A Strange Story — CompleteLytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Science
A Strange Story — Complete
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
English fiction -- 19th century
“Show us Dr. Fenwick’s room. You had better put up, sir, whatever things
you have brought here. I will go upstairs with you,” he whispered again.
“Come, Dr. Fenwick, I am in the discharge of my duty.”
Something in the man’s manner was so sinister and menacing that I felt
at once that some new and strange calamity had befallen me. I turned
towards Strahan. He was at the threshold, speaking in a low voice to
the subordinate policeman, and there was an expression of amazement and
horror in his countenance. As I came towards him he darted away without
a word.
I went up the stairs, entered my bedroom, the superintendent close
behind me. As I took up mechanically the few things I had brought
with me, the police-officer drew them from me with an abruptness that
appeared insolent, and deliberately searched the pockets of the coat
which I had worn the evening before, then opened the drawers in the
room, and even pried into the bed.
“What do you mean?” I asked haughtily.
“Excuse me, sir. Duty. You are-”
“Well, I am what?”
“My prisoner; here is the warrant.”
“Warrant! on what charge?”
“The murder of Sir Philip Derval.”
“I--I! Murder!” I could say no more.
I must hurry over this awful passage in my marvellous record. It is
torture to dwell on the details; and indeed I have so sought to chase
them from my recollection, that they only come back to me in hideous
fragments, like the incoherent remains of a horrible dream.
All that I need state is as follows: Early on the very morning on which
I had been arrested, a man, a stranger in the town, had privately sought
Mr. Vigors, and deposed that on the night of the murder, he had been
taking refuge from a sudden storm under shelter of the eaves and
buttresses of a wall adjoining an old archway; that he had heard men
talking within the archway; had heard one say to the other, “You still
bear me a grudge.” The other had replied, “I can forgive you on one
condition.” That he then lost much of the conversation that ensued,
which was in a lower voice; but he gathered enough to know that the
condition demanded by the one was the possession of a casket which the
other carried about with him; that there seemed an altercation on this
matter between the two men, which, to judge by the tones of voice, was
angry on the part of the man demanding the casket; that, finally, this
man said in a loud key, “Do you still refuse?” and on receiving the
answer, which the witness did not overhear, exclaimed threateningly, “It
is you who will repent,” and then stepped forth from the arch into the
street. The rain had then ceased, but by a broad flash of lightning
the witness saw distinctly the figure of the person thus quitting the
shelter of the arch,--a man of tall stature, powerful frame, erect
carriage. A little time afterwards, witness saw a slighter and older man
come forth from the arch, whom he could only examine by the flickering
ray of the gas-lamp near the wall, the lightning having ceased, but whom
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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