Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 4
Onewaspackedwithrottinganddust-drapedbalesofspareclothing,andtheexplorerthrilledwhenhesawthatitwasunmistakablytheclothingofacenturyandahalfbefore.Inanotherroomhefoundnumerousoddsandendsofmodernclothing,asifgradualprovisionswerebeingmadetoequipalargebodyofmen.Butwhathedislikedmostofallwerethehugecoppervatswhichoccasionallyappeared;these,andthesinisterincrustationsuponthem.Helikedthemevenlessthantheweirdlyfiguredleadenbowlswhoserimsretainedsuchobnoxiousdepositsandaroundwhichclungrepellentodorsperceptibleaboveeventhegeneralnoisomenessofthecrypt.Whenhehadcompletedabouthalftheentirecircuitofthewallhefoundanothercorridorlikethatfromwhichhehadcome,andoutofwhichmanydoorsopened.Thisheproceededtoinvestigate;andafterenteringthreeroomsofmediumsizeandofnosignificantcontents,hecameatlasttoalargeoblongapartmentwhosebusiness-liketanksandtables,furnacesandmoderninstruments,occasionalbooksandendlessshelvesofjarsandbottlesproclaimeditindeedthelong-soughtlaboratoryofCharlesWard—andnodoubtofoldJosephCurwenbeforehim.
Afterlightingthethreelampswhichhefoundfilledandready,Dr.Willettexaminedtheplaceandalltheappurtenanceswiththekeenestinterest;notingfromtherelativequantitiesofvariousreagentsontheshelvesthatyoungWard’sdominantconcernmusthavebeenwithsomebranchoforganicchemistry.
