the professor at the breakfast table-第77部分

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The　Little　Gentleman　lies　where　he　longed　to　lie；　among　the　old

names　and　the　old　bones　of　the　old　Boston　people。　　At　the　foot　of

his　resting…place　is　the　river；　alive　with　the　wings　and　antennae　of

its　colossal　water…insects；　over　opposite　are　the　great　war…ships；

and　the　heavy　guns；　which；　when　they　roar；　shake　the　soil　in　which

he　lies；　and　in　the　steeple　of　Christ　Church；　hard　by；　are　the　sweet

chimes　which　are　the　Boston　boy's　Ranz　des　Vaches；　whose　echoes

follow　him　all　the　world　over。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　Pace！



I；　told　you　a　good　while　ago　that　the　Little　Gentleman　could　not　do

a　better　thing　than　to　leave　all　his　money；　whatever　it　might　be；　to

the　young　girl　who　has　since　that　established　such　a　claim　upon　him。

He　did　not；　however。　　A　considerable　bequest　to　one　of　our　public

institutions　keeps　his　name　in　grateful　remembrance。　　The　telescope

through　which　he　was　fond　of　watching　the　heavenly　bodies；　and　the

movements　of　which　had　been　the　source　of　such　odd　fancies　on　my

part；　is　now　the　property　of　a　Western　College。　　You　smile　as　you

think　of　my　taking　it　for　a　fleshless　human　figure；　when　I　saw　its

tube　pointing　to　the　sky；　and　thought　it　was　an　arm；　under　the　white

drapery　thrown　over　it　for　protection。　　So　do　I　smile　now；　I　belong

to　the　numerous　class　who　are　prophets　after　the　fact；　and　hold　my

nightmares　very　cheap　by　daylight



I　have　received　many　letters　of　inquiry　as　to　the　sound　resembling　a

woman's　voice；　which　occasioned　me　so　many　perplexities。　　Some

thought　there　was　no　question　that　he　had　a　second　apartment；　in

which　he　had　made　an　asylum　for　a　deranged　female　relative。　　Others

were　of　opinion　that　he　was；　as　I　once　suggested；　a　〃Bluebeard〃　with

patriarchal　tendencies；　and　I　have　even　been　censured　for

introducing　so　Oriental　an　element　into　my　record　of　boarding…house

experience。



Come　in　and　see　me；　the　Professor；　some　evening　when　I　have　nothing

else　to　do；　and　ask　me　to　play　you　Tartini's　Devil's　Sonata　on　that

extraordinary　instrument　in　my　possession；　well　known　to　amateurs　as

one　of　the　masterpieces　of　Joseph　Guarnerius。　　The　vox　humana　of　the

great　Haerlem　organ　is　very　lifelike；　and　the　same　stop　in　the　organ

of　the　Cambridge　chapel　might　be　mistaken　in　some　of　its　tones　for　a

human　voice；　but　I　think　you　never　heard　anything　come　so　near　the

cry　of　a　prima　donna　as　the　A　string　and　the　E　string　of　this

instrument。　　A　single　fact　will　illustrate　the　resemblance。　　I　was

executing　some　tours　de　force　upon　it　one　evening；　when　the

policeman　of　our　district　rang　the　bell　sharply；　and　asked　what　was

the　matter　in　the　house。　　He　had　heard　a　woman's　screams；he　was

sure　of　it。　　I　had　to　make　the　instrument　sing　before　his　eyes

before　he　could　be　satisfied　that　he　had　not　heard　the　cries　of　a

woman。　　The　instrument　was　bequeathed　to　me　by　the　Little　Gentleman。

Whether　it　had　anything　to　do　with　the　sounds　I　heard　coming　from

his　chamber；　you　can　form　your　own　opinion；I　have　no　other

conjecture　to　offer。　　It　is　not　true　that　a　second　apartment　with　a

secret　entrance　was　found；　and　the　story　of　the　veiled　lady　is　the

invention　of　one　of　the　Reporters。



Bridget；　the　housemaid；　always　insisted　that　he　died　a　Catholic。

She　had　seen　the　crucifix；　and　believed　that　he　prayed　on　his　knees

before　it。　　The　last　circumstance　is　very　probably　true；　indeed；

there　was　a　spot　worn　on　the　carpet　just　before　this　cabinet　which

might　be　thus　accounted　for。　　Why　he；　whose　whole　life　was　a

crucifixion；　should　not　love　to　look　on　that　divine　image　of

blameless　suffering；　I　cannot　see；　on　the　contrary；　it　seems　to　me

the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world　that　he　should。　　But　there　are

those　who　want　to　make　private　property　of　everything；　and　can't

make　up　their　minds　that　people　who　don't　think　as　they　do　should

claim　any　interest　in　that　infinite　compassion　expressed　in　the

central　figure　of　the　Christendom　which　includes　us　all。



The　divinity…student　expressed　a　hope　before　the　boarders　that　he

should　meet　him　in　heaven。　The　question　is；　whether　he'll　meet

you；said　the　young　fellow　John；　rather　smartly。　　The　divinity…

student　had　n't　thought　of　that。



However；　he　is　a　worthy　young　man；　and　I　trust　I　have　shown　him　in　a

kindly　and　respectful　light。　　He　will　get　a　parish　by…and…by；　and；

as　he　is　about　to　marry　the　sister　of　an　old　friend；the

Schoolmistress；　whom　some　of　us　remember；and　as　all　sorts　of

expensive　accidents　happen　to　young　married　ministers；　he　will　be

under　bonds　to　the　amount　of　his　salary；　which　means　starvation；　if

they　are　forfeited；　to　think　all　his　days　as　he　thought　when　he　was

settled；unless　the　majority　of　his　people　change　with　him　or　in

advance　of　him。　　A　hard　ease；　to　which　nothing　could　reconcile　a

man；　except　that　the　faithful　discharge　of　daily　duties　in　his

personal　relations　with　his　parishioners　will　make　him　useful　enough

in　his　way；　though　as　a　thinker　he　may　cease　to　exist　before　he　has

reached　middle　age。



Iris　went　into　mourning　for　the　Little　Gentleman。　　Although；　as　I

have　said；　he　left　the　bulk　of　his　property；　by　will；　to　a　public

institution；　he　added　a　codicil；　by　which　he　disposed　of　various

pieces　of　property　as　tokens　of　kind　remembrance。　　It　was　in　this

way　I　became　the　possessor　of　the　wonderful　instrument　I　have　spoken

of；　which　had　been　purchased　for　him　out　of　an　Italian　convent。　　The

landlady　was　comforted　with　a　small　legacy。　　The　following　extract

relates　to　Iris　：　〃in　consideration　of　her　manifold　acts　of

kindness；　but　only　in　token　of　grateful　remembrance；　and　by　no　means

as　a　reward　for　services　which　cannot　be　compensated；　a　certain

messuage；　with　all　the　land　thereto　appertaining；　situated　in　______

Street；　at　the　North　End；　so　called；　of　Boston；　aforesaid；　the　same

being　the　house　in　which　I　was　born；　but　now　inhabited　by　several

families；　and　known　as　'The　Rookery。'〃　Iris　had　also　the　crucifix；

the　portrait；　and　the　red…jewelled　ring。　　The　funeral　or　death's…

head　ring　was　buried　with　him。



It　was　a　good　while；　after　the　Little　Gentleman　was　gone；　before　our

boarding…house　recovered　its　wonted　cheerfulness。　　There　was　a

flavor　in　his　whims　and　local　prejudices　that　we　liked；　even　while

we　smiled　at　them。　　It　was　hard　to　see　the　tall　chair　thrust　away

among　useless　lumber；　to　dismantle　his　room；　to　take　down　the

picture　of　Leah；　the　handsome　Witch　of　Essex；　to　move　away　the

massive　shelves　that　held　the　books　he　loved；　to　pack　up　the　tube

through　which　he　used　to　study　the　silent　stars；　looking　down　at　him

like　the　eyes　of　dumb　creatures；　with　a　kind　of　stupid　half…

consciousness　that　did　not　worry　him　as　did　the　eyes　of　men　and

women；and　hardest　of　all　to　displace　that　sacred　figure　to　which

his　heart　had　always　turned　and　found　refuge；　in　the　feelings　it

inspired；　from　all　the　perplexities　of　his　busy　brain。　　It　was　hard；

but　it　had　to　be　done。



And　by…and…by　we　grew　cheerful　again；　and　the　brea