Under normal circumstances, Sandy would have attended prayer-meeting on this particular evening of the week; but being still in contumacy, and cherishing what he considered the just resentment5 of a man falsely accused, he stifled6 the inclination7 which by long habit led him toward the church, and set out for the house of a friend with whom it occurred to him that he might spend the evening pleasantly. Unfortunately, his friend proved to be not at home, so Sandy turned his footsteps toward the lower part of the town, where the streets were well lighted, and on pleasant evenings quite animated8. On the way he met Josh Green, whom he had known for many years, though their paths did not often cross. In his loneliness Sandy accepted an invitation to go with Josh and have a drink,—a single drink. When Sandy was going home about eleven o'clock, three sheets in the wind, such was the potent10 effect of the single drink and those which had followed it, he was scared almost into soberness by a remarkable11 apparition12. As it seemed to Sandy, he saw himself hurrying along in front of himself toward the house. Possibly the muddled13 condition of Sandy's intellect had so affected14 his judgment15 as to vitiate any conclusion he might draw, but Sandy was quite sober enough to perceive that the figure ahead of him wore his best clothes and looked exactly like him, but seemed to be in something more of a hurry, a discrepancy16 which Sandy at once corrected by quickening his own pace so as to maintain as nearly as possible an equal distance between himself and his double. The situation was certainly an incomprehensible one, and savored17 of the supernatural.
"Ef dat's me gwine 'long in front," mused18 Sandy, in vinous perplexity, "den19 who is dis behin' here? Dere ain' but one er me, an' my ha'nt wouldn' leave my body 'tel I wuz dead. Ef dat's me in front, den I mus' be my own ha'nt; an' whichever one of us is de ha'nt, de yuther must be dead an' don' know it. I don' know what ter make er no sech gwines-on, I don't. Maybe it ain' me after all, but it certainly do look lack me."
When the apparition disappeared in the house by the side door, Sandy stood in the yard for several minutes, under the shade of an elm-tree, before he could make up his mind to enter the house. He took courage, however, upon the reflection that perhaps, after all, it was only the bad liquor he had drunk. Bad liquor often made people see double.
He entered the house. It was dark, except for a light in Tom Delamere's room. Sandy tapped softly at the door.
"It's me, suh; Sandy."
They both spoke21 softly. It was the rule of the house when Mr. Delamere had retired22, and though he was not at home, habit held its wonted sway.
"Just a moment, Sandy."
Sandy waited patiently in the hall until the door was opened. If the room showed any signs of haste or disorder23, Sandy was too full of his own thoughts—and other things—to notice them.
"What do you want, Sandy," asked Tom.
"Mistuh Tom," asked Sandy solemnly, "ef I wuz in yo' place, an' you wuz in my place, an' we wuz bofe in de same place, whar would I be?"
Tom looked at Sandy keenly, with a touch of apprehension24. Did Sandy mean anything in particular by this enigmatical inquiry25, and if so, what? But Sandy's face clearly indicated a state of mind in which consecutive26 thought was improbable; and after a brief glance Delamere breathed more freely.
"I give it up, Sandy," he responded lightly. "That's too deep for me."
"'Scuse me, Mistuh Tom, but is you heared er seed anybody er anything come in de house fer de las' ten minutes?"
"Why, no, Sandy, I haven't heard any one. I came from the club an hour ago. I had forgotten my key, and Sally got up and let me in, and then went back to bed. I've been sitting here reading ever since. I should have heard any one who came in."
"Mistuh Tom," inquired Sandy anxiously, "would you 'low dat I'd be'n drinkin' too much?"
"No, Sandy, I should say you were sober enough, though of course you may have had a few drinks. Perhaps you'd like another? I've got something good here."
"No, suh, Mistuh Tom, no, suh! No mo' liquor fer me, suh, never! When liquor kin4 make a man see his own ha'nt, it's 'bout9 time fer dat man ter quit drinkin', it sho' is! Good-night, Mistuh Tom."
As Sandy turned to go, Delamere was struck by a sudden and daring thought. The creature of impulse, he acted upon it immediately.
"By the way, Sandy," he exclaimed carelessly, "I can pay you back that money you were good enough to lend me this afternoon. I think I'll sleep better if I have the debt off my mind, and I shouldn't wonder if you would. You don't mind having it in gold, do you?"
"No, indeed, suh," replied Sandy. "I ain' seen no gol' fer so long dat de sight er it'd be good fer my eyes."
Tom counted out ten five-dollar gold pieces upon the table at his elbow.
"And here's another, Sandy," he said, adding an eleventh, "as interest for the use of it."
"Thank y', Mistuh Tom. I didn't spec' no in-trus', but I don' never 'fuse gol' w'en I kin git it."
"And here," added Delamere, reaching carelessly into a bureau drawer, "is a little old silk purse that I've had since I was a boy. I'll put the gold in it, Sandy; it will hold it very nicely."
"Thank y', Mistuh Tom. You're a gentleman, suh, an' wo'thy er de fam'ly name. Good-night, suh, an' I hope yo' dreams 'll be pleasanter 'n' mine. Ef it wa'n't fer dis gol' kinder takin' my min' off'n dat ha'nt, I don' s'pose I'd be able to do much sleepin' ter-night. Good-night, suh."
"Good-night, Sandy."
Whether or not Delamere slept soundly, or was troubled by dreams, pleasant or unpleasant, it is nevertheless true that he locked his door, and sat up an hour later, looking through the drawers of his bureau, and burning several articles in the little iron stove which constituted part of the bedroom furniture.
It is also true that he rose very early, before the household was stirring. The cook slept in a room off the kitchen, which was in an outhouse in the back yard. She was just stretching herself, preparatory to getting up, when Tom came to her window and said that he was going off fishing, to be gone all day, and that he would not wait for breakfast.
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1
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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4
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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6
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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7
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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8
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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9
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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10
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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11
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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12
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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13
muddled
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| adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子 | |
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14
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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15
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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16
discrepancy
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| n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾 | |
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17
savored
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的过去式和过去分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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18
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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21
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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22
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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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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24
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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26
consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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