She took nonotice. Again the beastly stench almost made him faint, and he lit a cheroot.His eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, and now he was seized by anoverwhelming sensation as he stared at the painted walls. He knew nothing ofpictures, but there was something about these that extraordinarily affectedhim. From floor to ceiling the walls were covered with a strange and elaboratecomposition. It was indescribably wonderful and mysterious. It took his breathaway. It filled him with an emotion which he could not understand or analyse.He felt the awe and the delight which a man might feel who watched thebeginning of a world. It was tremendous, sensual, passionate; and yet there wassomething horrible there, too, something which made him afraid. It was the workof a man who had delved into the hidden depths of nature and had discoveredsecrets which were beautiful and fearful too. It was the work of a man who knewthings which it is unholy for men to know. There was something primeval thereand terrible. It was not human. It brought to his mind vague recollections ofblack magic. It was beautiful and obscene." MonDieu, this is genius. "The words werewrung from him, and he did not know he had spoken.Then his eyesfell on the bed of mats in the corner, and he went up, and he saw the dreadful,mutilated, ghastly object which had been Strickland. He was dead. Dr. Coutrasmade an effort of will and bent over that battered horror. Then he startedviolently, and terror blazed in his heart, for he felt that someone was behindhim. It was Ata. He had not heard her get up. She was standing at his elbow,looking at what he looked at."GoodHeavens, my nerves are all distraught, " he said. "You nearlyfrightened me out of my wits. "He looked againat the poor dead thing that had been man, and then he started back in dismay."But hewas blind. ""Yes; hehad been blind for nearly a year. "她没有理睬他。屋子里的腥臭味又一次差点儿把他熏倒，他点了一支方头雪茄。他的眼睛已经完全适应屋里的朦胧光线了。他凝视着墙上的绘画，心中激荡着无法控制的感情。他对于绘画并不怎么内行，但是墙上的这些画却使他感到激动。四面墙上，从地板一直到天花板，展开一幅奇特的、精心绘制的巨画，非常奇妙，也非常神秘。库特拉斯医生几乎连呼吸都停止了。他心中出现了一种既无法理解、又不能分析的感情。如果能够这样比较的话，也许一个人看到开天辟地之初就是怀着这种欣喜而又畏服的感觉的。这幅画具有压人的气势，它既是肉欲的，又充满无限热情。与此同时它又含着某种令人恐惧的成分，叫人看着心惊肉跳。绘制这幅巨作的人已经深入到大自然的隐秘中，探索到某种既美丽、又可怕的秘密。这个人知道了一般人所不该知道的事物。他画出来的是某种原始的、令人震骇的东西，是不属于人世尘寰的。库特拉斯医生模模糊糊地联想到黑色魔法，既美得惊人，又污秽邪恶。“上帝啊①，这是天才。”①原文为法语。这句话脱口而出，只是说出来以后他才意识到自己是在下了一个评语。后来他的眼睛落在墙角的一张草席上，他走过去，看到了一个肢体残缺、让人不敢正眼看的可怕的东西，那是思特里克兰德。他已经死了。库特拉斯医生运用了极大的意志力，俯身看了看这具可怕的尸骸。他突然吓得跳起来，一颗心差点儿跳到嗓子眼儿上；因为他感到身后边有什么东西。回头一看，原来是爱塔。不知道什么时候，爱塔已经站起来，走到他胳臂肘旁边，同他一起俯视着地上的死人。“老天爷，我的神经一定出了毛病了，”他说，“你可把我吓坏了。”这个一度曾是活生生的人，现在已经气息全无了；库特拉斯又看了看，便心情沉郁地掉头走开。“他的眼睛已经瞎了啊。”“是的，他已经瞎了快一年了。”