第9章一个古怪的梦(4)
"Godforbid!"Iinvolued,forsomehowIwasnotlookingforthatformofquestion,anditcaughtmealittleoffmyguard。ButIhasteomakeamendsformyrudeness,andsay,"IsimplymeantIhadnothadthehonor—forIwouldelyspeakdiscourteouslyofafriendofyours。Ythatyouwererobbed—anditwasashame,too—butitappearsbywhatisleftoftheshroudyouhaveonthatitwasaeinitsday。Howdid…"
Amostghastlyexpressioodevelopamongthedecayedfeaturesaegumentsofmyguest'sfadIwasbeginningtogrowuneasyanddistressed,wheoldmehewasupadeep,smile,withawinkinit,tosuggestthataboutthetimeheacquiredhispreseaghostinaneighbcemeterymissedone。
Thisreassuredme,butIbeggedhimtoselftospeeceforth,becausehisfacialexpressioaihemostelaboratecareitwasliabletshouldespeciallybeavoided。Whathemightholysiderashiningsuccesswaslikelytostrikemeinaverydifferentlight。IsaidIlikedtoseeaskeletoncheerful,evendecorouslyplayful,butIdidnotthinksmilingwasaskeleton'sbesthold。
"Yes,friend,"saidthepoorskeleton,"thefactsarejustasIhavegiveoyou。Twooftheseoldgraveyards—theoIresidediheralonghavebeeelyedbyourdestsoftodayuntilthereisnoogthemanyloheosteologifortofit—andthatisnolightmatterthisraihepresehingsisruinoustoproperty。Wehavegottomoveorbettoseeoureffectswastedawayaroyed。
"Now,youwillhardlybelieveit,butitistrue,thereisn'tasinglegallmyaowthatisa。Idoolowpeoplewhoeinapineboxmountedon,butIamtalkingabh-toedburial-entalsort,thattravelunderblackplumesattheheadofaprodhaveeterylots—ImeanfolksliketheJarvises,andtheBledsoesandtheBurlings,andsuch。Theyareallaboutrui;
&substantialpeopleiheywere。Andnowlookatthem—utterlyuseduparieoftheBledsoesactuallytradedhismooalatebarkeeperforsomefreshshavingstoputunderhishead。Itellyouitspeaksvolumes,forthereisnothingacorpsetakessomuchprideinashismooreadtheinioerawhiletobelievewhatitsayshimself,andthenyoumayseehimsittingoafternightenjoyiaphsaredtheydoapoorchapawoodafterheisdead,especiallyifhehadhardluckwhilehewasalive。Iwishtheywereusedmore。NowIdon'tplain,buttiallyIdothinkitwasalittleshabbyiogivemenothingbutthisoldslabofagravestone—ahatthereisn'taentonit。Itusedtohave:
'GOOHISJUSTREWARD'
"Onit,andIroudwhenIfirstsawit,butbyandbyIwheneveranoldfriendofmineghewouldhookhistherailingandpullalongfadreadalongdowothat,andthenhewouldselfandwalkoff,lookingsatisfiedandfortable。SoIscratcheditofftogetridofthosefools。Butadeadmanalwaystakesadealofprideinhismo;
&quoeshalfadozenoftheJarvisesnow,withthefamilymoalong。AndSmithersandsomehiredspetbywithhisawhileago。Hello,Higgins,good-by,oldfriend!Thatgins—diediooursetiery—fineoldfamily—great-grandmotherwasanInjun—Iamofamiliartermswithhimhedidn'thearmewasthereasonhedidn'tanswerme。AndIamsorry,too,becauseIwouldhavelikedtointroduceyou。Youwouldadmirehim。Heisthemostdisjointed,sway-badgenerallydistortedoldskeletonyoueversaw,butheisfulloffun。Whenhelaughsitsoundslikeraspingtwostoher,andhealwaysstartsitoffwithacheeryscreechlikerakinganailacrossawi;