Tales of Terror and Mystery/Tales of Terror and Mystery (Артур Конан Дойл). Страница 106 из 137

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How

long

I

slept

I

do

not

know

,

but

it

was

quite

dark

when

I

awoke

.

Confused

by

the

chlorodyne

which

I

had

taken

,

I

lay

motionless

in

a

semi

-

conscious

state

.

The

great

room

with

its

high

walls

covered

with

books

loomed

darkly

all

round

me

.

A

dim

radiance

from

the

moonlight

came

through

the

farther

window

,

and

against

this

lighter

background

I

saw

that

Sir

John

Bollamore

was

sitting

at

his

study

table

.

His

well

-

set

head

and

clearly

cut

profile

were

sharply

outlined

against

the

glimmering

square

behind

him

.

He

bent

as

I

watched

him

,

and

I

heard

the

sharp

turning

of

a

key

and

the

rasping

of

metal

upon

metal

.

As

if

in

a

dream

I

was

vaguely

conscious

that

this

was

the

japanned

box

which

stood

in

front

of

him

,

and

that

he

had

drawn

something

out

of

it

,

something

squat

and

uncouth

,

which

now

lay

before

him

upon

the

table

.

I

never

realized

—

it

never

occurred

to

my

bemuddled

and

torpid

brain

that

I

was

intruding

upon

his

privacy

,

that

he

imagined

himself

to

be

alone

in

the

room

.

And

then

,

just

as

it

rushed

upon

my

horrified

perceptions

,

and

I

had

half

risen

to

announce

my

presence

,

I

heard

a

strange

,

crisp

,

metallic

clicking

,

and

then

the

voice

.

Yes

,

it

was

a

woman

’

s

voice

;

there

could

not

be

a

doubt

of

it

.

But

a

voice

so

charged

with

entreaty

and

with

yearning

love

,

that

it

will

ring

for

ever

in

my

ears

.

It

came

with

a

curious

faraway

tinkle

,

but

every

word

was

clear

,

though

faint

—

very

faint

,

for

they

were

the

last

words

of

a

dying

woman

.

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"

I

am

not

really

gone

,

John

,

"

said

the

thin

,

gasping

voice

.

"

I

am

here

at

your

very

elbow

,

and

shall

be

until

we

meet

once

more

.

I

die

happy

to

think

that

morning

and

night

you

will

hear

my

voice

.

Oh

,

John

,

be

strong

,

be

strong

,

until

we

meet

again

.

"

I

say

that

I

had

risen

in

order

to

announce

my

presence

,

but

I

could

not

do

so

while

the

voice

was

sounding

.

I

could

only

remain

half

lying

,

half

sitting

,

paralysed

,

astounded

,

listening

to

those

yearning

distant

musical

words

.

And

he

—

he

was

so

absorbed

that

even

if

I

had

spoken

he

might

not

have

heard

me

.

But

with

the

silence

of

the

voice

came

my

half

articulated

apologies

and

explanations

.

He

sprang

across

the

room

,

switched

on

the

electric

light

,

and

in

its

white

glare

I

saw

him

,

his

eyes

gleaming

with

anger

,

his

face

twisted

with

passion

,

as

the

hapless

charwoman

may

have

seen

him

weeks

before

.

"

Mr

.

Colmore

!

"

he

cried

.

"

You

here

!

What

is

the

meaning

of

this

,

sir

?

"

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With

halting

words

I

explained

it

all

,

my

neuralgia

,

the

narcotic

,

my

luckless

sleep

and

singular

awakening

.

As

he

listened

the

glow

of

anger

faded

from

his

face

,

and

the

sad

,

impassive

mask

closed

once

more

over

his

features

.

"

My

secret

is

yours

,

Mr

.

Colmore

,

"

said

he

.

"

I

have

only

myself

to

blame

for

relaxing

my

precautions

.

Half

confidences

are

worse

than

no

confidences

,

and

so

you

may

know

all

since

you

know

so

much

.

The

story

may

go

where

you

will

when

I

have

passed

away

,

but

until

then

I

rely

upon

your

sense

of

honour

that

no

human

soul

shall

hear

it

from

your

lips

.

I

am

proud

still

—

God

help

me

!

—

or

,

at

least

,

I

am

proud

enough

to

resent

that

pity

which

this

story

would

draw

upon

me

.

I

have

smiled

at

envy

,

and

disregarded

hatred

,

but

pity

is

more

than

I

can

tolerate

.

"

You

have

heard

the

source

from

which

the

voice

comes

—

that

voice

which

has

,

as

I

understand

,

excited

so

much

curiosity

in

my

household

.

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