Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 1
Howsuchsimplicitycouldbereconciledwiththeinexplicablecomingsandgoingsofthesecretivemerchant,andwiththequeergleamingofhiswindowsatallhoursofnight,wasnotverycleartothetownsfolk;andtheywerepronetoassignotherreasonsforhiscontinuedyouthandlongevity.Itwasheld,forthemostpart,thatCurwen’sincessantmixingsandboilingsofchemicalshadmuchtodowithhiscondition.GossipspokeofthestrangesubstanceshebroughtfromLondonandtheIndiesonhisshipsorpurchasedinNewport,Boston,andNewYork;andwhenoldDr.JabezBowencamefromRehobothandopenedhisapothecaryshopacrosstheGreatBridgeattheSignoftheUnicornandMortar,therewasceaselesstalkofthedrugs,acids,andmetalsthatthetaciturnrecluseincessantlyboughtororderedfromhim.ActingontheassumptionthatCurwenpossessedawondrousandsecretmedicalskill,manysufferersofvarioussortsappliedtohimforaid;butthoughheappearedtoencouragetheirbeliefinanon-committalway,andalwaysgavethemodd-coloredpotionsinresponsetotheirrequests,itwasobservedthathisministrationstoothersseldomprovedofbenefit.Atlength,whenoverfiftyyearshadpassedsincethestranger’sadvent,andwithoutproducingmorethanfiveyears’apparentchangeinhisfaceandphysique,thepeoplebegantowhispermoredarkly;andtomeetmorethanhalfwaythatdesireforisolationwhichhehadalwaysshown.
