第 14 节
作者:炒作      更新:2021-04-30 16:07      字数:9321
  desk and effects of Mr。 Bransome。 But Jackson was not in the factory。 I
  guessed;   however;   where   he   was;   and   sure   enough   I   found   him   in   his
  accustomed haunt at the end of the Point。 The moment he saw me he tried
  to hide himself among the brushwood; but I was too quick for him; and
  spied him as he crouched behind a dwarf palm。
  〃I know; I know;〃 he cried; as I ran up to him; 〃I saw you come along
  the beach。 Bury them; bury them out of sight。〃
  〃Come; Mr。 Jackson;〃 I replied; 〃it isn't fair to put all the trouble on to
  me。 I am sure I have had enough of the weariness and anxiety of this sad
  business。 You must take your share of it。 I want you to read the service for
  the dead over them。〃
  〃No; no;〃 he almost shrieked; 〃bury them quick; never mind me。 Put
  them out of sight。〃
  〃I   will   not;〃   I   said;  resolutely。  〃For   your   own sake   you   must;  at   any
  rate; view the bodies。〃
  〃They have not been murdered?〃 He replied。 But the startled look with
  which   I   received the   suggestion his   words   implied seemed   to   make   him
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  recollect himself; for he rose and took my arm without saying more。 As he
  did so; I felt for the first time a sort of repugnance toward him。 Up to that
  moment my feeling had been one of pity and anxiety on his account; but
  now   I   loathed   him。   This   he   seemed   instinctively   to   feel;   and   he   clung
  closely to me。
  Once at the factory I determined that there should be no more delay on
  his part; and I took him to the door of the room where the bodies had been
  laid; but at it he made a sudden halt and would not enter。 Covering his face
  with   his   hands;   he   trembled   violently   as   I   pushed   the   door   open   and
  advanced   to   the   bedside。   The   room;   hushed   and   in   semi…darkness;   the
  white sheet; whose surface showed too plainly the forms beneath it; and
  the scared; terrified face of the man who; with brain afire; stood watching;
  with staring eyes; the bed; made a scene I have never forgotten。
  Slowly I turned down the upper part of the sheet; and Jackson; as if
  fascinated by the act; advanced a step or two into the room; but with face
  averted。 Gradually he turned it toward the bodies; and for a moment his
  gaze rested upon them。 The next instant he staggered forward; looked at
  the woman's face; panted for breath once or twice; and then; with uplifted
  hands   and   a   wild   cry   of   〃Lucy!〃   fell   his   length   upon   the   floor。   When   I
  stooped over him he was in convulsions; and dark matter was oozing out
  of his mouth。 The climax had come。 I shouted for the servants; and they
  carried him to his own room; and placed him on his own bed。
  How I got through that day I hardly know。 Alone I buried Bransome
  and   his   wife;   and   alone   I   returned   from   the   hurried   task   to   watch   by
  Jackson's bedside。 None of the natives would stay near him。 For two days
  he lay unconscious。 At the end of that time he seemed to have some idea
  of the outside world; for his eyes met mine with intelligence in their look;
  and   on   bending   over   him   I   heard   him   whisper;   〃Forgive   me!〃   Then   he
  relapsed   into   unconsciousness   again。   Through   the   long   hours   his   eyes
  remained ever open and restless; he could not eat; nor did he sleep; and I
  was afraid he would pass away through weakness without a sign; being an
  old man。 On the third day he became delirious; and commenced chattering
  and talking to himself; and imagining that all kinds of horrid shapes and
  creatures were around and near him。 I had to watch him narrowly in order
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  to prevent him stealing out of his bed; which he was ready to do at any
  moment to avoid the tortures which he fearfully imagined awaited him。 By
  these   signs   I   knew   that   he   was   in   the   middle   of   an   attack   of   delirium
  tremens;   and   I   tried   to   quiet   him   by   means   of   laudanum;   but   it   had   no
  effect   upon   him。   I   got   him;   however;   to   swallow   a   little   soup;   which
  sustained him。 My own boy was the only negro I had been able to induce
  to stay in the room; and he would only remain in it while I was there。
  I   had   sent   a   messenger   to   the   nearest   station;   where   I   remembered
  there was a Portuguese doctor; but he had not returned by the evening of
  the   fourth   day。   That   night;   worn   out   with   watching;   I   had   dozed   off   to
  sleep   on   a   chair   placed   by   the   sick   man's   bed;   when   all   at   once   I   was
  awakened by a loud report; and I jumped up to find the room filled with
  smoke。 As it cleared away I saw that Jackson was standing in the middle
  of the room with a revolver in his hand。 As I confronted him he laughed a
  devilish laugh   and   cocked  the   weapon;  crying   as he   did   so;  〃It   was   you
  who   tempted   me   with   your   smooth   face   and   unsuspicious   way;   and   you
  shall   die;   though   I   suffer   doubly   in   hell   for   it。   Hist!〃   and   he   stopped
  suddenly and listened。 〃Don't you hear the breakers? Hark; how they roar!
  They   say   they   are   ready;   always   ready;〃   and   staring   in   front   of   him;   he
  advanced;       as   if  following     the   sign   of  an   invisible    hand;    to  the   door;
  unconsciously placing; to my infinite relief; the revolver on the top of a
  chest of drawers as he passed by it。 I did not dare to move; and he opened
  the door and walked into the front room。 Then I followed him。 For a little
  he   remained   in   the   room;   glaring   vacantly   about   him;   and   muttering   to
  himself;   but   seeing   the   outer   door   open   he   made   a   rush   toward   it;   and
  disappeared into the darkness of the night。 Calling to the boy; I ran after
  him; and easily came up to him; when he turned; and picking up a heavier
  stone than I thought he could have lifted; threw it at me。 I dodged it and
  closed   with   him。   Once   in   my   arms   I   found   I   could   hold   him;   and   my
  servant and I carried him back into the factory。 We placed him on the floor
  of   the   dining…room;   and   he   was   too   exhausted   to   move   for   a   while。   By
  degrees;   however;   he   recovered   sufficiently   to   stand;   and   as   soon   as   he
  could do so by himself; with devilish cunning he made for the lamp; which
  he struck; quick as lightning; with a stick that had been lying on the table。
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  In an instant the great round globe fell to pieces; but luckily the chimney
  was not broken; and the lamp remained alight; and before he could strike
  another blow at it I had grappled with him again。 This time he struggled
  violently for a few moments; and seemed to think that he was dealing with
  Bransome; for he shrieked; 〃What! have you come back from the sea? You
  are wet! you are wet!〃 and shuddering; he tried to free himself from my
  hold; and I; not liking to hurt him; let him go; taking care to keep myself
  between him and the lamp。
  〃Back from me; you villain of hell!〃 he cried; as soon as he was free。
  〃What have you done with her? what have you done with her?〃 And then;
  in a tone of weird and pathetic sorrow; 〃Where is my little one that I loved?
  I have sought her many a year; oh; why did she forsake me? Aha; Sooka!
  we were right to send him to the hell whence he camethe lying; false…
  hearted scoundrel; to steal away my white dove!〃
  After which he drew from his finger a solid gold ring which he always
  wore; and threw it from him; saying; with a wild laugh; 〃There! that's for
  any one that likes it; I'm a dead man。〃 He then staggered toward his own
  room; and I; remembering the loaded revolver which still lay on the chest
  of drawers; tried to intercept him。 In his rage; for I verily believe that he
  also remembered that the weapon was there; he spat in my face; and struck
  me with all his force between the eyes; but I stuck to him; and with the
  help   of   the   boy;   who   had   been   all   this   time   in   hiding;   but   who   came
  forward at my call; I laid him for the last time upon his bed。 There he lay
  exhausted for the remainder of the night; but there was no rest for me; I
  felt that I had to watch him now for my own safety。
  Toward   morning;   however;   his   breathing   became;   all   at   once;   very
  heavy and slow; and I bent over him in alarm。 As I did so; I heard him sigh
  faintly; 〃Lucy!〃 and