an episode of fiddletown-第6章

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furnished。　　Ah　Fe；　without　removing　his　eyes　from　blank　vacancy；

saw　that　both　Mrs。　Tretherick　and　Carry　were　poorly　dressed。　　Yet

it　is　my　duty　to　state　that　Ah　Fe's　long　fingers　closed　promptly

and　firmly　over　the　half…dollar　which　Mrs。　Tretherick　extended　to

him。



Then　he　began　to　fumble　in　his　blouse　with　a　series　of

extraordinary　contortions。　　After　a　few　moments；　he　extracted　from

apparently　no　particular　place　a　child's　apron；　which　he　laid　upon

the　basket　with　the　remark：



〃One　piecee　washman　flagittee。〃



Then　he　began　anew　his　fumblings　and　contortions。　　At　last　his

efforts　were　rewarded　by　his　producing；　apparently　from　his　right

ear；　a　many…folded　piece　of　tissue　paper。　　Unwrapping　this

carefully；　he　at　last　disclosed　two　twenty…dollar　gold　pieces；

which　he　handed　to　Mrs。　Tretherick。



〃You　leavee　money　topside　of　blulow；　Fiddletown。　　Me　findee　money。

Me　fetchee　money　to　you。　　All　lightee。〃



〃But　I　left　no　money　on　the　top　of　the　bureau；　John；〃　said　Mrs。

Tretherick　earnestly。　　〃There　must　be　some　mistake。　　It　belongs　to

some　other　person。　　Take　it　back；　John。〃



Ah　Fe's　brow　darkened。　　He　drew　away　from　Mrs。　Tretherick's

extended　hand；　and　began　hastily　to　gather　up　his　basket。



〃Me　no　takee　it　back。　　No；　no！　　Bimeby　pleesman　he　catchee　me。　　He

say；　'God　damn　thief！catchee　flowty　dollar：　come　to　jailee。'　　Me

no　takee　back。　　You　leavee　money　topside　blulow；　Fiddletown。　　Me

fetchee　money　you。　　Me　no　takee　back。〃



Mrs。　Tretherick　hesitated。　　In　the　confusion　of　her　flight；　she

MIGHT　have　left　the　money　in　the　manner　he　had　said。　　In　any　event；

she　had　no　right　to　jeopardize　this　honest　Chinaman's　safety　by

refusing　it。　　So　she　said：　〃Very　well；　John；　I　will　keep　it。　　But

you　must　come　again　and　see　me〃　here　Mrs。　Tretherick　hesitated

with　a　new　and　sudden　revelation　of　the　fact　that　any　man　could

wish　to　see　any　other　than　herself〃and；　andCarry。〃



Ah　Fe's　face　lightened。　　He　even　uttered　a　short　ventriloquistic

laugh　without　moving　his　mouth。　　Then；　shouldering　his　basket；　he

shut　the　door　carefully　and　slid　quietly　down　stairs。　　In　the　lower

hall　he；　however；　found　an　unexpected　difficulty　in　opening　the

front　door；　and；　after　fumbling　vainly　at　the　lock　for　a　moment；

looked　around　for　some　help　or　instruction。　　But　the　Irish　handmaid

who　had　let　him　in　was　contemptuously　oblivious　of　his　needs；　and

did　not　appear。



There　occurred　a　mysterious　and　painful　incident；　which　I　shall

simply　record　without　attempting　to　explain。　　On　the　hall　table　a

scarf；　evidently　the　property　of　the　servant　before　alluded　to；　was

lying。　　As　Ah　Fe　tried　the　lock　with　one　hand；　the　other　rested

lightly　on　the　table。　　Suddenly；　and　apparently　of　its　own

volition；　the　scarf　began　to　creep　slowly　toward　Ah　Fe's　hand；　from

Ah　Fe's　hand　it　began　to　creep　up　his　sleeve　slowly；　and　with　an

insinuating；　snakelike　motion；　and　then　disappeared　somewhere　in

the　recesses　of　his　blouse。　　Without　betraying　the　least　interest

or　concern　in　this　phenomenon；　Ah　Fe　still　repeated　his　experiments

upon　the　lock。　　A　moment　later　the　tablecloth　of　red　damask；　moved

by　apparently　the　same　mysterious　impulse；　slowly　gathered　itself

under　Ah　Fe's　fingers；　and　sinuously　disappeared　by　the　same　hidden

channel。　　What　further　mystery　might　have　followed；　I　cannot　say；

for　at　this　moment　Ah　Fe　discovered　the　secret　of　the　lock；　and　was

enabled　to　open　the　door　coincident　with　the　sound　of　footsteps

upon　the　kitchen　stairs。　　Ah　Fe　did　not　hasten　his　movements；　but

patiently　shouldering　his　basket；　closed　the　door　carefully　behind

him　again；　and　stepped　forth　into　the　thick　encompassing　fog　that

now　shrouded　earth　and　sky。



From　her　high　casement　window；　Mrs。　Tretherick　watched　Ah　Fe's

figure　until　it　disappeared　in　the　gray　cloud。　　In　her　present

loneliness；　she　felt　a　keen　sense　of　gratitude　toward　him；　and　may

have　ascribed　to　the　higher　emotions　and　the　consciousness　of　a

good　deed　that　certain　expansiveness　of　the　chest；　and　swelling　of

the　bosom；　that　was　really　due　to　the　hidden　presence　of　the　scarf

and　tablecloth　under　his　blouse。　　For　Mrs。　Tretherick　was　still

poetically　sensitive。　　As　the　gray　fog　deepened　into　night；　she

drew　Carry　closer　toward　her；　and；　above　the　prattle　of　the　child；

pursued　a　vein　of　sentimental　and　egotistic　recollection　at　once

bitter　and　dangerous。　　The　sudden　apparition　of　Ah　Fe　linked　her

again　with　her　past　life　at　Fiddletown。　　Over　the　dreary　interval

between；　she　was　now　wanderinga　journey　so　piteous；　willful；

thorny；　and　useless　that　it　was　no　wonder　that　at　last　Carry

stopped　suddenly　in　the　midst　of　her　voluble　confidences　to　throw

her　small　arms　around　the　woman's　neck；　and　bid　her　not　to　cry。



Heaven　forefend　that　I　should　use　a　pen　that　should　be　ever

dedicated　to　an　exposition　of　unalterable　moral　principle　to

transcribe　Mrs。　Tretherick's　own　theory　of　this　interval　and

episode；　with　its　feeble　palliations；　its　illogical　deductions；　its

fond　excuses；　and　weak　apologies。　　It　would　seem；　however；　that　her

experience　had　been　hard。　　Her　slender　stock　of　money　was　soon

exhausted。　　At　Sacramento　she　found　that　the　composition　of　verse；

although　appealing　to　the　highest　emotions　of　the　human　heart；　and

compelling　the　editorial　breast　to　the　noblest　commendation　in　the

editorial　pages；　was　singularly　inadequate　to　defray　the　expenses

of　herself　and　Carry。　　Then　she　tried　the　stage；　but　failed

signally。　　Possibly　her　conception　of　the　passions　was　different

from　that　which　obtained　with　a　Sacramento　audience；　but　it　was

certain　that　her　charming　presence；　so　effective　at　short　range；

was　not　sufficiently　pronounced　for　the　footlights。　　She　had

admirers　enough　in　the　greenroom；　but　awakened　no　abiding　affection

among　the　audience。　　In　this　strait；　it　occurred　to　her　that　she

had　a　voicea　contralto　of　no　very　great　compass　or　cultivation；

but　singularly　sweet　and　touching；　and　she　finally　obtained

position　in　a　church　choir。　　She　held　it　for　three　months；　greatly

to　her　pecuniary　advantage；　and；　it　is　said；　much　to　the

satisfaction　of　the　gentlemen　in　the　back　pews；　who　faced　toward

her　during　the　singing　of　the　last　hymn。



I　remember　her　quite　distinctly　at　this　time。　　The　light　that

slanted　through　the　oriel　of　St。　Dives's　choir　was　wont　to　fall

very　tenderly　on　her　beautiful　head　with　its　stacked　masses　of

deerskin…colored　hair；　on　the　low　black　arches　of　her　brows；　and　to

deepen　the　pretty　fringes　that　shaded　her　eyes　of　Genoa　velvet。

Very　pleasant　it　was　to　watch　the　opening　and　shutting　of　that

small　straight　mouth；　with　its　quick　revelation　of　little　white

teeth；　and　to　see　the　foolish　blood　faintly　deepen　her　satin　cheek

as　you　watched。　　For　Mrs。　Tretherick　was　very　sweetly　conscious　of

admiration　and；　like　most　pretty　women；　gathered　herself　under　your

eye　like　a　racer　under　the　spur。



And　then；　of　course；　there　came　trouble。　　I　have　it　from　the

sopranoa　little　lady　who　possessed　even　more　than　the　usual

unprejudiced　judgment　of　her　sexthat　Mrs。　Tretherick's　conduct

was　simply　shameful；　that　her　conceit　was　unbearable；　that；　if　she

considered　the　rest　of　the　choir　as　slaves；　she　（the　soprano）　would

like　to　know　it；　that　her　conduct　on　Easter　Sunday　with　the　basso

had　attracted　the　attention　of　the　whole　congregation；　and　that　she

herself　had　noticed　Dr。　Cope　twice　look　up　during　the　service；　that

her　（the　soprano's）　friends　had　objected　to　her　singing　in　the

choir　with　a　person　who　had　been　on　the　stage；　but　she　had　waived

this。　　Yet　she　had　it　from　the　best　authority　that　Mrs。　Tretherick

had　run　away　from　her　husband；　and　that　this　red…haired　child　who

sometimes　came　in　the　choir　was　not　her　own。　　The　tenor　confided　to

me　behind　the　organ　that　Mrs。　Tretherick　had　a　way　of　sustaining　a

note　at　the　end　of　a　line　in　order　that　her　voice　might　linger

longer　with　the　congregationan　act　that　could　be　attributed　only

to　a　de