第 15 节
作者:悟来悟去      更新:2021-02-20 15:46      字数:9322
  in contact with the corpse; poured out rapidly and vehemently a detailed
  confession of the hideous crime for which Mr。 Pennifeather was then
  imprisoned and doomed to die。
  What he recounted was in substance this:  He followed his victim to the
  vicinity of the pool; there shot his horse with a pistol; despatched its
  rider with the butt end; possessed himself of the pocket…book; and;
  supposing the horse dead; dragged it with great labour to the brambles by
  the pond。 Upon his own beast he slung the corpse of Mr。 Shuttleworthy; and
  thus bore it to a secure place of concealment a long distance off through
  the woods。
  The waistcoat; the knife; the pocket…book; and bullet; had been placed by
  himself where found; with the view of avenging himself upon Mr。
  Pennifeather。 He had also contrived the discovery of the stained
  handkerchief and shirt。
  Towards the end of the blood…churning recital the words of the guilty
  wretch faltered and grew hollow。 When the record was finally exhausted; he
  arose; staggered backward from the table; and fell…dead。
  The means by which this happily…timed confession was extorted; although
  efficient; were simple indeed。 Mr。 Goodfellow's excess of frankness had
  disgusted me; and excited my suspicions from the first。 I was present when
  Mr。 Pennifeather had struck him; and the fiendish expression which then
  arose upon his countenance; although momentary; assured me that his threat
  of vengeance would; if possible; be rigidly fulfilled。 I was thus prepared
  to view the manoeuvering of 〃Old Charley〃 in a very different light from
  that in which it was regarded by the good citizens of Rattleborough。 I saw
  at once that all the criminating discoveries arose; either directly or
  indirectly; from himself。 But the fact which clearly opened my eyes to the
  true state of the case; was the affair of the bullet; found by Mr。 G。 in
  the carcass of the horse。 I had not forgotten; although the Rattleburghers
  had; that there was a hole where the ball had entered the horse; and
  another where it went out。 If it were found in the animal then; after
  having made its exit; I saw clearly that it must have been deposited by
  the person who found it。 The bloody shirt and handkerchief confirmed the
  idea suggested by the bullet; for the blood on examination proved to be
  capital claret; and no more。 When I came to think of these things; and
  also of the late increase of liberality and expenditure on the part of Mr。
  Goodfellow; I entertained a suspicion which was none the less strong
  because I kept it altogether to myself。
  In the meantime; I instituted a rigorous private search for the corpse of
  Mr。 Shuttleworthy; and; for good reasons; searched in quarters as
  divergent as possible from those to which Mr。 Goodfellow conducted his
  party。 The result was that; after some days; I came across an old dry
  well; the mouth of which was nearly hidden by brambles; and here; at the
  bottom; I discovered what I sought。
  Now it so happened that I had overheard the colloquy between the two
  cronies; when Mr。 Goodfellow had contrived to cajole his host into the
  promise of a box of Chateaux…Margaux。 Upon this hint I acted。 I procured a
  stiff piece of whalebone; thrust it down the throat of the corpse; and
  deposited the latter in an old wine box…taking care so to double the body
  up as to double the whalebone with it。 In this manner I had to press
  forcibly upon the lid to keep it down while I secured it with nails; and I
  anticipated; of course; that as soon as these latter were removed; the top
  would fly off and the body up。
  Having thus arranged the box; I marked; numbered; and addressed it as
  already told; and then writing a letter in the name of the wine merchants
  with whom Mr。 Shuttleworthy dealt; I gave instructions to my servant to
  wheel the box to Mr。 Goodfellow's door; in a barrow; at a given signal
  from myself。 For the words which I intended the corpse to speak; I
  confidently depended upon my ventriloquial abilities; for their effect; I
  counted upon the conscience of the murderous wretch。
  I believe there is nothing more to be explained。 Mr。 Pennifeather was
  released upon the spot; inherited the fortune of his uncle; profited by
  the lessons of experience; turned over a new leaf; and led happily ever
  afterward a new life。
  ~~~ End of Text ~~~
  WHY THE LITTLE FRENCHMAN WEARS HIS HAND IN A SLING
  IT'S on my visiting cards sure enough (and it's them that's all o' pink
  satin paper) that inny gintleman that plases may behould the intheristhin
  words; 〃Sir Pathrick O'Grandison; Barronitt; 39 Southampton Row; Russell
  Square; Parrish o' Bloomsbury。〃 And shud ye be wantin' to diskiver who is
  the pink of purliteness quite; and the laider of the hot tun in the houl
  city o' Lonon  why it's jist mesilf。 And fait that same is no wonder at
  all at all (so be plased to stop curlin your nose); for every inch o' the
  six wakes that I've been a gintleman; and left aff wid the bogthrothing to
  take up wid the Barronissy; it's Pathrick that's been living like a houly
  imperor; and gitting the iddication and the graces。 Och! and wouldn't it
  be a blessed thing for your spirrits if ye cud lay your two peepers jist;
  upon Sir Pathrick O'Grandison; Barronitt; when he is all riddy drissed for
  the hopperer; or stipping into the Brisky for the drive into the Hyde
  Park。 But it's the illigant big figgur that I ave; for the rason o' which
  all the ladies fall in love wid me。 Isn't it my own swate silf now that'll
  missure the six fut; and the three inches more nor that; in me stockins;
  and that am excadingly will proportioned all over to match? And it is
  ralelly more than three fut and a bit that there is; inny how; of the
  little ould furrener Frinchman that lives jist over the way; and that's a
  oggling and a goggling the houl day; (and bad luck to him;) at the purty
  widdy Misthress Tracle that's my own nixt…door neighbor; (God bliss her!)
  and a most particuller frind and acquaintance? You percave the little
  spalpeen is summat down in the mouth; and wears his lift hand in a sling;
  and it's for that same thing; by yur lave; that I'm going to give you the
  good rason。
  The truth of the houl matter is jist simple enough; for the very first day
  that I com'd from Connaught; and showd my swate little silf in the strait
  to the widdy; who was looking through the windy; it was a gone case
  althegither with the heart o' the purty Misthress Tracle。 I percaved it;
  ye see; all at once; and no mistake; and that's God's truth。 First of all
  it was up wid the windy in a jiffy; and thin she threw open her two
  peepers to the itmost; and thin it was a little gould spy…glass that she
  clapped tight to one o' them and divil may burn me if it didn't spake to
  me as plain as a peeper cud spake; and says it; through the spy…glass:
  〃Och! the tip o' the mornin' to ye; Sir Pathrick O'Grandison; Barronitt;
  mavourneen; and it's a nate gintleman that ye are; sure enough; and it's
  mesilf and me forten jist that'll be at yur sarvice; dear; inny time o'
  day at all at all for the asking。〃 And it's not mesilf ye wud have to be
  bate in the purliteness; so I made her a bow that wud ha' broken yur heart
  altegither to behould; and thin I pulled aff me hat with a flourish; and
  thin I winked at her hard wid both eyes; as much as to say; 〃True for you;
  yer a swate little crature; Mrs。 Tracle; me darlint; and I wish I may be
  drownthed dead in a bog; if it's not mesilf; Sir Pathrick O'Grandison;
  Barronitt; that'll make a houl bushel o' love to yur leddyship; in the
  twinkling o' the eye of a Londonderry purraty。〃
  And it was the nixt mornin'; sure; jist as I was making up me mind whither
  it wouldn't be the purlite thing to sind a bit o' writin' to the widdy by
  way of a love…litter; when up com'd the delivery servant wid an illigant
  card; and he tould me that the name on it (for I niver could rade the
  copperplate printin on account of being lift handed) was all about
  Mounseer; the Count; A Goose; Look  aisy; Maiter…di…dauns; and that the
  houl of the divilish lingo was the spalpeeny long name of the little ould
  furrener Frinchman as lived over the way。
  And jist wid that in cum'd the little willian himself; and then he made me
  a broth of a bow; and thin he said he had ounly taken the liberty of doing
  me the honor of the giving me a call; and thin he went on to palaver at a
  great rate; and divil the bit did I comprehind what he wud be afther the
  tilling me at all at all; excipting and saving that he said 〃pully wou;
  woolly wou;〃 and tould me; among a bushel o' lies; bad luck to him; that
  he was mad for the love o' my widdy Misthress Tracle; and that my widdy
  Mrs。 Tracle had a puncheon for him。
  At the hearin' of this; ye may swear; though; I was as mad as a
  grasshopper; but I remimbered that I was Sir Pathrick O'Grandison;
  Barronitt; and that it wasn't althegither gentaal to lit the anger git the
  upper hand o' the purliteness; so I made light o' the matter and kipt
  dark; and got quite sociable wid the little chap; and afther a while what
  did he do but ask me to go wid him to the widdy's; saying he wud give me
  the feshionable inthroduction to her leddyship。
  〃Is it there ye are?〃 said I t