第3章

类别:其他 作者:Mark Twain字数:19269更新时间:19/01/05 16:30:43
Tomwasinacoldpanicinamoment。 \"Comeback,comeback!\"hewailed。\"Ididn’tmeanit,Roxy; Itakeitallback,andI’llneversayitagain!Pleasecomeback,Roxy!\" Thewomanstoodamoment,thenshesaidgravely: \"Dat’sonethingyou’sgottostop,ValetdeChambers。Youcan’tcallme_Roxy_,sameasifyouwasmyequal。Chillendon’tspeaktodeymammieslikedat。You’llcallmemaormammy,dat’swhatyou’llcallme——leastwayswhendeain’tnobodyaroun’。_Say_it!\" ItcostTomastruggle,buthegotitout。 \"Dat’sallright。don’tyoueverforgititag’in,ifyouknowswhat’sgoodforyou。Nowden,youhadsaidyouwouldn’tevercallitliesenmoonshineag’in。I’lltellyoudis,forawarnin’: ifyoueverdoessayitag’in,it’sdeLAS’timeyou’lleversayittome;I’lltrampasstraighttodejudgeasIkinwalk,entellhimwhoyouis,en_prove_it。Doesyoub’lievemewhenIsaysdat?\" \"Oh,\"groanedTom,\"Imorethanbelieveit;I_know_it。\" Roxyknewherconquestwascomplete。Shecouldhaveprovednothingtoanybody,andherthreatofwritingswasalie;butsheknewthepersonshewasdealingwith,andhadmadebothstatementswithoutanydoubtastotheeffecttheywouldproduce。 Shewentandsatdownonhercandlebox,andtheprideandpompofhervictoriousattitudemadeitathrone。Shesaid: \"Nowden,Chambers,we’sgwinetotalkbusiness,endeyain’tgwinetobenomo’foolishness。Indefustplace,yougitsfiftydollahsamonth;you’sgwinetohan’overhalfofittoyo’ma。Plankitout!\" ButTomhadonlysixdollarsintheworld。Hegaveherthat,andpromisedtostartfaironnextmonth’spension。 \"Chambers,howmuchisyouindebt?\" Tomshuddered,andsaid: \"Nearlythreehundreddollars。\" \"Howisyougwinetopayit?\" Tomgroanedout:\"Oh,Idon’tknow;don’taskmesuchawfulquestions。\" Butshestucktoherpointuntilsheweariedaconfessionoutofhim: hehadbeenprowlingaboutindisguise,stealingsmallvaluablesfromprivatehouses;infact,hemadeagooddealofaraidonhisfellowvillagersafortnightbefore,whenhewassupposedtobeinSt。Louis; buthedoubtedifhehadsentawayenoughstufftorealizetherequiredamount,andwasafraidtomakeafurtherventureinthepresentexcitedstateofthetown。Hismotherapprovedofhisconduct,andofferedtohelp,butthisfrightenedhim。Hetremblinglyventuredtosaythatifshewouldretirefromthetownheshouldfeelbetterandsafer,andcouldholdhisheadhigher——andwasgoingontomakeanargument,butsheinterruptedandsurprisedhimpleasantlybysayingshewasready;itdidn’tmakeanydifferencetoherwhereshestayed,sothatshegothershareofthepensionregularly。Shesaidshewouldnotgofar,andwouldcallatthehauntedhouseonceamonthforhermoney。 Thenshesaid: \"Idon’thateyousomuchnow,butI’vehatedyouamanyayear—— andanybodywould。Didn’tIchangeyouoff,engiveyouagoodfamblyenagoodname,enmadeyouawhitegen’l’manenrich,widstoreclotheson——enwhatdidIgitforit?Youdespisedmealldetime,enwasal’ayssayin’meanhardthingstomebefo’folks,enwouldn’teverletmeforgitI’sanigger——en——en——\" Shefelltosobbing,andbrokedown。Tomsaid:\"ButyouknowI didn’tknowyouweremymother;andbesides——\" \"Well,nemmine’boutdat,now;letitgo。I’sgwinetofo’gitit。\" Thensheaddedfiercely,\"Endon’tevermakemerememberitag’in,oryou’llbesorry,_I_tellyou。\" Whentheywereparting,Tomsaid,inthemostpersuasivewayhecouldcommand: \"Ma,wouldyoumindtellingmewhowasmyfather?\" Hehadsupposedhewasaskinganembarrassingquestion。Hewasmistaken。 Roxydrewherselfupwithaproudtossofherhead,andsaid: \"DoesIminetellin’you?No,datIdon’t!Youain’tgotno’casiontobeshame’o’yo’father,_I_kintellyou。Hewuzdehighestqualityindiswholetown——oleVirginnystock。Fustfamblies,hewuz。 JesasgoodstockasdeDriscollsendeHowards,debes’daydeyeverseed。\"Sheputonalittleprouderair,ifpossible,andaddedimpressively:\"Doesyou’memberCunnelCecilBurleighEssex,datdieddesameyearyo’youngMarseTomDriscoll’spappydied,enalldeMasonsenOddFellersenChurchesturnedoutengivehimdebigges’funeraldistowneverseed?Dat’sdeman。\" Undertheinspirationofhersoaringcomplacencythedepartedgracesofherearlierdaysreturnedtoher,andherbearingtooktoitselfadignityandstatethatmighthavepassedforqueenlyifhersurroundingshadbeenalittlemoreinkeepingwithit。 \"Deyain’tanotherniggerindistowndat’sashighbawnasyouis。 Nowden,go’long!Enjesyouholdyo’headupashighasyouwantto—— youhasderight,endatIkinswah。\" CHAPTER10 TheNymphRevealedAllsay,\"Howharditisthatwehavetodie\"——astrangecomplainttocomefromthemouthsofpeoplewhohavehadtolive。 ——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarWhenangry,countfour;whenveryangry,swear。 ——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarEverynowandthen,afterTomwenttobed,hehadsuddenwakingsoutofhissleep,andhisfirstthoughtwas,\"Oh,joy,itwasalladream!\"Thenhelaidhimselfheavilydownagain,withagroanandthemutteredwords,\"Anigger!Iamanigger!Oh,IwishIwasdead!\" Hewokeatdawnwithonemorerepetitionofthishorror,andthenheresolvedtomeddlenomorewiththattreacheroussleep。 Hebegantothink。Sufficientlybitterthinkingstheywere。 Theywanderedalongsomethingafterthisfashion: Whywereniggers_and_whitesmade?Whatcrimedidtheuncreatedfirstniggercommitthatthecurseofbirthwasdecreedforhim? Andwhyisthisawfuldifferencemadebetweenwhiteandblack?…… Howhardthenigger’sfateseems,thismorning!——yetuntillastnightsuchathoughtneverenteredmyhead。\" Hesighedandgroanedanhourormoreaway。Then\"Chambers\"camehumblyintosaythatbreakfastwasnearlyready。\"Tom\"blushedscarlettoseethisaristocraticwhiteyouthcringetohim,anigger,andcallhim\"YoungMarster。\"Hesaidroughly: \"Getoutofmysight!\"andwhentheyouthwasgone,hemuttered,\"Hehasdonemenoharm,poorwrench,butheisaneyesoretomenow,forheisDriscoll,theyounggentleman,andIama——oh,IwishIwasdead!\" Agiganticeruption,likethatofKrakatoaafewyearsago,withtheaccompanyingearthquakes,tidalwaves,andcloudsofvolcanicdust,changesthefaceofthesurroundinglandscapebeyondrecognition,bringingdownthehighlands,elevatingthelow,makingfairlakeswheredesertshadbeen,anddesertswheregreenprairieshadsmiledbefore。ThetremendouscatastrophewhichhadbefallenTomhadchangedhismorallandscapeinmuchthesameway。 Someofhislowplaceshefoundliftedtoideals,someofhisideashadsunktothevalleys,andlaytherewiththesackclothandashesofpumicestoneandsulphurontheirruinedheads。 Fordayshewanderedinlonelyplaces,thinking,thinking,thinking—— tryingtogethisbearings。Itwasnewwork。Ifhemetafriend,hefoundthatthehabitofalifetimehadinsomemysteriouswayvanished—— hisarmhunglimp,insteadofinvoluntarilyextendingthehandforashake。 Itwasthe\"nigger\"inhimassertingitshumility,andheblushedandwasabashed。Andthe\"nigger\"inhimwassurprisedwhenthewhitefriendputouthishandforashakewithhim。Hefoundthe\"nigger\" inhiminvoluntarilygivingtheroad,onthesidewalk,toawhiterowdyandloafer。WhenRowena,thedearestthinghisheartknew,theidolofhissecretworship,invitedhimin,the\"nigger\"inhimmadeanembarrassedexcuseandwasafraidtoenterandsitwiththedreadwhitefolksonequalterms。The\"nigger\"inhimwentshrinkingandskulkinghereandthereandyonder,andfancyingitsawsuspicionandmaybedetectioninallfaces,tones,andgestures。SostrangeanduncharacteristicwasTom’sconductthatpeoplenoticedit,andturnedtolookafterhimwhenhepassedon;andwhenheglancedback——ashecouldnothelpdoing,inspiteofhisbestresistance——andcaughtthatpuzzledexpressioninaperson’sface,itgavehimasickfeeling,andhetookhimselfoutofviewasquicklyashecould。Hepresentlycametohaveahuntedsenseandahuntedlook,andthenhefledawaytothehilltopsandthesolitudes。 HesaidtohimselfthatthecurseofHamwasuponhim。 Hedreadedhismeals;the\"nigger\"inhimwasashamedtositatthewhitefolk’stable,andfeareddiscoveryallthetime;andoncewhenJudgeDriscollsaid,\"What’sthematterwithyou?Youlookasmeekasanigger,\"hefeltassecretmurderersaresaidtofeelwhentheaccusersays,\"Thouarttheman!\"Tomsaidhewasnotwell,andleftthetable。 Hisostensible\"aunt’s\"solicitudesandendearmentswerebecomeaterrortohim,andheavoidedthem。 Andallthetime,hatredofhisostensible\"uncle\"wassteadilygrowinginhisheart;forhesaidtohimself,\"Heiswhite;andIamhischattel,hisproperty,hisgoods,andhecansellme,justashecouldhisdog。\" Forasmuchasaweekafterthis,Tomimaginedthathischaracterhadundergoneaprettyradicalchange。Butthatwasbecausehedidnotknowhimself。 Inseveralwayshisopinionsweretotallychanged,andwouldnevergobacktowhattheywerebefore,butthemainstructureofhischaracterwasnotchanged,andcouldnotbechanged。Oneortwoveryimportantfeaturesofitwerealtered,andintimeeffectswouldresultfromthis,ifopportunityoffered——effectsofaquiteseriousnature,too。 Undertheinfluenceofagreatmentalandmoralupheaval,hischaracterandhishabitshadtakenontheappearanceofcompletechange,butafterawhilewiththesubsidenceofthestorm,bothbegantosettletowardtheirformerplaces。Hedroppedgraduallybackintohisoldfrivolousandeasygoingwaysandconditionsoffeelingandmannerofspeech,andnofamiliarofhiscouldhavedetectedanythinginhimthatdifferentiatedhimfromtheweakandcarelessTomofotherdays。 Thetheftraidwhichhehadmadeuponthevillageturnedoutbetterthanhehadventuredtohope。Itproducedthesumnecessarytopayhisgamingdebts,andsavedhimfromexposuretohisuncleandanothersmashingofthewill。Heandhismotherlearnedtolikeeachotherfairlywell。Shecouldn’tlovehim,asyet,becausethere\"warn’tnothing_to_him,\"assheexpressedit,buthernatureneededsomethingorsomebodytoruleover,andhewasbetterthannothing。HerstrongcharacterandaggressiveandcommandingwayscompelledTom’sadmirationinspiteofthefactthathegotmoreillustrationsofthemthanheneededforhiscomfort。 However,asaruleherconversationwasmadeupofracytaleabouttheprivaciesofthechieffamiliesofthetown(forshewentharvestingamongtheirkitchenseverytimeshecametothevillage),andTomenjoyedthis。Itwasjustinhisline。Shealwayscollectedherhalfofhispensionpunctually,andhewasalwaysatthehauntedhousetohaveachatwithherontheseoccasions。Everynowandthen,shepaidhimavisitthereonbetween—daysalso。 OccasionshewouldrunuptoSt。Louisforafewweeks,andatlasttemptationcaughthimagain。Hewonalotofmoney,butlostit,andwithitadealmorebesides,whichhepromisedtoraiseassoonaspossible。 Forthispurposeheprojectedanewraidonhistown。Henevermeddledwithanyothertown,forhewasafraidtoventureintohouseswhoseinsandoutshedidnotknowandthehabitsofwhosehouseholdshewasnotacquaintedwith。HearrivedatthehauntedhouseindisguiseontheWednesdaybeforetheadventofthetwins——afterwritinghisAuntPrattthathewouldnotarriveuntiltwodaysafter——andlayinginhidingtherewithhismotheruntiltowarddaylightFridaymorning,whenhewenttohisuncle’shouseandenteredbythebackwaywithhisownkey,andslippeduptohisroomwherehecouldhavetheuseofthemirrorandtoiletarticles。Hehadasuitofgirl’sclotheswithhiminabundleasadisguiseforhisraid,andwaswearingasuitofhismother’sclothing,withblackglovesandveil。Bydawnhewastrickedoutforhisraid,buthecaughtaglimpseofPudd’nheadWilsonthroughthewindowovertheway,andknewthatPudd’nheadhadcaughtaglimpseofhim。 SoheentertainedWilsonwithsomeairsandgracesandattitudesforawhile,thensteppedoutofsightandresumedtheotherdisguise,andbyandbywentdownandoutthebackwayandstarteddowntowntoreconnoiterthesceneofhisintendedlabors。 Buthewasillatease。HehadchangedbacktoRoxy’sdress,withthestoopofageaddedtohedisguise,sothatWilsonwouldnotbotherhimselfaboutahumbleoldwomenleavinganeighbor’shousebythebackwayintheearlymorning,incasehewasstillspying。ButsupposingWilsonhadseenhimleave,andhadthoughtitsuspicious,andhadalsofollowedhim? ThethoughtmadeTomcold。Hegaveuptheraidfortheday,andhurriedbacktothehauntedhousebytheobscurestrouteheknew。 Hismotherwasgone;butshecameback,byandby,withthenewsofthegrandreceptionatPatsyCooper’s,andsoonpersuadedhimthattheopportunitywaslikeaspecialProvidence,itwassoinvitingandperfect。Sohewentraiding,afterall,andmadeanicesuccessofitwhileeverybodywasgonetoPatsyCooper’s。 Successgavehimnerveandevenactualintrepidity;insomuch,indeed,thatafterhehadconveyedhisharvesttohismotherinabackalley,hewenttothereceptionhimself,andaddedseveralofthevaluablesofthathousetohistakings。 AfterthislongdigressionwehavenowarrivedoncemoreatthepointwherePudd’nheadWilson,whilewaitingforthearrivalofthetwinsonthatsameFridayevening,satpuzzlingoverthestrangeapparitionofthatmorning——agirlinyoungTomDriscoll’sbedroom;fretting,andguessing,andpuzzlingoverit,andwonderingwhotheshamelesscreaturemightbe。 CHAPTER11 Pudd’nhead’sThrillingDiscoveryTherearethreeinfalliblewaysofpleasinganauthor,andthethreeformarisingscaleofcompliment:1——totellhimyouhavereadoneofhisbooks;2——totellhimyouhavereadallofhisbooks; 3——toaskhimtoletyoureadthemanuscriptofhisforthcomingbook。 No。1admitsyoutohisrespect;No。2admitsyoutohisadmiration; No。3carriesyouclearintohisheart。 ——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarAstotheAdjective:whenindoubt,strikeitout。 ——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarThetwinsarrivedpresently,andtalkbegan。Itflowedalongchattilyandsociably,andunderitsinfluencethenewfriendshipgatheredeaseandstrength。WilsongotouthisCalendar,byrequest,andreadapassageortwofromit,whichthetwinspraisedquitecordially。 Thispleasedtheauthorsomuchthathecompliedgladlywhentheaskedhimtolendthemabatchoftheworktoreadathome。Inthecourseoftheirwidetravels,theyhadfoundoutthattherearethreesurewaysofpleasinganauthor;theywerenowworkingthebestofthethree。 Therewasaninterruptionnow。YoungDriscollappeared,andjoinedtheparty。Hepretendedtobeseeingthedistinguishedstrangersforthefirsttimewhentheyrosetoshakehands;butthiswasonlyablind,ashehadalreadyhadaglimpseofthem,atthereception,whilerobbingthehouse。Thetwinsmadementalnotethathewassmooth—facedandratherhandsome,andsmoothandundulatoryinhismovements——graceful,infact。Angelothoughthehadagoodeye;Luigithoughttherewassomethingveiledandslyaboutit。Angelothoughthehadapleasantfree—and—easywayoftalking;Luigithoughtitwasmoresothanwasagreeable。 Angelothoughthewasasufficientlyniceyoungman;Luigireservedhisdecision。Tom’sfirstcontributiontotheconversationwasaquestionwhichhehadputtoWilsonahundredtimesbefore。 Itwasalwayscheerilyandgood—naturedput,andalwaysinflictedalittlepang,forittouchedasecretsore;butthistimethepangwassharp,sincestrangerswerepresent。 \"Well,howdoesthelawcomeon?Hadacaseyet?\" Wilsonbithislip,butanswered,\"No——notyet,\"withasmuchindifferenceashecouldassume。JudgeDriscollhadgenerouslyleftthelawfeatureoutofWilson’sbiographywhichhehadfurnishedtothetwins。YoungTomlaughedpleasantly,andsaid: \"Wilson’salawyer,gentlemen,buthedoesn’tpracticenow。\" Thesarcasmbit,butWilsonkepthimselfundercontrol,andsaidwithoutpassion: \"Idon’tpractice,itistrue。ItistruethatIhaveneverhadacase,andhavehadtoearnapoorlivingfortwentyyearsasanexpertaccountantinatownwhereIcan’tgetaholdofasetofbookstountangleasoftenasIshouldlike。ButitisalsotruethatIdidmyselfwellforthepracticeofthelaw。BythetimeIwasyourage,Tom,Ihadchosenaprofession,andwassooncompetenttoenteruponit。\" Tomwinced。\"Inevergotachancetotrymyhandatit,andImaynevergetachance;andyetifIeverdogetit,Ishallbefoundready,forIhavekeptupmylawstudiesalltheseyears。\" \"That’sit;that’sgoodgrit!Iliketoseeit。I’veanotiontothrowallmybusinessyourway。Mybusinessandyourlawpracticeoughttomakeaprettygayteam,Dave,\"andtheyoungfellowlaughedagain。 \"Ifyouwillthrow——\"WilsonhadthoughtofthegirlinTom’sbedroom,andwasgoingtosay,\"Ifyouwillthrowthesurreptitiousanddisreputablepartofyourbusinessmyway,itmayamounttosomething,\" butthoughtbetterofitandsaid,\"However,thismatterdoesn’tfitwellinageneralconversation。\" \"Allright,we’llchangethesubject;Iguessyouwereabouttogivemeanotherdig,anyway,soI’mwillingtochange。 How’stheAwfulMysteryflourishingthesedays?Wilson’sgotaschemefordrivingplainwindowglasspanesoutofthemarketbydecoratingitwithgreasyfingermarks,andgettingrichbysellingitatfaminepricestothecrownedheadsoverinEuropetooutfittheirpalaceswith。 Fetchitout,Dave。\" Wilsonbroughtthreeofhisglassstrips,andsaid: \"Igetthesubjecttopassthefingersofhisrightthroughhishair,soastogetalittlecoatingofthenaturaloilonthem,andthenpresstheballsofthemontheglass。Afineandelicateprintofthelinesintheskinresults,andispermanent,ifitdoesn’tcomeincontactwithsomethingabletorubitoff。 Youbegin,Tom。\" \"Why,Ithinkyoutookmyfingermarksonceortwicebefore。\" \"Yes,butyouwerealittleboythelasttime,onlyabouttwelveyearsold。\" \"That’sso。Ofcourse,I’vechangedentirelysincethen,andvarietyiswhatthecrownedheadswant,Iguess。\" Hepassedhisfingersthroughhiscropofshorthair,andpressedthemoneatatimeontheglass。Angelomadeaprintofhisfingersonanotherglass,andLuigifollowedwithathird。Wilsonmarkedtheglasseswithnamesanddates,andputthemaway。Tomgaveoneofhislittlelaughs,andsaid: \"IthoughtIwouldn’tsayanything,butifvarietyiswhatyouareafter,youhavewastedapieceofglass。Thehandprintofonetwinisthesameasthehandprintofthefellowtwin。\" \"Well,it’sdonenow,andIliketohavethemboth,anyway,\" saidWilson,returnedtohisplace。 \"Butlookhere,Dave,\"saidTom,youusedtotellpeople’sfortunes,too,whenyoutooktheirfingermarks。Dave’sjustanall—roundgenius—— ageniusofthefirstwater,gentlemen;agreatscientistrunningtoseedhereinthisvillage,aprophetwiththekindofhonorthatprophetsgenerallygetathome——forheretheydon’tgiveshucksforhisscientifics,andtheycallhisskullanotionfactory——hey,Dave,ain’titso?Butnevermind,he’llmakehismarksomeday——fingermark,youknow,he—he!Butreally,youwanttolethimtakeashyatyourpalmsonce;it’sworthtwicethepriceofadmissionoryourmoney’sreturnedatthedoor。Why,he’llreadyourwrinklesaseasyasabook,andnotonlytellyoufiftyorsixtythingsthat’sgoingtohappentoyou,butfiftyorsixtythousandthatain’t。Come,Dave,showthegentlemenwhataninspiredjack—at—all—sciencewe’vegotinthistown,anddon’tknowit。\" Wilsonwincedunderthisnaggingandnotverycourteouschaff,andthetwinssufferedwithhimandforhim。Theyrightlyjudged,now,thatthebestwaywastorelievehimwouldbetotakethethinginearnestandtreatitwithrespect,ignoringTom’sratheroverdoneraillery;soLuigisaid: \"Wehaveseensomethingofpalmistryinourwanderings,andknowverywellwhatastonishingthingsitcando。Ifitisn’tascience,andoneofthegreatestofthemtoo,Idon’tknowwhatitsothernameoughttobe。IntheOrient——\" Tomlookedsurprisedandincredulous。Hesaid: \"Thatjugglingascience?Butreally,youain’tserious,areyou?\" \"Yes,entirelyso。Fouryearsagowehadourhandsreadouttousasifourplanshadbeencoveredwithprint。\" \"Well,doyoumeantosaytherewasactuallyanythinginit?\"askedTom,hisincredulitybeginningtoweakenalittle。 \"Therewasthismuchinit,\"saidAngelo:\"whatwastoldusofourcharacterswasminutelyexact——wecouldhavenothavebettereditourselves。Next,twoorthreememorablethingsthathavehappenedtouswerelaidbare——thingswhichnoonepresentbutourselvescouldhaveknownabout。\" \"Why,it’sranksorcery!\"exclaimedTom,whowasnowbecomingverymuchinterested。\"Andhowdidtheymakeoutwithwhatwasgoingtohappentoyouinthefuture?\" \"Onthewhole,quitefairly,\"saidLuigi。\"Twoorthreeofthemoststrikingthingsforetoldhavehappenedsince;muchthemoststrikingoneofallhappenedwithinthatsameyear。Someoftheminorprophesieshavecometrue;someoftheminorandsomeofthemajoroneshavenotbeenfulfilledyet,andofcoursemayneverbe:still,Ishouldbemoresurprisediftheyfailedtoarrivethaniftheydidn’t。\" Tomwasentirelysobered,andprofoundlyimpressed。Hesaid,apologetically: \"Dave,Iwasn’tmeaningtobelittlethatscience;Iwasonlychaffing—— chattering,IreckonI’dbettersay。Iwishyouwouldlookattheirpalms。 Come,won’tyou?\" \"Whycertainly,ifyouwantmeto;butyouknowI’vehadnochancetobecomeanexpert,anddon’tclaimtobeone。Whenapasteventissomewhatprominentlyrecordedinthepalm,Icangenerallydetectthat,butminoronesoftenescapeme——notalways,ofcourse,butoften—— butIhaven’tmuchconfidenceinmyselfwhenitcomestoreadingthefuture。Iamtalkingasifpalmistrywasadailystudywithme,butthatisnotso。Ihaven’texaminedhalfadozenhandsinthelasthalfdozenyears;yousee,thepeoplegottojokingaboutit,andIstoppedtoletthetalkdiedown。I’lltellyouwhatwe’lldo,CountLuigi:I’llmakeatryatyourpast,andifIhaveanysuccessthere——no,onthewhole,I’llletthefuturealone;that’sreallytheaffairofanexpert。\" HetookLuigi’shand。Tomsaid: \"Wait——don’tlookyet,Dave!CountLuigi,here’spaperandpencil。 Setdownthatthingthatyousaidwasthemoststrikingonethatwasforetoldtoyou,andhappenedlessthanayearafterward,andgiveittomesoIcanseeifDavefindsitinyourhand。\" Luigiwrotealineprivately,andfoldedupthepieceofpaper,andhandedittoTom,saying: \"I’lltellyouwhentolookatit,ifhefindsit。\" WilsonbegantostudyLuigi’spalm,tracinglifelines,heartlines,headlines,andsoon,andnotingcarefullytheirrelationswiththecobweboffinerandmoredelicatemarksandlinesthatenmeshedthemonallsides;hefeltofthefleshycushionatthebaseofthethumbandnoteditsshape;hefeltofthefleshysideofthehandbetweenthewristandthebaseofthelittlefingerandnoteditsshapealso; hepainstakinglyexaminedthefingers,observingtheirform,proportions,andnaturalmannerofdisposingthemselveswheninrepose。 Allthisprocesswaswatchedbythethreespectatorswithabsorbinginterest,theirheadsbenttogetheroverLuigi’spalm,andnobodydisturbingthestillnesswithaword。Wilsonnowentereduponaclosesurveyofthepalmagain,andhisrevelationsbegan。 HemappedoutLuigi’scharacteranddisposition,histastes,aversions,proclivities,ambitions,andeccentricitiesinawaywhichsometimesmadeLuigiwinceandtheotherslaugh,butbothtwinsdeclaredthatthechartwasartisticallydrawnandwascorrect。 Next,WilsontookupLuigi’history。Heproceededcautiouslyandwithhesitationnow,movinghisfingerslowlyalongthegreatlinesofthepalm,andnowandthenhaltingitata\"star\"orsomesuchlandmark,andexaminingthatneighborhoodminutely。 Heproclaimedoneortwopastevents,Luigiconfirmedhiscorrectness,andthesearchwenton。PresentlyWilsonglancedupsuddenlywithasurprisedexpression。 \"Hereisarecordofanincidentwhichyouwouldperhapsnotwishmeto——\" \"Bringitout,\"saidLuigi,good—naturedly。\"Ipromiseyousha’n’tembarrassme。\" ButWilsonstillhesitated,anddidnotseemquitetoknowwhattodo。 Thenhesaid: \"Ithinkitistoodelicateamatterto——to——IbelieveIwouldratherwriteitorwhisperittoyou,andletyoudecideforyourselfwhetheryouwantittalkedoutornot。\" \"Thatwillanswer,\"saidLuigi。\"Writeit。\" WilsonwrotesomethingonaslipofpaperandhandedittoLuigi,whoreadittohimselfandsaidtoTom: \"Unfoldyourslipandreadit,Mr。Driscoll。\" Tomsaid: \"’ITWASPROPHESIEDTHATIWOULDKILLAMAN。ITCAMETRUE BEFORETHEYEARWASOUT。’\" Tomadded,\"GreatScott!\" LuigihandedWilson’spapertoTom,andsaid: \"Nowreadthisone。\" Tomread: \"’YOUHAVEKILLEDSOMEONE,BUTWHETHERMAN,WOMAN,ORCHILD,IDONOTMAKEOUT。’\" \"Caesar’sghost!\"commentedTom,withastonishment。 \"Itbeatsanythingthatwaseverheardof!Why,aman’sownhandishisdeadliestenemy!Justthinkofthat——aman’sownhandkeepsarecordofthedeepestandfatalestsecretsofhislife,andistreacherouslyreadytoexposehimselftoanyblack—magicstrangerthatcomesalong。Butwhatdoyouletapersonlookatyourhandfor,withthatawfulthingprintedonit?\" \"Oh,\"saidLuigi,reposefully,\"Idon’tmindit。Ikilledthemanforgoodreasons,andIdon’tregretit。\" \"Whatwerethereasons?\" \"Well,heneededkilling。\" \"I’lltellyouwhyhedidit,sincehewon’tsayhimself,\"saidAngelo,warmly。\"Hedidittosavemylife,that’swhathediditfor。 Soitwasanobleact,andnotathingtobehidinthedark。\" \"Soitwas,soitwas,\"saidWilson。\"Todosuchathingtosaveabrother’slifeisagreatandfineaction。\" \"Nowcome,\"saidLuigi,\"itisverypleasanttohearyousaythesethings,butforunselfishness,orheroism,ormagnanimity,thecircumstanceswon’tstandscrutiny。Youoverlookonedetail; supposeIhadn’tsavedAngelo’slife,whatwouldhavebecomeofmine? IfIhadletthemankillhim,wouldn’thehavekilledme,too? Isavedmyownlife,yousee。\" \"Yes,thatisyourwayoftalking,\"saidAngelo,\"butIknowyou—— Idon’tbelieveyouthoughtofyourselfatall。IkeepthatweaponyetthatLuigikilledthemanwith,andI’llshowittoyousometime。 Thatincidentmakesitinteresting,andithadahistorybeforeitcameintoLuigi’shandswhichaddstoitsinterest。ItwasgiventoLuigibyagreatIndianprince,theGaikowarofBaroda,andithadbeeninhisfamilytwoorthreecenturies。Itkilledagoodmanydisagreeablepeoplewhotroubledthehearthstoneatonetimeoranother。Itisn’tmuchtoolookat,exceptitisn’tshapedlikeotherknives,ordirks,orwhateveritmaybecalled——here,I’lldrawitforyou。\"Hetookasheetofpaperandmadearapidsketch。\"Thereitis——abroadandmurderousblade,withedgeslikearazorforsharpness。 Thedevicesengravedonitaretheciphersornamesofitslonglineofpossessors——IhadLuigi’snameaddedinRomanlettersmyselfwithourcoatofarms,asyousee。Younoticewhatacurioushandlethethinghas。Itissolidivory,polishedlikeamirror,andisfourorfiveincheslong——round,andasthickasalargeman’swrist,withtheendsquaredoffflat,foryourthumbtoreston;foryougraspit,withyourthumbrestingonthebluntend—— so——andliftitalongandstrikedownward。TheGaikowarshowedushowthethingwasdonewhenhegaveittoLuigi,andbeforethatnightwasended,Luigihadusedtheknife,andtheGaikowarwasamanshortbyreasonofit。Thesheathismagnificentlyornamentedwithgemsofgreatvalue。Youwillfindasheathmoreworthlookingatthantheknifeitself,ofcourse。\" Tomsaidtohimself: \"It’sluckyIcamehere。Iwouldhavesoldthatknifeforasong; Isupposedthejewelswereglass。\" \"Butgoon;don’tstop,\"saidWilson。\"Ourcuriosityisupnow,tohearaboutthehomicide。Tellusaboutthat。\" \"Well,briefly,theknifewastoblameforthat,allaround。 Anativeservantslippedintoourroominthepalaceinthenight,tokillusandstealtheknifeonaccountofthefortuneencrustedonitssheath,withoutadoubt。Luigihaditunderhispillow; wewereinbedtogether。Therewasadimnight—lightburning。 Iwasasleep,butLuigiwasawake,andhethoughthedetectedavagueformnearingthebed。Heslippedtheknifeoutofthesheathandwasreadyandunembarrassedbyhamperingbedclothes,fortheweatherwashotandwehadn’tany。Suddenlythatnativeroseatthebedside,andbentovermewithhisrighthandliftedandadirkinitaimedatmythroat;butLuigigrabbedhiswrist,pulledhimdownward,anddrovehisownknifeintotheman’sneck。 Thatisthewholestory。\" WilsonandTomdrewdeepbreaths,andaftersomegeneralchataboutthetragedy,Pudd’nheadsaid,takingTom’shand: \"Now,Tom,I’veneverhadalookatyourpalms,asithappens; perhapsyou’vegotsomelittlequestionableprivaciesthatneed——hel—lo!\" Tomhadsnatchedawayhishand,andwaslookingagooddealconfused。 \"Why,he’sblushing!\"saidLuigi。 Tomdartedanuglylookathim,andsaidsharply: \"Well,ifIam,itain’tbecauseI’mamurderer!\"Luigi’sdarkfaceflushed,butbeforehecouldspeakormove,Tomaddedwithanxioushaste:\"Oh,Ibegathousandpardons。Ididn’tmeanthat; itwasoutbeforeIthought,andI’mvery,verysorry——youmustforgiveme!\" Wilsoncametotherescue,andsmoothedthingsdownaswellashecould; andinfactwasentirelysuccessfulasfarasthetwinswereconcerned,fortheyfeltsorrierfortheaffrontputuponhimbyhisguest’soutburstofillmannersthanfortheinsultofferedtoLuigi。 Butthesuccesswasnotsopronouncedwiththeoffender。Tomtriedtoseemathisease,andhewentthroughthemotionsfairlywell,butatbottomhefeltresentfultowardallthethreewitnessesofhisexhibition;infact,hefeltsoannoyedatthemforhavingwitnesseditandnoticeditthathealmostforgottofeelannoyedathimselfforplacingitbeforethem。However,somethingpresentlyhappenedwhichmadehimalmostcomfortable,andbroughthimnearlybacktoastateofcharityandfriendliness。Thiswasalittlespatbetweenthetwins;notmuchofaspat,butstillaspat;andbeforetheygotfarwithit,theywereinadecidedconditionofirritationwhilepretendingtobeactuatedbymorerespectablemotives。Byhishelpthefiregotwarmeduptotheblazingpoint,andhemighthavehadthehappinessofseeingtheflamesshowupinanothermoment,butfortheinterruptionofaknockonthedoor——aninterruptionwhichfrettedhimasmuchasitgratifiedWilson。Wilsonopenedthedoor。 Thevisitorwasagood—natured,ignorant,energeticmiddle—agedIrishmannamedJohnBuckstone,whowasagreatpoliticianinasmallway,andalwaystookalargeshareinpublicmattersofeverysort。Oneofthetown’schiefexcitements,justnow,wasoverthematterofrum。Therewasastrongrumpartyandastronganti—rumparty。Buckstonewastrainingwiththerumparty,andhehadbeensenttohuntupthetwinsandinvitethemtoattendamassmeetingofthatfaction。Hedeliveredhiserrand,andsaidtheclanswerealreadygatheringinthebighalloverthemarkethouse。 Luigiacceptedtheinvitationcordially。Angelolesscordially,sincehedislikedcrowds,anddidnotdrinkthepowerfulintoxicantsofAmerica。Infact,hewasevenateetotalersometimes—— whenitwasjudicioustobeone。 ThetwinsleftwithBuckstone,andTomDriscolljoinedthecompanywiththemuninvited。 Inthedistance,onecouldseealongwaveringlineoftorchesdriftingdownthemainstreet,andcouldhearthethrobbingofthebassdrum,theclashofcymbals,thesqueakingofafifeortwo,andthefaintroarofremotehurrahs。Thetailendofthisprocessionwasclimbingthemarkethousestairswhenthetwinsarrivedinitsneighborhood;whentheyreachedthehall,itwasfullofpeople,torches,smoke,noise,andenthusiasm。 TheywereconductedtotheplatformbyBuckstone——TomDriscollstillfollowing——andweredeliveredtothechairmaninthemidstofaprodigiousexplosionofwelcome。Whenthenoisehadmoderatedalittle,thechairproposedthat\"ourillustriousguestsbeatonceelected,bycomplimentaryacclamation,tomembershipinourever—gloriousorganization,theparadiseofthefreeandtheperditionoftheslave。\" Thiseloquentdischargeopenedthefloodgatesofenthusiasmagain,andtheelectionwascarriedwiththunderingunanimity。Thenaroseastormofcries: \"Wetthemdown!Wetthemdown!Givethemadrink!\" Glassesofwhiskywerehandedtothetwins。Luigiwaveshisaloft,thenbroughtittohislips;butAngelosethisdown。 Therewasanotherstormofcries。 \"What’sthematterwiththeotherone?\"\"Whatistheblondonegoingbackonusfor?\"\"Explain!Explain!\" Thechairmaninquired,andthenreported: \"Wehavemadeanunfortunatemistake,gentlemen。IfindthattheCountAngeloCapelloisopposedtoourcreed——isateetotaler,infact,andwasnotintendingtoapplyformembershipwithus。Hedesiresthatwereconsiderthevotebywhichhewaselected。Whatisthepleasureofthehouse?\" Therewasageneralburstoflaughter,plentifullyaccentedwithwhistlingsandcatcalls,buttheenergeticuseofthegavelpresentlyrestoredsomethinglikeorder。Thenamanspokefromthecrowd,andsaidthatwhilehewasverysorrythatthemistakehadbeenmade,itwouldnotbepossibletorectifyitatthepresentmeeting。Accordingtothebylaws,itmustgoovertothenextregularmeetingforaction。Hewouldnotofferamotion,asnonewasrequired。Hedesiredtoapologizetothegentlemeninthenameofthehouse,andbeggedtoassurehimthatasfarasitmightlieinthepoweroftheSonsofLiberty,histemporarymembershipintheorderwouldbemadepleasanttohim。 Thisspeechwasreceivedwithgreatapplause,mixedwithcriesof: \"That’sthetalk!\"He’sagoodfellow,anyway,ifhe_is_ateetotaler!\" \"Drinkhishealth!\"\"Givehimarouser,andnoheeltaps!\" Glasseswerehandedaround,andeverybodyontheplatformdrankAngelo’shealth,whilethehousebellowedforthinsong: Forhe’sajollygoodfel—low,Forhe’sajollygoodfel—low,Forhe’sajollygoodfe—el—low,Whichnobodycandeny。 TomDriscolldrank。Itwashissecondglass,forhehaddrunkAngelo’sthemomentthatAngelohadsetitdown。Thetwodrinksmadehimverymerry——almostidioticallyso,andhebegantotakeamostlivelyandprominentpartintheproceedings,particularlyinthemusicandcatcallsandsideremarks。 Thechairmanwasstillstandingatthefront,thetwinsathisside。 TheextraordinarilycloseresemblanceofthebrotherstoeachothersuggestedawitticismtoTomDriscoll,andjustasthechairmanbeganaspeechheskippedforwardandsaid,withanairoftipsyconfidence,totheaudience: \"Boys,Imovethathekeepsstillandletsthishumanphilopenasnipyououtaspeech。\" Thedescriptiveaptnessofthephrasecaughtthehouse,andamightyburstoflaughterfollowed。 Luigi’ssouthernbloodleapedtotheboilingpointinamomentunderthesharphumiliationofthisinsultdeliveredinthepresenceoffourhundredstrangers。Itwasnotintheyoungman’snaturetoletthematterpass,ortodelaythesquaringoftheaccount。 Hetookacoupleofstridesandhaltedbehindtheunsuspectingjoker。 ThenhedrewbackanddeliveredakickofsuchtitanicvigorthatitliftedTomclearoverthefootlightsandlandedhimontheheadsofthefrontrowoftheSonsofLiberty。 Evenasoberpersondoesnotliketohaveahumanbeingemptiedonhimwhenheisnotgoinganyharm;apersonwhoisnotsobercannotenduresuchanattentionatall。ThenestofSonsofLibertythatDriscolllandedinhadnotasoberbirdinit;infacttherewasprobablynotanentirelysoberoneintheauditorium。DriscollwaspromptlyandindignantlyflungontheheadsofSonsinthenextrow,andtheseSonspassedhimontowardtherear,andthenimmediatelybegantopummelthefrontrowSonswhohadpassedhimtothem。ThiscoursewasstrictlyfollowedbybenchafterbenchasDriscolltraveledinhistumultuousandairyflighttowardthedoor;soheleftbehindhimanever—lengtheningwakeofragingandplungingandfightingandswearinghumanity。 Downwentgroupaftergroupoftorches,andpresentlyabovethedeafeningclatterofthegavel,roarofangryvoices,andcrashofsuccumbingbenches,rosetheparalyzingcryof\"_fire!_\" Thefightingceasedinstantly;thecursingceased;foronedistinctlydefinedmoment,therewasadeadhush,amotionlesscalm,wherethetempesthadbeen;thenwithoneimpulsethemultitudeawoketolifeandenergyagain,andwentsurgingandstrugglingandswaying,thiswayandthat,itsouteredgesmeltingawaythroughwindowsanddoorsandgraduallylesseningthepressureandrelievingthemass。 Thefireboyswereneveronhandsosuddenlybefore;fortherewasnodistancetogothistime,theirquartersbeingintherearendofthemarkethouse,Therewasanenginecompanyandahook—and—laddercompany。Halfofeachwascomposedofrummiesandtheotherhalfofanti—rummies,afterthemoralandpoliticalshare—and—share—alikefashionofthefrontiertownoftheperiod。 Enoughanti—rummieswereloafinginquarterstomantheengineandtheladders。Intwominutestheyhadtheirredshirtsandhelmetson—— theyneverstirredofficiallyinunofficialcostume——andasthemassmeetingoverheadsmashedthroughthelongrowofwindowsandpouredoutupontheroofofthearcade,thedelivererswerereadyforthemwithapowerfulstreamofwater,whichwashedsomeofthemofftheroofandnearlydrownedtherest。Butwaterwaspreferabletofire,andstillthestampedefromthewindowscontinued,andstillthepitilessdrenchingassailedituntilthebuildingwasempty; thenthefireboysmountedtothehallandfloodeditwithwaterenoughtoannihilatefortytimesasmuchfireastherewasthere; foravillagefirecompanydoesnotoftengetachancetoshowoff,andsowhenitdoesgetachance,itmakesthemostofit。 Suchcitizensofthatvillageaswereofathoughtfulandjudicioustemperamentdidnotinsureagainstfire;theyinsuredagainstthefirecompany。 CHAPTER12 TheShameofJudgeDriscollCourageisresistancetofear,masteryoffear——notabsenceoffear。 Exceptacreaturebepartcoward,itisnotacomplimenttosayitisbrave;itismerelyaloosemisapplicationoftheword。 Considertheflea!——incomparablythebravestofallthecreaturesofGod,ifignoranceoffearwerecourage。Whetheryouareasleeporawakehewillattackyou,caringnothingforthefactthatinbulkandstrengthyouaretohimasarethemassedarmiesoftheearthtoasuckingchild; helivesbothdayandnightandalldaysandnightsintheverylapofperilandtheimmediatepresenceofdeath,andyetisnomoreafraidthanisthemanwhowalksthestreetsofacitythatwasthreatenedbyanearthquaketencenturiesbefore。WhenwespeakofClive,Nelson,andPutnamasmenwho\"didn’tknowwhatfearwas,\" weoughtalwaystoaddtheflea——andputhimattheheadoftheprocession。 ——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarJudgeDriscollwasinbedandasleepbyteno’clockonFridaynight,andhewasupandgonea—fishingbeforedaylightinthemorningwithhisfriendPembrokeHoward。ThesetwohadbeenboystogetherinVirginiawhenthatstatestillrankedasthechiefandmostimposingmemberoftheUnion,andtheystillcoupledtheproudandaffectionateadjective\"old\"withhernamewhentheyspokeofher。 InMissouriarecognizedsuperiorityattachedtoanypersonwhohailedfromOldVirginia;andthissuperioritywasexaltedtosupremacywhenapersonofsuchnativitycouldalsoprovedescentfromtheFirstFamiliesofthatgreatcommonwealth。TheHowardsandDriscollswereofthisaristocracy。Intheireyes,itwasanobility。 Ithaditsunwrittenlaws,andtheywereasclearlydefinedandasstrictasanythatcouldbefoundamongtheprintedstatuesoftheland。 TheF。F。V。wasbornagentleman;hishighestdutyinlifewastowatchoverthatgreatinheritanceandkeepitunsmirched。 Hemustkeephishonorspotless。Thoselawswerehischart; hiscoursewasmarkedoutonit;ifheswervedfromitbysomuchashalfapointofthecompass,itmeantshipwrecktohishonor; thatistosay,degradationfromhisrankasagentleman。 Theselawsrequiredcertainthingsofhimwhichhisreligionmightforbid: thenhisreligionmustyield——thelawscouldnotberelaxedtoaccommodatereligionsoranythingelse。Honorstoodfirst; andthelawsdefinedwhatitwasandwhereinitdifferedincertaindetailsfromhonorasdefinedbychurchcreedsandbythesociallawsandcustomsofsomeoftheminordivisionsoftheglobethathadgotcrowdedoutwhenthesacredboundariesofVirginiawerestakedout。 IfJudgeDriscollwastherecognizedfirstcitizenofDawson’sLanding,PembrokeHowardwaseasilyitsrecognizedsecondcitizen。 Hewascalled\"thegreatlawyer\"——anearnedtitle。HeandDriscollwereofthesameage——ayearortwopastsixty。 AlthoughDriscollwasafreethinkerandHowardastronganddeterminedPresbyterian,theirwarmintimacysufferednoimpairmentinconsequence。Theyweremenwhoseopinionsweretheirownpropertyandnotsubjecttorevisionandamendment,suggestionorcriticism,byanybody,eventheirfriends。 Theday’sfishingfinished,theycamefloatingdownstreamintheirskiff,talkingnationalpoliticsandotherhighmatters,andpresentlymetaskiffcomingupfromtown,withamaninitwhosaid: \"Ireckonyouknowoneofthenewtwinsgaveyournephewakickinglastnight,Judge?\" \"DidWHAT?\" \"Gavehimakicking。\" Theoldjudge’slipspaled,andhiseyesbegantoflame。Hechokedwithangerforamoment,thenhegotoutwhathewastryingtosay: \"Well——well——goon!Givemethedetails!\" Themandidit。Atthefinishthejudgewassilentaminute,turningoverinhismindtheshamefulpictureofTom’sflightoverthefootlights;thenhesaid,asifmusingaloud,\"H’m——Idon’tunderstandit。Iwasasleepathome。Hedidn’twakeme。 Thoughthewascompetenttomanagehisaffairwithoutmyhelp,Ireckon。\" Hisfacelitupwithprideandpleasureatthatthought,andhesaidwithacheerycomplacency,\"Ilikethat——it’sthetrueoldblood—— hey,Pembroke?\" Howardsmiledanironsmile,andnoddedhisheadapprovingly。 Thenthenews—bringerspokeagain。 \"ButTombeatthetwinonthetrial。\" Thejudgelookedatthemanwonderingly,andsaid: \"Thetrial?Whattrial?\" \"Why,TomhadhimupbeforeJudgeRobinsonforassaultandbattery。\" Theoldmanshranksuddenlytogetherlikeonewhohasreceivedadeathstroke。Howardsprangforhimashesankforwardinaswoon,andtookhiminhisarms,andbeddedhimonhisbackintheboat。 Hesprinkledwaterinhisface,andsaidtothestartledvisitor: \"Go,now——don’tlethimcometoandfindyouhere。Youseewhataneffectyourheedlessspeechhashad;yououghttohavebeenmoreconsideratethantoblurtoutsuchacruelpieceofslanderasthat。\" \"I’mrightdownsorryIdiditnow,Mr。Howard,andIwouldn’thavedoneitifIhadthought;butitain’tslander; it’sperfectlytrue,justasItoldhim。\" Herowedaway。Presentlytheoldjudgecameoutofhisfaintandlookeduppiteouslyintothesympatheticfacethatwasbentoverhim。 \"Sayitain’ttrue,Pembroke;tellmeitain’ttrue!\"hesaidinaweakvoice。 Therewasnothingweakinthedeeporgantonesthatresponded: \"Youknowit’salieaswellasIdo,oldfriend。HeisofthebestbloodoftheOldDominion。\" \"Godblessyouforsayingit!\"saidtheoldgentleman,fervently。 \"Ah,Pembroke,itwassuchablow!\" Howardstayedbyhisfriend,andsawhimhome,andenteredthehousewithhim。Itwasdark,andpastsupper—time,butthejudgewasnotthinkingofsupper;hewaseagertoheartheslanderrefutedfromheadquarters,andaseagertohaveHowardhearit,too。 Tomwassentfor,andhecameimmediately。Hewasbruisedandlame,andwasnotahappy—lookingobject。Hisunclemadehimsitdown,andsaid: \"Wehavebeenhearingaboutyouradventure,Tom,withahandsomelieaddedforembellishment。Nowpulverizethatlietodust! Whatmeasureshaveyoutaken?Howdoesthethingstand?\" Tomansweredguilelessly:\"Itdon’tstandatall;it’sallover。 Ihadhimupincourtandbeathim。Pudd’nheadWilsondefendedhim—— firstcaseheeverhad,andlostit。Thejudgefinedthemiserablehoundfivedollarsfortheassault。\" Howardandthejudgesprangtotheirfeetwiththeopeningsentence—— why,neitherknew;thentheystoodgazingvacantlyateachother。 Howardstoodamoment,thensatmournfullydownwithoutsayinganything。 Thejudge’swrathbegantokindle,andheburstout: \"Youcur!Youscum!Youvermin!Doyoumeantotellmethatbloodofmyracehassufferedablowandcrawledtoacourtoflawaboutit? Answerme!\" Tom’sheaddrooped,andheansweredwithaneloquentsilence。