Chapter 5
第五章

M r Merton was a good deal distressed at the second postponement of the marriage, and Lady Julia, who had already ordered her dress for the wedding, did all in her power to make Sibyl break off the match. Dearly, however, as Sibyl loved her mother, she had given her whole life into Lord Arthur's hands, and nothing that Lady Julia could say could make her waver in her faith. As for Lord Arthur himself, it took him days to get over his terrible disappointment, and for a time his nerves were completely unstrung. His excellent common sense, however, soon asserted itself and his sound, practical mind did not leave him long in doubt about what to do. Poison having proved a complete failure, dynamite, or some other form of explosive, was obviously the proper thing to try.

婚期的又一次推迟让默顿先生非常沮丧，已经订好了婚礼服装的朱莉娅夫人更是不遗余力地劝说西比尔取消婚约。可是，西比尔已经将自己的整个生命交托给了亚瑟勋爵，虽然她很爱自己的母亲，却也不会因她的任何言语而动摇自己的忠诚。亚瑟勋爵自己也花了好几天的时间才战胜了心底的巨大失望，其间还有一阵子崩断了所有的神经。不过，他那卓绝的常识很快就得以恢复，而健全务实的心智也没有让他长时间停留在不知所措的状态当中。既然事实已经证明毒药彻底没用，很显然，炸药或者其他类型的爆炸品就成了合理的选择。

He accordingly looked again over the list of his friends and relatives, and, after careful consideration, determined to blow up his uncle, the Dean of Chichester ⁽³²⁾ The Dean, who was a man of great culture and learning, was extremely fond of clocks, and had a wonderful collection of timepieces, ranging from the fifteenth entury to the present day, and it seemed to Lord Arthur that this hobby of the good Dean's offered him an excellent opportunity for carrying out his scheme. Where to procure an explosive machine was, of course, quite another matter. The London Directory gave him no information on the point, and he felt that there was very little use in going to Scotland Yard ⁽³³⁾ about it, as they never seemed to know anything about the movements of the dynamite faction till after an explosion had taken place, and not much even then.

Suddenly he thought of his friend Rouvaloff, a young Russian of very revolutionary tendencies, whom he had met at Lady Windermere's in the winter. Count Rouvaloff was supposed to be writing a life of Peter the Great ⁽³⁴⁾ and to have come over to England for the purpose of studying the documents relating to that Tsar's residence in this country as a ship carpenter; but it was generally suspected that he was a Nihilist agent, and there was no doubt that the Russian Embassy did not look with any favour upon his presence in London. Lord Arthur felt that he was just the man for his purpose, and drove down one morning to his lodgings in Bloomsbury, to ask his advice and assistance.

'So you are taking up politics seriously?' said Count Rouvaloff, when Lord Arthur had told him the object of his mission; but Lord Arthur, who hated swagger of any kind, felt bound to admit to him that he had not the slightest interest in social questions, and simply wanted the explosive machine for a purely family matter, in which no one was concerned but himself.

他又一次把目光投向了亲友名单，一番深思熟虑之后决定炸死自己的叔叔。他叔叔是奇切斯特的教长，知识渊博，极其喜欢时钟，还拥有一套从十五世纪直到如今的绝佳钟表收藏。在亚瑟勋爵看来，这位好教长的特殊爱好给了他一个实施计划的大好机会。当然，找地方弄来爆炸装置就不那么容易了。伦敦市的通讯录没能给他提供什么线索，而他觉得上苏格兰场去寻求帮助也不会有什么结果，因为他们似乎要等爆炸发生之后才能对爆炸分子的活动有所知觉，即便到那时所知也很有限。

突然间，他想到了自己的朋友鲁瓦罗夫伯爵，冬天的时候他在温德米尔夫人那里见过这个十分倾向革命的俄国小伙子。据说他打算写一本关于彼得大帝生平的书，因此到英国来研究相关资料，以便了解这位沙皇在英国当造船木匠时的住处。不过，人们普遍怀疑他是虚无主义分子派来的特务，毫无疑问的一件事情是他在伦敦的出现令俄罗斯使馆极为不悦。亚瑟勋爵觉得他是能帮自己达到目的的理想人选，于是在某天早上坐车去了他在布卢姆斯伯里的寓所，请他提供建议和帮助。

“这么说，你也打算认认真真地搞搞政治喽？”亚瑟勋爵讲明来意之后，鲁瓦罗夫伯爵问道。不过，亚瑟勋爵不喜欢任何形式的自吹自擂，因此觉得自己必须做一下澄清。他告诉鲁瓦罗夫，自己对社会问题没有半点儿兴趣，要爆炸装置纯粹是为了解决一个只跟他自己有关的家庭问题。

Count Rouvaloff looked at him for some moments in amazement, and then seeing that he was quite serious, wrote an address on a piece of paper, initialled it, and handed it to him across the table.

'Scotland Yard would give a good deal to know this address, my dear fellow.'

'They shan't have it,' cried Lord Arthur, laughing; and after shaking the young Russian warmly by the hand he ran downstairs, examined the paper, and told the coachman to drive to Soho Square.

There he dismissed him, and strolled down Greek Street, till he came to a place called Bayle's Court. He passed under the archway, and found himself in a curious cul-de-sac, that was apparently occupied by a French Laundry, as a perfect network of clothes-lines was stretched across from house to house, and there was a flutter of white linen in the morning air. He walked to the end, and knocked at a little green house. After some delay, during which every window in the court became a blurred mass of peering faces, the door was opened by a rather rough-looking foreigner, who asked him in very bad English what his business was. Lord Arthur handed him the paper Count Rouvaloff had given him. When the man saw it he bowed, and invited Lord Arthur into a very shabby front parlour on the ground floor, and in a few moments Herr Winckelkopf, as he was called in England, bustled into the room, with a very wine-stained napkin round his neck, and a fork in his left hand.

'Count Rouvaloff has given me an introduction to you,' said Lord Arthur, bowing, 'and I am anxious to have a short interview with you on a matter of business. My name is Smith, Mr Robert Smith, and I want you to supply me with an explosive clock.'

鲁瓦罗夫伯爵惊讶地盯着他看了一阵，终于明白他不是在开玩笑，于是在一张纸上写了个地址，签上自己的姓名首字母，然后隔着桌子递给了他。

“苏格兰场会出很高的价钱来买这个地址的，我亲爱的伙计。”

“他们买不着的，”亚瑟勋爵叫道，笑了起来。跟这位俄国年轻人亲切地握过手之后，他跑下楼梯，仔细看了看那张纸，然后叫马车夫赶车去索霍广场。

到了地方之后，他打发走马车夫，沿着希腊街慢悠悠地往下走，最后来到了一个名叫贝尔庭院的地方。穿过拱门，他发现自己走进了一条古怪的死胡同。占据胡同的显然是一间法国洗衣房，拉在房屋之间的晾衣绳织成了一张完整的网，白色的亚麻单子在早晨的空气中飘摆。他走到胡同尽头的一间绿色小房子跟前，敲了敲门。等门开的这一阵子，院子里所有窗户的玻璃上都贴满了窥探者的模糊面孔。开门的是一个样子相当粗野的外国人，操着十分糟糕的英语问亚瑟勋爵有何贵干。亚瑟勋爵把鲁瓦罗夫伯爵写的纸条递给了他，那人看完之后便鞠了一躬，把他请进了底楼一个十分简陋的前厅。没过多久，另一个人急匆匆地走进了房间，脖子上围着一条酒渍斑斑的餐巾，左手还拿着一把叉子。这人在英格兰的名号是“温克尔科普夫先生”。

“鲁瓦罗夫伯爵跟我介绍过你，”亚瑟勋爵说，一边鞠了个躬，“我非常想跟你聊几分钟，谈点儿事情。我叫史密斯，罗伯特·史密斯，希望你能帮我弄一个会爆炸的时钟。”

'Charmed to meet you, Lord Arthur,' said the genial little German, laughing. 'Don't look so alarmed, it is my duty to know everybody, and I remember seeing you one evening at Lady Windermere's. I hope her ladyship is quite well. Do you mind sitting with me while I finish my breakfast? There is an excellent pâté, and my friends are kind enough to say that my Rhine wine is better than any they get at the German Embassy,' and before Lord Arthur had got over his surprise at being recognised, he found himself seated in the back-room, sipping the most delicious Marcobrünner out of a pale yellow hock-glass ⁽³⁵⁾ marked with the Imperial monogram, and chatting in the friendliest manner possible to the famous conspirator.

'Explosive clocks,' said Herr Winckelkopf, 'are not very good things for foreign exportation, as, even if they succeed in passing the Custom House, the train service is so irregular, that they usually go off before they have reached their proper destination. If, however, you want one for home use, I can supply you with an excellent article, and guarantee that you will be satisfied with the result. May I ask for whom it is intended? If it is for the police, or for any one connected with Scotland Yard, I am afraid I cannot do anything for you. The English detectives are really our best friends, and I have always found that by relying on their stupidity, we can do exactly what we like. I could not spare one of them.'

'I assure you,' said Lord Arthur, 'that it has nothing to do with the police at all. In fact, the clock is intended for the Dean of Chichester.'

“很高兴见到你，亚瑟勋爵，”这位和蔼可亲的小个子德国人笑道。“别紧张，认识所有人是我的职责，而我还记得有天晚上在温德米尔夫人那里见过你。希望夫人她一切都好。你能陪我坐一会儿，等我吃完早饭吗？这酱很不错，朋友们还说我的莱茵葡萄酒比德国大使馆里的所有酒都好。”还没从被人认出的震惊里缓过劲儿来，亚瑟勋爵就发现自己已经坐进了里屋，端着印有帝国图标的淡黄色霍克杯啜着最美味的莱茵白葡萄酒，以最亲切友好的方式跟这位著名的阴谋分子聊起天来了。

“炸弹钟，”温克尔科普夫先生说道，“并不是非常相宜的出口货品。原因在于，就算能成功瞒过海关，铁路运输也没个准点，以致它常常在还没到达正确目的地的时候就爆炸了。不过，要是你打算在国内用的话，我可以给你搞一件相当不错的东西，效果包你满意。你能告诉我目标是谁吗？要是你打算去炸警察，或者是任何跟苏格兰场有联系的人，我恐怕就没法帮你的忙了。英国的警探是我们最好的朋友，而且我已经多次发现，借着他们的愚蠢我们便可以为所欲为。我可不愿意牺牲他们中的任何一个。”

“我跟你保证，”亚瑟勋爵说，“这事儿跟警方绝对没有任何关系。说实话，这个钟是用来对付奇切斯特教长的。”

'Dear me! I had no idea that you felt so strongly about religion, Lord Arthur. Few young men do nowadays.'

'I am afraid you overrate me, Herr Winckelkopf,' said Lord Arthur, blushing. 'The fact is, I really know nothing about theology.'

'It is a purely private matter then?'

'Purely private.'

Herr Winckelkopf shrugged his shoulders, and left the room, returning in a few minutes with a round cake of dynamite about the size of a penny, and a pretty little French clock, surmounted by an ormolu figure of Liberty trampling on the hydra of Despotism.

Lord Arthur's face brightened up when he saw it. 'That is just what I want;' he cried, 'and now tell me how it goes off.'

'Ah! there is my secret,' answered Herr Winckelkopf, contemplating his invention with a justifiable look of pride; 'let me know when you wish it to explode, and I will set the machine to the moment.'

'Well, today is Tuesday, and if you could send it off at once...'

'That is impossible; I have a great deal of important work on hand for some friends of mine in Moscow. Still, I might send it off tomorrow.'

'Oh, it will be quite time enough!' said Lord Arthur politely, 'if it is delivered tomorrow night or Thursday morning. For the moment of the explosion, say Friday at noon exactly. The Dean is always at home at that hour.'

'Friday, at noon,' repeated Herr Winckelkopf, and he made a note to that effect in a large ledger that was lying on a bureau near the fireplace.

“天哪！真没想到你的宗教情绪这么强烈，亚瑟勋爵。像你这样的年轻人现在可不多了啊。”

“恐怕你高估我了，温克尔科普夫先生，”亚瑟勋爵说道，脸都红了。“说实话，我对神学真的一无所知。”

“那么说，这是件纯粹的私人事务喽？”

“纯属私事。”

温克尔科普夫先生耸耸肩，走出了房间，几分钟之后才回来。他拿来了一块硬币大小的圆形炸药，还有一个漂亮的法国小闹钟，钟的顶上有一个仿金雕像：自由女神脚踏着象征专制的九头蛇。

看到这些东西，亚瑟勋爵的脸一下子亮了起来。“这正是我想要的东西，”他叫道，“现在告诉我它怎么爆炸吧。”

“啊哈！那可是我的秘密，”温克尔科普夫先生答道，一边带着合情合理的骄傲神情凝视着自己的发明，“告诉我你希望它什么时候爆炸，我好把装置调到那个时间。”

“好吧，今天是星期二，要是你能立刻把它寄出去的话……”

“那是不行的，我手头还有莫斯科一些朋友交托的大量重要工作。不过，兴许明天我可以把它寄出去。”

“噢，那样时间也很充足！”亚瑟勋爵彬彬有礼地说道，“要是它明天晚上或者星期四早上能发出去的话。至于爆炸的时间嘛，就定在星期五正午好了。那个时间教长都会在家。”

“星期五，正午，”温克尔科普夫先生重复了一遍，还把这件事记在了壁炉附近一个写字台上的一个大账本里。

他拿来了一块硬币大小的圆形炸药，还有一个漂亮的法国小闹钟。

'And now,' said Lord Arthur, rising from his seat, 'pray let me know how much I am in your debt.'

'It is such a small matter, Lord Arthur, that I do not care to make any charge. The dynamite comes to seven and sixpence, the clock will be three pounds ten, and the carriage about five shillings. I am only too pleased to oblige any friend of Count Rouvaloff's.'

'But your trouble, Herr Winckelkopf?'

'Oh, that is nothing! It is a pleasure to me. I do not work for money; I live entirely for my art.'

Lord Arthur laid down ￡4 2s. 6d. on the table, thanked the little German for his kindness, and, having succeeded in declining an invitation to meet some Anarchists at a meat-tea on the following Saturday, left the house and went off to the park.

For the next two days he was in a state of the greatest excite- ment, and on Friday at twelve o'clock he drove down to the Buckingham to wait for news. All the afternoon the stolid hall-porter kept posting up telegrams from various parts of the country giving the results of horseraces, the verdicts in divorce suits, the state of the weather, and the like, while the tape ticked out wearisome details about an all-night sitting in the House of Commons, and a small panic on the Stock Exchange. At four o'clock the evening papers came in, and Lord Arthur disappeared into the library with the Pall Mall, the St James's, the Globe, and the Echo, to the immense indignation of Colonel Goodchild, who wanted to read the reports of a speech he had delivered that morning at the Mansion House ⁽³⁶⁾ on the subject of South African Missions and the advisability of having black Bishops in every province, and for some reason or other had a strong prejudice against the Evening News. None of the papers, however, contained even the slightest allusion to Chichester, and Lord Arthur felt that the attempt must have failed. It was a terrible blow to him, and for a time he was quite unnerved. Herr Winckelkopf, whom he went to see the next day, was full of elaborate apologies, and offered to supply him with another clock free of charge, or with a case of nitro-glycerine bombs at cost price. But he had lost all faith in explosives, and Herr Winckelkopf himself acknowledged that everything is so adulterated nowadays, that even dynamite can hardly be got in a pure condition. The little German, however, while admitting that something must have gone wrong with the machinery, was not without hope that the clock might still go off, and instanced the case of a barometer that he had once sent to the military Governor at Odessa ⁽³⁷⁾ which, though timed to explode in ten days, had not done so for something like three months. It was quite true that when it did go off, it merely succeeded in blowing a housemaid to atoms, the Governor having gone out of town six weeks before, but at least it showed that dynamite, as a destructive force, was, when under the control of machinery, a powerful, though a somewhat unpunctual agent. Lord Arthur was a little consoled by this reflection, but even here he was destined to disappointment, for two days afterwards, as he was going upstairs, the Duchess called him into her boudoir, and showed him a letter she had just received from the Deanery.

“好了，”亚瑟勋爵一边起身，一边说道，“请告诉我，我该付你多少钱。”

“区区小事而已，亚瑟勋爵，我不好意思收什么钱。炸药的费用是七先令六便士，闹钟是三镑十先令，运费大概是五先令。能帮上鲁瓦罗夫伯爵的朋友，我真是太荣幸了。”

“还有你花的工夫呢，温克尔科普夫先生？”

“哦，那不算什么！那是我的荣幸。我不是为钱工作的，这门手艺才是我生存的全部目的。”

亚瑟勋爵在桌上放了四镑二先令六便士，感谢了这个小个子德国人的帮助，成功谢绝了下周六与一些无政府主义分子共同参加茶餐会的邀请，之后便离开这幢房子，往海德公园走去。

接下来的两天里，他都处于空前兴奋的状态。星期五正午十二点，他坐车去了白金汉俱乐部等消息。整个下午，面无表情的大厅门房都在张贴来自全国各地的电报，内容都是赛马结果、离婚案判决以及天气状况之类的东西。与此同时，收报机的带子滴滴答答地打出了一次下议院通宵会议，以及一次股票交易所小骚乱的无聊细节。到了四点钟，各种晚报都来了，亚瑟勋爵便拿着《朴尔莫尔报》、《圣詹姆斯报》、《环球报》和《回声报》去了图书室。此举令古德柴尔德上校极为不满，因为他当天早上在市长大厦就南非使团和在南非各省设置黑人主教的问题发表了一次演说，想看看关于自己演说的报道，却又出于某些原因非常地不喜欢《晚报》。可是，各家报纸的内容都与奇切斯特没有半点儿关系，亚瑟勋爵因此感到自己的计划多半又落了空。这对他来说是个沉重的打击，他一时间觉得自己已经心力交瘁。第二天他就去找温克尔科普夫先生，后者巧舌如簧地连声道歉，同时表示可以免费再给他一个炸弹钟，或者按成本价给他一盒子硝化甘油炸弹。可是，他已经对炸药完全没了信心，而温克尔科普夫先生也承认现在什么都有假，连不掺假的炸药都成了稀罕东西。不过，这个小个子德国人一边承认自己的装置可能出了毛病，一边也存着希望，觉得那个钟终究还是会爆炸。他举了个例子，说自己曾经寄了个气压计给敖德萨的军事长官，那东西的爆炸时间本来定在十天之后，但却等了差不多三个月才爆炸。由于长官已经在六个星期之前离开了敖德萨，所以炸弹只是将一个女仆炸成了碎片。尽管如此，这至少表明了在机械装置的控制之下，炸药终归是一种强有力的破坏力量，只是有点不准时而已。这番言论让亚瑟勋爵感到了些许慰籍，但即便如此，他也注定要尝到失望的苦果。两天之后，他正在上楼，公爵夫人把他叫进了自己的卧室，给他看了一封刚从教长宅邸寄来的信件。

“简写的信都挺有意思的，”公爵夫人说，“你一定得看看最近这封，简直跟穆迪借书馆寄来的那些小说一样有趣。”

'Jane writes charming letters,' said the Duchess; 'you must really read her last. It is quite as good as the novels Mudie ⁽³⁸⁾ sends us.'

Lord Arthur seized the letter from her hand. It ran as follows:

The Deanery, Chichester,

27th May

MY DEAREST AUNT—Thank you so much for the flannel for the Dorcas Society ⁽³⁹⁾ and also for the gingham. I quite agree with you that it is nonsense their wanting to wear pretty things, but everybody is so Radical and irreligious nowadays, that it is difficult to make them see that they should not try and dress like the upper classes. I am sure I don't know what we are coming to. As papa has often said in his sermons, we live in an age of unbelief.

We have had great fun over a clock that an unknown admirer sent papa last Thursday. It arrived in a wooden box from London, carriage paid, and papa feels it must have been sent by someone who had read his remarkable sermon, 'Is License Liberty?' for on the top of the clock was a figure of a woman, with what papa said was the cap of Liberty on her head. I didn't think it very becoming myself, but papa said it was historical, so I suppose it is all right. Parker unpacked it, and papa put it on the mantelpiece in the library, and we were all sitting there on Friday morning, when just as the clock struck twelve, we heard a whirring noise, a little puff of smoke came from the pedestal of the figure, and the goddess of Liberty fell off, and broke her nose on the fender! Maria was quite alarmed, but it looked so ridiculous that James and I went off into fits of laughter, and even papa was amused. When we examined it, we found it was a sort of alarum clock, and that, if you set it to a particular hour, and put some gunpowder and a cap under a little hammer, it went off whenever you wanted. Papa said it must not remain in the library, as it made a noise, so Reggie carried it away to the schoolroom, and does nothing but have small explosions all day long. Do you think Arthur would like one for a wedding present? I suppose they are quite fashionable in London. Papa says they should do a great deal of good, as they show that Liberty can't last, but must fall down. Papa says Liberty was invented at the time of the French Revolution. How awful it seems!

这封，简直跟穆迪借书馆寄来的那些小说一样有趣。”

亚瑟勋爵从她手里抓过了信，信的内容如下：

奇切斯特教长宅邸

五月二十七日

最亲爱的姨妈：

非常感谢您赠给多加协会的法兰绒和格子布。你认为他们根本不应该有穿漂亮衣服的想法，这我完全同意，可现在的人都非常极端，而且没有信仰，以至于我们很难让他们明白，自己不应该尝试像上流社会的人一样穿着。我完全不知道我们这样下去会有什么后果。就跟爸爸在布道时经常讲的一样，我们生活在一个没有信仰的时代。

上个星期四，一个不知道名字的崇拜者寄来了一个闹钟，我们从中得到了极大的乐趣。钟是从伦敦寄出的，装在一个木盒子里，运费也付过了。爸爸觉得，寄钟的人肯定读过他那篇非同寻常的讲道文章《放纵就是自由吗？》，因为钟顶上有个女人雕像，爸爸说她头上戴的是自由女神之帽。我自己觉得它并不怎么好看，可爸爸说它具有历史意义，所以我想这也不错。帕克拆开了包裹，爸爸把钟放在了书房里的壁炉上。星期五上午，我们都坐在那个壁炉边上，钟敲十二点的时候，我们听见了呼呼的声音，看到一小团烟雾从女神像底座里冒了出来，跟着自由女神就跌了下来，在壁炉的围栏上摔断了鼻子！玛丽亚很是紧张，可这场面实在太滑稽了，詹姆斯和我都忍不住笑个不停，就连爸爸也觉得很好玩。后来我们检查了一下，发现它是一个会发警报的钟，只要你给它定好时间，再把一些火药和一个盖子放到一个小摆锤下面，它就会在你指定的时刻爆发。爸爸说它会发出噪音，不能留在书房里，所以雷吉把它拿到了教室里，一天什么都没干，光顾着制造一次又一次小型爆炸。您觉得亚瑟会喜欢要一个来当结婚礼物吗？照我看，这样的东西在伦敦应该挺流行的。爸爸说，这东西有很大的好处，因为它表明自由不能持久，终将倾覆。他还说，自由女神是法国大革命时期的一个发明。那可真是太糟糕了！

I have now to go to the Dorcas, where I will read them your most instructive letter. How true, dear aunt, your idea is, that in their rank of life they should wear what is unbecoming. I must say it is absurd, their anxiety about dress, when there are so many more important things in this world, and in the next. I am so glad your flowered poplin turned out so well, and that your lace was not torn. I am wearing my yellow satin, that you so kindly gave me, at the bishop's on Wednesday, and think it will look all right. Would you have bows or not? Jennings says that every one wears bows now, and that the underskirt should be frilled. Reggie has just had another explosion, and papa has ordered the clock to be sent to the stables. I don't think papa likes it so much as he did at first, though he is very flattered at being sent such a pretty and ingenious toy. It shows that people read his sermons, and profit by them.

我等下就去多加协会，给他们读您那封富于教益的信。亲爱的姨妈，您认为他们这种阶级的人就该穿难看的衣服，这真是太正确了。我得说，他们对衣装的痴迷真是太荒唐了，因为今生和来世里还有那么多更为重要的东西。您送我的花府绸效果非常好，蕾丝也完好无损，真是让我高兴。星期三我打算穿那件黄缎子衣服——也是您好心送我的——去主教家参加聚会，看着应该还不错。您有没有蝴蝶结呢？詹宁斯说现在大家都戴蝴蝶结，还说衬裙应该滚上花边。雷吉刚刚又制造了一次爆炸，爸爸已经下令把闹钟送到马厩去了。要我说，爸爸已经不像一开始那样喜欢这件东西了，虽然有人送来这么个又漂亮又特别的玩具让他觉得很是受用。这说明人们的确在读他的讲道文章，而且从中得到了好处。

Papa sends his love, in which James, and Reggie, and Maria all unite, and, hoping that Uncle Cecil's gout is better, believe me, dear aunt, ever your affectionate niece,

JANE PERCY

P S—Do tell me about the bows. Jennings insists they are the fashion.

Lord Arthur looked so serious and unhappy over the letter, that the Duchess went into fits of laughter.

'My dear Arthur,' she cried, 'I shall never show you a young lady's letter again! But what shall I say about the clock? I think it is a capital invention, and I should like to have one myself.'

'I don't think much of them,' said Lord Arthur, with a sad smile, and, after kissing his mother, he left the room.

When he got upstairs, he flung himself on a sofa, and his eyes filled with tears. He had done his best to commit this murder, but on both occasions he had failed, and through no fault of his own. He had tried to do his duty, but it seemed as if Destiny herself had turned traitor. He was oppressed with the sense of the barrenness of good intentions, of the futility of trying to be fine. Perhaps, it would be better to break off the marriage altogether. Sibyl would suffer, it is true, but suffering could not really mar a nature so noble as hers. As for himself, what did it matter? There is always some war in which a man can die, some cause to which a man can give his life, and as life had no pleasure for him, so death had no terror. Let Destiny work out his doom. He would not stir to help her.

爸爸让我给您带好，还有詹姆斯、雷吉和玛丽亚。还有，希望塞西尔姨父的痛风病会有好转，相信我，亲爱的姨妈，永远挚爱您的甥女。

简·帕西

又：千万别忘了蝴蝶结的事情，詹宁斯坚持说这东西很流行。

看信的时候，亚瑟勋爵显得非常的严肃、非常的不开心。看到他的表情，公爵夫人发出了阵阵笑声。

“亲爱的亚瑟，”她叫道，“我再也不会给你看年轻女人的信了！可我该怎么说那个钟才好呢？我看这是个了不起的发明，我自己也想要一个。”

“我觉得这东西不怎么样，”亚瑟勋爵说道，脸上带着哀伤的笑容。他吻了一下母亲，然后离开了房间。

上楼之后，他一下子栽倒在沙发上，眼里充满了泪水。他已经尽了全力去完成这宗谋杀，两次尝试却都以失败告终，而且都不是因为自己的错误造成的。他努力去履行自己的职责，却仿佛是命运女神自己充当了叛徒。美好的意图全然落空，完善自身的努力全然无用，这样的感觉让他备感压抑。兴许还是干脆取消婚约比较好。没错，西比尔肯定会痛苦不堪，可痛苦也并不能真的损伤她的天性，因为她的天性无比高贵。至于他自己，这样的结果又有什么关系呢？这世上可以送掉男人性命的战场无时不有，值得男人付出生命的事业无时不有，既然他已经觉得生无可恋，当然也就死无可怖。就让命运女神自己去想办法毁掉他吧，他不会再劳神去帮她的忙了。

At half-past seven he dressed, and went down to the club. Surbiton was there with a party of young men, and he was obliged to dine with them. Their trivial conversation and idle jests did not interest him, and as soon as coffee was brought he left them, inventing some engagement in order to get away. As he was going out of the club, the hall-porter handed him a letter. It was from Herr Winckelkopf, asking him to call down the next evening, and look at an explosive umbrella that went off as soon as it was opened. It was the very latest invention, and had just arrived from Geneva. He tore the letter up into fragments. He had made up his mind not to try any more experiments. Then he wandered down to the Thames Embankment, and sat for hours by the river. The moon peered through a mane of tawny clouds, as if it were a lion's eye, and innumerable stars spangled the hollow vault, like gold dust powdered on a purple dome. Now and then a barge swung out into the turbid stream, and floated away with the tide, and the railway signals changed from green to scarlet as the trains ran shrieking across the bridge. After some time, twelve o' clock boomed from the tall tower at Westminster, and at each stroke of the sonorous bell the night seemed to tremble. Then the railway lights went out, one solitary lamp left gleaming like a large ruby on a giant mast, and the roar of the city became fainter.

七点半钟，他穿好衣服去了俱乐部。瑟比顿跟一帮年轻男人也在那里，他不得不和他们一起吃了饭。他对他们那些琐屑谈话和无聊玩笑毫无兴趣，咖啡一上桌便编了个约会的理由，就此离开了他们。走出俱乐部的时候，大厅门房递给他一封信。信是温克尔科普夫先生写来的，请亚瑟勋爵第二天晚上去找他，看看一打开就会爆炸的炸弹雨伞。那是个最新发明，刚刚才从日内瓦运来。亚瑟勋爵把信撕成了碎片，因为他已经决心不再进行任何尝试。之后，他漫无目的地走到泰晤士河堤上，在河边坐了几个小时。月亮从鬃毛般的茶色云彩中探出头来，就像是狮子的眼睛。无数的星星点缀着空洞的天空，如同洒在紫色穹顶上的金粉。不时会有驳船摇摇晃晃地驶入浑浊的水流，随着潮水漂向远方。火车尖叫着穿过大桥，铁路信号灯从绿色变成了鲜红色。又过了一会儿，威斯敏斯特那边的高楼上传来了十二点的钟声，每一记响亮的钟声都令夜晚为之震颤。再后来，铁路信号灯熄灭了，只有一根巨大的柱子上还亮着一盏孤灯，像一颗硕大的红宝石。城市的喧嚣声不那么嘈杂了。

两点钟时，他站起身来，向布莱克弗莱尔车站方向走去。一切显得多么的不真实啊！多像个离奇的梦啊！河对面的房屋仿佛是黑暗筑就，你不妨说银光和暗影已经让世界变了模样。圣保罗大教堂的巨大穹顶若隐若现，好似朦胧夜空里的一个气泡。

At two o'clock he got up, and strolled towards Blackfriars ⁽⁴⁰⁾ How unreal everything looked! How like a strange dream! The houses on the other side of the river seemed built out of darkness. One would have said that silver and shadow had fashioned the world anew. The huge dome of St Paul's ⁽⁴¹⁾ loomed like a bubble through the dusky air.

As he approached Cleopatra's Needle ⁽⁴²⁾ he saw a man leaning over the parapet, and as he came nearer the man looked up, the gaslight falling full upon his face.

It was Mr Podgers, the chiromantist! No one could mistake the fat, flabby face, the gold-rimmed spectacles, the sickly feeble smile, the sensual mouth.

Lord Arthur stopped. A brilliant idea flashed across him, and he stole softly up behind. In a moment he had seized Mr Podgers by the legs, and flung him into the Thames. There was a coarse oath, a heavy splash, and all was still. Lord Arthur looked anxiously over, but could see nothing of the chiromantist but a tall hat, pirouetting in an eddy of moonlit water. After a time it also sank, and no trace of Mr Podgers was visible. Once he thought that he caught sight of the bulky misshapen figure striking out for the staircase by the bridge, and a horrible feeling of failure came over him, but it turned out to be merely a reflection, and when the moon shone out from behind a cloud it passed away. At last he seemed to have realised the decree of destiny. He heaved a deep sigh of relief, and Sibyl's name came to his lips.

'Have you dropped anything, sir?' said a voice behind him suddenly.

走到“克莱奥帕特拉之针”附近的时候，他看见一个男人倚在碑座的矮墙上。再走近一些，那人抬起了头，煤气灯光照亮了他的整个脸庞。

眼前正是波杰斯先生，那个手相师！谁也不会错认他那张肥胖松驰的脸、那副金边眼镜、那惨淡虚弱的笑容，还有那充满色欲的嘴。

亚瑟勋爵停住脚步，一个聪明绝顶的主意闪过心间，于是他轻手轻脚地从波杰斯先生背后走上前去。转眼之间，他抓住波杰斯先生的双腿，一下子将他扔进了泰晤士河。一声嘶哑的咒骂，再一声重物落水的巨响，一切便归于沉寂。亚瑟勋爵紧张地望向河里，手相师却已不见踪影，只有一顶高帽子在月光下的漩涡里打转。过了一会儿，那顶帽子也沉了下去，波杰斯先生的所有痕迹就此消失了。有那么一瞬间，他恍惚看见一个奇形怪状的巨大人影正挣扎着从水里往桥边的梯子上爬，失败的可怕滋味又一次攫住了他。不过，接着他就发现那不过是水里的倒影，月光一穿过云层就消失了。到了这时，他似乎才真正理解了命运的旨意。他如释重负地长叹一声，不由自主地念出了西比尔的名字。

“你掉了什么东西吗，先生？”一个声音突然从背后传来。

转眼之间，他抓住波杰斯先生的双腿，一下子将他扔进了泰晤士河。

He turned round, and saw a policeman with a bull's-eye lantern ⁽⁴³⁾

'Nothing of importance, sergeant,' he answered, smiling, and hailing a passing hansom, he jumped in, and told the man to drive to Belgrave Square.

For the next few days he alternated between hope and fear. There were moments when he almost expected Mr Podgers to walk into the room, and yet at other times he felt that Fate could not be so unjust to him. Twice he went to the chiromantist's address in West Moon Street, but he could not bring himself to ring the bell. He longed for certainty, and was afraid of it.

Finally it came. He was sitting in the smoking-room of the club having tea, and listening rather wearily to Surbiton's account of the last comic song at the Gaiety ⁽⁴⁴⁾ when the waiter came in with the evening papers. He took up the St James's, and was listlessly turning over its pages, when this strange heading caught his eye:

SUICIDE OF A CHIROMANTIST

He turned pale with excitement, and began to read. The paragraph ran as follows:

他转过身，看到了一个提着牛眼提灯的警察。

“不是什么重要东西，警官，”他答道，笑了笑，然后挥手截住了一辆路过的出租马车。他跳上马车，吩咐车夫赶车去贝尔格雷夫广场。

接下来的几天里，他在希望与恐惧之间徘徊，一会儿觉得波杰斯先生就要走到自己房里来了，一会儿又觉得命运不会对自己这么不公平。他到手相师在威斯特穆恩街的住处去了两次，但却没勇气摇响门铃。他一方面非常想知道事情的究竟，一方面又害怕不利的结果。

事情终于还是水落石出了。当时他正坐在俱乐部的吸烟室里喝茶，一边没滋没味地听瑟比顿讲欢乐剧院的最新滑稽歌曲。就在这时，侍者把各种晚报拿了进来。他拿起《圣詹姆斯报》，无精打采地翻了起来。一条古怪的标题跃入了他的眼帘：

“手相师自杀身亡”

他一下子兴奋得脸色苍白，赶紧读了下去。报道内容如下：

Yesterday morning, at seven o'clock, the body of Mr Septimus R. Podgers, the eminent chiromantist, was washed on shore at Greenwich ⁽⁴⁵⁾ just in front of the Ship Hotel. The unfortunate gentleman had been missing for some days, and considerable anxiety for his safety had been felt in chiromantic circles. It is supposed that he committed suicide under the influence of a temporary mental derangement, caused by overwork, and a verdict to that effect was returned this afternoon by the coroner's jury . Mr Podgers had just completed an elaborate treatise on the subject of the Human Hand, that will shortly be published, when it will no doubt attract much attention. The deceased was sixty-five years of age, and does not seem to have left any relations. ⁽⁴⁶⁾

Lord Arthur rushed out of the club with the paper still in his hand, to the immense amazement of the hall-porter, who tried in vain to stop him, and drove at once to Park Lane. Sibyl saw him from the window, and something told her that he was the bearer of good news. She ran down to meet him, and, when she saw his face, she knew that all was well.

'My dear Sibyl,' cried Lord Arthur, 'let us be married tomorrow!'

'You foolish boy! Why, the cake is not even ordered!' said Sibyl, laughing through her tears.

昨天早上七点钟，著名手相师塞普蒂默斯·R. 波杰斯先生的尸体被河水冲到了格林尼治岸边，就在船舰酒店门前。此前，这位不幸的绅士已经失踪了一段时间，手相界人士为他的安全深感担忧。据推测，他自杀的原因是劳累过度导致的暂时性精神错乱，而验尸陪审团也于今日下午得出了同样的结论。波杰斯先生刚刚完成了一篇关于人手的详尽论文，将于近期发表，届时必将引起广泛关注。死者现年六十五岁，身后似乎没有任何亲属。

亚瑟勋爵冲出俱乐部，忘了放下手里的报纸。大厅门房吃惊不小，却也没能阻止住他。他立刻坐车去了公园巷。西比尔隔着窗子看见了他，突然间预感到他是带着好消息来的，于是跑下楼去迎接他。一看到他的脸，她就明白天下已经太平了。

“亲爱的西比尔，”亚瑟勋爵叫道，“我们明天就结婚吧！”

“你这个傻孩子！干吗，蛋糕都还没订呢！”西比尔说道，脸上又是笑容又是眼泪。 yu8EkvvqMwghgfiUDuVfnS/q6lmY3vJfwCton62bR9PlXBHnk0tivvLin+JY6gqn