p&c.brimstone-第120部分

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eason　to　stay。　Fosco's　nearest　relation；　a　distant　cousin；　was　vacationing　on　the　Costa　Smeralda　of　Sardinia　and　would　not　arrive　for　several　days　at　least。　Besides；　none　were　eager　to　linger　in　a　place　to　which　death　had　made　such　a　gruesome　visitation。　And　so　the　castle　was　left　to　brood　in　shadows　and　silence。　
　Nowhere　was　the　silence　more　profound　than　in　the　ancient　passageways　that　riddled　the　rock　far　beneath　the　basements　of　the　castle。　Here　there　was　not　even　the　rustle　of　the　wind　to　disturb　the　dusty　tombs　and　stone　sarcophagi　of　the　forgotten　dead。　
　The　deepest　of　these　passages；　carved　by　Etruscans　into　the　living　rock　more　than　three　thousand　years　before；　twisted　down　into　black　depths　and　came　to　an　end　in　a　horizontal　tunnel。　At　the　far　end　of　this　tunnel　stood　a　brick　wall　with　a　small　scatter　of　bones　lying　before　it。　Though　the　tunnel　was　dark；　even　with　the　aid　of　a　torch　it　would　have　been　almost　impossible　to　tell　the　wall　had　been　built　only　forty…odd　hours　before；　sealing　up　an　ancient　tomb；　the　bones　of　its　former　occupant；　an　unknown　Longobardic　knight；　swept　out　and　left　lying　in　the　dirt。　
　The　ancient　tomb　that　lay　behind　the　brick　wall　was　just　large　enough　to　contain　a　man。　Inside　that　tomb　there　was　no　sound。　Darkness　reigned　so　profoundly　that　even　the　very　passage　of　time　seemed　suspended。　
　And　then　a　muffled　sound　broke　the　stillness：　a　faint　footfall。　
　This　was　followed　by　a　rattle；　as　if　a　bag　of　tools　had　been　set　down　on　the　ground。　Silence　descended　briefly　once　again。　And　then　came　an　unmistakable　sound：　the　scrape　of　iron　against　mortar；　the　sharp　rap　of　a　hammer　against　a　cold　chisel。　
　The　rapping　went　on　in　a　low；　measured　cadence；　methodical；　like　the　ticking　of　a　clock。　Minutes　passed；　and　the　sound　stopped。　Another　silence；　and　then　there　were　the　faint　sounds　of　scraping；　the　abrasion　of　brick　against　mortar；　a　few　more　sharp　raps…and　suddenly　a　faint　light　appeared　in　the　tomb；　a　glowing　crack　that　outlined　the　rectangular　shape　of　a　brick　in　the　upper　portion　of　the　wall。　With　a　soft；　slow　grating；　the　brick　was　withdrawn；　millimeter　by　millimeter。　Then　it　was　gone；　and　a　soft　yellow　light　shone　through　the　newly　opened　hole；　penetrating　the　darkness　of　the　tomb。　
　A　moment　later；　two　eyes　appeared　in　the　glowing　rectangle；　gazing　in　with　curiosity；　perhaps　even　anxiety。　
　Two　eyes：　one　hazel；　one　blue。　
　　　
　An　Aside　to　the　Reader　
　Some　readers　will　note　we　have　done　something　quite　unusual　in　Brimstone　。　Perhaps　certain　English　professors　will　shake　their　heads　and　wonder　that　such　a　vile　offense　could　have　been　mitted　against　great　literature。　
　We　are　speaking　of　how　we've　brazenly　lifted　the　character　of　Count　Isidor　Ottavio　Baldassare　Fosco　from　the　pages　ofThe　Woman　in　White　；　the　great　novel　by　the　Victorian　author　Wilkie　Collins；　and　inserted　him　bodily　intoBrimstone　。　
　For　those　not　familiar　with　Collins；　he　invented　the　modern　detective　novel　with　the　publication　of　his　workThe　Moonstone。　The　Woman　in　White　；　published　a　few　years　earlier　in　1860；　was　in　our　opinion　his　greatest　novel　and　one　of　the　most　popular　books　of　the　Victorian　Age。　Today　it　is　well…nigh　forgotten。　
　We　apologize　for　purloining　the　character　of　Count　Fosco。　Yet　it　is　the　highest　tribute　we　can　pay　to　one　of　our　favorite　writers；　who　has　certainly　influenced　our　own　fiction。　We　owe　an　enormous　debt　to　Wilkie　Collins；　as　do　all　writers　of　detective　fiction　（whether　they　know　it　or　not）。　If；　perchance；　this　prompts　some　of　our　more　adventurous　readers　to　pick　upThe　Woman　in　White　；　we　will　be　very　pleased。　And　to　those　critics　who　protest　the　pilfering　of　Fosco　as　a　trangression　against　literature；　we　respond：　
　
　　　　　　　　　　　Braveggia；　urla！　T'affretta　a　palesarmi　il　fondo　dell'alma　ria！　



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