the 1000000 bank note.docx
《the 1000000 bank note.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《the 1000000 bank note.docx(15页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
the1000000banknote
The£1,000,000BankNote
MarkTwain
WhenIwastwenty-sevenyearsold,Iwasamining-broker'sclerkinSanFrancisco,andanexpertinallthedetailsofstocktraffic.Iwasaloneintheworld,andhadnothingtodependuponbutmywitsandacleanreputation;buttheseweresettingmyfeetintheroadtoeventualfortune,andIwascontentwiththeprospect.
Mytimewasmyownaftertheafternoonboard,Saturdays,andIwasaccustomedtoputitinonalittlesail-boatonthebay.OnedayIventuredtoofar,andwascarriedouttosea.Justatnightfall,whenhopewasaboutgone,IwaspickedupbyasmallbrigwhichwasboundforLondon.Itwasalongandstormyvoyage,andtheymademeworkmypassagewithoutpay,asacommonsailor.WhenIsteppedashoreinLondonmyclotheswereraggedandshabby,andIhadonlyadollarinmypocket.Thismoneyfedandshelteredmetwenty-fourhours.Duringthenexttwenty-fourIwentwithoutfoodandshelter.
Aboutteno'clockonthefollowingmorning,seedyandhungry,IwasdraggingmyselfalongPortlandPlace,whenachildthatwaspassing,towedbyanurse-maid,tossedalusciousbigpear-minusonebite-intothegutter.Istopped,ofcourse,andfastenedmydesiringeyeonthatmuddytreasure.Mymouthwateredforit,mystomachcravedit,mywholebeingbeggedforit.ButeverytimeImadeamovetogetitsomepassingeyedetectedmypurpose,andofcourseIstraightenedupthen,andlookedindifferent,andpretendedthatIhadn'tbeenthinkingaboutthepearatall.Thissamethingkepthappeningandhappening,andIcouldn'tgetthepear.Iwasjustgettingdesperateenoughtobravealltheshame,andtoseizeit,whenawindowbehindmewasraised,andagentlemanspokeoutofit,saying:
"Stepinhere,please."
Iwasadmittedbyagorgeousflunkey,andshownintoasumptuousroomwhereacoupleofelderlygentlemenweresitting.Theysentawaytheservant,andmademesitdown.Theyhadjustfinishedtheirbreakfast,andthesightoftheremainsofitalmostoverpoweredme.Icouldhardlykeepmywitstogetherinthepresenceofthatfood,butasIwasnotaskedtosampleit,IhadtobearmytroubleasbestIcould.
Now,somethinghadbeenhappeningtherealittlebefore,whichIdidnotknowanythingaboutuntilagoodmanydaysafterwards,butIwilltellyouaboutitnow.Thosetwooldbrothershadbeenhavingaprettyhotargumentacoupleofdaysbefore,andhadendedbyagreeingtodecideitbyabet,whichistheEnglishwayofsettlingeverything.
YouwillrememberthattheBankofEnglandonceissuedtwonotesofamillionpoundseach,tobeusedforaspecialpurposeconnectedwithsomepublictransactionwithaforeigncountry.Forsomereasonorotheronlyoneofthesehadbeenusedandcanceled;theotherstilllayinthevaultsoftheBank.Well,thebrothers,chattingalong,happenedtogettowonderingwhatmightbethefateofaperfectlyhonestandintelligentstrangerwhoshouldbeturnedadriftinLondonwithoutafriend,andwithnomoneybutthatmillion-poundbank-note,andnowaytoaccountforhisbeinginpossessionofit.BrotherAsaidhewouldstarvetodeath;BrotherBsaidhewouldn't.BrotherAsaidhecouldn'tofferitatabankoranywhereelse,becausehewouldbearrestedonthespot.SotheywentondisputingtillBrotherBsaidhewouldbettwentythousandpoundsthatthemanwouldlivethirtydays,anyway,onthatmillion,andkeepoutofjail,too.BrotherAtookhimup.BrotherBwentdowntotheBankandboughtthatnote.JustlikeanEnglishman,yousee;plucktothebackbone.Thenhedictatedaletter,whichoneofhisclerkswroteoutinabeautifulroundhand,andthenthetwobrotherssatatthewindowawholedaywatchingfortherightmantogiveitto.
Theysawmanyhonestfacesgobythatwerenotintelligentenough;manythatwereintelligent,butnothonestenough;manythatwereboth,butthepossessorswerenotpoorenough,or,ifpoorenough,werenotstrangers.Therewasalwaysadefect,untilIcamealong;buttheyagreedthatIfilledthebillallaround;sotheyelectedmeunanimously,andthereIwasnowwaitingtoknowwhyIwascalledin.Theybegantoaskmequestionsaboutmyself,andprettysoontheyhadmystory.FinallytheytoldmeIwouldanswertheirpurpose.IsaidIwassincerelyglad,andaskedwhatitwas.Thenoneofthemhandedmeanenvelope,andsaidIwouldfindtheexplanationinside.Iwasgoingtoopenit,buthesaidno;takeittomylodgings,andlookitovercarefully,andnotbehastyorrash.Iwaspuzzled,andwantedtodiscussthematteralittlefurther,buttheydidn't;soItookmyleave,feelinghurtandinsultedtobemadethebuttofwhatwasapparentlysomekindofapracticaljoke,andyetobligedtoputupwithit,notbeingincircumstancestoresentaffrontsfromrichandstrongfolk.
Iwouldhavepickedupthepearnowandeatenitbeforealltheworld,butitwasgone;soIhadlostthatbythisunluckybusiness,andthethoughtofitdidnotsoftenmyfeelingtowardsthosemen.AssoonasIwasoutofsightofthathouseIopenedmyenvelope,andsawthatitcontainedmoney!
Myopinionofthosepeoplechanged,Icantellyou!
Ilostnotamoment,butshovednoteandmoneyintomyvestpocket,andbrokeforthenearestcheapeatinghouse.Well,howIdideat!
WhenatlastIcouldn'tholdanymore,Itookoutmymoneyandunfoldedit,tookoneglimpseandnearlyfainted.Fivemillionsofdollars!
Why,itmademyheadswim.
ImusthavesattherestunnedandblinkingatthenoteasmuchasaminutebeforeIcamerightlytomyselfagain.ThefirstthingInoticed,then,wasthelandlord.Hiseyewasonthenote,andhewaspetrified.Hewasworshiping,withallhisbodyandsoul,buthelookedasifhecouldn'tstirhandorfoot.Itookmycueinamoment,anddidtheonlyrationalthingtherewastodo.Ireachedthenotetowardshim,andsaid,carelessly:
"Givemethechange,please."
Thenhewasrestoredtohisnormalcondition,andmadeathousandapologiesfornotbeingabletobreakthebill,andIcouldn'tgethimtotouchit.Hewantedtolookatit,andkeeponlookingatit;hecouldn'tseemtogetenoughofittoquenchthethirstofhiseye,butheshrankfromtouchingitasifithadbeensomethingtoosacredforpoorcommonclaytohandle.Isaid:
"Iamsorryifitisaninconvenience,butImustinsist.Pleasechangeit;Ihaven'tanythingelse."
Buthesaidthatwasn'tanymatter;hewasquitewillingtoletthetriflestandovertillanothertime.IsaidImightnotbeinhisneighborhoodagainforagoodwhile;buthesaiditwasofnoconsequence,hecouldwait,and,moreover,IcouldhaveanythingIwanted,anytimeIchose,andlettheaccountrunaslongasIpleased.Hesaidhehopedhewasn'tafraidtotrustasrichagentlemanasIwas,merelybecauseIwasofamerrydisposition,andchosetoplaylarksonthepublicinthematterofdress.Bythistimeanothercustomerwasentering,andthelandlordhintedtometoputthemonsteroutofsight;thenhebowedmeallthewaytothedoor,andIstartedstraightforthathouseandthosebrothers,tocorrectthemistakewhichhadbeenmadebeforethepoliceshouldhuntmeup,andhelpmedoit.Iwasprettynervous;infact,prettybadlyfrightened,though,ofcourse,Iwasnowayinfault;butIknewmenwellenoughtoknowthatwhentheyfindthey'vegivenatrampamillion-poundbillwhentheythoughtitwasaone-pounder,theyareinafranticrageagainsthiminsteadofquarrelingwiththeirownnear-sightedness,astheyought.AsIapproachedthehousemyexcitementbegantoabate,forallwasquietthere,whichmademefeelprettysuretheblunderwasnotdiscoveredyet.Irang.Thesameservantappeared.Iaskedforthosegentlemen.
"Theyaregone."Thisinthelofty,coldwayofthatfellow'stribe.
"Gone?
Gonewhere?
"
"Onajourney."
"Butwhereabouts?
"
"TotheContinent,Ithink."
"TheContinent?
"
"Yes,sir."
"Whichway-bywhatroute?
"
"Ican'tsay,sir."
"Whenwilltheybeback?
"
"Inamonth,theysaid."
"Amonth!
Oh,thisisawful!
Givemesomesortofideaofhowtogetawordtothem.It'softhelastimportance."
"Ican't,indeed.I'venoideawherethey'vegone,sir."
"ThenImustseesomememberofthefamily."
"Family'saway,too;beenabroadmonths-inEgyptandIndia,Ithink."
"Man,there'sbeenanimmensemistakemade.They'llbebackbeforenight.WillyoutellthemI'vebeenhere,andthatIwillkeepcomingtillit'sallmaderight,andtheyneedn'tbeafraid?
"
"I'lltellthem,iftheycomeback,butIamnotexpectingthem.Theysaidyouwouldbehereinanhourtomakeinquiries,butImusttellyouit'sallright,they'llbehereontimeandexpectyou."
SoIhadtogiveitupandgoaway.Whatariddleitallwas!
Iwasliketolosemymind.Theywouldbehere"ontime."Whatcouldthatmean?
Oh,theletterwouldexplain,maybe.Ihadforgottentheletter;Igotitoutandreadit.Thisiswhatitsaid:
"Youareanintelligentandhonestman,asonemayseebyyourface.Weconceiveyoutobepoorandastranger.Enclosedyouwillfindasumofmoney.Itislenttoyouforthirtydays,withoutinterest.Reportatthishouseattheendofthattime.Ihaveabetonyou.IfIwinityoushallhaveanysituationthatisinmygift-any,thatis,thatyoushallbeabletoproveyourselffamiliarwithandcompetenttofill."
Nosignature,noaddress,nodate.
Well,herewasacoiltobein!
Youarepostedonwhathadprecededallthis,butIwasnot.Itwasjustadeep,darkpuzzletome.Ihadn'tthe