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第21章 法官的房子6（第1页）

，Iwasallright，

"heanswered，smiling，

"thesomethingdidntworryme，asyet。Onlytherats;andtheyhadacircus，Itellyou，alloverthelace。Therewasonewicked-lookingolddevilthatsatuonmyownchairbythefire，andwouldntgotillItooktheokertohim，andthenheranutheroeofthealarmbellandgottosomewhereuthewallortheceiling—Icouldntseewhere，itwassodark。

"

"Mercyonus，

"saidMrs。Witham，

"anolddevil，andsittingonachairbythefireside!Takecare，sir!takecare!Theresmanyatruewordsokeninjest。

"

"Howdoyoumean?UonmywordIdontunderstand。

"

"Anolddevil!theolddevil，erhas。There!Sir，youneedntlaugh，

"forMalcolmsonhadbrokenintoaheartyeal。

"Youyoungfolksthinksiteasytolaughatthingsthatmakesolderonesshudder。Nevermind，sir!nevermind!PleaseGod，youlllaughallthetime。ItswhatIwishyoumyself!

"andthegoodladybeamedalloverinsymathywithhisenjoyment，herfearsgoneforamoment。

"Oh，forgiveme!

"saidMalcolmsonresently。

"Dontthinkmerude;buttheideawastoomuchforme—thattheolddevilhimselfwasonthechairlastnight!

"Andatthethoughthelaughedagain。Thenhewenthometodinner。

Thiseveningthescameringoftheratsbeganearlier;indeedithadbeengoingonbeforehisarrival，andonlyceasedwhilsthisresencebyitsfreshnessdisturbedthem。Afterdinnerhesatbythefireforawhileandhadasmoke;andthen，havingclearedhistable，begantoworkasbefore。Tonighttheratsdisturbedhimmorethantheyhaddoneonthereviousnight。Howtheyscamereduanddownandunderandover!Howtheysqueaked，andscratched，andgnawed!Howthey，gettingbolderbydegrees，cametothemouthsoftheirholesandtothechinksandcracksandcranniesinthewainscotingtilltheireyesshoneliketinylamsasthefirelightroseandfell。Buttohim，nowdoubtlessaccustomedtothem，theireyeswerenotwicked;onlytheirlayfulnesstouchedhim。Sometimestheboldestofthemmadesalliesoutonthefloororalongthemouldingsofthewainscot。NowandagainastheydisturbedhimMalcolmsonmadeasoundtofrightenthem，smitingthetablewithhishandorgivingafierce

"Hsh，hsh，

"sothattheyfledstraightwaytotheirholes。

Andsotheearlyartofthenightworeon;anddesitethenoiseMalcolmsongotmoreandmoreimmersedinhiswork。

Allatoncehestoed，asonthereviousnight，beingovercomebyasuddensenseofsilence。Therewasnotthefaintestsoundofgnaw，orscratch，orsqueak。Thesilencewasasofthegrave。Herememberedtheoddoccurrenceofthereviousnight，andinstinctivelyhelookedatthechairstandingclosebythefireside。Andthenaveryoddsensationthrilledthroughhim。

There，onthegreatoldhigh-backedcarvedoakchairbesidethefirelacesatthesameenormousrat，steadilyglaringathimwithbalefuleyes。

Instinctivelyhetookthenearestthingtohishand，abookoflogarithms，andflungitatit。Thebookwasbadlyaimedandtheratdidnotstir，soagaintheokererformanceofthereviousnightwasreeated;andagaintherat，beingcloselyursued，fledutheroeofthealarmbell。Strangelytoo，thedeartureofthisratwasinstantlyfollowedbytherenewalofthenoisemadebythegeneralratcommunity。Onthisoccasion，asonthereviousone，Malcolmsoncouldnotseeatwhatartoftheroomtheratdisaeared，forthegreenshadeofhislamlefttheuerartoftheroomindarkness，andthefirehadburnedlow。

Onlookingathiswatchhefounditwascloseonmidnight;and，notsorryforthedivertissement，hemadeuhisfireandmadehimselfhisnightlyotoftea。Hehadgotthroughagoodsellofwork，andthoughthimselfentitledtoacigarette;andsohesatonthegreatoakchairbeforethefireandenjoyedit。Whilstsmokinghebegantothinkthathewouldliketoknowwheretheratdisaearedto，forhehadcertainideasforthemorrownotentirelydisconnectedwitharat-tra。Accordinglyhelitanotherlamandlaceditsothatitwouldshinewellintotheright-handcornerofthewallbythefirelace。Thenhegotallthebookshehadwithhim，andlacedthemhandytothrowatthevermin。Finallyheliftedtheroeofthealarmbellandlacedtheendofitonthetable，fixingtheextremeendunderthelam。Ashehandledithecouldnothelnoticinghowliableitwas，eseciallyforsostrongaroe，andonenotinuse。

"Youcouldhangamanwithit，

"hethoughttohimself。Whenhisrearationsweremadehelookedaround，andsaidcomlacently，

"Therenow，myfriend，Ithinkweshalllearnsomethingofyouthistime!

"Hebeganhisworkagain，andthoughasbeforesomewhatdisturbedatfirstbythenoiseoftherats，soonlosthimselfinhisroositionsandroblems。

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