# ■ 11

One evening two months later I was sitting in my lab-oratory．Most of my work was done，and I could finish the woman monster that night．But I wondered if I should finish the work．

Was I making a monster more evil than the first creature？Perhaps a thousand times more evil．How could I know？ Perhaps the woman monster would be another murderer．She had not promised to stay away from other people．Perhaps the two monsters would hate each other…and would kill，and murder， and destroy… without end．

As I thought these things，I looked up at the window． Suddenly，in the moonlight，I saw the monster's awful face looking at me．And in his yellow eyes I could see only hate and evil．I knew he would not keep his promise．

I went over to the laboratory table where the new creature was lying．I pulled off the wires that joined her to my machine．I took a sharp knife and cut through the body that I had joined together so carefully．Through the window the monster saw me destroy his woman．With a loud and miserable scream of sadness and lost hope，he ran into the laboratory．

‘You have destroyed all my hopes of happiness，’he cried．‘You have left me with one feeling—hate…and with one wish—to destroy your happiness．You will be sorry that you were ever born．Remember this：I shall be with you on your wedding night．’

He ran quickly out of the laboratory，and I watched him as he left the island in his boat and sailed away across the sea．

I sat and cried as I thought of the danger to Elizabeth．But I knew that the monster would not visit us until our wedding night．I would not die easily，and I would try to kill him before he could kill me．

The next morning I received a letter from Henry．He told me that he was waiting for me to return．I decided to clear the laboratory and to leave the island on the following day．So I re-turned to the laboratory，where the pieces of the woman monster's body still lay on the floor．I put them all in a large bag with some heavy stones．Then I took the bag to my boat and sailed out to sea．I threw the bag into deep water，and watched it disappear．

I was happier than I had felt for months．I knew I had done the right thing，and now there would be no second monster to follow the first．

I was very tired，and I went to sleep in the boat．I do not know how long I slept，but when I woke up，I was in the middle of a storm． The wind was driving me further out to sea and my boat began to fill with water．I knew I was in great danger．After some hours the storm passed，and I saw land to the south．Soon I could see the beach…and a crowd of people standing and watching me．Their faces were cold and unfriendly．

As I landed，four of the men came towards me and took me by the arms．

‘We are taking you to Mr Kerwin，the judge．He wants to ask you some questions about the murder of a man here last night，’one of the men told me．

I was sad to hear of the murder，but I did not worry about it．I had been far away at the time，and knew nothing about any murder．It would be easy to explain that．So I went with the men to the large house where Judge Kerwin lived．

■ 11

兩個月後的一天晚上，我坐在了我的實驗室裡。我的大部分工作均已完成，那天晚上我就可以完成女怪物的製作工作了。但是我不知道是否應該完成這項工作。

我是否在造一個比第一個傢伙更加邪惡的怪物呢？也許要邪惡一千倍。我怎麼知道呢？也許這個女怪物會成為另一個殺人凶手。她可沒有答應要呆在遠離旁人的地方。或許那兩個怪物會相互仇恨……並且會沒完沒了地凶殺、謀害和毀滅……。

我想這些事時抬頭望了望窗戶。突然，在月光下我看見那個怪物的恐怖的臉正看著我。並且在他那黃色的眼中我只看到了仇恨和邪惡。我知道他是不會遵守諾言的。

我走到那個新的傢伙躺著的實驗室桌子的旁邊。我扯開了連接她和我的機器的電線。我拿起一把鋒利的刀切碎了精心拼揍起來的那個身體。怪物從窗戶裡看見我毀了他的女人。於是，隨著一聲悲傷和失望的、悽慘的吼聲，他跑進了實驗室。

“你已經毀滅了我所有的有關幸福的期望，”他哭喊道，“你只給我留下了一種感情——仇恨之感……和一種願望——毀掉你的幸福的願望。你會為你來到這個世界上而後悔的。記住這一點：在你的新婚之夜我會跟你在一起的。”

他快速跑出實驗室，我看著他划船離開海島向大海駛去。

當我想到對伊麗莎白構成的危險時坐下來哭了起來。但是我知道在我們的新婚之夜之前怪物是不會“造訪”我們的。我不會輕易地死去，而且要在他殺死我之前設法殺死他。

第二天早上我收到了亨利的一封信。他告訴我說他在等著我回去。我決定清理一下實驗室並在第二天離開海島。於是我返回實驗室，女怪物的那具身體還躺在地上。我把它們和一些重的石頭一起裝進一個大袋子。然後我把袋子扛到船上並駛向大海。我把袋子投入深水中，看著它消失了。

我現在比好幾個月以來感覺要好些了。我知道自己做對了一件事，現在不會有第二個怪物步那第一個的後塵了。

我非常疲勞，在船上睡著了。我不清楚睡了多長時間，只知道我醒來時正處在一場暴風雨之中。風把我吹向離海岸更遠的地方，我的船還開始進水了。我明白自己正處於極大的危險之中。幾個小時後暴風雨過去了，我看見往南有陸地。很快我就看見了海灘……一群人正站在那兒看著我。他們的表情既冷酷又不友好。

在我登陸時，四個男人走向我並抓住了我的胳膊。

“我們要把你帶到法官克文先生那兒去。他要審問你這兒昨晚發生的一樁謀殺案的事，”其中的一個人告訴我。

聽了那樁謀殺案我很傷心，但我沒有為此擔心。我那時正在遠處，根本不知道什麼謀殺的事。將會容易地解釋清這一點。這樣我便隨那些人去了克文法官住的大屋子。