As to the Professor’s apparent callousness4, why—perhaps the conduct of hide-bound scientists was not to be judged by that of other men. In the interests of their pursuit they are inclined to hold life cheap, brute5 or human, their own or any one else’s. So I had still an open mind as to the Professor when I reached the house.
I told the men of my having seen Furello. They did not show as much alarm as might have been expected, having, perhaps, made up their minds to the worst.
“It is always a relief in an affair of this sort when [Pg 98]our opponent shows his hand. Now that we are forewarned we can take our measures accordingly.”
“I suppose we may look for a visit from the Count any minute now,” Von Lindheim observed.
“I wonder what his excuse for a call will be?” said Szalay.
“The Jaguar’s emissaries need little excuse,” the other returned gloomily.
“You had better leave il Conte to me,” I suggested, “if he does call. You are too ill to receive him; and I will do my best to throw dust in his eyes. It is doubtful whether he knows that Szalay is here.”
“The Chancellor6 knows everything.”
“If he does it shall not be our fault. This amiable7 assassin will not see our friend if there is a hiding-place in the house.”
We discussed our plan of defence, and then, feeling a strong desire to keep watch upon the Count, I went off again towards the village. Avoiding the road I struck into a wooded path, keeping as much under cover as possible. It was well that I did so. When about half-way to the village I caught sight of a well-known figure crossing a field. Furello. He was walking fast, hurrying it seemed, and smoking a cigar. From my screen within the fringe of a small wood I had a full view of him without the risk of being noticed. The ground he crossed was undulating. He ran down the little hills, and once or twice halted on the top of an ascent8 to look round. Presently, when he had gone a safe distance, I came out of my shelter and followed him. Knowing the country probably better than he, I was able to keep him in sight at no great distance, marking him from the other side of a straggling hedge. Soon he came in view of Von Lindheim’s house, peeping out from the trees on the hill above us. He stopped a few moments looking at it, then glanced round, made a peculiar9 [Pg 99]gesture, perhaps of contempt, shaking his hand at the house, and hurried on.
“He is going to the railway station,” I said to myself, and so it proved. Following him as closely as I dared, I was in time to see him get into a train and take his departure in the direction of Buyda.
“So far good,” I exclaimed, turning back. “It is as well I saw my gentleman off, or we should have been worrying as to what had become of him. But what has he been doing here?”
Speculation10 on that head was manifestly futile11. The two men were relieved to hear of his departure, although much exercised to know what agency he had left behind him. We dined and made ourselves as happy as our forebodings would allow. After dinner we opened a packet of newspapers which had arrived, and proceeded to post ourselves in the doings of the outside world. I was deep in a week-old Times, when a sudden exclamation12 from Von Lindheim made me look up.
“Tyrrell!” he cried, “what, in Heaven’s name, does this mean?”
“What?”
“Listen.” He read from the paper as follows:—
“Accident to an Englishman on the Alps. A party of Englishmen were ascending13 the Weisshorn on Tuesday last. While attempting to scale a difficult peak, one of the party, who were roped together, lost his footing, and, the rope being slack, the shock of his fall was communicated with violence to the rest of his companions. The whole party fell a considerable distance, but happily were saved from going to certain death by the strenuous14 exertions15 of their two guides, Jean Koller and Barthelmy Reiss. One of the party was the well-known Alpine16 climber, Professor Seemarsh, of London, who sustained a broken collar-bone.”
[Pg 100]
Szalay and I had by a common impulse sprung to our feet.
“Professor Seemarsh!” I snatched the paper and read the name for myself. “There is only one Professor Seemarsh. Then who is this man?”
“On Tuesday last we know that Professor Seemarsh, the Alpine climber, or the man who calls himself by that name, was here in this village, hundreds of miles away from the Weisshorn. And whatever injury he may or may not have received, it is certainly not a broken collar-bone.”
“It is as I have suspected,” Szalay said gloomily.
For some moments neither of us spoke18. All my suspicions now came back as certainties, and I could properly appreciate the escape I had had that afternoon. Von Lindheim laughed grimly. “To think that we have had the scoundrel in this very house. It is a wonder I am yet alive. He did not come here for nothing, you may swear.”
“But for what?”
“Time will show, if we are only in a position to comprehend it.”
“Let us at least be thankful,” said I, “that chance has shown us our danger. We shall know our enemy now when we see him. You are right, Lindheim, about the Professor’s accent. But we must confess they played their parts well. The girl! What a life! No wonder she occasionally breaks out into cynical19 bitterness that is almost startling.”
Reviewing the conduct of the soi-disants Seemarshes, I now related how they had roused my suspicions when they pretended to have missed their way upstairs. Szalay, as he listened, looked uncomfortable, almost terrified.
“That accounts,” said he blankly, “for something which happened yesterday, and which I could not [Pg 101]make out at the time. I was sitting in my room reading when the door suddenly opened. Naturally, I turned quickly to see who it was, but as I did so it was shut quickly again, not so quickly, though, but that I fancied I had caught a glimpse of a woman’s dress. Imagining it had been Frau Pabst I thought little more of the matter, but now I know—it must have been that girl spy, and my whereabouts is no longer a secret.”
“Then the sooner we make a move from here the better,” said Von Lindheim. “It is sheer madness to stay waiting the assassin’s blow. To-morrow morning—Tyrrell, will you come with us?”
Of course I would. We sat up late arranging our plans and making preparations for our journey. Our idea was to make, at all hazards, a rush for the frontier. The plan at the best was full of danger, but at least it was no worse than staying where we were, marked down by these secret enemies. Anyhow, it meant action, relief from the strain of suspense20, which was becoming intolerable.
So we laid our plans for the morrow, little dreaming with all our apprehensions21 what the night would bring forth22.
It was past midnight when we turned in, having had much to do in preparing for an early setting out to run the gauntlet of Rallenstein’s myrmidons. Exciting as the day’s events had been, I lay but a short time, being pretty tired, before going off into a sound sleep; to be awoke with a start, having a confused idea of a cry in my ears. It was just growing light. Hardly had I collected my faculties23 when the cry rang again through the house, again and again, kept up in a series of screams of terror. I sprang out of bed, snatching up my revolver. Before I could reach the door I heard Von Lindheim’s voice calling my name.
[Pg 102]
Shouting “All right!” I dashed along the passage to his room, which was divided only by a small dressing-room from Szalay’s. I met Von Lindheim at the door.
“What is wrong?” I cried.
He was in a terrible state of excitement. “Szalay,” was all he could gasp24. “Take me away before I go mad.”
The poor fellow, I could see, was beside himself with something worse than fear. A strange noise came from Szalay’s room, a horrible, inarticulate sound of a man struggling, as it were, to call out something. Thinking he was being strangled, I rushed in with my revolver ready.
To my astonishment25 he was alone, standing26 in the middle of the room, but so horribly altered that I hardly recognized him as the same man to whom I had bidden good-night a few hours before. His face was distorted, its colour changed, the sanguine27, ruddy complexion28 being now a dark grey; the features seemed bloated, and the eyes glared with almost maniacal29 terror. The aspect of our poor friend was so appalling30 that the sight seemed to take all the strength from me as I stood before him under the thrill of this hideous31 experience. I would far rather have found the room full of armed cut-throats than containing this solitary32 pitiable victim.
“Szalay!” I cried at length. “What has happened?”
As he tried to answer a spasm33 seemed to catch his throat. He pointed34 with an unnatural35, mad gesture to the open window, trying to talk, but the power of enunciation36 had failed him, he could produce only inarticulate gibberish. He threw up his hands in despair and shrieked38 again. I seemed to catch the words, “Dead man! Dead man!”
Then he rushed to the looking-glass. At the reflection [Pg 103]of his face he recoiled39 with a scream, and flung himself prone40 on the bed.
I went to the door and found Von Lindheim outside.
“What is this fearful thing? What has happened to him?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I know no more than you,” he said in a frightened whisper. “I heard him shriek37, rushed in and saw”—he shuddered—“what you have seen. Those devils have got in and have done for him.”
“You saw no one?”
“No. But they will come. They are here, Tyrrell. I am going to put a bullet through my brain. It is better than that.”
“Don’t be a fool,” I said, and went back into the room.
Szalay was lying as I had left him. I spoke his name, but he returned no answer, made no movement. Nerving myself, I went up and lifted the outstretched arm. It was heavy and lifeless. I felt for the pulse; there was none. Then I went back to Von Lindheim and told him:
“He is dead.”
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收听单词发音
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1
acquit
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| vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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2
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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3
displacements
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| n.取代( displacement的名词复数 )；替代；移位；免职 | |
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4
callousness
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5
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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7
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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8
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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9
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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10
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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11
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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12
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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13
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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15
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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16
alpine
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| adj.高山的；n.高山植物 | |
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17
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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18
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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19
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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20
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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21
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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22
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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24
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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25
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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28
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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29
maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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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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31
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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32
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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33
spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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34
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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35
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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36
enunciation
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| n.清晰的发音；表明，宣言；口齿 | |
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37
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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38
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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40
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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