9 消失
亡骸を葬ってやろうとしたオーブリーは、山頂に移したと聞いて登るが、遺体は無かった。呆然として山を下り、帰国の途に就く。しかし不思議な恐ろしい出来事は続いた。
オーブリーは休もうとして退がったものの、眠れやしない。この男と知り合いになって起きた由無し事が、あれやこれやと心に浮かび。そして我知らず、かの誓いを思い出したとき、まるで恐ろしい何かが待ち受ける予感のように、冷たいものが背筋を走った。
朝早く起きて、亡骸を安置した小屋に入ろうとしたら、破落戸が来て報せたことには。お前が休んでいた間に、自分と仲間が運び出し、もうそこにはないと。閣下と交わした約束では、隣の山の頂にやり、死後に上った月の、最初の冷たい光に晒すようにせよとの事だったと。驚き呆れるオーブリーだったが、何人か連れて行き、横たえられている場所に埋めてやる事に決めた。
ところが頂まで登ってみたら、遺体も衣服も跡形もなく。破落戸共が誓って言うには、皆で遺体を置いた正にその岩を目指したのだと。考えられない出来事にしばらく頭を抱え、やむなく戻ってから。連中が服を剥いで遺体を埋めたに違いないと考えついた。
Aubrey retired to rest, but did not sleep; the many circumstances attending his acquaintance with this man rose upon his mind, and he knew not why; when he remembered his oath a cold shivering came over him, as if from the presentiment of something horrible awaiting him.
Rising early in the morning, he was about to enter the hovel in which he had left the corpse, when a robber met him, and informed him that it was no longer there, having been conveyed by himself and comrades, upon his retiring, to the pinnacle of a neighbouring mount, according to a promise they had given his lordship, that it should be exposed to the first cold ray of the moon that rose after his death.Aubrey astonished, and taking several of the men, determined to go and bury it upon the spot where it lay.
But, when he had mounted to the summit he found no trace of either the corpse or the clothes, though the robbers swore they pointed out the identical rock on which they had laid the body. For a time his mind was bewildered in conjectures, but he at last returned, convinced that they had buried the corpse for the sake of the clothes.
もううんざりだ。こんな怖気を震う災難に遭った国、心に巣食った迷信的な憂鬱を煽ってやまない明らさまなまでに陰謀横行の国、ここから去ることにした。間もなくしてスミルナに到着した。
オトラントかナポリに行く船を待っている間、一緒くたにしていた所持品を整理し、ラッスェン卿のものと振り分けることにした。中には、刀剣類少々、それも犠牲者へとどめを刺すに適した物からそうでない物まで揃えた容れ物すらあった。短剣やらアタガンやら。そいつらをひっくり返しては、その奇妙な形を検めているうち。なんと驚いた事に、死にそうな目に遭った小屋にあった、あの短剣と同じスタイルで装飾された鞘が見つかった。鳥肌立ったところにダメ押し、あの奇妙な形の短剣が、手に持っていた鞘に見た目ばかりか、納めてそろりと合っている、その恐怖如何ばかりか。
これ以上確かめるまでもあるまいと感じつつ。…吸い込まれるように両眼がその短剣を見つめていた。それでも信じたくはなかったが、その独特な形といい、柄から鞘へと華麗にうねる色合いといい、疑う余地もなく、両方とも血痕までついていた。
Weary of a country in which he had met with such terrible misfortunes, and in which all apparently conspired to heighten that superstitious melancholy that had seized upon his mind, he resolved to leave it, and soon arrived at Smyrna.
While waiting for a vessel to convey him to Otranto, or to Naples, he occupied himself in arranging those effects he had with him belonging to Lord Ruthven. Amongst other things there was a case containing several weapons of offence, more or less adapted to ensure the death of the victim. There were several daggers and ataghans. Whilst turning them over, and examining their curious forms, what was his surprise at finding a sheath apparently ornamented in the same style as the dagger discovered in the fatal hut—he shuddered—hastening to gain further proof, he found the weapon, and his horror may be imagined when he discovered that it fitted, though peculiarly shaped, the sheath he held in his hand.
His eyes seemed to need no further certainty—they seemed gazing to be bound to the dagger; yet still he wished to disbelieve; but the particular form, the same varying tints upon the haft and sheath were alike in splendour on both, and left no room for doubt; there were also drops of blood on each.
スミルナを去って帰宅の途中、ローマで先ず訪ねたのは、ラッスェン卿の誘惑を振り払ってやろうとした女性の元だったが。両親は零落して苦しんでおり、当の彼女は彼の卿の出発以来、消息不明になっていた。こんなにも恐ろしい事が続いてばかりで、オーブリーの心は今にも壊れそうだった。もしかしたらこの女性までも、イアンテの加害者が手にかけてしまったのではあるまいか。むっつりと黙りこむようになった。もはや口にするのは早く速くと、まるで大切な誰かの命を救うかのように、御者にせっつくばかり。
カレーに着いた。彼の意志を受けた訳でもあるまいが、凱風ただちにイギリス側へ押し流す。即ち親達の邸宅に急ぐや、ようやくそこで、妹の抱擁撫ですさりに暫くの間、辛い過去の記憶から放たれたようだった。以前の彼女が、あどけない触れ合いによって彼の愛情を得ていたというなら、今や女性に成長してなお、身内贔屓な彼女だった。
He left Smyrna, and on his way home, at Rome, his first inquiries were concerning the lady he had attempted to snatch from Lord Ruthven's seductive arts. Her parents were in distress, their fortune ruined, and she had not been heard of since the departure of his lordship. Aubrey's mind became almost broken under so many repeated horrors; he was afraid that this lady had fallen a victim to the destroyer of Ianthe. He became morose and silent; and his only occupation consisted in urging the speed of the postilions, as if he were going to save the life of some one he held dear. He arrived at Calais; a breeze, which seemed obedient to his will, soon wafted him to the English shores; and he hastened to the mansion of his fathers, and there, for a moment, appeared to lose, in the embraces and caresses of his sister, all memory of the past. If she before, by her infantine caresses, had gained his affection, now that the woman began to appear, she was still more attaching as a companion.
