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第23章 法官的房子8（第1页）

enMrs。Withamwasherselfagainshealmostassailedthedoctorwithangryquestionsastowhathemeantbyuttingsuchhorribleideasintotheooryoungmansmind。

"Hehasquiteenoughtherealreadytousethim，

"sheadded。Dr。Thornhillrelied:

"Mydearmadam，Ihadadistincturoseinit!Iwantedtodrawhisattentiontothebellroe，andtofixitthere。Itmaybethatheisinahighlyoverwroughtstate，andhasbeenstudyingtoomuch，althoughIamboundtosaythatheseemsassoundandhealthyayoungman，mentallyandbodily，aseverIsaw—butthentherats—andthatsuggestionofthedevil。

"Thedoctorshookhisheadandwenton。

"IwouldhaveofferedtogoandstaythefirstnightwithhimbutIfeltsureitwouldhavebeenacauseofoffence。Hemaygetinthenightsomestrangefrightorhallucination;andifhedoesIwanthimtoullthatroe。Allaloneasheisitwillgiveuswarning，andwemayreachhimintimetobeofservice。Ishallbesittingurettylatetonightandshallkeemyearsoen。DonotbealarmedifBenchurchgetsasurrisebeforemorning。

"

"Oh，Doctor，whatdoyoumean?Whatdoyoumean?

"

"Imeanthis;thatossibly—nay，morerobably—weshallhearthegreatalarmbellfromtheJudgesHousetonight，

"andthedoctormadeaboutaseffectiveanexitascouldbethoughtof。

WhenMalcolmsonarrivedhomehefoundthatitwasalittleafterhisusualtime，andMrs。Demsterhadgoneaway—therulesofGreenhowsCharitywerenottobeneglected。Hewasgladtoseethatthelacewasbrightandtidywithacheerfulfireandawell-trimmedlam。TheeveningwascolderthanmighthavebeenexectedinAril，andaheavywindwasblowingwithsuchraidlyincreasingstrengththattherewaseveryromiseofastormduringthenight。Forafewminutesafterhisentrancethenoiseoftheratsceased;butsosoonastheybecameaccustomedtohisresencetheybeganagain。Hewasgladtohearthem，forhefeltoncemorethefeelingofcomanionshiintheirnoise，andhismindranbacktothestrangefactthattheyonlyceasedtomanifestthemselveswhenthatother—thegreatratwiththebalefuleyes—cameuonthescene。Thereading—lamonlywaslitanditsgreenshadekettheceilingandtheuerartoftheroomindarkness，sothatthecheerfullightfromthehearthsreadingoverthefloorandshiningonthewhiteclothlaidovertheendofthetablewaswarmandcheery。Malcolmsonsatdowntohisdinnerwithagoodaetiteandabuoyantsirit。Afterhisdinnerandacigarettehesatsteadilydowntowork，determinednottoletanythingdisturbhim，forherememberedhisromisetothedoctor，andmadeuhismindtomakethebestofthetimeathisdisosal。

Foranhourorsoheworkedallright，andthenhisthoughtsbegantowanderfromhisbooks。Theactualcircumstancesaroundhim，thecallsonhishysicalattention，andhisnervoussuscetibilitywerenottobedenied。Bythistimethewindhadbecomeagale，andthegaleastorm。Theoldhouse，solidthoughitwas，seemedtoshaketoitsfoundations，andthestormroaredandragedthroughitsmanychimneysanditsqueeroldgables，roducingstrange，unearthlysoundsintheemtyroomsandcorridors。Eventhegreatalarmbellontheroofmusthavefelttheforceofthewind，fortheroeroseandfellslightly，asthoughthebellweremovedalittlefromtimetotime，andthelimberroefellontheoakfloorwithahardandhollowsound。

AsMalcolmsonlistenedtoithebethoughthimselfofthedoctorswords，

"ItistheroewhichthehangmanusedforthevictimsoftheJudgesjudicialrancour，

"andhewentovertothecornerofthefirelaceandtookitinhishandtolookatit。Thereseemedasortofdeadlyinterestinit，andashestoodtherehelosthimselfforamomentinseculationastowhothesevictimswere，andthegrimwishoftheJudgetohavesuchaghastlyreliceverunderhiseyes。Ashestoodtheretheswayingofthebellontheroofstillliftedtheroenowandagain;butresentlytherecameanewsensation—asortoftremorintheroe，asthoughsomethingwasmovingalongit。

LookinguinstinctivelyMalcolmsonsawthegreatratcomingslowlydowntowardshim，glaringathimsteadily。Hedroedtheroeandstartedbackwithamutteredcurse，andtheratturningranutheroeagainanddisaeared，andatthesameinstantMalcolmsonbecameconsciousthatthenoiseoftherats，whichhadceasedforawhile，beganagain。

Allthissethimthinking，anditoccurredtohimthathehadnotinvestigatedthelairoftheratorlookedattheictures，ashehadintended。Helittheotherlamwithouttheshade，and，holdingituwentandstoodoositethethirdicturefromthefirelaceontheright-handsidewherehehadseentheratdisaearonthereviousnight。

Atthefirstglancehestartedbacksosuddenlythathealmostdroedthelam，andadeadlyalloroversreadhisface。Hiskneesshook，andheavydrosofsweatcameonhisforehead，andhetrembledlikeanasen。Buthewasyoungandlucky，andulledhimselftogether，andaftertheauseofafewsecondssteedforwardagain，raisedthelam，andexaminedtheicturewhichhadbeendustedandwashed，andnowstoodoutclearly。

Itwasofajudgedressedinhisrobesofscarletandermine。Hisfacewasstrongandmerciless，evil，crafty，andvindictive，withasensualmouth，hookednoseofruddycolour，andshaedlikethebeakofabirdofrey。Therestofthefacewasofacadaverouscolour。Theeyeswereofeculiarbrillianceandwithaterriblymalignantexression。Ashelookedatthem，Malcolmsongrewcold，forhesawtheretheverycounterartoftheeyesofthegreatrat。Thelamalmostfellfromhishand，hesawtheratwithitsbalefuleyeseeringoutthroughtheholeinthecorneroftheicture，andnotedthesuddencessationofthenoiseoftheotherrats。However，heulledhimselftogether，andwentonwithhisexaminationoftheicture。