Chapter 4 4

The woman was very kind when she spoke.Alia had an urge to slap that ugly and domineering face. "You keep asking me that," she replied pointedly. "No, I don't care who I call. I can't stand a crowd of relatives surrounding me. I already threw that damn corset in the trash. I'm not going to pick it up again." Everyone was stunned, and there was a moment of silence.It is now very clear that the officers are exchanging meaningful glances with each other. "'Corset,' Mrs Erskine? I don't understand what you're talking about." She herself was bound by a corset, and she couldn't understand how Aaliyah had managed to get rid of hers.

"Gilbert chose to leave me alone, so I'll be alone." The female police officer was as stubborn as Alia, and she was not easy to be persuaded.She said: "Mrs. Erskine, we have no choice. You need help from your family and we have to notify Mr. Erskine's family, immediately. This is our standard procedure in matters like this." such things. Just then, the heavy cup in Aaliyah's hand slipped and shattered into pieces, spilling water all over the floor.Alia wanted to protest against these strangers who condemned her, sympathized with her, tried to deal with her, and told them that she was not “such a thing”—and neither was Gilbert Erskine ——But suddenly, her foot slipped and her body lost her balance.The fluorescent lights flickered like thunderless lightning, and though Ariah opened her eyes wide, she couldn't see anything.

Foolish woman, don't despair.My justice is my mercy. 5 "Hi, Burnaby. Thank God you're here." He used the pay phone at the police station.He needs help.Need a drink too.He needs moral support.Dirk Burnaby was the only man he thought of when he was in trouble.Maybe, just chatting.Sometimes I will ask some expert questions.Or just looking for comfort.You can find him anytime, day or night.The poor guy has suffered from insomnia since World War II.He likes to collect all kinds of news from his friends.The bachelor is almost as lonely as the married man.Burnaby was the youngest of their group of friends, and the only bachelor.He had no shortage of women, beautiful showgirls from the Elmwood Casino, or models.He's a lucky bastard, but one day his luck will run out.

Coburn wished he had the little flask with him, and he was desperate for a drink.They had had a little drink last night on Burnaby's yacht.Valkyrie.It was a handsome boat of forty feet long, glowing white.Moored in the river in front of the big island.You can see it from Burnaby's house on the southeast end of the island.That was not the old building where Burnaby lived.Burnaby, a little tipsy, joked that he was the Dutchman who jumped off the cataract.What's the meaning? Coburn said: "Poor woman. She was a guest at the Rainbow Hotel. Until her family arrives, I think I have to take some responsibility for her. Her husband seems to have committed suicide. Just this morning. Dirk, Are you listening? A Presbyterian minister."

There was an ambiguous voice on the other end of the phone. "We were at Police Headquarters, and the officers were trying to question her. I promised her that she could live in that suite as long as she wanted." Coburn paused.He was thinking about good public relations.But he was merciful enough.He hoped Burnaby could understand that.In their circle, Burnaby spent money freely, even recklessly.Even though he knew that the loaned money would never be returned, he would still lend it to others.He knows that others will not pay him, but he will still take over as the legal representative of others, just as he knows that he will not win the lawsuit or the chance of winning is not good, but he will still accept the case.Burnaby was not a Christian, but what he did was what a Christian did, which made Coburn, who was a Christian, very uncomfortable.So Coburn wanted Burnaby to know about the suite. "He's in the honeymoon suite," he added, "and that's not cheap."

This remark aroused Burnaby's interest. "Honeymoon? Why?" "They're on their honeymoon. Just got married yesterday." Burnaby laughed. Coburn was a little annoyed. "Hey, Bourne! Fuck! What's so funny about that. This woman was left here alone, and she was terrified, and she said she didn't want to see her own family. I said I'd help her, but— —Damn it, what am I supposed to do?" "Uh, is she young? Pretty?" "No!" Coburn paused, a little annoyed. "But she is a lady." On the other end of the line, Burnaby was silent, ominously.

Why Coburn called Burnaby, and why he called him at Police Headquarters, must have been his own agitation.He had lost $1,400 the night before in a poker game on the Valkyrie, mostly to Burnaby.He signed a check to his friend in beautiful cursive letters.Coburn was clever and serious when it came to playing cards, but the cards were always against him.And Burnaby had almost all the cards.Whether Burnaby dealt or not, he got all the cards.Over the years, friends have seen Burnaby's good luck.Most of their circle had met at Mount St. Joseph Boys' College in the Niagara Falls area in the early 1930s.Burnaby was two grades below Coburn, Wayne, Fitch, and Howell at that time. He played with them on the school's representative team, mainly playing football and basketball. When he won, he was an elegant winner. ; when he loses, he is an elegant loser.But he rarely loses.Burnaby was a success with women, which perhaps made his friends a little jealous.They joked that Burnaby was a polygamist.Not that he married a woman or was tricked into a "marriage contract."Somehow Burnaby always walked clean.And usually, he still keeps friends with those women.

Back at Mount St. Joseph, Dirk Burnaby had been a peacemaker.A priest gave him the nickname "Peacemaker."In fact, Burnaby had a temper too.It's just that his anger fades quickly, and he's always been more careful and shrewd than the other boys.Maybe his soul has more depth.Burnaby had a strange habit of apologizing when he was wronged with such sincerity that you tremble with joy; This kind of thing happens often.If someone didn't like him, or if one of his friends didn't like another, it seemed to hurt him.What if one of us dies?Burnaby would say so.And what he meant was clear.He wants his friends to be real friends.If you want to please Bourne, then give in.If you want to please Byrne, he will make you a substantially better person than yourself.Therefore, the two sides are tied.They haven't changed a lot as adults.Coburn called Burnaby several times over the past two decades, begging him for help.Years ago, when Irma kicked Clyde out of the house, Irma was filing for divorce on the grounds that Coburn had been unfaithful to her and had betrayed her.betray!It seemed those women meant something to Coburn, but they didn't.It seemed impossible to convince Irma that there was nothing about them.It was so hard for a woman like Irma to forgive.She seemed so petty when it came to forgiving others.Coburn was shattered and plunged into a pitiful position.He lives in a hotel suite (trying not to mind the grinning and staring employees), eats too much, and loses money at the racetrack.The women who had been with him before had no time for him, because he had no money for them to squander any more.They're not exactly call girls (but, frankly, they probably are), but they can tell when a move is doomed.In eighteen months, he had squandered $50,000, and the only evidence left was a genital rash and an unexpected habit of swearing.Clyde had fallen ill from worrying about his children's opposition to him, even though he knew they understood him.One daughter, two sons.He is not fit to be the father of the children.Irma's tears and hurt feelings affect the children badly.Clyde loved children, too, but damn (he swore) he wouldn't crawl over there on his stomach begging for forgiveness.Isn't this going to tear him apart!And so, one night, he laid his corrupted soul naked before Burnaby, who he knew would make it all right.In the Niagara Falls and Buffalo area, Burnaby has a successful legal experience, from his ability to help other lawyers (because the cases are too complicated, those lawyers can't do it, or they just screwed up) You can see it at the point.Burnaby, that's the one he was going to call.You can trust this person not to share your secrets.So Coburn went to Burnaby and confessed his situation.Burnaby took action immediately after hearing his story.He told Coburn to wake up, and Coburn did (to an extent) as he was told; he told Coburn to stay away from the racetrack at Castle Erie, Ontario, and Coburn did; and he told him how to get along with his family— "Passionate, genuine, like you really love them" - Coburn complied.Burnaby also spends time alone with Irma, which Irma feels very flattered about.Burnaby told Irma Coburn how much he loved her, that he had to test that love, and that he would never hurt her again.In this way, the crisis was resolved.The Coburns reconciled.Sometimes, Clyde wondered if that was a good thing, but he thought it should be.definitely is.

married family.Besides, what else?You have to grow up.You have to accept this.For Burnaby's sake, Coburn would keep the marriage going.All thanks to Burnaby.Irma thought so too.We live together for Burnaby. Coburn was almost pleading: "Dirk? Come pick us up. Just south of South Main Street. We'll drive Mrs. Erskine back to the hotel and have a drink at the bar. I mean the two of us. No she." On the other end of the phone, Burnaby seemed to be sighing. "Okay, Clyde. I'll be there in ten minutes." 6 A 33-year-old man walking on a stretched rope.On top of a deep valley like the Niagara Canyon.

He knew: he must be related to those courageous, apparently crazy and desperate men of the nineteenth century.Do things that are amazing and risk your own life: walk that rope across the dreaded Niagara Canyon, or even crazier, ride a barrel, kayak, or various homemade contraptions based on genius designs Jump off the waterfall.Look, look at me!Has there ever been a man like me! He is a descendant of one of them.His notorious predecessor, the great Reginald Burnaby, had crossed the Falls of the Americas on Independence Day, 1869, by a steel rope some eight hundred feet long.There were about eight hundred eager spectators there, watching the great Reginald Burnaby (there are various theories about who he was: excommunicated Roman Catholic priest from Galway; ex-convict from Liverpool , or a fugitive from that port city) made that thrilling crossing in 20 minutes.He holds a 12-foot bamboo pole with an American flag waving in the wind at either end.As he crossed the falls, women fainted; at least one woman gave birth on the spot.He was shown in the daguerreotype (taken by Reginald Burnaby on the eve of crossing the falls) as a thin, dark, handsome gypsy man of about twenty-eight years of age, With a bald head and mustache, he stared ferociously, and it could be seen that his eyes were slightly squinted.Walking on the ropes, he was wearing a British navy captain's coat (was it his own?) and a circus performer's tights.His daring adventure was praised by newspapers as far away as San Francisco, London, Paris, and Rome.The second time Burnaby ventured his life up the canyon, in June 1871, at the expense of a spa at Niagara Falls, he attracted even more crowds.The novelty of that crossing was that Burnaby was wearing a tights and took it off as he reached the middle of the canyon; however, something dramatic happened when a sudden gust of wind blew from the opposite Canadian shore, mixed with Burnaby had to crouch on the ropes, and, as a reporter for The Times of London later described him, "like a hopeless and clever monkey", he made the journey from Scenic Point to Luna Island. The arduous journey was over in about 40 minutes. In August 1872, Burnaby made the third crossing, and this time the audience was even larger. There were more than 2,000 people ashore in the United States alone, and at least 1,000 people ashore in Canada.The crossing was made at his own expense by the daring Burnaby, who, according to his own account, needed money to support his wife and newborn child.For this reason, his live crossing is also the most controversial one, crossing the American Falls from the Scenic Cape to Luna Island, and then crossing the Wedding Dress Falls from Luna Island to Goat Island.Burnaby wore a red silk bodysuit, with his head and face painted, like an Iroquois Indian warrior engaged in "hostilities."That being said, things were a little tricky to navigate right from the start.Thick fog rose from the Grand Canyon, blocking the view of onlookers, which exacerbated the dissatisfaction of the audience, who accused him of being a "liar".The brave Burnaby also seemed not very confident in himself.He looked thinner, and the reckless enthusiasm of his youth seemed to be gone, as he had been the previous spring.Inch by inch he was on the rope, and twenty-five minutes passed before what happened next sent Burnaby into the falls. (Although no one was caught, it is certain that an unidentified young man ashore on the American side shot the heroic Burnaby in the back with a slingshot.) The onlookers were stunned, and Burnaby fell into the into the bubbling, white foaming water at the bottom of the waterfall, two hundred feet from shore; scene.Burnaby surfaced a few minutes later and was "safe and sound," as reporters later reported.There was “a roar of cheers” from the crowd as the bald, paint-smeared Burnaby swam towards the shore of Luna Island; There, however, was just then when a strong back wave swept him into the rushing pale green water.Witnesses later said that as he was swept into the water, Burnaby yelled to his wife, "Goodbye, darling! Kiss the baby for me!" On an open space on Goat Island, holding their eight-month-old baby in their arms, they looked at him helplessly.

That baby was later Dirk Burnaby's father. Reginald Burnaby's mutilated body was found several days later, barely recognizable except for his conspicuously painted head and face.His body was found fifteen miles downriver north of Lewiston.A union of residents there at Niagara Falls sympathized with Burnaby and his young family, dragged his body ashore, and gave him a Christian funeral. After the great publicity about the death of the great Reginald Burnaby, rappelling across the Niagara Canyon was officially banned. "Poor fool. You gave away your life, precious life, and for what?" On the walls of his home on Bonabiluna were several daguerreotypes of his heroic grandfather.Dirk Burnaby used to stare at the pictures on the wall, smiling at his grandfather's mustache, which added masculinity and swagger to his lean, hopeful face Qi.In one of the photographs, Burnaby was grinning dumbly, and his teeth were badly repaired, crooked and discolored.In another photo, Burnaby is wearing a form-fitting sweatshirt and a tight shirt, the costume of a circus performer, standing with his hands on his hips, with a proud expression on his face, as if to Saying "Am I not a character"?From this it can be seen that Burnaby is a strong, powerful little man, with a strong body and well-developed limbs. (Dirk Burnaby learned from the sources that his grandfather was only five feet six inches tall and weighed less than 155 pounds when he died.) Also, he was a bloody, restless, empty-headed man. He was chased by women all day long, but he was destined to die young.Yes, he had been a warrior, but so what? Who wants to be a reckless person, and be judged like this after death? Physically, Dirk Burnaby was nothing like his predecessors.When he was only a teenager, he was six feet two, which made him very satisfied. (He likes that! Taller than his classmates and most adults. It gives him lifelong privileges, like an inexhaustible bank account.) He is not a dark-skinned gypsy, but rather, he His skin is fair, and he has no slight squint.He hates beards, it makes his sensitive skin itchy.He is a handsome man, why hide the truth?He knew he was not a brave man.He would never risk his life if he could escape it. "I'd rather live, thank you." He had spent two years as a soldier in an infantry regiment in the U.S. Army, with units based primarily in Italy.Back then, he had to force himself to shoot at enemies, and he couldn't say he ever hit anyone—perhaps once, he only killed one.He didn't wish he had killed anyone.He often closed his eyes at the critical moment when the rifle in his hand was about to fire.Sometimes he didn't aim at all, and other times he didn't even pull the trigger. (Dirk was surprised to learn years later that most of the soldiers, like him, did not wish to kill, but won anyway.) Burnaby had been wounded and was in the military hospital near Naples Rest for a while.He was awarded a medal for his bravery in the chaos known as World War II.Burnaby couldn't be happier that the Allies had triumphed over the mad, brutal Axis forces.Of course, he speaks of people like Hitler, Mussolini, and Hideki Tojo with vehement hatred because millions condoned their atrocities.But for him who has personal experience, the war left him with only one firm belief: the war is over and he is still alive. "Grandpa, you missed it all. Ordinary life." Except for one thing: love at first sight. He doesn't believe in love at first sight or anything like that.He doesn't believe in romantic stories, sentimental coincidences, and empty "meanings."Of course he doesn't believe in fate, he is a natural gambler, you know, fate is just an opportunity for you to fight for your own interests. However, Aaliyah impressed him the first time he caught her.The red-haired woman in a girlish ruffled dress, recovering from a serious illness, followed Clyde Coburn down the stairs of the Niagara Falls Police Headquarters.The woman withdrew her arm abruptly from Coburn, as if he had said something to annoy her.Or to say that she can walk without the help of a man, thank you. Seeing Burnaby, Coburn greeted him enthusiastically, and introduced him to "Mrs Alia Erskine", who stared at him for a moment, then lowered her eyes. (At this moment, is this poor woman in deep grief trying to see if this stranger named Burnaby is her missing husband?) Mrs. Erskine had moved him deeply, she was so pure, It also has a haughty expression, as if it is a tall and dignified red-haired young woman who came out of Winslow Homer's watercolor painting.She is like the petite and dignified female teacher on the podium, turning her face away to avoid the appreciative eyes of the students; she is like a red-haired girl in an orange dress, lying on the grass reading a novel, forgetting the existence of people around her .The woman was pale, and her freckled face was as shiny as if it had been rubbed hard.Her hair, which was already a dull rust red, was scattered in curls on her head, as if she had just put it on.Her cotton dress had two half-moons of sweat under the armpits, and her socks had slipped down to her ankles.Her eyes were as moist as a layer of mist, her eyes flickered, and her eyes were bloodshot.She was not at all the sad woman Burnaby had expected to meet, and far more interesting than he had imagined.Clyde Coburn kept questioning her uneasily, wanting to know what the police had told her, what they had done, and what would happen next, but the red-haired woman looked into the distance and ignored her at all, and his Friend Burnaby--a good-looking flaxen-haired man much taller than she was, wearing a navy blue blazer with brass buckles like sailors', White corduroy trousers, just like a fashionable and masculine gentleman.It was him, Burnaby, a man loved by so many women, many of whom were rich married wives, who turned a blind eye to such a woman at this very moment!He smiled helplessly.Alia Erskine interrupted Coburn, telling him that she had no plans to go back to the hotel now, and that she was going to the Niagara Canyon.If Coburn didn't take her there, she took a taxi, or walked there.The police told her that authorities believed her husband had "fallen" into the river in the early hours of that morning and had sent a search party to investigate.There was still a Coast Guard working on the river, and she had to go there to make sure that the man who "overboard" was her husband, Gilbert Erskine. Coburn was taken aback. "That's not a very good idea, Mrs. Erskine. You don't want to go. If it wasn't—" "They're looking for someone. A body. I don't believe it's Gilbert, but I have to go." Mrs. Erskine tried to be calm as she spoke, but Burnaby could hear her voice. The voice trembled.She stood in front of the two men, her head turned to one side, not to meet their eyes. "I've got to be a witness if—if they find the man. I've got to know." Coburn objected: "But, Mrs Erskine, you'd be better off waiting in the hotel until—" "No. Nothing is 'better.' If Gilbert is dead, I have to know." Coburn cast a beseeching glance at Dirk Burnaby, who was staring dreamily at the stubborn redhead.He didn't know what he was thinking: his mind went blank.He began to have some strange thoughts. She was so petite, she could not weigh more than 90 pounds, and a man could lift her, put her on his shoulders, and stride away.Let her resist!He heard himself say, "I suppose you don't know my name, Mrs. Erskine? I'm a friend of Clyde's, Dirk Burnaby. I'm a lawyer and I live two miles away in Park of the Gods, near the Grand Canyon. I'll do my best to help you, Mrs. Erskine. Please take my advice." It was a completely unexpected opening line.An hour later Burnaby could not believe what he had said.Coburn watched him, tongue-tied; the red-haired woman frowned at him, squinted up, and seemed genuinely oblivious that he was there.She opened her mouth to say something, but said nothing.The lipstick on his mouth was gone, and his thin lips were chapped.On impulse, Burnaby took her hand. Her hand was so small that it held it like a sparrow, and even through the white knit gloves Burnaby could feel her fingers hot and eager. For seven days and seven nights, she kept vigil. For seven days and seven nights, people can always see the widow and bride of Great Falls, standing on the edge of the Niagara Canyon, on Goat Island, or on the shore.She joined the search-and-rescue team looking for the "missing person," working with Coast Guard members down the river, through Lewiston and Youngstown, to the mouth of the river in Lake Ontario.Alia Erskine was the only woman on the Coast Guard boat, and her presence made the men uncomfortable.She was in a state of extreme anxiety and was in a trance.Those bloodshot eyes were fixed on the choppy river, as if a male corpse would appear and her search would be over.She repeated in a hoarse voice—she didn't care who was listening—"I am Gilbert Erskine's wife, and if I become Gilbert's widow, find I had to be there when his body was killed. I had to take care of my husband.” The Coast Guard staff exchanged painful glances: how ugly a corpse soaked in a waterfall must be. "Why should I have anything to do with this woman? She's crazy." Worst of all, Alia Erskine seemed to have no idea who Deke Burnaby was.No doubt she had always associated him with Clyde Coburn, his friend.Still, Burnaby was always there when she needed it.He has already called the office and told his assistant: Stop all work at hand immediately. (“Tell my clients I have an emergency.”) Niagara Falls authorities knew Burnaby well and were grateful for his involvement, since no one knew what to do with Alia Erskine .She always refuses to do what others want her to do, even her parents can't do anything about her. Overheard, Dirk Burnaby overheard a sympathetic conversation: "Alia, honey? Shall we go back to the hotel with your dad? Baby, you're so tired. You're sick. Look at this Skirt! Look at your hair! Alia, please listen to your mother." But Alia sat sullenly, motionless. "You want me to marry Gilbert Erskine. I do. Then I'll be his wife. That's what a wife has to do, mother! Go away and leave me alone." That's what she's playing, Dirk thought disapprovingly.She had become a pilgrim to Great Falls—a widowed bride of Great Falls, as the press claimed.Maybe she really had no choice. During the few days of vigil, Alia stared at the river like a fascination, staring at the turbulent, turbid surface like a pale green flag, and almost forgot everything around her.She doesn't seem to feel the presence of people around her, and doesn't care about other people's problems.She ate nothing but what others brought and urged her to eat. Awakening from a weary slumber, Aaliyah looked like a frail child awakened from a nightmare, dazed and empty-eyed.However, only a few seconds later, she pulled herself together again, and Dirk Burnaby was shocked by this kind of willpower. He had never encountered such a strong will in his life. , that kind of will keeps her there, and she knows why.The nightmare was outside her, in this world.She must conquer it, or there is no way out. The press was buzzing: every morning of the vigil, Alia Erskine—the widow-bride of Great Falls—appeared in the Niagara Canyon at six o'clock, always in a hurry, as if fearing she would Like being late.The canyon was foggy at that time of the morning, and the air was cold and damp.In the fog, Aaliyah walked along the road that the unidentified man who jumped the Horseshoe Falls was said to have taken on the Sunday morning of June 12.Alia is wearing a yellow raincoat and rain hat, which were provided to her by the owner of the Maid of the Mist cruise ship.She walked on the narrow suspension bridge that led to Goat Island, staring intently at the swift pale green water below, her white-gloved hands clutching the railing.Her lips were trembling. (Praying? Talking to a missing husband?) The fog in the canyon kept rising, like clouds of smoke from burning sulfur, and Alia's bright yellow raincoat was shining, and in it she looked Like a withered flower, placed there incongruously. ("Like one of those goddamn souls eager to be saved," Alia once told Dirk Burnaby, though she rarely noticed his presence. That stiff, brooding smile on her face make him tremble.) Underneath the raincoat, Aaliyah wore a cool skirt and a light printed blouse. The stockings on her legs were quickly soaked by the spray from the waterfall. After a while, her face and hair were covered with water.But she didn't know it at all.Dirk Burnaby was sure that during Alia's vigils she was always followed by a curious, psychopathic band of journalists and photographers, albeit politely, at a distance.It seemed to Dirk that they were a bunch of parasites, and he hated them, though Arya was indifferent to their presence.All she cared about was the river.She would be called by strangers—"Mrs. Erskine? Excuse me, Mrs. Erskine?"—"How do you do, Mrs. Erskine? I'm a reporter for the Niagara Gazette. Five minutes of your time, let's talk?" She turned a deaf ear.By this point, Dirk knew she wasn't trying to cover her face, or disguise herself, if she wanted to, it couldn't be easier.There were pictures of widowed brides in the newspapers. In some photos, Alia's thin cheeks wet with foam were as pale and calm as white marble. She seemed to be crying all the time, like a statue, where she was quiet And wept aggrievedly. Dirk knew Alia wasn't crying.She is a stingy woman who does not shed tears easily.Before long, she might need to cry a lot. Usually, the body is found within a week.But if they sink to the bottom of the water, those rotting things will turn them into "floating corpses".And it's only a matter of time. Once, on Goat Island, Alia followed the east circular path to Turtle Point, where the suicide had passed.She stood by the Horseshoe Falls, listening to its thundering spell, and remained motionless for half an hour, a lonely, melancholy sculpture, incongruously in her brightly colored raincoat.In the morning, the atmosphere around the Great Falls seemed increasingly dull and terrifying.A faint rainbow looms through the fog.The roar of the Turtle Point Waterfall is so deafening that it penetrates to the deepest part of your body and makes you unable to think rationally.In the midst of that din, you can't even remember your own name, and you don't want to; you feel the heartbeat at the core of your body disappear: it's a pure power, nameless, indefinable. block.Those pictures of the widowed bride at Terrapin Point, from which the suicide had jumped, were widely circulated, though mostly they showed only the back of the sad woman, her hair and face covered by a wide rain hat. side covered.Dirk Burnaby stood a few feet behind Aaliyah, watching her uneasily, afraid of her sudden impulsive behavior.If he saw Aaliyah's upper body pressed against the railing, Dirk would have been able to lunge over it, ready to rush and grab her, hold her tight, and pull her back from danger.He had seen the primordial, malevolent magic of the Great Falls: once again he began to feel himself drawn to an evil fascination, the feeling he had felt years before, when he was a young boy, both outwardly and emotionally immature. .It makes you feel like you are breaking down a little bit, slowly destroying, and makes you feel terrified, like falling into a love against your will. Big waterfall!You can't believe it's killing you when it's pure soul. 在水龟角守完夜后，阿莉亚转过身，像刚从深睡的梦中极不情愿地醒过来一样，沿西边的环形小路往回走，那条路经过婚纱瀑布、卢纳岛、博德岛和格林岛。尽管那位自杀者不曾来过山羊岛这边，阿莉亚还是手扶着栏杆，徘徊在那里，充满渴望的双眼盯着河水，似乎她那失踪丈夫的尸体会显现呢。当你抬头向河的上游望去，看到奔腾的河水朝你汹涌而来似乎要冲向那无穷的天际之外，你就会觉得，一切都是可能的。河的源头是未来，而在你的身后，它就成了过去。只有这河水，只有在它流过的一刹那才是存在的，存在于你心中。 阿莉亚又踏上了那座吊桥，亭子里那个看门人战战兢兢、充满恐惧地盯着她，而她却丝毫没有觉察到他的存在（他就是目睹自杀案的看门人，很害怕会被阿莉亚认出来）；她经过美洲瀑布，盯着下方奔腾的河水望了很长时间；然后，走上了那条通往下游的小路，有时会突然停下来，倚着栏杆，出神地望着乳白色的河水。就这样，整整一个上午，大瀑布的寡妇新娘从尼亚加拉观测塔走到迷雾少女旅游船的码头（那里挤满了游客），又从风之洞走到魔鬼洞漩涡（她可能喜欢那个地方，在那里呆了一个小时）。 魔鬼洞漩涡！德克?波纳比后来觉得她似乎知道那个地方。她意识到那个死者就在里面。被一种离心力卷了进去。那是通向地狱的漩涡。 他几乎开始与那个病恹恹的女人一起为那条河而着迷。那具尸体随时都有可能浮现在水中。他不希望那一幕出现，他将无法忍受，尤其是她在那里。 他想要走到栏杆边，站在她身后，轻轻拥着她。他自己需要这种关怀和忠诚。他觉得吉尔伯特?厄尔斯金牧师不值得她这样做。他讨厌那个男人，憎恶他，尽管他已经死了，仍然让这个女人如此迷恋着他。他心想：她已经摆脱了伤害。摆脱了所有男人的爱。 阿莉亚紧靠着栏杆站在天桥上，下面就是魔鬼洞漩涡，一个大胆的摄影记者慢慢向阿莉亚靠近，这时候，波纳比走上前去，夺过他手里的相机，抛进了河里。那个人愤愤不平地抗议着，嘴巴张得像狗鱼的嘴，德克平静地说：“现在就给我滚，要不然，你的下场也一样。” 那个摄影记者说他在美联社工作，他要向警察局报告这件事情。 “我就是警察。”德克?波纳比说，“我就是安排在这里的便衣侦探，来保护这位夫人不被骚扰的。所以，你快滚，不然，就逮捕你。” 波纳比用拳头抵住摄影记者的胸脯，那人被迫向后退去。 他们说不知道到底发生了什么事情，无论是吉尔伯特还是阿莉亚，不知道他们到底是怎么了。似乎他们刚一结婚、开始到尼亚加拉大瀑布度蜜月，可怕的事情——恶魔似的——就发生了。“波纳比先生，阿莉亚的行为怎么这么古怪呢？为什么不愿跟我们在一起？”利特莱尔夫人是个柔弱的女人，看上去已人过中年，面容憔悴，眼睛流露出掩饰不住的惊恐，她恳求德克?波纳比劝说劝说女儿；利特莱尔牧师站在一边观望着，手摸着下巴，阴沉着脸。也许他们以为波纳比跟彩虹大酒店有关，因为他是跟克莱德?考博恩一起来的；也许他们以为他是尼亚加拉大瀑布当地的政府官员，他的工作就是来安抚那些失踪者和自杀者发狂的亲属的。德克很同情利特莱尔夫妇，有点厌烦阿莉亚，她这么残忍地对待她的父母；而与此同时，他又很高兴，因为他发现这个女儿跟父母一点都不像。这个红发女孩是个“怪人”——他知道的! 他温和地告诉利特莱尔夫妇，阿莉亚受到了惊吓，不必以为她古怪的举动是针对他们的。他还告诉他们，他曾见过别人经历类似的事情——在没有任何预兆的情况下，一个人突然失去了一些无法挽回的东西，任何人都会这样的。（他想起一两个曾跟他有过罗曼史的女孩儿，后来无奈地被德克?波纳比抛弃，为此还跟他大吵大闹。还想到他妈妈，她50多岁的时候，发现自己美丽不在、容颜已老，于是终日郁郁寡欢，足不出户，不见老朋友，甚至自己的孩子也不见。）“人在受到过度的惊吓之后，通常会有一些极端的行为。”德克说，“目前，还没有完全确定她丈夫就是别人——呃，在大瀑布——看到的那个。所以，阿莉亚也只是在猜测而已，还不能确定。”牧师和利特莱尔太太一脸的惊愕和恐惧，波纳比看得出来，他们并不想知道他到底在说什么；他们仍然抱有希望，以为女婿只是“失踪”了，而不是死了。（还会“回来”？）利特莱尔夫妇太可怜了！德克非常同情他们；在这样的绝望之中，他们还是宁愿相信仍有希望，相信上帝会听到他们虔诚的祈祷，会给他们答复的。德克说话的时候温文尔雅，似乎他跟阿莉亚很熟悉。“我觉得，这时候让你们女儿去参加一些活动会好一些，不要只是被动地在酒店里等待。” 尽管她愿意在那里等，德克心想。 利特莱尔太太可不这么想。“不过，波纳比先生，据我们所知，阿莉亚根本没有在酒店里住。她究竟去哪儿了？她不在这里吃饭。她告诉我们、厄尔斯金先生和厄尔斯金太太说他不能跟我们待在一起，她'没有时间'。吉尔伯特的父母很担心，可是阿莉亚不跟他们见面。有一次我撞见她了，穿着那件难看的黄色雨衣——是在风景公园吧？我一叫她，她就跑开了。到处都是新闻记者。电台也想采访我们。”利特莱尔太太打了个寒颤。“你知道那些人说她什么吗，波纳比先生？连我们特洛伊当地的报纸也那样说。'大瀑布的寡妇新娘'。她可是我们唯一的孩子啊！上周六才刚刚结婚呢！”利特莱尔夫人说这些话的时候，眼睛不停地斜乜利特莱尔牧师，似乎在寻求他的支持，不过他丈夫好像并没有在听她讲话。德克看到那个可怜的男人站在那里，不知所措，呆滞迟钝。人到中年了，他庞大的躯体似乎融化掉了一样，已经看不出轮廓。他穿一身说不出颜色的深色套装，大翻领，里面套一件浆硬的白色衬衣，还打一条“漂亮”的暗色领带。透过那副双焦眼镜，他将整个房间扫视了一遍（他们在彩虹大酒店利特莱尔夫妇的房间里，德克代替阿莉亚和他们谈话），似乎是要确定一下自己是在哪里，这又意味着什么。德克对他很感兴趣。这是一个习惯了权威的人，在没有“权威”的地方，他像一面没有风吹动的旗帜一样，不知所措。利特莱尔太太说：“波纳比先生，可否拜托你告诉阿莉亚，我们——非常想念她？很担心她?办完事情后，希望她回到我们身边？回到家里来？” 德克心想，利特莱尔太太知道女婿死了。 好征兆。 德克告别利特莱尔夫妇之后，利特莱尔牧师加快脚步，在游廊里赶上了他，似乎要坦率地跟他说些什么。“波纳比先生，刚才你说你认识——不，不认识?——吉尔伯特？我知道，你不认识他。你不知道，吉尔伯特有一种奇怪的、不健康的爱好，他对一种东西很感兴趣——你们叫那些东西什么来着——'化石'？一些小动物的骨骼，像蜗牛，青蛙之类的，在岩石里找到的吧？他说那是数百万年以前的东西，事实上，根本无法证明它们的存在是不是超过六千年。为什么这些东西对那些所谓的科学家来说那么重要呢？他们打算要证明什么呢，我是说有关上帝创造的东西和地球的历史？——我不知道。波纳比先生，你知道吗？” 德克礼貌地摇摇头，不。have no idea. “我不是科学家，牧师先生。我是个律师。” 利特莱尔先生皱了皱眉头，说：“我女婿可能想让阿莉亚跟他一起去考察这些东西。'化石'。在河床和沼泽里跋涉。而我女儿，你看到了，有点固执，可能不愿在蜜月的时候陪他去……我在想，我很希望，这就是为什么会是现在这样？是不是仅此而已？波纳比先生，您觉得呢？” 德克?波纳比咕哝着跟利特莱尔先生说他不能确定。他不确定自己怎么想。 德克终于明白为什么阿莉亚尽可能地躲着父母了。还有她的公公、婆婆呢！厄尔斯金牧师和太太看到这个年轻人的时候，几乎是冲上前去的，那贪婪的样子像饥饿的水貂一样。他不得不马上告诉他们：没有他们儿子的消息。并且很耐心地解释，他不是尼亚加拉大瀑布地区警察局的人，也不是海岸巡逻队的工作人员，只是普通市民，想在这次事故中帮忙而已，但是厄尔斯金夫妇似乎没有听到。“有我们儿子的消息吗？”厄尔斯金牧师用责备的口吻问道。德克告诉他目前还没有，他不信。厄尔斯金牧师说：“可为什么？人失踪了，他的新娘近乎发狂了，还在公众面前出丑，却没有任何消息？我无法理解。” 厄尔斯金夫妇和利特莱尔夫妇年龄相仿，55周岁或超上的年纪，由于过度疲劳，睡眠不足，看上去显得更加苍老。厄尔斯金太太是个举止文雅、看上去压抑的女人，脸颊削长，颧骨突出，照片上吉尔伯特?厄尔斯金的脸型很像她，不过她没有儿子脸上的那种傲人的才气；厄尔斯金牧师是个很有说服力的人，说话的时候，一副标准的刚从讲坛上走下来的腔调，他在一个普通的教堂里任职。在酒店房间里，他的声音显得太大了，让德克?波纳比感到很不舒服，他强忍着才没有用手去堵上耳朵。厄尔斯金牧师话里话外透露出敌意，这让德克有一丝受到威胁的感觉。“波纳比先生，事情被传得沸沸扬扬！我们那里的报纸上都有。在这里，《尼亚加拉新闻报》、《布法罗新闻》都有报道。官方不敢确认他们的推测——吉尔伯特就是“自己纵身跳入”马蹄瀑布的那个人。他们没有绝对的证据！这是诽谤！请告诉你的那些朋友们。” 德克怯怯地辩解说，那些人不是他的朋友。 “他们说的有关我们儿子的东西都是假的。吉尔伯特绝对不会干那种事情的——'自己纵身跳入'大瀑布。”厄尔斯金牧师轻蔑地说，一副义愤填膺的样子。他身材纤瘦，中等身高都算不上，跟波纳比相比矮了一大截，波纳比几乎可以俯视他。他的镜片反着光，嘴角还带着唾沫星儿。德克觉得吉尔伯特?厄尔斯金总算摆脱了这种被他的牧师父亲压制的生活，谁知道呢。逃离上帝的惩罚。上帝就在这里！ 德克满怀歉意地看了看厄尔斯金太太，平静地说：“有时候人们会让我们感到吃惊的。那些我们觉得自己很了解的人们。” 厄尔斯金牧师唐突地说：“不错。但是我们的儿子不会。吉尔伯特不是那些'人们'。” 他的话让德克无话可说。 “吉尔伯特决不会放弃他自己的——生命。绝对不会。” 德克沮丧地盯着深红色的毛绒地毯。 “我希望报纸发表正式的否认声明。向我们致歉。吉尔伯特决不会干那种事情的。” 德克很无奈地把阿莉亚?厄尔斯金留在车里，她躺在车子后面睡着了。德克的车停在月神公园他那座市内住宅的后面。这个红发女孩儿（守过夜后，阿莉亚已经虚弱不堪，那么忧郁，德克再也无法把她当成一个成熟的女人了）。她不进德克家门，不到里面去梳洗或睡觉。她也不愿跟德克一起回彩虹大酒店。她害怕家长们。这是她本能的逃生欲望。 德克离开厄尔斯金夫妇酒店房间的时候，是厄尔斯金太太送他到门外的，她紧紧攥着德克的手，焦虑不安。她的手指冰凉、湿粘，却很有力。“波纳比先生?'德克'？我不认识你，也不知道你为什么对阿莉亚这么好——还有我们——不过我要谢谢你，上帝保佑你。无论吉尔伯特发生了什么事情”——她恐惧地盯着德克的眼睛——“他会感激你的。” 德克低声咕哝着，说了几句安慰或者是同情的话。 他恨死那个自杀者了！诡计多端的自私鬼。 他步行半里路回到月神公园的家里，那是上流社会的人所居住的房子。此刻他心潮澎湃。他是个欲望强烈、想象力丰富的人，而这种性格有时候对自己很不利。他说到一些事情和人物的重要性时，往往会夸大其词，像银幕上放大了的图像；之后，这些东西会慢慢缩小，小到针尖那样；最后消失得无影无踪。 所以他会受到指责。在他相对短暂的33年生活中，这种事情时常发生。“好像是我错了一样。怎么会这样?”德克实在无法理解。 她拒绝进他的家门，拒绝在舒适的床上睡上一觉，或者只是躺下休息一下。她从不叫他“德克”——也没喊过他“波纳比先生”。她不知道他那该死的名字。 德克回来的时候，看到阿莉亚?厄尔斯金在车子柔软的后座上睡着了，睡得很安详。那是一辆林肯大陆轿车。德克望着她，一个骨瘦如柴的小女孩儿，白皙的皮肤上满是伤痕，嘴角流着口水，双腿紧紧蜷缩在瘦弱的胸前，手指甲像刀刃一样，红色的头发已经有点褪色，蓬头垢面。心里有个强烈的声音在冲他说你没有。没有陷入爱。No. “对不起，是波纳比先生吗？海岸巡逻队找到它了。” 不是他。is it. 德克暗自庆幸，阿莉亚?厄尔斯金当时不在场，没有听到那个尼亚加拉大瀑布巡逻者所说的话。 那是6月19日的上午十点左右。教堂里的钟声响了：那是个星期天。 在让人眩晕的河里度过了七天七夜。 找到尸体的时候，寡妇新娘没有在睡觉，而是在风景公园里的一个卫生间里。 德克感觉有点恶心，问：“上帝啊！在哪儿找到的？” “漩涡。” 恶魔洞漩涡！他有一种不祥的预感。 从下游找到安大略湖，又找回尼亚加拉大瀑布，现在看来，那都是在白费工夫，闹了大半天，死者的尸体却在大漩涡里，就在离马蹄瀑布不到三英里的地方。尸体被冲到下游，吸进了那个大漩涡，牢牢地陷在里面。和大瀑布一样，恶魔洞漩涡也是个奇迹。那是大峡谷里一片巨大的圆形水域，离地面有两百英尺，翻着泡沫的水流在那里形成一个湍急的漩涡。时常会有各种各样的东西被吸进去，陷在里面很久出不来。很少有像厄尔斯金这样的情况，尸体陷在里面这么长时间，人们却浑然不知。 尸体沉入河底，人们在岸上看不到。旋转，旋转，在大漩涡里旋转了七天七夜。 此时，德克不再痛恨那个自杀者了，也不再嫉妒他。他倒是希望那个可怜的自私鬼掉进大漩涡的时候就已经死了。 “阿莉亚，你可不能这样。回来。” “我要去。我必须得去。” “阿莉亚，别去。” 德克像位兄长一般严厉地说。阿莉亚舔了一下她干裂的薄嘴唇。她的脸看上去像骨头上紧紧贴了一层纸一样，似乎轻轻一动就会破掉。 “我必须去。” 这就是她扮演的角色，德克心想，她要将这个角色演到底了。 当局也没有办法，只好同意。阿莉亚很有可能就是死者的遗孀，她应该马上见到尸体，确认一下。 他们来到河的下游，恶魔洞漩涡附近的岸上已经有一伙人在了，人数比平时新闻记者和摄影记者还要多。紧急救援组的工作人员只得允许阿莉亚接近尸体。走到离尸体大约十码远的时候，阿莉亚从德克怀里挣脱出来。盖在尸体上的帆布被掀了起来。哦，什么气味儿？臭味儿？一种很孩子气的迷惑茫然的表情出现在她的脸上。这是一具标准的“浮尸”。没有人告诉她要做好准备再看。就连波纳比，看到这一幕的时候他的心脏或者胃也有点承受不了。 27岁的吉尔伯特?厄尔斯金的遗体已经面目全非，全身浮肿，肚子鼓胀，充满肠道里的气体，几乎看不出来那是人的躯体。曾经那么纤瘦的身体现在却胀得像个大汽球，一丝不挂，没有头发，手脚上的指甲都已经脱落。乌黑肿胀的舌头从怪笑着的嘴巴里伸出来，垂在下巴上。双眼大张，眼睛变成了乳白色，虹膜也不见了。生殖器也浮肿着，像胀气的李子。最可怕的是，皮肤的表层已经剥落，露出暗红色的真皮层和胀裂的毛细血管。尸体散发出一股恶臭，那气味儿比二氧化硫还刺鼻。阿莉亚尖叫起来，叫声里似乎还夹杂着笑声。那是小孩子充满恐惧又带着愤怒的笑。 她说她认出来了，那是她丈夫，因为她看到了尸体面部那“愤怒的笑容”。还有那枚人造白金婚戒，她自己也有一枚，是一对儿，为戴那枚戒指，她有点发黑的无名指还肿了好几次。 “是的。是吉尔伯特。” 她低声地说道。那一刻，意志惊人的寡妇新娘终于垮掉了。七天七夜以来，她神经紧绷，精神紧张，现在，终于结束了。她眼睛向后转动着，像一只洋娃娃。若不是德克?波纳比把她拉进怀里，她就倒在地上了。而波纳比这一“拉”给他的结局埋下了祸根。 1 她突然间就从大瀑布消失了，也从德克?波纳比的生活里消失了。 “感谢上帝！一场可怕的噩梦！” 那段记忆常常使他夜里无法入眠，像一只硕大的黑色食腐鸟一样啄食着他的内脏。他没有想到自己竟会如此脆弱，毕竟他经历过战争，亲眼目睹过很多丑陋的画面……好多次，他都会突然感到一阵恶心和眩晕，不是因为那段记忆，而是记忆带来的冲动，和朋友们一起在大岛乡村俱乐部漂亮的球场上打高尔夫球的时候，在河上划水或划船的时候。这让他明白，他能如此幸福完全是靠运气。有多少不如波纳比幸运的人，他们的生命过早地被残忍地斩断，那是多么痛苦的事情啊。那一幕又浮现在他眼前：河岸上那具浮肿脱色的尸体，那个红发女孩儿挣脱他的怀抱，他无法阻拦，看着她向前扑去，大喊大叫。 她会后悔的。he thinks. 那不是爱。不是我喜欢的类型。从那以后，他再也没有得到任何有关她的消息。当然不会有了。他在期待什么呢，没有什么好期待的。尸体被确认的时候，守夜结束的时候，德克?波纳比在这出戏里的角色就结束了。她看到虚脱的阿莉亚?厄尔斯金被救护车送往医院。他的家人很快赶到，精心照料她。尸体被用船运回特洛伊，不久就举行了吉尔伯特?厄尔斯金牧师的葬礼。 一场“事故”，或许应该这么来称呼它。一位爱好“科学探测”的鲁莽的年轻人“落入”了尼亚加拉河流。当地报纸措辞谨慎。验尸官有权对这次“不幸的事故”做出裁定，因为找不到任何明确的自杀动机，死者也没有留下任何信息…… 他从未去过特洛伊。那是个没有特色的城市，沿着莫霍克河往东走三百英里，过了奥尔巴尼市就到了。 那不是爱。这是事实：如果德克?波纳比在某次社交聚会上看到阿莉亚?厄尔斯金的话，他的目光会毫不犹豫地从她身上移开。朋友们问起她的时候，德克总是含糊其辞，只强调说守夜之后就没有跟她再联系了，那次的事只是他一时冲动，仅此而已。她从未道过谢，似乎从来也不曾见过他。克莱德?考博恩说：“她说自己会被诅咒的。看着她那样子，我没有跟她争辩。” 被诅咒？德克没有多问。他正在发牌，动作娴熟极了。突然，他手中的一张牌掉到了地板上。大家对此一笑置之。当晚（他们在河上泰勒?威恩的家里玩纸牌）德克赢了3100美元，不过他把赢的钱都还给了他们，他不想要。他说他讨厌玩纸牌。他认识那些人——巴兹?费奇、斯德顿?豪威尔、克莱德?考博恩、威恩——有20年了，或者更久。对德克来说，他们就像兄弟一样，可他却说，就是再也见不到他们的话，他也不会感到悲伤的。 不是得了相思病。不是波纳比。浏览着报纸和杂志，盯着大幅照片和大字标题。他知道这样很恶心，可是却不能自已。 守夜的大瀑布的寡妇新娘 寡妇新娘守夜七日，终以悲剧结束 尼亚加拉大峡谷里打捞出特洛伊27岁牧师尸体 失踪七日之后 终被新娘找到 《生活》、《时代》、《星期六晚邮报》上都有饱含同情的特写。没有任何地方出现“自杀”的字眼。 德克对那些文章的内容并不感兴趣，吸引他的只是那些照片，有的照片上，还能看到他自己，他皱了皱眉头。一个模糊的朦胧的身影，认识德克?波纳比的人都能看出那是他，他的身高引人注目，外表又俊朗，淡黄色的头发松软地从额前垂下来，泛着光泽。在一张模糊的照片上，德克那姿势似乎是在阻止摄影记者拍照，阿莉亚?厄尔斯金则紧靠着栏杆，身着雨衣，头戴雨帽，泰然自若，像一尊雕塑。一29岁特洛伊女子尼亚加拉大峡谷里寻夫。德克感到很震惊，如此壮举和给人印象深刻的守夜竟被简化为这寥寥数语，而且任何一张照片上的阿莉亚?厄尔斯金都跟德克记忆里的她不一样。 寡妇新娘成为尼亚加拉的又一传奇，但却无人能记住她的姓名。 对于德克的母亲波纳比太太来说，这可不是什么好日子。她63岁了，没有多少美好的时光了。 “你从不来看我，德克。我差不多都要觉得，你是在有意避开我呢。” 波纳比太太笑了笑，笑声里有一丝残酷。他儿子早就听惯了这种笑声，像银质的冰刀划过冰面时发出的声音。老太太很清楚，儿子是在有意避着她，不然的话，应该经常来看她的；他之所以经常开车过来，并非出于自己所愿，无非是要证明：他不是在刻意地躲着她。 “德克，亲爱的！妈妈了解你，妈妈也原谅你。” 克劳丁?波纳比现在自己住在大岛，一个女管家陪着她。那是个“庄园大厦”，里面有23间房，是德克的父亲在1924年建成的，家里的财产是在当地做投机买卖和地产生意赚来的。波纳比庄园占地六英亩，那是一片上等的沿河土地，庄园是小型的仿萨里郡的英格兰式乡村公寓，深粉红色的石灰岩墙壁，坐落在一个小丘上，站在那里远眺，就可望见尼亚加拉河流的齐佩瓦河（面朝安大略湖和加拿大）。在阳光灿烂的日子里，高大雄伟的窗户熠熠发光，仿佛公寓住的是什么神秘人物；在尼亚加拉大瀑布地区，天气通常都是阴霾沉闷的，那时候，那些石灰岩看上去就像铅块一样，陡峭的板岩屋顶就显得很厚重，想要压下来一般。和岛上那些20世纪20年代的公寓一样，它有一个浪漫而自命不凡的名字：“夏洛特”。德克18岁那年离开夏洛特，先后到科尔盖特大学和康奈尔大学法学院学习；从那以后，他再也没有在夏洛特久住过，但是妈妈总是把他的房间整理得井井有条，像一方圣地。现在，它被改造成套房，里面布置得富丽堂皇。1938年，德克的父亲去世（死于突发的心脏病），从那时到现在12年过去了；从那以后，德克的母亲就开始独居，开始了这种始料未及的生活。