the professor at the breakfast table-第42部分

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I　confess；　that；　when　I　woke　up　the　other　evening；　and　heard；　first

a　sweet　complaining　cry；　and　then　footsteps；　and　then　the　dragging

sound；nothing　but　his　bed；　I　am　quite　sure；I　felt　a　stirring　in

the　roots　of　my　hair　as　the　feasters　did　in　Keats's　terrible　poem　of

〃Lamia。〃



There　is　nothing　very　odd　in　my　feeling　nervous　when　I　happen　to　lie

awake　and　get　listening　for　sounds。　　Just　keep　your　ears　open　any

time　after　midnight；　when　you　are　lying　in　bed　in　a　lone　attic　of　a

dark　night。　　What　horrid；　strange；　suggestive；　unaccountable　noises

you　will　hear！　　The　stillness　of　night　is　a　vulgar　error。　　All　the

dead　things　seem　to　be　alive。　　Crack！　　That　is　the　old　chest　of

drawers；　you　never　hear　it　crack　in　the　daytime。　　Creak！　　There's　a

door　ajar；　you　know　you　shut　them　all。



Where　can　that　latch　be　that　rattles　so？　　Is　anybody　trying　it

softly？　　or；　worse　than　any　body；　is？　　（Cold　shiver。）　Then　a

sudden　gust　that　jars　all　the　windows；very　strange！there　does

not　seem　to　be　any　wind　about　that　it　belongs　to。　　When　it　stops；

you　hear　the　worms　boring　in　the　powdery　beams　overhead。　　Then　steps

outside；a　stray　animal；　no　doubt。　　All　right；but　a　gentle

moisture　breaks　out　all　over　you；　and　then　something　like　a　whistle

or　a　cry；another　gust　of　wind；　perhaps；　that　accounts　for　the

rustling　that　just　made　your　heart　roll　over　and　tumble　about；　so

that　it　felt　more　like　a　live　rat　under　your　ribs　than　a　part　of

your　own　body；　then　a　crash　of　something　that　has　fallen；blown

over；　very　likely　Pater　noster；　qui　es　in　coelis！　for　you　are

damp　and　cold；　and　sitting　bolt　upright；　and　the　bed　trembling　so

that　the　death…watch　is　frightened　and　has　stopped　ticking！



No；night　is　an　awful　time　for　strange　noises　and　secret　doings。

Who　ever　dreamed；　till　one　of　our　sleepless　neighbors　told　us　of　it；

of　that　Walpurgis　gathering　of　birds　and　beasts　of　prey；foxes；　and

owls；　and　crows；　and　eagles；　that　come　from　all　the　country　round　on

moonshiny　nights　to　crunch　the　clams　and　muscles；　and　pick　out　the

eyes　of　dead　fishes　that　the　storm　has　thrown　on　Chelsea　Beach？　　Our

old　mother　Nature　has　pleasant　and　cheery　tones　enough　for　us　when

she　comes　in　her　dress　of　blue　and　gold　over　the　eastern　hill…tops；

but　when　she　follows　us　up…stairs　to　our　beds　in　her　suit　of　black

velvet　and　diamonds；　every　creak　of　her　sandals　and　every　whisper　of

her　lips　is　full　of　mystery　and　fear。



You　understand；　then；　distinctly；　that　I　do　not　believe　there　is

anything　about　this　singular　little　neighbor　of　mine　which　is　as　it

should　not　be。　　Probably　a　visit　to　his　room　would　clear　up　all　that

has　puzzled　me；　and　make　me　laugh　at　the　notions　which　began；　I

suppose；　in　nightmares；　and　ended　by　keeping　my　imagination　at　work

so　as　almost　to　make　me　uncomfortable　at　times。　　But　it　is　not　so

easy　to　visit　him　as　some　of　our　other　boarders；　for　various　reasons

which　I　will　not　stop　to　mention。　　I　think　some　of　them　are　rather

pleased　to　get　〃the　Professor〃　under　their　ceilings。



The　young　man　John；　for　instance；　asked　me　to　come　up　one　day　and

try　some　〃old　Burbon；〃　which　he　said　was　A　1。　　On　asking　him　what

was　the　number　of　his　room；　he　answered；　that　it　was　forty…'leven；

sky…parlor　floor；　but　that　I　shouldn't　find　it；　if　he　did　n't　go

ahead　to　show　me　the　way。　　I　followed　him　to　his　habitat；　being　very

willing　to　see　in　what　kind　of　warren　he　burrowed；　and　thinking　I

might　pick　up　something　about　the　boarders　who　had　excited　my

curiosity。



Mighty　close　quarters　they　were　where　the　young　man　John　bestowed

himself　and　his　furniture；　this　last　consisting　of　a　bed；　a　chair；　a

bureau；　a　trunk；　and　numerous　pegs　with　coats　and　〃pants〃　and

〃vests；〃as　he　was　in　the　habit　of　calling　waist…coats　and

pantaloons　or　trousers；hanging　up　as　if　the　owner　had　melted　out

of　them。　　Several　prints　were　pinned　up　unframed；among　them　that

grand　national　portrait…piece；　〃Barnum　presenting　Ossian　E。　Dodge　to

Jenny　Lind；〃　and　a　picture　of　a　famous　trot；　in　which　I　admired　anew

the　cabalistic　air　of　that　imposing　array　of　expressions；　and

especially　the　Italicized　word；　〃Dan　Mace　names　b。　h。　Major　Slocum；〃

and　〃Hiram　Woodruff　names　g。　m。　Lady　Smith。〃　　〃Best　three　in　five。

Time：　2。40；　2。46；　2。50。〃



That　set　me　thinking　how　very　odd　this　matter　of　trotting　horses　is；

as　an　index　of　the　mathematical　exactness　of　the　laws　of　living

mechanism。　　I　saw　Lady　Suffolk　trot　a　mile　in　2。26。　　Flora　Temple

has　trotted　close　down　to　2。20；　and　Ethan　Allen　in　2。25；　or　less。

Many　horses　have　trotted　their　mile　under　2。30；　none　that　I　remember

in　public　as　low　down　as　2。20。　　From　five　to　ten　seconds；　then；　in

about　a　hundred　and　sixty　is　the　whole　range　of　the　maxima　of　the

present　race　of　trotting　horses。　　The　same　thing　is　seen　in　the

running　of　men。　　Many　can　run　a　mile　in　five　minutes；　but　when　one

comes　to　the　fractions　below；　they　taper　down　until　somewhere　about

4。30　the　maximum　is　reached。　　Averages　of　masses　have　been　studied

more　than　averages　of　maxima　and　minima。　　We　know　from　the

Registrar…General's　Reports；　that　a　certain　number　of　childrensay

from　one　to　two　dozendie　every　year　in　England　from　drinking　hot

water　out　of　spouts　of　teakettles。　　We　know；　that；　among　suicides；

women　and　men　past　a　certain　age　almost　never　use　fire…arms。　　A

woman　who　has　made　up　her　mind　to　die　is　still　afraid　of　a　pistol　or

a　gun。　　Or　is　it　that　the　explosion　would　derange　her　costume？



I　say；　averages　of　masses　we　have；　but　our　tables　of　maxima　we　owe

to　the　sporting　men　more　than　to　the　philosophers。　　The　lesson　their

experience　teaches　is；　that　Nature　makes　no　leaps；does　nothing　per

saltum。　　The　greatest　brain　that　ever　lived；　no　doubt；　was　only　a

small　fraction　of　an　idea　ahead　of　the　second　best。　　Just　look　at

the　chess…players。　　Leaving　out　the　phenomenal　exceptions；　the　nice

shades　that　separate　the　skilful　ones　show　how　closely　their　brains

approximate；almost　as　closely　as　chronometers。　　Such　a　person　is　a

〃knight…player；〃he　must　have　that　piece　given　him。　　Another　must

have　two　pawns。　　Another；　〃pawn　and　two；〃　or　one　pawn　and　two　moves。

Then　we　find　one　who　claims　〃pawn　and　move；〃　holding　himself；　with

this　fractional　advantage；　a　match　for　one　who　would　be　pretty　sure

to　beat　him　playing　even。　So　much　are　minds　alike；　and　you　and　I

think　we　are　〃peculiar；〃that　Nature　broke　her　jelly…mould　after

shaping　our　cerebral　convolutions。　　So　I　reflected；　standing　and

looking　at　the　picture。



I　say；　Governor；broke　in　the　young　man　John；them　bosses　'11

stay　jest　as　well；　if　you'll　only　set　down。　　I've　had　'em　this　year；

and　they　haven't　stirred。　He　spoke；　and　handed　the　chair　towards

me；seating　himself；　at　the　same　time；　on　the　end　of　the　bed。



You　have　lived　in　this　house　some　time？I　said；with　a　note　of

interrogation　at　the　end　of　the　statement。



Do　I　look　as　if　I'd　lost　much　fleshsaid　he；　answering　my　question

by　another。



No；said　I；for　that　matter；　I　think　you　do　cre