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The poorhouse was not an imposing1 structure, but it could boast of antiquity2, as it had been built long, long ago for the purpose for which it was now used.
It was not difficult for Johanson to locate the poorhouse poet. His room, like the other two, opened directly on the vestibule. On his own door he had been allowed to paint his name and publish his chosen occupation:—
"I take my bag,
And never fail
To fetch the mail."
So ran the poor rhymes, yet the mad poet had not given himself his full meed of praise. No storm was too wild, no cold too severe, no snow too deep for the faithful mail-carrier to make his rounds. Rather[Pg 111] than give up the leathern bag entrusted4 to him to teasing country boys or desperate highwayman, he would have died in its defence.
The principle of growth had exerted its power eccentrically with the poorhouse poet. His legs and neck were elongated5 out of all proportion to the rest of his body. His small, pale face was raised unnaturally6 high in the air, as if he had suffered decapitation and his head had been posted as an assurance that offended law had been avenged7. Unconscious of his own peculiarities8, the persistent9 rhymer went about pleased with himself and all the world. Now he was particularly happy, for he considered himself a kind of presiding officer at the poorhouse, and as such the proper person to show the premises10 to curious strangers, or to formally install new inmates11. On the entrance of Johanson with the pastor's permit, the poet immediately took the odd-looking pauper12 in hand, to make him at home in the establishment.
He knocked at the small room opposite the main entrance, and a shrill13 voice having shouted, "Come in!" the visitors opened the door.
"I bring a new-comer,
Our guest for the summer!
He's Johanson, he;
So presented, Johanson bowed to the little old woman, who stood up beside the chair in which she had been sitting, and deigned15 to bend her knees for a courtesy just sufficiently16 to bring her short skirts possibly one inch nearer the floor. Her stiff demeanour, however, changed suddenly as she darted17 to a corner and produced a bit of rag carpet, on which she requested the visitors to stand, as her room had been freshly scoured18 for Sunday.
Scour Monday,
Scour every day,
That's her way,"
said the poet, retiring precipitately20 with his companion. The poet had described the absorbing pursuit of his fellow-lodger21. Chairs, table, and floor in that little room were subject to such rasping purifications, that if there had ever been paint on any of them, it was a thing of the far past, while an ashy whiteness and a general smell of dampness were the abiding22 peculiarities of the apartment. The eyes of the owner had become possessed23 of a microscopic24 power of discovering the minutest speck25 that might have been envied by any scientific observer of insect life.[Pg 113]
The poet next threw open the door of the room opposite his own, as he said to his companion,—
"Here is your place—
No want of space;
According to diet,
Not always so quiet."
These were the quarters Johanson was to share with the broad-chested man in a big chair, who sat with a stout26 stick beside him, as if ready at any moment to meet the attack of a roving marauder.
"This is our cellar-master,
Who lived faster and faster,
Till here with us he had to be.—
It's Johanson who comes with me;
He'll share your room, at least to-night,
And longer if you treat him right."
There was only an inhospitable grunt27 from the gouty, red-faced man whose biography had been more justly than politely abridged28 for the new-comer.
Johanson had no luggage to deposit. He thanked his conductor for the trouble he had taken, and then seated himself on a wooden chair on his side of the room, and had evidently no further need of his guide, who promptly29 disappeared.
Johanson seemed gazing out of the window, but was really seeing nothing, while quite lost in his[Pg 114] own thoughts, and altogether forgetful of his companion.
There was a pounding on the floor, followed by a rumbling30 sound, as of some one preparing to speak, and then the other occupant of the room said roughly: "Here, you! Do you see that crack across the middle of the floor, with three big, dark knots in the middle on each side of it? That's my landmark31. You come over it, and there'll be mischief32!"
"I shall take great pleasure in attending to your wishes. It is not likely that I shall visit you often," said Johanson, rising and bowing with much politeness, and then promptly resuming his seat.
The next step of the new lodger was to take a small, carefully-covered book from his pocket. The gilt33 edges, dulled by time, were, however, observed by the watchful34 spectator, a prisoner in his chair. The fine print and the divided verses were evident to his keen eyes, that twinkled in their red frames with an uncanny light. "No hypocrisy35 here! it don't take. Put up that book, or I'll throw my friend here at you. I never miss, so look out!" He touched the club-like stick beside him.
Johanson quickly put his hand in his breast-pocket and took out a small revolver. "Here is my friend,"[Pg 115] he said. "I never miss with this in my hand!" He spoke36 coolly, but his eyes were fearless and determined37. "You let me alone, and I'll let you alone. I want to live peaceably. I shall do what I please on my side of the room, and I want no meddling38 from you."
The cellar-master understood at once that he had here a person not to be trifled with, and from that day there was no difficulty between them.
The revolver may or may not have been loaded, but the sight of it had been enough for the cellar-master, as for many a "rough" before.
As to the little woman who had given Johanson so ungracious a reception on his first appearance in her room, he had evidently taken an aversion to her society. When she came into his duplicated quarters, he was always looking out into the street, or so occupied that she had a better view of his back than of his face. He never named her, nor was she ever mentioned in the establishment by her lawful39 cognomen40, but was always spoken of as "she," representing alone, as she did, her own sex in the poorhouse.
It seemed to her a wonder that with all her claims to respectability she had ever found her way to her present home. The walls of her room were decorated[Pg 116] with silhouettes41 of this or that grand personage in whose service she had enjoyed the honour of being in days of yore. Such mementoes failing her, there were coveted42 seals to letters, or paper headings cut out and duly pointed43 at the edges, to shine forth44 from red backgrounds. A daguerreotype45 of herself, in all the buxom46 freshness of youth and the "bravery" of a gaily-adorned peasant costume, was always to be seen standing47 on her bureau half open, like the book of an absent-minded scholar disturbed in his researches. Her pretensions48 imposed not a little upon the cellar-master, who treated her with a certain respect; but the poet was unmindful of her social claims, and perhaps took a pleasure in showing his independence of her rule. Rule it was, for she condescended49 to cook for "those poor men folks," as she called them.
Not that her cooking was ever of an elaborate order—coffee and porridge being the only dainties on which she was permitted to display her full powers. Warming up and making over other dishes kindly50 sent in by benevolent51 neighbours she did to perfection, and showed in this matter an ingenuity52 most remarkable53. When, however, she took in the meals she had prepared for the various recipients54, it was[Pg 117] with a studied ungraciousness, abated55 only for the cellar-master, who, as she said, had a respectable title of his own, and was suitable company for her.
Johanson, who had come to his present abode56 empty-handed, provided himself by degrees with needful articles of clothing of the simplest sort, as well as necessities for the toilet and the writing-table. The pen was much in his hand. It was used occasionally for a letter to the nearest large city, and such a missive was generally followed by a parcel, which was stowed away at once in the capacious chest appointed for his use.
The cellar-master was sure that it was on sheets ruled like music-paper that Johanson was almost constantly writing, though they were locked up in his chest almost before they were fairly dry. He did not seem to be a reader, but the objectionable little book with the gilt edges came out at a regular hour each day, and for five minutes at least had his full attention, without offensive interruption.
On the whole, the poorhouse had become for Johanson a peaceful and in a measure a comfortable home.
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收听单词发音
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1
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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2
antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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3
nag
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| v.(对…)不停地唠叨；n.爱唠叨的人 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
elongated
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| v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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7
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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8
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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9
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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10
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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11
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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12
pauper
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| n.贫民，被救济者，穷人 | |
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13
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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14
gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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15
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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17
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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18
scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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19
scour
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| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 | |
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20
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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21
lodger
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| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
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22
abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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23
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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24
microscopic
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| adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的 | |
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25
speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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27
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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28
abridged
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| 削减的，删节的 | |
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29
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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30
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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31
landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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32
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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33
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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34
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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35
hypocrisy
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| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
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36
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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37
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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38
meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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39
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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40
cognomen
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| n.姓；绰号 | |
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41
silhouettes
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| 轮廓( silhouette的名词复数 )； （人的）体形； （事物的）形状； 剪影 | |
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42
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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43
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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44
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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45
daguerreotype
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| n.银板照相 | |
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46
buxom
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| adj.（妇女）丰满的，有健康美的 | |
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47
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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48
pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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49
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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50
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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51
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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52
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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53
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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54
recipients
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| adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器 | |
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55
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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56
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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