Notes　Scene 19: The Whistle Again

"Two years have passed since then, and my life has been until lately lonelier than ever. A month ago, however, a dear friend, whom I have known for many years, has done me the honour to ask my hand in marriage. His name is Armitage—Percy Armitage—the second son of Mr. Armitage, of Crane Water, near Reading. My stepfather has offered no opposition to the match, and we are to be married in the course of the spring. Two days ago some repairs were started in the west wing of the building, and my bedroom wall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into the chamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed in which she slept. Imagine, then, my thrill of terror when last night, as I lay awake, thinking over her terrible fate, I suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle which had been the herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit the lamp, but nothing was to be seen in the room. I was too shaken to go to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight I slipped down, got a dog-cart at the Crown Inn, which is opposite, and drove to Leatherhead, from whence I have come on this morning with the one object of seeing you and asking your advice."

「あれから二年がたち、最近まで私の暮らしはこれまで以上に寂しいものでした。ところが一か月前、長年の知り合いである親しい友人が、光栄にも私に結婚を申し込んでくれました。名前はアーミテージ、パーシー・アーミテージといって、レディング近郊のクレイン・ウォーターに住むアーミテージ氏の次男です。義父はこの縁談に反対せず、私たちは春のうちに結婚することになっています。二日前、屋敷の西棟で修繕が始まり、私の寝室の壁に穴が開けられたため、姉が亡くなった部屋に移り、姉が眠っていたまさにそのベッドで眠らなければならなくなりました。それなら想像してください。昨夜、姉の恐ろしい運命に思いをめぐらせて目を覚ましていると、夜の静けさの中で突然、姉自身の死の前触れだった、あの低い口笛が聞こえたときの私の恐怖を。私は飛び起きてランプをつけましたが、部屋には何も見えませんでした。動揺してもう眠れそうになかったので、服を着て、夜が明けるとすぐにそっと階下へおり、向かいのクラウン亭でドッグカートを借りてレザーヘッドへ向かい、そこから今朝こうして参りました。あなたにお会いしてご助言をいただく、ただそれだけのために」