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第9章 一个古怪的梦4（第1页）

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!That&#gins—diediooursetiery—fineoldfamily—great-grandmotherwasanInjun—Iamofamiliartermswithhimhedidn'thearmewasthereasonhedidn'tanswerme。AndIamsorry，too，becauseIwouldhavelikedtointroduceyou。Youwouldadmirehim。Heisthemostdisjointed，sway-badgenerallydistortedoldskeletonyoueversaw，butheisfulloffun。Whenhelaughsitsoundslikeraspingtwostoher，andhealwaysstartsitoffwithacheeryscreechlikerakinganailacrossawi;