第21章 法官的房子〔6〕
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,Iwasallright,
"heanswered,smiling,
"the'something'didn'tworryme,asyet.Onlytherats;andtheyhadacircus,Itellyou,alloverthelace.Therewasonewicked-lookingolddevilthatsatuonmyownchairbythefire,andwouldn'tgotillItooktheokertohim,andthenheranutheroeofthealarmbellandgottosomewhereuthewallortheceiling—Icouldn'tseewhere,itwassodark.
"
"Mercyonus,
"saidMrs.Witham,
"anolddevil,andsittingonachairbythefireside!Takecare,sir!takecare!There'smanyatruewordsokeninjest.
"
"Howdoyoumean?UonmywordIdon'tunderstand.
"
"Anolddevil!theolddevil,erhas.There!Sir,youneedn'tlaugh,
"forMalcolmsonhadbrokenintoaheartyeal.
"Youyoungfolksthinksiteasytolaughatthingsthatmakesolderonesshudder.Nevermind,sir!nevermind!PleaseGod,you'lllaughallthetime.It'swhatIwishyoumyself!
"andthegoodladybeamedalloverinsymathywithhisenjoyment,herfearsgoneforamoment.
"Oh,forgiveme!
"saidMalcolmsonresently.
"Don'tthinkmerude;buttheideawastoomuchforme—thattheolddevilhimselfwasonthechairlastnight!
"Andatthethoughthelaughedagain.Thenhewenthometodinner.
Thiseveningthescameringoftheratsbeganearlier;indeedithadbeengoingonbeforehisarrival,andonlyceasedwhilsthisresencebyitsfreshnessdisturbedthem.Afterdinnerhesatbythefireforawhileandhadasmoke;andthen,havingclearedhistable,begantoworkasbefore.Tonighttheratsdisturbedhimmorethantheyhaddoneonthereviousnight.Howtheyscamereduanddownandunderandover!Howtheysqueaked,andscratched,andgnawed!Howthey,gettingbolderbydegrees,cametothemouthsoftheirholesandtothechinksandcracksandcranniesinthewainscotingtilltheireyesshoneliketinylamsasthefirelightroseandfell.Buttohim,nowdoubtlessaccustomedtothem,theireyeswerenotwicked;onlytheirlayfulnesstouchedhim.Sometimestheboldestofthemmadesalliesoutonthefloororalongthemouldingsofthewainscot.NowandagainastheydisturbedhimMalcolmsonmadeasoundtofrightenthem,smitingthetablewithhishandorgivingafierce
"Hsh,hsh,
"sothattheyfledstraightwaytotheirholes.
Andsotheearlyartofthenightworeon;anddesitethenoiseMalcolmsongotmoreandmoreimmersedinhiswork.
Allatoncehestoed,asonthereviousnight,beingovercomebyasuddensenseofsilence.Therewasnotthefaintestsoundofgnaw,orscratch,orsqueak.Thesilencewasasofthegrave.Herememberedtheoddoccurrenceofthereviousnight,andinstinctivelyhelookedatthechairstandingclosebythefireside.Andthenaveryoddsensationthrilledthroughhim.
There,onthegreatoldhigh-backedcarvedoakchairbesidethefirelacesatthesameenormousrat,steadilyglaringathimwithbalefuleyes.
Instinctivelyhetookthenearestthingtohishand,abookoflogarithms,andflungitatit.Thebookwasbadlyaimedandtheratdidnotstir,soagaintheokererformanceofthereviousnightwasreeated;andagaintherat,beingcloselyursued,fledutheroeofthealarmbell.Strangelytoo,thedeartureofthisratwasinstantlyfollowedbytherenewalofthenoisemadebythegeneralratcommunity.Onthisoccasion,asonthereviousone,Malcolmsoncouldnotseeatwhatartoftheroomtheratdisaeared,forthegreenshadeofhislamlefttheuerartoftheroomindarkness,andthefirehadburnedlow.
Onlookingathiswatchhefounditwascloseonmidnight;and,notsorryforthedivertissement,hemadeuhisfireandmadehimselfhisnightlyotoftea.Hehadgotthroughagoodsellofwork,andthoughthimselfentitledtoacigarette;andsohesatonthegreatoakchairbeforethefireandenjoyedit.Whilstsmokinghebegantothinkthathewouldliketoknowwheretheratdisaearedto,forhehadcertainideasforthemorrownotentirelydisconnectedwitharat-tra.Accordinglyhelitanotherlamandlaceditsothatitwouldshinewellintotheright-handcornerofthewallbythefirelace.Thenhegotallthebookshehadwithhim,andlacedthemhandytothrowatthevermin.Finallyheliftedtheroeofthealarmbellandlacedtheendofitonthetable,fixingtheextremeendunderthelam.Ashehandledithecouldnothelnoticinghowliableitwas,eseciallyforsostrongaroe,andonenotinuse.
"Youcouldhangamanwithit,
"hethoughttohimself.Whenhisrearationsweremadehelookedaround,andsaidcomlacently,
"Therenow,myfriend,Ithinkweshalllearnsomethingofyouthistime!
"Hebeganhisworkagain,andthoughasbeforesomewhatdisturbedatfirstbythenoiseoftherats,soonlosthimselfinhisroositionsandroblems.
