第19章 法官的房子4（第1页）

第19章法官的房子（4）

"NotintheJudge'sHouse!"shesaid，andgreoke。Heexplaiyofthehouse，sayiknowitsname。Whenhehadfinishedshea;Aye，sureeheveryplace!ItistheJudge'sHh。"Heaskedhertotellhimabouttheplace，whysodwhattherewasagaioldhimthatitwassocalledlocallybecauseithadbeenmanyyearsbefore—howlongsheotsay，asshewasherselffromaofthetry，butshethoughtitmusthavebeenahundredyearsormore—theabodeofajudgewhowasheldierroronatofhisharshsentendhishostilitytoprisoAssizes。Astowhattherewasagainstthehouse，itselfsheottell。Shehadoftenooneher;buttherewasagetherewassomething，andforherownpartshewouldhemoneyinDrinkwater'sBankandstayinthehouseanhourbyherself。ThensheapologizedtoMalsourbingtalk。"Itistoobadofme，sir，andyou—andayouoo—ifyouwillpardonmesayingit，goihereallalone。Ifyouweremyboy—andyou'llexcusemefit—youwouldn'tsleepthereanight，notifIhadtogotheremyselfandpullthebigalarmbellthat'sonthatroof!"

Thegoodcreaturewassomalyi，andwassokiions，thatMalson，althoughamused，wastouched。Hetoldherkindlyhowmuchheappreciatedheriinhim，a;But，mydearMrs。Witham，indeedyoubeedaboutme!AmanwhfortheMathematicalTriposhastoomukoftobedisturbedanyaerious'something'，andhisworkisoftooexadprosaidtoallowofhishavinganyhismindformysteriesofanykind。Harmressioionsandbinatioishavesuffitmysteriesforme!"Mrs。Withamkioseeafterhisissiohimselftolookfortheoldwomanwhohadbeeohim。WheotheJudge'sHousewithher，afteranintervalofacoupleofhours，hefoundMrs。Withamherselfwaitingwithseveralmenandbpardanupholsterer'smanwithabedinacar，forshesaid，thoughtablesandchairsmightbeallverywell，abedthathadn'tbeenairedformayhapfiftyyearsrboolieon。Shewasevidentlycurioustoseetheihehouse;andthoughmalysoafraidofthe"something"thatattheslightestsouson，whomsheforamomehe>

Afterhisexaminationofthehouse，Malsoakeuphisabodeidining-room，whichwasbigenoughtoserveforallhisrequirements;andMrs。Witham，withtheaidofthers。Dempster，proceededtematters。Whenthehamperswerebroughtinandunpacked，Malsonsawthatwithmudfhtshehadsesuffitprovisionstolastforafewdays。Befsheexpressedallsortsofkithedoorturnedandsaid:"Andperhaps，sir，astheroomisbiganddraughtyitmightbewelltohaveohosebigssputrounight-though，truthtotell，IwoulddiemyselfifIweretobesoshutinwithallkindsof-of'things'，thatputtheirheadsroundthesides，oroverthetop，andlookoheimagewhichshehadcalledupwastoomuchforhernerves，aily。

Mrs。Dempstersniffedinasuperiormahelandladydisappeared，aforherownpartshewasn'tafraidofallthebogiesinthekingdom。

"I'lltellyouwhatitis，sir，"shesaid;"bogiesisallkindsandsortsofthibogies!Ratsandmidbeetles，andcreakydoors，aes，andbrokeiffdrawerhastayoutwhenyoupullthemandthenfalldowninthemiddleofthenight。Lookatthewainscotoftheroom!Itisold—hundredsofyearsold!Doyouthinkthere'snoratsahere!Anddoyouimagihatyouwon'tseehem?Ratsisbogies，Itellyou，as;anddon'tyougettothinka;

"Mrs。Dempster，"saidMalsongravely，makiebow，"youkhanaSeniler!Ahat，asamarkofesteemforyourindubitablesoundnessofheada，Ishall，whenIgo，giveyoupossessionofthishouse，aayherebyyourselfforthelasttwomonthsofmytenancy，forfourweekswillservemypurpose。"

"Thankyoukindly，sir!"shea;butI'tsleepawayfromhomeanight。IaminGreenhow'sCharity，andifIsleptanightawayfrommyroomsIshouldloseallIhavegottoliveon。Therulesisverystridthere'stoomanywatgforavaetorunanyrisksier。Onlyforthat，sir，I'dgladlyehereandattendonyoualtyourstay。"

"Mygoodwoman，"saidMalsonhastily，"Ihaveehereoainsolitude;aIamgratefultothelateGreenhsanisedhisadmirablecharity—whateveritis—thatIamperforiedtheopportunityfromsuptation!SaintAnthonyhimselfido!"

Theoldwomanlaughedharshly。"Ah，youyou;shesaid，"youdon&#ht;andbelikeyou'llgetallthesolitudeyouwa;Shesettoworkwithherg;andbynightfall，whenMalsournedfromhiswalk—healwayshadoneofhisbookstostudyashewalked—hefoundtheroomsweptandtidied，afireburningintheoldhearth，thelamplit，aablespreadforsupperwithMrs。Witham'sextfare。"Thisisfort，i;hesaid，asherubbedhishands。