下载辰思小说免费APP
"WhatLittleWilliewasexpecting，"heremarkedonce，tothekeenjoyofMr。Penzance，"wasahunkofbreadandcheeseatavillagesaloonsomewhere。Ioughttohavesaid`pub，’oughtn’tI？Youdon’tcallthemsaloonshere。"
Hewasencouragedtotalk，andinhiscare—freefluencyheopenedupmanyvistastotheinterestedMr。Penzance，whofoundhimself，sotospeak，whirledalongBroadway，rushedupthestepsoftheelevatedrailroadandstrugglingtoobtainaseat，orastraptohangtoonaSixthAvenuetrain。
Themanwassaturatedwiththeatmosphereofthehotbattlehelivedin。Fromhischildhoodhehadknownnothingbutthefeverheatofhis"littleoldNewYork，"ashecalleditwithaffectionateslanginess，andanytemperaturelowerthanthathewasaccustomedtowouldhavestruckhimasbeingbelownormal。Penzancewasimpressedbyhisfeelingofaffectionfortheamazingcityofhisbirth。Headmired，headoredit，heboastedjoyouslyofitsperfervidcharm。
"Somethingdoing，"hesaid。"That’swhatmysortofafellowlikes——somethingdoing。Youfeelitrighttherewhenyouwalkalongthestreets。LittleoldNewYorkformine。It’sgoodenoughforLittleWillie。Anditneverstops。Why，Broadwayatnight————"
Heforgothischop，andleanedforwardonthetabletopourforthhisdescription。Themanservant，standingbehindMountDunstan’schair，forgothimselfalso，thoughthewasatraineddomesticwhosedutyitwastopresentdishestotheattentionwithoutanyapparentmentalprocesses。Certainlyitwasnothisbusinesstolisten，andgazefascinated。Thishedid，however，actuallyforthetimeunconsciousofhisbreachofmanners。Theverycrudityofthelanguageused，theoddlysounding，sometimesnoteasilytranslatableslangphrases，usedasiftheywereanecessarypartofanyconversation——theblunt，uneducatedbarenessoffigure——seemedtoPenzancetomakemoreroughlyvividthepicturedashedoff。
Thebroadthoroughfarealmostasthrongedbynightasbyday。Crowdsgoingtotheatres，loadedelectriccars，whizzingandclangingbells，theelevatedrailroadrushingandroaringpastwithinhearing，theatrefrontsflamingwithelectriclight，announcementsofnamesoftheatricalstarsandtheplaystheyappearedin，electriclightadvertisementsofbrandsofcigars，whiskies，breakfastfoods，allblazinghighinthenightairinsuchnumberandwithsuchstrengthofbrilliancythatthewholethoroughfarewasasbrightwithlightasaballroomoratheatre。Thevicarfelthimselfstandinginthemidstofitall，blindedbytheglare。
"Sitdownonthesidewalkandreadyournewspaper，abook，amagazine——anyoldthingyoulike，"withanexultantlaugh。
ThenamesofthedramaticstarsblazingoverentrancestothetheatreswereoftenEnglishnames，theirplaysEnglishplays，theircompaniesmadeupofEnglishmenandwomen。
G。SeldenwasasfamiliarwiththemandcommentedupontheirgiftsaseasilyasifhehaddrawnhisdramafromtheStrandinsteadoffromBroadway。Thenovelspiledupinthestationsofwhathecalled"theL"（whichrevealeditselfasbeingaNew—York—hasteabbreviationofElevatedrailroad），wereinlargeproportionEnglishnovels，andhehadhisingenuousestimateofEnglishnovelists，aswellasofallelse。
"Ruddy，now，"hesaid；"Ilikehim。He’sallright，eventhoughwehaven’tquitecaughtontoIndiayet。"
ThedazzleandbrilliancyofBroadwaysosurroundedPenzancethathefounditnecessarytowithdrawhimselfandreturntohisimmediatesurroundings，thathemightrecoverfromhissenseofinterestedbewilderment。HiseyesfelluponthesternlineamentsofaMountDunstaninacostumeofthetimeofHenryVIII。Hewasaburlygentleman，whoseruff—shortenedthickneckandhaughtyfixednessofstarefromthebackgroundofhisportraitweresuchasseemedtoeliminatehimfromtheschemeofthings，theclangingofelectriccars，andtheprevailingroaroftheL。
Confrontedbyhisgaze，electriclightadvertisementsofwhiskies，cigars，andcorsetsseemedimpossible。
"He’sallright，"continuedG。Selden。"I’mreadytoseparatemyselffromonefiftyanytimeIseeanewbookofhis。He’sgotthegoodswithhim。"
TherichnessofcolloquialismmovedthevicarofMountDunstantodeepenjoyment。
"Wouldyoumind——Itrustyouwon’t，"heapologisedcourteously，"tellingmeexactlythesignificanceofthosetwolastsentences。InthinkIseetheirmeaning，but————"
G。Seldenlookedgood—naturedlyapologetichimself。
"Well，it’sslang——yousee，"heexplained。"IguessIcan’thelpit。You——"flushingatrifle，butwithoutanytouchofresentmentintheboyishcolour，"youknowwhatsortofachapIam。I’mnotpassingmyselfoffasanythingbutanordinarybusinesshustler，amI——justundersalesmantoatypewriterconcern？Ishouldn’tliketothinkI’dgotinhereonanybluff。IguessIslinginslangeveryhalfdozenwords————。"
"Mydearboy，"Penzancewasabsolutelymovedandhespokewithwarmthquitepaternal，"LordMountDunstanandIaregenuinelyinterested——genuinely。He，becauseheknowsNewYorkalittle，andIbecauseIdon’t。Iamanelderlyman，andhavespentmylifeburiedinmybooksindrowsyvillages。Praygoon。YourAmericanslanghasfrequentlyadelightfulmeaning——afantastichilarity，orcommonsense，orphilosophy，hiddeninitsorigin。InthatitgenerallydiffersfromEnglishslang，which——Iregrettosay——isusuallyfoundedonsomesillycatchword。Praygoon。WhenyouseeanewbookbyMr。Kipling，youarereadyto`separateyourselffromonefifty’becausehe`hasthegoodswithhim。’"
G。Seldensuppressedaninvoluntaryyounglaugh。
"Onedollarandfiftycentsisusuallythepriceofabook，"
hesaid。"Youseparateyourselffromitwhenyoutakeitoutofyourclothes——Imeanoutofyourpocket——andpayitoverthecounter。"
"There’sacarelesshumourinit，"saidMountDunstangrimly。"Thesuggestionofpartingisnothalfbad。Onthewhole，itissubtle。"
"Agreatdealofitissubtle，"saidPenzance，"thoughitallprofessestobeobvious。Theothersentencehasacommercialsound。"
"Whenamangoesaboutsellingforaconcern，"saidthejuniorassistantofJones，"hecanprovewhathesays，ifhehasthegoodswithhim。Iguessitcamefromthat。
Idon’tknow。Ionlyknowthatwhenamanisastraightsortoffellow，andcanshowup，wesayhe’sgotthegoodswithhim。"
Theysatafterlunchinthelibrary，beforeanopenwindow，lookingintoalovelysunkengarden。Blossomswerebreakingoutoneveryside，androbins，thrushes，andblackbirdschirpedandtrilledandwhistled，asMountDunstanandPenzanceledG。Seldenontopaintfurtherpicturesforthem。
Someofthemwereratherpainful，Penzancethought。Asconnectedwithyouth，theyheldatouchofpathosSeldenwasallunconsciousof。Hehadhadahardlife，madeup，sincehistenthyear，ofstrugglestoearnhisliving。Hehadsoldnewspapers，hehadrunerrands，hehadsweptouta"candystore。"Hehadhadafewyearsatthepublicschool，andafewmonthsatabusinesscollege，towhichhewentatnight，afterworkhours。Hehadbeen"upagainstitgoodandplenty，"hetoldthem。Heseemed，however，tohavehadaknackofmakingfriendsandofgivingthem"aboostalong"
whensuchachancewaspossible。Bothofhislistenersrealisedthatagoodmanypeoplehadlikedhim，andthereasonwasapparentenoughtothem。
"Whenachapgetssorryforhimself，"heremarkedonce，"he’sdownandout。That’sastone—coldfact。There’slotsofhard—luckstoriesthatyou’vegottohearanyhow。Thefellowthatcankeephistohimselfisthefellowthat’slikelytogetthere。"
"Getthere？"thevicarmurmuredreflectively，andSeldenchuckledagain。
"Getwherehestartedouttogoto——theWhiteHouse，ifyoulike。Thefellowsthathavegottherekepttheirhard—
luckstoriesquiet，Ibet。Guessmostof’emhadplentyduringelection，iftheywerethekindtolieawakesobbingontheirpillowsbecausetheirfeelingswerehurt。"
Hehadneverbeensorryforhimself，itwasevident，thoughitm
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