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McTeague
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第3章
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occupation,suddenlyseizedwithagreatembarrassment,thetimidityofasecondchildhood。Hewentonabouthisbusiness,disturbedandthoughtful。Shehurrieduptohertinyroom,hercuriouslittlefalsecurlsshakingwithheragitation,thefaintestsuggestionofaflushcomingandgoinginherwitheredcheeks。Theemotionofoneofthesechancemeetingsremainedwiththemduringalltherestoftheday。

Wasitthefirstromanceinthelivesofeach?DidOldGranniseverrememberacertainfaceamongstthosethathehadknownwhenhewasyoungGrannis——thefaceofsomepale-

hairedgirl,suchasoneseesintheoldcathedraltownsofEngland?DidMissBakerstilltreasureupinaseldomopeneddrawerorboxsomefadeddaguerreotype,somestrangeold-fashionedlikeness,withitscurlinghairandhighstock?Itwasimpossibletosay。

MariaMacapa,theMexicanwomanwhotookcareofthelodgers’rooms,hadbeenthefirsttocalltheflat’sattentiontotheaffair,spreadingthenewsofitfromroomtoroom,fromfloortofloor。Oflateshehadmadeagreatdiscovery;allthewomenfolkoftheflatwereyetvibrantwithit。OldGranniscamehomefromhisworkatfouro’clock,andbetweenthattimeandsixMissBakerwouldsitinherroom,herhandsidleinherlap,doingnothing,listening,waiting。OldGrannisdidthesame,drawinghisarm-chairneartothewall,knowingthatMissBakerwasupontheotherside,conscious,perhaps,thatshewasthinkingofhim;andtherethetwowouldsitthroughthehoursoftheafternoon,listeningandwaiting,theydidnotknowexactlyforwhat,butneartoeachother,separatedonlybythethinpartitionoftheirrooms。Theyhadcometoknoweachother’shabits。OldGrannisknewthatatquarteroffivepreciselyMissBakermadeacupofteaovertheoilstoveonthestandbetweenthebureauandthewindow。MissBakerfeltinstinctivelytheexactmomentwhenOldGrannistookdownhislittlebindingapparatusfromthesecondshelfofhisclothesclosetandbeganhisfavoriteoccupationofbindingpamphlets——pamphletsthatheneverread,forallthat。

Inhis“Parlors“McTeaguebeganhisweek’swork。Heglancedintheglasssaucerinwhichhekepthissponge-gold,andnoticingthathehadusedupallhispellets,setaboutmakingsomemore。InexaminingMissBaker’steethatthepreliminarysittinghehadfoundacavityinoneoftheincisors。MissBakerhaddecidedtohaveitfilledwithgold。McTeaguerememberednowthatitwaswhatiscalleda“proximatecase,“wherethereisnotsufficientroomtofillwithlargepiecesofgold。Hetoldhimselfthatheshouldhavetouse“mats“inthefilling。Hemadesomedozenofthese“mats“fromhistapeofnon-cohesivegold,cuttingittransverselyintosmallpiecesthatcouldbeinsertededgewisebetweentheteethandconsolidatedbypacking。

Afterhehadmadehis“mats“hecontinuedwiththeotherkindofgoldfillings,suchashewouldhaveoccasiontouseduringtheweek;“blocks“tobeusedinlargeproximalcavities,madebyfoldingthetapeonitselfanumberoftimesandthenshapingitwiththesolderingpliers;

“cylinders“forcommencingfillings,whichheformedbyrollingthetapearoundaneedlecalleda“broach,“cuttingitafterwardsintodifferentlengths。Heworkedslowly,mechanically,turningthefoilbetweenhisfingerswiththemanualdexteritythatonesometimesseesinstupidpersons。

Hisheadwasquiteemptyofallthought,andhedidnotwhistleoverhisworkasanothermanmighthavedone。Thecanarymadeupforhissilence,trillingandchitteringcontinually,splashingaboutinitsmorningbath,keepingupanincessantnoiseandmovementthatwouldhavebeenmaddeningtoanyonebutMcTeague,whoseemedtohavenonervesatall。

Afterhehadfinishedhisfillings,hemadeahookbroachfromabitofpianowiretoreplaceanoldonethathehadlost。Itwastimeforhisdinnerthen,andwhenhereturnedfromthecarconductors’coffee-joint,hefoundMissBakerwaitingforhim。

TheancientlittledressmakerwasatalltimeswillingtotalkofOldGrannistoanybodythatwouldlisten,quiteunconsciousofthegossipoftheflat。McTeaguefoundheralla-flutterwithexcitement。Somethingextraordinaryhadhappened。Shehadfoundoutthatthewall-paperinOldGrannis’sroomwasthesameasthatinhers。

“Ithasledmetothinking,DoctorMcTeague,“sheexclaimed,shakingherlittlefalsecurlsathim。“Youknowmyroomissosmall,anyhow,andthewall-paperbeingthesame——thepatternfrommyroomcontinuesrightintohis——Ideclare,I

believeatonetimethatwasalloneroom。Thinkofit,doyousupposeitwas?Italmostamountstoouroccupyingthesameroom。Idon’tknow——why,really——doyouthinkIshouldspeaktothelandladyaboutit?Heboundpamphletslastnightuntilhalf-pastnine。Theysaythathe’stheyoungersonofabaronet;thattherearereasonsforhisnotcomingtothetitle;hisstepfatherwrongedhimcruelly。“

Noonehadeversaidsuchathing。ItwaspreposteroustoimagineanymysteryconnectedwithOldGrannis。MissBakerhadchosentoinventthelittlefiction,hadcreatedthetitleandtheunjuststepfatherfromsomedimmemoriesofthenovelsofhergirlhood。

Shetookherplaceintheoperatingchair。McTeaguebeganthefilling。Therewasalongsilence。ItwasimpossibleforMcTeaguetoworkandtalkatthesametime。

Hewasjustburnishingthelast“mat“inMissBaker’stooth,whenthedoorofthe“Parlors“opened,janglingthebellwhichhehadhungoverit,andwhichwasabsolutelyunnecessary。McTeagueturned,onefootonthepedalofhisdentalengine,thecorundumdiskwhirlingbetweenhisfingers。

ItwasMarcusSchoulerwhocamein,usheringayounggirlofabouttwenty。

“Hello,Mac,“exclaimedMarcus;“busy?Broughtmycousinroundaboutthatbrokentooth。“

McTeaguenoddedhisheadgravely。

“Inaminute,“heanswered。

MarcusandhiscousinTrinasatdownintherigidchairsunderneaththesteelengravingoftheCourtofLorenzode’

Medici。Theybegantalkinginlowtones。Thegirllookedabouttheroom,noticingthestonepugdog,theriflemanufacturer’scalendar,thecanaryinitslittlegiltprison,andthetumbledblanketsontheunmadebed-loungeagainstthewall。MarcusbegantellingheraboutMcTeague。

“We’repals,“heexplained,justaboveawhisper。“Ah,Mac’sallright,youbet。Say,Trina,he’sthestrongestduckyoueversaw。Whatdoyousuppose?Hecanpulloutyourteethwithhisfingers;yes,hecan。Whatdoyouthinkofthat?Withhisfingers,mindyou;hecan,forafact。

Getontothesizeofhim,anyhow。Ah,Mac’sallright!“

MariaMacapahadcomeintotheroomwhilehehadbeenspeaking。ShewasmakingupMcTeague’sbed。SuddenlyMarcusexclaimedunderhisbreath:“Nowwe’llhavesomefun。It’sthegirlthattakescareoftherooms。She’sagreaser,andshe’squeerinthehead。Sheain’tregularlycrazy,butIdon’tknow,she’squeer。Y’oughttohearhergoonaboutagolddinnerserviceshesaysherfolksusedtoown。Askherwhathernameisandseewhatshe’llsay。“Trinashrankback,alittlefrightened。

“No,youask,“shewhispered。

“Ah,goon;whatyou’fraidof?“urgedMarcus。Trinashookherheadenergetically,shuttingherlipstogether。

“Well,listenhere,“answeredMarcus,nudgingher;thenraisinghisvoice,hesaid:

“Howdo,Maria?“Marianoddedtohimoverhershoulderasshebentoverthelounge。

“Workunhardnowadays,Maria?“

“Prettyhard。“

“Diduntalwayshavetoworkforyourliving,though,didyou,whenyouateoffagolddishes?“Mariadidn’tanswer,exceptbyputtingherchinintheairandshuttinghereyes,asthoughtosaysheknewalongstoryaboutthatifshehadamindtotalk。AllMarcus’seffortstodrawheroutonthesubjectwereunavailing。Sheonlyrespondedbymovementsofherhead。

“Can’talwaysstarthergoing,“Marcustoldhiscousin。

“Whatdoesshedo,though,whenyouaskherabouthername?“

“Oh,sure,“saidMarcus,whohadforgotten。“Say,Maria,what’syourname?“

“Huh?“askedMaria,straighteningup,herhandsonhehips。

“Tellusyourname,“repeatedMarcus。

“NameisMaria——Miranda——Macapa。“Then,afterapause,sheadded,asthoughshehadbutthatmomentthoughtofit,“Hadaflyingsquirrelan’lethimgo。“

InvariablyMariaMacapamadethisanswer。Itwasnotalwaysshewouldtalkaboutthefamousserviceofgoldplate,butaquestionastohernameneverfailedtoelicitthesamestrangeanswer,deliveredinarapidundertone:“NameisMaria——Miranda——Macapa。“Then,asifstruckwithanafterthought,“Hadaflyingsquirrelan’lethimgo。“

WhyMariashouldassociatethereleaseofthemythicalsquirrelwithhernamecouldnotbesaid。AboutMariatheflatknewabsolutelynothingfurtherthanthatshewasSpanish-American。MissBakerwastheoldestlodgerintheflat,andMariawasafixturethereasmaidofallworkwhenshehadcome。TherewasalegendtotheeffectthatMaria’speoplehadbeenatonetimeimmenselywealthyinCentralAmerica。

Mariaturnedagaintoherwork。TrinaandMarcuswatchedhercuriously。Therewasasilence。ThecorundumburrinMcTeague’senginehummedinaprolongedmonotone。Thecanarybirdchitteredoccasionally。Theroomwaswarm,andthebreathingofthefivepeopleinthenarrowspacemadetheaircloseandthick。Atlongintervalsanacridodorofinkfloatedupfromthebranchpost-officeimmediatelybelow。

MariaMacapafinishedherworkandstartedtoleave。AsshepassednearMarcusandhiscousinshestopped,anddrewabunchofblueticketsfurtivelyfromherpocket。“Buyaticketinthelottery?“sheinquired,lookingatthegirl。

“Justadollar。“

“Goalongwithyou,Maria,“saidMarcus,whohadbutthirtycentsinhispocket。“Goalong;it’sagainstthelaw。“

“Buyaticket,“urgedMaria,thrustingthebundletowardTrina。“Tryyourluck。Thebutcheronthenextblockwontwentydollarsthelastdrawing。“

Veryuneasy,Trinaboughtaticketforthesakeofbeingridofher。Mariadisappeared。

“Ain’tsheaqueerbird?“mutteredMarcus。HewasmuchembarrassedanddisturbedbecausehehadnotboughttheticketforTrina。

Buttherewasasuddenmovement。McTeaguehadjustfinishedwithMissBaker。

“Youshouldnotice,“thedressmakersaidtothedentist,inalowvoice,“healwaysleavesthedooralittleajarintheafternoon。“Whenshehadgoneout,MarcusSchoulerbroughtTrinaforward。

“Say,Mac,thisismycousin,TrinaSieppe。“Thetwoshookhandsdumbly,McTeagueslowlynoddinghishugeheadwithitsgreatshockofyellowhair。Trinawasverysmallandprettilymade。Herfacewasroundandratherpale;hereyeslongandnarrowandblue,likethehalf-openeyesofalittlebaby;herlipsandthelobesofhertinyearswerepale,alittlesuggestiveofanaemia;whileacrossthebridgeofhernoserananadorablelittlelineoffreckles。

Butitwastoherhairthatone’sattentionwasmostattracted。Heapsandheapsofblue-blackcoilsandbraids,aroyalcrownofswarthybands,averitablesabletiara,heavy,abundant,odorous。Allthevitalitythatshouldhavegivencolortoherfaceseemedtohavebeenabsorbedbythismarvelloushair。Itwasthecoiffureofaqueenthatshadowedthepaletemplesofthislittlebourgeoise。Soheavywasitthatittippedherheadbackward,andthepositionthrustherchinoutalittle。Itwasacharmingpoise,innocent,confiding,almostinfantile。

Shewasdressedallinblack,verymodestandplain。Theeffectofherpalefaceinallthiscontrastingblackwasalmostmonastic。

“Well,“exclaimedMarcussuddenly,“Igottogo。Mustgetbacktowork。Don’thurthertoomuch,Mac。S’long,Trina。“

McTeagueandTrinawereleftalone。Hewasembarrassed,troubled。Theseyounggirlsdisturbedandperplexedhim。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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