　a　cold；

mangled　corpse。　I　am　THEIRSI　cannot

escape。'



I　felt　as　if　my　reason　was　leaving　me。

I　started　to　my　feet；　and　in　mere　despair　I

applied　myself　again　to　each　of　the　two

doors　alternately。　I　strained　every　nerve

and　sinew；　but　I　might　as　well　have

attempted；　with　my　single　strength；　to　force

the　building　itself　from　its　foundation。　I

threw　myself　madly　upon　the　ground；　and

clasped　my　hands　over　my　eyes　as　if　to

shut　out　the　horrible　images　which　crowded

upon　me。



The　paroxysm　passed　away。　I　prayed

once　more；　with　the　bitter；　agonised　fervour

of　one　who　feels　that　the　hour　of　death　is

present　and　inevitable。　When　I　arose；　I

went　once　more　to　the　window　and　looked

out；　just　in　time　to　see　a　shadowy　figure

glide　stealthily　along　the　wall。　The　task

was　finished。　The　catastrophe　of　the

tragedy　must　soon　be　accomplished。



I　determined　now　to　defend　my　life　to

the　last；　and　that　I　might　be　able　to　do

so　with　some　effect；　I　searched　the　room

for　something　which　might　serve　as　a

weapon；　but　either　through　accident；　or

from　an　anticipation　of　such　a　possibility；

everything　which　might　have　been　made

available　for　such　a　purpose　had　been　carefully

removed。　I　must　then　die　tamely

and　without　an　effort　to　defend　myself。



A　thought　suddenly　struck　memight

it　not　be　possible　to　escape　through　the

door；　which　the　assassin　must　open　in

order　to　enter　the　room？　I　resolved　to

make　the　attempt。　I　felt　assured　that　the

door　through　which　ingress　to　the　room

would　be　effected；　was　that　which　opened

upon　the　lobby。　It　was　the　more　direct

way；　besides　being；　for　obvious　reasons；

less　liable　to　interruption　than　the　other。

I　resolved；　then；　to　place　myself　behind　a

projection　of　the　wall；　whose　shadow　would

serve　fully　to　conceal　me；　and　when　the

door　should　be　opened；　and　before　they

should　have　discovered　the　identity　of　the

occupant　of　the　bed；　to　creep　noiselessly

from　the　room；　and　th