5

　　The letter was from my father in Geneva， and this is what he wrote：

　　My dear Victor，

　　I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened．Your dear youngest brother，William，is dead． He was murdered． It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers， Ernest and William， went for a walk outside the city． William and Ernest were playing． William had hidden from Ernest， and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William． We all began to search for him， but we couldn't find him． We searched all night． At five in the morning I found him． He was lying on the grass， white and still． I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him．

　　Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck．On the chain was a very small picture of your mother．We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain．Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death． She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain． Hurry home， my dear Victor． You are the only one who can help Elizabeth， and we all need you．

　　With all our love，

　　Your Father

　　Henry helped me to catch the train． The journey seemed very long， and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva． I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning． I wanted to see the place where William had died．

　　As I started my walk， a storm broke and lightning lit the sky． The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William，so I found it easily．I cried sadly as I stood there． My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy， and we had all loved him．

　　Again the lightning lit the sky， and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain． When I saw it， I knew at once what it was．It was the creature that I had made．

　　What was he doing there？But although I asked myself the question， I knew the answer． He had murdered my brother． I was sure that I was right．

　　I decided to try and catch him．But as I moved， he ran to－wards the mountains． He ran much faster than any man． He climbed the mountain easily， reached the top， and disappeared．

　　I stood there in the dark and the rain， and knew that I had created a monster． And he had murdered my brother．

　　5

　　信是我父亲从日内瓦写来的，下面就是他写的内容：

　　我亲爱的维克多：

　　在你到家之前我想让你知道所发生的一件可怕的事情。你亲爱的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被谋杀的。这件事发生在上个礼拜四，那时我和伊丽莎白以及你的两个弟弟欧内斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同欧内斯特当时正玩耍。威廉从欧内斯特那儿藏了起来，于是欧内斯特要我和伊丽莎白帮着找威廉。我们都找了起来，但没能找到他。我们找了一整夜。早晨5点钟时我找到了他。他躺倒在草地上，脸色苍白，身子一动也不动。我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

　　伊丽莎白曾让他把她的一根金链子戴在脖子上。链子上有一张非常小的、你妈妈的照片。我们都认为是有人为了偷取那条金链子而杀死了威廉。可怜的伊丽莎白对威廉的死非常伤心。她认为他的死是因为她让他戴了那条链子。赶快回家吧，我亲爱的维克多。只有你能帮助伊丽莎白，并且我们都需要你。

　　我们都爱你！

　　你的父亲

　　亨利帮我上了火车。旅途似乎非常漫长；火车到达日内瓦之前已经是深夜了。我决定在城外的一个村子里过夜，然后清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

　　在我开始步行时，暴发了一场暴风雨，闪电划亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方围上了木桩，这样我很容易地找到了那儿。我站在那儿伤心地哭泣着。我可怜的弟弟一向是个善良而快乐的孩子，并且我们都很爱他。

　　闪电又一次照亮了天空，我看见雨中站着一个巨大的人。当我看见时，我立马就知道那是谁了。那是我创造的那个家伙。

　　他在那儿干什么？尽管我在问自己这个问题，却已知道了答案。是他杀死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是对的。

　　我决心要抓住他。但在我走动时，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他轻松地爬着山，到了山顶并且消失不见了。