stories by modern american authors-第35节

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whole　business；　is　the　fact　（for　repeated　experiment　has　convinced

me　it　IS　a　fact）　that　the　circular　opening　in　question　is　visible

from　no　other　attainable　point　of　view　than　that　afforded　by　the

narrow　ledge　upon　the　face　of　the　rock。



〃In　this　expedition　to　the　'Bishop's　Hotel'　I　had　been　attended　by

Jupiter；　who　had；　no　doubt；　observed；　for　some　weeks　past；　the

abstraction　of　my　demeanor；　and　took　especial　care　not　to　leave　me

alone。　　But；　on　the　next　day；　getting　up　very　early；　I　contrived　to

give　him　the　slip；　and　went　into　the　hills　in　search　of　the　tree。

After　much　toil　I　found　it。　　When　I　came　home　at　night　my　valet

proposed　to　give　me　a　flogging。　　With　the　rest　of　the　adventure　I

believe　you　are　as　well　acquainted　as　myself。〃



〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃you　missed　the　spot；　in　the　first　attempt　at

digging；　through　Jupiter's　stupidity　in　letting　the　bug　fall

through　the　right　instead　of　through　the　left　eye　of　the　skull。〃



〃Precisely。　　This　mistake　made　a　difference　of　about　two　inches　and

a　half　in　the　'shot'that　is　to　say；　in　the　position　of　the　peg

nearest　the　tree；　and　had　the　treasure　been　BENEATH　the　'shot；'　the

error　would　have　been　of　little　moment；　but　'the　shot；'　together

with　the　nearest　point　of　the　tree；　were　merely　two　points　for　the

establishment　of　a　line　of　direction；　of　course　the　error；　however

trivial　in　the　beginning；　increased　as　we　proceeded　with　the　line；

and　by　the　time　we　had　gone　fifty　feet　threw　us　quite　off　the

scent。　　But　for　my　deep…seated　impressions　that　treasure　was　here

somewhere　actually　buried；　we　might　have　had　all　our　labor　in

vain。〃



〃But　your　grandiloquence；　and　your　conduct　in　swinging　the　beetle

how　excessively　odd！　　I　was　sure　you　were　mad。　　And　why　did　you

insist　upon　letting　fall　the　bug；　instead　of　a　bullet；　from　the

skull？〃



〃Why；　to　be　frank；　I　felt　somewhat　annoyed　by　your　evident

suspicions　touching　my　sanity；　and　so　resolved　to　punish　you

quietly；　in　my　own　way；　by　a　little　bit　of　sober　mystification。

For　this　reason　I　swung　the　beetle；　and　for　this　reason　I　let　it

fall　from　the　tree。　　An　observation　of　yours　about　its　great　weight

suggested　the　latter　idea。〃



〃Yes；　I　perceive；　and　now　there　is　only　one　point　which　puzzles　me。

What　are　we　to　make　of　the　skeletons　found　in　the　hole？〃



〃That　is　a　question　I　am　no　more　able　to　answer　than　yourself。

There　seems；　however；　only　one　plausible　way　of　accounting　for

themand　yet　it　is　dreadful　to　believe　in　such　atrocity　as　my

suggestion　would　imply。　　It　is　clear　that　Kiddif　Kidd　indeed

secreted　this　treasure；　which　I　doubt　notit　is　clear　that　he　must

have　had　assistance　in　the　labor。　　But　this　labor　concluded；　he　may

have　thought　it　expedient　to　remove　all　participants　in　his　secret。

Perhaps　a　couple　of　blows　with　a　mattock　were　sufficient；　while　his

coadjutors　were　busy　in　the　pit；　perhaps　it　required　a　dozenwho

shall　tell？〃







Washington　Irving



Wolfert　Webber；　or　Golden　Dreams





In　the　year　of　grace　one　thousand　seven　hundred　andblankfor　I

do　not　remember　the　precise　date；　however；　it　was　somewhere　in　the

early　part　of　the　last　century；there　lived　in　the　ancient　city　of

the　Manhattoes　a　worthy　burgher；　Wolfert　Webber　by　name。　　He　was

descended　from　old　Cobus　Webber　of　the　Brill＇1＇　in　Holland；　one　of

the　original　settlers；　famous　for　introducing　the　cultivation　of

cabbages；　and　who　came　over　to　the　province　during　the

protectorship　of　Oloffe　Van　Kortlandt；　otherwise　called　〃the

Dreamer。〃





＇1＇　The　Brill　is　a　fortified　seaport　of　Holland；　on　the　Meuse

River；　near　Rotterdam。





The　field　in　which　Cobus　Webber　first　planted　himself　and　his

cabbages　had　remained　ever　since　in　the　family；　who　continued　in

the　same　line　of　husbandry　with　that　praiseworthy　perseverance　for

which　our　Dutch　burghers　are　noted。　　The　whole　family　genius；

during　several　generations；　was　devoted　to　the　study　and

development　of　this　one　noble　vegetable；　and　to　this　concentration

of　intellect　may　doubtless　be　ascribed　the　prodigious　renown　to

which　the　Webber　cabbages　attained。



The　Webber　dynasty　continued　in　uninterrupted　succession；　and　never

did　a　line　give　more　unquestionable　proofs　of　legitimacy。　　The

eldest　son　succeeded　to　the　looks　as　well　as　the　territory　of　his

sire；　and　had　the　portraits　of　this　line　of　tranquil　potentates

been　taken；　they　would　have　presented　a　row　of　heads　marvelously

resembling；　in　shape　and　magnitude；　the　vegetables　over　which　they

reigned。



The　seat　of　government　continued　unchanged　in　the　family　mansion；

a　Dutch…built　house；　with　a　front；　or　rather　gable　end；　of　yellow

brick；　tapering　to　a　point；　with　the　customary　iron　weathercock　at

the　top。　　Everything　about　the　building　bore　the　air　of　long…

settled　ease　and　security。　　Flights　of　martins　peopled　the　little

coops　nailed　against　its　walls；　and　swallows　built　their　nests

under　the　eaves；　and　everyone　knows　that　these　house…loving　birds

bring　good　luck　to　the　dwelling　where　they　take　up　their　abode。　　In

a　bright　summer　morning　in　early　summer；　it　was　delectable　to　hear

their　cheerful　notes　as　they　sported　about　in　the　pure；　sweet　air；

chirping　forth；　as　it　were；　the　greatness　and　prosperity　of　the

Webbers。



Thus　quietly　and　comfortably　did　this　excellent　family　vegetate

under　the　shade　of　a　mighty　buttonwood　tree；　which　by　little　and

little　grew　so　great　as　entirely　to　overshadow　their　palace。　　The

city　gradually　spread　its　suburbs　round　their　domain。　　Houses

sprang　up　to　interrupt　their　prospects。　　The　rural　lanes　in　the

vicinity　began　to　grow　into　the　bustle　and　populousness　of　streets；

in　short；　with　all　the　habits　of　rustic　life　they　began　to　find

themselves　the　inhabitants　of　a　city。　　Still；　however；　they

maintained　their　hereditary　character　and　hereditary　possessions；

with　all　the　tenacity　of　petty　German　princes　in　the　midst　of　the

empire。　　Wolfert　was　the　last　of　the　line；　and　succeeded　to　the

patriarchal　bench　at　the　door；　under　the　family　tree；　and　swayed

the　scepter　of　his　fathers；a　kind　of　rural　potentate　in　the　midst

of　the　metropolis。



To　share　the　cares　and　sweets　of　sovereignty　he　had　taken　unto

himself　a　helpmate；　one　of　that　excellent　kind　called　〃stirring

women〃；　that　is　to　say；　she　was　one　of　those　notable　little

housewives　who　are　always　busy　where　there　is　nothing　to　do。　　Her

activity；　however；　took　one　particular　direction；her　whole　life

seemed　devoted　to　intense　knitting；　whether　at　home　or　abroad；

walking　or　sitting；　her　needles　were　continually　in　motion；　and　it

is　even　affirmed　that　by　her　unwearied　industry　she　very　nearly

supplied　her　household　with　stockings　throughout　the　year。　　This

worthy　couple　were　blessed　with　one　daughter　who　was　brought　up

with　great　tenderness　and　care；　uncommon　pains　had　been　taken　with

her　education；　so　that　she　could　stitch　in　every　variety　of　way；

make　all　kinds　of　pickles　and　preserves；　and　mark　her　own　name　on　a

sampler。　　The　influence　of　her　taste　was　seen　also　in　the　family

garden；　where　the　ornamental　began　to　mingle　with　the　useful；　whole

rows　of　fiery　marigolds　and　splendid　hollyhocks　bordered　the

cabbage　beds；　and　gigantic　sunflowers　lolled　their　broad；　jolly

faces　over　the　fences；　seeming　to　ogle　most　affectionately　the

passers…by。



Thus　reigned　and　vegetated　Wolfert　Webber　over　his　paternal　acres；

peacefully　and　contentedly。　　Not　but　that；　like　all　other

sovereigns；　he　had　his　occasional　cares　and　vexations。　　The　growth

of　his　native　city　sometimes　caused　him　annoyance。　　His　little

territory　gradually　became　hemmed　in　by　streets　and　houses；　which

intercepted　air　and　sunshine。　　He　was　now　and　then　subjected　to　the

eruptions　of　the　border　population　that　infest　the　streets　of　a

metropolis；　who　would　make　midnight　forays　into　his　dominions；　and

carry　off　captive　whole　platoons　of　his　noblest　subjects。　　Vagrant

swine　would　make　a　descent；　too；　now　and　then；　when　the　gate　was

left　open；　and　lay　all　waste　before　them；　and　mischievous　urchins

would　decapitate　the　illustrious　sunflowers；　the　glory　of　the

garden；　as　they　lolled　their　heads　so　fondly　over　the　walls。　　Still

all　these　were　petty　grievances；　which　might　now　and　then　ruffle

the　surface　of　his　mind；　as　a　summer　breeze　will　ruffle　the　surface

of　a　mill　pond；　but　they　could　not　disturb　the　deep…seated　quiet　of

his　soul。　　He　would　but　seize　a　trusty　staff　that　stood　behind　the

door；　issue　suddenly　out；　and　anoint　the　back　of　the　aggressor；

whether　pig　or　urchin；　and　then　return　within　doors；　marvelously

refreshed　and　tranquilized。



The　chief　cause　of　anxiety　to　honest　Wolfert；　however；　was　the

growing　prosperity　of　the　city。　　The　expenses　of　living　doubled　and

trebled；　but　he　could　not　double　and　treble　the　magnitude　of　his

cabbages；　and　the　number　of　competitors　prevented　the　increase　of

price；　thus；　therefore；　while　everyone　around　him　grew　richer；

Wolfert　grew　poorer