going into society-第3部分

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properties。　　Elsewheres；　they　was　most　of　'em　ringin　their　little

bells　out　of　make…believes。　　Everywheres；　the　sarser　was　a　goin

round。　　Magsman；　the　sarser　is　the　uniwersal　Institution！〃



I　perceived；　you　understand；　that　he　was　soured　by　his　misfortunes；

and　I　felt　for　Mr。　Chops。



〃As　to　Fat　Ladies；〃　he　says；　giving　his　head　a　tremendious　one　agin

the　wall；　〃there's　lots　of　THEM　in　Society；　and　worse　than　the

original。　　HERS　was　a　outrage　upon　Tastesimply　a　outrage　upon

Tasteawakenin　contemptcarryin　its　own　punishment　in　the　form　of

a　Indian。〃　　Here　he　giv　himself　another　tremendious　one。　　〃But

THEIRS；　Magsman；　THEIRS　is　mercenary　outrages。　　Lay　in　Cashmeer

shawls；　buy　bracelets；　strew　'em　and　a　lot　of　'andsome　fans　and

things　about　your　rooms；　let　it　be　known　that　you　give　away　like

water　to　all　as　come　to　admire；　and　the　Fat　Ladies　that　don't

exhibit　for　so　much　down　upon　the　drum；　will　come　from　all　the　pints

of　the　compass　to　flock　about　you；　whatever　you　are。　　They'll　drill

holes　in　your　'art；　Magsman；　like　a　Cullender。　　And　when　you've　no

more　left　to　give；　they'll　laugh　at　you　to　your　face；　and　leave　you

to　have　your　bones　picked　dry　by　Wulturs；　like　the　dead　Wild　Ass　of

the　Prairies　that　you　deserve　to　be！〃　　Here　he　giv　himself　the　most

tremendious　one　of　all；　and　dropped。



I　thought　he　was　gone。　　His　Ed　was　so　heavy；　and　he　knocked　it　so

hard；　and　he　fell　so　stoney；　and　the　sassagerial　disturbance　in　him

must　have　been　so　immense；　that　I　thought　he　was　gone。　　But；　he　soon

come　round　with　care；　and　he　sat　up　on　the　floor；　and　he　said　to　me；

with　wisdom　comin　out　of　his　eyes；　if　ever　it　come：



〃Magsman！　　The　most　material　difference　between　the　two　states　of

existence　through　which　your　unhappy　friend　has　passed；〃　he　reached

out　his　poor　little　hand；　and　his　tears　dropped　down　on　the

moustachio　which　it　was　a　credit　to　him　to　have　done　his　best　to

grow；　but　it　is　not　in　mortals　to　command　success；〃the　difference

this。　　When　I　was　out　of　Society；　I　was　paid　light　for　being　seen。

When　I　went　into　Society；　I　paid　heavy　for　being　seen。　　I　prefer　the

former；　even　if　I　wasn't　forced　upon　it。　　Give　me　out　through　the

trumpet；　in　the　hold　way；　to…morrow。〃



Arter　that；　he　slid　into　the　line　again　as　easy　as　if　he　had　been

iled　all　over。　　But　the　organ　was　kep　from　him；　and　no　allusions　was

ever　made；　when　a　company　was　in；　to　his　property。　　He　got　wiser

every　day；　his　views　of　Society　and　the　Public　was　luminous；

bewilderin；　awful；　and　his　Ed　got　bigger　and　bigger　as　his　Wisdom

expanded　it。



He　took　well；　and　pulled　'em　in　most　excellent　for　nine　weeks。　　At

the　expiration　of　that　period；　when　his　Ed　was　a　sight；　he　expressed

one　evenin；　the　last　Company　havin　been　turned　out；　and　the　door

shut；　a　wish　to　have　a　little　music。



〃Mr。　Chops；〃　I　said　（I　never　dropped　the　〃Mr。〃　with　him；　the　world

might　do　it；　but　not　me）；　〃Mr。　Chops；　are　you　sure　as　you　are　in　a

state　of　mind　and　body　to　sit　upon　the　organ？〃



His　answer　was　this：　　〃Toby；　when　next　met　with　on　the　tramp；　I

forgive　her　and　the　Indian。　　And　I　am。〃



It　was　with　fear　and　trembling　that　I　began　to　turn　the　handle；　but

he　sat　like　a　lamb。　　I　will　be　my　belief　to　my　dying　day；　that　I　see

his　Ed　expand　as　he　sat；　you　may　therefore　judge　how　great　his

thoughts　was。　　He　sat　out　all　the　changes；　and　then　he　come　off。



〃Toby；〃　he　says；　with　a　quiet　smile；　〃the　little　man　will　now　walk

three　times　round　the　Cairawan；　and　retire　behind　the　curtain。〃



When　we　called　him　in　the　morning；　we　found　him　gone　into　a　much

better　Society　than　mine　or　Pall　Mall's。　　I　giv　Mr。　Chops　as

comfortable　a　funeral　as　lay　in　my　power；　followed　myself　as　Chief；

and　had　the　George　the　Fourth　canvass　carried　first；　in　the　form　of

a　banner。　　But；　the　House　was　so　dismal　arterwards；　that　I　giv　it

up；　and　took　to　the　Wan　again。





〃I　don't　triumph；〃　said　Jarber；　folding　up　the　second　manuscript；

and　looking　hard　at　Trottle。　　〃I　don't　triumph　over　this　worthy

creature。　　I　merely　ask　him　if　he　is　satisfied　now？〃



〃How　can　he　be　anything　else？〃　I　said；　answering　for　Trottle；　who

sat　obstinately　silent。　　〃This　time；　Jarber；　you　have　not　only　read

us　a　delightfully　amusing　story；　but　you　have　also　answered　the

question　about　the　House。　　Of　course　it　stands　empty　now。　　Who　would

think　of　taking　it　after　it　had　been　turned　into　a　caravan？〃　　I

looked　at　Trottle；　as　I　said　those　last　words；　and　Jarber　waved　his

hand　indulgently　in　the　same　direction。



〃Let　this　excellent　person　speak；〃　said　Jarber。　　〃You　were　about　to

say；　my　good　man？〃　…



〃I　only　wished　to　ask；　sir；〃　said　Trottle　doggedly；　〃if　you　could

kindly　oblige　me　with　a　date　or　two　in　connection　with　that　last

story？〃



〃A　date！〃　repeated　Jarber。　　〃What　does　the　man　want　with　dates！〃



〃I　should　be　glad　to　know；　with　great　respect；〃　persisted　Trottle；

〃if　the　person　named　Magsman　was　the　last　tenant　who　lived　in　the

House。　　It's　my　opinionif　I　may　be　excused　for　giving　itthat　he

most　decidedly　was　not。〃



With　those　words；　Trottle　made　a　low　bow；　and　quietly　left　the　room。



There　is　no　denying　that　Jarber；　when　we　were　left　together；　looked

sadly　discomposed。　　He　had　evidently　forgotten　to　inquire　about

dates；　and；　in　spite　of　his　magnificent　talk　about　his　series　of

discoveries；　it　was　quite　as　plain　that　the　two　stories　he　had　just

read；　had　really　and　truly　exhausted　his　present　stock。　　I　thought

myself　bound；　in　common　gratitude；　to　help　him　out　of　his

embarrassment　by　a　timely　suggestion。　　So　I　proposed　that　he　should

come　to　tea　again；　on　the　next　Monday　evening；　the　thirteenth；　and

should　make　such　inquiries　in　the　meantime；　as　might　enable　him　to

dispose　triumphantly　of　Trottle's　objection。



He　gallantly　kissed　my　hand；　made　a　neat　little　speech　of

acknowledgment；　and　took　his　leave。　　For　the　rest　of　the　week　I

would　not　encourage　Trottle　by　allowing　him　to　refer　to　the　House　at

all。　　I　suspected　he　was　making　his　own　inquiries　about　dates；　but　I

put　no　questions　to　him。



On　Monday　evening；　the　thirteenth；　that　dear　unfortunate　Jarber

came；　punctual　to　the　appointed　time。　　He　looked　so　terribly

harassed；　that　he　was　really　quite　a　spectacle　of　feebleness　and

fatigue。　　I　saw；　at　a　glance；　that　the　question　of　dates　had　gone

against　him；　that　Mr。　Magsman　had　not　been　the　last　tenant　of　the

House；　and　that　the　reason　of　its　emptiness　was　still　to　seek。



〃What　I　have　gone　through；〃　said　Jarber；　〃words　are　not　eloquent

enough　to　tell。　　O　Sophonisba；　I　have　begun　another　series　of

discoveries！　　Accept　the　last　two　as　stories　laid　on　your　shrine；

and　wait　to　blame　me　for　leaving　your　curiosity　unappeased；　until

you　have　heard　Number　Three。〃



Number　Three　looked　like　a　very　short　manuscript；　and　I　said　as

much。　　Jarber　explained　to　me　that　we　were　to　have　some　poetry　this

time。　　In　the　course　of　his　investigations　he　had　stepped　into　the

Circulating　Library；　to　seek　for　information　on　the　one　important

subject。　　All　the　Library…people　knew　about　the　House　was；　that　a

female　relative　of　the　last　tenant；　as　they　believed；　had；　just

after　that　tenant　left；　sent　a　little　manuscript　poem　to　them　which

she　described　as　referring　to　events　that　had　actually　passed　in　the

House；　and　which　she　wanted　the　proprietor　of　the　Library　to

publish。　　She　had　written　no　address　on　her　letter；　and　the

proprietor　had　kept　the　manuscript　ready　to　be　given　back　to　her

（the　publishing　of　poems　not　being　in　his　line）　when　she　might　call

for　it。　　She　had　never　called　for　it；　and　the　poem　had　been　lent　to

Jarber；　at　his　express　request；　to　read　to　me。



Before　he　began；　I　rang　the　bell　for　Trottle；　being　determined　to

have　him　present　at　the　new　reading；　as　a　wholesome　check　on　his

obstinacy。　　To　my　surprise　Peggy　answered　the　bell；　and　told　me；

that　Trottle　had　stepped　out　without　saying　where。　　I　instantly　felt

the　strongest　possible　conviction　that　he　was　at　his　old　tricks：

and　that　his　stepping　out　in　the　evening；　without　leave；　meant

Philandering。



Controlling　myself　on　my　visitor's　account；　I　dismissed　Peggy；

stifled　my　indignation；　and　prepared；　as　politely　as　might　be；　to

listen　to　Jarber。











End