Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories.docx

Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories.docx

《Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories.docx（56页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AlonzoFitzandOtherStories

AlonzoFitzandOtherStoriesbyMarkTwainCONTENTSOFTHISVOLUME:

THELOVESOFALONZOFITZCLARENCEANDROSANNAHETHELTON

ONTHEDECAYOFTHEARTOFLYING

ABOUTMAGNANIMOUS-INCIDENTLITERATURE

THEGRATEFULPOODLE

THEBENEVOLENTAUTHOR

THEGRATEFULHUSBAND

PUNCH,BROTHERS,PUNCH

THEGREATREVOLUTIONINPITCAIRN

THECANVASSER'STALE

ANENCOUNTERWITHANINTERVIEWER

PARISNOTES

LEGENDOFSAGENFELD,INGERMANY

SPEECHONTHEBABIES

SPEECHONTHEWEATHER

CONCERNINGTHEAMERICANLANGUAGE

ROGERS

THELOVESOFALONZOFITZCLARENCEANDROSANNAHETHELTON

Itwaswellalongintheforenoonofabitterwinter'sday.ThetownofEastport,inthestateofMaine,layburiedunderadeepsnowthatwasnewlyfallen.Thecustomarybustleinthestreetswaswanting.Onecouldlooklongdistancesdownthemandseenothingbutadead-whiteemptiness,withsilencetomatch.OfcourseIdonotmeanthatyoucouldseethesilence--no,youcouldonlyhearit.Thesidewalksweremerelylong,deepditches,withsteepsnowwallsoneitherside.Hereandthereyoumighthearthefaint,farscrapeofawoodenshovel,andifyouwerequickenoughyoumightcatchaglimpseofadistantblackfigurestoopinganddisappearinginoneofthoseditches,andreappearingthenextmomentwithamotionwhichyouwouldknowmeanttheheavingoutofashovelfulofsnow.Butyouneededtobequick,forthatblackfigurewouldnotlinger,butwouldsoardropthatshovelandscudforthehouse,thrashingitselfwithitsarmstowarmthem.Yes,itwastoovenomouslycoldforsnow-shovelersoranybodyelsetostayoutlong.

Presentlytheskydarkened;thenthewindroseandbegantoblowinfitful,vigorousgusts,whichsentcloudsofpowderysnowaloft,andstraightahead,andeverywhere.Undertheimpulseofoneofthesegusts,greatwhitedriftsbankedthemselveslikegravesacrossthestreets;amomentlateranothergustshiftedthemaroundtheotherway,drivingafinesprayofsnowfromtheirsharpcrests,asthegaledrivesthespumeflakesfromwave-crestsatsea;athirdgustsweptthatplaceascleanasyourhand,ifitsawfit.Thiswasfooling,thiswasplay;buteachandallofthegustsdumpedsomesnowintothesidewalkditches,forthatwasbusiness.

AlonzoFitzClarencewassittinginhissnugandelegantlittleparlor,inalovelybluesilkdressing-gown,withcuffsandfacingsofcrimsonsatin,elaboratelyquilted.Theremainsofhisbreakfastwerebeforehim,andthedaintyandcostlylittletableserviceaddedaharmoniouscharmtothegrace,beauty,andrichnessofthefixedappointmentsoftheroom.Acheeryfirewasblazingonthehearth.

Afuriousgustofwindshookthewindows,andagreatwaveofsnowwashedagainstthemwithadrenchingsound,sotospeak.Thehandsomeyoungbachelormurmured:

"Thatmeans,nogoingoutto-day.Well,Iamcontent.Butwhattodoforcompany?

Motheriswellenough,AuntSusaniswellenough;butthese,likethepoor,Ihavewithmealways.Onsogrimadayasthis,oneneedsanewinterest,afreshelement,towhetthedulledgeofcaptivity.Thatwasveryneatlysaid,butitdoesn'tmeananything.

Onedoesn'twanttheedgeofcaptivitysharpenedup,youknow,butjustthereverse."

HeglancedathisprettyFrenchmantel-clock.

"Thatclock'swrongagain.Thatclockhardlyeverknowswhattimeitis;

andwhenitdoesknow,itliesaboutit--whichamountstothesamething.

Alfred!

"

Therewasnoanswer.

"Alfred!

...Goodservant,butasuncertainastheclock."

Alonzotouchedanelectricbellbuttoninthewall.Hewaitedamoment,thentoucheditagain;waitedafewmomentsmore,andsaid:

"Batteryoutoforder,nodoubt.ButnowthatIhavestarted,Iwillfindoutwhattimeitis."Hesteppedtoaspeaking-tubeinthewall,blewitswhistle,andcalled,"Mother!

"andrepeatedittwice.

"Well,that'snouse.Mother'sbatteryisoutoforder,too.Can'traiseanybodydown-stairs--thatisplain."

Hesatdownatarosewooddesk,leanedhischinontheleft-handedgeofitandspoke,asiftothefloor:

"AuntSusan!

"

Alow,pleasantvoiceanswered,"Isthatyou,Alonzo?

'

"Yes.I'mtoolazyandcomfortabletogodownstairs;Iaminextremity,andIcan'tseemtoscareupanyhelp."

"Dearme,whatisthematter?

"

"Matterenough,Icantellyou!

"

"Oh,don'tkeepmeinsuspense,dear!

Whatisit?

"

"Iwanttoknowwhattimeitis."

"Youabominableboy,whataturnyoudidgiveme!

Isthatall?

"

"All--onmyhonor.Calmyourself.Tellmethetime,andreceivemyblessing."

"Justfiveminutesafternine.Nocharge--keepyourblessing."

"Thanks.Itwouldn'thaveimpoverishedme,aunty,norsoenrichedyouthatyoucouldlivewithoutothermeans."

Hegotup,murmuring,"Justfiveminutesafternine,"andfacedhisclock."Ah,"saidhe,"youaredoingbetterthanusual.Youareonlythirty-fourminuteswrong.Letmesee..,letmesee....

Thirty-threeandtwenty-onearefifty-four;fourtimesfifty-fouraretwohundredandthirty-six.Oneoff,leavestwohundredandthirty-five.

That'sright."

Heturnedthehandsofhisclockforwardtilltheymarkedtwenty-fiveminutestoone,andsaid,"Nowseeifyoucan'tkeeprightforawhile--elseI'llraffleyou!

"

Hesatdownatthedeskagain,andsaid,"AuntSusan!

"

"Yes,dear."

"Hadbreakfast?

"

"Yes,indeed,anhourago."

"Busy?

"

"No--exceptsewing.Why?

"

"Gotanycompany?

"

"No,butIexpectsomeathalfpastnine."

"IwishIdid.I'mlonesome.Iwanttotalktosomebody."

"Verywell,talktome."

"Butthisisveryprivate."

"Don'tbeafraid--talkrightalong,there'snobodyherebutme."

"Ihardlyknowwhethertoventureornot,but--"

"Butwhat?

Oh,don'tstopthere!

Youknowyoucantrustme,Alonzo--youknow,youcan."

"Ifeelit,aunt,butthisisveryserious.Itaffectsmedeeply--me,andallthefamily---eventhewholecommunity."

"Oh,Alonzo,tellme!

Iwillneverbreatheawordofit.Whatisit?

"

"Aunt,ifImightdare--"

"Oh,pleasegoon!

Iloveyou,andfeelforyou.Tellmeall.

Confideinme.Whatisit?

"

"Theweather!

"

"Plaguetaketheweather!

Idon'tseehowyoucanhavethehearttoservemeso,Lon."

"There,there,auntydear,I'msorry;Iam,onmyhonor.Iwon'tdoitagain.Doyouforgiveme?

"

"Yes,sinceyouseemsosincereaboutit,thoughIknowIoughtn'tto.

YouwillfoolmeagainassoonasIhaveforgottenthistime."

"No,Iwon't,honorbright.Butsuchweather,oh,suchweather!

You'vegottokeepyourspiritsupartificially.Itissnowy,andblowy,andgusty,andbittercold!

Howistheweatherwithyou?

"

"Warmandrainyandmelancholy.Themournersgoaboutthestreetswiththeirumbrellasrunningstreamsfromtheendofeverywhalebone.There'sanelevateddoublepavementofumbrellas,stretchingdownthesidesofthestreetsasfarasIcansee.I'vegotafireforcheerfulness,andthewindowsopentokeepcool.Butitisvain,itisuseless:

nothingcomesinbutthebalmybreathofDecember,withitsburdenofmockingodorsfromtheflowersthatpossesstherealmoutside,andrejoiceintheirlawlessprofusionwhilstthespiritofmanislow,andflaunttheirgaudysplendorsinhisfacewhilehissoulisclothedinsackclothandashesandhisheartbreaketh."

Alonzoopenedhislipstosay,"Yououghttoprintthat,andgetitframed,"butcheckedhimself,forheheardhisauntspeakingtosomeoneelse.Hewentandstoodatthewindowandlookedoutuponthewintryprospect.Thestormwasdrivingthesnowbeforeitmorefuriouslythanever;window-shutterswereslammingandbanging;aforlorndog,withbowedheadandtailwithdrawnfromservice,waspressinghisquakingbodyagainstawindwardwallforshelterandprotection;ayounggirlwasplowingknee-deepthroughthedrifts,withherfaceturnedfromtheblast,andthecapeofherwaterproofblowingstraightrearwardoverherhead.Alonzoshuddered,andsaidwithasigh,"Bettertheslop,andthesultryrain,andeventheinsolentflowers,thanthis!

"

Heturnedfromthewindow,movedastep,andstoppedinalisteningattitude.Thefaint,sweetnotesofafamiliarsongcaughthisear.Heremainedthere,withhisheadunconsciouslybentforward,drinkinginthemelody,stirringneitherhandnorfoot,hardlybreathing.Therewasablemishintheexecutionofthesong,buttoAlonzoitseemedanaddedcharminsteadofadefect.Thisblemishconsistedofamarkedflattingofthethird,fourth,fifth,sixth,andseventhnotesoftherefrainorchorusofthepiece.Whenthemusicended,Alonzodrewadeepbreath,andsaid,"Ah,Ineverhaveheard'IntheSweetBy-and-by'sunglikethatbefore!

"

Hesteppedquicklytothedesk,listenedamoment,andsaidinaguarded,confidentialvoice,"Aunty,whoisthisdivinesinger?

"

"SheisthecompanyIwasexpecting.Stayswithmeamonthortwo.

Iwillintroduceyou.Miss--"

"Forgoodness'sake,waitamoment,AuntSusan!

Youneverstoptothinkwhatyouareabout!

"

Heflewtohisbedchamber,andreturnedinamomentperceptiblychangedinhisoutwardappearance,andremarking,snappishly:

"Hangit,shewouldhaveintroducedmetothisangelinthatsky-bluedressing-gownwithred-hotlapels!

Womenneverthink,whentheygeta-going."

Hehastenedandstoodbythedesk,andsaideagerly,"Now,Aunty,Iamready,"andfelltosmilingandbowingwithallthepersuasivenessandelegancethatwereinhim.

"Verywell.MissRosannahEthelton,letmeintroducetoyoumyfavoritenephew,Mr.AlonzoFitzClarence.There!

Youarebothgoodpeople,andIlikeyou;soIamgoingtotrustyoutogetherwhileIattendtoafewhouseholdaffairs.Sitdown,Rosannah;sitdown,Alonzo.Good-by;I

sha'n'tbegonelong."

Alonzohadbeenbowingandsmilingallthewhile,andmotioningimaginaryyoungladiestositdowninimaginarychair