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once more appealed to heaven。 〃If I have memoryif I have being
I am innocent。 I intended no ill； but my folly； indirectly and
remotely； may have caused it。 But what words are these？ Your
brother lunatic！ His children dead！〃
What should I infer from this deportment？ Was the ignorance which
these words implied real or pretended？ Yet how could I imagine a
mere human agency in these events？ But； if the influence was
preternatural or maniacal in my brother's case； they must be
equally so in my own。 Then I remembered that the voice exerted was
to save me from Carwin's attempts。 These ideas tended to abate my
abhorrence of this man； and to detect the absurdity of my
accusations。
〃Alas！〃 said I； 〃I have no one to accuse。 Leave me to my fate。
Fly from a scene stained with cruelty； devoted to despair。〃
Carwin stood for a time musing and mournful。 At length he said；
〃What has happened？ I came to expiate my crimes： let me know them
in their full extent。 I have horrible forebodings！ What has
happened？〃
I was silent； but； recollecting the intimation given by this man
when he was detected in my closet； which implied some knowledge of
that power which interfered in my favor； I eagerly inquired； 〃What
was that voice which called upon me to hold when I attempted to
open the closet？ What face was that which I saw at the bottom of
the stairs？ Answer me truly。〃
〃I came to confess the truth。 Your allusions are horrible and
strange。 Perhaps I have but faint conceptions of the evils which
my infatuation has produced； but what remains I will perform。 It
was MY VOICE that you heard！ It was MY FACE that you saw！〃
For a moment I doubted whether my remembrance of events were not
confused。 How could he be at once stationed at my shoulder and
shut up in my closet？ How could he stand near me and yet be
invisible？ But if Carwin's were the thrilling voice and the fiery
image which I had heard and seen； then was he the prompter of my
brother； and the author of these dismal outrages。
Once more I averted my eyes and struggled for speech：〃Begone！
thou man of mischief！ Remorseless and implacable miscreant；
begone！〃
〃I will obey；〃 said he； in a disconsolate voice； 〃yet； wretch as I
am； am I unworthy to repair the evils that I have committed？ I
came as a repentant criminal。 It is you whom I have injured； and
at your bar am I willing to appear and confess and expiate my
crimes。 I have deceived you； I have sported with your terrors； I
have plotted to destroy your reputation。 I come now to remove your
terrors； to set you beyond the reach of similar fears； to rebuild
your fame as far as I am able。
〃This is the amount of my guilt； and this the fruit of my remorse。
Will you not hear me？ Listen to my confession； and then denounce
punishment。 All I ask is a patient audience。〃
〃What！〃 I replied； 〃was not thine the voice that commanded my
brother to imbrue his hands in the blood of his children？to
strangle that angel of sweetness； his wife？ Has he not vowed my
death； and the death of Pleyel； at thy bidding？ Hast thou not made
him the butcher of his family？changed him who was the glory of
his species into worse than brute？robbed him of reason and
consigned the rest of his days to fetters and stripes？〃
Carwin's eyes glared and his limbs were petrified at this
intelligence。 No words were requisite to prove him guiltless of
these enormities： at the time； however； I was nearly insensible to
these exculpatory tokens。 He walked to the farther end of the
room； and； having recovered some degree of composure； he spoke：
〃I am not this villain。 I have slain no one； I have prompted none
to slay； I have handled a tool of wonderful efficacy without
malignant intentions； but without caution。 Ample will be the
punishment of my temerity； if my conduct has contributed to this
evil。〃 He paused。
I likewise was silent。 I struggled to command myself so far as to
listen to the tale which he should tell。 Observing this； he
continued：
〃You are not apprised of the existence of a power which I possess。
I know not by what name to call it。＇1＇ It enables me to mimic
exactly the voice of another； and to modify the sound so that it
shall appear to come from what quarter and be uttered at what
distance I please。
〃I know not that everyone possesses this power。 Perhaps； though a
casual position of my organs in my youth showed me that I possessed
it； it is an art which may be taught to all。 Would to God I had
died unknowing of the secret！ It has produced nothing but
degradation and calamity。〃
＇1＇ Biloquium； or ventrilocution。 Sound is varied according to the
variations of direction and distance。 The art of the ventriloquist
consists in modifying his voice according to all these variations；
without changing his place。 See the work of the Abbe de la
Chappelle； in which are accurately recorded the performances of one
of these artists； and some ingenious though unsatisfactory
speculations are given on the means by which the effects are
produced。 This power is； perhaps； given by nature； but is
doubtless improvable； if not acquirable； by art。 It may； possibly；
consist in an unusual flexibility or extension of the bottom of the
tongue and the uvula。 That speech is producible by these alone
must be granted； since anatomists mention two instances of persons
speaking without a tongue。 In one case the organ was originally
wanting； but its place was supplied by a small tubercle； and the
uvula was perfect。 In the other the tongue was destroyed by
disease； but probably a small part of it remained。
This power is difficult to explain； but the fact is undeniable。
Experience shows that the human voice can imitate the voice of all
men and of all inferior animals。 The sound of musical instruments；
and even noises from the contact of inanimate substances； have been
accurately imitated。 The mimicry of animals is notorious； and Dr。
Burney （〃Musical Travels〃） mentions one who imitated a flute and
violin； so as to deceive even his ears。
THIRD PART
I
＇After Carwin's confession of his powers of ventriloquism all the
mysteries are cleared upsave one。 The owner of the voice heard
in Clara's chamber； on the first night after the wanderer appeared
at Mettingen； the threatener on the edge of the precipice； the spy
in Clara's closet； and would…be intruder； the manipulator of the
vile plot that destroyed her lover's confidenceall these hidden
identities have materialized in the person of this one unhappy man。
But while confessing the prying disposition which led to these
sins； in efforts to protect himself from discovery； Carwin still
denies that Wieland's mad acts were perpetrated at his
instigation。＇
〃I have uttered the truth。 This is the extent of my offenses。 You
tell me a horrid tale of Wieland being led to the destruction of
his wife and