首页 >出版文学> To Be Read At Dusk>第4章
  'Carolina!What'sthematter?'
  'OBaptista!O,fortheLord'ssake!whereismymistress?'
  'Mistress,Carolina?'
  'Gonesincemorning-toldme,whenmasterwentoutonhisday'sjourney,nottocallher,forshewastiredwithnotrestinginthenight(havingbeeninpain),andwouldlieinbeduntiltheevening;thengetuprefreshed。Sheisgone!-sheisgone!
  Masterhascomeback,brokendownthedoor,andsheisgone!Mybeautiful,mygood,myinnocentmistress!'
  Theprettylittleonesocried,andraved,andtoreherselfthatI
  couldnothaveheldher,butforherswooningonmyarmasifshehadbeenshot。Mastercameup-inmanner,face,orvoice,nomorethemasterthatIknew,thanIwashe。Hetookme(Ilaidthelittleoneuponherbedinthehotel,andleftherwiththechamber-women),inacarriage,furiouslythroughthedarkness,acrossthedesolateCampagna。Whenitwasday,andwestoppedatamiserablepost-house,allthehorseshadbeenhiredtwelvehoursago,andsentawayindifferentdirections。Markme!bytheSignorDellombra,whohadpassedthereinacarriage,withafrightenedEnglishladycrouchinginonecorner。
  Ineverheard(saidtheGenoesecourier,drawingalongbreath)
  thatshewasevertracedbeyondthatspot。AllIknowis,thatshevanishedintoinfamousoblivion,withthedreadedfacebesideherthatshehadseeninherdream。
  'WhatdoyoucallTHAT?'saidtheGermancourier,triumphantly。
  'Ghosts!TherearenoghostsTHERE!Whatdoyoucallthis,thatI
  amgoingtotellyou?Ghosts!TherearenoghostsHERE!'
  Itookanengagementonce(pursuedtheGermancourier)withanEnglishgentleman,elderlyandabachelor,totravelthroughmycountry,myFatherland。Hewasamerchantwhotradedwithmycountryandknewthelanguage,butwhohadneverbeentheresincehewasaboy-asIjudge,somesixtyyearsbefore。
  HisnamewasJames,andhehadatwin-brotherJohn,alsoabachelor。Betweenthesebrotherstherewasagreataffection。
  Theywereinbusinesstogether,atGoodman'sFields,buttheydidnotlivetogether。Mr。JamesdweltinPolandStreet,turningoutofOxfordStreet,London;Mr。JohnresidedbyEppingForest。
  Mr。JamesandIweretostartforGermanyinaboutaweek。Theexactdaydependedonbusiness。Mr。JohncametoPolandStreet(whereIwasstayinginthehouse),topassthatweekwithMr。
  James。But,hesaidtohisbrotheronthesecondday,'Idon'tfeelverywell,James。There'snotmuchthematterwithme;butI
  thinkIamalittlegouty。I'llgohomeandputmyselfunderthecareofmyoldhousekeeper,whounderstandsmyways。IfIgetquitebetter,I'llcomebackandseeyoubeforeyougo。IfIdon'tfeelwellenoughtoresumemyvisitwhereIleaveitoff,whyYOU
  willcomeandseemebeforeyougo。'Mr。James,ofcourse,saidhewould,andtheyshookhands-bothhands,astheyalwaysdid-andMr。Johnorderedouthisold-fashionedchariotandrumbledhome。
  Itwasonthesecondnightafterthat-thatistosay,thefourthintheweek-whenIwasawokeoutofmysoundsleepbyMr。Jamescomingintomybedroominhisflannel-gown,withalightedcandle。
  Hesatuponthesideofmybed,andlookingatme,said:
  'Wilhelm,IhavereasontothinkIhavegotsomestrangeillnessuponme。'
  Ithenperceivedthattherewasaveryunusualexpressioninhisface。
  'Wilhelm,'saidhe,'IamnotafraidorashamedtotellyouwhatI
  mightbeafraidorashamedtotellanotherman。Youcomefromasensiblecountry,wheremysteriousthingsareinquiredintoandarenotsettledtohavebeenweighedandmeasured-ortohavebeenunweighableandunmeasurable-orineithercasetohavebeencompletelydisposedof,foralltime-eversomanyyearsago。I
  havejustnowseenthephantomofmybrother。'
  Iconfess(saidtheGermancourier)thatitgavemealittletinglingofthebloodtohearit。
  'Ihavejustnowseen,'Mr。Jamesrepeated,lookingfullatme,thatImightseehowcollectedhewas,'thephantomofmybrotherJohn。Iwassittingupinbed,unabletosleep,whenitcameintomyroom,inawhitedress,andregardingmeearnestly,passeduptotheendoftheroom,glancedatsomepapersonmywriting-desk,turned,and,stilllookingearnestlyatmeasitpassedthebed,wentoutatthedoor。Now,Iamnotintheleastmad,andamnotintheleastdisposedtoinvestthatphantomwithanyexternalexistenceoutofmyself。IthinkitisawarningtomethatIamill;andIthinkIhadbetterbebled。'
  Igotoutofbeddirectly(saidtheGermancourier)andbegantogetonmyclothes,begginghimnottobealarmed,andtellinghimthatIwouldgomyselftothedoctor。Iwasjustready,whenweheardaloudknockingandringingatthestreetdoor。Myroombeinganatticattheback,andMr。James'sbeingthesecond-floorroominthefront,wewentdowntohisroom,andputupthewindow,toseewhatwasthematter。
  'IsthatMr。James?'saidamanbelow,fallingbacktotheoppositesideofthewaytolookup。
  'Itis,'saidMr。James,'andyouaremybrother'sman,Robert。'
  'Yes,Sir。Iamsorrytosay,Sir,thatMr。Johnisill。Heisverybad,Sir。Itisevenfearedthathemaybelyingatthepointofdeath。Hewantstoseeyou,Sir。Ihaveachaisehere。Praycometohim。Praylosenotime。'
  Mr。JamesandIlookedatoneanother。'Wilhelm,'saidhe,'thisisstrange。Iwishyoutocomewithme!'Ihelpedhimtodress,partlythereandpartlyinthechaise;andnograssgrewunderthehorses'ironshoesbetweenPolandStreetandtheForest。
  Now,mind!(saidtheGermancourier)IwentwithMr。Jamesintohisbrother'sroom,andIsawandheardmyselfwhatfollows。
  Hisbrotherlayuponhisbed,attheupperendofalongbed-
  chamber。Hisoldhousekeeperwasthere,andotherswerethere:I
  thinkthreeotherswerethere,ifnotfour,andtheyhadbeenwithhimsinceearlyintheafternoon。Hewasinwhite,likethefigure-necessarilyso,becausehehadhisnight-dresson。Helookedlikethefigure-necessarilyso,becausehelookedearnestlyathisbrotherwhenhesawhimcomeintotheroom。
  But,whenhisbrotherreachedthebed-side,heslowlyraisedhimselfinbed,andlookingfulluponhim,saidthesewords:
  'JAMES,YOUHAVESEENMEBEFORE,TO-NIGHT-ANDYOUKNOWIT!'
  Andsodied!
  Iwaited,whentheGermancourierceased,tohearsomethingsaidofthisstrangestory。Thesilencewasunbroken。Ilookedround,andthefivecouriersweregone:sonoiselesslythattheghostlymountainmighthaveabsorbedthemintoitseternalsnows。Bythistime,Iwasbynomeansinamoodtositaloneinthatawfulscene,withthechillaircomingsolemnlyuponme-or,ifImaytellthetruth,tositaloneanywhere。SoIwentbackintotheconvent-
  parlour,and,findingtheAmericangentlemanstilldisposedtorelatethebiographyoftheHonourableAnaniasDodger,hearditallout。