original short stories-6-第11部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


of　a　bay　which　is　surrounded　by　high　mountains。

〃The　majority　of　the　cases　which　came　up　before　me　concerned　vendettas。
There　are　some　that　are　superb；　dramatic；　ferocious；　heroic。　　We　find
there　the　most　beautiful　causes　for　revenge　of　which　one　could　dream；
enmities　hundreds　of　years　old；　quieted　for　a　time　but　never
extinguished；　abominable　stratagems；　murders　becoming　massacres　and
almost　deeds　of　glory。　　For　two　years　I　heard　of　nothing　but　the　price　of
blood；　of　this　terrible　Corsican　prejudice　which　compels　revenge　for
insults　meted　out　to　the　offending　person　and　all　his　descendants　and
relatives。　　I　had　seen　old　men；　children；　cousins　murdered；　my　head　was
full　of　these　stories。

〃One　day　I　learned　that　an　Englishman　had　just　hired　a　little　villa　at
the　end　of　the　bay　for　several　years。　　He　had　brought　with　him　a　French
servant；　whom　he　had　engaged　on　the　way　at　Marseilles。

〃Soon　this　peculiar　person；　living　alone；　only　going　out　to　hunt　and
fish；　aroused　a　widespread　interest。　　He　never　spoke　to　any　one；　never
went　to　the　town；　and　every　morning　he　would　practice　for　an　hour　or　so
with　his　revolver　and　rifle。

〃Legends　were　built　up　around　him。　　It　was　said　that　he　was　some　high
personage；　fleeing　from　his　fatherland　for　political　reasons；　then　it　was
affirmed　that　he　was　in　hiding　after　having　committed　some　abominable
crime。　　Some　particularly　horrible　circumstances　were　even　mentioned。

〃In　my　judicial　position　I　thought　it　necessary　to　get　some　information
about　this　man；　but　it　was　impossible　to　learn　anything。　　He　called
himself　Sir　John　Rowell。

〃I　therefore　had　to　be　satisfied　with　watching　him　as　closely　as　I　could；
but　I　could　see　nothing　suspicious　about　his　actions。

〃However；　as　rumors　about　him　were　growing　and　becoming　more　widespread；
I　decided　to　try　to　see　this　stranger　myself；　and　I　began　to　hunt
regularly　in　the　neighborhood　of　his　grounds。

〃For　a　long　time　I　watched　without　finding　an　opportunity。　　At　last　it
came　to　me　in　the　shape　of　a　partridge　which　I　shot　and　killed　right　in
front　of　the　Englishman。　　My　dog　fetched　it　for　me；　but；　taking　the　bird；
I　went　at　once　to　Sir　John　Rowell　and；　begging　his　pardon；　asked　him　to
accept　it。

〃He　was　a　big　man；　with　red　hair　and　beard；　very　tall；　very　broad；　a　kind
of　calm　and　polite　Hercules。　　He　had　nothing　of　the　so…called　British
stiffness；　and　in　a　broad　English　accent　he　thanked　me　warmly　for　my
attention。　　At　the　end　of　a　month　we　had　had　five　or　six　conversations。

〃One　night；　at　last；　as　I　was　passing　before　his　door；　I　saw　him　in　the
garden；　seated　astride　a　chair；　smoking　his　pipe。　　I　bowed　and　he　invited
me　to　come　in　and　have　a　glass　of　beer。　　I　needed　no　urging。

〃He　received　me　with　the　most　punctilious　English　courtesy；　sang　the
praises　of　France　and　of　Corsica；　and　declared　that　he　was　quite　in　love
with　this　country。

〃Then；　with　great　caution　and　under　the　guise　of　a　vivid　interest；　I
asked　him　a　few　questions　about　his　life　and　his　plans。　　He　answered
without　embarrassment；　telling　me　that　he　had　travelled　a　great　deal　in
Africa；　in　the　Indies；　in　America。　　He　added；　laughing：

〃'I　have　had　many　adventures。'

〃Then　I　turned　the　conversation　on　hunting；　and　he　gave　me　the　most
curious　details　on　hunting　the　hippopotamus；　the　tiger；　the　elephant　and
even　the　gorilla。

〃I　said：

〃'Are　all　these　animals　dangerous？'

〃He　smiled：

〃'Oh；　no！　　Man　is　the　worst。'

〃And　he　laughed　a　good　broad　laugh；　the　wholesome　laugh　of　a　contented
Englishman。

〃'I　have　also　frequently　been　man…hunting。'

〃Then　he　began　to　talk　about　weapons；　and　he　invited　me　to　come　in　and
see　different　makes　of　guns。

〃His　parlor　was　draped　in　black；　black　silk　embroidered　in　gold。　　Big
yellow　flowers；　as　brilliant　as　fire；　were　worked　on　the　dark　material。

〃He　said：

〃'It　is　a　Japanese　material。'

〃But　in　the　middle　of　the　widest　panel　a　strange　thing　attracted　my
attention。　　A　black　object　stood　out　against　a　square　of　red　velvet。　　I
went　up　to　it；　it　was　a　hand；　a　human　hand。　　Not　the　clean　white　hand　of
a　skeleton；　but　a　dried　black　hand；　with　yellow　nails；　the　muscles
exposed　and　traces　of　old　blood　on　the　bones；　which　were　cut　off　as　clean
as　though　it　had　been　chopped　off　with　an　axe；　near　the　middle　of　the
forearm。

〃Around　the　wrist；　an　enormous　iron　chain；　riveted　and　soldered　to　this
unclean　member；　fastened　it　to　the　wall　by　a　ring；　strong　enough　to　hold
an　elephant　in　leash。

〃I　asked：

〃'What　is　that？'

〃The　Englishman　answered　quietly：

〃'That　is　my　best　enemy。　　It　comes　from　America；　too。　　The　bones　were
severed　by　a　sword　and　the　skin　cut　off　with　a　sharp　stone　and　dried　in
the　sun　for　a　week。'

〃I　touched　these　human　remains；　which　must　have　belonged　to　a　giant。　　The
uncommonly　long　fingers　were　attached　by　enormous　tendons　which　still　had
pieces　of　skin　hanging　to　them　in　places。　　This　hand　was　terrible　to　see；
it　made　one　think　of　some　savage　vengeance。

〃I　said：

〃'This　man　must　have　been　very　strong。'

〃The　Englishman　answered　quietly：

〃'Yes；　but　I　was　stronger　than　he。　　I　put　on　this　chain　to　hold　him。'

〃I　thought　that　he　was　joking。　　I　said：

〃'This　chain　is　useless　now；　the　hand　won't　run　away。'

〃Sir　John　Rowell　answered　seriously：

〃'It　always　wants　to　go　away。　　This　chain　is　needed。'

〃I　glanced　at　him　quickly；　questioning　his　face；　and　I　asked　myself：

〃'Is　he　an　insane　man　or　a　practical　joker？'

〃But　his　face　remained　inscrutable；　calm　and　friendly。　　I　turned　to　other
subjects；　and　admired　his　rifles。

〃However；　I　noticed　that　he　kept　three　loaded　revolvers　in　the　room；　as
though　constantly　in　fear　of　some　attack。

〃I　paid　him　several　calls。　　Then　I　did　not　go　any　more。　　People　had
become　used　to　his　presence；　everybody　had　lost　interest　in　him。

〃A　whole　year　rolled　by。　　One　morning；　toward　the　end　of　November；　my
servant　awoke　me　and　announced　that　Sir　John　Rowell　had　been　murdered
during　the　night。

〃Half　an　hour　later　I　entered　the　Englishman's　house；　together　with　the
police　commissioner　and　the　captain　of　the　gendarmes。　　The　servant；
bewildered　and　in　despair；　was　crying　before　the　door。　　At　first　I
suspected　this　man；　but　he　was　innocent。

〃The　guilty　party　could　never　be　found。

〃On　entering　Sir　John's　parlor；　I　noticed　the　body；　stretched　out　on　its
back；　in　the　middle　of　the　room。

〃His　vest　was　torn；　the　sleeve　of　his　jacket　had　been　pulled　off；
everything　pointed　to；　a　violent　struggle。

〃The　Englishman　had　been　strangled！　　His　face　was　black；　swollen　and
frightful；　and　seemed　to　express　a　terrible　fear。　　He　held　something
between　his　teeth；　and　his　neck；　pierced　by　five　or　six　holes　which
looked　as　though　they　had　been　made　by　some　iron　instrument；　was　covered
with　blood。

〃A　physician　joined　us。　　He　examined　the　finger　marks　on　the　neck　for　a
long　time　and　then　made　this　strange　announcement：

〃'It　looks　as　though　he　had　been　strangled　by　a　skeleton。'

〃A　cold　chill　seemed　to　run　down　my　back；　and　I　looked　over　to　where　I
had　formerly　seen　the　terrible　hand。　　It　was　no　longer　there。　　The　chain
was　hanging　down；　broken。

〃I　bent　over　the　dead　man　and；　in　his　contracted　mouth；　I　found　one　of
the　fingers　of　this　vanished　hand；　cutor　rather　sawed　off　by　the　teeth
down　to　the　second　knuckle。

〃Then　the　investigation　began。　　Nothing　could　be　discovered。　　No　door；
window　or　piece　of　furniture　had　been　forced。　　The　two　watch　dogs　had　not
been　aroused　from　their　sleep。

〃Here；　in　a　few　words；　is　the　testimony　of　the　servant：

〃For　a　month　his　master　had　seemed　excited。　　He　had　received　many
letters；　which　he　would　immediately　burn。

〃Often；　in　a　fit　of　passion　which　approached　madness；　he　had　taken　a
switch　and　struck　wildly　at　this　dried　hand　riveted　to　the　wall；　and
which　had　disappeared；　no　one　knows　how；　at　the　very　hour　of　the　crime。

〃He　would　go　to　bed　very　late　and　carefully　lock　himself　in。　　He　always
kept　weapons　within　reach。　　Often　at　night　he　would　talk　loudly；　as
though　he　were　quarrelling　with　some　one。

〃That　night；　somehow；　he　had　made　no　noise；　and　it　was　only　on　going　to
open　the　windows　that　the　servant　had　found　Sir　John　murdered。　　He
suspected　no　one。

〃I　communicated　what　I　knew　of　the　dead　man　to　the　judges　and　public
officials。　　Throughout　the　whole　island　a　minute　investigation　was
carried　on。　　Nothing　could　be　found　out。

〃One　night；　about　three　months　after　the　crime；　I　had　a　terrible
nightmare。　　I　seemed　to　see　the　horrible　hand　running　over　my　curtains
and　walls　like　an　immense　scorpion　or　spider。　　Three　times　I　awoke；　three
times　I　went　to　sleep　again；　three　times　I　saw　the　hideous　object
galloping　round　my　room　and　moving　its　fingers　like　legs。

〃The　following　day　the　hand　was　brought　me；　found　in　the　cemetery；　on　the
grave　of　Sir　John　Rowell；　who　had　been　buried　there　because　we　had　been
unable　to　find　his　family。　　The　first　finger　was　missing。

〃Ladies；　there　is　my　story。　　I　know　nothing　more。〃

The　women；　deeply　stirred；　were　pale　and　trembling。　　One　of　them
exclaimed：

〃But　that　is　neither　a　climax　nor　an　explanation！　　We　will　be　unable　to
sleep　unless　you　give　us　your　opinion　of　what　had　occurred。〃

The　judge　smiled　severely：

〃Oh！　　Ladies；　I　shall　certainly　spoil　your　terrible　dreams。　　I　simply
believe　that　the　legitimate　owner　of　the　hand　was　not　dead；　that　he　came
to　get　it　with　his　remaining　one。　　But　I　don't　know　how。　　It　was　a　kind
of　vendetta。〃

One　of　the　women　murmured：

〃No；　it　can't　be　that。〃

And　the　judge；　still　smiling；　said：

〃Didn't　I　tell　you　that　my　explanation　would　not　satisfy　you？〃






A　TRESS　OF　HAIR

The　walls　of　the　cell　were　bare　and　white　washed。　　A　narrow　grated
window；　placed　so　high　that　one　could　not　reach　it；　lighted　this　sinister
little　room。　　The　mad　inmate；　seated　on　a　straw　chair；　looked　at　us　with
a　fixed；　vacant　and　haunted　expression。　　He　was　very　thin；　with　hollow
cheeks　and　hair　almost　white；　which　one　guessed　might　have　turned　gray　in
a　few　months。　　His　clothes　appeared　to　be　too　large　for　his　shrunken
limbs；　his　sunken　chest　and　empty　paunch。　　One　felt　that　this　man's　mind
was　destroyed；　eaten　by　his　thoughts；　by　one