Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Sometimesitseemedthatseveralpersonsmustbeinthehouse;Curwen,certaincaptives,andtheguardsofthosecaptives.TherewerevoicesofasortthatneitherWeedennorSmithhadeverheardbeforedespitetheirwideknowledgeofforeignparts,andmanythattheydidseemtoplaceasbelongingtothisorthatnationality.Thenatureoftheconversationsseemedalwaysakindofcatechism,asifCurwenwereextortingsomesortofinformationfromterrifiedorrebelliousprisoners.

           Weedenhadmanyverbatimreportsofoverheardscrapsinhisnotebook,forEnglish,French,andSpanish,whichheknew,werefrequentlyused;butofthesenothinghassurvived.Hedid,however,saythatbesidesafewghoulishdialoguesinwhichthepastaffairsofProvidencefamilieswereconcerned,mostofthequestionsandanswershecouldunderstandwerehistoricalorscientific;occasionallypertainingtoveryremoteplacesandages.Once,forexample,analternatelyragingandsullenfigurewasquestionedinFrenchabouttheBlackPrince’smassacreatLimogesin1370,asifthereweresomehiddenreasonwhichheoughttoknow.Curwenaskedtheprisoner—ifprisonerhewere—whethertheordertoslaywasgivenbecauseoftheSignoftheGoatfoundonthealtarintheancientRomancryptbeneaththeCathedral,orwhethertheDarkManoftheHauteViennehadspokentheThreeWords.Failingtoobtainreplies,theinquisitorhadseeminglyresortedtoextrememeans;fortherewasaterrificshriekfollowedbysilenceandmutteringandabumpingsound.