| 词条 | Wilful Murder (short story) |
| 释义 |
| name = Wilful Murder | title_orig = | translator = | image = File:Wilful Murder_01.jpg | caption = 1899 illustration by Hy Leonard | author = E. W. Hornung | illustrator = | cover_artist = | country = United Kingdom | language = English | series = A. J. Raffles | genre = Crime fiction | publisher = Methuen Publishing | release_date = August 1899 | english_release_date = | media_type = Print (Collection) | pages = | oclc = | preceded_by = Le Premier Pas | followed_by = Nine Points of the Law }} "Wilful Murder" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published as the fifth part of the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.[1] This and "Le Premier Pas" were the two stories in the collection not published previously in magazine format.[2] PlotRaffles and Bunny have just returned from Ireland, and Bunny anxiously waits in his rooms for Raffles to sell the emeralds they have stolen to Baird, a moneylender who is Raffles's fence. Raffles arrives, having sold the emeralds; however, Baird seems to have deduced that the disguised Raffles is actually a gentleman. Baird secretly followed Raffles back to his artist's studio, though Raffles has shaken him off. Raffles and Bunny leave to the Albany. On the way, in Bond Street, they pass by Jack Rutter, an unfortunate drunkard who Baird has ruined financially. {{Quote box|width = 30em |border = 1px |align = right |bgcolor = #c6dbf7 |fontsize = 85% |title_bg = |title_fnt = |title = |quote = They struck home to my slow wits; their meaning was no longer in doubt. I, who knew the man, read murder in his clenched hands, and murder in his locked lips, but a hundred murders in those hard blue eyes. |salign = right |source = — Raffles resolves to commit murder[3] }} Shortly after, Raffles and Bunny dine at a club. While in the smoking room, Raffles contemplates murder. Raffles explains to Bunny that he had lied earlier; Baird had, in fact, followed them to the Albany, and now knows Raffles's secret. Raffles decides that Baird must be silenced. Bunny abhors murder, but resolves to go with Raffles to Baird. After another stop at the Albany, Raffles and Bunny take a train and walk to Baird's house in Kensal Rise. The house is highly barricaded. Raffles covers the spikes of a gate with corks and his coat, and both he and Bunny climb over. They see a light inside the house, and hear stairs creak. With Bunny's assistance, Raffles silently cuts open the glass door using a diamond, treacle, and brown paper. Using the hole, Raffles turns the door's key and draws the bolt. They enter; instantly, Raffles almost trips over something. A gaslight reveals the dead, blood-soaked body of Baird. Raffles and Bunny are shocked. Then, Bunny remembers the light from earlier. They go upstairs to search for the culprit. Raffles kicks open a locked door and they find Jack Rutter, about to escape through the window. Rutter, surprised by them, confesses to the murder. He had passed by Baird earlier in Bond Street. Baird, seeing Rutter and Raffles speak to one another, demanded information on Raffles from Rutter; Rutter persuaded Baird to first take him to Baird's house. Once there, Rutter eventually threatened Baird with a poker. Baird fired on Rutter with a revolver. Rutter dodged, and killed Baird. Rutter wants to turn himself in, but Raffles is determined to save all three of them. He and Bunny drag Rutter away; by foot and by cab, they return to Bunny's rooms. Raffles then takes Rutter to the Chelsea studio, and packs Rutter safely on a ship to New York. AdaptationsBBC Radio adapted part of the story into the fifth episode of its Raffles radio drama, "Wilful Murder or The Return Match", which first aired on 17 November 1985.[4] The drama features Jeremy Clyde as Raffles and Michael Cochrane as Bunny. The first half of the episode follows many elements of the original story, with some changes:
References
1. ^Rowland, page 280. 2. ^Rowland, page 283. 3. ^Hornung, page 158. 4. ^{{cite web |url= https://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/raf_fp.log.txt |title= Raffles |last= |first= |author= Passage, Frank M. |date= 20 May 2004 |website= Old-Time Radio |publisher= |access-date= 8 October 2017 |quote= }}
| author = Hornung, E. W. | year = 1899 | title = The Amateur Cracksman | location = New York | publisher = Charles Scribner's Sons | pages = | isbn = }}
| author = Rowland, Peter | year = 1999 | title = Raffles and His Creator | location = London | publisher = Nekta Publications | pages = | isbn = 0-9533583-2-1 }} External links
1 : Short stories by E. W. Hornung |
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