As soon as the door was shut on the six hunters, he began. His face was turned towards Mr. Lawrence, but his eyes were fixed4 on his pillow, which was hidden by the coverlet; and his punctuation5 was so precise, his style so eloquent6 and sublime7, and his story so methodical, complicated, and tragical8, that once or twice a horrible suspicion that he was reading the entire confession out of a novel concealed10 in the bed, flashed across Mr. Lawrence’s mind.
If this dreadful thought should occur to the reader, he can mentally insert the confession in double quotation11 marks.
We are too humane12 to inflict13 the whole confession on the long-suffering reader; this abridged14 version of it will be quite sufficient, as it contains the main points.
“Seventeen years ago, I was an official in K. Hospital. My duties were to keep the record of the hospital; but still I passed considerable time with the maniacs15, as my influence with those unhappy creatures was very great. I am a man of some education and ability, I may say, without ostentation16; and till I met you, Mr. Lawrence, I was honesty itself.
“You were brought to our hospital a friendless man and a stranger; and it was rumored17 that you had been attacked by thieves, who, however, failed to get possession of your treasure. A great chest of gold and silver, labelled, ‘R. Lawrence,’ to be retained till your friends or relatives could be found, was brought and deposited in our magazine. It was a most romantic story, a man travelling through the country with a vast sum of money in a strong-box!
[378]
“The demon18 entered into me, and I resolved to make it still more mysterious. In a word, I resolved to appropriate your fortune to my own use; and in order to do so the more easily and safely, I set about destroying every clue to your identity. All papers found on your person, which might lead to discovery, I carefully burned. It was I who wrote an account of the affair to the journals, and I purposely distorted your name beyond recognition. This, of course, was considered a mere19 printer’s blunder, and the ‘mistake’ was never rectified20.
“Here was a great step taken. I now flattered myself that none of your friends could possibly trace you to our hospital, and that all I had to do was to wait a short time, and then quietly slip away with my ill-gotten riches.
“But many difficulties lay in my way. Your bodily health and strength gradually improved, though you still remained disordered in intellect. Then, in order the better to work out my plans, I caused myself to be appointed your especial attendant, or keeper; and I made you to understand that you had a large sum of money, of which your enemies sought to rob you, deposited, for safe-keeping, in our vaults21. With all a madman’s pertinacity22, you took hold of this idea, and eagerly listened to all that I said. You ordered the chest of treasure to be brought into your own apartment, and you became suspicious of every one but me.
“Here was another great point gained; and I now matured my plot to get the money. I induced you to believe that you were soon to be robbed, and that we must flee, as you were now strong enough to quit the hospital at any time. I obtained leave from the superintendent23 to go on a flying visit to a friend of mine in another state, and I made all my arrangements to depart openly. You were to have another keeper, of course; but I plotted with you to return at night, and we would escape together. I believed that the superintendent would never suspect me,—at least, not till too late,—but would think that you had eluded24 your new keeper’s vigilance in the night.
“That afternoon I set out ostensibly for Frankfort in[379] Kentucky; but I remained in the neighborhood, and at night I returned to keep my appointment with you. As I was perfectly25 familiar with all the entrances into the hospital, as well as with all their regulations, and as I had given you your instructions prior to my feigned26 departure, we easily made our escape with the chest of treasure.
“And now I had you and all your money wholly in my power; I could do what I pleased with you. But, to do myself justice, I must add—no, I affirm positively—that I had no intention of harming you. My design, matured beforehand, was to reach a certain cave, establish you in it, make provision for your subsistence and comfort, and then slip away with the hoards27 I coveted28.
“I do not know whether we were pursued or not; but, if so, we eluded the pursuers, and in due time arrived at the cave, which, as I had supposed, would serve my purpose admirably. Yes, it was an excellent place to desert you so treacherously—an excellent place.
“But we had barely arrived when you seemed to grow suspicious of me. That must be stopped immediately, and I hastened to make preparations for departure. I left you alone for a time, went to the neighboring city, and engaged a trader to take necessaries to a certain man who purposed living in ‘The Cave,’ as it was called. I represented you as being deranged29 and idiotic30, but quite harmless, and charged him to deal fairly with you, and keep his own counsel for a short time, in which case all would be well. Then I returned to the cave, and acquainted you with such of these facts as you might know. That night I gathered up my own effects, as well as the stolen money, and fled.
“I did not suppose that you would remain long in the cave. On the contrary, I supposed that through the trader, or by some other means, your identity would soon be established. But I wished to place myself beyond the reach of pursuit before that should happen. To that end I had compacted with the trader; to that end I now fled precipitantly.
“My better nature returned for a moment, and I[380] thought of advertising31 your retreat, or even of calling upon your kinsmen32. But I was dissuaded33 from this by fears of incurring34 danger of being apprehended35 by the superintendent of the hospital, whose suspicions must, by this time, have been aroused. May I enquire36 how long you remained in ‘The Cave,’ Mr. Lawrence?”
“Ten years.”
“Ten years! Then, indeed, I deserve the severest penalties that the law can inflict! Ten years! I could not believe that from other lips than yours! And that man knew you were there all that time, and yet took no action to set you at liberty! But no; I had told him that it was better so, and I suppose he took it for granted that it was. Yes, he is guiltless in the matter.
“To resume my confession. I escaped with the money intact, as I imagined; but when I came to open the receptacle, far away from you and the cave, I found, to my consternation37, that more than half of it was missing, and its room taken up with stones and earth! You had evidently grown so suspicious of me as to abstract the money and conceal9 it in the cave during my absence in the city. That was the only solution of the mystery that occurred to me.
“How I raged! My punishment was beginning already. But I was not softened38; if I had dared, I should have returned to the cave, and dug up every foot of ground within it. But I feared that detectives were already on my track, and I hurried on, a baulked and furious man.
“Greater misfortune was yet to overtake me. The box containing the stolen treasure was torn asunder39 in a steamboat explosion on the Mississippi, and the treasure was scattered40 and lost beyond recovery in the muddy waters. Thus I lost what remained to me of the treasure, and was left, penniless, friendless, homeless; a fugitive41, an outcast. Since that time, I have lived I know not how; at one time stricken with fever in the tropics; at another time languishing42 in prison for some petty crime; sick, persecuted43, longing44 for death. Minions45 of the law often pursued me for minor46 irregularities;[381] but the secret of my one great crime never came to light. In my distress47 I joined the army, and hoped to find relief in fighting the battles of my country—my country, to which I was an odious48 reproach! I often thought of returning to the cave, to discover what had become of you, and to make such restitution49 as lay in my power; but I never had the moral courage to do so. For the last year, I have lived in this forest, in fellowship with this man, James Horniss.
“I now surrender myself to outraged50 justice,—voluntarily, even gladly,—for I can endure this way of life no longer. Forgive me, if you can, Mr. Lawrence, for I have been tortured with remorse51 in all these years.”
The villain’s story was ended; and Uncle Dick, Henry, the officer of the law, and Jim Horniss, fetched a sigh of relief.
They felt extremely sorry for the sick man who had confessed so eloquently52 and prolixly53; but Mr. Lawrence was not so “tortured” with pity as to plead for his release from punishment. In fact, he had nothing to say against the law’s taking its course with him. However, he spoke54 kindly55.
“Mr. Monk,” he said, “I forgive you freely, for it was my own foolishness that led me into your power. As for the money, it seemed fated that it should melt away, and to-day not one cent of it remains56. I am glad to see you in a better frame of mind, sir; but I must leave you now to see how it fares with my nephew. Come, Henry.”
“And your story?” asked the confessor, with a curious and eager air.
“Excuse me, Mr. Monk,” said Uncle Dick; “but my story would seem prosaic57, exceedingly prosaic, after yours. Good day.”
And he and Henry brutally58 strode out of the hut, leaving the ex-villain “tortured” with curiosity.
Thus those two villains59, Hiram Monk and Jim Horniss, pass out of this tale.
If the reader thinks it worth while, he can turn back to the twenty-second chapter, and compare the story[382] which Mr. Lawrence told Mr. Mortimer with the story narrated60 by Monk in this chapter. But seriously, gentle reader, it is hardly worth while to compare the two. Time is too precious to be fooled away in trying to comprehend the plots and mysteries put forth61 in certain romances.
Mr. Lawrence and Henry hurried on in the direction taken by their fellow-hunters an hour before.
“Mr. Lawrence,” said Henry, “I think I shall never go hunting again; I consider it a wicked waste of gunpowder62 and shoe-leather.”
“Yes, for a company of heedless innocents, who know little or nothing about fire-arms, and still less about the habits of animals, it is all a piece of foolishness;” Mr. Lawrence replied. “For those who are prudent63 enough to keep out of danger, who can understand and enjoy hunting and trapping, and go about it systematically64, it is all very well.”
Parents and guardians65, accept this as a warning—not that your sons, or wards3, will clear up any appalling66 mystery by going hunting, but that they will be far more likely to destroy themselves than to return burdened with game.
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1
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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punctuation
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| n.标点符号，标点法 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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tragical
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| adj. 悲剧的, 悲剧性的 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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abridged
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| 削减的，删节的 | |
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maniacs
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| n.疯子（maniac的复数形式） | |
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ostentation
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| n.夸耀，卖弄 | |
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rumored
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| adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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rectified
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| [医]矫正的，调整的 | |
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vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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pertinacity
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| n.执拗，顽固 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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hoards
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| n.（钱财、食物或其他珍贵物品的）储藏，积存( hoard的名词复数 )v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的第三人称单数 ) | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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deranged
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| adj.疯狂的 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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kinsmen
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| n.家属，亲属( kinsman的名词复数 ) | |
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dissuaded
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| 劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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38
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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languishing
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| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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minions
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| n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 )；走狗；宠儿；受人崇拜者 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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restitution
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| n.赔偿；恢复原状 | |
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50
outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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51
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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prolixly
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| adv.冗长地 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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56
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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65
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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