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第14章 猴爪4（第1页）

第14章猴爪（4）

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"Isupposealloldsoldiersarethesame，"saidMrsWhite."Theideaofourlisteningtosuse!Howcouldwishesbegrahesedays?Andiftheycould，howcouldtwohundredpoundshurtyou，father?"

"Mightdropohesky，"saidthefrivolousHerbert.

"Morrissaidthethingshappeurally，"saidhisfather，"thatyoumightifyousowishedattributeittoce."

"Well，don'tbreakintothemoneybeforeIeback，"saidHerbert，asherosefromthetable."I'mafraidit'llturnyouintoamean，avarian，andweshallhavetodisownyou."

Hismhed，andfollowinghimtothedoor，watchedhimdownthertothebreakfasttable，wasveryhappyattheexpenseofherhusband'scredulity.Allofwhiotpreventherfrtothedooratthepostman'sknoorpreventherfrsomewhatshortlyteant-majorsofbibuloushabitswhehatthephtatailor'sbill.

"Herbertwillhavesomemoreofhisfunnyremarks，Iexpehee，"shesaid，astheysatatdinner.

"Idaresay，"saidMr.White，phimselfoutsomebeer;"butforallthat，thethingmovedinmyhand;thatI'llswearto."

"Youthoughtitdid，"saidtheoldladysoothingly.

"Isayitdid，"repliedtheother."Therewasnothoughtaboutit;Ihadjust—What'sthematter?"

Hisly.Shewaswatgthemysteriousmovementsofamanoutside，whinanundecidedfashionatthehouse，appearedttomakeuphismialwiththetwohundredpouicedthatthestrangerwaswelldressedandworeasilkhatofglossyhreetimeshepausedatthegate，andthenwalkedonagaiimehestoodwithhishanduponit，ahsuddeionflungitopenahepath.Mrs.Whiteatthesamemomentplacedherhandsbehindher，andhurriedlyuhestringsofherapron，putthatusefularticleofapparelbeheofherchair.

&thestranger，whoseemedillatease，intazedatherfurtively，andlistenedinapreoccupiedfashionastheoldladyapologizedfortheappearaheroom，andherhusband'scoat，agarmentwhichheusuallyreservedfardeedaspatientlyashersexwouldpermit，forhimtobroachhisbusihewasatfirststra.

"I—wasaskedtocall，"hesaidatlast，andstoopedandpickedapiehistrousers."IawandMeggins."

Theoldladystarted."Isanythier?"sheaskedbreathlessly."HasanythioHerbert?Whatisit?Whatisit?"

Herhusbandihere，there，mother，"hesaidhastily."Sitdown，anddon'tjumptos.You'venhtbadnews，I'msure，sir."aherwistfully.

"I'msorry…"begaor.

"Ishehurt?"demaher.

&orbowedi;Badlyhurt，"hesaidquietly，"butheisnotinanypain."

"Oh，thankGod!"saidtheoldingherhands."ThankGodforthat!Thank…"

Shebrokeoffsuddeermeaningoftheassuraneduponheraheawfulationofherfearsiher'savertedface.Shecaughtherbreath，andturningtoherslower-wittedhusband，laidhertremblingoldhanduponhis.Therewasalongsilence.

"Hewasthemaery，"saidthevisitth，inalowvoice.

"themaery，"repeatedMr.White，inadazedfashio;

åblanklyoutatthewindow，andtakinghiswife'shaweenhisowashehadbeenwonttodointheirdaysyyearsbefore.

"Hewastheoous，"hesaid，turhevisitor."Itishard."

&hercoughed，andrising，walkedslowlytothewindow."Thefirmwishedmetoveytheirsihywithyreatloss，"hesaid，withoutlookinground."IbegthatyouwilluandIamonlytheirservantandmerelyobeyi;

Therely;theoldwoman'sfacewaswhite，hereyesstarihihehusband'sfacewasalooksuchashisfriemighthavetohisfirsta.

"IwastosaythatMawandMegginsdisclaimallresponsibility，"uedtheother."Theyadmitnoliabilityatall，butiionofyourson'sservicestheywishtopresentyouwithasumaspensation."

Mr.Whitedroppedhiswife'shand，andrisingtohisfeet，gazedwithalookofhorrorathisvisitor.Hisdrylipsshapedthewords，"Howmuch?"

"Twohundredpounds，">

Unsciousofhiswife'sshriek，theoldmaly，putouthishalessman，anddropped，asehefloor.

III

Inthehugeery，sometwomilesdistant，theoldpeopleburiedtheirdead，aoahousesteepedinshadowawasalloversoquicklythatatfirsttheycouldhardlyrealizeit，aateofexpeasthoughofsomethiohappehingelsewhichwastolightenthisload，tooheavyforoldheartstobear.

Butthedayspassed，aionation—thehnationoftheold，sometimesmiscalled，apathy.Sometimestheyhardlyexgedaword，forhingtotalkabout，andtheirdayswerelongtoweariness.

Itwasaboutaweekafterthatthattheoldman，wakihenight，stretchedouthishandandfoundhimselfaloheroomwasihesoundofsubduedweepihewindow.Heraisedhimselfinbedandlistened.

"eback，"hesaidte;Youwillbecold."

"Itisyson，"saidtheoldtafresh.