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惊悚（第1页）

惊悚

孪生兄弟Owins

安布罗斯·比尔斯AmbroseBierce

安布罗斯·比尔斯（AmbroseBierce，1842～1914），美国恐怖、灵异小说家，出生在美国俄亥俄州梅格斯县一个贫苦的农民家庭。他参加了美国南北战争，这段不平凡的经历为他以后的文学创作打下了坚实的基础。战争结束后，他开始了一个编辑兼作家的忙碌生涯。他早期的作品主要是随笔和讽刺短诗，也包括一些小说。他比较悲观，被人们称为“辛辣比尔斯”。主要的代表作品有《魔鬼辞典》《士兵和百姓的故事》等。

YouaskmeifinmyexperieneofapairoftwinsIeverobservedanythingunatablebythenaturallaehaveace。Astothatyoushalljudge;perhapswehavenotallacewiththesamenaturallaws。YoumaykIdonot，andwhatistomeunaaybeverycleartoyou。

YoukherJohn-thatis，youknewhimwheIreseheryounor，Ibelieve，anyhumanbeingcoulddistiweenhimandmeifwealike。Ourparentsot;oursistheonlyinstanceofwhichIhaveanyknowledgeofsobla。IspeakofmybrotherJohn，butIamnotatallsurethathisHenryandmineJohn。Wewereregularlyed，butafterward，ioftattooinguswithsmalldistinguishingmarks，theoperatorl;andalthoughIbearuponmyforearmasmall‘H’aisbyaiersoughtnottohavebeentranspourboyhoodourpareinguishusmoreobviouslybyandothersimpledevices，butwewouldsofrequentlyexgesuitsandotherwisettheeheyabandonedallsueffectualattempts，anddurihatwelivedtogetherathomeeverybhedifficultyofthesituatioofitbygusboth“Jehnry。”Ihaveoftemyfather’sforbearabrandingusspicuouslyuponourunworthybrows，butasweweretoodboysandusedourpowerofembarrassmentandaheioheiron。Myfatherwas，infagularlygood-naturedman，andIthilyeure’spracticaljoke。

Soonafterwehadetoia，aSaheonlygoodfortuawaiteduswaswithsokindafriendasyou），thefamily，asyouknow，wasbrokenupbythedeathofbothmyparentsinthesameweek。Myfatherdiedihehomesteadwassacrificedtopayhisdebts。MysistersreturivesiowingtoyourkindnessJohnay-twe，obtaiinSanFrandifferehetown。itustolivetogether，andwesaweachotherily，sometimeshanonceaaoofourextraordinarylikenesswaslittleknowhematterofyourinquiry。

OnedaysoonafterwehadetothiscityIwaswalkingdowlateiernoon，whenIwasaccostedbyawelldressedmanofmiddleage，whmecordiallysaid:“Stevens，Iknow，ofcourse，thatyoudonotgooutmuch，butIhavetoldmywifeaboutyou，andshewouldbegladtoseeyouatthehouse。Ihaveanotion，too，thatmygirlsareworthknowing。Supposeyouorrowatsixahus，eheniftheladies’tamuseyouafterwardI’llstandinwithafewgamesofbilliards。”

ThiswassaidwithshtasmileandsoengagiIhadorefuse，andalthoughIhadhemanilyreplied:“Yood，sir，anditwillgivemegreatpleasuretoaccepttheinvitatiomyentstovanaoexpectme。”

WithashakeofthehandapartingwordthemahathehadmistakenmeformybrotherlaihatwasaowhichIwasaedandwhichitwasnotmyhabittorelessthematterseemedimportant。ButhowhadIknownthatthisman’snamewasMargovaainlyisonelytoamanatrandom，robabilitythatitwht。Inpointoffaamewasasstraheman。

&mIhasteowheremybrotherloyedahimingoutoftheofficewithanumberofbillsthathewastocollehowIhad“itted”himaifhedidokeeptheeIshouldbedelightedtouetheimpersonation。

“That’squeer，”hesaidthoughtfully。“MargovanistheonlymanintheofficeherewhomIknowwellandlike。Whehismandassedtheusualgreetingssomesingularimpulsepromptedmetosay:‘Oh，Ibegyourpardovan，butIoaskyottheaddress，butwhatuhesunIwastodowithit，Ididnotknowuntilnow。It’sgoodofyoutooffertotakethepudeI’lleatthatdinnermyself，ifyouplease。”

&eanumberofdihesameplace-morethanweregoodforhim，Imayaddwiththeirquality;forhefellihMissMargovan，pretoheralesslyaccepted。

SeveralweeksafterIhadbeeheebeforeithadbeeformetomaketheaceoftheyoungwomanandherfamily，Imetonedayoahasomeated-lookingmanwhomsomethiofollohichIdidlewhatever。Heturreetailheioherehelookedathiswatehesquare。Heloiteredaboutthepathsforsometime，evidentlywaitingforsomeolyhewasjoinedbyafashionablydressedaifulyoungwomaayupStoStreet，Ifollowing。Iheyofextreme，fhthegirlwasastraomethatshewaglaheymadeseveralturnsfromoherandfinally，afterbothhadtakenahastylookallabout-whiarrowlyevadedbysteppingintoadoorway-theyenteredahouseofwhiotcaretostatethelo。Itslowasbetterthanitscharacter。

Iprotestthatmyaplayingthespyuporangerswaswithoutassigive。ItwasoneofwhichImighthtnotbeashamed，agtomyestimateofthecharacterofthepersonfindingitout。Asaialpartofanarrativeeducedbyyourquestioedherewithouthesitane。

&erJohhehouseofhisprospectivefather-in-law，andinMissMargovan，asyouhavealreadysurmised，buttomyprofoundasto，Ireizedtheheroidiscreditableadventure。Agloriouslybeautifulheroineofadiscreditableadveihatshewas;butthatfalythisimportayrisetomethatitcastadoubtupohtheyoungwomanIhadseenbefore;howarvellousfasofherfacehavefailedtostrikemeatthattime?Butno-thereossibilityoferror;thedifferencewasduetoe，lightandgeneralsurroundings。

Johnaheeveningatthehouse，enduring，withthefortitudeoflongexperience，suchdelioughbanterasourlikeurallysuggested。WhentheyoungladyaaloneforafewminutesIlookedhersquarelyinthefadsaidwithsuddengravity:“You，too，MissMargovan，haveadouble:IsawherlastTuesdayafternooninUnionSquare。”

&raigreyeyesuponmeforamoment，butherglariflelesssteadythanmyowhdrewit，fixingitoipofhershoe。

“Wassheverylikeme?”sheasked，withanindifferencewhichIthoughtalittleoverdone。

“Solike，”saidI，“thatIgreatlyadmiredher，andbeingunwilliofherIfessthatIfollowedheruntil-MissMargovan，areyousurethatyouuand?”

Sheale，butentirelycalm。Sheagainraisedhereyestomihalookthatdidnotfalter。

“Whatdoyouwishmetodo?”sheasked。“Youfeartoerms。Iacceptthem。”

Itlaihebrieftimegivenmeforrefle，thatihthisgirlordihodswouldnotdo，andordiionswereneedless。

“MissMargovan，”Isaid，doubtlesswithsomethingoftheyvoicethatIhadiisimpossiblenottothiimofsomehorriblepulsiohanimposenewembarrassmentsuponyouIwouldprefertoaidyainyourfreedom。”

Sheshookherhead，sadlyandhopelessly，andIued，>

“Yourbeautyunnervesme。Iamdisarmedbyyourfranknessandyourdistress。Ifyouarefreetoaceyouwill，Ibelieve，dowhatyouceivetobebest;ifyouarenot-usall!YouhavenothingtofearfrommebutsuchoppositionteasItrytojustifyon-rounds。”

&myexactwords，butthatwasthesehem，asnearlyasmysuddenandgemotioedmetoexpressit。Iroseaaher，mettheothersastheyre-eheroomandsaid，ascalmlyasIcould:“IhavebeenbiddingMissMargovaislaterthanIthought。”

Johogowithme。IheaskedifIhadobservedanythingsingularinJulia’smanner。

“Ithoughtherill，”Ireplied;“thatiswhyIleft。”Nothingmore>