magic and real detectives-第24部分

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My　incognita　would　not　consent　to　sit　down　till　she　was　assured　we

were　alone；　and　that　I　was　the　real　Robert…Houdin。　　I　also　seated

myself；　and　assuming　the　attitude　of　a　man　prepared　to　listen；　I

bent　slightly　to　my　visitor；　as　if　awaiting　her　pleasure　to　explain

to　me　the　object　of　her　mysterious　visit。　　To　my　great　surprise；

the　young　lady；　whose　manner　betrayed　extreme　emotion；　maintained

the　most　profound　silence；　and　I　began　to　find　the　visit　very

strange；　and　was　on　the　point　of　forcing　an　explanation；　at　any

hazard；　when　the　fair　unknown　timidly　ventured　these　words：



〃Good　Heavens！　sir；　I　know　not　how　you　will　interpret　my　visit。〃



Here　she　stopped；　and　let　her　eyes　sink　with　a　very　embarrassed

air；　then；　making　a　violent　effort；　she　continued：



〃What　I　have　to　ask　of　you；　sir；　is　very　difficult　to　explain。〃



〃Speak；　madam；　I　beg；〃　I　said；　politely；　〃and　I　will　try　to　guess

what　you　cannot　explain　to　me。〃



And　I　began　asking　myself　what　this　reserve　meant。



〃In　the　first　place；〃　the　young　lady　said；　in　a　low　voice；　and

looking　round　her；　〃I　must　tell　you　confidentially　that　I　loved；　my

love　was　returned；　and　II　am　betrayed。〃



At　the　last　word　the　lady　raised　her　head；　overcame　the　timidity

she　felt；　and　said；　in　a　firm　and　assured　voice：



〃Yes；　siryes；　I　am　betrayed；　and　for　that　reason　I　have　come　to

you。〃



〃Really；　madam；〃　I　said；　much　surprised　at　this　strange　confession；

〃I　do　not　see　how　I　can　help　you　in　such　a　matter。〃



〃Oh；　sir；　I　entreat　you；〃　said　my　fair　visitor；　clasping　her　hands

〃I　implore　you　not　to　abandon　me！〃



I　had　great　difficulty　in　keeping　my　countenance；　and　yet　I　felt　an

extreme　curiosity　to　know　the　history　concealed　behind　this

mystery。



〃Calm　yourself；　madam；〃　I　remarked；　in　a　tone　of　tender　sympathy；

〃tell　me　what　you　would　of　me；　and　if　it　be　in　my　power〃



〃If　it　be　in　your　power！〃　the　young　lady　said；　quickly；　〃why；

nothing　is　more　easy；　sir。〃



〃Explain　yourself；　madam。〃



〃Well；　sir；　I　wish　to　be　avenged。〃



〃In　what　way？〃



〃How；　you　know　better　than　I；　sir；　must　I　teach　you？　　You　have　in

your　power　means　to〃



〃I；　madam？〃



〃Yes；　sir；　you！　for　you　are　a　sorcerer；　and　cannot　deny　it。〃



At　this　word　sorcerer；　I　was　much　inclined　to　laugh；　but　I　was

restrained　by　the　incognita's　evident　emotion。　　Still；　wishing　to

put　an　end　to　a　scene　which　was　growing　ridiculous；　I　said；　in　a

politely　ironical　tone：



〃Unfortunately；　madam；　you　give　me　a　title　I　never　possessed。〃



〃How；　sir！〃　the　young　woman　exclaimed；　in　a　quick　tone；　〃you　will

not　allow　you　are〃



〃A　sorcerer；　madam？　　Oh；　no；　I　will　not。〃



〃You　will　not？〃



〃No；　a　thousand　times　no；　madam。〃



At　these　words　my　visitor　rose　hastily；　muttered　a　few　incoherent

words；　appeared　suffering　from　terrible　emotion；　and　then　drawing

near　me　with　flaming　eyes　and　passionate　gestures；　repeated：



〃Ah；　you　will　not！　　Very　good；　I　now　know　what　I　have　to　do。〃



Stupefied　by　such　an　outbreak；　I　looked　at　her　fixedly；　and　began

to　suspect　the　cause　of　her　extraordinary　conduct。



〃There　are　two　modes　of　acting；〃　she　said；　with　terrible

volubility；　〃toward　people　who　devote　themselves　to　magic　arts

entreaty　and　menaces。　　You　would　not　yield　to　the　first　of　these

means；　hence；　I　must　employ　the　second。　　Stay；〃　she　added；　〃perhaps

this　will　induce　you　to　speak。〃



And；　lifting　up　her　cloak；　she　laid　her　hand　on　the　hilt　of　a

dagger　passed　through　her　girdle。　　At　the　same　time　she　suddenly

threw　back　her　veil；　and　displayed　features　in　which　all　the　signs

of　rage　and　madness　could　be　traced。　　No　longer　having　a　doubt　as

to　the　person　I　had　to　deal　with；　my　first　movement　was　to　rise　and

stand　on　my　guard；　but　this　first　feeling　overcome；　I　repented　the

thought　of　a　struggle　with　the　unhappy　woman；　and　determined　on

employing　a　method　almost　always　successful　with　those　deprived　of

reason。　　I　pretended　to　accede　to　her　wishes。



〃If　it　be　so；　madam；　I　yield　to　your　request。　　Tell　me　what　you

require。〃



〃I　have　told　you；　sir；　I　wish　for　vengeance；　and　there　is　only　one

method　to〃



Here　there　was　a　fresh　interruption；　and　the　young　lady；　calmed　by

my　apparent　submission；　as　well　as　embarrassed　by　the　request　she

had　to　make　of　me；　became　again　timid　and　confused。



〃Well；　madam？〃



〃Well；　sir；　I　know　not　how　to　tell　youhow　to　explain　to　youbut

I　fancy　there　are　certain　meanscertain　spellswhich　render　it

impossibleimpossible　for　a　man　to　beunfaithful。〃



〃I　now　understand　what　you　wish；　madam。　　It　is　a　certain　magic

practice　employed　in　the　middle　ages。　　Nothing　is　easier；　and　I

will　satisfy　you。〃



Decided　on　playing　the　farce　to　the　end；　I　took　down　the　largest

book　I　could　find　in　my　library；　turned　over　the　leaves；　stopped　at

a　page　which　I　pretended　to　scan　with　profound　attention；　and　then

addressing　the　lady；　who　followed　all　my　movements　anxiously；



〃Madam；〃　I　said　confidentially；　〃the　spell　I　am　going　to　perform

renders　it　necessary　for　me　to　know　the　name　of　the　person；　have

the　kindness；　then；　to　tell　it　me。〃



〃Julian！〃　she　said；　in　a　faint　voice。



With　all　the　gravity　of　a　real　sorcerer；　I　solemnly　thrust　a　pin

through　a　lighted　candle；　and　pronounced　some　cabalistic　words。

After　which；　blowing　out　the　candle；　and　turning　to　the　poor

creature；　I　said：



〃Madam；　it　is　done；　your　wish　is　accomplished。〃



〃Oh；　thank　you；　sir；〃　she　replied；　with　the　expression　of　the

profoundest　gratitude；　and　at　the　same　moment　she　laid　a　purse　on

the　table　and　rushed　away。　　I　ordered　my　servant　to　follow　her　to

her　house；　and　obtain　all　the　information　he　could　about　her；　and　I

learned　she　had　been　a　widow　for　a　short　time；　and　that　the　loss　of

an　adored　husband　had　disturbed　her　reason。　　The　next　day　I　visited

her　relatives；　and；　returning　them　the　purse；　I　told　them　the　scene

the　details　of　which　the　reader　has　just　perused。



This　scene；　with　some　others　that　preceded　and　followed　it；

compelled　me　to　take　measures　to　guard　myself　against　bores　of

every　description。　　I　could　not　dream；　as　formerly；　of　exiling

myself　in　the　country；　but　I　employed　a　similar　resource：　this　was

to　shut　myself　up　in　my　workroom；　and　organize　around　me　a　system

of　defense　against　those　whom　I　called；　in　my　ill…temper；　thieves

of　time。



I　daily　received　visits　from　persons　who　were　utter　strangers　to

me；　some　were　worth　knowing；　but　the　majority；　gaining　an

introduction　under　the　most　futile　pretexts；　only　came　to　kill　a

portion　of　their　leisure　time　with　me。　　It　was　necessary　to

distinguish　the　tares　from　the　wheat；　and　this　is　the　arrangement　I

made：



When　one　of　these　gentlemen　rang　at　my　door；　an　electric

communication　struck　a　bell　in　my　workroom；　I　was　thus　warned　and

put　on　my　guard。　　My　servant　opened　the　door；　and；　as　is　customary；

inquired　the　visitor's　name；　while　I；　for　my　part；　laid　my　ear　to　a

tube；　arranged　for　the　purpose；　which　conveyed　to　me　every　word。

If；　according　to　his　reply；　I　thought　it　as　well　not　to　receive

him；　I　pressed　a　button；　and　a　white　mark　that　appeared　in　a

certain　part　of　the　hall　announced　I　was　not　at　home　to　him。　　My

servant　then　stated　I　was　out；　and　begged　the　visitor　to　apply　to

the　manager。



Sometimes　it　happened　that　I　erred　in　my　judgment；　and　regretted

having　granted　an　audience；　but　I　had　another　mode　of　shortening　a

bore's　visit。　　I　had　placed　behind　the　sofa　on　which　I　sat　an

electric　spring；　communicating　with　a　bell　my　servant　could　hear。

In　case　of　need；　and　while　talking；　I　threw　my　arm　carelessly　over

the　back　of　the　sofa；　touching　the　spring；　and　the　bell　rang。　　Then

my　servant；　playing　a　little　farce；　opened　the　front　door；　rang　the

bell；　which　could　be　heard　from　the　room　where　I　sat；　and　came　to

tell　me　that　M。　X…　（a　name　invented　for　the　occasion）　wished　to

speak　to　me。　　I　ordered　M。　X…　to　be　shown　into　an　adjoining　room；

and　it　was　very　rare　that　my　bore　did　not　raise　the　siege。　　No　one

can　form　an　idea　how　much　time　I　gained　by　this　happy　arrangement；

or　how　many　times　I　blessed　my　imagination　and　the　celebrated

savant　to　whom　the　discovery　of　galvanism　is　due！



This　feeling　can　be　easily　explained；　for　my　time　was　of

inestimable　value。　　I　husbanded　it　like　a　treasure；　and　never

sacrificed　it；　unless　the　sacrifice　might　help　me　to　discover　new

experiments　destined　to　stimulate　public　curiosity。



To　support　my　determination　in　making　my　researches；　I　had　ever

before　me　this　maxim：



IT　IS　MORE　DIFFICULT　TO　SUPPORT　ADMIRATION　THAN　TO　EXCITE　IT。



And　this　other；　an　apparent　corollary　of　the　preceding：



THE　FASHION　AN　ARTIST　ENJOYS　CAN　ONLY　LAST　AS　HIS　TALENT　DAILY

INCREASES。



Nothing　increases　a　professional　man's　merit　so　much　as　the

possession　of　an　independent　fortune；　this　truth　may　be　coarse；　but

it　is　indubitable。　　Not　only　was　I　convinced　of　these　principles　of

high　economy；　but　I　also　knew　that　a　man　must　strive　to　profit　by

the　fickle　favor　of　the　public；　which　equally　descends　if　it　does

not　rise。　　Hence　I　worked　my　reputation　as　much　as　I　could。　　In

spite　of　my　numerous　engagements；　I　found　means　to　give

performances　in　all　the　principal　theaters；　though　great

difficulties　frequently　arose；　as　my　performance　did　not　end　till

half…past　ten；　and　I　could　only　fulfill　my　other　engagements　after

that　hour。



Eleven　o'clock　was　generally　the　hour　fixed　for　my　appearance　on　a

strange　stage；　and　my　readers　may　judge　of　the　speed　required　to

proceed　to　the　theater　in　so　short　a　time　and　make　my　preparations。

It　is　true　that　the　moments　were　as　well　counted　as　employed；　and

my　curtain　had　hardly　fallen　than；　rushing　toward　the　stairs；　I　got

before　my　audience；　and　jumped　into　a　vehicle　that　bore　me　off　at

full　speed。



But　this　fatigue　was　as　nothing　compared　to　the　emotion

occasionally　produce