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classic mystery and detective stories-第35部分

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humbled myself to the dust; I; the haughtiest of God's creatures;

knelt and prayed to them for the sake of my mother。  I besought

them that I might undergo the punishment ten times over in her

stead。  And once or twice I DID obtain the encouragement of a few

natural tearsgiven more; however; as I was told; to my piety than

to my mother's deserts。  But rarely was I heard out with patience;

and from some houses repelled with personal indignities。  The day

came: I saw my mother half undressed by the base officials; I heard

the prison gates expand; I heard the trumpets of the magistracy

sound。  She had warned me what to do; I had warned myself。  Would I

sacrifice a retribution sacred and comprehensive; for the momentary

triumph over an individual?  If not; let me forbear to look out of

doors; for I felt that in the selfsame moment in which I saw the

dog of an executioner raise his accursed hand against my mother;

swifter than the lightning would my dagger search his heart。  When

I heard the roar of the cruel mob; I pausedenduredforbore。  I

stole out by by…lanes of the city from my poor exhausted sisters;

whom I left sleeping in each other's innocent arms; into the

forest。  There I listened to the shouting populace; there even I

fancied that I could trace my poor mother's route by the course of

the triumphant cries。  There; even then; even then; I madeO

silent forest! thou heardst me when I madea vow that I have kept

too faithfully。  Mother; thou art avenged: sleep; daughter of

Jerusalem! for at length the oppressor sleeps with thee。  And thy

poor son has paid; in discharge of his vow; the forfeit of his own

happiness; of a paradise opening upon earth; of a heart as innocent

as thine; and a face as fair。



〃I returned; and found my mother returned。  She slept by starts;

but she was feverish and agitated; and when she awoke and first saw

me; she blushed; as if I could think that real degradation had

settled upon her。  Then it was that I told her of my vow。  Her eyes

were lambent with fierce light for a moment; but; when I went on

more eagerly to speak of my hopes and projects; she called me to

herkissed me; and whispered: 'Oh; not so; my son! think not of

methink not of vengeancethink only of poor Berenice and

Mariamne。'  Aye; that thought WAS startling。  Yet this magnanimous

and forbearing mother; as I knew by the report of our one faithful

female servant; had; in the morning; during her bitter trial;

behaved as might have become a daughter of Judas Maccabaeus: she

had looked serenely upon the vile mob; and awed even them by her

serenity; she had disdained to utter a shriek when the cruel lash

fell upon her fair skin。  There is a point that makes the triumph

over natural feelings of pain easy or not easythe degree in which

we count upon the sympathy of the bystanders。  My mother had it not

in the beginning; but; long before the end; her celestial beauty;

the divinity of injured innocence; the pleading of common womanhood

in the minds of the lowest class; and the reaction of manly feeling

in the men; had worked a great change in the mob。  Some began now

to threaten those who had been active in insulting her。  The

silence of awe and respect succeeded to noise and uproar; and

feelings which they scarcely understood; mastered the rude rabble

as they witnessed more and more the patient fortitude of the

sufferer。  Menaces began to rise toward the executioner。  Things

wore such an aspect that the magistrates put a sudden end to the

scene。



〃That day we received permission to go home to our poor house in

the Jewish quarter。  I know not whether you are learned enough in

Jewish usages to be aware that in every Jewish house; where old

traditions are kept up; there is one room consecrated to confusion;

a room always locked up and sequestered from vulgar use; except on

occasions of memorable affliction; where everything is purposely in

disorderbrokenshatteredmutilated: to typify; by symbols

appalling to the eye; that desolation which has so long trampled on

Jerusalem; and the ravages of the boar within the vineyards of

Judea。  My mother; as a Hebrew princess; maintained all traditional

customs。  Even in this wretched suburb she had her 'chamber of

desolation。'  There it was that I and my sisters heard her last

words。  The rest of her sentence was to be carried into effect

within a week。  She; meantime; had disdained to utter any word of

fear; but that energy of self…control had made the suffering but

the more bitter。  Fever and dreadful agitation had succeeded。  Her

dreams showed sufficiently to us; who watched her couch; that

terror for the future mingled with the sense of degradation for the

past。  Nature asserted her rights。  But the more she shrank from

the suffering; the more did she proclaim how severe it had been;

and consequently how noble the self…conquest。  Yet; as her weakness

increased; so did her terror; until I besought her to take comfort;

assuring her that; in case any attempt should be made to force her

out again to public exposure; I would kill the man who came to

execute the orderthat we would all die togetherand there would

be a common end to her injuries and her fears。  She was reassured

by what I told her of my belief that no future attempt would be

made upon her。  She slept more tranquillybut her fever increased;

and slowly she slept away into the everlasting sleep which knows of

no to…morrow。



〃Here came a crisis in my fate。  Should I stay and attempt to

protect my sisters?  But; alas! what power had I to do so among our

enemies?  Rachael and I consulted; and many a scheme we planned。

Even while we consulted; and the very night after my mother had

been committed to the Jewish burying ground; came an officer;

bearing an order for me to repair to Vienna。  Some officer in the

French army; having watched the transaction respecting my parents;

was filled with shame and grief。  He wrote a statement of the whole

to an Austrian officer of rank; my father's friend; who obtained

from the emperor an order; claiming me as a page of his own; and an

officer in the household service。  O heavens! what a neglect that

it did not include my sisters!  However; the next best thing was

that I should use my influence at the imperial court to get them

passed to Vienna。  This I did; to the utmost of my power。  But

seven months elapsed before I saw the emperor。  If my applications

ever met his eye he might readily suppose that your city; my

friend; was as safe a place as another for my sisters。  Nor did I

myself know all its dangers。  At length; with the emperor's leave

of absence; I returned。  And what did I find?  Eight months had

passed; and the faithful Rachael had died。  The poor sisters;

clinging together; but now utterly bereft of friends; knew not

which way to turn。  In this abandonment they fell into the

insidious hands of the ruffian jailer。  My eldest sister; Berenice;

the stateliest and noblest of beauties; had attracted this

ruffian's admiration while she was in the prison with her mother。

And when I returned to your city; armed with the imperial passports

for all; I found that Berenice had died in the villain's custody;

nor could I obtain anything beyond a legal certificate of her

death。  And; finally; the blooming; laughing Mariamne; she also had

diedand of affliction for the loss of her sister。  You; my

friend; had been absent upon your travels during the calamitous

history I have recited。  You had seen neither my father nor my

mother。  But you came in time to take under your protection; from

the abhorred wretch the jailer; my little broken…hearted Mariamne。

And when sometimes you fancied that you had seen me under other

circumstances; in her it was; my dear friend; and in her features

that you saw mine。



〃Now was the world a desert to me。  I cared little; in the way of

love; which way I turned。  But in the way of hatred I cared

everything。  I transferred myself to the Russian service; with the

view of gaining some appointment on the Polish frontier; which

might put it in my power to execute my vow of destroying all the

magistrates of your city。  War; however; raged; and carried me into

far other regions。  It ceased; and there was little prospect that

another generation would see it relighted; for the disturber of

peace was a prisoner forever; and all nations were exhausted。  Now;

then; it became necessary that I should adopt some new mode for

executing my vengeance; and the more so; because annually some were

dying of those whom it was my mission to punish。  A voice ascended

to me; day and night; from the graves of my father and mother;

calling for vengeance before it should be too late。



I took my measures thus: Many Jews were present at Waterloo。  From

among these; all irritated against Napoleon for the expectations he

had raised; only to disappoint; by his great assembly of Jews at

Paris; I selected eight; whom I 
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