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法官的房子 the jud hue（第2页）

“Oh，Iwasallright，”heanswered，smiling，“the‘something’didn‘tworryme，asyet。Onlytherats；andtheyhadacircus，Itellyou，alloverthelace。Therewasonewicked-lookingolddevilthatsatuonmyownchairbythefre，andwouldn’tgotillItooktheokertohim，andthenheranutheroeofthealarmbellandgottosomewhereuthewallortheceiling-Icouldntseewhere，itwassodark。”

“Mercyonus，”saidMrs。Witham，“anolddevil，andsittingonachairbythefreside！Takecare，sir!takecare！Theresmanyatruewordsokeninjest。”

“Howdoyoumean?UonmywordIdontunderstand。”

“Anolddevil!theolddevil，erhas。There!sir，youneedntlaugh，”forMalcolmsonhadbrokenintoaheartyeal。“Youyoungfolksthinksiteasytolaughatthingsthatmakesolderonesshudder。Nevermind，sir!nevermind！PleaseGod，you‘lllaughallthetime。It’swhatIwishyoumyself！”andthegoodladybeamedalloverinsymathywithhisenjoyment，herfearsgoneforamoment。

“Oh，forgiveme！”saidMalcolmsonresently。“Dontthinkmerude；buttheideawastoomuchforme-thattheolddevilhimselfwasonthechairlastnight！”Andatthethoughthelaughedagain。Thenhewenthometodinner。

Thiseveningthescameringoftheratsbeganearlier；indeedithadbeengoingonbeforehisarrival，andonlyceasedwhilsthisresencebyitsfreshnessdisturbedthem。Afterdinnerhesatbythefreforawhileandhadasmoke；andthen，havingclearedhistable，begantoworkasbefore。Tonighttheratsdisturbedhimmorethantheyhaddoneonthereviousnight。Howtheyscamereduanddownandunderandover！Howtheysqueaked，andscratched，andgnawed！Howthey，gettingbolderbydegrees，cametothemouthsoftheirholesandtothechinksandcracksandcranniesinthewainscotingtilltheireyesshoneliketinylamsasthefrelightroseandfell。Buttohim，nowdoubtlessaccustomedtothem，theireyeswerenotwicked；onlytheirlayfulnesstouchedhim。Sometimestheboldestofthemmadesalliesoutonthefoororalongthemouldingsofthewainscot。NowandagainastheydisturbedhimMalcolmsonmadeasoundtofrightenthem，smitingthetablewithhishandorgivingaferce“Hsh，hsh，”sothattheyfedstraightwaytotheirholes。

Andsotheearlyartofthenightworeon；anddesitethenoiseMalcolmsongotmoreandmoreimmersedinhiswork。

Allatoncehestoed，asonthereviousnight，beingovercomebyasuddensenseofsilence。Therewasnotthefaintestsoundofgnaw，orscratch，orsqueak。Thesilencewasasofthegrave。Herememberedtheoddoccurrenceofthereviousnight，andinstinctivelyhelookedatthechairstandingclosebythefreside。Andthenaveryoddsensationthrilledthroughhim。

There，onthegreatoldhigh-backedcarvedoakchairbesidethefrelacesatthesameenormousrat，steadilyglaringathimwithbalefuleyes。

Instinctivelyhetookthenearestthingtohishand，abookoflogarithms，andfungitatit。Thebookwasbadlyaimedandtheratdidnotstir，soagaintheokererformanceofthereviousnightwasreeated；andagaintherat，beingcloselyursued，fledutheroeofthealarmbell。Strangelytoo，thedeartureofthisratwasinstantlyfollowedbytherenewalofthenoisemadebythegeneralratcommunity。Onthisoccasion，asonthereviousone，Malcolmsoncouldnotseeatwhatartoftheroomtheratdisaeared，forthegreenshadeofhislamlefttheuerartoftheroomindarkness，andthefrehadburnedlow。

Onlookingathiswatchhefounditwascloseonmidnight；and，notsorryforthedivertissement，hemadeuhisfreandmadehimselfhisnightlyotoftea。Hehadgotthroughagoodsellofwork，andthoughthimselfentitledtoacigarette；andsohesatonthegreatoakchairbeforethefreandenjoyedit。Whilstsmokinghebegantothinkthathewouldliketoknowwheretheratdisaearedto，forhehadcertainideasforthemorrownotentirelydisconnectedwitharat-tra。Accordinglyhelitanotherlamandlaceditsothatitwouldshinewellintotheright-handcornerofthewallbythefrelace。Thenhegotallthebookshehadwithhim，andlacedthemhandytothrowatthevermin。Finallyheliftedtheroeofthealarmbellandlacedtheendofitonthetable，fxingtheextremeendunderthelam。Ashehandledithecouldnothelnoticinghowliableitwas，eseciallyforsostrongaroe，andonenotinuse。“Youcouldhangamanwithit，”hethoughttohimself。Whenhisrearationsweremadehelookedaround，andsaidcomlacently，“Therenow，myfriend，Ithinkweshalllearnsomethingofyouthistime！”Hebeganhisworkagain，andthoughasbeforesomewhatdisturbedatfrstbythenoiseoftherats，soonlosthimselfinhisroositionsandroblems。

Againhewascalledtohisimmediatesurroundingssuddenly。Thistimeitmightnothavebeenthesuddensilenceonlywhichtookhisattention；therewasaslightmovementoftheroe，andthelammoved。Withoutstirring，helookedtoseeifhisileofbookswaswithinrange，andthencasthiseyealongtheroe。Ashelookedhesawthegreatratdrofromtheroeontheoakarmchairandsitthereglaringathim。Heraisedabookinhisrighthand，andtakingcarefulaim，fungitattherat。Thelatter，withaquickmovement，srangasideanddodgedthemissile。Hethentookanotherbook，andathird，andfungthemoneafteranotherattherat，buteachtimeunsuccessfully。Atlast，ashestoodwithabookoisedinhishandtothrow，theratsqueakedandseemedafraid。ThismadeMalcolmsonmorethanevereagertostrike，andthebookfewandstrucktherataresoundingblow。Itgaveaterrifedsqueak，andturningonhisursueralookofterriblemalevolence，ranuthechair-backandmadeagreatjumtotheroeofthealarmbellandranuitlikelightning。Thelamrockedunderthesuddenstrain，butitwasaheavyoneanddidnottoleover。Malcolmsonkethiseyesontherat，andsawitbythelightofthesecondlamleatoamouldingofthewainscotanddisaearthroughaholeinoneofthegreatictureswhichhungonthewall，obscuredandinvisiblethroughitscoatingofdirtanddust。

“Ishalllookumyfriendshabitationinthemorning，”saidthestudent，ashewentovertocollecthisbooks。“Thethirdicturefromthefirelace；Ishallnotforget。”Heickeduthebooksonebyone，commentingonthemasheliftedthem。“ConicSectionshedoesnotmind，norCycloidalOscillations，northePrinciia，norQuaternions，norThermodynamics。Nowforthebookthatfetchedhim！”Malcolmsontookituandlookedatit。Ashedidsohestarted，asuddenalloroversreadhisface。Helookedrounduneasilyandshiveredslightly，ashemurmuredtohimself：“TheBiblemymothergaveme！Whatanoddcoincidence。”Hesatdowntoworkagain，andtheratsinthewainscotrenewedtheirgambols。Theydidnotdisturbhim，however；somehowtheirresencegavehimasenseofcomanionshi。Buthecouldnotattendtohiswork，andafterstrivingtomasterthesubjectonwhichhewasengagedgaveituindesair，andwenttobedasthehefirststreakofdawnstoleinthroughtheeasternwindow。

Hesletheavilybutuneasily，anddreamedmuch；andwhenMrs。Demsterwokehimlateinthemorningheseemedillatease，andforafewminutesdidnotseemtorealiseexactlywherehewas。Hisfrstrequestrathersurrisedtheservant。“Mrs。Demster，whenIamouttodayIwishyouwouldgetthestesanddustorwashthoseictures-seciallythatonethethirdfromthefrelace-Iwanttoseewhattheyare。”

LateintheafternoonMalcolmsonworkedathisbooksintheshadedwalk，andthecheerfulnessofthereviousdaycamebacktohimasthedayworeon，andhefoundthathisreadingwasrogressingwell。Hehadworkedouttoasatisfactoryconclusionalltheroblemswhichhadasyetbaffedhim，anditwasinastateofjubilationthatheaidavisittoMrs。Withamat“TheGoodTraveller。”Hefoundastrangerinthecosysitting-roomwiththelandlady，whowasintroducedtohimasDr。Thornhill。Shewasnotquiteatease，andthis，combinedwiththedoctorslungingatonceintoaseriesofquestions，madeMalcolmsoncometotheconclusionthathisresencewasnotanaccident，sowithoutreliminaryhesaid：“Dr。Thornhill，Ishallwithleasureansweryouanyquestionyoumaychoosetoaskmeifyouwillanswermyonequestionfrst。”

Thedoctorseemedsurrised，buthesmiledandansweredatonce，“Done！Whatisit?”

“DidMrs。Withamaskyoutocomehereandseemeandadviseme?”

Dr。Thornhillforamomentwastakenaback，andMrs。Withamgotferyredandturnedaway；butthedoctorwasafrankandreadyman，andheansweredatonceandoenly。“Shedid：butshedidntintendyoutoknowit。Isuoseitwasmyclumsyhastehatmadeyoususect。Shetoldmethatshedidnotliketheideaofyourbeinginthathouseallbyyourself，andthatshethoughtyoutooktoomuchstrongtea。Infact，shewantsmetoadviseyouifossibletogiveutheteaandtheverylatehours。Iwasasakeenstudentinmytime，soIsuoseImaytakethelibertyofacollegeman，andwithoutoffence，adviseyounotquiteasastranger。”

Malcolmsonwithabrightsmileheldouthishand。“Shake!astheysayinAmerica，”hesaid。“ImustthankyouforyourkindnessandMrs。Withamtoo，andyourkindnessdeservesareturnonmyart。Iromisetotakenomorestrongtea-noteaatalltillyouletme-andIshallgotobedtonightatoneoclockatlatest。Willthatdo?”

“Caital，”saidthedoctor。“Nowtellusallthatyounoticedintheoldhouse，”andsoMalcolmsonthenandtheretoldinminutedetailallthathadhaenedinthelasttwonights。HewasinterrutedeverynowandthenbysomeexclamationfromMrs。Witham，tillfnallywhenhetoldoftheeisodeoftheBiblethelandladysent-uemotionsfoundventinashriek；anditwasnottillastiffglassofbrandyandwaterhadbeenadministeredthatshegrewcomosedagain。Dr。Thornhilllistenedwithafaceofgrowinggravity，andwhenthenarrativewascomleteandMrs。Withamhadbeenrestoredheasked：“Theratalwayswentutheroeofthealarmbell?”

“Always。”

“Isuoseyouknow，”saidthedoctorafteraause，“whattheroeis?”

“No！”

“Itis，”saidthedoctorslowly，“theveryroewhichthehangmanusedforallthevictimsoftheJudgesjudicialrancour！”HerehewasinterrutedbyanotherscreamfromMrs。Witham，andsteshadtobetakenforherrecovery。Malcolmsonhavinglookedathiswatch，andfoundthatitwasclosetohisdinnerhour，hadgonehomebeforehercomleterecovery。

WhenMrs。Withamwasherselfagainshealmostassailedthedoctorwithangryquestionsastowhathemeantbyuttingsuchhorribleideasintotheooryoungmansmind。“Hehasquiteenoughtherealreadytousethim，”sheadded。Dr。Thornhillrelied：

“Mydearmadam，Ihadadistincturoseinit！Iwantedtodrawhisattentiontothebellroe，andtofxitthere。Itmaybethatheisinahighlyoverwroughtstate，andhasbeenstudyingtoomuch，althoughIamboundtosaythatheseemsassoundandhealthyayoungman，mentallyandbodily，aseverIsaw-butthentherats-andthatsuggestionofthedevil。”Thedoctorshookhisheadandwenton。“IwouldhaveofferedtogoandstaythefrstnightwithhimbutIfeltsureitwouldhavebeenacauseofoffence。Hemaygetinthenightsomestrangefrightorhallucination；andifhedoesIwanthimtoullthatroe。Allaloneasheisitwillgiveuswarning，andwemayreachhimintimetobeofservice。Ishallbesittingurettylatetonightandshallkeemyearsoen。DonotbealarmedifBenchurchgetsasurrisebeforemorning。”

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