第23章連環悲劇

Mary Shelley

為什么把“我”的遭遇叫作“連環悲劇”？這些悲劇究竟降臨到了哪些人身上呢？

On the bed, Elizabeth lay still, in the cold sleep of death. I took her in my arms... and saw the marks of the murderer's fingers on her neck.

Other people in the hotel had heard the screams and came into our room.I sent one of them to call the police.The others left me alone with my misery.I held Elizabeth close,and as I held her, I saw the monster watching me through the open window of the room. There was an evil laugh on his face.I pulled my gun from my coat and fired at him.I missed,and he ran away from the window and jumped into the lake.The other people heard the noise of the shot and came back into the room. I showed them the place where the monster had jumped into the lake. We searched the edge of the lake, but we could not find him. I returned to our room and lay on the bed next to my dear wife.

Suddenly I had another terrible thought. At this very moment, perhaps my father was fighting the monster,with Ernest dead at his feet.

I left the hotel and returned to Geneva as fast as I could. My father and Ernest were safe, but the awful news of Elizabeth's death killed my father. He loved Elizabeth dearly.He became ill,and after a few days he died in my arms.So the evil monster had brought unhappiness and death to a dear old man who had never hurt anybody.

I do not know what happened next. I think I left the real world, and entered a dangerous world of dreams and madness. Later I found that they had put me in prison because of my madness.

After many months,they let me free.I had only one wish—to find and kill the monster.

Reading Check

What constant tragedies happened to me in this chapter?

____________________________________________________