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第32章 孪生兄弟4（第1页）

ThenexteveningIcamelatetomylodgings。Theeventsofthereviouseveninghadmademenervousandill;Ihadtriedtocuremyselfandattaintoclearthinkingbywalkingintheoenair，butIwasoressedwithahorribleresentimentofevil—aresentimentwhichIcouldnotformulate。Itwasachill，foggynight;myclothingandhairweredamandIshookwithcold。Inmydressing-gownandsliersbeforeablazinggrateofcoalsIwasevenmoreuncomfortable。Inolongershiveredbutshuddered—thereisadifference。ThedreadofsomeimendingcalamitywassostronganddisiritingthatItriedtodriveitawaybyinvitingarealsorrow—triedtodiseltheconcetionofaterriblefuturebysubstitutingthememoryofaainfulast。Irecalledthedeathofmyarentsandendeavouredtofixmyminduonthelastsadscenesattheirbedsidesandtheirgraves。Itallseemedvagueandunreal，ashavingoccurredagesagoandtoanothererson。Suddenly，strikingthroughmythoughtandartingitasatensecordisartedbythestrokeofsteel—Icanthinkofnoothercomarison—Iheardasharcryasofoneinmortalagony!

Thevoicewasthatofmybrotherandseemedtocomefromthestreetoutsidemywindow。Israngtothewindowandthrewitoen。Astreetlamdirectlyoositethrewawanandghastlylightuonthewetavementandthefrontsofthehouses。Asingleoliceman，withuturnedcollar，wasleaningagainstagateost，quietlysmokingacigar。Nooneelsewasinsight。Iclosedthewindowandulleddowntheshade，seatedmyselfbeforethefireandtriedtofixmyminduonmysurroundings。Bywayofassisting，byerformanceofsomefamiliaract，Ilookedatmywatch;itmarkedhalf-asteleven。AgainIheardthatawfulcry!Itseemedintheroom—atmyside。Iwasfrightenedandforsomemomentshadnottheowertomove。Afewminuteslater—Ihavenorecollectionoftheintermediatetime—IfoundmyselfhurryingalonganunfamiliarstreetasfastasIcouldwalk。IdidnotknowwhereIwas，norwhitherIwasgoing，butresentlysranguthestesofahousebeforewhichweretwoorthreecarriagesandinwhichweremovinglightsandasubduedconfusionofvoices。ItwasthehouseofMr。Margovan。

Youknow，goodfriend，whathadoccurredthere。InonechamberlayJuliaMargovan，hoursdeadbyoison;inanotherJohnStevens，bleedingfromaistolwoundinthechest，inflictedbyhisownhand。AsIburstintotheroom;ushedasidethehysiciansandlaidmyhanduonhisforeheadheunclosedhiseyes，staredblankly，closedthemslowlyanddiedwithoutasign。

Iknewnomoreuntilsixweeksafterwards，whenIhadbeennursedbacktolifebyyourownsaintlywifeinyourownbeautifulhome。Allofthatyouknow，butwhatyoudonotknowisthis—which，however，hasnobearinguonthesubjectofyoursychologicalresearches—atleastnotuonthatbranchoftheminwhich，withadelicacyandconsiderationallyourown，youhaveaskedforlessassistancethanIthinkIhavegivenyou:

OnemoonlightnightseveralyearsafterwardIwasassingthroughUnionSquare。Thehourwaslateandthesquaredeserted。CertainmemoriesoftheastnaturallycameintomymindasIcametothesotwhereIhadoncewitnessedthatfatefulassignation，andwiththatunaccountableerversitywhichromtsustodwelluonthoughtsofthemostainfulcharacterIseatedmyselfuononeofthebenchestoindulgethem。Amanenteredthesquareandcamealongthewalktowardme。Hishandswereclasedbehindhim;hisheadwasbowed;heseemedtoobservenothing。AshearoachedtheshadowinwhichIsatIrecognizedhimasthemanwhomIhadseenmeetJuliaMargovanyearsbeforeatthatsot。Buthewasterriblyaltered—grey，wornandhaggard。Dissiationandvicewereinevidenceineverylook;illnesswasnolessaarent。Hisclothingwasindisorder，hishairfellacrosshisforeheadinaderangementwhichwasatonceuncanny，andicturesque。Helookedfitterforrestraintthanliberty—therestraintofahosital。

WithnodefineduroseIroseandconfrontedhim。Heraisedhisheadandlookedmefullintheface。Ihavenowordstodescribetheghastlychangethatcameoverhisown;itwasalookofunseakableterror—hethoughthimselfeyetoeyewithaghost。Buthewasacourageousman。

"Damnyou，JohnStevens!

"hecried，andliftinghistremblingarmhedashedhisfistfeeblyatmyfaceandfellheadlonguonthegravelasIwalkedaway。

Somebodyfoundhimthere，stone-dead。Nothingmoreisknownofhim，notevenhisname。Toknowofamanthatheisdeadshouldbeenough。