文墨小说

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第23章 法官的房子8（第1页）

第23章法官的房子（8）

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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.