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!Thatgins—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。