第30章 孪生兄弟2（第1页）

第30章孪生兄弟（2）

YoukherJohn—thatis，youknewhimwheIreseheryounor，Ibelieve，anyhumanbeingcoulddistiweenhimandmeifwealike。Ourparentsot;oursistheonlyinstanceofwhichIhaveanyknowledgeofsobla。IspeakofmybrotherJohn，butIamnotatallsurethathisHenryandmineJularlyed，butafterward，ioftattooinguswithsmalldistinguishingmarks，theoperatorl;andalthoughIboreuponmyforearmasmall"H"a;J"，itisbyaiersoughtnottohavebeentranspourboyhoodourpareinguishusmoreobviouslybyandothersimpledevices，butwewouldsofrequentlyexgesuitsandotherwisettheeheyabandonedallsueffectualattempts，anddurihatwelivedtogetherathomeeverybhedifficultyofthesituatioofitbygusboth"Jehnry"。Ihaveoftemyfather'sforbearabrandingusspicuouslyuponourunworthybrows，butasweweretoodboysandusedourpowerofembarrassmentandaheioheiron。Myfatherwas，infagularlygood-naturedman，andIthilyeure'spracticaljoke。

Soonafterwehadetoia，aSaheonlygoodfortuawaiteduswaswithsokindafriendasyou），thefamily，asyouknow，wasbrokenupbythedeathofbothmyparentsinthesameweek。Myfatherdiedihehomesteadwassacrificedtopayhisdebts。MysistersreturivesiowingtoyourkindnessJohnay-twe，obtaiinSanFrandifferehetown。itustolivetogether，andwesaweachotherily，sometimeshanonceaaoofourextraordinarylikenesswaslittleknowhematterofyourinquiry。

OnedaysoonafterwehadetothiscityIwaswalkingdowlateiernoon，whenIwasaccostedbyawell-dressedmanofmiddleage，whmecordiallysaid，"Stevens，Iknow，ofcourse，thatyoudonotgooutmuch，butIhavetoldmywifeaboutyou，andshewouldbegladtoseeyouatthehouse。Ihaveanotion，too，thatmygirlsareworthknowing。Supposeyouorrowatsixahus，eheniftheladiesuseyouafterwardI'llstandinwithafewgamesofbilliards。"

ThiswassaidwithshtasmileandsoengagiIhadorefuse，andalthoughIhadhemanilyreplied，&quood，sir，anditwillgivemegreatpleasuretoaccepttheinvitatiomyentstovanaoexpectme。"

WithashakeofthehandapartingwordthemahathehadmistakenmeformybrotherlaihatwasaowhichIwasaedandwhichitwasnotmyhabittorelessthematterseemedimportant。ButhowhadIknownthatthisman'snamewasMargovaainlyisonelytoamanatrandom，robabilitythatitwht。Inpointoffaamewasasstraheman。

&mIhasteowheremybrotherloyedahimingoutoftheofficewithanumberofbillsthathewastocollehowIhad"itted"himaifhedidn'tcaretokeeptheeIshouldbedelightedtouetheimpersonation。

"That'squeer，"hesaidthoughtfully。&quovanistheonlymanintheofficeherewhomIknowwellandlike。Whehismandassedtheusualgreetingssomesingularimpulsepromptedmetosay，'Oh，Ibegyourpardovan，butIoaskyouraddress。'Igottheaddress，butwhatuhesunIwastodowithit，Ididnotknowuntilnow。It'sgoodofyoutooffertotakethepudeI'lleatthatdinnermyself，ifyouplease。"

&eanumberofdihesameplace—morethanweregoodforhim，Imayaddwiththeirquality;forhefellihMissMargovan，pretoheralesslyaccepted。

SeveralweeksafterIhadbeeheebeforeithadbeeformetomaketheaceoftheyoungwomanandherfamily，Imetonedayoahasomeated-lookingmanwhomsomethiofollohichIdidlewhatever。Heturreetailheioherehelookedathiswatehesquare。Heloiteredaboutthepathsforsometime，evidentlywaitingforsomeolyhewasjoinedbyafashionablydressedaifulyoungwomaayupStoStreet，Ifollowing。Iheyofextreme，fhthegirlwasastraomethatshewaglaheymadeseveralturnsfromoherandfinally，afterbothhadtakenahastylookallabout—whiarrowlyevadedbysteppingintoadoorway—theyenteredahouseofwhiotcaretostatethelo。Itslowasbetterthanitscharacter。

Iprotestthatmyaplayingthespyuporangerswaswithoutassigive。ItwasoneofwhichImighthtnotbeashamed，agtomyestimateofthecharacterofthepersonfindingitout。Asaialpartofanarrativeeducedbyyourquestioedherewithouthesitane。