On tip-toe, Mrs. Oakley advanced to the half-opened door of the vault, and peeped in upon the man, who thought himself so very safe. The eye of heaven, he must have thought, saw him; but he would have staked his life forthwith upon the fact, that no human observation was bent4 upon his actions; and yet there was some one for whom he entertained the greatest contempt—one whom he would have defied to injure him, gathering5 up evidence to hang him.
Go on, Lupin. Bury your victim. But don't think yourself so very safe just yet. It is an old saying, that "Murder will out." Do you think that yours will prove the exception?
From a recess6 in the wall Lupin had dragged a coffin7. It was an old one and rather rotten, so that by the aid of a small crowbar that he had there—what use did Lupin find for a crowbar in the vaults8 beneath his chapel? Was it to rip open the coffins9 and rob even the dead? Well, well—by the aid of this crowbar, he soon forced open the lid of the coffin.
He stood in it then, and stamped down the remains10 with his feet to make room for the murdered body.
Mr. Lupin Crushes The Corpse To Make Room For His Murdered Wife.
Mrs. Oakley sickened at this; she had not quite expected to see such a horror as that. It appeared to her at the moment, to be worse than the murder above stairs. She really felt quite faint as she saw him.
When he had flattened12 the nearly decayed body in the coffin as much as he could, he lifted the corpse of his victim from the floor of the vault. It was still closely enveloped13 in the large sheet, although at one part the blood had begun to make its way through all the folds upon folds of that wrapper, and he threw it into the coffin. It more than filled it.
Poor Mrs. Oakley shut her eyes; she knew what he was going to do. She knew it from what he had done, and she saw it in his eyes. He was of course going to tread down the dead body of her he had murdered, in the same way that he had already trodden down the half-decomposed one in the coffin.
Strange companionship! How little the very respectable defunct14, who had been expensively placed in one of the vaults, could have imagined that she—it was a female—that she should be trodden down as flat as any pancake, to make room for the Reverend Josiah Lupin's murdered wife!
"To what base uses may we come as last."
Mrs. Oakley heard him treading and stamping, and then she opened her eyes, and she saw him fitting on the lid of the coffin again. He had made it hold its double burthen.
And now she had surely seen all that she came to see, and yet with a frightful15 fascination16 she lingered as though spell-bound to the spot. She thought that she had plenty of time. Of course Lupin would put the coffin into its recess again, and that would take him some time. It would, with its additional weight, certainly be no easy task, but he set about it, and it is astonishing what herculean labours people will perform, when their necks are to answer for any delay or dereliction of the duty. Lupin dragged the coffin to its receptacle on a low shelf, and fairly hitched17 one end of it in the aperture18 made for its reception.
By the assistance of the lever he pushed it fairly in, and then he paused and wiped his brow.
"It is done," he said.
He leaned heavily against the damp wall.
"It is done—it is done. This will be one of the undiscovered murders that are done in London. I am safe now. Nobody will miss her—nobody will look for her—nobody will dream that this vault can possibly conceal19 such a crime; and now that the terror of it, and the horror of doing it, is all over, I feel like a new man, and am much rejoiced."
"She was the torment21 of my life," added Lupin. "I knew no peace while she lived. Success had no charm for me. Go where I would, think of what I would, do what I would, I always had the dread22 of that woman before my eyes; but now—now I am rid of her."
He took up his lantern from the floor of the vault.
Now it was time for Mrs. Oakley to fly. She turned and hastily ran up the staircase of the vault. The idea took possession, and it was after all only a fancy, that Lupin was pursuing her with the crow-bar in his hand. But how it urged her on. What wings it gave her, but confused her the while, so that instead of hurrying to the chapel door, and making a bold effort to open it as she had meant to do, she only sought the door in the wall, and the staircase down which she had come to the chapel, nor did she pause until she found herself in the murder room.
Then with a heart beating so wildly, that she was fain to lay her hands upon it in the hope of stopping its maddening pulsation23, she stopped to listen.
"Thank Heaven!" she said. "Thank Heaven! but oh, why am I here? Why have I come here again, instead of making my escape by the chapel door? This is a fatal error. Oh, Heaven save me! Is there yet time? Does he linger yet sufficiently25 long in the vaults, to enable me to take refuge among the pews?"
These were questions which the stillness in the chapel below seemed to answer in the affirmative, and once more Mrs. Oakley approached the staircase to descend26 it. She got three steps down the stairs, and then she heard a footstep below. It was too late. Lupin was coming up. Yes, it was too late!
He approached with a heavy and regular footfall. That heaviness and regularity27 were sufficient evidences that he had not heard her, and had no suspicion that she nor any one else had been a witness to his crime. So far she was comparatively safe, but the blessed chance of escape without any meeting with him was gone.
Up—up, he came! Mrs. Oakley retreated step by step as he advanced. She passed into the chamber28, which may for distinction's sake be called her own room, and there she cast herself upon the couch, and closed her eyes shudderingly29.
She had a presentiment30 that Lupin would come to look at her to see that she still slumbered31. She was right.
He had not been in the room where the deed of blood had been committed many minutes, when he opened the door of communication between the two apartments, and came in not with the lantern, but with the candle he had left burning upon the table. He did not come above three steps into the room, and then he spoke32—
"Sister Oakley it is time to pray."
Mrs. Oakley moved not—spoke not.
"Sister Oakley, will you be so good as to rise, and go to the corner of the next street on a little errand for me?"
How tempting33 this was! but Mrs. Oakley had the discretion34 to imagine the wolf in the sheep's clothing now; she saw in all this only a clear mode of ascertaining35 if she were awake or not, and she would not speak nor move.
This was, in truth, a wise policy upon the part of Mrs. Oakley. That it was so, became abundantly apparent when Lupin spoke again.
"All is right," he said. "The opiate has done its work bravely, I feel easy now, and yet I don't know how I came for a moment to feel otherwise, or to imagine for a moment there was danger from this woman. If I only had any proof that there was, I would soon put it beyond her power to be mischievous36. But, no—no, she has slept soundly and knows nothing."
It required, indeed, no ordinary nerve during this speech of Lupin's, for Mrs. Oakley to preserve the stillness of apparent deep sleep; but we none of us know what we can do until we are put to it; after all, what a just punishment to Mrs. Oakley was all that she was now going through. She had had more faith in that bold, bad, mountebank37 of a parson than in Heaven itself, and she was justly punished.
Having then made this trial of her sleeping state, Mr. Lupin retired38 with the candle again, quite satisfied—at least one would have thought so; and as he had talked of the amazing ease of mind he felt now that he had, murdered his wife, it was rather surprising that he did not go to bed and sleep serenely39 instead of pacing his room to and fro for more than four hours mumbling40 disjointed words and sentences to himself as he did so, for Mrs. Oakley heard him, but she did not dare to move.
Suddenly he flung open the door between the two rooms, and in a startling voice he cried—
"Fire! fire!"
It was truly a wonder that upon this Mrs. Oakley did not jump up, it sounded so very alarming; but it was not to be, and with a presence of mind that surely was not all her own, she yet remained profoundly still.
"Fool that I am," muttered Lupin, "to be continually assailed41 by dread of this woman, when everything assures me that she has been in a sound sleep caused by a powerful narcotic42, during the whole night; but the morning is now near at hand, and she will soon awaken43. I have already got what money I can, from her, and I must give her breakfast and then send her off. It would be useless to kill her."
The manner in which Lupin pronounced these last words was very alarming for it implied rather that he was asking himself the question whether it would be useless to kill her or not, than the expression of a decided44 opinion; but still Mrs. Oakley moved not.
Lupin, suddenly, as though he had quite made up his mind not to trouble himself about her any more, slammed to the door of communication between the two rooms.
Mrs. Oakley breathed freely again—that is, comparatively freely; and yet what a shocking agonizing45 idea it was that she might have to breakfast with that dreadful man. What should she say to him?—how should she look at him?
The dawn was coming, and she shook with apprehension46 to find that such was the fact, and Lupin had said that she would soon awaken; so, effect to awaken she must, in order to keep up the delusion; but how should she manage then to deceive the suspicious vigilance of such a man?
But all this had to be encountered. How was it to be avoided? She could do nothing but arm herself with such fortitude47 as she could call to her aid.
Oh, how she wished herself in her own parlour behind the shop, and upon her knees asking the pardon of her husband for all that she had done, and for all that she had not done! What would she have not given even to have seen the honest face of big Ben, the beef-eater!
The light of the coming day grew each moment stronger, and at length Mrs. Oakley thought it would be prudent48 to seem to wake up, and calling out "Mr. Lupin! Mr. Lupin!" she rose from the couch.
Lupin opened the door of communication between the two rooms, and glared at her.
"Did you call, sister Oakley?"
"Yes, reverend sir, surely I have been sleeping, and have forgotten some of the prayers."
"No; truly, sister Oakley, I have watched for you, and I can assure you that you will enter into the kingdom always, provided that you are regular in your contributions to the chapel, for at the last that of a surety will be demanded to be known of you, sister Oakley."
"I have been thinking of that, brother Lupin," said Mrs. Oakley, "and this day week I will manage to bring two pounds."
"Only two?"
"I will make it three, if I can, brother Oakley; but my head feels quite confused and giddy. It is very strange."
"Ah," whispered Lupin to himself. "That is the natural effect of the narcotic. It has worked well. Then," he said aloud, "sister Oakley, I pray you to walk in to this room, and I will provide for you what the profane49 world call the breakfast, for although food for the soul is in alway preferable to food for the body, yet we must not always neglect our earthly tabernacle."
"I am much obliged to you," said Mrs. Oakley. "You may depend upon my regular offerings to the chapel."
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1
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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eluding
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的现在分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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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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coffins
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| n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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defunct
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| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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pulsation
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| n.脉搏，悸动，脉动；搏动性 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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shudderingly
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presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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mountebank
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| n.江湖郎中；骗子 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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narcotic
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| n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的 | |
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43
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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45
agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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46
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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47
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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48
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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