the voice of the city(城市之声)-第28部分
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reason the veil had been lifted for me alone； and that I bad been elected to
save my friend from de… struction at the Fool…Killer's bands。 Something of
the fear and wonder of it must have showed itself in my face。
〃Excuse me；〃 said Kerner； with his wan； amiable smile； 〃was I talking
to myself？ I think it is getting to be a habit with me。〃
The Fool…Killer turned and walked out of Far… ronils。
〃Wait here for me；〃 said I； rising； 〃I must speak to that man。 Had you
no answer for him？ Because you are a fool must you die like a mouse
under his foot？ Could you not utter one squeak in your own defence？
〃You are drunk；〃 said Kerner； heartlessly。 〃No one addressed me。〃
〃The destroyer of your mind；〃 said I； 〃stood above you just now and
marked you for his victim。 You are not blind or deaf。〃
〃I recognized no such person；〃 said Kerner。 〃I have seen no one but
you at this table。 Sit down。 Hereafter you shall have no more absinthe
drips。〃
〃Wait here；〃 said I； furious； 〃if you don't care for your own life； I will
save it for you。〃
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I hurried out and overtook the man in gray half… way down the block。
He looked as I bad seen him in my fancy a thousand times … truculent； gray
and awful。 He walked with the white oak staff； and but for the street…
sprinkler the dust would have been fly… ing under his tread。 I caught him
by the sleeve and steered him to a dark angle of a building。 I knew he was
a myth； and I did not want a cop to see me conversing with va… cancy； for I
might land in Bellevue minus my silver matchbox and diamond ring。
〃Jesse Holmes；〃 said I； facing him with apparent bravery； 〃I know you。
I have heard of you all my life。 I know now what a scourge you have been
to your country。 Instead of killing fools you have been murdering the
youth and genius that are necessary to make a people live and grow great。
You are a fool yourself； Holmes； you began killing off the brightest and
best of our countrymen three generations ago； when the old and obsolete
standards of society and honor and orthodoxy were narrow and bigoted。
You proved that when you put your murderous mark upon my friend
Kerner the wisest chap I ever knew in my life。〃
The Fool…Killer looked at me grimly and closely。
〃You've a queer jag；〃 said he； curiously。 〃Oh； yes； I see who you are
now。 You were sitting with him at the table。 Well； if I'm not mistaken； I
heard you call him a fool； too。〃
〃I did；〃 said I。 〃I delight in doing so。 It is from envy。 By all the
standards that you know he is the most egregious and grandiloquent and
gorgeous fool in all the world。 That's why you want to kill him。〃
〃Would you mind telling me who or what you think I am？〃 asked the
old man。
I laughed boisterously and then stopped suddenly； for I remembered
that it would not do to be seen so hilarious in the company of nothing but a
brick wall。
〃You are Jesse Holmes； the Fool…Killer；〃 I said； solemnly； 〃and you are
going to kill my friend Ker… ner。 I don't know who rang you up； but if you
do kill him I'll see that you get pinched for it。 That is；〃 I added；
despairingly； 〃if I can get a cop to see you。 They have a poor eye for
mortals； and I think it would take the whole force to round up a myth mur…
derer。〃
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〃Well；〃 said the Fool…Killer； briskly； 〃I must be going。 You had better
go home and sleep it off。 Good…night。〃
At this I was moved by a sudden fear for Kerner to a softer and more
pleading mood。 I leaned against the gray man's sleeve and besought him：
〃Good Mr。 Fool…Killer； please don't kill little Ker… ner。 Why can't you
go back South and kill Con… gressmen and clay…caters and let us alone？
Why don't you go up on Fifth Avenue and kill millionaires that keep their
money locked up and won't let young fools marry because one of 'em lives
on the wrong street？ Come and have a drink； Jesse。 Will you never get on
to your job？〃
〃Do you know this girl that your friend has made himself a fool
about？〃 asked the Fool…Killer。
〃I have the honor；〃 said I； 〃and that's why I called Kerner a fool。 He is
a fool because he has waited so long before marrying her。 He is a fool
because be has been waiting in the hopes of getting the consent of some
absurd two…million…dollar…fool parent or something of the sort。〃
〃Maybe；〃 said the Fool…Killer 〃 maybe I I might have looked at it
differently。 Would you mind going back to the restaurant and bringing
your friend Kerner here？〃
〃OH； what's the use； Jesse；〃 I yawned。 〃He can't see you。 He didn't
know you were talking to him at the table； You are a fictitious character；
you know。〃
〃Maybe He can this time。 Will you go fetch him？〃
〃All right；〃 said I； 〃but I've a suspicion that you're not strictly sober；
Jesse。 You seem to be wa… vering and losing your outlines。 Don't vanish
before I get back。〃
I went back to Kerner and said：
〃There's a man with an invisible homicidal mania waiting to see you
outside。 I believe he wants to murder you。 Come along。 You won't see him；
so there's nothing to be frightened about。〃
Kerner looked anxious。
〃Why；〃 said be； 〃I had no idea one absinthe would do that。 You'd better
stick to Wurzburger。 I'll walk home with you。〃
I led him to Jesse Holmes's。
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〃Rudolf；〃 said the Fool…Killer； 〃I'll give in。 Bring her up to the house。
Give me your hand； boy。〃；
〃Good for you； dad；〃 said Kerner； shaking hands with the old man。
You'll never regret it after you know her。〃
〃So； you did see him when he was talking to you at the table？〃 I asked
Kerner。
〃We hadn't spoken to each other in a year；〃 said Kerner。 〃It's all right
now。〃
I walked away。
〃Where are you going？〃 called Kerner。
〃I am going to look for Jesse Holmes；〃 I an… swered； with dignity and
reserve。
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TRANSIENTS IN ARCADIA
There is a hotel on Broadway that has escaped discovery by the
summer…resort promoters。 It is deep and wide and cool。 Its rooms are
finished in dark oak of a low temperature。 Home…made breezes and deep…
green shrubbery give it the delights without the inconveniences of the
Adirondacks。 One can mount its broad staircases or glide dreamily upward
in its aerial elevators； attended by guides in brass but… tons； with a serene
joy that Alpine climbers have never attained。 There is a chef in its kitchen
who will prepare for you brook trout better than the White Mountains ever
served； sea food that would turn Old Point Comfort 〃by Gad； sah！〃
green with envy； and Maine venison that would melt the official heart of a
game warden。
A few have found out this oasis in the July desert of Manhattan。
During that month you will see the hotel's reduced array of guests
scattered luxuriously about in the cool twilight of its lofty dining…room；
gazing at one another across the snowy waste of un… occupied tables；
silently congratulatory。
Superfluous； watchful； pneumatically moving wait… ers hover near；
supplying every want before it is ex… pressed。 The temperature is perpetual
April。 The ceiling is painted in water colors to counterfeit a sum… mer sky
across which delicate clouds drift and do not vanish as those of nature do
to our regret。
The pleasing； distant roar of Broadway is trans… formed in the
imagination of the happy guests to the noise of a waterfall filling the
woods with its restful sound。 At every strange footstep the guests turn an
anxious ear； fearful lest their retreat be discovered and invaded by the
restless pleasure…seekers who are forever hounding nature to her deepest
lairs。
Thus in the depopulated caravansary the little band of connoisseurs
jea
