novel notes-第3章

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；　〃Yes；　sir；〃　and　disappeared　into　the　back　kitchen。　　At　the　end　of　thirty　seconds　or　so；　I　called　down　again。　　〃I　asked　you；　Amenda；〃　I　said　reproachfully；　〃to　tell　me　the　time　about　ten　minutes　ago。〃

〃Oh；　did　you？〃　she　called　back　pleasantly。　　〃I　beg　your　pardon。　　I　thought　you　asked　me　if　I　knew　itit's　half…past　four。〃

Ethelbertha　inquiredto　return　to　our　fireif　she　had　tried　lighting　it　again。

〃Oh　yes；　mum；〃　answered　the　girl。　　〃I've　tried　four　times。〃　　Then　she　added　cheerfully；　〃I'll　try　again　if　you　like；　mum。〃

Amenda　was　the　most　willing　servant　we　ever　paid　wages　to。

Ethelbertha　said　she　would　step　down　and　light　the　fire　herself；　and　told　Amenda　to　follow　her　and　watch　how　she　did　it。　　I　felt　interested　in　the　experiment；　and　followed　also。　　Ethelbertha　tucked　up　her　frock　and　set　to　work。　　Amenda　and　I　stood　around　and　looked　on。

At　the　end　of　half　an　hour　Ethelbertha　retired　from　the　contest；　hot；　dirty；　and　a　trifle　irritable。　　The　fireplace　retained　the　same　cold；　cynical　expression　with　which　it　had　greeted　our　entrance。

Then　I　tried。　　I　honestly　tried　my　best。　　I　was　eager　and　anxious　to　succeed。　　For　one　reason；　I　wanted　my　breakfast。　　For　another；　I　wanted　to　be　able　to　say　that　I　had　done　this　thing。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　for　any　human　being　to　light　a　fire；　laid　as　that　fire　was　laid；　would　be　a　feat　to　be　proud　of。　　To　light　a　fire　even　under　ordinary　circumstances　is　not　too　easy　a　task：　　to　do　so；　handicapped　by　MacShaughnassy's　rules；　would；　I　felt；　be　an　achievement　pleasant　to　look　back　upon。　　My　idea；　had　I　succeeded；　would　have　been　to　go　round　the　neighbourhood　and　brag　about　it。

However；　I　did　not　succeed。　　I　lit　various　other　things；　including　the　kitchen　carpet　and　the　cat；　who　would　come　sniffing　about；　but　the　materials　within　the　stove　appeared　to　be　fire…proof。

Ethelbertha　and　I　sat　down；　one　each　side　of　our　cheerless　hearth；　and　looked　at　one　another；　and　thought　of　MacShaughnassy；　until　Amenda　chimed　in　on　our　despair　with　one　of　those　practical　suggestions　of　hers　that　she　occasionally　threw　out　for　us　to　accept　or　not；　as　we　chose。

〃Maybe；〃　said　she；　〃I'd　better　light　it　in　the　old　way　just　for　to…　day。〃

〃Do；　Amenda；〃　said　Ethelbertha；　rising。　　And　then　she　added；　〃I　think　we'll　always　have　them　lighted　in　the　old　way；　Amenda；　if　you　please。〃

Another　time　he　showed　us　how　to　make　coffeeaccording　to　the　Arabian　method。　　Arabia　must　be　a　very　untidy　country　if　they　made　coffee　often　over　there。　　He　dirtied　two　saucepans；　three　jugs；　one　tablecloth；　one　nutmeg…grater；　one　hearthrug；　three　cups；　and　himself。　　This　made　coffee　for　twowhat　would　have　been　necessary　in　the　case　of　a　party；　one　dares　not　think。

That　we　did　not　like　the　coffee　when　made；　MacShaughnassy　attributed　to　our　debased　tastethe　result　of　long　indulgence　in　an　inferior　article。　　He　drank　both　cups　himself；　and　afterwards　went　home　in　a　cab。

He　had　an　aunt　in　those　days；　I　remember；　a　mysterious　old　lady；　who　lived　in　some　secluded　retreat　from　where　she　wrought　incalculable　mischief　upon　MacShaughnassy's　friends。　　What　he　did　not　knowthe　one　or　two　things　that　he　was　NOT　an　authority　uponthis　aunt　of　his　knew。　　〃No；〃　he　would　say　with　engaging　candour〃no；　that　is　a　thing　I　cannot　advise　you　about　myself。　　But；〃　he　would　add；　〃I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do。　　I'll　write　to　my　aunt　and　ask　her。〃　　And　a　day　or　two　afterwards　he　would　call　again；　bringing　his　aunt's　advice　with　him；　and；　if　you　were　young　and　inexperienced；　or　a　natural　born　fool；　you　might　possibly　follow　it。

She　sent　us　a　recipe　on　one　occasion；　through　MacShaughnassy；　for　the　extermination　of　blackbeetles。　　We　occupied　a　very　picturesque　old　house；　but；　as　with　most　picturesque　old　houses；　its　advantages　were　chiefly　external。　　There　were　many　holes　and　cracks　and　crevices　within　its　creaking　framework。　　Frogs；　who　had　lost　their　way　and　taken　the　wrong　turning；　would　suddenly　discover　themselves　in　the　middle　of　our　dining…room；　apparently　quite　as　much　to　their　own　surprise　and　annoyance　as　to　ours。　　A　numerous　company　of　rats　and　mice；　remarkably　fond　of　physical　exercise；　had　fitted　the　place　up　as　a　gymnasium　for　themselves；　and　our　kitchen；　after　ten　o'clock；　was　turned　into　a　blackbeetles'　club。　　They　came　up　through　the　floor　and　out　through　the　walls；　and　gambolled　there　in　their　light…hearted；　reckless　way　till　daylight。

The　rats　and　mice　Amenda　did　not　object　to。　　She　said　she　liked　to　watch　them。　　But　against　the　blackbeetles　she　was　prejudiced。　Therefore；　when　my　wife　informed　her　that　MacShaughnassy's　aunt　had　given　us　an　infallible　recipe　for　their　annihilation；　she　rejoiced。

We　purchased　the　materials；　manufactured　the　mixture；　and　put　it　about。　　The　beetles　came　and　ate　it。　　They　seemed　to　like　it。　　They　finished　it　all　up；　and　were　evidently　vexed　that　there　was　not　more。　　But　they　did　not　die。

We　told　these　facts　to　MacShaughnassy。　　He　smiled；　a　very　grim　smile；　and　said　in　a　low　tone；　full　of　meaning；　〃Let　them　eat！〃

It　appeared　that　this　was　one　of　those　slow；　insidious　poisons。　　It　did　not　kill　the　beetle　off　immediately；　but　it　undermined　his　constitution。　　Day　by　day　he　would　sink　and　droop　without　being　able　to　tell　what　was　the　matter　with　himself；　until　one　morning　we　should　enter　the　kitchen　to　find　him　lying　cold　and　very　still。

So　we　made　more　stuff　and　laid　it　round　each　night；　and　the　blackbeetles　from　all　about　the　parish　swarmed　to　it。　　Each　night　they　came　in　greater　quantities。　　They　fetched　up　all　their　friends　and　relations。　　Strange　beetlesbeetles　from　other　families；　with　no　claim　on　us　whatevergot　to　hear　about　the　thing；　and　came　in　hordes；　and　tried　to　rob　our　blackbeetles　of　it。　　By　the　end　of　a　week　we　had　lured　into　our　kitchen　every　beetle　that　wasn't　lame　for　miles　round。

MacShaughnassy　said　it　was　a　good　thing。　　We　should　clear　the　suburb　at　one　swoop。　　The　beetles　had　now　been　eating　this　poison　steadily　for　ten　days；　and　he　said　that　the　end　could　not　be　far　off。　　I　was　glad　to　hear　it；　because　I　was　beginning　to　find　this　unlimited　hospitality　expensive。　　It　was　a　dear　poison　that　we　were　giving　them；　and　they　were　hearty　eaters。

We　went　downstairs　to　see　how　they　were　getting　on。　　MacShaughnassy　thought　they　seemed　queer；　and　was　of　opinion　that　they　were　breaking　up。　　Speaking　for　myself；　I　can　only　say　that　a　healthier…　looking　lot　of　beetles　I　never　wish　to　see。

One；　it　is　true；　did　die　that　very　evening。　　He　was　detected　in　the　act　of　trying　to　make　off　with　an　unfairly　large　portion　of　the　poison；　and　three　or　four　of　the　others　set　upon　him　savagely　and　killed　him。

But　he　was　the　only　one；　so　far　as　I　could　ever　discover；　to　whom　MacShaughnassy's　recipe　proved　fatal。　　As　for　the　others；　they　grew　fat　and　sleek　upon　it。　　Some　of　them；　indeed；　began　to　acquire　quite　a　figure。　　We　lessened　their　numbers　eventually　by　the　help　of　some　common　oil…shop　stuff。　　But　such　vast　numbers；　attracted　by　MacShaughnassy's　poison；　had　settled　in　the　house；　that　to　finally　exterminate　them　now　was　hopeless。

I　have　not　heard　of　MacShaughnassy's　aunt　lately。　　Possibly；　one　of　MacShaughnassy's　bosom　friends　has　found　out　her　address　and　has　gone　down　and　murdered　her。　　If　so；　I　should　like　to　thank　him。

I　tried　a　little　while　ago　to　cure　MacShaughnassy　of　his　fatal　passion　for　advice…giving；　by　repeating　to　him　a　very　sad　story　that　was　told　to　me　by　a　gentleman　I　met　in　an　American　railway　car。　　I　was　travelling　from　Buffalo　to　New　York；　and；　during　the　day；　it　suddenly　occurred　to　me　that　I　might　make　the　journey　more　interesting　by　leaving　the　cars　at　Albany　and　completing　the　distance　by　water。　　But　I　did　not　know　how　the　boats　ran；　and　I　had　no　guide…book　with　me。　　I　glanced　about　for　some　one　to　question。　　A　mild…looking；　elderly　gentleman　sat　by　the　next　window　reading　a　book；　the　cover　of　which　was　familiar　to　me。　　I　deemed　him　to　be　intelligent；　and　approached　him。

〃I　beg　your　pardon　for　interrupting　you；〃　I　said；　sitting　down　opposite　to　him；　〃but　could　you　give　me　any　information　about　the　boats　between　Albany　and　New　York？〃

〃Well；〃　he　answered；　looking　up　with　a　pleasant　smile；　〃there　are　three　lines　of　boats　altogether。　　There　is　the