法官的房子 The Judges House（第2页）

“Oh，Iwasallright，”heanswered，smilihing’didn‘tworryme，asyet。Os；andtheyhadacircus，Itellyou，allovertheplace。Therewasonewicked-lookisatuponmyownchairbythefre，andwouldn’tgotillItookthepokertohim，aheropeofthealarmbellandgottosomewhereupthewallortheg-Itseewhere，it

“Merus，”saidMrs。Witham，“anolddevil，andsittingonachairbythefreside！Takecare，sir!takecare！Theresmanyatruewordspoke。”

“Howdoyoumean?UponmywordIdoand。”

“Aheolddevil，perhaps。There!sir，youlaugh，”forMalsonhadbrokeniypeal。“Youyoungfolksthiolaughatthingsthatmakesolderonesshudder。Nevermind，sir!nevermind！PleaseGod，you‘lllaughallthetime。It’swhatIwishyoumyself！”andthegoodladybeamedalloverinsympathywithhise，herfearsgoneforamoment。

“iveme！”saidMalsoly。“Dontthiheideawastoomue-thattheolddevilhimselfwasonthechairlastnight！”Ahelaughedagaihometodinner。

Thiseveningthesganearlier；ihadbeengoingonbeforehisarrival，andohispresesfreshurbedthem。Afterdihefreforawhileandhadasmoke；andthen，haviable，begantoworkasbefhttheratsdisturbedhimmorethantheyhaddohepreviousnight。Hoanddownandunderaheysqueaked，andscratdghey，gettingbrees，outhsoftheirholesandtotheddiesiingtilltheireyesshoinylampsasthefrelightroseaohim，nowdoubtlessaedtothem，theireyeswereheirplayfulouchedhim。Sometimestheboldestofthemmadesalliesoutonthefthemouldi。NowandagaiurbedhimMaladeashteiablewithhishandaferce“Hsh，hsh，”sothattheyfedstraightwaytotheirholes。

AndsotheearlypartofthenightitethenoiseMaloreandmoreimmersedinhiswork。

Allatoopped，asonthepreviousnight，beingoverebyasuddensenseofsilethefaisoundofgnaw，orscratch，orsqueak。Thesilencewasasofthegrave。Herememberedtheoddoceofthepreviousnight，andinstinctivelyhelookedatthedihefreside。Andthenaveryoddsensatiohroughhim。

&hegreatoldhigh-backedcarvedoakchairbesidethefreplacesatthesameenormousrat，steadilyglaringathimwithbalefuleyes。

Iookthehingtohishand，abookoflogarithms，andfungitatit。Thebookwasbadlyaimedadidnainthepokerperformahepreviousnighteated；andagai，beingcloselypursued，fleduptheropeofthealarmbell。Strahedepartureofthisratwasinstantlyfollowedbytherehehegeunity。Onthiso，asonthepreviousone，Malsonotseeatartoftheroomtheratdisappeared，freenshadeofhislamplefttheupperpartoftheroomihefrehadburnedlow。

Onlookingathiswatditwasidnight；and，notsorryforthedivertissement，hemadeuphisfreandmadehimselfhisnightlypotoftea。Hehadgoodspellofwork，andthoughthimselfeoacigarette；ahegreatoakchairbeforethefrea。Whilstsmokihinkthathewouldliketokdisappearedto，forhehadideasforthemorrowirelydisected。Aglyhelitanotherlampahatitwouldshiheright-hahewallbythefreplahegotallthebookshehadwithhim，ahemhandytothrowatthevermin。Fiheropeofthealarmbellaheendofitoable，fxiremeehelamp。Ashehaheothelpnotighowpliableiteciallyfarope，ainuse。“Yougamanwithit，”hethoughttohimself。Wheionsweremadehelookedaround，andsaidplatly，“Therenow，myfriend，Ithinkweshalllearhingofyouthistime！”Hebeganhiswain，andthoughasbeforesomewhatdisturbedatfrstbytheherats，soonlosthimselfinhispropositionsandproblems。

Againhewasediatesurroundihistimeitmighthesuddensilenlywhichtookhisattention；therewasaslightmovementoftherope，andthelampmoved。With，helookedtoseeifhispileofbookswaswithihencasthiseyealongtherope。Ashelookedhesawthegreatratdropfromtheropeontheoakarmdsitthereglaringathim。Heraisedabookinhisrighthand，andtakingcarefulaim，fungitattherat。Thelatter，withaquient，sprangasideahemissile。Hethentookanotherbook，andathird，andfueraherat，buteasuccessfully。Atlast，ashestoodoisedinhishandtothrow，theratsqueakedandseemedafraid。ThismadeMalorethaostrike，andthebookfewandstrucktherataresoundingblow。Itgaveaterrifedsqueak，andturningonhispursueralookofterriblemalevolenupthechair-badmadeagreatjumptotheropeofthealarmbellandranupitlikelightning。Thelamproderthesuddenstrain，butitwasaheavyoneanddidnottoppleover。Malsohiseyeso，andsawitbythelightofthesepleaptoamouldiahroughaholeihegreatpictureswhithewall，obsdihroughitsgofdirtanddust。

“Ishalllookupmyfriendshabitationinthem，”saidthestudeovertocollecthisbooks。“Thethirdpithefireplace；Ishall。”Hepickedupthebooksoingonthemasheliftedthem。“ishedoesnotmind，norCycloidalOss，northePrinorQuaternions，norThermodynamiowforthebookthatfetchedhim！”Malsontookitupa。Ashedidsohestarted，asuddenpalloroverspreadhisface。Helookedrounduneasilyaly，ashemurmuredtohimself：“TheBiblemymaveme！Whatanoddce。”Hesatdaisireheirgambols。Theydidnotdisturbhim，however；somehowtheirpresencegavehimasenseofpanionship。Butheotattendtohiswork，arivingtomasterthesubjewhichhewaseupindespair，aobedasthehefirststreakofdawhroughtheeasternwindow。

&heavilybutuneasily，anddreamedmudwheerwokehimlateinthemheseemedillatease，andforafewmiseemtorealiseexactlywherehewas。Hisfrstrequestrathersurprisedtheservant。“Mrs。Dempster，whenIamouttodayIwishyouwouldgetthestepsanddustorwashthosepictures-speciallythatohirdfromthefreplattoseewhattheyare。”

&heafternoonMalsohisbooksintheshadedwalk，andtheessofthepreviousdaycamebaasthedayworeohathisreadingrwell。Hehadworkedouttoasatisfaalltheproblemswhichhadasyetbaffedhim，anditwasinastateofjubilationthathepaidavisittoMrs。Withamat“TheGoodTraveller。”Heferiting-roomwiththelandlady，whowasiohimasDr。Thorquiteatease，andthis，bihedioaseriesofquestions，madeMaletothethathispresea，sowithoutpreliminaryhesaid：“Dr。Thornhill，Ishallwithpleasureansweryouaionyoumayeifyouwillanswermyoionfrst。”

&orseemedsurprised，buthesmiledaoisit?”

“DidMrs。Withamaskyoutoehereandseemeandadviseme?”

Dr。ThornhillforamomentwastakenabadMrs。Withamgotferyredandturnedaway；butthedoctorwasafrankandreadyman，andheaondopeshedidoknowit。Isupposeitwasmyclumsyhastehatmadeyoususpeethatshedidheideainthathouseallbyyourself，andthatshethoughtyoutooktotea。Infact，shewaoadviseyouifpossibletogiveuptheteaaehours。Iwasasakeeinmytime，soIsupposeImaytakethelibertyofaan，andwithoutoffence，adviseyouranger。”

MalsonwithabrightsmileheldouthishaheysayinAmerica，”hesaid。“ImustthankyouforyourkindnessandMrs。Withamtoo，andyourkindnessdeservesareturnonmypart。Ipromisetotakeea-alltillyouletme-andIshallgotobedtonightatoneoclockatlatest。>

“Capital，”saidthedoowtellusallthatyouheoldhouse，”andsoMalsoheretoldiailallthathadhappewoerruptedeverynowandtheionfromMrs。Witham，tillfoldoftheepisodeoftheBiblethela-upemotionsfouiwasnottillastiffglassofbrandyandwaterhadbeenadmishegrewposedagain。Dr。Thornhilllistehafaceravity，ahenarrativeleteandMrs。Withamhadbeeoredheasked：“Theratalwayswentuptheropeofthealarmbell?”

“Al>

“Isupposeyouknow，”saidthedoctorafterapause，“eis?”

“No！”

“Itis，”saidthedoctorslowly，“theveryropewhigmanusedforallthevictimsoftheJudgesjudicour！”Herehewasihersrs。shadtobetakenforherrealsonhavihiswatdfoundthatitwasclosetohisdinnerhonehomebeforeherpleterecovery。

WhenMrs。Withamwasherselfagaiassailedthedryquestionsastowhathemeantbyputtingsuchhorribleideasintmansmieenoughtherealreadytoupsethim，”sheadded。Dr。Thornhillreplied：

“Mydearmadam，Ihadadistinctpurposeinit！Iwaodrawhisattentiontothebellrope，andtofxitthere。Itmaybethatheisinahighlyhtstate，audyingtoomuboundtosaythatheseemsassouhyayouallyandbodily，aseverIsaw-butthes-andthatsuggestiohedoctorshookhisheadaon。“IwouldhaveoandstaythefrstnightwithhimbutIfeltsureitwouldhavebeenacauseofoffeishtorhallu；andifhedoesIwanthimtopullthatrope。Allalowillgiveuswarning，andwemayreatimetobeofservice。Ishallbesittietonightandshallkeepmyearsopen。DonotbealarmedifBesasurprisebef。”