Hawver had finished his story and both men were silent. Dr. Frayley absently drummed on the table with his fingers.
"Did he say anything today？" he asked "anything from which you inferred that he was not dead？"
Hawver stared and did not reply.
"Perhaps， " continued Frayley， "he made a sign， a gesture—lifted a finger， as in warning. It' s a trick he had—a habit when saying something serious—announcing the result of a diagnosis， for example."
"Yes， he did—just as his apparition had done. But， good God！ did you ever know him？"
Hawver was apparently growing nervous.
"I knew him. I have read his book， as will every physician some day. It is one of the most striking and important of the century' s contributions to medical science. Yes， I knew him； I attended him in an illness three years ago. He died."
Hawver sprang from his chair， manifestly disturbed. He strode forward and back across the room； then approached his friend， and in a voice not altogether steady， said："Doctor， have you anything to say to me—as a physician？"
"No， Hawver； you are the healthiest man I ever knew. As a friend I advise you to go to your room. You play the violin like an angel. Play it； play something light and lively. Get this cursed bad business off your mind."
The next day Hawver was found dead in his room， the violin at his neck， the bow upon the string， his music open before him at Chopin' s Funeral March.
“我这个人不像你们有些医生那么迷信，有些医生既喜欢玩弄‘科学人士”的头衔，又迷信那些非科学的东西。”霍弗振振有词地说着，好像在反驳控告自己的人，其实根本没有人控告他，“坦白地说，在你们医生中间，确实有一些人——确切来说，是极少数的人相信人的灵魂不会在这个世界上消失，相信那些被你们随便地叫做‘鬼怪”的幽灵。在这一点上，我和你们不一样。但是，我十分相信，活着的人有时候可以在他根本没有出现的地方被人们看见。当然，这个人肯定曾经在这个地方居住过。可能是由于他在那个地方居住了好长一段时间，也可能是他对周围的影响太强烈，因此，周围的万事万物都留下了他的印记。说实在的，我知道一个人的性格和品质能够对他所处的环境产生极大的影响。如果有人长期受他的影响，那么一段时间之后，这个受他影响的人的眼里就会浮现出他的身影。毋庸置疑，这种能影响周围环境的性格和品质必须是恰当的、正确的；能够浮现他的身影的眼睛也不是随便某个人的眼睛，必须是恰当的人的眼睛——比如说，我的眼睛。”