AND yet it seemed that Rose-Ann knew him better than he knew himself.
On Monday morning the city editor gruffly assigned him a desk. He hated to sit there idle, and he had thrown away his morning paper. Finding that he still had Rose-Ann’s little book in his pocket, he took it out and read in that. Presently the city editor called his name. He rose, putting the book back into his pocket. His first test had come.
“Go over to the Annex1 and see if you can get something about the Taft-Roosevelt situation from—” and he named a distinguished2 political personage.
“Where?” Felix asked.
“At the Annex.”
(But what in the world was the Annex? From the tone in which its name had been uttered by the city editor, Felix was aware that it was some place that he ought to know all about. Some place that anybody who had ever dreamed of being a reporter on a Chicago paper would of course know all about! But what was it? The Annex to what?... By a violent mental effort he came to the conclusion that it must be a hotel; probably one of Chicago’s most famous hotels! and here he had been in Chicago a month, and didn’t know where it was. Idiot!)
“Yes, sir,” said Felix to the city editor, and went out and asked the policeman on the nearest corner.... It was horribly obvious to him, at that moment, that he was too ignorant of plain everyday reality ever to hold this job.
48
2
He came back, having failed to get the interview.... He had been given half an hour by a delightful3 old gentleman at the Annex; half an hour in which to try to get some kind of quotable political comment on a situation in which everybody was interested, from a man who, if any one, knew what the situation really was. And every question had been turned aside so cleverly, so smoothly4, so genially5, that under other circumstances it would have been a pleasure to see it done. The old gentleman had been the soul of courtesy; he seemed to enjoy talking to his young questioner; doubtless because it was so easy to put him off the track.
At first Felix’s questions had been straightforward6; and the evasiveness of the replies had disconcerted him. He framed his questions more shrewdly; but the old gentleman answered them with the same bland7 courtesy and to precisely8 the same effect. Felix kept on for a while, doggedly9. And then gradually he realized—what, he told himself scornfully, he should have known from the very start, that he had been sent out on a futile10 quest. If there had been the slightest chance of getting anything out of this old gentleman, the best reporter on the staff would have been sent—not the newest and greenest cub11.
He was angry—at himself, for having tried so na?vely to do the impossible; at the city editor, for not giving him a real assignment; at the tradition of “news,” which, having attached a fictitious12 importance to the subject of politics, was wasting his time and the old gentleman’s in this solemnly idiotic13 fashion.
“You have been very kind—” said Felix.
“Oh, not at all,” said the old gentleman. “Nothing pleases me more than to give information to a young seeker after truth.”
“There is one thing I would like to know,” said Felix. “Who struck Billy Patterson?”
49This insulting question—insulting precisely because it was silly, because it threw the whole earnest interview suddenly into the key of farce—did not for an instant shake the old gentleman’s aplomb15. He appeared to reflect gravely, with finger-tips delicately joined and head cocked on one side, in his characteristic gesture. He smiled faintly, and spoke16.
“You have trenched,” he said, “upon an important public issue, and one not lightly to be discussed—a question of deep interest to hundreds of thousands of our fellow-countrymen. In fact, I have seldom been in any gathering17 of true Americans, when this question has not been raised. Who struck Billy Patterson? Again and again have I heard men ask each other that question. And how seldom, if ever, has the reply been satisfactory! No, I say frankly18 to you, the reply has not been satisfactory. And so the question remains19—like Banquo’s ghost, it will not down. Careless and unthinking statesmen may try to lead the people astray with talk of minor20 issues, such as the tariff21, imperialism22, and the conservation of natural resources, but the heart of the American people remains true. When the shouting and the tumult23 dies, and the senators go back to Washington, common men look at each other and ask, Who struck Billy Patterson? It is a question that searches to the very vitals of our polity. We boast of our unexampled freedom, our magnificent opportunities; and rightly so. But justice, even-handed and sure, is the true foundation of a lasting24 prosperity. We know this, and we are humble25 before the Muse26 of History. Be it said in our behalf that others have not had to prod27 at our sleeping consciences. It is not because of outside criticism that we trouble ourselves over this matter. The Frenchman and the Turk do not point the finger of scorn at us; and even our brothers across the sea, speaking our own language, are probably ignorant of William Patterson’s very name. But we do not forget. And whatever happens, so long as this question remains unanswered, I venture to predict that no other issue will usurp28 its place; and on the heart of the last American will be written the solemn words: Who struck Billy Patterson? Is there anything else?”
50So the old gentleman could play that game, too!
“Well,” said Felix, “I was going to ask you if—if you thought McPhairson Conglocketty Angus McClan got a square deal, but—”
The old gentleman shook his head, still smiling.
“I really don’t think it would be proper,” he said, “for me to discuss the internal affairs of the British Empire.”
“And Noah’s Ark,” said Felix. “If you could express an opinion—”
“And as to what became of little Charley Ross?”
“That,” said the old gentleman, “is something the national committee would prefer to remain, for the present, a secret.”
Felix was beaten.
“Thank you,” he said, and went away.
“Got anything?” the city editor asked, when Felix came up to his desk to report.
“Not a thing.” Felix said.
The city editor grunted31, reached out for a typewritten sheet on the hook, and seemed to dismiss the matter from his mind.
Felix went back to his desk and sat there idly. He took out Rose-Ann’s little book from his pocket, and read in it. And then suddenly he put a sheet of paper in his machine and commenced to write.
Confound it, if what Rose-Ann said about the people of Chicago was so, they would enjoy the true story of that interview. It was funny. Funny just because it was silly. But it was so preposterously32 the opposite of what he had been sent to find out—it seemed a deliberate mockery of the traditional and legitimate33 curiosity of the public. If he ventured to show it to the city editor, it would probably be his last assignment.
Recklessly, he wrote it.
The city editor strolled to the water-tank, and back, wiping his lips. He saw Felix writing, came over, put a hand on his shoulder, and asked, “What are you writing?”
51Well, he was lost. There was no backing out now. He handed over the first sheets.
“Thought you didn’t get anything,” the city editor remarked.
“I—didn’t,” said Felix.
“Where’s the rest of it?”
Felix wrote the last sentence, and surrendered the page.
“He said this?” asked the city editor, pausing for a moment. Felix nodded. “Just like the old bird, too,” the city editor muttered, and went on reading. He read to the end, and then read the first page again, and then smiled amiably34. “And you didn’t know you had a story!” he said.
“Well,” said Felix, still incredulous. “I didn’t think—”
“You’re sure you’ve got it right?” the city editor asked, rubbing his chin.
“H’m,” said the city editor. “With a little fixing up, I think we’ve got a nice little story here.” He carried it into the managing editor’s room.
And to Felix’s great astonishment36 the story, with a few changes, was printed on the first page, under a solemnly ironic37 heading.... They were laughing about it in the editorial room when he ventured in that afternoon to see Clive. “So you had a story and didn’t know it!” Willie said delightedly.
“Never mind,” Clive told him, “you’ve made a hit with Harris by letting him discover the story for himself.” Clive really seemed to think he had played a kind of trick on Harris. “The regular cub trick,” said Clive.
Felix showed the story to Rose-Ann that night.
She was pleased, but not surprised. “It’s exactly the sort of thing I expected you to do,” she said.
He was tempted38 to tell Rose-Ann the truth about it; but he decided39 not to. Let her keep on believing in him—while she could!
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
annex
|
|
| vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
smoothly
|
|
| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
genially
|
|
| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
straightforward
|
|
| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
bland
|
|
| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
precisely
|
|
| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
doggedly
|
|
| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
futile
|
|
| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
cub
|
|
| n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
fictitious
|
|
| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
idiotic
|
|
| adj.白痴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
blandly
|
|
| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
aplomb
|
|
| n.沉着，镇静 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
minor
|
|
| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
tariff
|
|
| n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
imperialism
|
|
| n.帝国主义，帝国主义政策 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
tumult
|
|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
lasting
|
|
| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
muse
|
|
| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
prod
|
|
| vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
usurp
|
|
| vt.篡夺，霸占；vi.篡位 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
construed
|
|
| v.解释（陈述、行为等）( construe的过去式和过去分词 )；翻译，作句法分析 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
naval
|
|
| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
preposterously
|
|
| adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
legitimate
|
|
| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
amiably
|
|
| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
veracity
|
|
| n.诚实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
ironic
|
|
| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
tempted
|
|
| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |