The merchant having withdrawn2, the other remained seated alone for a time, with the air of one who, after having conversed3 with some excellent man, carefully ponders what fell from him, however intellectually inferior it may be, that none of the profit may be lost; happy if from any honest word he has heard he can derive4 some hint, which, besides confirming him in the theory of virtue5, may, likewise, serve for a finger-post to virtuous6 action.
Ere long his eye brightened, as if some such hint was now caught. He rises, book in hand, quits the cabin, and enters upon a sort of corridor, narrow and dim, a by-way to a retreat less ornate and cheery than the former; in short, the emigrants7' quarters; but which, owing to the present trip being a down-river one, will doubtless be found comparatively tenantless9. Owing to obstructions10 against the side windows, the whole place is dim and dusky; very much so, for the most part; yet, by starts, haggardly lit here and there by narrow, capricious sky-lights in the cornices. But there [109] would seem no special need for light, the place being designed more to pass the night in, than the day; in brief, a pine barrens dormitory, of knotty11 pine bunks13, without bedding. As with the nests in the geometrical towns of the associate penguin14 and pelican15, these bunks were disposed with Philadelphian regularity16, but, like the cradle of the oriole, they were pendulous17, and, moreover, were, so to speak, three-story cradles; the description of one of which will suffice for all.
Four ropes, secured to the ceiling, passed downwards18 through auger-holes bored in the corners of three rough planks19, which at equal distances rested on knots vertically21 tied in the ropes, the lowermost plank20 but an inch or two from the floor, the whole affair resembling, on a large scale, rope book-shelves; only, instead of hanging firmly against a wall, they swayed to and fro at the least suggestion of motion, but were more especially lively upon the provocation22 of a green emigrant8 sprawling23 into one, and trying to lay himself out there, when the cradling would be such as almost to toss him back whence he came. In consequence, one less inexperienced, essaying repose24 on the uppermost shelf, was liable to serious disturbance25, should a raw beginner select a shelf beneath. Sometimes a throng26 of poor emigrants, coming at night in a sudden rain to occupy these oriole nests, would—through ignorance of their peculiarity—bring about such a rocking uproar27 of carpentry, joining to it such an uproar of exclamations28, that it seemed as if some luckless ship, with all its crew, was being dashed to pieces among the rocks. They were beds devised [110] by some sardonic29 foe30 of poor travelers, to deprive them of that tranquility which should precede, as well as accompany, slumber31.—Procrustean beds, on whose hard grain humble32 worth and honesty writhed33, still invoking34 repose, while but torment35 responded. Ah, did any one make such a bunk12 for himself, instead of having it made for him, it might be just, but how cruel, to say, You must lie on it!
But, purgatory36 as the place would appear, the stranger advances into it: and, like Orpheus in his gay descent to Tartarus, lightly hums to himself an opera snatch.
Suddenly there is a rustling37, then a creaking, one of the cradles swings out from a murky38 nook, a sort of wasted penguin-flipper is supplicatingly put forth39, while a wail40 like that of Dives is heard:—"Water, water!"
It was the miser of whom the merchant had spoken.
"My poor, poor sir, what can I do for you?"
"Ugh, ugh—water!"
Darting42 out, he procures43 a glass, returns, and, holding it to the sufferer's lips, supports his head while he drinks: "And did they let you lie here, my poor sir, racked with this parching44 thirst?"
The miser, a lean old man, whose flesh seemed salted cod-fish, dry as combustibles; head, like one whittled45 by an idiot out of a knot; flat, bony mouth, nipped between buzzard nose and chin; expression, flitting [111] between hunks and imbecile—now one, now the other—he made no response. His eyes were closed, his cheek lay upon an old white moleskin coat, rolled under his head like a wizened46 apple upon a grimy snow-bank.
Revived at last, he inclined towards his ministrant, and, in a voice disastrous47 with a cough, said:—"I am old and miserable48, a poor beggar, not worth a shoestring—how can I repay you?"
"By giving me your confidence."
"Confidence!" he squeaked50, with changed manner, while the pallet swung, "little left at my age, but take the stale remains51, and welcome."
"Such as it is, though, you give it. Very good. Now give me a hundred dollars."
Upon this the miser was all panic. His hands groped towards his waist, then suddenly flew upward beneath his moleskin pillow, and there lay clutching something out of sight. Meantime, to himself he incoherently mumbled:—"Confidence? Cant52, gammon! Confidence? hum, bubble!—Confidence? fetch, gouge53!—Hundred dollars?—hundred devils!"
Half spent, he lay mute awhile, then feebly raising himself, in a voice for the moment made strong by the sarcasm54, said, "A hundred dollars? rather high price to put upon confidence. But don't you see I am a poor, old rat here, dying in the wainscot? You have served me; but, wretch55 that I am, I can but cough you my thanks,—ugh, ugh, ugh!"
This time his cough was so violent that its convulsions were imparted to the plank, which swung him [112] about like a stone in a sling56 preparatory to its being hurled57.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
"What a shocking cough. I wish, my friend, the herb-doctor was here now; a box of his Omni-Balsamic Reinvigorator would do you good."
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
"I've a good mind to go find him. He's aboard somewhere. I saw his long, snuff-colored surtout. Trust me, his medicines are the best in the world."
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
"Oh, how sorry I am."
"No doubt of it," squeaked the other again, "but go, get your charity out on deck. There parade the pursy peacocks; they don't cough down here in desertion and darkness, like poor old me. Look how scaly58 a pauper59 I am, clove60 with this churchyard cough. Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
"Again, how sorry I feel, not only for your cough, but your poverty. Such a rare chance made unavailable. Did you have but the sum named, how I could invest it for you. Treble profits. But confidence—I fear that, even had you the precious cash, you would not have the more precious confidence I speak of."
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" flightily raising himself. "What's that? How, how? Then you don't want the money for yourself?"
"My dear, dear sir, how could you impute61 to me [113] such preposterous62 self-seeking? To solicit63 out of hand, for my private behoof, an hundred dollars from a perfect stranger? I am not mad, my dear sir."
"How, how?" still more bewildered, "do you, then, go about the world, gratis64, seeking to invest people's money for them?"
"My humble profession, sir. I live not for myself; but the world will not have confidence in me, and yet confidence in me were great gain."
"But, but," in a kind of vertigo65, "what do—do you do—do with people's money? Ugh, ugh! How is the gain made?"
"To tell that would ruin me. That known, every one would be going into the business, and it would be overdone66. A secret, a mystery—all I have to do with you is to receive your confidence, and all you have to do with me is, in due time, to receive it back, thrice paid in trebling profits."
"What, what?" imbecility in the ascendant once more; "but the vouchers68, the vouchers," suddenly hunkish again.
"Can't see yours, though," peering through the obscurity.
From this last alternating flicker69 of rationality, the miser fell back, sputtering70, into his previous gibberish, but it took now an arithmetical turn. Eyes closed, he lay muttering to himself—
"One hundred, one hundred—two hundred, two hundred—three hundred, three hundred." [114]
He opened his eyes, feebly stared, and still more feebly said—
"It's a little dim here, ain't it? Ugh, ugh! But, as well as my poor old eyes can see, you look honest."
"I am glad to hear that."
"If—if, now, I should put"—trying to raise himself, but vainly, excitement having all but exhausted71 him—"if, if now, I should put, put——"
"No ifs. Downright confidence, or none. So help me heaven, I will have no half-confidences."
He said it with an indifferent and superior air, and seemed moving to go.
"Don't, don't leave me, friend; bear with me; age can't help some distrust; it can't, friend, it can't. Ugh, ugh, ugh! Oh, I am so old and miserable. I ought to have a guardian72. Tell me, if——"
"If? No more!"
"Stay! how soon—ugh, ugh!—would my money be trebled? How soon, friend?"
"Stay, stay," falling back now like an infant, "I confide, I confide; help, friend, my distrust!"
From an old buckskin pouch73, tremulously dragged forth, ten hoarded74 eagles, tarnished75 into the appearance of ten old horn-buttons, were taken, and half-eagerly, half-reluctantly, offered.
"I know not whether I should accept this slack confidence," said the other coldly, receiving the gold, "but an eleventh-hour confidence, a sick-bed confidence, a [115] distempered, death-bed confidence, after all. Give me the healthy confidence of healthy men, with their healthy wits about them. But let that pass. All right. Good-bye!"
"Nay76, back, back—receipt, my receipt! Ugh, ugh, ugh! Who are you? What have I done? Where go you? My gold, my gold! Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
But, unluckily for this final flicker of reason, the stranger was now beyond ear-shot, nor was any one else within hearing of so feeble a call.
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1
miser
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| n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly) | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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7
emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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emigrant
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| adj.移居的，移民的；n.移居外国的人，移民 | |
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9
tenantless
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| adj.无人租赁的，无人居住的 | |
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10
obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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11
knotty
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| adj.有结的，多节的，多瘤的，棘手的 | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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14
penguin
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| n.企鹅 | |
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pelican
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| n.鹈鹕，伽蓝鸟 | |
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16
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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pendulous
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| adj.下垂的；摆动的 | |
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18
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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24
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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26
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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27
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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28
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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29
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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30
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
invoking
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| v.援引( invoke的现在分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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35
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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36
purgatory
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| n.炼狱；苦难；adj.净化的，清洗的 | |
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37
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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38
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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40
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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41
hovers
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| 鸟( hover的第三人称单数 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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42
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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43
procures
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的第三人称单数 )；拉皮条 | |
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44
parching
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| adj.烘烤似的，焦干似的v.（使）焦干， （使）干透( parch的现在分词 )；使（某人）极口渴 | |
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45
whittled
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
wizened
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| adj.凋谢的；枯槁的 | |
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47
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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48
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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49
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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50
squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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51
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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52
cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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53
gouge
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| v.凿；挖出；n.半圆凿；凿孔；欺诈 | |
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54
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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55
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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56
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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57
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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58
scaly
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| adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的 | |
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pauper
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| n.贫民，被救济者，穷人 | |
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60
clove
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| n.丁香味 | |
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61
impute
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| v.归咎于 | |
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62
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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63
solicit
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| vi.勾引；乞求；vt.请求，乞求；招揽(生意) | |
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gratis
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| adj.免费的 | |
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vertigo
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| n.眩晕 | |
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66
overdone
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| v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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voucher
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| n.收据；传票；凭单，凭证 | |
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68
vouchers
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| n.凭证( voucher的名词复数 )；证人；证件；收据 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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70
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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73
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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74
hoarded
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| v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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76
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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