preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第41部分

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　〃Yes；〃　Nora　said　as　she　scribbled　notes　as　quickly　as　she　could。　She　wished　she　had　brought　a　voice　recorder。
　〃There　were　quite　a　few　in　New　York　at　the　time。　But　the　New　York　Museum　quickly　started　putting　them　out　of　business。　It　became　my　father's　role　at　the　Museum　to　acquire　these　bankrupt　cabinet　collections。　He　corresponded　with　many　of　the　cabinet　owners：　the　Delacourte　family；　Phineas　Barnum；　the　Cadwalader　brothers。　One　of　these　cabinet　owners　was　John　Canaday　Shottum。〃　The　old　lady　poured　herself　another　spoonful　from　the　bottle。　In　the　light；　Nora　could　make　out　the　label：　Lydia　Pinkham's　Vegetable　Tonic。
　Nora　nodded。　〃J。　C。　Shottum's　Cabinet　of　Natural　Productions　and　Curiosities。〃
　〃Precisely。　There　was　only　a　small　circle　of　scientific　men　in　those　days；　and　they　all　belonged　to　the　Lyceum。　Men　of　varying　abilities；　I　might　add。　Shottum　belonged　to　the　Lyceum；　but　he　was　as　much　a　showman　as　he　was　a　scientist。　He　had　opened　a　cabinet　down　on　Catherine　Street；　where　he　charged　a　minimal　admission。　It　was　mostly　patronized　by　the　lower　classes。　Unlike　most　of　his　colleagues；　Shottum　had　these　notions　of　bettering　the　plight　of　the　poor　through　education。　That's　why　he　situated　his　cabinet　in　such　a　disagreeable　neighborhood。　He　was　especially　interested　in　using　natural　history　to　inform　and　educate　the　young。　In　any　case；　he　needed　help　with　identifying　and　classifying　his　collections；　which　he　had　acquired　from　the　family　of　a　young　man　who　had　been　killed　by　natives　in　Madagascar。〃
　〃Alexander　Marysas。〃
　There　was　a　rustle　from　the　old　lady。　Once　again；　she　extinguished　the　light；　shrouding　the　room　in　darkness；　throwing　the　portrait　of　her　father　into　shadow。　〃You　seem　to　know　a　great　deal　about　this；　Miss　Kelly；〃　Clara　McFadden　said　suspiciously。　〃I　hope　I　am　not　annoying　you　with　my　story。〃
　〃Not　at　all。　Please　go　on。〃
　〃Shottum's　was　a　rather　wretched　cabinet。　My　father　helped　him　from　time　to　time；　but　it　was　burdensome　to　him。　It　was　not　a　good　collection。　Very　haphazard；　not　systematic。　To　lure　in　the　poor；　especially　the　urchins；　his　exhibits　tended　toward　the　sensational。　There　was　even　something　he　called　a　'gallery　of　unnatural　monstrosities。'　It　was；　I　believe；　inspired　by　Madame　Tussaud's　Chamber　of　Horrors。　There　were　rumors　that　some　people　who　went　into　that　gallery　never　came　out　again。　All　rubbish；　of　course；　most　likely　cooked　up　by　Shottum　to　increase　foot　traffic。〃
　Clara　McFadden　removed　a　lace　handkerchief　and　coughed　into　it。　〃It　was　around　that　time　a　man　named　Leng　joined　the　Lyceum。　Enoch　Leng。〃　Her　voice　conveyed　a　depth　of　hatred。
　Nora　felt　her　heart　quicken。　〃Did　you　know　Leng？〃
　〃My　father　talked　about　him　a　great　deal。　Especially　toward　the　end。　My　father；　you　see；　had　a　bad　eye　and　bad　teeth。　Leng　helped　him　get　some　silver　bridgework　and　a　special　pair　of　eyeglasses　with　an　unusually　thick　lens。　He　seemed　to　be　something　of　a　polymath。〃
　She　tucked　the　handkerchief　back　into　some　fold　of　her　clothing；　took　another　spoonful　of　the　elixir。　〃It　was　said　he　came　from　France；　a　small　mountain　town　near　the　Belgian　border。　There　was　talk　that　he　was　a　baron；　born　into　a　noble　family。　These　scientists　are　all　gossips；　you　know。　New　York　City　at　the　time　was　a　very　provincial　place　and　Leng　made　quite　an　impression。　No　one　doubted　he　was　a　very　learned　man。　He　called　himself　a　doctor；　by　the　way；　and　it　was　said　he　had　been　a　surgeon　and　a　chemist。〃　She　made　a　vinegary　sound。
　Motes　drifted　in　the　heavy　air。　The　cat's　purr　rumbled　on　endlessly；　like　a　turbine。
　The　strident　voice　cut　the　air　again。　〃Shottum　was　looking　for　a　curator　for　his　cabinet。　Leng　took　an　interest　in　it；　although　it　was　certainly　the　poorest　curatorial　appointment　among　the　cabinets　of　curiosities。　Nevertheless；　Leng　took　rooms　on　the　top　floor　of　the　cabinet。〃
　So　far；　all　this　matched　the　details　provided　in　Shottum's　letter。　〃And　when　was　this？〃　Nora　asked。
　〃In　the　spring　of　1870。〃
　〃Did　Leng　live　at　the　cabinet？〃
　〃A　man　of　Leng's　breeding；　living　in　the　Five　Points？　Certainly　not。　But　he　kept　to　himself。　He　was　a　strange；　elusive　man；　very　formal　in　his　diction　and　mannerisms。　No　one；　not　even　my　father；　knew　where　he　lived。　Leng　did　not　encourage　intimacy。
　〃He　spent　most　of　his　time　at　Shottum's　or　the　Lyceum。　As　I　recall；　his　work　at　Shottum's　Cabinet　was　originally　supposed　to　last　only　a　year　or　two。　At　first；　Shottum　was　very　pleased　with　Leng's　work。　Leng　catalogued　the　collection；　wrote　up　label　copy　for　everything。　But　then　something　happened…my　father　never　knew　what…and　Shottum　seemed　to　grow　suspicious　of　Leng。　Shottum　wanted　to　ask　him　to　leave；　but　was　reluctant。　Leng　paid　handsomely　for　the　use　of　the　third　floor；　and　Shottum　needed　the　money。〃
　〃What　kind　of　experiments　did　Leng　perform？〃
　〃I　expect　the　usual。　All　scientific　men　had　laboratories。　My　father　had　one。〃
　〃You　said　your　father　never　knew　what　made　Shottum　suspicious？〃　That　would　mean　McFadden　never　read　the　letter　hidden　in　the　elephant's…foot　box。
　〃That's　correct。　My　father　didn't　press　him　on　the　subject。　Shottum　had　always　been　a　rather　eccentric　man；　prone　to　opium　and　fits　of　melancholy；　and　my　father　suspected　he　might　be　mentally　unstable。　Then；　one　summer　evening　in　1881；　Shottum's　Cabinet　burned。　It　was　such　a　fierce　fire　that　they　found　only　a　few　crumbling　remains　of　Shottum's　bones。　It　was　said　the　fire　started　on　the　first　floor。　A　faulty　gas　lamp。〃　Another　bitter　noise。
　〃But　you　think　otherwise？〃
　〃My　father　became　convinced　that　Leng　started　that　fire。〃
　〃Do　you　know　why？〃
　The　lady　slowly　shook　her　head。　〃He　did　not　confide　in　me。〃
　After　a　moment；　she　continued。　〃It　was　around　the　time　of　the　fire　that　Leng　stopped　attending　the　meetings　at　the　Lyceum。　He　stopped　ing　to　the　New　York　Museum。　My　father　lost　touch　with　him。　He　seemed　to　disappear　from　scientific　circles。　Thirty　years　must　have　passed　before　he　resurfaced。〃
　〃When　was　this？〃
　〃During　the　Great　War。　I　was　a　little　girl　at　the　time。　My　father　married　late；　you　see。　He　received　a　letter　from　Leng。　A　very　friendly　letter；　wishing　to　renew　the　acquaintance。　My　father　refused。　Leng　persisted。　He　began　ing　to　the　Museum；　attending　my　father's　lectures；　spending　time　in　the　Museum's　archives。　My　father　became　disturbed；　and　after　a　while　even　frightened。　He　was　so　concerned　I　believe　he　even　consulted　certain　fellow　Lyceum　members　he　was　close　to　on　the　subject。　James　Henry　Perceval　and　Dumont　Burleigh　are　two　names　that　e　to　mind。　They　came　to　the　house　more　than　once；　shortly　before　the　end。〃
　〃I　see。〃　Nora　scribbled　some　more　notes。　〃But　you　never　met　Leng？〃
　There　was　a　pause。　〃I　met　him　once。　He　came　to　our　house　late　one　night；　with　a　specimen　for　my　father；　and　was　turned　away　at　the　door。　He　left　the　specimen　behind。　A　graven　artifact　from　the　South　Seas；　of　little　value。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃My　father　disappeared　the　next　day。〃
　〃And　you're　convinced　it　was　Leng's　doing？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃How？〃
　The　old　lady　patted　her　hair。　Her　sharp　eyes　fixed　on　hers。　〃My　dear　child；　how　could　I　possibly　know　that？〃
　〃But　why　would　Leng　murder　him？〃
　〃I　believe　my　father　found　out　something　about　Leng。〃
　〃Didn't　the　Museum　investigate？〃
　〃No　one　had　seen　Leng　in　the　Museum。　No　one　had　seen　him　visit　my　father。　There　was　no　proof　of　anything。　Neither　Perceval　nor　Burleigh　spoke　up。　The　Museum　found　it　easier　to　smear　my　father's　name…to　imply　that　he　ran　away　for　some　unknown　reason…than　to　investigate。　I　was　just　a　girl　at　the　time。　When　I　grew　older　and　demanded　a　reopening　of　the　case；　I　had　nothing　to　offer。　I　was　rebuffed。〃
　〃And　your　mother？　Was　she　suspicious？〃
　〃She　was　dead　by　that　time。〃
　〃What　happened　to　Leng？〃
　〃After　his　visit　to　my　father；　nobody　ever　saw　or　heard　from　him　again。〃
　Nora　took　a　breath。　〃What　did　Leng　look　like？〃
　Clara　McFadden　did　not　answer　immediately。　〃I'll　never　forget　him；〃　she　said　at　last。　〃Have　you　read　Poe's　'Fall　of　the　House　of　Usher'？　There's　a　description　in　the　story　that；　when　I　came　upon　it；　struck　me　terribly。　It　seemed　to　describe　Leng　precisely。　It's　stayed　with　me　to　this　day；　I　can　still　quote　the　odd　line　of　it　from　memory：　'a　cadaver