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第30章 一个古怪的梦 4（第1页）

第30章一个古怪的梦（4）

"Onit，andIroudwhenIfirstsawit，butbyandbyIwheneveranoldfriendofmineghewouldhookhistherailingandpullalongfadreadalongdowothat，andthenhewouldselfandwalkoff，lookingsatisfiedandfortable。SoIscratcheditofftogetridofthosefools。Butadeadmanalwaystakesadealofprideinhismo。YoeshalfadozenoftheJarvisesnow，withthefamilymoalong。AndSmithersandsomehiredspetbywithhisawhileago。Hello，Higgins，good-by，oldfriend!That&#gins—diedin'44—belongstooursetiery—fineoldfamily—great-grandmotherwasanInjun—Iamofamiliartermswithhimhedidn'thearmewasthereasonhedidn'tanswerme。AndIamsorry，too，becauseIwouldhavelikedtointroduceyou。Youwouldadmirehim。Heisthemostdisjointed，sway-badgenerallydistortedoldskeletonyoueversaw，butheisfulloffun。Whenhelaughsitsoundslikeraspingtwostoher，andhealwaysstartsitoffwithacheeryscreechlikerakinganailacrossawindow-pane。Hey，JoisoldbusJones—shroudcostfourhundreddollarserousseau，iney-sevehiswasinthespringof1926。Itwasenormousstyleforthosedays。DeadpeoplecameallthewayfromtheAlleghahihatoccupiedthegraveomiwell。Nowdoyouseethatindividualgoingalongieceofahead-boardunderhisarm，oneleg-bonebelowhiskathingintheworldon?ThatisBarstowDalhousie，aobusJohemostsumptuouslyoutfittedpersoeredourcemetery。Weareallleavioleratethetreatmentweareregatthehandsofourdests。Theyopeeries，buttheyleaveustnomihestreets，buttheyhingthatisabstous。Lookatthatiellyouinitsdayitieiturethatwouldhaveattrationinanydrawing-roominthisayhaveitifyouwantit—I'taffordtorepairit。Putaominher，andpartofaop，andabitoffreshliningaloside，andyou'llfiasfortableasaacleofherspeciesyouevertried。Nothanksno，don'tmentionityouhavebeene，andIwouldgiveyouallthepropertyIhavegotbeforeIwouldseemungrateful。Nowthiswiisakindofasweetthinginitsway，ifyouwouldliketo—asyousay，butIwishedtobefairahere'sme。Good-by，friend，Imustbegoing。Imayhaveagoodwaytogotonight—don'tknow。Ionlykhiain，andthatisthatIamorailnow，andI'lleteryagain。IwilltraveltillIfieablequarters，ifIhavetohoofittoheb。Itwasdepubliclave，lastnight，toemigrate，ahesuherewon'tbeaboinouroldhabitations。Suchcemeteriesmaysuitmysurvivitheydonotsuittheremainsthathavethehonortomaketheseremarks。Myopinionisthegeneralopinion。Ifyoudoubtit，goahedepartingghostsupsetthiarted。Theywerealmostriotousiionsofdistaste。Hello，herearesomeoftheBledsoes，andifyouwillgivemealiftwiththistombstoneIguessIwilljoinpanyandjogalongwiththem—mightyrespeily，theBledsoes，aoalwayseoutinsix-horsehearsesandallthatsortofthingfiftyyearsagowhehesestreetsindaylight。Goodby，friend。"

Andwithhisgravestoneonhisshoulderhejoihegrislypro，dragginghisdamagedafterhim，fornotwithstandiupoly，Iutterlyrefusedhishospitality。Isupposethatforasmuchastwohoursthesesadouttgby，ladenwiththeirdismaleffedallthattimeIsatpityingthem。Owooftheyouadilapidatedamongthemimidnighttrainsontherailways，buttherestseemeduhatmodeoftravel，andmerelyaskedaboutonpublicroadstovarioustownsandeofwhiotonthemapnow，aandfromtheearthasmuchasthirtyyearsago，ahemneverhadexistedaonmaps，andprivateoeage。Andtheyaskedabouttheofthecemeteriesiownsanddaboutthereputatioizeoreverehedead。