"Think of it?" roared Turkey; "I think I'll just step behind his screen,and black his eyes for him!"So saying, Turkey rose to his feet and threw his arms into a pugilisticposition. He was hurrying away to make good his promise, when Idetained him, alarmed at the effect of incautiously rousing Turkey'scombativeness after dinner.
"Sit down, Turkey," said I, "and hear what Nippers has to say. What doyou think of it, Nippers? Would I not be justified1 in immediatelydismissing Bartleby?""Excuse me, that is for you to decide, sir. I think his conduct quiteunusual, and indeed unjust, as regards Turkey and myself. But it mayonly be a passing whim2.""Ah," exclaimed I, "you have strangely changed your mind then--you speakvery gently of him now.""All beer," cried Turkey; "gentleness is effects of beer--Nippers and Idined together to-day. You see how gentle _I_ am, sir. Shall I go andblack his eyes?""You refer to Bartleby, I suppose. No, not to-day, Turkey," I replied;"pray, put up your fists."I closed the doors, and again advanced towards Bartleby. I feltadditional incentives3 tempting4 me to my fate. I burned to be rebelledagainst again. I remembered that Bartleby never left the office.
"Bartleby," said I, "Ginger5 Nut is away; just step round to the PostOffice, won't you? (it was but a three minute walk,) and see if there isany thing for me.""I would prefer not to.""You _will_ not?""I _prefer_ not."I staggered to my desk, and sat there in a deep study. My blindinveteracy returned. Was there any other thing in which I could procuremyself to be ignominiously6 repulsed8 by this lean, penniless wight?--myhired clerk? What added thing is there, perfectly9 reasonable, that hewill be sure to refuse to do?
"Bartleby!"No answer.
"Bartleby," in a louder tone.
No answer.
"Bartleby," I roared.
Like a very ghost, agreeably to the laws of magical invocation, at thethird summons, he appeared at the entrance of his hermitage.
"Go to the next room, and tell Nippers to come to me.""I prefer not to," he respectfully and slowly said, and mildlydisappeared.
"Very good, Bartleby," said I, in a quiet sort of serenely10 severeself-possessed tone, intimating the unalterable purpose of some terribleretribution very close at hand. At the moment I half intended somethingof the kind. But upon the whole, as it was drawing towards mydinner-hour, I thought it best to put on my hat and walk home for theday, suffering much from perplexity and distress12 of mind.
Shall I acknowledge it? The conclusion of this whole business was, thatit soon became a fixed13 fact of my chambers14, that a pale young scrivener,by the name of Bartleby, and a desk there; that he copied for me at theusual rate of four cents a folio (one hundred words); but he waspermanently exempt15 from examining the work done by him, that duty beingtransferred to Turkey and Nippers, one of compliment doubtless to theirsuperior acuteness; moreover, said Bartleby was never on any account tobe dispatched on the most trivial errand of any sort; and that even ifentreated to take upon him such a matter, it was generally understoodthat he would prefer not to--in other words, that he would refusepointblank.
As days passed on, I became considerably17 reconciled to Bartleby. Hissteadiness, his freedom from all dissipation, his incessant18 industry(except when he chose to throw himself into a standing19 revery behind hisscreen), his great stillness, his unalterableness of demeanor20 under allcircumstances, made him a valuable acquisition. One prime thing wasthis,--_he was always there;_--first in the morning, continuallythrough the day, and the last at night. I had a singular confidence inhis honesty. I felt my most precious papers perfectly safe in hishands. Sometimes to be sure I could not, for the very soul of me, avoidfalling into sudden spasmodic passions with him. For it was exceedingdifficult to bear in mind all the time those strange peculiarities,privileges, and unheard of exemptions21, forming the tacit stipulations onBartleby's part under which he remained in my office. Now and then, inthe eagerness of dispatching pressing business, I would inadvertentlysummon Bartleby, in a short, rapid tone, to put his finger, say, on theincipient tie of a bit of red tape with which I was about compressingsome papers. Of course, from behind the screen the usual answer, "Iprefer not to," was sure to come; and then, how could a human creaturewith the common infirmities of our nature, refrain from bitterlyexclaiming upon such perverseness22--such unreasonableness23. However,every added repulse7 of this sort which I received only tended to lessenthe probability of my repeating the inadvertence.
Here it must be said, that according to the custom of most legalgentlemen occupying chambers in densely-populated law buildings, therewere several keys to my door. One was kept by a woman residing in theattic, which person weekly scrubbed and daily swept and dusted myapartments. Another was kept by Turkey for convenience sake. The thirdI sometimes carried in my own pocket. The fourth I knew not who had.
Now, one Sunday morning I happened to go to Trinity Church, to hear acelebrated preacher, and finding myself rather early on the ground, Ithought I would walk around to my chambers for a while. Luckily I hadmy key with me; but upon applying it to the lock, I found it resisted bysomething inserted from the inside. Quite surprised, I called out; whento my consternation24 a key was turned from within; and thrusting his leanvisage at me, and holding the door ajar, the apparition25 of Bartlebyappeared, in his shirt sleeves, and otherwise in a strangely tattereddishabille, saying quietly that he was sorry, but he was deeply engagedjust then, and--preferred not admitting me at present. In a brief wordor two, he moreover added, that perhaps I had better walk round theblock two or three times, and by that time he would probably haveconcluded his affairs.
Now, the utterly26 unsurmised appearance of Bartleby, tenanting mylaw-chambers of a Sunday morning, with his cadaverously gentlemanly_nonchalance_, yet withal firm and self-possessed, had such a strangeeffect upon me, that incontinently I slunk away from my own door, anddid as desired. But not without sundry28 twinges of impotent rebellionagainst the mild effrontery29 of this unaccountable scrivener. Indeed, itwas his wonderful mildness chiefly, which not only disarmed30 me, butunmanned me, as it were. For I consider that one, for the time, is asort of unmanned when he tranquilly31 permits his hired clerk to dictateto him, and order him away from his own premises32. Furthermore, I wasfull of uneasiness as to what Bartleby could possibly be doing in myoffice in his shirt sleeves, and in an otherwise dismantled33 condition ofa Sunday morning. Was any thing amiss going on? Nay, that was out ofthe question. It was not to be thought of for a moment that Bartlebywas an immoral34 person. But what could he be doing there?--copying? Nayagain, whatever might be his eccentricities35, Bartleby was an eminentlydecorous person. He would be the last man to sit down to his desk inany state approaching to nudity. Besides, it was Sunday; and there wassomething about Bartleby that forbade the supposition that he would byany secular36 occupation violate the proprieties37 of the day.
Nevertheless, my mind was not pacified38; and full of a restlesscuriosity, at last I returned to the door. Without hindrance39 I insertedmy key, opened it, and entered. Bartleby was not to be seen. I lookedround anxiously, peeped behind his screen; but it was very plain that hewas gone. Upon more closely examining the place, I surmised27 that for anindefinite period Bartleby must have ate, dressed, and slept in myoffice, and that too without plate, mirror, or bed. The cushioned seatof a rickety old sofa in one corner bore the faint impress of a lean,reclining form. Rolled away under his desk, I found a blanket; underthe empty grate, a blacking box and brush; on a chair, a tin basin, withsoap and a ragged40 towel; in a newspaper a few crumbs41 of ginger-nuts anda morsel42 of cheese. Yes, thought I, it is evident enough that Bartlebyhas been making his home here, keeping bachelor's hall all by himself.
Immediately then the thought came sweeping43 across me, What miserablefriendlessness and loneliness are here revealed! His poverty is great;but his solitude44, how horrible! Think of it. Of a Sunday, Wall-streetis deserted45 as Petra; and every night of every day it is an emptiness.
This building too, which of week-days hums with industry and life, atnightfall echoes with sheer vacancy46, and all through Sunday is forlorn.
And here Bartleby makes his home; sole spectator of a solitude which hehas seen all populous--a sort of innocent and transformed Mariusbrooding among the ruins of Carthage!
For the first time in my life a feeling of overpowering stingingmelancholy seized me. Before, I had never experienced aught but anot-unpleasing sadness. The bond of a common humanity now drew meirresistibly to gloom. A fraternal melancholy47! For both I and Bartlebywere sons of Adam. I remembered the bright silks and sparkling faces Ihad seen that day, in gala trim, swan-like sailing down the Mississippiof Broadway; and I contrasted them with the pallid48 copyist, and thoughtto myself, Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay;but misery49 hides aloof50, so we deem that misery there is none. These sadfancyings--chimeras, doubtless, of a sick and silly brain--led on toother and more special thoughts, concerning the eccentricities ofBartleby. Presentiments of strange discoveries hovered51 round me. Thescrivener's pale form appeared to me laid out, among uncaring strangers,in its shivering winding52 sheet.
Suddenly I was attracted by Bartleby's closed desk, the key in opensight left in the lock.
I mean no mischief53, seek the gratification of no heartless curiosity,thought I; besides, the desk is mine, and its contents too, so I willmake bold to look within. Every thing was methodically arranged, thepapers smoothly54 placed. The pigeon holes were deep, and removing thefiles of documents, I groped into their recesses55. Presently I feltsomething there, and dragged it out. It was an old bandannahandkerchief, heavy and knotted. I opened it, and saw it was a savings56'
bank.
I now recalled all the quiet mysteries which I had noted57 in the man. Iremembered that he never spoke58 but to answer; that though at intervalshe had considerable time to himself, yet I had never seen himreading--no, not even a newspaper; that for long periods he would standlooking out, at his pale window behind the screen, upon the dead brickwall; I was quite sure he never visited any refectory or eating house;while his pale face clearly indicated that he never drank beer likeTurkey, or tea and coffee even, like other men; that he never went anywhere in particular that I could learn; never went out for a walk,unless indeed that was the case at present; that he had declined tellingwho he was, or whence he came, or whether he had any relatives in theworld; that though so thin and pale, he never complained of ill health.
And more than all, I remembered a certain unconscious air of pallid--howshall I call it?--of pallid haughtiness59, say, or rather an austerereserve about him, which had positively60 awed61 me into my tame compliancewith his eccentricities, when I had feared to ask him to do theslightest incidental thing for me, even though I might know, from hislong-continued motionlessness, that behind his screen he must bestanding in one of those dead-wall reveries of his.
Revolving62 all these things, and coupling them with the recentlydiscovered fact that he made my office his constant abiding63 place andhome, and not forgetful of his morbid64 moodiness65; revolving all thesethings, a prudential feeling began to steal over me. My first emotionshad been those of pure melancholy and sincerest pity; but just inproportion as the forlornness of Bartleby grew and grew to myimagination, did that same melancholy merge66 into fear, that pity intorepulsion. So true it is, and so terrible too, that up to a certainpoint the thought or sight of misery enlists67 our best affections; but,in certain special cases, beyond that point it does not. They err11 whowould assert that invariably this is owing to the inherent selfishnessof the human heart. It rather proceeds from a certain hopelessness ofremedying excessive and organic ill. To a sensitive being, pity is notseldom pain. And when at last it is perceived that such pity cannotlead to effectual succor68, common sense bids the soul rid of it. What Isaw that morning persuaded me that the scrivener was the victim ofinnate and incurable69 disorder70. I might give alms to his body; but hisbody did not pain him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul Icould not reach.
I did not accomplish the purpose of going to Trinity Church thatmorning. Somehow, the things I had seen disqualified me for the timefrom church-going. I walked homeward, thinking what I would do withBartleby. Finally, I resolved upon this;--I would put certain calmquestions to him the next morning, touching71 his history, etc., and if hedeclined to answer them openly and unreservedly (and I supposed he wouldprefer not), then to give him a twenty dollar bill over and abovewhatever I might owe him, and tell him his services were no longerrequired; but that if in any other way I could assist him, I would behappy to do so, especially if he desired to return to his native place,wherever that might be, I would willingly help to defray the expenses.
Moreover, if, after reaching home, he found himself at any time in wantof aid, a letter from him would be sure of a reply.
The next morning came.
"Bartleby," said I, gently calling to him behind his screen.
No reply.
"Bartleby," said I, in a still gentler tone, "come here; I am not goingto ask you to do any thing you would prefer not to do--I simply wish tospeak to you."Upon this he noiselessly slid into view.
"Will you tell me, Bartleby, where you were born?""I would prefer not to.""Will you tell me _any thing_ about yourself?""I would prefer not to.""But what reasonable objection can you have to speak to me? I feelfriendly towards you."He did not look at me while I spoke, but kept his glance fixed upon mybust of Cicero, which as I then sat, was directly behind me, some sixinches above my head.
"What is your answer, Bartleby?" said I, after waiting a considerabletime for a reply, during which his countenance72 remained immovable, onlythere was the faintest conceivable tremor73 of the white attenuated74 mouth.
It was rather weak in me I confess, but his manner on this occasionnettled me. Not only did there seem to lurk76 in it a certain calmdisdain, but his perverseness seemed ungrateful, considering theundeniable good usage and indulgence he had received from me.
Again I sat ruminating77 what I should do. Mortified as I was at hisbehavior, and resolved as I had been to dismiss him when I entered myoffices, nevertheless I strangely felt something superstitious78 knockingat my heart, and forbidding me to carry out my purpose, and denouncingme for a villain79 if I dared to breathe one bitter word against thisforlornest of mankind. At last, familiarly drawing my chair behind hisscreen, I sat down and said: "Bartleby, never mind then about revealingyour history; but let me entreat16 you, as a friend, to comply as far asmay be with the usages of this office. Say now you will help to examinepapers to-morrow or next day: in short, say now that in a day or two youwill begin to be a little reasonable:--say so, Bartleby.""At present I would prefer not to be a little reasonable," was hismildly cadaverous reply.
Just then the folding-doors opened, and Nippers approached. He seemedsuffering from an unusually bad night's rest, induced by severerindigestion than common. He overheard those final words of Bartleby.
"_Prefer not_, eh?" gritted80 Nippers--"I'd _prefer_ him, if I were you,sir," addressing me--"I'd _prefer_ him; I'd give him preferences, thestubborn mule81! What is it, sir, pray, that he _prefers_ not to do now?"Bartleby moved not a limb.
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1
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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incentives
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| 激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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ignominiously
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| adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地 | |
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repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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err
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| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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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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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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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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demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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exemptions
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| n.（义务等的）免除( exemption的名词复数 )；免（税）；（收入中的）免税额 | |
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perverseness
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| n. 乖张, 倔强, 顽固 | |
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unreasonableness
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| 无理性； 横逆 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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immoral
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| adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的 | |
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eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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secular
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| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
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proprieties
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| n.礼仪，礼节；礼貌( propriety的名词复数 )；规矩；正当；合适 | |
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pacified
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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59
haughtiness
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| n.傲慢；傲气 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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moodiness
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| n.喜怒无常；喜怒无常，闷闷不乐；情绪 | |
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66
merge
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| v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体 | |
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enlists
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| v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的第三人称单数 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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69
incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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72
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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73
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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attenuated
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| v.（使）变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）变薄；（使）变小；减弱 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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lurk
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| n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏 | |
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77
ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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79
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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