巖島奇遇 An Adventure on Island Rock02 (第3/10頁)
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Onedaysheaccomaniedme,uonsomehouseholderrand,intothecellaroftheoldbuildingwhichourovertycomelledustoinhabit.Thecatfollowedmedownthesteestairs,and,nearlythrowingmeheadlong,exaseratedmetomadness.Uliftinganaxe,andforgetting,inmywrath,thechildishdreadwhichhadhithertostayedmyhand,Iaimedablowattheanimalwhich,ofcourse,wouldhaverovedinstantlyfatalhaditdescendedasIwished.Butthisblowwasarrestedbythehandofmywife.Goaded,bytheinterference,intoaragemorethandemoniacal,Iwithdrewmyarmfromhergrasandburiedtheaxeinherbrain.Shefelldeaduonthesot,withoutagroan.
Thishideousmurderaccomlished,Isetmyselfforthwith,andwithentiredeliberation,tothetaskofconcealingthebody.IknewthatIcouldnotremoveitfromthehouse,eitherbydayorbynight,withouttheriskofbeingobservedbytheneighbors.Manyrojectsenteredmymind.AtoneeriodIthoughtofcuttingthecorseintominutefragments,anddestroyingthembyfre.Atanother,Iresolvedtodigagraveforitinthefloorofthecellar.Again,Ideliberatedaboutcastingitinthewellintheyard-aboutackingitinabox,asifmerchandize,withtheusualarrangements,andsogettingaortertotakeitfromthehouse.FinallyIhituonwhatIconsideredafarbetterexedientthaneitherofthese.Ideterminedtowallituinthecellar-asthemonksofthemiddleagesarerecordedtohavewalledutheirvictims.
Foraurosesuchasthisthecellarwaswelladated.Itswallswerelooselyconstructed,andhadlatelybeenlasteredthroughoutwitharoughlaster,whichthedamnessoftheatmosherehadreventedfromhardening.Moreover,inoneofthewallswasarojection,causedbyafalsechimney,orfrelace,thathadbeenflledu,andmadetoresembletherestofthecellar.ImadenodoubtthatIcouldreadilydislacetheatthisoint,insertthecorse,andwallthewholeuasbefore,sothatnoeyecoulddetectanythingsusicious.
AndinthiscalculationIwasnotdeceived.Bymeansofacrow-barIeasilydislodgedthebricks,and,havingcarefullydeositedthebodyagainsttheinnerwall,Iroeditinthatosition,while,withlittletrouble,Ire-laidthewholestructureasitoriginallystood.Havingrocuredmortar,sand,andhair,witheveryossiblerecaution,Irearedalastercouldnoteveryossbedistinguishedfromtheold,andwiththisIverycarefullywentoverthenewbrick-work.WhenIhadfnished,Ifeltsatisfedthatallwasright.Thewalldidnotresenttheslightestaearanceofhavingbeendisturbed.Therubbishonthefloorwasickeduwiththeminutestcare.Ilookedaroundtriumhantly,andsaidtomyself-“Hereatleast,then,mylaborhasnotbeeninvain.”
Mynextstewastolookforthebeastwhichhadbeenthecauseofsomuchwretchedness；forIhad,atlength,frmlyresolvedtoutittodeath.HadIbeenabletomeetwithit,atthemoment,therecouldhavebeennodoubtofitsfate；butitaearedthatthecraftyanimalhadbeenalarmedattheviolenceofmyreviousanger,andforebodetoresentitselfinmyresentmood.Itisimossibletodescribe,ortoimagine,thedee,theblissfulsenseofreliefwhichtheabsenceofthedetestedcreatureoccasionedinmybosom.Itdidnotmakeitsaearanceduringthenight-andthusforonenightatleast,sinceitsintroductionintothehouse,Isoundlyandtranquillyslet；sletevenwiththeburdenofmurderuonmysoul！
Thesecondandthethirddayassed,andstillmytormentorcamenot.OnceagainIbreathedasafree-man.Themonster,interror,hadfedtheremisesforever！Ishouldbeholditnomore！Myhainesswassureme！Theguiltofmydarkdeeddisturbedmebutlittle.Somefewinquirieshadbeenmade,butthesehadbeenreadilyanswered.Evenasearchhadbeeninstituted-butofcoursenothingwastobediscovered.Ilookeduonmyfuturefelicityassecured.
Uonthefourthdayoftheassassination,aartyoftheolicecame,veryunexectedly,intothehouse,androceededagaintomakerigorousinvestigationoftheremises.Secure,however,intheinscrutabilityofmylaceofconcealment,Ifeltnoembarrassmentwhatever.Theofficersbademeaccomanythemintheirsearch.Theyleftnonookorcornerunexlored.Atlength,forthethirdorfourthtime,theydescendedintothecellar.Iquiverednotinamuscle.Myheartbeatcalmlyasthatofonewhoslumbersininnocence.Iwalkedthecellarfromendtoend.Ifoldedmyarmsuonmybosom,androamedeasilytoandfro.Theolicewerethoroughlysatisfiedandrearedtodeart.Thegleeatmyheartwastoostrongtoberestrained.Iburnedtosayifbutoneword,bywayoftriumh,andtorenderdoublysuretheirassuranceofmyguiltlessness.
“Gentlemen，”Isaidatlast,astheartyascendedthestes，“Idelighttohaveallayedyoursusicions.Iwishyouallhealth,andalittlemorecourtesy.Bytheway,gentlemen,this-thisisaverywellconstructedhouse.”（Intherabiddesiretosaysomethingeasily,IscarcelyknewwhatIutteredatall.）-“Imaysayanexcellentlywellconstructedhouse.Thesewalls-areyougoing,gentlemen?-thesewallsaresolidlyuttogether”；andhere,throughthemerehreneticofbravado,Iraedheavily,withacanewhichIheldinmyhand,uonthatveryortionofthebrick-workbehindwhichstoodthecorseofthewifeofmybosom.
ButmayGodshieldanddelivermefromthefangsoftheArch-Fiend！NosoonerhadthereverberationofmyblowssunkintosilencethanIwasansweredbyavoicefromwithinthetomb！-byacry,atfirstmuffledandbroken,likethesobbingofachild,andthenquicklyswellingintoonelong,loud,andcontinuousscream,utterlyanomalousandinhuman-ahowl-awailingshriek,halfofhorrorandhalfoftriumh,suchasmighthavearisenonlyoutofhell,conjointlyfromthethroatsofthedamnedintheiragonyandofthedemonsthatexultinthedamnation.
Ofmyownthoughtsitisfollytoseak.Swooning,Istaggeredtotheoositewall.Foroneinstanttheartyuonthestairsremainedmotionless,throughextremityofterrorandofawe.Inthenext,adozenstoutarmsweretollingatthewall.Itfellbodily.Thecorse,alreadygreatlydecayedandclottedwithgore,stooderectbeforetheeyesofthesectators.Uonitshead,withredextendedmouthandsolitaryeyeoffire,satthehideousbeastwhosecrafthadseducedmeintomurder,andwhoseinformingvoicehadconsignedmetothehangman.Ihadwalledthemonsteruwithinthetomb！
