第23章 法官的房子8（第1页）

第23章法官的房子（8）

WhenMrs。Withamwasherselfagaiassailedthedryquestionsastowhathemeantbyputtingsuchhorribleideasintman'smind。"Hehasquiteenoughtherealreadytoupsethim，"sheadded。Dr。Thornhillreplied:

"Mydearmadam，Ihadadistinctpurposeinit!Iwaodrawhisattentiontothebellrope，andtofixitthere。Itmaybethatheisinahighlyhtstate，audyingtoomuboundtosaythatheseemsassouhyayouallyandbodily，aseverIsaw—butthes—andthatsuggestionofthedevil。"Thedoctorshookhisheadaon。"IwouldhaveoandstaythefirstnightwithhimbutIfeltsureitwouldhavebeenacauseofoffeishtorhallu;andifhedoesIwanthimtopullthatrope。Allalowillgiveuswarning，andwemayreatimetobeofservice。Ishallbesittietonightandshallkeepmyearsopen。DonotbealarmedifBesasurprisebef。"

"Oh，Doctor，whatdoyoumean?Whatdoyoumean?"

"Imeanthis;thatpossibly—nay，moreprobably—weshallhearthegreatalarmbellfromtheJudge'sHousetonight，"aormadeaboutaseffeexitascouldbethoughtof。

WhenMalsonarrivedhomehefoundthatitwasalittleafterhisusualtime，aerhadgoherulesofGreenhow'sCharitywereed。Hewasgladtoseethattheplacewasbrightandtidywithacheerfulfirearimmedlamp。TheeveningwaschthavebeeedinApril，andaheavyingwithsuchrapidlyirengththatthereromisethenight。Forafewmiraheheratsceased;butsosoonastheybecameaedtohispreseheybeganagain。Hewasgladtohearthem，forhefeltohefeelingofpanionshipintheirnoise，andhismindranbacktefactthattheyoomahemselveswhenthatreatratwiththebalefuleyes—these。Thereading—lamponlywaslitanditsgreehedtheupperpartoftheroomihatthecheerfullightfromthehearthspreadihefloorandshinieclothlaidovertheeablewaswarmandcheery。Malsonsatdowntohisdihagoodappetiteandabuoyantspirit。Afterhisdinnerandacigarettehesatsteadilydowntowork，determioletanythingdisturbhim，forherememberedhispromisetothedoadeuphismiofthetimeathisdisposal。

Foranhourorsoheworkedallright，ahoughtsbegantowanderfromhisbooks。Theactual，thehisphysition，andhisnervoussusceptibilitywerenottobedehistimethewindhadbeeagale，andthegaleastorm。Theoldhouse，solidthoughitwas，seemedtoshaketoitsfoundations，aormroaredahroughitsmasqueeroldgables，produge，uhlysouyroomsandcorridors。Evealarmbellontheroofmusthavefelttheforceofthewind，fortheroperosealy，asthoughthebellweremovedalittlefromtimetotime，andthelimberropefellontheoakfloorwithahardandhollowsound。

AsMalsohebethoughthimselfofthedoctor'swords，"ItistheropewhigmahevictimsoftheJudge'sjudicour，"aotheerofthefirepladtookitinhishandtolookatit。Thereseemedasortofdeadlyi，aherehelosthimselfforamomeionastowhothesevictimswere，andthegrimwishoftheJudgetohavesuchaghastlyreliderhiseyes。Ashestoodtheretheswayingofthebelloillliftedtheropenoresentlythereewsensation—asortoftremorihoughsomethingwasmovingalongit。

LookingupinstinctivelyMalsoratingsloardshim，glaringathimsteadily。Hedroppedtheropeandstartedbackwithamuttereddtheratturningranuptheropeagainanddisappeared，andatthesameinstantMalesciousthattheherats，whichhadceasedforawhile，beganagain。

Allthissethimthinking，anditothathehadedthelairoftheratorlookedatthepictures，ashehaditheotherlampwithouttheshade，and，holdingitupwentandstoodoppositethethirdpithefireplatheright-handsidewherehehadseedisappearonthepreviousnight。

Atthefirstglaedbacksosuddenlythathealmostdroppedthelamp，andadeadlypalloroverspreadhisfaeesshook，andheavydropsofsweathisforehead，arembledlikeahewasyoungandpludpulledhimselftogether，ahepauseofafewsedssteppedfaihelamp，ahepicturewhichhadbeendustedandwashed，andnowstoodoutclearly。

Itwasofajudgedressedinhisrobesofsdermine。Hisfacewasstrongandmerciless，evil，dvihasensualmouth，hookednoseofruddydshapedlikethebeakofabirdofprey。Therestofthefacewasofacadaverouscolour。Theeyeswereofpeculiarbrilliahaterriblymalignantexpression。Ashelookedatthem，Malsongrewcold，forhesawtheretheveryterpartoftheeyesofthegreatrat。Thelampalmostfellfromhishaheratwithitsbalefuleyespeeringhtheholeintheerofthepidhesuddeionoftheheotherrats。However，hepulledhimselftogether，ahhisexaminatioure。