# ■ 10

The monster finished telling me his story， and then he said：

‘I am alone and miserable． Only someone as ugly as I am could love me．You must make another creature like me， a woman monster to be my wife．’

‘I shall never make another creature like you，’I shouted

‘You have done enough evil on your own．’

‘If you don't help me，I shall make you more miserable than you have ever been in your life．You will wish you were dead，’the monster said．‘But if you make another monster to be my friend， we won't hurt anyone．Be kind to me now，and I will learn to love and be kind．’

I thought long and hard about the monster's words．I felt sorry for him．He was so miserable．Perhaps I should help him．

‘I shall do what you ask，’I told him．‘But you must promise to live somewhere in the world where nobody lives．You must promise to stay away from other people．’

‘I promise！I promise！he cried．‘Please start your work．I shall watch you，and when you are ready，you can be sure I will come back．’ He turned and left me，and ran down the mountain．

I went back to Geneva immediately．My family were very worried when they saw me．I was pale and my eyes were wild．I could not forget my promise to the monster， and the awful work that waited for me． But I had to do it．It was the only way to keep my family safe… safe from his murdering hands around their necks．

I needed to study for several months to make a woman monster successfully．I heard that an English scientist had done some useful work，so I decided to go to England． Before I went， my father asked me：‘Are you going to marry Elizabeth，or do you love another woman？Is this why you are so unhappy？’

‘No， father，’I replied．‘I have always loved Elizabeth，and I want to marry her．But I must do one more piece of scientific work before we can marry．I must go to England to do the work and I want to marry Elizabeth when I return．’

My father and Elizabeth did not want me to go to England alone，because I had been so ill．They spoke to my old friend Henry Clerval，and he was very happy to travel with me．I was pleased that he could come，although I did not want him to discover anything about my horrible work．

Henry and I reached London in early October and stayed there for a few months．I met and talked with English scientists，and learnt many useful things from them．Then Henry was invited to visit some friends in Scotland．I planned to travel with him，but I told him that I wanted to go walking in the mountains alone． Henry was not happy with my plan， but in the end he agreed．

I bought all that I needed for a laboratory， and sent every-thing to Scotland．Henry and I travelled to Edinburgh together，and then I went further north，to find a good place for my laboratory．At last I found the right place on an island off the north coast．It was a wild and lonely place．Only five people lived on the island， so I could work alone， and nobody would discover my awful secret．

There was a large， empty hut on the island，and I brought builders from Scotland to make the hut into a laboratory for me．I showed them how to build my mast，and soon everything was ready for me to start work on the woman monster．

■ 10

怪物講完了他的故事，然後說道：

“我孤獨而悽慘。只有某個像我一樣醜的人才會愛我的。你必須另外造像我這樣的一個女怪物來當我的妻子。”

“我決不會再造一個像你一樣的人的，”我喊道，“你自己已經幹夠了邪惡的事情了。”

“如果你不幫我，那麼我就會讓你過得比你以往任何時候都要悽慘。你會求死不得的，”怪物說，“但是如果你另外造一個怪物當我的朋友，那麼我們就不會傷害任何人。現在善待我吧，我也會學著去愛人並變得善良的。”

怪物的話讓我費力地考慮了很久。我感到對不起他，他是如此痛苦。或許我應該幫助他。

“我會照你說的去做，”我對他說道，“但你得答應要呆在沒人生活的地方。”

“我答應！我答應！”他喊道，“請你開始工作吧。我會監視你的；在你準備好了以後，你可以肯定我會回來的。”他轉身離開了我，並跑下了山。

我立即返回日內瓦。我家人見到我時都非常為我擔憂。我臉色蒼白，眼睛發狂。我忘不了我對怪物的允諾，還有那等著我的可怕的工作。但我必須去做。那是保證我家庭平安的唯一出路……使他們不致被怪物的手扼死。

為了成功地造一個女怪物我需要幾個月的時間進行研究。我瞭解到有個英國科學家已進行了一些有價值的工作，於是決定去英國。

在我去之前，我父親問我：“你是打算娶伊麗莎白，還是愛上了另外一個女人？你是不是因為這個而如此不高興？”

“不是，爸爸。”我回答道，“我一直都愛伊麗莎白，並且我要娶她。但是在我們結婚之前我必須再進行一項科學工作。我必須去英國做那項工作而在回來後便同伊麗莎白結婚。”

我父親和伊麗莎白不想讓我單獨去英國，因為我一直生病。他們對我的老朋友亨利·克勒沃講了，而他非常高興同我一起去。他能去我很高興，儘管我不想讓他知道有關我那可怕的工作的任何事情。

亨利和我於10月初到達倫敦並在那兒呆了幾個月。我同幾個英國科學家見了面並談了話，並從他們那兒瞭解到許多有用的東西。後來亨利被邀請去拜訪幾位蘇格蘭朋友。我計劃同他一起去，但告訴他說我想獨自一人在山中散步。亨利對我的計劃不滿，但最終還是同意了。

我買了實驗室所需的一切東西，並把所有的東西都送到了蘇格蘭。亨利同我一起到了愛丁堡，然後我繼續朝北走，以便為我的實驗室找到合適的地點。最後我在遠離北部海岸的一個島上找到了合適的地點。那是個荒涼偏僻的地方。島上只有五個人居住，因而我可以獨自工作，沒有人會發現我那可怕的祕密。

島上有一個大的空茅屋；我從蘇格蘭帶去了建築工人以便把茅屋改造成我的實驗室。我指示他們如何建杆子，不久所有為我造女怪物的準備工作均已就緒。