法官的房子 The Judges House (第4/6頁)
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“Mercyonus，”saidMrs.Witham，“anolddevil,andsittingonachairbythefreside！Takecare,sir!takecare！Theresmanyatruewordsokeninjest.”
“Howdoyoumean?UonmywordIdontunderstand.”
“Anolddevil!theolddevil,erhas.There!sir,youneedntlaugh，”forMalcolmsonhadbrokenintoaheartyeal.“Youyoungfolksthinksiteasytolaughatthingsthatmakesolderonesshudder.Nevermind,sir!nevermind！PleaseGod,you‘lllaughallthetime.It’swhatIwishyoumyself！”andthegoodladybeamedalloverinsymathywithhisenjoyment,herfearsgoneforamoment.
“Oh,forgiveme！”saidMalcolmsonresently.“Dontthinkmerude；buttheideawastoomuchforme-thattheolddevilhimselfwasonthechairlastnight！”Andatthethoughthelaughedagain.Thenhewenthometodinner.
Thiseveningthescameringoftheratsbeganearlier；indeedithadbeengoingonbeforehisarrival,andonlyceasedwhilsthisresencebyitsfreshnessdisturbedthem.Afterdinnerhesatbythefreforawhileandhadasmoke；andthen,havingclearedhistable,begantoworkasbefore.Tonighttheratsdisturbedhimmorethantheyhaddoneonthereviousnight.Howtheyscamereduanddownandunderandover！Howtheysqueaked,andscratched,andgnawed！Howthey,gettingbolderbydegrees,cametothemouthsoftheirholesandtothechinksandcracksandcranniesinthewainscotingtilltheireyesshoneliketinylamsasthefrelightroseandfell.Buttohim,nowdoubtlessaccustomedtothem,theireyeswerenotwicked；onlytheirlayfulnesstouchedhim.Sometimestheboldestofthemmadesalliesoutonthefoororalongthemouldingsofthewainscot.NowandagainastheydisturbedhimMalcolmsonmadeasoundtofrightenthem,smitingthetablewithhishandorgivingaferce“Hsh,hsh，”sothattheyfedstraightwaytotheirholes.
Andsotheearlyartofthenightworeon；anddesitethenoiseMalcolmsongotmoreandmoreimmersedinhiswork.
Allatoncehestoed,asonthereviousnight,beingovercomebyasuddensenseofsilence.Therewasnotthefaintestsoundofgnaw,orscratch,orsqueak.Thesilencewasasofthegrave.Herememberedtheoddoccurrenceofthereviousnight,andinstinctivelyhelookedatthechairstandingclosebythefreside.Andthenaveryoddsensationthrilledthroughhim.
There,onthegreatoldhigh-backedcarvedoakchairbesidethefrelacesatthesameenormousrat,steadilyglaringathimwithbalefuleyes.
Instinctivelyhetookthenearestthingtohishand,abookoflogarithms,andfungitatit.Thebookwasbadlyaimedandtheratdidnotstir,soagaintheokererformanceofthereviousnightwasreeated；andagaintherat,beingcloselyursued,fledutheroeofthealarmbell.Strangelytoo,thedeartureofthisratwasinstantlyfollowedbytherenewalofthenoisemadebythegeneralratcommunity.Onthisoccasion,asonthereviousone,Malcolmsoncouldnotseeatwhatartoftheroomtheratdisaeared,forthegreenshadeofhislamlefttheuerartoftheroomindarkness,andthefrehadburnedlow.
