philosophy 4-第7章

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And　Billy　responded；　…



　　　　〃Said　Plato　unto　Aristotle；

　　　　'Thank　you；　I　prefer　the　bottle。'〃



〃In　here；　are　you？〃　said　their　beaming　host　at　the　door。　　〃Now；　I　think

you'd　find　my　department　of　the　premises　cosier；　so　to　speak。〃　　He

nudged　Bertie。　　〃Do　you　boys　guess　it's　too　early　in　the　season　for　a

silver…fizz？〃





We　must　not　wholly　forget　Oscar　in　Cambridge。　　During　the　afternoon　he

had　not　failed　in　his　punctuality；　two　more　neat　witnesses　to　this　lay

on　the　door…mat　beneath　the　letter…slit　of　Billy's　room；　And　at　the

appointed　hour　after　dinner　a　third　joined　them；　making　five。　　John

found　these　cards　when　he　came　home　to　go　to　bed；　and　picked　them　up　and

stuck　them　ornamentally　in　Billy's　looking…glass；　as　a　greeting　when

Billy　should　return；　The　eight　o'clock　visit　was　the　last　that　Oscar

paid　to　the　locked　door；　He　remained　through　the　evening　in　his　own

room；　studious；　contented；　unventilated；　indulging　in　his　thick　notes；

and　also　in　the　thought　of　Billy's　and　Bertie's　eleventh…hour

scholarship；　〃Even　with　another　day；〃　he　told　himself；　〃those　young　men

could　not　have　got　fifty　per　cent；〃　In　those　times　this　was　the　passing

mark。　To…day　I　believe　you　get　an　A；　or　a　B；　or　some　other　letter

denoting　your　rank。　　In　due　time　Oscar　turned　out　his　gas　and　got　into

his　bed　；　and　the　clocks　of　Massachusetts　struck　midnight。



Mrs。　Diggs　of　the　Bird…in…Hand　had　retired　at　eleven；　furious　with　rage；

but　firm　in　dignity　in　spite　of　a　sudden　misadventure。　　Her　hair；　being

the　subject　of　a　sporting　event；　had　remained　steadily　fixed　in　Billy's

mind；steadily　fixed　throughout　an　entertainment　which　began　at　an

early　hour　to　assume　the　features　of　a　celebration。　　One　silver…fizz

before　dinner　is　nothing；　but　dinner　did　not　come　at　once；　and　the　boys

were　thirsty。　　The　hair　of　Mrs。　Diggs　had　caught　Billy's　eye　again

immediately　upon　her　entrance　to　inform　them　that　the　meal　was　ready；

and　whenever　she　reentered　with　a　new　course　from　the　kitchen；　Billy's

eye　wandered　back　to　it；　although　Mr。　Diggs　had　become　full　of　anecdotes

about　the　Civil　War。　　It　was　partly　Grecian：　a　knot　stood　out　behind　to

a　considerable　distance。　　But　this　was　not　the　whole　plan。　From　front　to

back　ran　a　parting；　clear　and　severe；　and　curls　fell　from　this　to　the

temples　in　a　manner　called；　I　believe；　by　the　enlightened；　a　l'Anne

d'Autriche。　　The　color　was　　gray；　to　be　sure；　but　this　propriety　did　not

save　the　structure　from　Billy's　increasing　observation。　　As　bottles　came

to　stand　on　the　table　in　greater　numbers；　the　closer　and　the　more

solemnly　did　Billy　continue　to　follow　the　movements　of　Mrs。　Diggs。　　They

would　without　doubt　have　noticed　him　and　his　foreboding　gravity　but　for

Mr。　Diggs's　experiences　in　the　Civil　War。



The　repast　was　finishedso　far　as　eating　went。　　Mrs。　Diggs　with

changeless　dudgeon　was　removing　and　washing　the　dishes。　　At　the

revellers'　elbows　stood　the　1820　port　in　its　fine；　fat；　old；　dingy

bottle；　going　pretty　fast。　　Mr。　Diggs　was　nearing　the　end　of　Antietam。〃

That　morning　of　the　18th；　while　McClellan　was　holdin'　us　squattin'　and

cussin'；〃　he　was　saying　to　Bertie；　when　some　sort　of　shuffling　sound　in

the　corner　caught　their　attention。　　We　can　never　know　how　it　happened。

Billy　ought　to　know；　but　does　not；　and　Mrs。　Diggs　allowed　no　subsequent

reference　to　the　casualty。　　But　there　she　stood　with　her　entire　hair　at

right　angles。　　The　Grecian　knot　extended　above　her　left　ear；　and　her

nose　stuck　through　one　set　of　Anne　d'Autriche。　　Beside　her　Billy　stood；

solemn　as　a　stone；　yet　with　a　sort　of　relief　glazed　upon　his　face。



Mr。　Diggs　sat　straight　up　at　the　vision　of　his　spouse。　　〃Flouncing

Florence！〃　was　his　exclamation。　　〃Gee…whittaker；　Mary；　if　you　ain't　the

most　unmitigated　sight！〃　　And　wind　then　left　him。



Mary's　reply　arrived　in　tones　like　a　hornet　stinging　slowly　and　often。

〃Mr。　Diggs；　I　have　put　up　with　many　things；　and　am　expecting　to　put　up

with　many　more。　　But　you'd　behave　better　if　you　consorted　with

gentlemen。〃



The　door　slammed　and　she　was　gone。　　Not　a　word　to　either　of　the　boys；

not　even　any　notice　of　them。　　It　was　thorough；　and　silence　consequently

held　them　for　a　moment。



〃He　didn't　mean　anything；〃　said　Bertie；　growing　partially　responsible。



〃Didn't　mean　anything；〃　repeated　Billy；　like　a　lesson。



〃I'll　take　him　and　he'll　apologize；〃　Bertie　pursued；　walking　over　to

Billy。



〃He'll　apologize；〃　went　Billy；　like　a　cheerful　piece　of　mechanism。

Responsibility　was　still　quite　distant　from　him。



Mr。　Diggs　got　his　wind　back。　　〃Better　not；〃　he　advised　in　something　near

a　whisper。　　〃Better　not　go　after　her。　　Her　father　was　a　fightin'

preacher；　and　she'swell；　begosh！　she's　a　chip　of　the　old　pulpit。〃　　And

he　rolled　his　eye　towards　the　door。　　Another　door　slammed　somewhere

above；　and　they　gazed　at　each　other；　did　Bertie　and　Mr。　Diggs。　　Then　Mr。

Diggs；　still　gazing　at　Bertie；　beckoned　to　him　with　a　speaking　eye　and　a

crooked　finger；　and　as　he　beckoned；　Bertie　approached　like　a　conspirator

and　sat　down　close　to　him。　　〃Begosh！〃　whispered　Mr。　Diggs。

〃Unmitigated。〃　And　at　this　he　and　Bertie　laid　their　heads　down　on　the

table　and　rolled　about　in　spasms。



Billy　from　his　corner　seemed　to　become　aware　of　them。　　With　his　eye

fixed　upon　them　like　a　statue；　he　came　across　the　room；　and；　sitting

down　near　them　with　formal　politeness；　observed；　〃Was　you　ever　to　the

battle　of　Antietam？〃　　This　sent　them　beyond　the　limit；　and　they　rocked

their　heads　on　the　table　and　wept　as　if　they　would　expire。



Thus　the　three　remained；　during　what　space　of　time　is　not　known：　the　two

upon　the　table；　convalescent　with　relapses；　and　Billy　like　a　seated

idol；　unrelaxed　at　his　vigil。　　The　party　was　seen　through　the　windows　by

Silas；　coming　from　the　stable　to　inquire　if　the　gelding　should　not　be

harnessed。　　Silas　leaned　his　face　to　the　pane；　and　envy　spoke　plainly　in

it。　　〃O　my！　　O　my！〃　he　mentioned　aloud　to　himself。　　So　we　have　the　whole

household：　Mrs。　Diggs　reposing　scornfully　in　an　upper　chamber；　all　parts

of　the　tavern　darkened；　save　the　one　lighted　room；　the　three　inside　that

among　their　bottles；　with　the　one　outside　looking　covetously　in　at　them；

and　the　gelding　stamping　in　the　stable。



But　Silas；　since　he　could　not　share；　was　presently　of　opinion　that　this

was　enough　for　one　sitting；　and　he　tramped　heavily　upon　the　porch。　This

brought　Bertie　back　to　the　world　of　reality；　and　word　was　given　to　fetch

the　gelding。　　The　host　was　in　no　mood　to　part　with　them；　and　spoke　of

comfortable　beds　and　breakfast　as　early　as　they　liked；　but　Bertie　had

become　entirely　responsible。　　Billy　was　helped　in；　Silas　was　liberally

thanked；　and　they　drove　away　beneath　the　stars；　leaving　behind　them

golden　opinions；　and　a　host　who　decided　not　to　disturb　his　helpmate　by

retiring　to　rest　in　their　conjugal　bed。



Bertie　had　forgotten；　but　the　playful　gelding　had　not。　　When　they　came

abreast　of　that　gate　where　Diggs　of　the　Bird…in…Hand　had　met　them　at

sunset；　Bertie　was　only　aware　that　a　number　of　things　had　happened　at

once；　and　that　he　had　stopped　the　horse　after　about　twenty　yards　of

battle。　　Pride　filled　him；　but　emptied　away　in　the　same　instant；　for　a

voice　on　the　road　behind　him　spoke　inquiringly　through　the　darkness。



〃Did　any　one　fall　out？〃　said　the　voice。　　〃Who　fell　out？〃



〃Billy！〃　shrieked　Bertie；　cold　all　over。　　〃Billy；　are　you　hurt　〃



〃Did　Billy　fall　out？〃　said　the　voice；　with　plaintive　cadence。　　〃Poor

Billy！〃



〃He　can't　be；〃　muttered　Bertie。　　〃Are　you？〃　he　loudly　repeated。



There　was　no　answer：　but　steps　came　along　the　road　as　Bertie　checked　and

pacified　the　gelding。　　Then　Billy　appeared　by　the　wheel。　　〃Poor　Billy

fell　out；〃　he　said　mildly。　　He　held　something　up；　which　Bertie　took。　　It

had　been　Billy's　straw　hat；　now　a　brimless　fabric　of　ruin。　　Except　for

smirches　and　one　inexpressible　rent　which　dawn　revealed　to　Bertie　a

little　later；　there　were　no　further　injuries；　and　Billy