AsTom,quakingaswithapalsy,passedoutatthegate,threewomencameflyingfromthehouseontheoppositesideofthelane。
Theyrushedbyhimandinatthegate,askinghimwhatthetroublewasthere,butnotwaitingforananswer。
Tomsaidtohimself,\"Thoseoldmaidswaitedtodress——theydidthesamethingthenightStevens’shouseburneddownnextdoor。\"
Inafewminuteshewasinthehauntedhouse。Helightedacandleandtookoffhisgirl—clothes。Therewasbloodonhimalldownhisleftside,andhisrighthandwasredwiththestainsoftheblood—soakednoteswhichhehascrushedinit;butotherwisehewasfreefromthissortofevidence。Hecleansedhishandonthestraw,andcleanedmostofthesmutfromhisface。Thenheburnedthemaleandfemaleattiretoashes,scatteredtheashes,andputonadisguiseproperforatramp。Heblewouthislight,wentbelow,andwassoonloafingdowntheriverroadwiththeintenttoborrowanduseoneofRoxy’sdevices。Hefoundacanoeandpaddleddowndownstream,settingthecanoeadriftasdawnapproached,andmakinghiswaybylandtothenextvillage,wherehekeptoutofsighttillatransientsteamercamealong,andthentookdeckpassageforSt。Louis。HewasillateaseDawson’sLandingwasbehindhim;thenhesaidtohimself,\"Allthedetectivesonearthcouldn’ttracemenow;there’snotavestigeofaclueleftintheworld;thathomicidewilltakeitsplacewiththepermanentmysteries,andpeoplewon’tgetdonetryingtoguessoutthesecretofitforfiftyyears。\"
InSt。Louis,nextmorning,hereadthisbrieftelegraminthepapers——datedatDawson’sLanding:
JudgeDriscoll,anoldandrespectedcitizen,wasassassinatedhereaboutmidnightbyaprofligateItaliannoblemanorabarberonaccountofaquarrelgrowingoutoftherecentelection。
Theassassinwillprobablybelynched。
\"Oneofthetwins!\"soliloquizedTom。\"Howlucky!
Itistheknifethathasdonehimthisgrace。Weneverknowwhenfortuneistryingtofavorus。IactuallycursedPudd’nheadWilsoninmyheartforputtingitoutofmypowertosellthatknife。
Itakeitbacknow。\"
Tomwasnowrichandindependent。Hearrangedwiththeplanter,andmailedtoWilsonthenewbillofsalewhichsoldRoxanatoherself;thenhetelegraphedhisAuntPratt:
Haveseentheawfulnewsinthepapersandamalmostprostratedwithgrief。Shallstartbypackettoday。
TrytobearuptillIcome。
WhenWilsonreachedthehouseofmourningandhadgatheredsuchdetailsasMrs。Prattandtherestofthecrowdcouldtellhim,hetookcommandasmayor,andgaveordersthatnothingshouldbetouched,buteverythingleftasitwasuntilJusticeRobinsonshouldarriveandtakethepropermeasuresascorner。
Heclearedeverybodyoutoftheroombutthetwinsandhimself。
Thesheriffsoonarrivedandtookthetwinsawaytojail。
Wilsontoldthemtokeepheart,andpromisedtodoitbestintheirdefensewhenthecaseshouldcometotrial。JusticeRobinsoncamepresently,andwithhimConstableBlake。Theyexaminedtheroomthoroughly。Theyfoundtheknifeandthesheath。
Wilsonnoticedthattherewerefingerprintsontheknife’shandle。
Thatpleasedhim,forthetwinshadrequiredtheearliestcomerstomakeascrutinyoftheirhandsandclothes,andneitherthesepeoplenorWilsonhimselfhadfoundanybloodstainsuponthem。
Couldtherebeapossibilitythatthetwinshadspokenthetruthwhentheyhadsaidtheyfoundthemandeadwhentheyranintothehouseinanswertothecryforhelp?Hethoughtofthatmysteriousgirlatonce。Butthiswasnotthesortofworkforagirltobeengagedin。Nomatter;TomDriscoll’sroommustbeexamined。
Afterthecoroner’sjuryhadviewedthebodyanditssurroundings,Wilsonsuggestedasearchupstairs,andhewentalong。
ThejuryforcedanentrancetoTom’sroom,butfoundnothing,ofcourse。
Thecoroner’sjuryfoundthatthehomicidewascommittedbyLuigi,andthatAngelowasaccessorytoit。
Thetownwasbitteragainsthemisfortunates,andforthefirstfewdaysafterthemurdertheywereinconstantdangerofbeinglynched。ThegrandjurypresentlyindictedLuigiformurderinthefirstdegree,andAngeloasaccessorybeforethefact。
Thetwinsweretransferredfromthecityjailtothecountyprisontoawaittrial。
Wilsonexaminedthefingermarksontheknifehandleandsaidtohimself,\"Neitherofthetwinsmadethosemarks。\"
Thenmanifestlytherewasanotherpersonconcerned,eitherinhisowninterestorashiredassassin。\"
Butwhocoulditbe?That,hemusttrytofindout。
Thesafewasnotopened,thecashboxwasclosed,andhadthreethousanddollarsinit。Thenrobberywasnotthemotive,andrevengewas。WherehadthemurderedmananenemyexceptLuigi?
Therewasbutthatonepersonintheworldwithadeepgrudgeagainsthim。
Themysteriousgirl!ThegirlwasagreattrialtoWilson。
Ifthemotivehadbeenrobbery,thegirlmightanswer;buttherewasn’tanygirlthatwouldwanttotakethisoldman’slifeforrevenge。
Hehadnoquarrelswithgirls;hewasagentleman。
Wilsonhadperfecttracingsofthefingermarksoftheknifehandle;
andamonghisglassrecordshehadagreatarrayoffingerprintsofwomenandgirls,collectedduringthelastfifteenoreighteenyears,buthescannedtheminvain,theysuccessfullywithstoodeverytest;amongthemwerenoduplicatesoftheprintsontheknife。
ThepresenceoftheknifeonthestageofthemurderwasaworryingcircumstanceforWilson。AweekpreviouslyhehadasgoodasadmittedtohimselfthathebelievedLuigihadpossessedsuchaknife,andthathestillpossesseditnotwithstandinghispretensethatithadbeenstolen。Andnowherewastheknife,andwithitthetwins。Halfthetownhadsaidthetwinswerehumbuggingwhentheclaimedtheyhadlosttheirknife,andnowthesepeoplewerejoyful,andsaid,\"Itoldyouso!\"
Iftheirfingerprintshadbeenonthehandle——butuselesstobotheranyfurtheraboutthat;thefingerprintsonthehandlewereNOTtheirs——thatheknewperfectly。
WilsonrefusedtosuspectTom;forfirst,Tomcouldn’tmurderanybody——hehadn’tcharacterenough;secondly,ifhecouldmurderapersonhewouldn’tselecthisdotingbenefactorandnearestrelative;thirdly,self—interestwasintheway;
forwhiletheunclelived,Tomwassureofafreesupportandachancetogetthedestroyedwillrevivedagain,butwiththeunclegone,thatchancewasgonetoo。Itwastruethewillhadreallybeenrevived,aswasnowdiscovered,butTomcouldnothavebeenawareofit,orhewouldhavespokenofit,inhisnativetalky,unsecretiveway。Finally,TomwasinSt。Louiswhenthemurderwasdone,andgotthenewsoutofthemorningjournals,aswasshownbyhistelegramtohisaunt。Thesespeculationswereumemphasizedsensationsratherthanarticulatedthoughts,forWilsonwouldhavelaughedattheideaofseriouslyconnectingTomwiththemurder。
Wilsonregardedthecaseofthetwinsasdesperate——infact,abouthopeless。Forhearguedthatifaconfederatewasnotfound,anenlightenedMissourijurywouldhangthem;sure;
ifaconfederatewasfound,thatwouldnotimprovethematter,butsimplyfurnishonemorepersonforthesherifftohang。
Nothingcouldsavethetwinsbutthediscoveryofapersonwhodidthemurderonhissolepersonalaccount——anundertakingwhichhadalltheaspectoftheimpossible。Still,thepersonwhomadethefingerprintsmustbesought。ThetwinsmighthavenocaseWITHthem,buttheycertainlywouldhavenonewithouthim。
SoWilsonmoonedaround,thinking,thinking,guessing,guessing,dayandnight,andarrivingnowhere。Wheneverheranacrossagirlorawomanhewasnotacquaintedwith,hegotherfingerprints,ononepretextoranother;andtheyalwayscosthimasighwhenhegothome,fortheynevertalliedwiththefingermarksontheknifehandle。
Astothemysteriousgirl,Tomsworeheknewnosuchgirl,anddidnotremembereverseeingagirlwearingadressliketheonedescribedbyWilson。Headmittedthathedidnotalwayslockhisroom,andthatsometimestheservantsforgottolockthehousedoors;still,inhisopinionthegirlmusthavemadebutfewvisitsorshewouldhavebeendiscovered。WhenWilsontriedtoconnectherwiththestealingraid,andthoughtshemighthavebeentheoldwoman’confederate,ifnottheverythiefdisguisedasanoldwoman,Tomseemedstuck,andalsomuchinterested,andsaidhewouldkeepasharpeyeoutforthispersonorpersons,althoughhewasafraidthatsheortheywouldbetoosmarttoventureagainintoatownwhereeverybodywouldnowbeonthewatchforagoodwhiletocome。
EverybodywaspityingTom,helookedsoquietandsorrowful,andseemedtofeelhisgreatlosssodeeply。Hewasplayingapart,butitwasnotallapart。Thepictureofhisallegeduncle,ashehadlastseenhim,wasbeforehiminthedarkprettyfrequently,whenhewasaway,andcalledagaininhisdreams,whenhewasasleep。Hewouldn’tgointotheroomwherethetragedyhadhappened。ThischarmedthedotingMrs。Pratt,whorealizednow,\"asshehadneverdonebefore,\"shesaid,whatasensitiveanddelicatenatureherdarlinghad,andhowheadoredhispooruncle。
CHAPTER20
TheMurdererChucklesEventheclearestandmostperfectcircumstantialevidenceislikelytobeatfault,afterall,andthereforeoughttobereceivedwithgreatcaution。Takethecaseofanypencil,sharpenedbyanywoman;ifyouhavewitnesses,youwillfindshediditwithaknife;butifyoutakesimplytheaspectofthepencil,youwillsayshediditwithherteeth。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarTheweeksdraggedalong,nofriendvisitingthejailedtwinsbuttheircounselandAuntPatsyCooper,andthedayoftrialcameatlast——theheaviestdayinWilson’slife;forwithallhistirelessdiligencehehaddiscoverednosignortraceofthemissingconfederate。\"Confederate\"wasthetermhehadlongagoprivatelyacceptedforthatperson——notasbeingunquestionablytherightterm,butasbeingtheleastpossiblytherightone,thoughhewasneverabletounderstandwhythetwinsdidnotvanishandescape,astheconfederatehaddone,insteadofremainingbythemurderedmanandgettingcaughtthere。
Thecourthousewascrowded,ofcourse,andwouldremainsotothefinish,fornotonlyinthetownitself,butinthecountryformilesaround,thetrialwastheonetopicofconversationamongthepeople。Mrs。Pratt,indeepmourning,andTomwithaweedonhishat,hadseatsnearPembrokeHoward,thepublicprosecutor,andbackofthemsatagreatarrayoffriendsofthefamily。Thetwinshadbutonefriendpresenttokeeptheircounselincountenance,theirpooroldsorrowinglandlady。
ShesatnearWilson,andlookedherfriendliest。Inthe\"niggercorner\"satChambers;alsoRoxy,withgoodclotheson,andherbillofsaleinherpocket。Itwashermostpreciouspossession,andsheneverpartedwithit,dayornight。Tomhadallowedherthirty—fivedollarsamontheversincehecameintohisproperty,andhadsaidtheheandsheoughttobegratefultothetwinsformakingthemrich;buthadrousedsuchatemperinherbythisspeechthathedidnotrepeattheargumentafterward。Shesaidtheoldjudgehadtreatedherchildathousandtimesbetterthanhedeserved,andhadneverdoneheranunkindnessinhislife;
soshehatedtheseoutlandishdevilsforkillinghim,andshouldn’teversleepsatisfiedtillshesawthemhangedforit。
Shewasheretowatchthetrialnow,andwasgoingtoliftupjustone\"hooraw\"overitifthecountyjudgeputherinjailayearforit。
Shegaveherturbanedheadatossandsaid,\"Whendatverdic’comes,I’sgwinetolif’datROOF,now,ITELLyou。\"
PembrokeHowardbrieflysketchedthestate’scase。
Hesaidhewouldshowbyachainofcircumstantialevidencewithoutbreakorfaultinitanywhere,thattheprincipalprisoneratthebarcommittedthemurder;thatthemotivewaspartlyrevenge,andpartlyadesiretotakehisownlifeoutofjeopardy,andthathisbrother,byhispresence,wasaconsentingaccessorytothecrime;
acrimewhichwasthebasestknowntothecalendarofhumanmisdeeds——assassination;thatitwasconceivedbytheblackestofheartsandconsummatedbythecowardliestofhands;
acrimewhichhadbrokenalovingsister’sheart,blightedthehappinessofayoungnephewwhowasasdearasason,broughtinconsolablegrieftomanyfriends,andsorrowandlosstothewholecommunity。Theutmostpenaltyoftheoutragedlawwouldbeexacted,andupontheaccused,nowpresentatthebar,thatpenaltywouldunquestionablybeexecuted。Hewouldreservefurtherremarkuntilhisclosingspeech。
Hewasstronglymoved,andsoalsowasthewholehouse;
Mrs。Prattandseveralotherwomenwereweepingwhenhesatdown,andmanyaneyethatwasfullofhatewasrivetedupontheunhappyprisoners。
Witnessafterwitnesswascalledbythestate,andquestionedatlength;butthecrossquestioningwasbrief。
Wilsonknewtheycouldfurnishnothingvaluableforhisside。
PeopleweresorryforPudd’nheadWilson;hisbuddingcareerwouldgethurtbythistrial。
SeveralwitnessessworetheyheardJudgeDriscollsayinhispublicspeechthatthetwinswouldbeabletofindtheirlostknifeagainwhentheyneededittoassassinatesomebodywith。
Thiswasnotnews,butnowitwasseentohavebeensorrowfullyprophetic,andaprofoundsensationquiveredthroughthehushedcourtroomwhenthosedismalwordswererepeated。
Thepublicprosecutorroseandsaidthatitwaswithinhisknowledge,throughaconversationheldwithJudgeDriscollonthelastdayofhislife,thatcounselforthedefensehadbroughthimachallengefromthepersonchargedatthebarwithmurder;
thathehadrefusedtofightwithaconfessedassassin——
\"thatis,onthefieldofhonor,\"buthadaddedsignificantly,thatwouldwouldbereadyforhimelsewhere。PresumablythepersonherechargedwithmurderwaswarnedthathemustkillorbekilledthefirsttimeheshouldmeetJudgeDriscoll。Ifcounselforthedefensechosetoletthestatementstandso,hewouldnotcallhimtothewitnessstand。Mr。Wilsonsaidhewouldoffernodenial。
[Murmursinthehouse:\"ItisgettingworseandworseforWilson’scase。\"]
Mrs。Pratttestifiedthatsheheardnooutcry,anddidnotknowwhatwokeherup,unlessitwasthesoundofrapidfootstepsapproachingthefrontdoor。Shejumpedupandranoutinthehalljustasshewas,andheardthefootstepsflyingupthefrontstepsandthenfollowingbehindherassherantothesittingroom。
Thereshefoundtheaccusedstandingoverhermurderedbrother。
[Hereshebrokedownandsobbed。Sensationinthecourt。]
Resuming,shesaidthepersonsenteredbehindherwereMr。RogersandMr。Buckstone。
Cross—examinedbyWilson,shesaidthetwinsproclaimedtheirinnocence;declaredthattheyhadbeentakingawalk,andhadhurriedtothehouseinresponsetoacryforhelpwhichwassoloudandstrongthattheyhadhearditataconsiderabledistance;thattheybeggedherandthegentlemenjustmentionedtoexaminetheirhandsandclothes——whichwasdone,andnobloodstainsfound。
ConfirmatoryevidencefollowedfromRogersandBuckstone。
Thefindingoftheknifewasverified,theadvertisementminutelydescribingitandofferingarewardforitwasputinevidence,anditsexactcorrespondencewiththatdescriptionproved。
Thenfollowedafewminordetails,andthecaseforthestatewasclosed。
Wilsonsaidthathehadthreewitnesses,theMissesClarkson,whowouldtestifythattheymetaveiledyoungwomanleavingJudgeDriscoll’spremisesbythebackgateafewminutesafterthecriesforhelpwereheard,andthattheirevidence,takenwithcertaincircumstantialevidencewhichhewouldcalltothecourt’sattentionto,wouldinhisopinionconvincethecourtthattherewasstillonepersonconcernedinthiscrimewhohadnotyetbeenfound,andalsothatastayofproceedingsoughttobegranted,injusticetohisclients,untilthatpersonshouldbediscovered。Asitwaslate,hewouldaskleavetodefertheexaminationofhisthreewitnessesuntilthenextmorning。
Thecrowdpouredoutoftheplaceandwentflockingawayinexcitedgroupsandcouples,takingtheeventsofthesessionoverwithvivacityandconsuminginterest,andeverybodyseemedtohavehadasatisfactoryandenjoyabledayexcepttheaccused,theircounsel,andtheiroldladyfriend。Therewasnocheeramongthese,andnosubstantialhope。
InpartingwiththetwinsAuntPatsydidattemptagood—nightwithagaypretenseofhopeandcheerinit,butbrokedownwithoutfinishing。
AbsolutelysecureasTomconsideredhimselftobe,theopeningsolemnitiesofthetrialhadneverthelessoppressedhimwithavagueuneasiness,hisbeinganaturesensitivetoeventhesmallestalarms;butfromthemomentthatthepovertyandweaknessofWilson’scaselayexposedtothecourt,hewascomfortableoncemore,evenjubilant。HeleftthecourtroomsarcasticallysorryforWilson。\"TheClarksonsmetanunknownwomaninthebacklane,\"hesaidtohimself,\"THATishiscase!
I’llgivehimacenturytofindherin——acoupleofthemifhelikes。
Awomanwhodoesn’texistanylonger,andtheclothesthatgaveherhersexburntupandtheashesthrownaway——
oh,certainly,he’llfindHEReasyenough!\"Thisreflectionsethimtoadmiring,forthehundredthtime,theshrewdingenuitiesbywhichhehadinsuredhimselfagainstdetection——more,againstevensuspicion。
\"Nearlyalwaysincaseslikethisthereissomelittledetailorotheroverlooked,someweelittletrackortraceleftbehind,anddetectionfollows;butherethere’snoteventhefaintestsuggestionofatraceleft。Nomorethanabirdleaveswhenitfliesthroughtheair——yes,throughthenight,youmaysay。
Themanthatcantrackabirdthroughtheairinthedarkandfindthatbirdisthemantotrackmeoutandfindthejudge’sassassin——nootherneedapply。AndthatisthejobthathasbeenlaidoutforpoorPudd’nheadWilson,ofallpeopleintheworld!
Lord,itwillbepatheticallyfunnytoseehimgrubbingandgropingafterthatwomanthatdon’texist,andtherightpersonsittingunderhisverynoseallthetime!\"
Themorehethoughtthesituationover,themorethehumorofitstruckhim。Finallyhesaid,\"I’llneverlethimhearthelastofthatwoman。EverytimeIcatchhimincompany,tohisdyingday,I’llaskhimintheguilelessaffectionatewaythatusedtogravelhimsowhenIinquiredhowhisunbornlawbusinesswascomingalong,’Gotonhertrackyet——hey,Pudd’nhead?’\"Hewantedtolaugh,butthatwouldnothaveanswered;therewerepeopleabout,andhewasmourningforhisuncle。HemadeuphismindthatitwouldbegoodentertainmenttolookinonWilsonthatnightandwatchhimworryoverhisbarrenlawcaseandgoadhimwithanexasperatingwordortwoofsympathyandcommiserationnowandthen。
Wilsonwantednosupper,hehadnoappetite。Hegotoutallthefingerprintsofgirlsandwomeninhiscollectionofrecordsandporedgloomilyoverthemanhourormore,tryingtoconvincehimselfthatthattroublesomegirl’smarksweretheresomewhereandhadbeenoverlooked。Butitwasnotso。Hedrewbackhischair,claspedhishandsoverhishead,andgavehimselfuptodullandaridmusings。
TomDriscolldroppedin,anhourafterdark,andsaidwithapleasantlaughashetookaseat:
\"Hello,we’vegonebacktotheamusementsofourdaysofneglectandobscurityforconsolation,havewe?\"andhetookuponeoftheglassstripsandhelditagainstthelighttoinspectit。
\"Come,cheerup,oldman;there’snouseinlosingyourgripandgoingbacktothischild’splaymerelybecausethisbigsunspotisdriftingacrossyourshinynewdisk。It’llpass,andyou’llbeallrightagain\"——andhelaidtheglassdown。
\"Didyouthinkyoucouldwinalways?\"
\"Oh,no,\"saidWilson,withasigh,\"Ididn’texpectthat,butIcan’tbelieveLuigikilledyouruncle,andIfeelverysorryforhim。Itmakesmeblue。AndyouwouldfeelasIdo,Tom,ifyouwerenotprejudicedagainstthoseyoungfellows。\"
\"Idon’tknowaboutthat,\"andTom’scountenancedarkened,forhismemoryrevertedtohiskicking。\"Iowethemnogoodwill,consideringthebrunetone’streatmentofmethatnight。
Prejudiceornoprejudice,Pudd’nhead,Idon’tlikethem,andwhentheygettheirdesertsyou’renotgoingtofindmesittingonthemourner’sbench。\"
Hetookupanotherstripofglass,andexclaimed:
\"Why,here’soldRoxy’slabel!Areyougoingtoornamenttheroyalpalaceswithniggerpawmarks,too?Bythedatehere,Iwassevenmonthsoldwhenthiswasdone,andshewasnursingmeandherlittleniggercub。There’salinestraightacrossherthumbprint。
Howcomesthat?\"andTomheldoutthepieceofglasstoWilson。
\"Thatiscommon,\"saidtheboredman,wearily。
\"Scarofacutorascratch,usually\"——andhetookthestripofglassindifferently,andraisedittowardthelamp。
Allthebloodsanksuddenlyoutofhisface;hishandquaked,andhegazedatthepolishedsurfacebeforehimwiththeglassystareofacorpse。
\"Greatheavens,what’sthematterwithyou,Wilson?
Areyougoingtofaint?\"
Tomsprangforaglassofwaterandofferedit,butWilsonshrankshudderingfromhimandsaid:
\"No,no!——takeitaway!\"Hisbreastwasrisingandfalling,andhemovedhisheadaboutinadullandwanderingway,likeapersonwhohadbeenstunned。Presentlyhesaid,\"IshallfeelbetterwhenIgettobed;Ihavebeenoverwroughttoday;
yes,andoverworkedformanydays。\"
\"ThenI’llleaveyouandletyougettoyourrest。
Goodnight,oldman。\"ButasTomwentouthecouldn’tdenyhimselfasmallpartinggibe:\"Don’ttakeitsohard;abodycan’twineverytime;you’llhangsomebodyyet。\"
Wilsonmutteredtohimself,\"ItisnolietosayIamsorryIhavetobeginwithyou,miserabledogthoughyouare!\"
Hebracedhimselfupwithaglassofcoldwhisky,andwenttoworkagain。HedidnotcomparethenewfingermarksunintentionallyleftbyTomafewminutesbeforeonRoxy’sglasswiththetracingsofthemarksleftontheknifehandle,therebeingnoneedforthat(forhistrainedeye),butbusiedhimselfwithanothermatter,mutteringfromtimetotime,\"IdiotthatIwas!——
NothingbutaGIRLwoulddome——amaningirl’sclothesneveroccurredtome。\"First,hehuntedouttheplatecontainingthefingerprintsmadebyTomwhenhewastwelveyearsold,andlaiditbyitself;thenhebroughtforththemarksmadebyTom’sbabyfingerswhenhewasasucklingofsevenmonths,andplacedthesetwoplateswiththeonecontainingthissubject’snewly(andunconsciously)maderecord\"Nowtheseriesiscomplete,\"hesaidwithsatisfaction,andsatdowntoinspectthesethingsandenjoythem。
Buthisenjoymentwasbrief。Hestaredaconsiderabletimeatthethreestrips,andseemedstupefiedwithastonishment。
Atlastheputthemdownandsaid,\"Ican’tmakeitoutatall——
hangit,thebaby’sdon’ttallywiththeothers!\"
Hewalkedthefloorforhalfanhourpuzzlingoverhisenigma,thenhehuntedouttheotherglassplates。
Hesatdownandpuzzledoverthesethingsagoodwhile,butkeptmuttering,\"It’snouse;Ican’tunderstandit。
Theydon’ttallyright,andyetI’llswearthenamesanddatesareright,andsoofcoursetheyOUGHTtotally。Ineverlabeledoneofthesethingcarelesslyinmylife。Thereisamostextraordinarymysteryhere。\"
Hewastiredoutnow,andhisbrainswerebeginningtoclog。
Hesaidhewouldsleephimselffresh,andthenseewhathecoulddowiththisriddle。Hesleptthroughatroubledandunrestfulhour,thenunconsciousnessbegantoshredaway,andpresentlyherosedrowsilytoasittingposture。\"Nowwhatwasthatdream?\"
hesaid,tryingtorecallit。\"Whatwasthatdream?Itseemedtounravelthatpuz——\"
Helandedinthemiddleoftheflooratabound,withoutfinishingthesentence,andranandturneduphislightandseizedhis\"records。\"Hetookasingleswiftglanceatthemandcriedout:
\"It’sso!Heavens,whatarevelation!Andfortwenty—threeyearsnomanhaseversuspectedit!\"
CHAPTER21
DoomHeisuselessontopoftheground;heoughttobeunderit,inspiringthecabbages。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarAPRIL1。Thisisthedayuponwhichweareremindedofwhatweareontheotherthreehundredandsixty—four。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarWilsonputonenoughclothesforbusinesspurposesandwenttoworkunderahighpressureofsteam。Hewasawakeallover。
Allsenseofwearinesshadbeensweptawaybytheinvigoratingrefreshmentofthegreatandhopefuldiscoverywhichhehadmade。
Hemadefineandaccuratereproductionsofanumberofhis\"records,\"andthenenlargedthemonascaleoftentoonewithhispantograph。Hedidthesepantographenlargementsonsheetsofwhitecardboard,andmadeeachindividuallineofthebewilderingmazeofwhorlsorcurvesorloopswhichconsistedofthe\"pattern\"ofa\"record\"standoutboldandblackbyreinforcingitwithink。Totheuntrainedeyethecollectionofdelicateoriginalsmadebythehumanfingerontheglassplateslookedaboutalike;butwhenenlargedtentimestheyresembledthemarkingsofablockofwoodthathasbeensawedacrossthegrain,andthedullesteyecoulddetectataglance,andatadistanceofmanyfeet,thatnotwoofthepatternswerealike。
WhenWilsonhadatlastfinishedhistediousanddifficultwork,hearrangedhisresultsaccordingtoaplaninwhichaprogressiveorderandsequencewasaprincipalfeature;thenheaddedtothebatchseveralpantographenlargementswhichhehadmadefromtimetotimeinbygoneyears。
Thenightwasspentandthedaywelladvancednow。Bythetimehehadsnatchedatrifleofbreakfast,itwasnineo’clock,andthecourtwasreadytobeginitssitting。Hewasinhisplacetwelveminuteslaterwithhis\"records。\"
TomDriscollcaughtaslightglimpseoftherecords,andnudgedhisnearestfriendandsaid,withawink,\"Pudd’nhead’sgotarareeyetobusiness——thinksthataslongashecan’twinhiscaseit’satleastanoblegoodchancetoadvertisehiswindowpalacedecorationswithoutanyexpense。\"Wilsonwasinformedthathiswitnesseshadbeendelayed,butwouldarrivepresently;butheroseandsaidheshouldprobablynothaveoccasiontomakeuseoftheirtestimony。[Anamusedmurmurranthroughtheroom:\"It’sacleanbackdown!hegivesupwithouthittingalick!\"]Wilsoncontinued:\"Ihaveothertestimony——
andbetter。[Thiscompelledinterest,andevokedmurmursofsurprisethathadadetectableingredientofdisappointmentinthem。]
IfIseemtobespringingthisevidenceuponthecourt,Iofferasmyjustificationforthis,thatIdidnotdiscoveritsexistenceuntillatelastnight,andhavebeenengagedinexaminingandclassifyingiteversince,untilhalfanhourago。
Ishallofferitpresently;butfirstIwithtosayafewpreliminarywords。
\"Mayitpleasethecourt,theclaimgiventhefrontplace,theclaimmostpersistentlyurged,theclaimmoststrenuouslyandImayevensayaggressivelyanddefiantlyinsisteduponbytheprosecutionisthis——thatthepersonwhosehandleftthebloodstainedfingerprintsuponthehandleoftheIndianknifeisthepersonwhocommittedthemurder。\"Wilsonpaused,duringseveralmoments,togiveimpressivenesstowhathewasabouttosay,andthenaddedtranquilly,\"WEGRANTTHATCLAIM。\"
Itwasanelectricalsurprise。Noonewaspreparedforsuchanadmission。Abuzzofastonishmentroseonallsides,andpeoplewereheardtointimatethattheoverworkedlawyerhadlosthismind。Eventheveteranjudge,accustomedashewastolegalambushesandmaskedbatteriesincriminalprocedure,wasnotsurethathisearswerenotdeceivinghim,andaskedcounselwhatitwashehadsaid。Howard’simpassivefacebetrayednosign,buthisattitudeandbearinglostsomethingoftheircarelessconfidenceforamoment。Wilsonresumed:
\"Wenotonlygrantthatclaim,butwewelcomeitandstronglyendorseit。Leavingthatmatterforthepresent,wewillnowproceedtoconsiderotherpointsinthecasewhichweproposetoestablishbyevidence,andshallincludethatoneinthechaininitsproperplace。\"
Hehadmadeuphismindtotryafewhardyguesses,inmappingouthistheoryoftheoriginandmotiveofthemurder——
guessesdesignedtofillupgapsinit——guesseswhichcouldhelpiftheyhit,andwouldprobablydonoharmiftheydidn’t。
\"Tomymind,certaincircumstancesofthecasebeforethecourtseemtosuggestamotiveforthehomicidequitedifferentfromtheoneinsistedonbythestate。Itismyconvictionthatthemotivewasnotrevenge,butrobbery。Ithasbeenurgedthatthepresenceoftheaccusedbrothersinthatfatalroom,justafternotificationthatoneofthemmusttakethelifeofJudgeDriscollorlosehisownthemomentthepartiesshouldmeet,clearlysignifiesthatthenaturalofself—preservationmovedmyclientstogotheresecretlyandsaveCountLuigibydestroyinghisadversary。
\"Thenwhydidtheystaythere,afterthedeedwasdone?
Mrs。Pratthadtime,althoughshedidnothearthecryforhelp,butwokeupsomemomentslater,toruntothatroom——andthereshefoundthesemenstandingandmakingnoefforttoescape。
Iftheywereguilty,theyoughttohavebeenrunningoutofthehouseatthesametimethatshewasrunningtothatroom。
Iftheyhadhadsuchastronginstincttowardself—preservationastomovethemtokillthatunarmedman,whathadbecomeofitnow,whenitshouldhavebeenmorealertthanever。Wouldanyofushaveremainedthere?Letusnotslanderourintelligencetothatdegree。
\"Muchstresshasbeenlaiduponthefactthattheaccusedofferedaverylargerewardfortheknifewithwhichthismurderwasdone;thatnothiefcameforwardtoclaimthatextraordinaryreward;thatthelatterfactwasgoodcircumstantialevidencethattheclaimthattheknifehadbeenstolenwasavanityandafraud;thatthesedetailstakeninconnectionwiththememorableandapparentlypropheticspeechofthedeceasedconcerningthatknife,andthefinallydiscoveryofthatveryknifeinthefatalroomwherenolivingpersonwasfoundpresentwiththeslaughteredmanbuttheowneroftheknifeandhisbrother,formanindestructiblechainofevidencewhichfixedthecrimeuponthoseunfortunatestrangers。
\"ButIshallpresentlyasktobesworn,andshalltestifythattherewasalargerewardofferedfortheTHIEF,also;
anditwasofferedsecretlyandnotadvertised;thatthisfactwasindiscreetlymentioned——oratleasttacitlyadmitted——inwhatwassupposedtobesafecircumstances,butmayNOThavebeen。
Thethiefmayhavebeenpresenthimself。[TomDriscollhadbeenlookingatthespeaker,butdroppedhiseyesatthispoint。]
Inthatcasehewouldretaintheknifeinhispossession,notdaringtoofferitforsale,orforpledgeinapawnshop。[Therewasanoddingofheadsamongtheaudiencebywayofadmissionthatthiswasnotabadstroke。]IshallprovetothesatisfactionofthejurythatthereWASapersoninJudgeDriscoll’sroomseveralminutesbeforetheaccusedenteredit。[Thisproducedastrongsensation;thelastdrowsyheadinthecourtroomrousedupnow,andmadepreparationtolisten。]Ifitshallseemnecessary,IwillprovebytheMissesClarksonthattheymetaveiledperson——
ostensiblyawoman——comingoutofthebackgateafewminutesafterthecryforhelpwasheard。Thispersonwasnotawoman,butamandressedinwoman’sclothes。\"Anothersensation。
WilsonhadhiseyeonTomwhenhehazardedthisguess,toseewhateffectitwouldproduce。Hewassatisfiedwiththeresult,andsaidtohimself,\"Itwasasuccess——he’shit!\"
Theobjectofthatpersoninthathousewasrobbery,notmurder。Itistruethatthesafewasnotopen,buttherewasanordinarycashboxonthetable,withthreethousanddollarsinit。
Itiseasilysupposablethatthethiefwasconcealedinthehouse;thatheknewofthisbox,andofitsowner’shabitofcountingitscontentsandarranginghisaccountsatnight——ifhehadthathabit,whichIdonotassert,ofcourse——thathetriedtotaketheboxwhileitsownerslept,butmadeanoiseandwasseized,andhadtousetheknifetosavehimselffromcapture;
andthathefledwithouthisbootybecauseheheardhelpcoming。
\"Ihavenowdonewithmytheory,andwillproceedtotheevidencesbywhichIproposetotrytoproveitssoundness。\"
Wilsontookupseveralofhisstripsofglass。WhentheaudiencerecognizedthesefamiliarmementosofPudd’nhead’soldtimechildish\"puttering\"andfolly,thetenseandfunerealinterestvanishedoutoftheirfaces,andthehouseburstintovolleysofrelievingandrefreshinglaughter,andTomchirkedupandjoinedinthefunhimself;butWilsonwasapparentlynotdisturbed。
Hearrangedhisrecordsonthetablebeforehim,andsaid:
\"IbegtheindulgenceofthecourtwhileImakeafewremarksinexplanationofsomeevidencewhichIamabouttointroduce,andwhichIshallpresentlyasktobeallowedtoverifyunderoathonthewitnessstand。Everyhumanbeingcarrieswithhimfromhiscradletohisgravecertainphysicalmarkswhichdonotchangetheircharacter,andbywhichhecanalwaysbeidentified——andthatwithoutshadeofdoubtorquestion。
Thesemarksarehissignature,hisphysiologicalautograph,sotospeak,andthisautographcannotbecounterfeited,norcanhedisguiseitorhideitaway,norcanitbecomeillegiblebythewearandmutationsoftime。
Thissignatureisnothisface——agecanchangethatbeyondrecognition;itisnothishair,forthatcanfallout;itisnothisheight,forduplicatesofthatexist;itisnothisform,forduplicatesofthatexistalso,whereasthissignatureiseachman’sveryown——thereisnoduplicateofitamongtheswarmingpopulationsoftheglobe![Theaudiencewereinterestedoncemore。]
\"ThisautographconsistsofthedelicatelinesorcorrugationswithwhichNaturemarkstheinsidesofthehandsandthesolesofthefeet。Ifyouwilllookattheballsofyourfingers——
youthathaveverysharpeyesight——youwillobservethatthesedaintycurvinglineslieclosetogether,likethosethatindicatethebordersofoceansinmaps,andthattheyformvariousclearlydefinedpatterns,suchasarches,circles,longcurves,whorls,etc。,andthatthesepattersdifferonthedifferentfingers。[Everymanintheroomhadhishanduptothelightnow,andhisheadcantedtooneside,andwasminutelyscrutinizingtheballsofhisfingers;therewerewhisperedejaculationsof\"Why,it’sso——Inevernoticedthatbefore!\"]
Thepatternsontherighthandarenotthesameasthoseontheleft。
[Ejaculationsof\"Why,that’sso,too!\"]Takenfingerforfinger,yourpatternsdifferfromyourneighbor’s。[Comparisonsweremadealloverthehouse——eventhejudgeandjurywereabsorbedinthiscuriouswork。]Thepatternsofatwin’srighthandarenotthesameasthoseonhisleft。Onetwin’spattersareneverthesameashisfellowtwin’spatters——thejurywillfindthatthepatternsuponthefingerballsofthetwins’handsfollowthisrule。[Anexaminationofthetwins’handswasbegunatonce。]
Youhaveoftenheardoftwinswhoweresoexactlyalikethatwhendressedaliketheirownparentscouldnottellthemapart。
Yettherewasneveratwinbornintothisworldthatdidnotcarryfrombirthtodeathasureidentifierinthismysteriousandmarvelousnatalautograph。Thatonceknowntoyou,hisfellowtwincouldneverpersonatehimanddeceiveyou。\"
Wilsonstoppedandstoodsilent。Inattentiondiesaquickandsuredeathwhenaspeakerdoesthat。Thestillnessgiveswarningthatsomethingiscoming。Allpalmsandfingerballswentdownnow,allslouchingformsstraightened,allheadscameup,alleyeswerefasteneduponWilson’sface。Hewaitedyetone,two,threemoments,tolethispausecompleteandperfectitsspelluponthehouse;then,whenthroughtheprofoundhushhecouldhearthetickingoftheclockonthewall,heputouthishandandtooktheIndianknifebythebladeandhelditaloftwhereallcouldseethesinisterspotsuponitsivoryhandle;
thenhesaid,inalevelandpassionlessvoice:
\"Uponthishaftstandstheassassin’snatalautograph,writteninthebloodofthathelplessandunoffendingoldmanwholovedyouandwhomyouallloved。Thereisbutonemaninthewholeearthwhosehandcanduplicatethatcrimsonsign\"——
hepausedandraisedhiseyestothependulumswingingbackandforth——
\"andpleaseGodwewillproducethatmaninthisroombeforetheclockstrikesnoon!\"
Stunned,distraught,unconsciousofitsownmovement,thehousehalfrose,asifexpectingtoseethemurdererappearatthedoor,andabreezeofmutteredejaculationsswepttheplace。
\"Orderinthecourt!——sitdown!\"Thisfromthesheriff。Hewasobeyed,andquietreignedagain。WilsonstoleaglanceatTom,andsaidtohimself,\"Heisflyingsignalsofdistressnow;evenpeoplewhodespisehimarepityinghim;theythinkthisisahardordealforayoungfellowwhohaslosthisbenefactorbysocruelastroke——andtheyareright。\"Heresumedhisspeech:
\"FormorethantwentyyearsIhaveamusedmycompulsoryleisurewithcollectingthesecuriousphysicalsignaturesinthistown。
AtmyhouseIhavehundredsuponhundredsofthem。
Eachandeveryoneislabeledwithnameanddate;notlabeledthenextdayoreventhenexthour,butintheveryminutethattheimpressionwastaken。WhenIgouponthewitnessstandIwillrepeatunderoaththethingswhichIamnowsaying。Ihavethefingerprintsofthecourt,thesheriff,andeverymemberofthejury。
Thereishardlyapersoninthisroom,whiteorblack,whosenatalsignatureIcannotproduce,andnotoneofthemcansodisguisehimselfthatIcannotpickhimoutfromamultitudeofhisfellowcreaturesandunerringlyidentifyhimbyhishands。
AndifheandIshouldlivetobeahundredIcouldstilldoit。
[Theinterestoftheaudiencewassteadilydeepeningnow。]
\"IhavestudiedsomeofthesesignaturessomuchthatIknowthemaswellasthebankcashierknowstheautographofhisoldestcustomer。WhileIturnmybacknow,Ibegthatseveralpersonswillbesogoodastopasstheirfingersthroughtheirhair,andthenpressthemupononeofthepanesofthewindownearthejury,andthatamongthemtheaccusedmaysetTHEIR
fingermarks。Also,Ibegthattheseexperimenters,orothers,willsettheirfingersuponanotherpane,andaddagainthemarksoftheaccused,butnotplacingtheminthesameorderorrelationtotheothersignaturesasbefore——for,byonechanceinamillion,apersonmighthappenupontherightmarksbypureguesswork,ONCE,thereforeIwishtobetestedtwice。\"
Heturnedhisback,andthetwopaneswerequicklycoveredwithdelicatelylinedovalspots,butvisibleonlytosuchpersonsascouldgetadarkbackgroundforthem——thefoliageofatree,outside,forinstance。Thenuponcall,Wilsonwenttothewindow,madehisexamination,andsaid:
\"ThisisCountLuigi’srighthand;thisone,threesignaturesbelow,ishisleft。HereisCountAngelo’sright;
downhereishisleft。Howfortheotherpane:hereandhereareCountLuigi’s,hereandherearehisbrother’s。\"Hefacedabout。
\"AmIright?\"
Adeafeningexplosionofapplausewastheanswer。
Thebenchsaid:
\"Thiscertainlyapproachesthemiraculous!\"
Wilsonturnedtothewindowagainandremarked,pointingwithhisfinger:
\"ThisisthesignatureofMr。JusticeRobinson。[Applause。]
This,ofConstableBlake。[Applause。]ThisofJohnMason,juryman。
[Applause。]This,ofthesheriff。[Applause。]
Icannotnametheothers,butIhavethemallathome,namedanddated,andcouldidentifythemallbymyfingerprintrecords。\"
Hemovedtohisplacethroughastormofapplause——whichthesheriffstopped,andalsomadethepeoplesitdown,fortheywereallstandingandstrugglingtosee,ofcourse。Court,jury,sheriff,andeverybodyhadbeentooabsorbedinobservingWilson’sperformancetoattendtotheaudienceearlier。
\"Nowthen,\"saidWilson,\"Ihaveherethenatalautographsofthetwochildren——thrownuptotentimesthenaturalsizebythepantograph,sothatanyonewhocanseeatallcantellthemarkingsapartataglance。WewillcallthechildrenAandB。
HereareA’sfingermarks,takenattheageoffivemonths。
Heretheyareagaintakenatsevenmonths。[Tomstarted。]
Theyarealike,yousee。HereareB’satfivemonths,andalsoatsevenmonths。They,too,exactlycopyeachother,butthepatternsarequitedifferentfromA’s,youobserve。Ishallrefertotheseagainpresently,butwewillturnthemfacedownnow。
\"Here,thrownuptensizes,arethenatalautographsofthetwopersonswhoareherebeforeyouaccusedofmurderingJudgeDriscoll。
Imadethesepantographcopieslastnight,andwillsoswearwhenIgouponthewitnessstand。Iaskthejurytocomparethemwiththefingermarksoftheaccuseduponthewindowpanes,andtellthecourtiftheyarethesame。\"
Hepassedapowerfulmagnifyingglasstotheforeman。
Onejurymanafteranothertookthecardboardandtheglassandmadethecomparison。Thentheforemansaidtothejudge:
\"Yourhonor,weareallagreedthattheyareidentical。\"
Wilsonsaidtotheforeman:
\"Pleaseturnthatcardboardfacedown,andtakethisone,andcompareitsearchingly,bythemagnifier,withthefatalsignatureupontheknifehandle,andreportyourfindingtothecourt。\"
Againthejurymademinuteexaminations,andagainreported:
\"Wefindthemtobeexactlyidentical,yourhonor。\"
Wilsonturnedtowardthecounselfortheprosecution,andtherewasaclearlyrecognizablenoteofwarninginhisvoicewhenhesaid:
\"Mayitpleasethecourt,thestatehasclaimed,strenuouslyandpersistently,thatthebloodstainedfingerprintsuponthatknifehandlewerelefttherebytheassassinofJudgeDriscoll。
Youhaveheardusgrantthatclaim,andwelcomeit。\"Heturnedtothejury:\"Comparethefingerprintsoftheaccusedwiththefingerprintsleftbytheassassin——andreport。\"
Thecomparisonbegan。Asitproceeded,allmovementandallsoundceased,andthedeepsilenceofanabsorbedandwaitingsuspensesettleduponthehouse;andwhenatlastthewordscame,\"THEYDONOTEVENRESEMBLE,\"athundercrashofapplausefollowedandthehousesprangtoitsfeet,butwasquicklyrepressedbyofficialforceandbroughttoorderagain。Tomwasalteringhispositioneveryfewminutesnow,butnoneofhischangesbroughtreposenoranysmalltrifleofcomfort。Whenthehouse’sattentionwasbecomefixedoncemore,Wilsonsaidgravely,indicatingthetwinswithagesture:
\"Thesemenareinnocent——Ihavenofurtherconcernwiththem。
[Anotheroutbreakofapplausebegan,butwaspromptlychecked。]
Wewillnowproceedtofindtheguilty。[Tom’seyeswerestartingfromtheirsockets——yes,itwasacrueldayforthebereavedyouth,everybodythought。]WewillreturntotheinfantautographsofAandB。IwillaskthejurytotaketheselargepantographfacsimiliesofA’smarkedfivemonthsandsevenmonths。
Dotheytally?\"
Theforemanresponded:\"Perfectly。\"
\"Nowexaminethispantograph,takenateightmonths,andalsomarkedA。Doesittallywiththeothertwo?\"
Thesurprisedresponsewas:
\"NO——THEYDIFFERWIDELY!\"
\"Youarequiteright。NowtakethesetwopantographsofB’sautograph,markedfivemonthsandsevenmonths。Dotheytallywitheachother?\"
\"Yes——perfectly。\"
\"TakethisthirdpantographmarkedB,eightmonths。
DoesittallywithB’sothertwo?\"
\"BYNOMEANS!\"
\"Doyouknowhowtoaccountforthosestrangediscrepancies?
Iwilltellyou。Forapurposeunknowntous,butprobablyaselfishone,somebodychangedthosechildreninthecradle。\"
Thisproducedavastsensation,naturally;Roxanawasastonishedatthisadmirableguess,butnotdisturbedbyit。
Toguesstheexchangewasonething,toguesswhodiditquiteanother。
Pudd’nheadWilsoncoulddowonderfulthings,nodoubt,buthecouldn’tdoimpossibleones。Safe?Shewasperfectlysafe。
Shesmiledprivately。
\"Betweentheagesofsevenmonthsandeightmonthsthosechildrenwerechangedinthecradle\"——hemadeoneofthiseffect—
collectingpauses,andadded——\"andthepersonwhodiditisinthishouse!\"
Roxy’spulsesstoodstill!Thehousewasthrilledaswithanelectricshock,andthepeoplehalfroseasiftoseekaglimpseofthepersonwhohadmadethatexchange。Tomwasgrowinglimp;thelifeseemedoozingoutofhim。Wilsonresumed:
\"AwasputintoB’scradleinthenursery;BwastransferredtothekitchenandbecameaNegroandaslave[Sensation——
confusionofangryejaculations]——butwithinaquarterofanhourhewillstandbeforeyouwhiteandfree![Burstofapplause,checkedbytheofficers。]Fromsevenmonthsonwarduntilnow,Ahasstillbeenausurper,andinmyfingerrecordhebearsB’sname。
Hereishispantographattheageoftwelve。
Compareitwiththeassassin’ssignatureupontheknifehandle。
Dotheytally?\"
Theforemananswered:
\"TOTHEMINUTESTDETAIL!\"
Wilsonsaid,solemnly:
\"Themurdererofyourfriendandmine——YorkDriscollofthegeneroushandandthekindlyspirit——sitsinamongyou。
ValetdeChambre,Negroandslave——falselycalledThomasaBecketDriscoll——makeuponthewindowthefingerprintsthatwillhangyou!\"
Tomturnedhisashenfaceimploringtowardthespeaker,madesomeimpotentmovementswithhiswhitelips,thenslidlimpandlifelesstothefloor。
Wilsonbroketheawedsilencewiththewords:
\"Thereisnoneed。Hehasconfessed。\"
Roxyflungherselfuponherknees,coveredherfacewithherhands,andoutthroughhersobsthewordsstruggled:
\"DeLordhavemercyonme,po’misasblesinnerdatIis!\"
Theclockstrucktwelve。
Thecourtrose;thenewprisoner,handcuffed,wasremoved。
CONCLUSION
Itisoftenthecasethatthemanwhocan’ttellaliethinksheisthebestjudgeofone。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarOCTOBER12,THEDISCOVERY。ItwaswonderfultofindAmerica,butitwouldhavebeenmorewonderfultomissit。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarThetownsatupallnighttodiscusstheamazingeventsofthedayandswapguessesastowhenTom’strialwouldbegin。
TroopaftertroopofcitizenscametoserenadeWilson,andrequireaspeech,andshoutthemselveshoarseovereverysentencethatfellfromhislips——forallhissentencesweregolden,now,allweremarvelous。Hislongfightagainsthardluckandprejudicewasended;hewasamademanforgood。
Andaseachoftheseroaringgangsofenthusiastsmarchedaway,someremorsefulmemberofitwasquitesuretoraisehisvoiceandsay:
\"Andthisisthemanthelikesofushavecalledapudd’nheadformorethantwentyyears。Hehasresignedfromthatposition,friends。\"
\"Yes,butitisn’tvacant——we’reelected。\"
Thetwinswereheroesofromance,now,andwithrehabilitatedreputations。ButtheywerewearyofWesternadventure,andstraightwayretiredtoEurope。
Roxy’sheartwasbroken。Theyoungfellowuponwhomshehadinflictedtwenty—threeyearsofslaverycontinuedthefalseheir’spensionofthirty—fivedollarsamonthtoher,butherhurtsweretoodeepformoneytoheal;thespiritinhereyewasquenched,hermartialbearingdepartedwithit,andthevoiceofherlaughterceasedintheland。Inherchurchanditsaffairsshefoundheronlysolace。
Therealheirsuddenlyfoundhimselfrichandfree,butinamostembarrassingsituation。Hecouldneitherreadnorwrite,andhisspeechwasthebasestdialectoftheNegroquarter。
Hisgait,hisattitudes,hisgestures,hisbearing,hislaugh——
allwerevulgaranduncouth;hismannerswerethemannersofaslave。
Moneyandfineclothescouldnotmendthesedefectsorcoverthemup;
theyonlymadethemmoreglaringandthemorepathetic。
Thepoorfellowcouldnotenduretheterrorsofthewhiteman’sparlor,andfeltathomeandatpeacenowherebutinthekitchen。
Thefamilypewwasamiserytohim,yethecouldnevermoreenterintothesolacingrefugeofthe\"niggergallery\"——thatwasclosedtohimforgoodandall。Butwecannotfollowhiscuriousfatefurther——
thatwouldbealongstory。
Thefalseheirmadeafullconfessionandwassentencedtoimprisonmentforlife。Butnowacomplicationcameup。
ThePercyDriscollestatewasinsuchacrippledshapewhenitsownerdiedthatitcouldpayonlysixtypercentofitsgreatindebtedness,andwassettledatthatrate。Butthecreditorscameforwardnow,andcomplainedthatinasmuchasthroughanerrorforwhichTHEYwereinnowaytoblamethefalseheirwasnotinventoriedatthetimewiththerestoftheproperty,greatwrongandlosshadtherebybeeninflicteduponthem。
Theyrightlyclaimedthat\"Tom\"waslawfullytheirpropertyandhadbeensoforeightyears;thattheyhadalreadylostsufficientlyinbeingdeprivedofhisservicesduringthatlongperiod,andoughtnottoberequiredtoaddanythingtothatloss;thatifhehadbeendelivereduptotheminthefirstplace,theywouldhavesoldhimandhecouldnothavemurderedJudgeDriscoll;thereforeitwasnotthathehadreallycommittedthemurder,theguiltlaywiththeerroneousinventory。Everybodysawthattherewasreasoninthis。Everybodygrantedthatif\"Tom\"werewhiteandfreeitwouldbeunquestionablyrighttopunishhim——itwouldbenolosstoanybody;buttoshutupavaluableslaveforlife——
thatwasquiteanothermatter。
AssoonastheGovernorunderstoodthecase,hepardonedTomatonce,andthecreditorssoldhimdowntheriver。
Author’sNotetoTHOSEEXTRAORDINARYTWINS
Amanwhoisnotbornwiththenovel—writinggifthasatroublesometimeofitwhenhetriestobuildanovel。
Iknowthisfromexperience。Hehasnoclearideaofhisstory;
infacthehasnostory。Hemerelyhassomepeopleinhismind,andanincidentortwo,alsoalocality,andhetrustshecanplungethosepeopleintothoseincidentswithinterestingresults。
Sohegoestowork。Towriteanovel?No——thatisathoughtwhichcomeslater;inthebeginningheisonlyproposingtotellalittletale,averylittletale,asix—pagetale。Butasitisatalewhichheisnotacquaintedwith,andcanonlyfindoutwhatitisbylisteningasitgoesalongtellingitself,itismorethanapttogoonandonandontillitspreadsitselfintoabook。
Iknowaboutthis,becauseithashappenedtomesomanytimes。
AndIhavenoticedanotherthing:thatastheshorttalegrowsintothelongtale,theoriginalintention(ormotif)
isapttogetabolishedandfinditselfsupersededbyaquitedifferentone。ItwassointhecaseofamagazinesketchwhichIoncestartedtowrite——afunnyandfantasticsketchaboutaprinceanapauper;itpresentlyassumedagravecastofitsownaccord,andinthatnewshapespreaditselfoutintoabook。
MuchthesamethinghappenedwithPUDD’NHEADWILSON。Ihadasufficientlyhardtimewiththattale,becauseitchangeditselffromafarcetoatragedywhileIwasgoingalongwithit——amostembarrassingcircumstance。Butwhatwasagreatdealworsewas,thatitwasnotonestory,buttwostoriestangledtogether;andtheyobstructedandinterruptedeachotherateveryturnandcreatednoendofconfusionandannoyance。Icouldnotofferthebookforpublication,forIwasafraiditwouldunseatthereader’sreason,Ididnotknowwhatwasthematterwithit,forIhadnotnoticed,asyet,thatitwastwostoriesinone。
Ittookmemonthstomakethatdiscovery。IcarriedthemanuscriptbackandforthacrosstheAtlantictwoorthreetimes,andreaditandstudiedoveritonshipboard;andatlastIsawwherethedifficultylay。Ihadnofurthertrouble。Ipulledoneofthestoriesoutbytheroots,andlefttheother——akindofliteraryCaesareanoperation。
WouldthereadercaretoknowsomethingaboutthestorywhichIpulledout?Hehasbeentoldmanyatimehowtheborn—
and—trainednovelistworks;won’theletmeroundandcompletehisknowledgebytellinghimhowthejacklegdoesit?
OriginallythestorywascalledTHOSEEXTRAORDINARYTWINS。
Imeanttomakeitveryshort。IhadseenapictureofayouthfulItalian\"freak\"——or\"freaks\"——whichwas——orwhichwere——
onexhibitioninourcities——acombinationconsistingoftwoheadsandfourarmsjoinedtoasinglebodyandasinglepairoflegs——
andIthoughtIwouldwriteanextravagantlyfantasticlittlestorywiththisfreakofnatureforhero——orheroes——
asillyyoungmissforheroine,andtwooldladiesandtwoboysfortheminorparts。Ilavishlyelaboratedthesepeopleandtheirdoings,ofcourse。Butthetakekeptspreadingalongandspreadingalong,andotherpeoplegottointrudingthemselvesandtakingupmoreandmoreroomwiththeirtalkandtheiraffairs。
AmongthemcameastrangernamedPudd’nheadWilson,andwomannamedRoxana;andpresentlythedoingsofthesetwopushedupintoprominenceayoungfellownamedTomDriscoll,whoseproperplacewasawayintheobscurebackground。Beforethebookwashalffinishedthosethreeweretakingthingsalmostentirelyintotheirownhandsandworkingthewholetaleasaprivateventureoftheirown——atalewhichtheyhadnothingatalltodowith,byrights。
WhenthebookwasfinishedandIcametolookaroundtoseewhathadbecomeoftheteamIhadoriginallystartedoutwith——
AuntPatsyCooper,AuntBetsyHale,andtwoboys,andRowenathelightweightheroine——theywerenowheretobeseen;theyhaddisappearedfromthestorysometimeorother。Ihuntedaboutandfoundthem——foundthemstranded,idle,forgotten,andpermanentlyuseless。Itwasveryawkward。Itwasawkwardallaround,butmoreparticularlyinthecaseofRowena,becausetherewasalovematchon,betweenherandoneofthetwinsthatconstitutedthefreak,andIhadworkedituptoablisteringheatandthrowninaquitedramaticlovequarrel,whereinRowenascathinglydenouncedherbetrothedforgettingdrunk,andscoffedathisexplanationofhowithadhappened,andwouldn’tlistentoit,andhaddrivenhimfromherintheusual\"forever\"way;
andnowhereshesatcryingandbrokenhearted;forshehadfoundthathehadspokenonlythetruth;thatiswasnothe,buttheotherofthefreakthathaddrunktheliquorthatmadehimdrunk;
thatherhalfwasaprohibitionistandhadneverdrunkadropinhislife,andaltogethertightasabrickthreedaysintheweek,waswhollyinnocentofblame;andindeed,whensober,wasconstantlydoingallhecouldtoreformhisbrother,theotherhalf,whonevergotanysatisfactionoutofdrinking,anyway,becauseliquorneveraffectedhim。Yes,hereshewas,strandedwiththatdeepinjusticeofherstorturingherpoortornheart。
Ididn’tknowwhattodowithher。Iwasassorryforherasanybodycouldbe,butthecampaignwasover,thebookwasfinished,shewassidetracked,andtherewasnopossiblewayofcrowdingherin,anywhere。Icouldnotleaveherthere,ofcourse;itwouldnotdo。Afterspreadingheroutso,andmakingsuchato—dooverheraffairs,itwouldbeabsolutelynecessarytoaccounttothereaderforher。Ithoughtandthoughtandstudiedandstudied;butIarrivedatnothing。Ifinallysawplainlythattherewasreallynowaybutone——Imustsimplygiveherthegrandbounce。Itgrievedmetodoit,forafterassociatingwithhersomuchIhadcometokindoflikeherafterafashion,notwithstandingthingsandwassonauseatinglysentimental。
Stillithadtobedone。SoatthetopofChapterXVIIIputa\"Calendar\"remarkconcerningJulytheFourth,andbeganthechapterwiththisstatistic:
\"Rowenawentoutinthebackyardaftersuppertoseethefireworksandfelldownthewellandgotdrowned。\"
Itseemedabrupt,butIthoughtmaybethereaderwouldn’tnoticeit,becauseIchangedthesubjectrightawaytosomethingelse。
AnywayitloosenedupRowenafromwhereshewasstuckandgotheroutoftheway,andthatwasthemainthing。Itseemedapromptgoodwayofweedingoutpeoplethathadgotstalled,andaplentygoodenoughwayforthoseothers;soIhuntedupthetwoboysandsaid,\"Theywentoutbackonenighttostonethecatandfelldownthewellandgotdrowned。\"NextIsearchedaroundandfoundoldAuntPatsyandAuntBetsyHalewheretheywerearound,andsaid,\"Theywentoutbackonenighttovisitthesickandfelldownthewellandgotdrowned。\"Iwasgoingtodrownsomeothers,butIgaveuptheidea,partlybecauseIbelievedthatifIkeptthatupitwouldaroseattention,andperhapssympathywiththosepeople,andpartlybecauseitwasnotalargewellandwouldnotholdanymoreanyway。
Stillthestorywasunsatisfactory。Herewasasetofnewcharacterswhowerebecomeinordinatelyprominentandwhopersistedinremainingsototheend;andbackyonderwasanoldersetwhomadealargenoiseandagreatto—doforalittlewhileandthensuddenlyplayedoututterlyandfelldownthewell。
Therewasaradicaldefectsomewhere,andImustsearchitoutandcureit。
Thedefectturnedouttobetheonealreadyspokenof——
twostoriesinone,afarceandatragedy。SoIpulledoutthefarceandleftthetragedy。Thislefttheoriginalteamin,butonlyasmerenames,notascharacters。Theirprominencewaswhollygone;
theywerenotevenworthdrowning;soIremovedthatdetail。
AlsoItookthetwinsapartandmadetwoseparatemenofthem。
Theyhadnooccasiontohaveforeignnamesnow,butitwastoomuchtroubletoremovethemallthrough,soIleftthemchristenedastheywereandmadenoexplanation。