novel notes-第5节

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times。'

〃'Her　mother！'　I　exclaimed；　'but　what's　SHE　got　to　do　with　you？'

〃'Well；　you　see；　sir；'　he　answered；　'she's　living　with　us　nowever　since　the　old　man　went　off。'

〃'Hannah's　father！　　Is　he　dead；　then？'

〃'Well；　not　exactly；　sir；'　he　replied。　　'He　ran　off　about　a　twelvemonth　ago　with　one　of　the　young　women　who　used　to　teach　in　the　Sunday　School；　and　joined　the　Mormons。　　It　came　as　a　great　surprise　to　every　one。'

〃I　groaned。　　'And　his　business；'　I　inquired'the　timber　business；　who　carries　that　on？'

〃'Oh；　that！'　answered　Josiah。　　'Oh；　that　had　to　be　sold　to　pay　his　debtsleastways；　to　go　towards　'em。'

〃I　remarked　what　a　terrible　thing　it　was　for　his　family。　　I　supposed　the　home　was　broken　up；　and　they　were　all　scattered。

〃'No；　sir；'　he　replied　simply；　'they　ain't　scattered　much。　　They're　all　living　with　us。'

〃'But　there；'　he　continued；　seeing　the　look　upon　my　face；　'of　course；　all　this　has　nothing　to　do　with　you　sir。　　You've　got　troubles　of　your　own；　I　daresay；　sir。　　I　didn't　come　here　to　worry　you　with　mine。　　That　would　be　a　poor　return　for　all　your　kindness　to　me。'

〃'What　has　become　of　Julia？'　I　asked。　　I　did　not　feel　I　wanted　to　question　him　any　more　about　his　own　affairs。

〃A　smile　broke　the　settled　melancholy　of　his　features。　　'Ah；'　he　said；　in　a　more　cheerful　tone　than　he　had　hitherto　employed；　'it　does　one　good　to　think　about　HER；　it　does。　　She's　married　to　a　friend　of　mine　now；　young　Sam　Jessop。　　I　slips　out　and　gives　'em　a　call　now　and　then；　when　Hannah　ain't　round。　　Lord；　it's　like　getting　a　glimpse　of　heaven　to　look　into　their　little　home。　　He　often　chaffs　me　about　it；　Sam　does。　　〃Well；　you　WAS　a　sawny…headed　chunk；　Josiah；　YOU　was；〃　he　often　says　to　me。　　We're　old　chums；　you　know；　sir；　Sam　and　me；　so　he　don't　mind　joking　a　bit　like。'

〃Then　the　smile　died　away；　and　he　added　with　a　sigh；　'Yes；　I've　often　thought　since；　sir；　how　jolly　it　would　have　been　if　you　could　have　seen　your　way　to　making　it　Juliana。'

〃I　felt　I　must　get　him　back　to　Hannah　at　any　cost。　　I　said；　'I　suppose　you　and　your　wife　are　still　living　in　the　old　place？'

〃'Yes；'　he　replied；　'if　you　can　call　it　living。　　It's　a　hard　struggle　with　so　many　of　us。'

〃He　said　he　did　not　know　how　he　should　have　managed　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　help　of　Julia's　father。　　He　said　the　captain　had　behaved　more　like　an　angel　than　anything　else　he　knew　of。

〃'I　don't　say　as　he's　one　of　your　clever　sort；　you　know；　sir；'　he　explained。　　'Not　the　man　as　one　would　go　to　for　advice；　like　one　would　to　you；　sir；　but　he's　a　good　sort　for　all　that。'

〃'And　that　reminds　me；　sir；'　he　went　on；　'of　what　I've　come　here　about。　　You'll　think　it　very　bold　of　me　to　ask；　sir；　but'

〃I　interrupted　him。　　'Josiah；'　I　said；　'I　admit　that　I　am　much　to　blame　for　what　has　come　upon　you。　　You　asked　me　for　my　advice；　and　I　gave　it　you。　　Which　of　us　was　the　bigger　idiot；　we　will　not　discuss。　The　point　is　that　I　did　give　it；　and　I　am　not　a　man　to　shirk　my　responsibilities。　　What；　in　reason；　you　ask；　and　I　can　grant；　I　will　give　you。'

〃He　was　overcome　with　gratitude。　　'I　knew　it；　sir；'　he　said。　　'I　knew　you　would　not　refuse　me。　　I　said　so　to　Hannah。　　I　said；　〃I　will　go　to　that　gentleman　and　ask　him。　　I　will　go　to　him　and　ask　him　for　his　advice。'〃

〃I　said；　'His　what？'

〃'His　advice；'　repeated　Josiah；　apparently　surprised　at　my　tone；　'on　a　little　matter　as　I　can't　quite　make　up　my　mind　about。'

〃I　thought　at　first　he　was　trying　to　be　sarcastic；　but　he　wasn't。　That　man　sat　there；　and　wrestled　with　me　for　my　advice　as　to　whether　he　should　invest　a　thousand　dollars　which　Julia's　father　had　offered　to　lend　him；　in　the　purchase　of　a　laundry　business　or　a　bar。　　He　hadn't　had　enough　of　it　（my　advice；　I　mean）；　he　wanted　it　again；　and　he　spun　me　reasons　why　I　should　give　it　him。　　The　choice　of　a　wife　was　a　different　thing　altogether；　he　argued。　　Perhaps　he　ought　NOT　to　have　asked　me　for　my　opinion　as　to　that。　　But　advice　as　to　which　of　two　trades　a　man　would　do　best　to　select；　surely　any　business　man　could　give。　　He　said　he　had　just　been　reading　again　my　little　book；　How　to　be　Happy；　etc。；　and　if　the　gentleman　who　wrote　that　could　not　decide　between　the　respective　merits　of　one　particular　laundry　and　one　particular　bar；　both　situate　in　the　same　city；　well；　then；　all　he　had　got　to　say　was　that　knowledge　and　wisdom　were　clearly　of　no　practical　use　in　this　world　whatever。

〃Well；　it　did　seem　a　simple　thing　to　advise　a　man　about。　　Surely　as　to　a　matter　of　this　kind；　I；　a　professed　business　man；　must　be　able　to　form　a　sounder　judgment　than　this　poor　pumpkin…headed　lamb。　　It　would　be　heartless　to　refuse　to　help　him。　　I　promised　to　look　into　the　matter；　and　let　him　know　what　I　thought。

〃He　rose　and　shook　me　by　the　hand。　　He　said　he　would　not　try　to　thank　me；　words　would　only　seem　weak。　　He　dashed　away　a　tear　and　went　out。

I　brought　an　amount　of　thought　to　bear　upon　this　thousand…dollar　investment　sufficient　to　have　floated　a　bank。　　I　did　not　mean　to　make　another　Hannah　job；　if　I　could　help　it。　　I　studied　the　papers　Josiah　had　left　with　me；　but　did　not　attempt　to　form　any　opinion　from　them。　　I　went　down　quietly　to　Josiah's　city；　and　inspected　both　businesses　on　the　spot。　　I　instituted　secret　but　searching　inquiries　in　the　neighbourhood。　　I　disguised　myself　as　a　simple…minded　young　man　who　had　come　into　a　little　money；　and　wormed　myself　into　the　confidence　of　the　servants。　　I　interviewed　half　the　town　upon　the　pretence　that　I　was　writing　the　commercial　history　of　New　England；　and　should　like　some　particulars　of　their　career；　and　I　invariably　ended　my　examination　by　asking　them　which　was　their　favourite　bar；　and　where　they　got　their　washing　done。　　I　stayed　a　fortnight　in　the　town。　　Most　of　my　spare　time　I　spent　at　the　bar。　　In　my　leisure　moments　I　dirtied　my　clothes　so　that　they　might　be　washed　at　the　laundry。

〃As　the　result　of　my　investigations　I　discovered　that；　so　far　as　the　two　businesses　themselves　were　concerned；　there　was　not　a　pin　to　choose　between　them。　　It　became　merely　a　question　of　which　particular　trade　would　best　suit　the　Hacketts。

〃I　reflected。　　The　keeper　of　a　bar　was　exposed　to　much　temptation。　A　weak…minded　man；　mingling　continually　in　the　company　of　topers；　might　possibly　end　by　giving　way　to　drink。　　Now；　Josiah　was　an　exceptionally　weak…minded　man。　　It　had　also　to　be　borne　in　mind　that　he　had　a　shrewish　wife；　and　that　her　whole　family　had　come　to　live　with　him。　　Clearly；　to　place　Josiah　in　a　position　of　easy　access　to　unlimited　liquor　would　be　madness。

〃About　a　laundry；　on　the　other　hand；　there　was　something　soothing。　The　working　of　a　laundry　needed　many　hands。　　Hannah's　relatives　might　be　used　up　in　a　laundry；　and　made　to　earn　their　own　living。　Hannah　might　expend　her　energy　in　flat…ironing；　and　Josiah　could　turn　the　mangle。　　The　idea　conjured　up　quite　a　pleasant　domestic　picture。　　I　recommended　the　laundry。

〃On　the　following　Monday；　Josiah　wrote　to　say　that　he　had　bought　the　laundry。　　On　Tuesday　I　read　in　the　Commercial　Intelligence　that　one　of　the　most　remarkable　features　of　the　time　was　the　marvellous　rise　taking　place　all　over　New　England　in　the　value　of　hotel　and　bar　property。　　On　Thursday；　in　the　list　of　failures；　I　came　across　no　less　than　four　laundry　proprietors；　and　the　paper　added；　in　explanation；　that　the　American　washing　industry；　owing　to　the　rapid　growth　of　Chinese　competition；　was　practically　on　its　last　legs。　　I　went　out　and　got　drunk。

〃My　life　became　a　curse　to　me。　　All　day　long　I　thought　of　Josiah。　All　night　I　dreamed　of　him。　　Suppose　that；　not　content　with　being　the　cause　of　his　domestic　misery；　I　had　now　deprived　him　of　the　means　of　earning　a　livelihood；　and　had　rendered　useless　the　generosity　of　that　good　old　sea…captain。　　I　began　to　appear　to　myself　as　a　malignant　fiend；　ever　following　this　simple　but　worthy　man　to　work　evil　upon　him。

〃Time　passed　away；　however；　I　heard　nothing　from　or　of　him；　and　my　burden　at　last　fell　from　me。

〃Then　at　the　end　of　about　five　years　he　came　again。

〃He　came　behind　me　as　I　was　opening　the　door　with　my　latch…key；　and　laid　an　unsteady　hand　upon　my　arm。　　It　was　a　dark　night；　but　a　gas…　lamp　showed　me　his　face。　　I　recognised　it　in　spite　of　the　red　blotches　and　the　bleary　film　that　hid　the　eyes。　　I　caught　him　roughly　by　the　arm；　and　hurried　him　inside　and　up　into　my　study。

〃'Sit　down；'　I　hissed；　'and　tell　me　the　worst　first。'

〃He　was　about　to　select　his　favourite　chair。　　I　felt　that　if　I　saw　him　and　that　particular　chair　in　association　for　the　third　time；　I　should　do　something　terrible　to　both。　　I　snatched　it　away　from　him；　and　he　sat　down　heavily　on　the　floor；　and　burst　into　tears。　　I　let　him　remain　there；　and；　thickly；　between　hiccoughs；　he　told　his　tale。

〃The　laundry　had　gone　from　bad　to　worse。　　A　new　railway　had　come　to　the　town；　altering　its　whole　topography。　　The　business　and　residential　portion　had　gradually　shifted　northward。　　The　spot　where　the　barthe　particular　one　which　I　had　rejected　for　the　laundry　had　formerly　stood　was　now　the　commercial　centre　of　the　city。　　The　man　who　had　purchased　it　in　place　of　Josiah　had　sold　out　and　made　a　fortune。　　The　southern　area　（where　the　laundry　was　situate）　was；　it　had　been　discovered；　built　upon　a　swamp；　and　was　in　a　highl