Похититель трупов

           ‘Theybringthebody,andwepaytheprice,’heusedtosay,dwellingonthealliteration—‘QUIDPROQUO.’ And,again,andsomewhatprofanely, ‘Asknoquestions,’hewouldtellhisassistants,‘forconscience’sake.’ Therewasnounderstandingthatthesubjectswereprovidedbythecrimeofmurder. Hadthatideabeenbroachedtohiminwords,hewouldhaverecoiledinhorror; butthelightnessofhisspeechuponsograveamatterwas,initself,anoffenceagainstgoodmanners,andatemptationtothemenwithwhomhedealt. Fettes,forinstance,hadoftenremarkedtohimselfuponthesingularfreshnessofthebodies. Hehadbeenstruckagainandagainbythehang-dog,abominablelooksoftheruffianswhocametohimbeforethedawn; andputtingthingstogetherclearlyinhisprivatethoughts,heperhapsattributedameaningtooimmoralandtoocategoricaltotheunguardedcounselsofhismaster. Heunderstoodhisduty,inshort,tohavethreebranches: totakewhatwasbrought,topaytheprice,andtoaverttheeyefromanyevidenceofcrime. 

           OneNovembermorningthispolicyofsilencewasputsharplytothetest. Hehadbeenawakeallnightwitharackingtoothache—pacinghisroomlikeacagedbeastorthrowinghimselfinfuryonhisbed —andhadfallenatlastintothatprofound,uneasyslumberthatsooftenfollowsonanightofpain,whenhewasawakenedbythethirdorfourthangryrepetitionoftheconcertedsignal.