He had experienced no difficulty in arranging with Gianapolis to occupy the same room as formerly2; and, close student of human nature though he was, he had been unable to detect in the Greek's manner, when they had met that night, the slightest restraint, the slightest evidence of uneasiness. His reception by Ho-Pin had varied3 scarce one iota4 from that accorded him on his first visit to the cave of the golden dragon. The immobile Egyptian had brought him the opium5, and had departed silently as before. On this occasion, the trap above the bed had not been opened. But hour after hour had passed, uneventfully, silently, in that still, suffocating7 room....
A key in the lock!—yes, a key was being inserted in the lock! He must take no unnecessary risks; it might be another than Soames. He waited—the faint sound of fumbling8 ceased. Still, he waited, listening intently.
Half-past-two. If it had been Soames, why had he withdrawn9? M. Max arose noiselessly and looked about him. He was undecided what to do, when...
Two shots, followed by a most appalling11 shriek12—the more frightful13 because it was muffled14; the shriek of a man in extremis, of one who stands upon the brink15 of Eternity16, brought him up rigid17, tense, with fists clenched18, with eyes glaring; wrought19 within this fearless investigator20 an emotion akin21 to terror.
Just that one gruesome cry there was and silence again.
What did it mean?
M. Max began hastily to dress. He discovered, in endeavoring to fasten his collar, that his skin was wet with cold perspiration22.
He was ever glancing toward the door, not hopefully as hitherto, but apprehensively24, fearfully.
That shriek in the night might portend25 merely the delirium26 of some other occupant of the catacombs; but the shots...
“It was SOAMES!” he whispered aloud; “I have risked too much; I am fast in the rat-trap!”
He looked about him for a possible weapon. The time for inactivity was past. It would be horrible to die in that reeking27 place, whilst outside, it might be, immediately above his head, Dunbar and the others waited and watched.
The construction of the metal bunk29 attracted his attention. As in the case of steamer bunks30 one of the rails—that nearer to the door—was detachable in order to facilitate the making of the bed. Rapidly, nervously31, he unscrewed it; but the hinges were riveted32 to the main structure, and after a brief examination he shrugged33 his shoulders despairingly. Then, he recollected34 that in the adjoining bathroom there was a metal towel rail, nickeled, and with a heavy knock at either end, attached by two brackets to the wall.
He ran into the inner room and eagerly examined these fastenings. They were attached by small steel screws. In an instant he was at work with the blade of his pocket-knife. Six screws in all there were to be dealt with, three at either end. The fifth snapped the blade and he uttered an exclamation35 of dismay. But the shortened implement36 proved to be an even better screw-driver than the original blade, and half a minute later he found himself in possession of a club such as would have delighted the soul of Hercules.
He managed to unscrew one of the knobs, and thus to slide off from the bar the bracket attachments37; then, replacing the knob, he weighed the bar in his hand, appreciatively. His mind now was wholly composed, and his course determined38. He crossed the little room and rapped loudly upon the door.
The rapping sounded muffled and dim in that sound-proof place. Nothing happened, and thrice he repeated the rapping with like negative results. But he had learnt something: the door was a very heavy one.
He made a note of the circumstance, although it did not interfere39 with the plan which he had in mind. Wheeling the armchair up beside the bed, he mounted upon its two arms and, ONCE—TWICE—THRICE—crashed the knob of the iron bar against that part of the wall which concealed40 the trap.
Here the result was immediate28. At every blow of the bar the trap behind yielded. A fourth blow sent the knob crashing through the gauze material, and far out into some dark place beyond. There was a sound as of a number of books falling.
He had burst the trap.
Up on the back of the chair he mounted, resting his bar against the wall, and began in feverish41 haste to tear away the gauze concealing42 the rectangular opening.
Having torn away all the gauze, he learned that the opening was some two feet long by one foot high. Resting the bar across the ledge44 he extended his head and shoulders forward through this opening into the rose-scented place beyond, and without any great effort drew himself up with his hands, so that, provided he could find some support upon the other side, it would be a simple matter to draw himself through entirely45.
He felt about with his fingers, right and left, and in doing so disturbed another row of books, which fell upon the floor beneath him. He had apparently46 come out in the middle of a large book-shelf. To the left of him projected the paper-covered door of the trap, at right angles; above and below were book-laden shelves, and on the right there had been other books, until his questing fingers had disturbed them.
M. Max, despite his weight, was an agile47 man. Clutching the shelf beneath, he worked his way along to the right, gradually creeping further and further into the darkened room, until at last he could draw his feet through the opening and crouch48 sideways upon the shelf.
He lowered his left foot, sought for and found another shelf beneath, and descended49 as by a ladder to the thickly carpeted floor. Grasping the end of the bar, he pulled that weapon down; then he twisted the button which converted his timepiece into an electric lantern, and, holding the bar in one tensely quivering hand, looked rapidly about him.
This was a library; a small library, with bowls of roses set upon tables, shelves, in gaps between the books, and one lying overturned upon the floor. Although it was almost drowned by their overpowering perfume, he detected a faint smell of powder. In one corner stood a large writing-table with papers strewn carelessly upon it. Its appointments were markedly Chinese in character, from the singular, gold inkwell to the jade50 paperweight; markedly Chinese—and—FEMININE. A very handsome screen lay upon the floor in front of this table, and the rich carpet he noted51 to be disordered as if a struggle had taken place upon it. But, most singular circumstance of all, and most disturbing... there was no door to this room!
For a moment he failed to appreciate the entire significance of this. A secret room difficult to enter he could comprehend, but a secret room difficult to QUIT passed his comprehension completely. Moreover, he was no better off for his exploit.
Three minutes sufficed him in which to examine the shelves covering the four walls of the room from floor to ceiling. None of the books were dummies53, and slowly the fact began to dawn upon his mind that what at first he had assumed to be a rather simple device, was, in truth, almost incomprehensible.
For how, in the name of Sanity54, did the occupant of this room—and obviously it was occupied at times—enter and leave it?
“Ah!” he muttered, shining the light upon a row of yellow-bound volumes from which he had commenced his tour of inspection55 and to which that tour had now led him back, “it is uncanny—this!”
He glanced back at the rectangular patch of light which marked the trap whereby he had entered this supernormal room. It was situated56 close to one corner of the library, and, acting57 upon an idea which came to him (any idea was better than none) he proceeded to throw down the books occupying the corresponding position at the other end of the shelf.
A second trap was revealed, identical with that through which he had entered!
It was fastened with a neat brass58 bolt; and, standing59 upon one of the little Persian tables—from which he removed a silver bowl of roses—he opened this trap and looked into the lighted room beyond. He saw an apartment almost identical with that which he himself recently had quitted; but in one particular it differed. It was occupied... AND BY A WOMAN!
Arrayed in a gossamer60 nightrobe she lay in the bed, beneath the trap, her sunken face matching the silken whiteness. Her thin arms drooped61 listlessly over the rails of the bunk, and upon her left hand M. Max perceived a wedding ring. Her hair, flaxen in the electric light, was spread about in wildest disorder52 upon the pillow, and a breath of fetid air assailed62 his nostrils63 as he pressed his face close to the gauze masking the opening in order to peer closely at this victim of the catacombs.
He watched the silken covering of her bosom64, intently, but failed to detect the slightest movement.
“Morbleu!” he muttered, “is she dead?”
He rent the gauze with a sweep of his left hand, and standing upon the bottom shelf of the case, craned forward into the room, looking all about him. A purple shaded lamp burnt above the bed as in the adjoining apartment which he himself had occupied. There were dainty feminine trifles littered in the big armchair, and a motor-coat hung upon the hook of the bathroom door. A small cabin-trunk in one corner of the room bore the initials: “M. L.”
“Pardieu!” he said. “It is Mrs. Leroux that I have found!”
A moment he stood looking from trap to trap; then turned and surveyed again the impassable walls, the rows of works, few of which were European, some of them bound in vellum, some in pigskin, and one row of huge volumes, ten in number, on the bottom shelf, in crocodile hide.
“It is weird67, this!” he muttered, “nightmare!”—turning the light from row to row. “How is this lamp lighted that swings here?”
He began to search for the switch, and, even before he found it, had made up his mind that, once discovered, it would not only enable him more fully6 to illuminate68 the library, but would constitute a valuable clue.
At last he found it, situated at the back of one of the shelves, and set above a row of four small books, so that it could readily be reached by inserting the hand.
He flooded the place with light; and perceived at a glance that a length of white flex69 crossing the ceiling enabled anyone seated at the table to ignite the lamp from there also. Then, replacing his torch in his pocket, and assuring himself that the iron bar lay within easy reach, he began deliberately70 to remove all of the books from the shelves covering that side of the room upon which the switch was situated. His theory was a sound one; he argued that the natural and proper place for such a switch in such a room would be immediately inside the door, so that one entering could ignite the lamp without having to grope in the darkness. He was encouraged, furthermore, by the fact that at a point some four feet to the left of this switch there was a gap in the bookcases, running from floor to ceiling; a gap no more than four inches across.
Having removed every book from its position, save three, which occupied a shelf on a level with his shoulder and adjoining the gap, he desisted wearily, for many of the volumes were weighty, and the heat of the room was almost insufferable. He dropped with a sigh upon a silk ottoman close beside him....
A short, staccato, muffled report split the heavy silence... and a little round hole appeared in the woodwork of the book-shelf before which, an instant earlier, M. Max had been standing—in the woodwork of that shelf, which had been upon a level with his head.
In one giant leap he hurled71 himself across the room—... as a second bullet pierced the yellow silk of the ottoman.
A yellow hand and arm—a hand and arm of great nervous strength and of the hue73 of old ivory, directed a pistol through the opening above him. As he leaped, the hand was depressed74 with a lightning movement, but, lunging suddenly upward, Max seized the barrel of the pistol, and with a powerful wrench75, twisted it from the grasp of the yellow hand. It was his own Browning!
At the time—in that moment of intense nervous excitement—he ascribed his sensations to his swift bout10 with Death—with Death who almost had conquered; but later, even now, as he wrenched76 the weapon into his grasp, he wondered if physical fear could wholly account for the sickening revulsion which held him back from that rectangular opening in the bookcase. He thought that he recognized in this a kindred horror—as distinct from terror—to that which had come to him with the odor of roses through this very trap, upon the night of his first visit to the catacombs of Ho-Pin.
It was not as the fear which one has of a dangerous wild beast, but as the loathing77 which is inspired by a thing diseased, leprous, contagious78....
A mighty79 effort of will was called for, but he managed to achieve it. He drew himself upright, breathing very rapidly, and looked through into the room—the room which he had occupied, and from which a moment ago the murderous yellow hand had protruded80.
That room was empty... empty as he had left it!
“Mille tonnerres! he has escaped me!” he cried aloud, and the words did not seem of his own choosing.
WHO had escaped? Someone—man or woman; rather some THING, which, yellow handed, had sought to murder him!
Max ran across to the second trap and looked down at the woman whom he knew, beyond doubt, to be Mrs. Leroux. She lay in her death-like trance, unmoved.
Strung up to uttermost tension, he looked down at her and listened—listened, intently.
Above the fumes81 of the apartment in which the woman lay, a stifling82 odor of roses was clearly perceptible. The whole place was tropically hot. Not a sound, save the creaking of the shelf beneath him, broke the heavy stillness.
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收听单词发音
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1
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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2
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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iota
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| n.些微，一点儿 | |
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5
opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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6
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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7
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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8
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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9
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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10
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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11
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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12
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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13
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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14
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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15
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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16
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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17
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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18
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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20
investigator
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| n.研究者，调查者，审查者 | |
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21
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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23
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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24
apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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25
portend
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| v.预兆，预示；给…以警告 | |
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26
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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27
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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28
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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29
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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31
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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32
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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33
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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34
recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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36
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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37
attachments
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| n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物 | |
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38
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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39
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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40
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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41
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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42
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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43
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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45
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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46
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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47
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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48
crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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49
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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50
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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51
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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52
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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53
dummies
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| n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 )；橡皮奶头；笨蛋；假传球 | |
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54
sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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55
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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56
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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57
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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58
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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59
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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60
gossamer
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| n.薄纱，游丝 | |
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61
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
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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63
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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64
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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65
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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66
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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67
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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68
illuminate
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| vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释 | |
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69
flex
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| n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展 | |
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70
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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71
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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72
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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74
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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75
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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76
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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77
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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78
contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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79
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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80
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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82
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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