Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Man with the Watches
Theexcessivewearingofjewelleryisanearlysymptominsomeformsofmania.
"Ashesatwatchingthecarriagesoftheexpresswhichwere(onaccountofthestateoftheline)goingatthesamepaceashimself,hesuddenlysawsomepeopleinitwhomheknew.Wewillsupposeforthesakeofourtheorythatthesepeoplewereawomanwhomhelovedandamanwhomhehated—andwhoinreturnhatedhim.Theyoungmanwasexcitableandimpulsive.Heopenedthedoorofhiscarriage,steppedfromthefootboardofthelocaltraintothefootboardoftheexpress,openedtheotherdoor,andmadehiswayintothepresenceofthesetwopeople.Thefeat(onthesuppositionthatthetrainsweregoingatthesamepace)isbynomeanssoperilousasitmightappear.
"Havingnowgotouryoungman,withouthisticket,intothecarriageinwhichtheeldermanandtheyoungwomanaretravelling,itisnotdifficulttoimaginethataviolentsceneensued.ItispossiblethatthepairwerealsoAmericans,whichisthemoreprobableasthemancarriedaweapon—anunusualthinginEngland.Ifoursuppositionofincipientmaniaiscorrect,theyoungmanislikelytohaveassaultedtheother.Astheupshotofthequarreltheeldermanshottheintruder,andthenmadehisescapefromthecarriage,takingtheyoungladywithhim.Wewillsupposethatallthishappenedveryrapidly,andthatthetrainwasstillgoingatsoslowapacethatitwasnotdifficultforthemtoleaveit.Awomanmightleaveatraingoingateightmilesanhour.Asamatteroffact,weknowthatthiswomanDIDdoso.
