pgw.psmith,journalist-第4章

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　it　with　the　old　man？〃
　〃With　rade　Freddie？　I　have　a　certain　amount　of　influence　with　him。　He　is　content　to　order　his　movements　in　the　main　by　my　judgment。　I　assured　him　that　all　would　be　well；　and　he　yielded。〃　Psmith　gazed　with　interest　at　the　cat；　which　was　lapping　milk　from　the　saucer。　〃Are　you　training　that　animal　for　a　show　of　some　kind；　rade　Windsor；　or　is　it　a　domestic　pet？〃
　〃I've　adopted　her。　The　office…boy　on　our　paper　got　her　away　from　a　dog　this　morning；　and　gave　her　to　me。〃
　〃Your　paper？〃
　〃Cosy　Moments；〃　said　Billy　Windsor；　with　a　touch　of　shame。
　〃Cosy　Moments？〃　said　Psmith　reflectively。　〃I　regret　that　the　bright　little　sheet　has　not　e　my　way　up　to　the　present。　I　must　seize　an　early　opportunity　of　perusing　it。〃
　〃Don't　you　do　it。〃
　〃You've　no　paternal　pride　in　the　little　journal？〃
　〃It's　bad　enough　to　hurt；〃　said　Billy　Windsor　disgustedly。　〃If　you　really　want　to　see　it；　e　along　with　me　to　my　place；　and　I'll　show　you　a　copy。〃
　〃It　will　be　a　pleasure；〃　said　Psmith。　〃rade　Jackson；　have　you　any　previous　engagement　for　to…night？〃
　〃I'm　not　doing　anything；〃　said　Mike。
　〃Then　let　us　stagger　forth　with　rade　Windsor。　While　he　is　loading　up　that　basket；　we　will　be　collecting　our　hats。　。　。　。　I　am　not　half　sure；　rade　Jackson；〃　he　added；　as　they　walked　out；　〃that　rade　Windsor　may　not　prove　to　be　the　genial　spirit　for　whom　I　have　been　searching。　If　you　could　give　me　your　undivided　pany；　I　should　ask　no　more。　But　with　you　constantly　away；　mingling　with　the　gay　throng；　it　is　imperative　that　I　have　some　solid　man　to　acpany　me　in　my　ramblings　hither　and　thither。　It　is　possible　that　rade　Windsor　may　possess　the　qualifications　necessary　for　the　post。　But　here　he　es。　Let　us　foregather　with　him　and　observe　him　in　private　life　before　arriving　at　any　premature　decision。〃
　
　CHAPTER　IV
　BAT　JARVIS
　
　Billy　Windsor　lived　in　a　single　room　on　East　Fourteenth　Street。　Space　in　New　York　is　valuable；　and　the　average　bachelor's　apartments　consist　of　one　room　with　a　bathroom　opening　off　it。　During　the　daytime　this　one　room　loses　all　traces　of　being　used　for　sleeping　purposes　at　night。　Billy　Windsor's　room　was　very　much　like　a　public…school　study。　Along　one　wall　ran　a　settee。　At　night　this　became　a　bed；　but　in　the　daytime　it　was　a　settee　and　nothing　but　a　settee。　There　was　no　space　for　a　great　deal　of　furniture。　There　was　one　rocking…chair；　two　ordinary　chairs；　a　table；　a　book…stand；　a　typewriternobody　uses　pens　in　New　Yorkand　on　the　walls　a　mixed　collection　of　photographs；　drawings；　knives；　and　skins；　relics　of　their　owner's　prairie　days。　Over　the　door　was　the　head　of　a　young　bear。
　Billy's　first　act　on　arriving　in　this　sanctum　was　to　release　the　cat；　which；　having　moved　restlessly　about　for　some　moments；　finally　came　to　the　conclusion　that　there　was　no　means　of　getting　out；　and　settled　itself　on　a　corner　of　the　settee。　Psmith；　sinking　gracefully　down　beside　it；　stretched　out　his　legs　and　lit　a　cigarette。　Mike　took　one　of　the　ordinary　chairs；　and　Billy　Windsor；　planting　himself　in　the　rocker；　began　to　rock　rhythmically　to　and　fro；　a　performance　which　he　kept　up　untiringly　all　the　time。
　〃A　peaceful　scene；〃　observed　Psmith。　〃Three　great　minds；　keen；　alert；　restless　during　business　hours；　relax。　All　is　calm　and　pleasant　chit…chat。　You　have　snug　quarters　up　here；　rade　Windsor。　I　hold　that　there　is　nothing　like　one's　own　roof…tree。　It　is　a　great　treat　to　one　who；　like　myself；　is　located　in　one　of　these　vast　caravanseraito　be　exact；　the　Astorto　pass　a　few　moments　in　the　quiet　privacy　of　an　apartment　such　as　this。〃
　〃It's　beastly　expensive　at　the　Astor；〃　said　Mike。
　〃The　place　has　that　drawback　also。　Anon；　rade　Jackson；　I　think　we　will　hunt　around　for　some　such　cubby…hoIe　as　this；　built　for　two。　Our　nervous　systems　must　be　conserved。〃
　〃On　Fourth　Avenue；〃　said　Billy　Windsor；　〃you　can　get　quite　good　flats　very　cheap。　Furnished；　too。　You　should　move　there。　It's　not　much　of　a　neighbourhood。　I　don't　know　if　you　mind　that？〃
　〃Far　from　it；　rade　Windsor。　It　is　my　aim　to　see　New　York　in　all　its　phases。　If　a　certain　amount　of　harmless　revelry　can　be　whacked　out　of　Fourth　Avenue；　we　must　dash　there　with　the　vim　of　highly…trained　smell…dogs。　Are　you　with　me；　rade　Jackson？〃
　〃All　right；〃　said　Mike。
　〃And　now；　rade　Windsor；　it　would　be　a　pleasure　to　me　to　peruse　that　little　journal　of　which　you　spoke。　I　have　had　so　few　opportunities　of　getting　into　touch　with　the　literature　of　this　great　country。〃
　Billy　Windsor　stretched　out　an　arm　and　pulled　a　bundle　of　papers　from　the　book…stand。　He　tossed　them　on　to　the　settee　by　Psmith's　side。
　〃There　you　are；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　really　feel　like　it。　Don't　say　I　didn't　warn　you。　If　you've　got　the　nerve；　read　on。〃
　Psmith　had　picked　up　one　of　the　papers　when　there　came　a　shuffling　of　feet　in　the　passage　outside；　followed　by　a　knock　upon　the　door。　The　next　moment　there　appeared　in　the　doorway　a　short；　stout　young　man。　There　was　an　indescribable　air　of　toughness　about　him；　partly　due　to　the　fact　that　he　wore　his　hair　in　a　well…oiled　fringe　almost　down　to　his　eyebrows；　which　gave　him　the　appearance　of　having　no　forehead　at　all。　His　eyes　were　small　and　set　close　together。　His　mouth　was　wide；　his　jaw　prominent。　Not；　in　short；　the　sort　of　man　you　would　have　picked　out　on　sight　as　a　model　citizen。
　His　entrance　was　marked　by　a　curious　sibilant　sound；　which；　on　acquaintance；　proved　to　be　a　whistled　tune。　During　the　interview　which　followed；　except　when　he　was　speaking；　the　visitor　whistled　softly　and　unceasingly。
　〃Mr。　Windsor？〃　he　said　to　the　pany　at　large。
　Psmith　waved　a　hand　towards　the　rocking…chair。　〃That；〃　he　said；　〃is　rade　Windsor。　To　your　right　is　rade　Jackson；　England's　favourite　son。　I　am　Psmith。〃
　The　visitor　blinked　furtively；　and　whistled　another　tune。　As　he　looked　round　the　room；　his　eye　fell　on　the　cat。　His　face　lit　up。
　〃Say！〃　he　said；　stepping　forward；　and　touching　the　cat's　collar；　〃mine；　mister。〃
　〃Are　you　Bat　Jarvis？〃　asked　Windsor　with　interest。
　〃Sure；〃　said　the　visitor；　not　without　a　touch　of　placency；　as　of　a　monarch　abandoning　his　incognito。
　For　Mr。　Jarvis　was　a　celebrity。
　By　profession　he　was　a　dealer　in　animals；　birds；　and　snakes。　He　had　a　fancier's　shop　in　Groome　street；　in　the　heart　of　the　Bowery。　This　was　on　the　ground…floor。　His　living　abode　was　in　the　upper　story　of　that　house；　and　it　was　there　that　he　kept　the　twenty…three　cats　whose　necks　were　adorned　with　leather　collars；　and　whose　numbers　had　so　recently　been　reduced　to　twenty…two。　But　it　was　not　the　fact　that　he　possessed　twenty…three　cats　with　leather　collars　that　made　Mr。　Jarvis　a　celebrity。
　A　man　may　win　a　purely　local　reputation；　if　only　for　eccentricity；　by　such　means。　But　Mr。　Jarvis's　reputation　was　far　from　being　purely　local。　Broadway　knew　him；　and　the　Tenderloin。　Tammany　Hall　knew　him。　Long　Island　City　knew　him。　In　the　underworld　of　New　York　his　name　was　a　by…word。　For　Bat　Jarvis　was　the　leader　of　the　famous　Groome　Street　Gang；　the　most　noted　of　all　New　York's　collections　of　Apaches。　More；　he　was　the　founder　and　originator　of　it。　And；　curiously　enough；　it　had　e　into　being　from　motives　of　sheer　benevolence。　In　Groome　Street　in　those　days　there　had　been　a　dance…hall；　named　the　Shamrock　and　presided　over　by　one　Maginnis；　an　Irishman　and　a　friend　of　Bat's。　At　the　Shamrock　nightly　dances　were　given　and　well　attended　by　the　youth　of　the　neighbourhood　at　ten　cents　a　head。　All　might　have　been　well；　had　it　not　been　for　certain　other　youths　of　the　neighbourhood　who　did　not　dance　and　so　had　to　seek　other　means　of　getting　rid　of　their　surplus　energy。　It　was　the　practice　of　these　light…hearted　sportsmen　to　pay　their　ten　cents　for　admittance；　and　once　in；　to　make　hay。　And　this　habit；　Mr。　Maginnis　found；　was　having　a　marked　effect　on　his　earnings。　For　genuine　lovers　of　the　dance　fought　shy　of　a　place　where　at　any　moment　Philistines　might　burst　in　and　break　heads　and　furniture。　In　this　crisis　the　proprietor　thought　of　his　friend　Bat　Jarvis。　Bat　at　that　time　had　a　solid　reputation　as　a　man　of　his　hands。　It　is　true　that；　as　his　detractors　pointed　out；　he　had　killed　no　onea　defect　which　he　had　subsequently　corrected；　but　his　admirers　based　his　claim　to　respect　on　his　many　meritorious　perform