Four Chaps in the Library 03
图书馆的四个家伙 03

　　Excessive gasps left the mouths of Blake and Atkinson, whilst I myself remained silent and breathless. Rhodes-Fotheringham's features became hidden in the midst of an awful-smelling cloud of cigar smoke, providing an eerie vision of his face, and at that moment I wondered whether he himself was a dreadful phantom.

　　"Anyway," he continued, with the smoke drifting in the direction of the fireplace, "this chap could stand it no longer and subsequently decided to take his own life by shooting himself in the head with a pistol. Now it is rumored that he himself haunts that house."

　　His two companions seemed quite unsettled by this story, and as the flames crackled in the hearth they each took a copious mouthful of the brandy that was readily available nearby. Then Blake appeared to decide that he was not to be outdone by his friend.
　　"That is a pretty gruesome tale, old chap," he said in a quavering voice, "but allow me to relate the story of the man whose wife gave birth to an apparition."

　　"By Jove!" exclaimed Rhodes-Fotheringham, with peculiar puffed cheeks. He appeared to be somewhat perturbed by Blake's proclamation, and I noticed how agitated he became as his companion continued the tale.

　　布莱克和阿特肯森开始大口喘息，而我则不敢出声，摒住呼吸。拉霍斯.佛斯林汉姆的脸掩在呛人的雪茄烟雾后，让他看起来有种奇异的虚幻感，那一刻，我都有点觉得他本身就是个可怕的鬼魂了。

　　“最后，”他继续讲着，吐出的雪茄烟雾向着壁炉的方向飘去“那家伙再也受不了，就饮弹自尽了，现在有谣言说他的鬼魂就在那房子里出没。”

　　另外两个人听了他的故事都显得很不安，壁炉炉膛里传出噼噼啪啪的木柴燃烧的声音，他们都拿起身边的白兰地，大大地吞了一口。布莱克觉得自己不应该输给朋友。

　　“哥们，这故事真是可怕。”他颤着声说：“但请听我讲讲另外一个人的事，他老婆生了个鬼怪。”

　　“天呀！”拉霍斯.佛斯林汉姆喊道。他脸上的肉松垮垮的，他像是被布莱克的话吓到了，我注意到当布莱克讲故事的时候，他变得越来越不安。