the works of edgar allan poe-5-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


At　length；　having　passed　nearly　across　the　bridge；　we　approached　the
termination　of　the　footway；　when　our　progress　was　impeded　by　a　turnstile
of　some　height。　Through　this　I　made　my　way　quietly；　pushing　it　around　as
usual。　But　this　turn　would　not　serve　the　turn　of　Mr。　Dammit。　He　insisted
upon　leaping　the　stile；　and　said　he　could　cut　a　pigeon…wing　over　it　in　the
air。　Now　this；　conscientiously　speaking；　I　did　not　think　he　could　do。　The
best　pigeon…winger　over　all　kinds　of　style　was　my　friend　Mr。　Carlyle；　and
as　I　knew　he　could　not　do　it；　I　would　not　believe　that　it　could　be　done　by
Toby　Dammit。　I　therefore　told　him；　in　so　many　words；　that　he　was　a
braggadocio；　and　could　not　do　what　he　said。　For　this　I　had　reason　to　be
sorry　afterward；　　for　he　straightway　offered　to　bet　the　Devil　his　head
that　he　could。

I　was　about　to　reply；　notwithstanding　my　previous　resolutions；　with　some
remonstrance　against　his　impiety；　when　I　heard；　close　at　my　elbow；　a
slight　cough；　which　sounded　very　much　like　the　ejaculation　〃ahem！〃　I
started；　and　looked　about　me　in　surprise。　My　glance　at　length　fell　into　a
nook　of　the　frame　　work　of　the　bridge；　and　upon　the　figure　of　a　little
lame　old　gentleman　of　venerable　aspect。　Nothing　could　be　more　reverend
than　his　whole　appearance；　for　he　not　only　had　on　a　full　suit　of　black；
but　his　shirt　was　perfectly　clean　and　the　collar　turned　very　neatly　down
over　a　white　cravat；　while　his　hair　was　parted　in　front　like　a　girl's。　His
hands　were　clasped　pensively　together　over　his　stomach；　and　his　two　eyes
were　carefully　rolled　up　into　the　top　of　his　head。

Upon　observing　him　more　closely；　I　perceived　that　he　wore　a　black　silk
apron　over　his　small…clothes；　and　this　was　a　thing　which　I　thought　very
odd。　Before　I　had　time　to　make　any　remark；　however；　upon　so　singular　a
circumstance；　he　interrupted　me　with　a　second　〃ahem！〃

To　this　observation　I　was　not　immediately　prepared　to　reply。　The　fact　is；
remarks　of　this　laconic　nature　are　nearly　unanswerable。　I　have　known　a
Quarterly　Review　non…plussed　by　the　word　〃Fudge！〃　I　am　not　ashamed　to　say；
therefore；　that　I　turned　to　Mr。　Dammit　for　assistance。

〃Dammit；〃　said　I；　〃what　are　you　about？　don't　you　hear？　　the　gentleman
says　'ahem！'〃　I　looked　sternly　at　my　friend　while　I　thus　addressed　him；
for；　to　say　the　truth；　I　felt　particularly　puzzled；　and　when　a　man　is
particularly　puzzled　he　must　knit　his　brows　and　look　savage；　or　else　he　is
pretty　sure　to　look　like　a　fool。

〃Dammit；〃　observed　I　　although　this　sounded　very　much　like　an　oath；　than
which　nothing　was　further　from　my　thoughts　　〃Dammit；〃　I　suggested　
〃the　gentleman　says　'ahem！'〃

I　do　not　attempt　to　defend　my　remark　on　the　score　of　profundity；　I　did　not
think　it　profound　myself；　but　I　have　noticed　that　the　effect　of　our
speeches　is　not　always　proportionate　with　their　importance　in　our　own
eyes；　and　if　I　had　shot　Mr。　D。　through　and　through　with　a　Paixhan　bomb；　or
knocked　him　in　the　head　with　the　〃Poets　and　Poetry　of　America；〃　he　could
hardly　have　been　more　discomfited　than　when　I　addressed　him　with　those
simple　words：　〃Dammit；　what　are　you　about？…　don't　you　hear？　　the
gentleman　says　'ahem！'〃

〃You　don't　say　so？〃　gasped　he　at　length；　after　turning　more　colors　than　a
pirate　runs　up；　one　after　the　other；　when　chased　by　a　man…of…war。　〃Are　you
quite　sure　he　said　that？　Well；　at　all　events　I　am　in　for　it　now；　and　may
as　well　put　a　bold　face　upon　the　matter。　Here　goes；　then　　ahem！〃

At　this　the　little　old　gentleman　seemed　pleased　　God　only　knows　why。　He
left　his　station　at　the　nook　of　the　bridge；　limped　forward　with　a　gracious
air；　took　Dammit　by　the　hand　and　shook　it　cordially；　looking　all　the　while
straight　up　in　his　face　with　an　air　of　the　most　unadulterated　benignity
which　it　is　possible　for　the　mind　of　man　to　imagine。

〃I　am　quite　sure　you　will　win　it；　Dammit；〃　said　he；　with　the　frankest　of
all　smiles；　〃but　we　are　obliged　to　have　a　trial；　you　know；　for　the　sake　of
mere　form。〃

〃Ahem！〃　replied　my　friend；　taking　off　his　coat；　with　a　deep　sigh；　tying　a
pocket…handkerchief　around　his　waist；　and　producing　an　unaccountable
alteration　in　his　countenance　by　twisting　up　his　eyes　and　bringing　down
the　corners　of　his　mouth　　〃ahem！〃　And　〃ahem！〃　said　he　again；　after　a
pause；　and　not　another　word　more　than　〃ahem！〃　did　I　ever　know　him　to　say
after　that。　〃Aha！〃　thought　I；　without　expressing　myself　aloud　　〃this　is
quite　a　remarkable　silence　on　the　part　of　Toby　Dammit；　and　is　no　doubt　a
consequence　of　his　verbosity　upon　a　previous　occasion。　One　extreme　induces
another。　I　wonder　if　he　has　forgotten　the　many　unanswerable　questions
which　he　propounded　to　me　so　fluently　on　the　day　when　I　gave　him　my　last
lecture？　At　all　events；　he　is　cured　of　the　transcendentals。〃

〃Ahem！〃　here　replied　Toby；　just　as　if　he　had　been　reading　my　thoughts；　and
looking　like　a　very　old　sheep　in　a　revery。

The　old　gentleman　now　took　him　by　the　arm；　and　led　him　more　into　the　shade
of　the　bridge　　a　few　paces　back　from　the　turnstile。　〃My　good　fellow；〃
said　he；　〃I　make　it　a　point　of　conscience　to　allow　you　this　much　run。　Wait
here；　till　I　take　my　place　by　the　stile；　so　that　I　may　see　whether　you　go
over　it　handsomely；　and　transcendentally；　and　don't　omit　any　flourishes　of
the　pigeon…wing。　A　mere　form；　you　know。　I　will　say　'one；　two；　three；　and
away。'　Mind　you；　start　at　the　word　'away'〃　Here　he　took　his　position　by
the　stile；　paused　a　moment　as　if　in　profound　reflection；　then　looked　up
and；　I　thought；　smiled　very　slightly；　then　tightened　the　strings　of　his
apron；　then　took　a　long　look　at　Dammit；　and　finally　gave　the　word　as
agreed　upon…

　　　　　　　　　　　　_One　　two　　three　　and　　away！_

Punctually　at　the　word　〃away；〃　my　poor　friend　set　off　in　a　strong　gallop。
The　stile　was　not　very　high；　like　Mr。　Lord's　　nor　yet　very　low；　like
that　of　Mr。　Lord's　reviewers；　but　upon　the　whole　I　made　sure　that　he　would
clear　it。　And　then　what　if　he　did　not？　　ah；　that　was　the　question　
what　if　he　did　not？　〃What　right；〃　said　I；　〃had　the　old　gentleman　to　make
any　other　gentleman　jump？　The　little　old　dot…and…carry…one！　who　is　he？　If
he　asks　me　to　jump；　I　won't　do　it；　that's　flat；　and　I　don't　care　who　the
devil　he　is。〃　The　bridge；　as　I　say；　was　arched　and　covered　in；　in　a　very
ridiculous　manner；　and　there　was　a　most　uncomfortable　echo　about　it　at　all
times　　an　echo　which　I　never　before　so　particularly　observed　as　when　I
uttered　the　four　last　words　of　my　remark。

But　what　I　said；　or　what　I　thought；　or　what　I　heard；　occupied　only　an
instant。　In　less　than　five　seconds　from　his　starting；　my　poor　Toby　had
taken　the　leap。　I　saw　him　run　nimbly；　and　spring　grandly　from　the　floor　of
the　bridge；　cutting　the　most　awful　flourishes　with　his　legs　as　he　went　up。
I　saw　him　high　in　the　air；　pigeon…winging　it　to　admiration　just　over　the
top　of　the　stile；　and　of　course　I　thought　it　an　unusually　singular　thing
that　he　did　not　continue　to　go　over。　But　the　whole　leap　was　the　affair　of
a　moment；　and；　before　I　had　a　chance　to　make　any　profound　reflections；
down　came　Mr。　Dammit　on　the　flat　of　his　back；　on　the　same　side　of　the
stile　from　which　he　had　started。　At　the　same　instant　I　saw　the　old
gentleman　limping　off　at　the　top　of　his　speed；　having　caught　and　wrapt　up
in　his　apron　something　that　fell　heavily　into　it　from　the　darkness　of　the
arch　just　over　the　turnstile。　At　all　this　I　was　much　astonished；　but　I　had
no　leisure　to　think；　for　Dammit　lay　particularly　still；　and　I　concluded
that　his　feelings　had　been　hurt；　and　that　he　stood　in　need　of　my
assistance。　I　hurried　up　to　him　and　found　that　he　had　received　what　might
be　termed　a　serious　injury。　The　truth　is；　he　had　been　deprived　of　his
head；　which　after　a　close　search　I　could　not　find　anywhere；　so　I
determined　to　take　him　home　and　send　for　the　homoeopathists。　In　the
meantime　a　thought　struck　me；　and　I　threw　open　an　adjacent　window　of　the
bridge；　when　the　sad　truth　flashed　upon　me　at　once。　About　five　feet　just
above　the　top　of　the　turnstile；　and　crossing　the　arch　of　the　foot…path　so
as　to　constitute　a　brace；　there　extended　a　flat　iron　bar；　lying　with　its
breadth　horizontally；　and　forming　one　of　a　series　that　served　to
strengthen　the　structure　throughout　its　extent。　With