the register-第1章
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The Register
by William D。 Howells
I。
SCENE: In an upper chamber of a boarding…house in Melanchthon Place;
Boston; a mature; plain young lady; with every appearance of
establishing herself in the room for the first time; moves about;
bestowing little touches of decoration here and there; and talking
with another young lady; whose voice comes through the open doorway
of an inner room。
MISS ETHEL REED; from within: 〃What in the world are you doing;
Nettie?〃
MISS HENRIETTA SPAULDING: 〃Oh; sticking up a household god or two。
What are you doing?〃
MISS REED: 〃Despairing。〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Still?〃
MISS REED; tragically: 〃Still! How soon did you expect me to stop?
I am here on the sofa; where I flung myself two hours ago; and I
don't think I shall ever get up。 There is no reason WHY I ever
should。〃
MISS SPAULDING; suggestively: 〃Dinner。〃
MISS REED: 〃Oh; dinner! Dinner; to a broken heart!〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃I don't believe your heart is broken。〃
MISS REED: 〃But I tell you it is! I ought to know when my own heart
is broken; I should hope。 What makes you think it isn't?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Oh; it's happened so often!〃
MISS REED: 〃But this is a real case。 You ought to feel my forehead。
It's as hot!〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃You ought to get up and help me put this room to
rights; and then you would feel better。〃
MISS REED: 〃No; I should feel worse。 The idea of household gods
makes me sick。 Sylvan deities are what I want; the great god Pan
among the cat…tails and arrow…heads in the 'ma'sh' at Ponkwasset; the
dryads of the birch woodsthere are no oaks; the nymphs that haunt
the heights and hollows of the dear old mountain; the〃 …
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Wha…a…at? I can't hear a word you say。〃
MISS REED: 〃That's because you keep fussing about so。 Why don't you
be quiet; if you want to hear?〃 She lifts her voice to its highest
pitch; with a pause for distinctness between the words: 〃I'm heart…
broken forPonkwasset。 The dryadsof thebirch woods。 The
nymphsand the greatgodPanin the reedsby the river。 And
allthatsort ofthing!〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃You know very well you're not。〃
MISS REED: 〃I'm not? What's the reason I'm not? Then; what am I
heart…broken for?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃You're not heart…broken at all。 You know very well
that he'll call before we've been here twenty…four hours。〃
MISS REED: 〃Who?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃The great god Pan。〃
MISS REED: 〃Oh; how cruel you are; to mock me so! Come in here; and
sympathize a little! Do; Nettie。〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃No; you come out here and utilize a little。 I'm
acting for your best good; as they say at Ponkwasset。〃
MISS REED: 〃When they want to be disagreeable!〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃If this room isn't in order by the time he calls;
you'll be everlastingly disgraced。〃
MISS REED: 〃I'm that now。 I can't be more sothere's that comfort。
What makes you think he'll call?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Because he's a gentleman; and will want to
apologize。 He behaved very rudely to you。〃
MISS REED: 〃No; Nettie; _I_ behaved rudely to HIM。 Yes! Besides;
if he behaved rudely; he was no gentleman。 It's a contradiction in
terms; don't you see? But I'll tell you what I'm going to do if he
comes。 I'm going to show a proper spirit for once in my life。 I'm
going to refuse to see him。 You've got to see him。〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Nonsense!〃
MISS REED: 〃Why nonsense? Oh; why? Expound!〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Because he wasn't rude to me; and he doesn't want
to see me。 Because I'm plain; and you're pretty。〃
MISS REED: 〃I'm NOT! You know it perfectly well。 I'm hideous。〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Because I'm poor; and you're a person of
independent property。〃
MISS REED: 〃DEPENDENT property; I should call it: just enough to be
useless on! But that's insulting to HIM。 How can you say it's
because I have a little money?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Well; then; I won't。 I take it back。 I'll say
it's because you're young; and I'm old。〃
MISS REED: 〃You're NOT old。 You're as young as anybody; Nettie
Spaulding。 And you know I'm not young; I'm twenty…seven; if I'm a
day。 I'm just dropping into the grave。 But I can't argue with you;
miles off so; any longer。〃 Miss Reed appears at the open door;
dragging languidly after her the shawl which she had evidently drawn
round her on the sofa; her fair hair is a little disordered; and she
presses it into shape with one hand as she comes forward; a lovely
flush vies with a heavenly pallor in her cheeks; she looks a little
pensive in the arching eyebrows; and a little humorous about the
dimpled mouth。 〃Now I can prove that you are entirely wrong。 Where…
…were you?This room is rather an improvement over the one we had
last winter。 There is more of a view〃she goes to the window〃of
the houses across the Place; and I always think the swell front gives
a pretty shape to a room。 I'm sorry they've stopped building them。
Your piano goes very nicely into that little alcove。 Yes; we're
quite palatial。 And; on the whole; I'm glad there's no fireplace。
It's a pleasure at times; but for the most part it's a vanity and a
vexation; getting dust and ashes over everything。 Yes; after all;
give me the good old…fashioned; clean; convenient register! Ugh! My
feet are like ice。〃 She pulls an easy…chair up to the register in
the corner of the room; and pushes open its valves with the toe of
her slipper。 As she settles herself luxuriously in the chair; and
poises her feet daintily over the register: 〃Ah; this is something
like! Henrietta Spaulding; ma'am! Did I ever tell you that you were
the best friend I have in the world?〃
MISS SPAULDING; who continues her work of arranging the room:
〃Often。〃
MISS REED: 〃Did you ever believe it?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Never。〃
MISS REED: 〃Why?〃
MISS SPAULDING; thoughtfully regarding a vase which she holds in her
hand; after several times shifting it from a bracket to the corner of
her piano and back: 〃I wish I could tell where you do look best!〃
MISS REED; leaning forward wistfully; with her hands clasped and
resting on her knees: 〃I wish you would tell me WHY you don't
believe you're the best friend I have in the world。〃
MISS SPAULDING; finally placing the vase on the bracket: 〃Because
you've said so too often。〃
MISS REED: 〃Oh; that's no reason! I can prove to you that you are。
Who else but you would have taken in a homeless and friendless
creature like me; and let her stay bothering round in demoralizing
idleness; while you were seriously teaching the young idea how to
drub the piano?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Anybody who wanted a room…mate as much as I did;
and could have found one willing to pay more than her share of the
lodging。〃
MISS REED; thoughtfully: 〃Do you think so; Henrietta?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃I know so。〃
MISS REED: 〃And you're not afraid that you wrong yourself?〃
MISS SPAULDING: 〃Not the least。〃
MISS REED: 〃Well; be it soas they say in novels。 I will not
contradict you; I will not say you are my BEST friend; I will merely
say that you are my ONLY friend。 Come here; Henrietta。 Draw up your
chair; and put your little hand in mine。〃
MISS SPAULDING; with severe distrust: 〃What do you want; Ethel
Reed?〃
MISS REED: 〃I wantI wantto talk it over with you。〃
MISS SPAULDING; recoiling: 〃I knew it! Well; now; we've talked it
over enough; we've talked it over till there's nothing left of it。〃
MISS REED: 〃Oh; there's everything left! It remains in all its
original enormity。 Perhaps we shall get some new light upon it。〃
She extends a pleading hand towards Miss Spaulding。 〃Come;
Henrietta; my only friend; shake!as the 'good Indians' say。 Let
your Ethel pour her hackneyed sorrows into your bosom。 Such an
uncomfortable image; it always seems; doesn't it; pouring sorrows
into bosoms! Come!〃
MISS SPAULDING; decidedly: 〃No; I won't! And you needn't try
wheedling any longer。 I won't sympathize with you on that basis at
all。〃
MISS REED: 〃What shall I try; then; if you won't let me try
wheedling?〃
MISS SPAULDING; going to the piano and opening it: 〃Try courage; try
self…respe