“It’s bad. She didn’t have enough to eat or keep her warm. She’s going to live at Joe Cartier’s place and take her meals there. It’s a good deal cheaper’n the other. I told her you was coming down Sundays.”
“What’d you say to her, Hunch? What’d she say? Anything special? Tell me about it.”
“Guess there ain’t nothing to tell.”
“Seems to me it’s kind of funny if a man can’t find out nothing about his own wife. You was down there and you see her all day. I don’t see why I ain’t got a right to know about it.”
“Oh, shut up. You ain’t got a right to nothing from the way you’ve treated her.”
“Look here, Hunch Badeau, you’ve got to tell me.”
“How long you been saying what I got to do and what I ain’t got to do?”
“That’s all right, but——”
“Yes, it’s dead right.”
Bruce stopped and took Hunch’s arm. “Take your hand off me.”
Bruce’s hand dropped.
“Now, don’t get ugly, Hunch. I just wanted to know about her. I ain’t seen her for a good while.”
“Well, do you think that’s my fault? I’ll tell you about her. She’s fixed3 up where she’s got enough to eat and drink, she’s got people to talk to and chirp4 her up, and she’s waiting for you to come down next Sunday. If you’re man enough to keep straight and go down there and do the square thing, you won’t find me in your way. If you ain’t, you can go to hell for all I care.”
Bruce was silent, and they climbed to the room and went to bed.
A day or two later Mr. Jackson sent for Hunch.
“Badeau,” he said, “how about this man Considine?”
“How do you mean?”
“What kind of work is he doing?”
“All right as far’s I can see.”
“He’s a friend of yours, ain’t he?”
“Yes, he used to work for me when I had the schooner5.”
“I’ll tell you, Badeau, I’ve had some complaints about him. You know I don’t want any man that can’t do the work.”
“I think he’s doing pretty good, sir.”
“Well, I’ll count on you to keep an eye on him. If you catch him loafing, don’t waste any time on him.”
Hunch went over the conversation in the evening with Bruce. It frightened Bruce, and he made promises which he kept for the rest of the week.
They did not talk about Mamie until Saturday night, after they had been sitting by the stove for a long time in silence. Bruce was nervous.
“Say, Hunch,” he said, “would you go down if you was me?”
“Where?”
“You know—down to Marne’s to-morrow.”
“Would I go? What you talking about?”
“I don’t know. What do you s’pose she’ll say?”
“I guess you know what she ought to say, all right.”
“Do you think she’ll be mad?”
“Oh, you shut up!”
Bruce went to bed early, but Hunch heard him tossing until late. In the morning he was moody6.
“Hunch,” he said, after breakfast, “what time does the train go down?”
“‘Bout half an hour.”
“Say, I s’pose I might as well take it as the noon train.”
“That’s your business-’tain’t mine.”
“Well, I guess I will. Say, Hunch, I’ll tell you—s’pose you come along.”
“Guess not.”
“I don’t mean nothing, Hunch, but you’ve been talking to her, and you know how to kind of quiet her. I never could, somehow.”
“Look here, Bruce, I ain’t going today or any day. I ain’t going at all. Understand? You needn’t tell her I said that, though.”
“Guess I’d better be starting, eh, Hunch?”
“Guess you had.”
“Come on down to the depot7. You ain’t got nothing to do.”
At the station, Hunch said: “Got any money?”
“No, I ain’t got much.”
“Here’s a little. No drinking, now.”
“On my honor, Hunch, I won’t drink a drop. Do you think a man would drink when he’s going down to see his own wife, Hunch? Do you think——”
“You better get aboard.”
“Good-by, Hunch, I’ll get back tonight.”
In the evening Hunch met the Liddington train. Bruce did not get off.
Hunch looked for him Monday morning, but had no word of him. At noon he was called to Mr. Jackson’s office.
“Badeau,” said his employer, “when that Considine gets back to work, you send him to me for his time.”
Hunch hesitated. “I’ll tell you, Mr. Jackson, he went down yesterday to see his wife. Their kid died a little while ago, and like’s not she’s sick.”
“Think so?”
“My work is pretty light to-day. I thought mebbe I could get off for the afternoon train and sort of look him up. I can get back to-night, you know. You see, if he gets laid off it’ll come kind of hard on his wife.”
“All right, go ahead. But, say, Badeau, hold on a minute. We’re not running a charity hospital, you know. We can’t give that man much rope.” Hunch said, “Yes, sir,” and went out.
He reached Liddington at supper time and picked up a hasty meal at the hotel. Then he hurried over to Joe Cartier’s house. Cartier let him in.
“Hello, Joe,” said Hunch. “Bruce here?”
Cartier hesitated.
“Yes, I guess he’s upstairs.”
“I want to see him.”
“Well; say, Hunch, come in the parlor8 a minute. I want to talk to you.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, you know Bruce came down yesterday morning, and ‘long about noon I guess they quarrelled a little. Me and my wife, we didn’t listen, but we couldn’t help hearing Bruce talk. And then Bruce went out——”
“Oh,” said Hunch, “drunk?”
“Not so bad as I’ve seen him, but he come in kind of ugly, and he’s got some up there—brought it back with him. Seems kind of too bad. I didn’t feel quite ‘s if I could do anything. You see ‘t ain’t really none of my business.”
Hunch went upstairs and knocked at the door. There was a stir inside, and he could hear Bruce grumbling9 and Mamie whispering. Then Mamie opened the door a few inches. When she looked at Hunch, the color left her face and she leaned against the door.
“It’s all right,” said Hunch, “I come for him.”
“Oh,” faltered10 Mamie.
“Who’s there?” called Bruce. “Who you whispering to?”
Mamie hesitated and looked at Hunch. He gently brushed her aside, saying, “Lemme come in.”
“Who is it?” said Bruce. He was lying on the bed, his clothing mussed, his face red. Hunch stood by the bed and looked down at him.
“What you doing here?” growled11 Bruce. “What right you got coming in a man’s house?”
Hunch looked at his watch.
“Come on,” he said, “we’ve got to get back on this train.”
“Who’s goin’ back. I ain’t goin’ back. Go on out o’ here, will you?”
Hunch took his arm and pulled him up. Bruce sat oh the edge of the bed.
“Come on, Bruce, get moving.”
“Go ‘way.”
Hunch turned to Mamie.
“Where’s his hat, Mis’ Considine?” Bruce stood up.
“What’s that? What you saying to my wife? Tha’s my wife, Hunch Badeau. She’s a lady. You can’t talk to my wife.”
Mamie stood at the foot of the bed watching the two men nervously12,
“Bruce,” said Hunch, “shut up and come along.”
“Don’t you think you’d better go, dear?” said Mamie, timidly.
“Wha’s that? You want to get rid of me too, eh? Oh, I’m on to you two. You can’t fool me; you can’t. You’re pretty smart, Hunch Badeau, sneaking13 down to see my wife——”
Hunch gripped Bruce’s arm and jerked him out of the room. They were at the top of the stairs when Mamie came to the door.
“Here’s his hat,” she said. “You’d better take it, I guess.”
“Thanks,” said Hunch, without looking at her, and he hurried Bruce down the stairs.
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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2
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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3
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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4
chirp
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| v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫 | |
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5
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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6
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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7
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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8
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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9
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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10
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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11
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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12
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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13
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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