twice-told tales- the ambitious guest-第3部分

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their　bed　apart；　and　here　the　father's　frame　of　strength；　the　mother's

subdued　and　careful　mien；　the　high…browed　youth；　the　budding　girl；　and

the　good　old　grandam；　still　knitting　in　the　warmest　place。　The　aged

woman　looked　up　from　her　task；　and；　with　fingers　ever　busy；　was　the

next　to　speak。

　　　〃Old　folks　have　their　notions；〃　said　she；　〃as　well　as　young　ones。

You've　been　wishing　and　planning；　and　letting　your　heads　run　on　one

thing　and　another；　till　you've　set　my　mind　a…wandering　too。　Now　what

should　an　old　woman　wish　for；　when　she　can　go　but　a　step　or　two　before

she　comes　to　her　grave？　Children；　it　will　haunt　me　night　and　day

till　I　tell　you。〃

　　　〃What　is　it；　mother？〃　cried　the　husband　and　wife　at　once。

　　　Then　the　old　woman；　with　an　air　of　mystery　which　drew　the　circle

closer　round　the　fire；　informed　them　that　she　had　provided　her

grave…clothes　some　years　before…　a　nice　linen　shroud；　a　cap　with　a

muslin　ruff；　and　everything　of　a　finer　sort　than　she　had　worn　since

her　wedding　day。　But　this　evening　an　old　superstition　had　strangely

recurred　to　her。　It　used　to　be　said；　in　her　younger　days；　that　if

anything　were　amiss　with　a　corpse；　if　only　the　ruff　were　not　smooth；

or　the　cap　did　not　set　right；　the　corpse　in　the　coffin　and　beneath　the

clods　would　strive　to　put　up　its　cold　hands　and　arrange　it。　The　bare

thought　made　her　nervous。

　　　〃Don't　talk　so；　grandmother！〃　said　the　girl；　shuddering。

　　　〃Now；〃　continued　the　old　woman；　with　singular　earnestness；　yet

smiling　strangely　at　her　own　folly；　〃I　want　one　of　you；　my　children…

when　your　mother　is　dressed　and　in　the　coffin…　I　want　one　of　you　to

hold　a　looking…glass　over　my　face。　Who　knows　but　I　may　take　a

glimpse　at　myself；　and　see　whether　all's　right？〃

　　　〃Old　and　young；　we　dream　of　graves　and　monuments；〃　murmured　the

stranger　youth。　〃I　wonder　how　mariners　feel　when　the　ship　is

sinking；　and　they；　unknown　and　undistinguished；　are　to　be　buried

together　in　the　ocean…　that　wide　and　nameless　sepulchre？〃

　　　For　a　moment；　the　old　woman's　ghastly　conception　so　engrossed　the

minds　of　her　hearers　that　a　sound　abroad　in　the　night；　rising　like　the

roar　of　a　blast；　had　grown　broad；　deep；　and　terrible；　before　the　fated

group　were　conscious　of　it。　The　house　and　all　within　it　trembled；

the　foundations　of　the　earth　seemed　to　be　shaken；　as　if　this　awful

sound　were　the　peal　of　the　last　trump。　Young　and　old　exchanged　one

wild　glance；　and　remained　an　instant；　pale；　affrighted；　without

utterance；　or　power　to　move。　Then　the　same　shriek　burst　simultaneously

from　all　their　lips。

　　　〃The　Slide！　The　Slide！〃

　　　The　simplest　words　must　intimate；　but　not　portray；　the

unutterable　horror　of　the　catastrophe。　The　victims　rushed　from　their

cottage；　and　sought　refuge　in　what　they　deemed　a　safer　spot…　where；　in

contemplation　of　such　an　emergency；　a　sort　of　barrier　had　been　reared。

Alas！　they　had　quitted　their　security；　and　fled　right　into　the　pathway

of　destruction。　Down　came　the　whole　side　of　the　mountain；　in　a

cataract　of　ruin。　Just　before　it　reached　the　house；　the　stream　broke

into　two　branches…　shivered　not　a　window　there；　but　overwhelmed　the

whole　vicinity；　blocked　up　the　road；　and　annihilated　everything　in　its

dreadful　course。　Long　ere　the　thunder　of　the　great　Slide　had　ceased　to

roar　among　the　mountains；　the　mortal　agony　had　been　endured；　and　the

victims　were　at　peace。　Their　bodies　were　never　found。

　　　The　next　morning；　the　light　smoke　was　seen　stealing　from　the

cottage　chimney　up　the　mountain　side。　Within；　the　fire　was　yet

smouldering　on　the　hearth；　and　the　chairs　in　a　circle　round　it；　as

if　the　inhabitants　had　but　gone　forth　to　view　the　devastation　of　the

Slide；　and　would　shortly　return；　to　thank　Heaven　for　their

miraculous　escape。　All　had　left　separate　tokens；　by　which　those　who

had　known　the　family　were　made　to　shed　a　tear　for　each。　Who　has　not

heard　their　name？　The　story　has　been　told　far　and　wide；　and　will

forever　be　a　legend　of　these　mountains。　Poets　have　sung　their　fate。

　　　There　were　circumstances　which　led　some　to　suppose　that　a

stranger　had　been　received　into　the　cottage　on　this　awful　night；　and

had　shared　the　catastrophe　of　all　its　inmates。　Others　denied　that

there　were　sufficient　grounds　for　such　a　conjecture。　Wo　for　the

high…souled　youth；　with　his　dream　of　Earthly　Immortality！　His　name　and

person　utterly　unknown；　his　history；　his　way　of　life；　his　plans；　a

mystery　never　to　be　solved；　his　death　and　his　existence　equally　a

doubt！　Whose　was　the　agony　of　that　death　moment？





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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