第34章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"McTeague",免费读到尾

  Hedidnotstrike,hedidnotknowwhathewasdoing。Hisonlyideawastobatterthelifeoutofthemanbeforehim,tocrushandannihilatehimupontheinstant。Grippinghisenemyinhisenormoushands,hardandknotted,andcoveredwithastifffellofyellowhair——thehandsoftheold-timecar-boy——heswunghimwide,asahammer-throwerswingshishammer。Marcus’sfeetflippedfromtheground,hespunthroughtheairaboutMcTeagueashelplessasabundleofclothes。Allatoncetherewasasharpsnap,almostlikethereportofasmallpistol。ThenMarcusrolledoverandoveruponthegroundasMcTeaguereleasedhisgrip;hisarm,theonethedentisthadseized,bendingsuddenly,asthoughathirdjointhadformedbetweenwristandelbow。Thearmwasbroken。

  Butbythistimeeveryonewascryingoutatonce。HeiseandRyanraninbetweenthetwomen。Selinaturnedherheadaway。Trinawaswringingherhandsandcryinginanagonyofdread:

  “Oh,stopthem,stopthem!Don’tletthemfight。Oh,it’stooawful。“

  “Here,here,Doc,quit。Don’tmakeafoolofyourself,“

  criedHeise,clingingtothedentist。“That’senoughnow。

  LISTENtome,willyou?“

  “Oh,Mac,Mac,“criedTrina,runningtoherhusband。“Mac,dear,listen;it’sme,it’sTrina,lookatme,you——“

  “Getholdofhisotherarm,willyou,Ryer?“pantedHeise。

  “Quick!“

  “Mac,Mac,“criedTrina,herarmsabouthisneck。

  “ForGod’ssake,holdup,Doc,willyou?“shoutedtheharness-maker。“Youdon’twanttokillhim,doyou?“

  Mrs。RyerandHeise’slamewifewerefillingtheairwiththeiroutcries。Selinawasgigglingwithhysteria。Marcus,terrified,buttoobravetorun,hadpickedupajaggedstonewithhislefthandandstoodonthedefensive。Hisswollenrightarm,fromwhichtheshirtsleevehadbeentorn,dangledathisside,thebackofthehandtwistedwherethepalmshouldhavebeen。Theshirtitselfwasamassofgrassstainsandwasspottedwiththedentist’sblood。

  ButMcTeague,inthecentreofthegroupthatstruggledtoholdhim,wasnightomadness。Thesideofhisface,hisneck,andalltheshoulderandbreastofhisshirtwerecoveredwithblood。Hehadceasedtocryout,butkeptmutteringbetweenhisgrippedjaws,ashelaboredtotearhimselffreeoftheretaininghands:

  “Ah,I’llkillhim!Ah,I’llkillhim!I’llkillhim!

  Damnyou,Heise,“heexclaimedsuddenly,tryingtostriketheharness-maker,“letgoofme,willyou!“

  Littlebylittletheypacifiedhim,orratherforhepaidbutlittleattentiontowhatwassaidtohimhisbestialfurylapsedbydegrees。Heturnedawayandletfallhisarms,drawinglongbreaths,andlookingstupidlyabouthim,nowsearchinghelplesslyupontheground,nowgazingvaguelyintothecircleoffacesabouthim。Hisearbledasthoughitwouldneverstop。

  “Say,Doctor,“askedHeise,“what’sthebestthingtodo?“

  “Huh?“answeredMcTeague。“What——whatdoyoumean?Whatisit?“

  “What’llwedotostopthisbleedinghere?“

  McTeaguedidnotanswer,butlookedintentlyattheblood-

  stainedbosomofhisshirt。

  “Mac,“criedTrina,herfaceclosetohis,“tellussomething——thebestthingwecandotostopyourearbleeding。“

  “Collodium,“saidthedentist。

  “Butwecan’tgettothatrightaway;we——“

  “There’ssomeiceinourlunchbasket,“brokeinHeise。“Webroughtitforthebeer;andtakethenapkinsandmakeabandage。“

  “Ice,“mutteredthedentist,“sure,ice,that’stheword。“

  Mrs。HeiseandtheRyerswerelookingafterMarcus’sbrokenarm。Selinasatontheslopeofthegrass,gaspingandsobbing。Trinatorethenapkinsintostrips,and,crushingsomeoftheice,madeabandageforherhusband’shead。’

  Thepartyresolveditselfintotwogroups;theRyersandMrs。HeisebendingoverMarcus,whiletheharness-makerandTrinacameandwentaboutMcTeague,sittingontheground,hisshirt,amereblurofredandwhite,detachingitselfviolentlyfromthebackgroundofpale-greengrass。Betweenthetwogroupswasthetornandtrampledbitofturf,thewrestlingring;thepicnicbaskets,togetherwithemptybeerbottles,brokenegg-shells,anddiscardedsardinetins,werescatteredhereandthere。InthemiddleoftheimprovisedwrestlingringthesleeveofMarcus’sshirtflutteredoccasionallyintheseabreeze。

  NobodywaspayinganyattentiontoSelina。Allatonceshebegantogigglehystericallyagain,thencriedoutwithapealoflaughter:

  “Oh,whatawayforourpicnictoend!“

  CHAPTER12

  “Now,then,Maria,“saidZerkow,hiscracked,strainedvoicejustrisingaboveawhisper,hitchinghischairclosertothetable,“now,then,mygirl,let’shaveitalloveragain。Tellusaboutthegoldplate——theservice。Beginwith,’Therewereoverahundredpiecesandeveryoneofthemgold。’“

  “Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout,Zerkow,“answeredMaria。“Thereneverwasnogoldplate,nogoldservice。I

  guessyoumusthavedreamedit。“

  Mariaandthered-headedPolishJewhadbeenmarriedaboutamonthaftertheMcTeague’spicnicwhichhadendedinsuchlamentablefashion。ZerkowhadtakenMariahometohiswretchedhovelinthealleybackoftheflat,andtheflathadbeenobligedtogetanothermaidofallwork。Timepassed,amonth,sixmonths,awholeyearwentby。AtlengthMariagavebirthtoachild,awretched,sicklychild,withnotevenstrengthenoughnorwitsenoughtocry。AtthetimeofitsbirthMariawasoutofhermind,andcontinuedinastateofdementiafornearlytendays。

  Sherecoveredjustintimetomakethearrangementsforthebaby’sburial。NeitherZerkownorMariawasmuchaffectedbyeitherthebirthorthedeathofthislittlechild。

  Zerkowhadwelcomeditwithpronounceddisfavor,sinceithadamouthtobefedandwantstobeprovidedfor。Mariawasoutofherheadsomuchofthetimethatshecouldscarcelyrememberhowitlookedwhenalive。Thechildwasamereincidentintheirlives,athingthathadcomeundesiredandhadgoneunregretted。Ithadnotevenaname;

  astrange,hybridlittlebeing,comeandgonewithinafortnight’stime,yetcombininginitspunylittlebodythebloodoftheHebrew,thePole,andtheSpaniard。

  Butthebirthofthischildhadpeculiarconsequences。

  Mariacameoutofherdementia,andinafewdaysthehouseholdsettleditselfagaintoitssordidregimeandMariawentaboutherdutiesasusual。Thenoneevening,aboutaweekafterthechild’sburial,ZerkowhadaskedMariatotellhimthestoryofthefamousserviceofgoldplateforthehundredthtime。

  Zerkowhadcometobelieveinthisstoryinfallibly。HewasimmovablypersuadedthatatonetimeMariaorMaria’speoplehadpossessedthesehundredgoldendishes。Inhispervertedmindthehallucinationhaddevelopedstillfurther。Notonlyhadthatserviceofgoldplateonceexisted,butitexistednow,entire,intact;notasingleburnishedgoldenpieceofitwasmissing。Itwassomewhere,somebodyhadit,lockedawayinthatleathertrunkwithitsquiltedliningandroundbrasslocks。Itwastobesearchedforandsecured,tobefoughtfor,tobegainedatallhazards。

  Mariamustknowwhereitwas;bydintofquestioning,Zerkowwouldsurelygettheinformationfromher。Someday,ifonlyhewaspersistent,hewouldhitupontherightcombinationofquestions,therightsuggestionthatwoulddisentangleMaria’sconfusedrecollections。Mariawouldtellhimwherethethingwaskept,wasconcealed,wasburied,andhewouldgotothatplaceandsecureit,andallthatwonderfulgoldwouldbehisforeverandforever。ThisserviceofplatehadcometobeZerkow’smania。

  Onthisparticularevening,aboutaweekafterthechild’sburial,inthewretchedbackroomoftheJunkshop,ZerkowhadmadeMariasitdowntothetableoppositehim——

  thewhiskeybottleandtheredglasstumblerwithitsbrokenbasebetweenthem——andhadsaid:

  “Now,then,Maria,tellusthatstoryofthegolddishesagain。“

  Mariastaredathim,anexpressionofperplexitycomingintoherface。

  “Whatgolddishes?“saidshe。

  “TheonesyourpeopleusedtoowninCentralAmerica。Comeon,Maria,begin,begin。“TheJewcranedhimselfforward,hisleanfingersclawingeagerlyathislips。

  “Whatgoldplate?“saidMaria,frowningathimasshedrankherwhiskey。“Whatgoldplate?Idon’knowwhatyou’retalkingabout,Zerkow。“

  Zerkowsatbackinhischair,staringather。

  “Why,yourpeople’sgolddishes,whattheyusedtoeatoffof。You’vetoldmeaboutitahundredtimes。“

  “You’recrazy,Zerkow,“saidMaria。“Pushthebottlehere,willyou?“

  “Come,now,“insistedZerkow,sweatingwithdesire,“come,now,mygirl,don’tbeafool;let’shaveit,let’shaveit。

  Beginnow,’Thereweremore’nahundredpieces,andeveryoneof’emgold。’Oh,YOUknow;comeon,comeon。“

  “Idon’tremembernothingofthekind,“protestedMaria,reachingforthebottle。Zerkowsnatcheditfromher。

  “Youfool!“hewheezed,tryingtoraisehisbrokenvoicetoashout。“Youfool!Don’tyoudaretryan’cheatME,orI’llDOforyou。Youknowaboutthegoldplate,andyouknowwhereitis。“Suddenlyhepitchedhisvoiceattheprolongedraspingshoutwithwhichhemadehisstreetcry。

  Herosetohisfeet,hislong,prehensilefingerscurledintofists。Hewasmenacing,terribleinhisrage。HeleanedoverMaria,hisfistsinherface。

  “Ibelieveyou’vegotit!“heyelled。“Ibelieveyou’vegotit,an’arehidingitfromme。Whereisit,whereisit?Isithere?“herolledhiseyeswildlyabouttheroom。

  “Hey?hey?“hewenton,shakingMariabytheshoulders。

  “Whereisit?Isithere?Tellmewhereitis。Tellme,orI’lldoforyou!“

  “Itain’there,“criedMaria,wrenchingfromhim。“Itain’tanywhere。Whatgoldplate?Whatareyoutalkingabout?I

  don’tremembernothingaboutnogoldplateatall。“

  No,Mariadidnotremember。Thetroubleandturmoilofhermindconsequentuponthebirthofherchildseemedtohavereadjustedherdisorderedideasuponthispoint。Hermaniahadcometoacrisis,whichinsubsidinghadclearedherbrainofitsoneillusion。Shedidnotremember。Oritwaspossiblethatthegoldplateshehadoncerememberedhadhadsomefoundationinfact,thatherrecitalofitssplendorshadbeentruth,soundandsane。ItwaspossiblethatnowherFORGETFULNESSofitwassomeformofbraintrouble,arelicofthedementiaofchildbirth。AtalleventsMariadidnotremember;theideaofthegoldplatehadpassedentirelyoutofhermind,anditwasnowZerkowwholaboredunderitshallucination。ItwasnowZerkow,therakerofthecity’smuckheap,thesearcheraftergold,thatsawthatwonderfulserviceintheeyeofhispervertedmind。Itwashewhocouldnowdescribeitinalanguagealmosteloquent。

点击下载App,搜索"McTeague",免费读到尾