登陆注册
5227000000238

第238章 CHAPTER THE FIFTY-FOURTH. THE MANUSCRIPT.(10)

At first I saw only the dim figure of a woman. After a little it began to get plainer, brightening from within outward--brightening, brightening, brightening, till it set before me the vision of MY OWN SELF, repeated as if I was standing before a glass--the double of myself, looking at me with my own eyes. I saw it move over the grass. I saw it stop behind the beautiful little boy. I saw it stand and listen, as I had stood and listened at the dawn of morning, for the chiming of the bell before the clock struck the hour. When it heard the stroke it pointed down to the boy with my own hand; and it said to me, with my own voice, 'Kill him.'

"A time passed. I don't know whether it was a minute or an hour.

The heavens and the earth disappeared from before me. I saw nothing but the double of myself, with the pointing hand. I felt nothing but the longing to kill the boy.

"Then, as it seemed, the heavens and the earth rushed back upon me. I saw the people near staring in surprise at me, and wondering if I was in my right mind.

"I got, by main force, to my feet; I looked, by main force, away from the beautiful boy; I escaped, by main force, from the sight of the Thing, back into the streets. I can only describe the overpowering strength of the temptation that tried me in one way.

It was like tearing the life out of me to tear myself from killing the boy. And what it was on this occasion it has been ever since. No remedy against it but in that torturing effort, and no quenching the after-agony but by solitude and prayer.

"The sense of a coming punishment had hung over me. And the punishment had come. I had waited for the judgment of an Avenging Providence. And the judgment was pronounced. With pious David I could now say, Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off."

--------

Arrived at that point in the narrative, Geoffrey looked up from the manuscript for the first time. Some sound outside the room had disturbed him. Was it a sound in the passage?

He listened. There was an interval of silence. He looked back again at the Confession, turning over the last leaves to count how much was left of it before it came to an end.

After relating the circumstances under which the writer had returned to domestic service, the narrative was resumed no more.

Its few remaining pages were occupied by a fragmentary journal.

The brief entries referred to the various occasions on which Hester Dethridge had again and again seen the terrible apparition of herself, and had again and again resisted the homicidal frenzy roused in her by the hideous creation of her own distempered brain. In the effort which that resistance cost her lay the secret of her obstinate determination to insist on being freed from her work at certain times, and to make it a condition with any mistress who employed her that she should be privileged to sleep in a room of her own at night. Having counted the pages thus filled, Geoffrey turned back to the place at which he had left off, to read the manuscript through to the end.

As his eyes rested on the first line the noise in the passage--intermitted for a moment only--disturbed him again.

This time there was no doubt of what the sound implied. He heard her hurried footsteps; he heard her dreadful cry. Hester Dethridge had woke in her chair in the pallor, and had discovered that the Confession was no longer in her own hands.

He put the manuscript into the breast-pocket of his coat. On _this_ occasion his reading had been of some use to him. Needless to go on further with it. Needless to return to the Newgate Calendar. The problem was solved.

As he rose to his feet his heavy face brightened slowly with a terrible smile. While the woman's Conf ession was in his pocket the woman herself was in his power. "If she wants it back," he said, "she must get it on my terms." With that resolution, he opened the door, and met Hester Dethridge, face to face, in the passage.

同类推荐
  • On the Ruin of Britain

    On the Ruin of Britain

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A CHRISTMAS CAROL

    A CHRISTMAS CAROL

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上灵宝玉匮明真大斋忏方仪

    太上灵宝玉匮明真大斋忏方仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 巽隐集

    巽隐集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 朝鲜赋

    朝鲜赋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 上清元始谱箓太真玉诀

    上清元始谱箓太真玉诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 管理要懂方与圆

    管理要懂方与圆

    中层领导上任,会遇到很多问题,但最根本的是旧的体系与新的思想的冲突。怎么样能快速融入新的组织中去,落地生根,稳固自己的位置,成为新集体的灵魂人物?诸多难题,非精通方圆者,不能为之。
  • 随身空间之异世逍遥

    随身空间之异世逍遥

    莫小七正在郁闷的对着电脑里面的那个怪使劲使劲的用刀砍着。莫小七觉得今天特别特别的郁闷,为什么呢,因为今天她的同居人,林雅没来给她做饭吃,她莫小七又懒得做,就算她莫小七做的饭比五星级大酒店的还好吃,但是她就是懒。“小雅,我再给你十分钟,你再不回来给我做饭吃,你今天晚上就别想睡得安稳。哼哼,你该知道是什么后果的吧。”莫小七一脸阴笑的对着电话里说道。林雅在电话那边狠狠的打了个冷颤……
  • 中阿含经

    中阿含经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 穿越之千年泪

    穿越之千年泪

    他来到这个陌生的国家,他遇到人生最美的她。当他爱上她,历史已经滑出了可以控制的轨迹。他在战乱中陪伴着她,他为了她接受了扭曲时空的惩罚。因为怕失去,他选择留下。因为他的留下,他却又不得不永远离开。他爱她,却无法相守。她爱她,却无法挽留。情节虚构,请勿模仿!
  • 魅世魔凰

    魅世魔凰

    诸神在,万魔灭。苏魅,华夏玄门三主之一,邪肆鬼魅,腹黑狠辣,暗夜女王之名震慑两道。一场意外让她魂穿异世,降临于仙玄之境。什么?!她是妖魔,该受雷霆轰杀,神魂俱灭!丫的,堂堂玄门之主,全球黑暗世界至尊王者,是尔等想杀就能杀的么。不秀秀实力,当真以为她可欺。暗系灵根?她明明五行全属!妖魔鬼怪?邪眸微闪,她顷刻间便被众生膜拜。神如何,魔又如何?九重神境、虚弥苍穹,她注定该肆意横行。挡她路者,佛魔皆屠。只是那云端之上,一直没拿正眼瞧她的男人是怎么回事?圣尊、神祗、众生膜拜的对象?有意思!唇角微勾,女人眼中闪过一抹邪肆。高高在上?不知道她最喜欢做的,便是将神堕为魔么。
  • 贵族高中学生会

    贵族高中学生会

    传说月溪学生会七大执委各个帅得令人惊艳,能力非凡;传说月溪学生会七大执委各个家世可怕,高贵优秀;传说月溪学生会七大执委不近人情,没有一个是有了固定女友的;传说月溪学生会七大执委神秘极了,除了主席颜天易偶尔在公众场合亮相,其余六位都是神龙不见首尾。这是真的么?!
  • 我家校草又又又炸了

    我家校草又又又炸了

    紫藤花琉璃学院是一座历史悠久的大学,在国内的私立高中里是数一数二的。每年的就业率都遥遥领先,……
  • 第五人格沈厉你做个人吧

    第五人格沈厉你做个人吧

    震惊!某站主播竟当着百万粉丝的面在游戏里皮断腿!闪现预判,疯狂放板,专躲角落,儿子挡刀……告诉你,这些都是基本操作!众粉丝:沈厉你做个人吧!等等!前面那个屠皇是谁?沈厉总会死于他的刀下!(粉丝:大快人心!)沈厉无奈:老哥你能不能放过我啊?某屠皇笑:不能。
  • 微微一笑很倾城

    微微一笑很倾城

    前脚“前夫”才“移情别恋”娶了第一美女,后脚就有第一高手来求婚?还说要给一个更盛大的婚礼?名校计算机系的系花贝微微一边囧着,一边……飞快地嫁了。如果一个被无数人仰望的传奇人物、名校顶尖牛人,第一次见面就反问你,“我们什么时候不是那种关系了”,你会怎么反应?那人出身世家,运动全能,外表风雅,气质清华,举止从容,本质……土匪……还傲慢得要死要活……