the twins of table mountain-第16节

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was　to　long　intervals　of　idleness；　was　fast　becoming　bored。

The　tread　of　mud…muffled　boots　on　the　veranda；　and　the　entrance　of
two　men；　offered　a　momentary　excitement。　　He　recognized　in　the
strangers　two　prominent　citizens　of　Cottonwood；　and　their　manner
bespoke　business。　　One　of　them　proceeded　to　the　desk；　wrote　a
despatch；　and　handed　it　to　the　other　interrogatively。

〃That's　about　the　way　the　thing　p'ints；〃　responded　his　companion
assentingly。

〃I　reckoned　it　only　squar　to　use　his　dientical　words？〃

〃That's　so。〃

The　first　speaker　turned　to　the　operator　with　the　despatch。

〃How　soon　can　you　shove　her　through？〃

The　operator　glanced　professionally　over　the　address　and　the　length
of　the　despatch。

〃Now；〃　he　answered　promptly。

〃And　she　gets　there？〃

〃To…night。　　But　there's　no　delivery　until　to…morrow。〃

〃Shove　her　through　to…night；　and　say　there's　an　extra　twenty　left
here　for　delivery。〃

The　operator；　accustomed　to　all　kinds　of　extravagant　outlay　for
expedition；　replied　that　he　would　lay　this　proposition　with　the
despatch；　before　the　San　Francisco　office。　　He　then　took　it　and
read　itand　re…read　it。　　He　preserved　the　usual　professional
apathy；had　doubtless　sent　many　more　enigmatical　and　mysterious
messages；but　nevertheless；　when　he　finished；　he　raised　his　eyes
inquiringly　to　his　customer。　　That　gentleman；　who　enjoyed　a
reputation　for　equal　spontaneity　of　temper　and　revolver；　met　his
gaze　a　little　impatiently。　　The　operator　had　recourse　to　a　trick。
Under　the　pretence　of　misunderstanding　the　message；　he　obliged
the　sender　to　repeat　it　aloud　for　the　sake　of　accuracy；　and
even　suggested　a　few　verbal　alterations；　ostensibly　to　insure
correctness；　but　really　to　extract　further　information。
Nevertheless；　the　man　doggedly　persisted　in　a　literal　transcript　of
his　message。　　The　operator　went　to　his　instrument　hesitatingly。

〃I　suppose；〃　he　added　half…questioningly；　〃there　ain't　no　chance　of
a　mistake。　　This　address　is　Rightbody；　that　rich　old　Bostonian　that
everybody　knows。　　There　ain't　but　one？〃

〃That's　the　address；〃　responded　the　first　speaker　coolly。

〃Didn't　know　the　old　chap　had　investments　out　here；〃　suggested　the
operator；　lingering　at　his　instrument。

〃No　more　did　I；〃　was　the　insufficient　reply。

For　some　few　moments　nothing　was　heard　but　the　click　of　the
instrument；　as　the　operator　worked　the　key；　with　the　usual
appearance　of　imparting　confidence　to　a　somewhat　reluctant　hearer
who　preferred　to　talk　himself。　　The　two　men　stood　by；　watching　his
motions　with　the　usual　awe　of　the　unprofessional。　　When　he　had
finished；　they　laid　before　him　two　gold…pieces。　　As　the　operator
took　them　up；　he　could　not　help　saying；

〃The　old　man　went　off　kinder　sudden；　didn't　he？　　Had　no　time　to
write？〃

〃Not　sudden　for　that　kind　o'　man；〃　was　the　exasperating　reply。

But　the　speaker　was　not　to　be　disconcerted。　　〃If　there　is　an
answer〃　he　began。

〃There　ain't　any；〃　replied　the　first　speaker　quietly。

〃Why？〃

〃Because　the　man　ez　sent　the　message　is　dead。〃

〃But　it's　signed　by　you　two。〃

〃On'y　ez　witnesseseh？〃　appealed　the　first　speaker　to　his　comrade。

〃On'y　ez　witnesses；〃　responded　the　other。

The　operator　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　The　business　concluded；　the
first　speaker　slightly　relaxed。　　He　nodded　to　the　operator；　and
turned　to　the　bar…room　with　a　pleasing　social　impulse。　　When　their
glasses　were　set　down　empty；　the　first　speaker；　with　a　cheerful
condemnation　of　the　hard　times　and　the　weather；　apparently
dismissed　all　previous　proceedings　from　his　mind；　and　lounged　out
with　his　companion。　　At　the　corner　of　the　street　they　stopped。

〃Well；　that　job's　done；〃　said　the　first　speaker；　by　way　of
relieving　the　slight　social　embarrassment　of　parting。

〃Thet's　so；〃　responded　his　companion；　and　shook　his　hand。

They　parted。　　A　gust　of　wind　swept　through　the　pines；　and　struck　a
faint　Aeolian　cry　from　the　wires　above　their　heads；　and　the　rain
and　the　darkness　again　slowly　settled　upon　Cottonwood。

The　message　lagged　a　little　at　San　Francisco；　laid　over　half　an
hour　at　Chicago；　and　fought　longitude　the　whole　way；　so　that　it　was
past　midnight　when　the　〃all　night〃　operator　took　it　from　the　wires
at　Boston。　　But　it　was　freighted　with　a　mandate　from　the　San
Francisco　office；　and　a　messenger　was　procured；　who　sped　with　it
through　dark　snow…bound　streets；　between　the　high　walls　of　close…
shuttered　rayless　houses；　to　a　certain　formal　square　ghostly　with
snow…covered　statues。　　Here　he　ascended　the　broad　steps　of　a
reserved　and　solid…looking　mansion；　and　pulled　a　bronze　bell…knob；
that　somewhere　within　those　chaste　recesses；　after　an　apparent
reflective　pause；　coldly　communicated　the　fact　that　a　stranger　was
waiting　withoutas　he　ought。　　Despite　the　lateness　of　the　hour；
there　was　a　slight　glow　from　the　windows；　clearly　not　enough　to
warm　the　messenger　with　indications　of　a　festivity　within；　but　yet
bespeaking；　as　it　were；　some　prolonged　though　subdued　excitement。
The　sober　servant　who　took　the　despatch；　and　receipted　for　it　as
gravely　as　if　witnessing　a　last　will　and　testament；　respectfully
paused　before　the　entrance　of　the　drawing…room。　　The　sound　of
measured　and　rhetorical　speech；　through　which　the　occasional
catarrhal　cough　of　the　New…England　coast　struggled；　as　the　only
effort　of　nature　not　wholly　repressed；　came　from　its　heavily…
curtained　recesses；　for　the　occasion　of　the　evening　had　been　the
reception　and　entertainment　of　various　distinguished　persons；　and；
as　had　been　epigrammatically　expressed　by　one　of　the　guests；　〃the
history　of　the　country〃　was　taking　its　leave　in　phrases　more　or
less　memorable　and　characteristic。　　Some　of　these　valedictory
axioms　were　clever；　some　witty；　a　few　profound；　but　always　left　as
a　genteel　contribution　to　the　entertainer。　　Some　had　been　already
prepared；　and；　like　a　card；　had　served　and　identified　the　guest　at
other　mansions。

The　last　guest　departed；　the　last　carriage　rolled　away；　when　the
servant　ventured　to　indicate　the　existence　of　the　despatch　to　his
master；　who　was　standing　on　the　hearth…rug　in　an　attitude　of
wearied　self…righteousness。　　He　took　it；　opened　it；　read　it；　re…
read　it；　and　said；

〃There　must　be　some　mistake！　　It　is　not　for　me。　　Call　the　boy；
Waters。〃

Waters；　who　was　perfectly　aware　that　the　boy　had　left；　nevertheless
obediently　walked　towards　the　hall…door；　but　was　recalled　by　his
master。

〃No　matterat　present！〃

〃It's　nothing　serious；　William？〃　asked　Mrs。　Rightbody；　with　languid
wifely　concern。

〃No；　nothing。　　Is　there　a　light　in　my　study？〃

〃Yes。　　But；　before　you　go；　can　you　give　me　a　moment　or　two？〃

Mr。　Rightbody　turned　a　little　impatiently　towards　his　wife。　　She
had　thrown　herself　languidly　on　the　sofa；　her　hair　was　slightly
disarranged；　and　part　of　a　slippered　foot　was　visible。　　She　might
have　been　a　finely…formed　woman；　but　even　her　careless　deshabille
left　the　general　impression　that　she　was　severely　flannelled
throughout；　and　that　any　ostentation　of　womanly　charm　was　under
vigorous　sanitary　SURVEILLANCE。

〃Mrs。　Marvin　told　me　to…night　that　her　son　made　no　secret　of　his
serious　attachment　for　our　Alice；　and　that；　if　I　was　satisfied；　Mr。
Marvin　would　be　glad　to　confer　with　you　at　once。〃

The　information　did　not　seem　to　absorb　Mr。　Rightbody's　wandering
attention；　but　rather　increased　his　impatience。　　He　said　hastily；
that　he　would　speak　of　that　to…morrow；　and　partly　by　way　of
reprisal；　and　partly　to　dismiss　the　subject；　added

〃Positively　James　must　pay　some　attention　to　the　register　and　the
thermometer。　　It　was　over　70　degrees　to…night；　and　the　ventilating
draught　was　closed　in　the　drawing…room。〃

〃That　was　because　Professor　Ammon　sat　near　it；　and　the　old
gentleman's　tonsils　are　so　sensitive。〃

〃He　ought　to　know　from　Dr。　Dyer　Doit　that　systematic　and　regular
exposure　to　draughts　stimulates　the　mucous　membrane；　while　fixed
air　over　60　degrees　invariably〃

〃I　am　afraid；　William；〃　interrupted　Mrs。　Rightbody；　with　feminine
adroitness；　adopting　her　husband's　topic　with　a　view　of　thereby
directing　him　from　it；〃I'm　afraid　that　people　do　not　yet
appreciate　the　substitution　of　bouillon　for　punch　and　ices。　　I
observed　that　Mr。　Spondee　declined　it；　and；　I　fancied；　looked
disappointed。　　The　fibrine　and　wheat　in　liqueur…glasses　passed
quite　unnoticed　too。〃

〃And　yet　each　half…drachm　contained　the　half…digested　substance　of
a　pound　of　beef。　　I'm　surprised　at　Spondee！〃　continued　Mr。
Rightbody　aggrievedly。　　〃Exhausting　his　brain　and　nerve　force　by
the　highest　creative　efforts　of　the　Muse；　he　prefers　perfumed　and
diluted　alcohol　flavored　with　carbonic　acid　gas。　　Even　Mrs。
Faringway　admitted　to　me　that　the　sudden　lowering　of　the
temperature　of　the　stomach　by　the　introduction　of　ice〃

〃Yes；　but　she　took　a　lemon　ice　at　the　last　Dorothea　Reception；　and
asked　me　if　I　had　observed　that　the　lower　animals　refused　their
food　at　a　temperature　over　60　degrees。〃

Mr。　Rightbody　again　moved　impatiently　towards　the　door。　　Mrs。
Rightbody　eyed　him　curiously。

〃You　will　not　write；　I　hope？　　Dr。　Keppler　told　me　to…night　that
your　cerebral　symptoms　interdicted　any　prolonged　mental　strain。〃

〃I　must　consult　a　few　papers；〃　responded　Mr。　Rightbody　cur