登陆注册
15475700000010

第10章 I(7)

The Pyncheons, in brief, lived along, for the better part of two centuries, with perhaps less of outward vicissitude than has attended most other New England families during the same period of time. Possessing very distinctive traits of their own, they nevertheless took the general characteristics of the little community in which they dwelt; a town noted for its frugal, discreet, well-ordered, and home-loving inhabitants, as well as for the somewhat confined scope of its sympathies; but in which, be it said, there are odder individuals, and, now and then, stranger occurrences, than one meets with almost anywhere else.

During the Revolution, the Pyncheon of that epoch, adopting the royal side, became a refugee; but repented, and made his reappearance, just at the point of time to preserve the House of the Seven Gables from confiscation. For the last seventy years the most noted event in the Pyncheon annals had been likewise the heaviest calamity that ever befell the race; no less than the violent death--for so it was adjudged--of one member of the family by the criminal act of another. Certain circumstances attending this fatal occurrence had brought the deed irresistibly home to a nephew of the deceased Pyncheon. The young man was tried and convicted of the crime; but either the circumstantial nature of the evidence, and possibly some lurking doubts in the breast of the executive, or" lastly--an argument of greater weight in a republic than it could have been under a monarchy,--the high respectability and political influence of the criminal's connections, had availed to mitigate his doom from death to perpetual imprisonment.

This sad affair had chanced about thirty years before the action of our story commences. Latterly, there were rumors (which few believed, and only one or two felt greatly interested in) that this long-buried man was likely, for some reason or other, to be summoned forth from his living tomb.

It is essential to say a few words respecting the victim of this now almost forgotten murder. He was an old bachelor, and possessed of great wealth, in addition to the house and real estate which constituted what remained of the ancient Pyncheon property.

Being of an eccentric and melancholy turn of mind, and greatly given to rummaging old records and hearkening to old traditions, he had brought himself, it is averred, to the conclusion that Matthew Maule, the wizard, had been foully wronged out of his homestead, if not out of his life. Such being the case, and he, the old bachelor, in possession of the ill-gotten spoil,--with the black stain of blood sunken deep into it, and still to be scented by conscientious nostrils, --the question occurred, whether it were not imperative upon him, even at this late hour, to make restitution to Maule's posterity.

To a man living so much in the past, and so little in the present, as the secluded and antiquarian old bachelor, a century and a half seemed not so vast a period as to obviate the propriety of substituting right for wrong. It was the belief of those who knew him best, that he would positively have taken the very singular step of giving up the House of the Seven Gables to the representative of Matthew Maule, but for the unspeakable tumult which a suspicion of the old gentleman's project awakened among his Pyncheon relatives.

Their exertions had the effect of suspending his purpose; but it was feared that he would perform, after death, by the operation of his last will, what he had so hardly been prevented from doing in his proper lifetime. But there is no one thing which men so rarely do, whatever the provocation or inducement, as to bequeath patrimonial property away from their own blood. They may love other individuals far better than their relatives,--they may even cherish dislike, or positive hatred, to the latter; but yet, in view of death, the strong prejudice of propinquity revives, and impels the testator to send down his estate in the line marked out by custom so immemorial that it looks like nature. In all the Pyncheons, this feeling had the energy of disease. It was too powerful for the conscientious scruples of the old bachelor; at whose death, accordingly, the mansion-house, together with most of his other riches, passed into the possession of his next legal representative.

This was a nephew, the cousin of the miserable young man who had been convicted of the uncle's murder. The new heir, up to the period of his accession, was reckoned rather a dissipated youth, but had at once reformed, and made himself an exceedingly respectable member of society. In fact, he showed more of the Pyncheon quality, and had won higher eminence in the world, than any of his race since the time of the original Puritan. Applying himself in earlier manhood to the study of the law, and having a natural tendency towards office, he had attained, many years ago, to a judicial situation in some inferior court, which gave him for life the very desirable and imposing title of judge. Later, he had engaged in politics, and served a part of two terms in Congress, besides making a considerable figure in both branches of the State legislature. Judge Pyncheon was unquestionably an honor to his race. He had built himself a country-seat within a few miles of his native town, and there spent such portions of his time as could be spared from public service in the display of every grace and virtue--as a newspaper phrased it, on the eve of an election--befitting the Christian, the good citizen, the horticulturist, and the gentleman.

There were few of the Pyncheons left to sun themselves in the glow of the Judge's prosperity. In respect to natural increase, the breed had not thriven; it appeared rather to be dying out.

同类推荐
  • 通制条格

    通制条格

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Altar of the Dead

    The Altar of the Dead

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 俗说

    俗说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 长阿含十报法经

    长阿含十报法经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 神仙食炁金柜妙录

    神仙食炁金柜妙录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 网游之近战奶妈

    网游之近战奶妈

    一款名叫《凰盟》的全息网游。许凌,立志要成为国服第一输出的职业奶妈。队友:“我快死了奶妈快奶我!”许凌:“奶nmlgb,怪都打不死,我上!”说着,抽出了治疗系的绿藤鞭,一鞭抽向大boss!这时队友们才惊愕发现,队里唯一的奶妈,游戏点数竟然不是加血,反而全加在力量上!卧槽!你牛,你特么真牛!(1v1打怪升级谈恋爱,吃饭睡觉撩大神。)
  • 小爷我叫沐清风

    小爷我叫沐清风

    刚刚考上大学的沐清风,在一次学校组织的秋游中意外获得一本天书。隐藏在天书中的巨大秘密等着他去解开,神秘人纷纷找上门来。他的人生从此改变,什么透视眼,什么金刚不坏之身,什么绝顶轻功啊都是小意思。美女才是重点啊,清纯校花有没有,极品御姐有没有,寂寞美少妇有没有。沐大少爷说了:“没有做不到,只有想不到,有有有,你们要的全都有。还在等什么啊小伙伴们,快到沐大少爷的碗里来吧。吼吼吼,,,
  • 天上有仙

    天上有仙

    遇仙者,得机缘,修仙者,得长生,弑仙者,掌乾坤,定万物!道友留步,敢问仙在何处?“巴蜀之地皆是仙!”道友此话怎讲!日你仙人板板,俄浪个晓得!
  • 末世重生之商女崛起

    末世重生之商女崛起

    林清心被变异植物分尸、而闭上眼睛的那一刻,入目眼球的是妹妹那疯狂的大笑,和站在一旁冷眼漠视的父母、弟弟。重生归来,林清心指天发誓,前世欺我、辱我、负我的小爬虫们,洗干净脖子等姐来找你们好好谈谈人生理想。重生一世,林清心决定人挡杀人,佛挡杀佛,一路赚取晶核好升级。坚决不当白莲花、不做好圣母。(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 三公主的怦然心动

    三公主的怦然心动

    六大家族,呃。。。不想写简介,第一次写,若有不好的地方请指出来
  • 傲世王妃:废材二小姐逆天

    傲世王妃:废材二小姐逆天

    作品暂停中【强强1对1】腹黑+冷血。她是二十一世纪杀手界之王“冥雪”却因致爱之人背叛而陨落,拥有死神之称的她穿越到异世成为倪家二小姐,丑颜、软弱无能、废材……这些就不说了,竟然还被府上下的人欺负,亲生父亲要致她于死地,某女邪邪一笑“好,很好,这么作死,我必百倍还之”他是万万人崇敬的尊君,他冷傲、嗜血却对她宠而无度。某男看她坑人坑的很开心“玥儿跟我回家好不?”某女“这么快就想我去坑你爹呀!”某男拦腰把她抱住微笑“只要你喜欢”某女坏坏一笑。看你这么卖爹的份,我勉强答应你了,走吧。
  • 闪来的幸福

    闪来的幸福

    有一种爱情叫“一见钟情”。有一种永恒的爱情叫“钟情一生”。既然爱了,那就爱到底吧。本文主要讲述的是女主角柳依依与因旅行前一天出车祸在医院昏迷不醒的闺密杨晓月的魂魄去旅游引起故事开端。描写女主角在一次醉酒被某渣男陈旭下药,当渣男洗漱时,昏睡中的女主因口干舌燥而转醒、随之发觉目前处境状况而打算逃离、不料被从浴室中出来的某渣男陈旭抓到现行,在紧要关头女主奋力前行、幸好陈旭自信心过剩、最后看着女主进入电梯、陈旭恨恨不已。当女主狼狈的进入电梯时,男主听到自己的心在那一刻跳动了、、、、、随着男女主角阴差阳错的相遇而展开了关于一见钟情、钟情一生的爱情故事,重新塑造闪婚也能闪出幸福的婚姻史。
  • 青袍客传奇

    青袍客传奇

    当我第一次见到他,我就已经算出了他的一生会是怎样。几乎没有人知道他那青袍和面具下面究竟隐藏了一副怎样的面孔,但我知道,那是一颗孤独的心灵……——蓝缨子
  • 所以说GM什么的我才不想当啊

    所以说GM什么的我才不想当啊

    总的来说就是被神(?)绑来做坑爹的GM,虽然是各种狂拽炫酷是没错啦,但我要的是妹子啊!(QQ群号:650764569)
  • 灵力少女

    灵力少女

    一个普通的女孩瑶棂经过一夜之间的奇形怪事成为了一位灵力少女,第二天就有一位来自英国的男孩转校来到了她们的学校,并且和瑶棂一个班,偶然一次,他们因为捕捉灵兽而相互了解了对方,此后.................