介绍:
Chapter Five
The letter was from my father.
My dear Victor,
How can I tell you what has happened? We were all so happy, waiting for you to come home. I want to prepare you for the awful news, but it is impossible.
William is dead! Your sweet little brother has been murdered! Last Thursday, Elizabeth, William, and I went for a walk in Plainpalais. William ran off to play. When it came time to go home, we called his name, but he did not answer. We searched until it was dark, but we could not find him. Then Elizabeth said he might have gone home. We returned to the house, but he was not there. We went back to Plainpalais with torches and servants to help in the search. About five o’clock in the morning, I found him, dead .The marks of the murderer's fingers were on his neck.
When Elizabeth saw the body, she cried, 'Oh,God! I have murdered my my lovely boy!' She told me that she had given William a locked on a chain with a picture of your mother inside it. The locket is gone.Perhaps the murderer killed William for the locket.
Come home, dear victor! We need you. Do not think of revenge. Just come home to those who love you .
Your father
Mphonse Frankenstein
Geneva ,12May 17--
Horrified by this news, I said goodbye to Clerval and left for Geneva immediately. At first I wished to get home as soon as possible, to comfort my poor family, but when I got close to Geneva I began to feel afraid. I stopped two days at Lausanne, in a state of nervous anxiety. Then the lake and the mountains calmed me, and I continued my journey.
The sight of Mont Blanc brought tears to my eyes. As I approached my hometown I became afraid again. It was dark when I arrived, and the city gates were already closed for the night. I decided to visit the place where William had died and spend the night in a nearby village. When I got to
Plainpalais, there was a thunder storm. I watched the lightning over Mont Blanc.
Suddenly, in a flash of lightning, I saw a gigantic figure nearby. It was the monster! Was he the murderer of my little brother? I began to tremble. In another flash of lightning I saw him climbing Mont Saleve with amazing speed. He soon reached the top and disappeared.
Two years had passed since I created the monster. Was this his first crime? I spent the rest of the night in the mountains, trembling and crying. I felt as if the monster were a horrible part of myself, forced to destroy everyone I loved.
The sun rose, and I hurried to my father's house. I wanted to tell what I knew of the murderer, but then I thought, 'If I tell the truth, everyone will think I am mad.' I decided to remain silent.
My father and Elizabeth met me at the door. They were both thin and pale with sorrow.
'Welcome, my dearest Victor,' said my father. 'What a pity you did not come months ago, when we were happy. Poor William! He was such a lovely, little boy!'
We three all wept in each other's arms. Then my father said, 'It makes me even sadder to think that Justine could have done such a thing.'
'Justine?' I asked, amazed.
'Did you not know?' asked Elizabeth. 'Justine has been arrested for the murder of William.'
'But she is innocent,' I said.
'I wish I could believe that,' said my father. He explained that on the morning after the murder Justine had fallen ill and spent several days in bed. One of the servants, taking Justine's clothes to be washed, found something in her pocket. It was the locket, with the picture of my mother inside, that had been on a chain around William's neck.
'Justine is innocent,' I said again.
'Oh thank you, Victor,' cried Elizabeth. 'I feel sure that she is innocent. Perhaps you can prove it. You are so kind and generous. No one else believes in poor Justine.'
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