Text C The Office（第1页）

TextCTheOffice

Aliro

（PartII）

[1]Thefollowingweekendheknoydoor。Hisexpressionsofhumilitywasexaggerated，almostenoughsotoseemmog，yetinawasrealaunsureofmyself。

[2]“Iaminuteofyourtime，”hesaid。“IobeawaellyouI’msorryIoffendedyoulasttimeandIapologize。Here’salittlepresentifyout。”

[3]HewasgaplantwhosenameIdidnotknow;ithadthick，glossyleavesaofapotedlavishlyinpinkandsilverfoil。

[4]“There，”hesaid，arrangingthisplantina。“Idon’twantahyouaaketheblame。AndIthought，maybeshetfurnishings，butwhat’sthematterwithaleplant，that’llbrightenthingsupforyou?”

[5]Itossibleforme，atthismomehatIdidnotlant。Ihatehouseplaoldmehowtotakecareofit，howofteandsoon;IthaherewasnothingelseIcoulddo，andIhadtheufeelihhisofapologiesandgiftsheareofthisaifiedbyit。Hekeptontalking，usingthewordsbadfeelings，offended，apologize。Itriedoerrupt，withtheideaofexplainingthatIhadmadeprovisionforanareainmylifewheregoodfeelings，orbad，didhatbetweenhima，itwashattherebeaall;butthisstruckmeasahopelesstask。HowcouldIt，ihisacy?Besides，theplantinitsshinypaperhade。

[6]“How’sthewritingpr?”hesaid，uttingallourunfortunatedifferendhim。

[7]“Oh，aboutasusual。”

[8]“Well，ifyoueverrunoutofthingstowriteabout，Igotabarrelful。”Pause。“ButIguessI’mjusteatingintoyourtimehere，”hesaidwithakindofpainfulbuoyancy。Thiswasatest，andIdidnotpassit。Ismiled，myeyesheldbythatmag;Isaiditwasallright。

[9]“Iwasjustthinkingaboutthefellowwasinherebeforeyou。Chiropractor。Youcouldhavewrittenabookabouthim。”

[10]Iassumedalisteningposition，myhandsnoverthekeys。Ifcowardisiyarebigviine，curiosityislyanother。

[11]“Hehadagoodpracticebuiltuphere。Theonlytroublewas，hegavemoreadjustmentsthanwaslistedinthebookofchiropractic。Oh，hewasadjustingrighta。Ihereafterhemovedout，andwhatdoyouthinkIfound?S!Thiswholeroomroofed，toeomakehisadjustmentswithanybody。Thisveryrwritingyourstoriesin。”

[12]“Firstasaladyknoydooroedmetoprovideherasskeytohisoffice。He’dlockedhisdainsther。”

[13]“Iguesshejustgottiredherparticularcase。Iguesshefiguredhe’dbeenknogawayatitlongenough。Ladywelloninyears，youknow，andhimjustayoungman。Hehadanigwife，too，andacoupleoftheprettiestyoueverwouldwahysomeofthethingsthatgooninthisworld。”

[14]Ittookmesometimetorealizethathetoldthisstorynotsimplyasapieceofgossip，butassomethingawriterwouldbepartiterestedtandlewdnesshadavaguedeliehismihisnotion，however，seemedsowistful，soistruckmeasawasteytoattaewnowImustavhimformyowforhis。Ithadbeeaketothinkalittleroughnesswouldsettlethings。

[15]Theot。IiIdrankooldhimtogiveittohiswife。HesaidthatteawasbetterforthehathehadknhtawayIwasanervousperson，likehimself。Theteapotwasciltandrosesawasnotspiteofitsextremehideousonmytable。Ialsouedtocarefortheplant，whichthrivedobsthe。Iotdecidewhatelsetodo。Heboughtmeawastebasket，afahesemandarinsosides;hegotafoamychair。Idespisedmyselfforsubmittingtothisblackmail。Ididnoteveyhim;itwasjustthatIotturnaway，Iotturnawayfromthatobsequioushunger。Andhekolerancewasbought;ihavehatedmeforit。

[16]Whenhelingeredinmyoffiowhetoldmestoriesofhimself。ItoethathewasrevealinghislifetomeiIwouldwriteitdown。Ofcoursehehadprobablyrevealedittoplentyofpeoplefornoparticularreason，butihereseemedtobeaspedesperatey。Hislifewasaseriesofcalamities，aspeople’slivesoftenare;hehadbeedownbypeoplehehadtrusted，refusedhelpbythosehehaddeperayedbytheveryfriendstowhomhehadgivenkindnessandmaterialhelp。Otherpeersandpassersby，hadtakeormenthimgratuitouslyinnovelaiveways。Ono，hisverylifehadbeeened。Moreoverhiswifewasadifficulty，herhealthbeingpoorauwashetodo?Youseehowitis，hesaid，liftinghishand;butIlive。Helookedtometosayyes。

[17]Itooktoiairsoryingtoturmakihiswasfoolishofcoursebeufflemytypewriter。Iactuallysideredwritinginlonghand，aedlyfortheevilchiropractor’ss。Itoldmyhusbandmyproblemaroblematall。“Tellhimyou’rebusy，”hesaid。AsamatteroffactIdidtellhim;everytimeheydoor，alwaysarmedwithalittlegiftoranerrand，heaskedmehowIwasandIsaidthattodayIwasbusy。Ah，then，hesaid，asheeasedhimselfthroughthedoor，hewouldnotkeepmeaminute。Aime，asIhavesaid，hekwasgoingoninmymind，howIweaklylooberidofhim。Hekotaffordtocare。

[18]OerIhadgonehomeIdiscoveredthatIleftattheofficealetterIhadi，aogetit。IsawfromthestreetthatthelightwasonintheroomwhereIworked。ThenIsawhimbehecardtable。Ofcourse，heatnightaIhadwrittethedoor，andwhenIheigupmywastebasket，sayihewouldjusttidythingsupforme。Hewentoutatonotsayanything，butfouremblingwithangerandgratifi。Tohavefoundajustcausewasawonder，anunbearablerelief。

[19]imeheydoorIhadlotheinside。Ikep，hischummygknotiypingloudly，butedly，sohewouldknowIheard。Hecalledmyname，asifIlayingatrick;Ibitmylipstogethernottoanswer。Unreasonablyasever，guiltassailedmebutItypedon。ThatdayIsawtheearthwasdryarousoftheplaalone。

[20]Ireparedfore。Ifouomydoor，whichsaidthatMr。MalleywouldbeobligedifIwouldstopintohisoffitatooverwith。Hesatathisdesksurroundedbyobscureevidencesofhisauthority;helookedatmefromadistanepelledtoseemeinanewandsadlyuheembarrassmentwhiednotforhimself，butme。Hestartedoffbysaying，witharatherstagyreluce，thathehadknownofcoursewheookmeinthatIwasawriter。

[21]“Ididworryme，thoughIhaveheardthingsaboutwritersandartistsandthattypeofpersonthatdidn’tstrikemeasveryeng。YoukofthingImean。”

[22]Thiswassomethingnew;Iotthinkwhatitmightleadto。

[23]“Nowyoueandsaid，Mr。Malley，Ilacetowritein。Ibelievedyou。Igaveittoyou。Ididn’taskahat’sthekindofpersonIam。Butyoukhinkabout，well，themoreiowonder。。。”

[24]“Wo?”Iasked。

[25]“Andyourowhasmymindatease。Logyourselfioansweryourdoor。That’snotanormalersoiftheygotnothingtohide。’snwoman，saysshehasahusbandandkids，tospeimerattlingaewriter。”

[26]“ButIdon’tthinkthat—”

[27]Heliftedhishand，afesture。“NowallIaskisthatyoubeopenahme—Ithimudifythatoffiyotherpurpose，oratahaon，andhavingyourfriendsorwhoevertheyareuptoseeyou—”

[28]“Idon’tknowwhatyoumean。”“Ahing—youclaimtobeawriter。WellIreadquiteabitofmaterial，andIneverhaveseenyour。euhername?”

[29]“No，”Isaid。

[30]“Well，Idon’tdoubttherearewriterswhosenamesIhaven’theard，”hesaidgehatpass。Justyougivemeyourwordofhobeaions，s-ohatofficeyouoccupy—”