第 7 节
作者:吹嘻      更新:2021-11-05 20:37      字数:9321
  have not called out;〃 I said; when we came close together; 〃may I
  speak now?〃  〃By all means; sir。〃  〃Good…night; then; and here's my
  hand。〃  〃Good…night; sir; and here's mine。〃  With that we walked
  side by side to his box; entered it; closed the door; and sat down
  by the fire。
  〃I have made up my mind; sir;〃 he began; bending forward as soon as
  we were seated; and speaking in a tone but a little above a
  whisper; 〃that you shall not have to ask me twice what troubles me。
  I took you for some one else yesterday evening。  That troubles me。〃
  〃That mistake?〃
  〃No。  That some one else。〃
  〃Who is it?〃
  〃I don't know。〃
  〃Like me?〃
  〃I don't know。  I never saw the face。  The left arm is across the
  face; and the right arm is waved;violently waved。  This way。〃
  I followed his action with my eyes; and it was the action of an arm
  gesticulating; with the utmost passion and vehemence; 〃For God's
  sake; clear the way!〃
  〃One moonlight night;〃 said the man; 〃I was sitting here; when I
  heard a voice cry; 'Halloa!  Below there!'  I started up; looked
  from that door; and saw this Someone else standing by the red light
  near the tunnel; waving as I just now showed you。  The voice seemed
  hoarse with shouting; and it cried; 'Look out!  Look out!'  And
  then attain; 'Halloa!  Below there!  Look out!'  I caught up my
  lamp; turned it on red; and ran towards the figure; calling;
  'What's wrong?  What has happened?  Where?'  It stood just outside
  the blackness of the tunnel。  I advanced so close upon it that I
  wondered at its keeping the sleeve across its eyes。  I ran right up
  at it; and had my hand stretched out to pull the sleeve away; when
  it was gone。〃
  〃Into the tunnel?〃 said I。
  〃No。  I ran on into the tunnel; five hundred yards。  I stopped; and
  held my lamp above my head; and saw the figures of the measured
  distance; and saw the wet stains stealing down the walls and
  trickling through the arch。  I ran out again faster than I had run
  in (for I had a mortal abhorrence of the place upon me); and I
  looked all round the red light with my own red light; and I went up
  the iron ladder to the gallery atop of it; and I came down again;
  and ran back here。  I telegraphed both ways; 'An alarm has been
  given。  Is anything wrong?'  The answer came back; both ways; 'All
  well。'〃
  Resisting the slow touch of a frozen finger tracing out my spine; I
  showed him how that this figure must be a deception of his sense of
  sight; and how that figures; originating in disease of the delicate
  nerves that minister to the functions of the eye; were known to
  have often troubled patients; some of whom had become conscious of
  the nature of their affliction; and had even proved it by
  experiments upon themselves。  〃As to an imaginary cry;〃 said I; 〃do
  but listen for a moment to the wind in this unnatural valley while
  we speak so low; and to the wild harp it makes of the telegraph
  wires。〃
  That was all very well; he returned; after we had sat listening for
  a while; and he ought to know something of the wind and the wires;
  he who so often passed long winter nights there; alone and
  watching。 But he would beg to remark that he had not finished。
  I asked his pardon; and he slowly added these words; touching my
  arm
  〃Within six hours after the Appearance; the memorable accident on
  this Line happened; and within ten hours the dead and wounded were
  brought along through the tunnel over the spot where the figure had
  stood。〃
  A disagreeable shudder crept over me; but I did my best against it。
  It was not to be denied; I rejoined; that this was a remarkable
  coincidence; calculated deeply to impress his mind。  But it was
  unquestionable that remarkable coincidences did continually occur;
  and they must be taken into account in dealing with such a subject。
  Though to be sure I must admit; I added (for I thought I saw that
  he was going to bring the objection to bear upon me); men of common
  sense did not allow much for coincidences in making the ordinary
  calculations of life。
  He again begged to remark that he had not finished。
  I again begged his pardon for being betrayed into interruptions。
  〃This;〃 he said; again laying his hand upon my arm; and glancing
  over his shoulder with hollow eyes; 〃was just a year ago。  Six or
  seven months passed; and I had recovered from the surprise and
  shock; when one morning; as the day was breaking; I; standing at
  the door; looked towards the red light; and saw the spectre again。〃
  He stopped; with a fixed look at me。
  〃Did it cry out?〃
  〃No。  It was silent。〃
  〃Did it wave its arm?〃
  〃No。  It leaned against the shaft of the light; with both hands
  before the face。  Like this。〃
  Once more I followed his action with my eyes。  It was an action of
  mourning。  I have seen such an attitude in stone figures on tombs。
  〃Did you go up to it?〃
  〃I came in and sat down; partly to collect my thoughts; partly
  because it had turned me faint。  When I went to the door again;
  daylight was above me; and the ghost was gone。〃
  〃But nothing followed?  Nothing came of this?〃
  He touched me on the arm with his forefinger twice or thrice giving
  a ghastly nod each time:…
  〃That very day; as a train came out of the tunnel; I noticed; at a
  carriage window on my side; what looked like a confusion of hands
  and heads; and something waved。  I saw it just in time to signal
  the driver; Stop!  He shut off; and put his brake on; but the train
  drifted past here a hundred and fifty yards or more。  I ran after
  it; and; as I went along; heard terrible screams and cries。  A
  beautiful young lady had died instantaneously in one of the
  compartments; and was brought in here; and laid down on this floor
  between us。〃
  Involuntarily I pushed my chair back; as I looked from the boards
  at which he pointed to himself。
  〃True; sir。  True。  Precisely as it happened; so I tell it you。〃
  I could think of nothing to say; to any purpose; and my mouth was
  very dry。  The wind and the wires took up the story with a long
  lamenting wail。
  He resumed。  〃Now; sir; mark this; and judge how my mind is
  troubled。  The spectre came back a week ago。  Ever since; it has
  been there; now and again; by fits and starts。〃
  〃At the light?〃
  〃At the Danger…light。〃
  〃What does it seem to do?〃
  He repeated; if possible with increased passion and vehemence; that
  former gesticulation of; 〃For God's sake; clear the way!〃
  Then he went on。  〃I have no peace or rest for it。  It calls to me;
  for many minutes together; in an agonised manner; 'Below there!
  Look out!  Look out!'  It stands waving to me。  It rings my little
  bell〃
  I caught at that。  〃Did it ring your bell yesterday evening when I
  was here; and you went to the door?〃
  〃Twice。〃
  〃Why; see;〃 said I; 〃how your imagination misleads you。  My eyes
  were on the bell; and my ears were open to the bell; and if I am a
  living man; it did NOT ring at those times。  No; nor at any other
  time; except when it was rung in the natural course of physical
  things by the station communicating with you。〃
  He shook his head。  〃I have never made a mistake as to that yet;
  sir。  I have never confused the spectre's ring with the man's。  The
  ghost's ring is a strange vibration in the bell that it derives
  from nothing else; and I have not asserted that the bell stirs to
  the eye。  I don't wonder that you failed to hear it。  But I heard
  it。〃
  〃And did the spectre seem to be there; when you looked out?〃
  〃It WAS there。〃
  〃Both times?〃
  He repeated firmly:  〃Both times。〃
  〃Will you come to the door with me; and look for it now?〃
  He bit his under lip as though he were somewhat unwilling; but
  arose。  I opened the door; and stood on the step; while he stood in
  the doorway。  There was the Danger…light。  There was the dismal
  mouth of the tunnel。  There were the high; wet stone walls of the
  cutting。  There were the stars above them。
  〃Do you see it?〃 I asked him; taking particular note of his face。
  His eyes were prominent and strained; but not very much more so;
  perhaps; than my own had been when I had directed them earnestly
  towards the same spot。
  〃No;〃 he answered。  〃It is not there。〃
  〃Agreed;〃 said I。
  We went in again; shut the door; and resumed our seats。  I was
  thinking how best to improve this advantage; if it might be called
  one; when he took up the conversation in such a matter…of…course
  way; so assuming that there could be no serious question of fact
  between us; that I felt myself placed in the weakest of positions。
  〃By this time you will fully understand; sir;〃 he said; 〃that what
  troubles me so dreadfully is the question; What does the spectre
  mean?〃
  I was not sure; I told him; that I did fully understand。
  〃What is its warning against?〃 he said; ruminating; with his eyes
  on the fire; and only by