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掘墓盗尸人 The Bodysnatcher（第2页）

Ahlylookdwentacrosshisalmostveenance。“Mydearfellow，”hesaid，”beitasyouplease;mylastthoughtistooffendyou。Iwouldintrudeonnone。Iwillleaveyoumyaddress，however……”

“Idonotwishit-Idonotwishtokhatsheltersyou，”iher。“Iheardyourmightbeyou;Iwishedtoknowif，afterall，therewereaGod;Iknownowthatthereisnone。Begone!”

&oodinthemiddle，betweeairanddoorway;aLondonphysiordertoescape，wouldbeforcedtosteptoolaiedbeforethethoughtofthishumiliation。Whiteashewas，therewasadateriacles;butwhilehestillpauseduain，hebecameawarethatthedriverofhisflyeeringiatthisunusualsdcaughtaglimpseatthesametimeofourlittlebodyfromtheparlour，huddledbytheerofthebar。Thepresenanywitnessesdecidedhimatooflee。Hecrouchedtogether，brushi，alikeaserpent，strikingforthedoor。Buthistribulationwasirelyatanend，forevenasheassichedhimbythearmandthesewordsaainfullydistinct，“Haveyouseenitagain?”

&ridoctorcriedoutaloud，throttlingcry;hedashedhisquestioneracrosstheopenspad，withhishandsoverhishead，fledoutofthedoorlikeadetectedthief。Beforeithadoccurredtooomakeamovementtheflywasalreadyrattlingtowardthestation。Thesewasoverlikeadream，butthedreamhadleftproofsaspassage。heservantfoundthefinegoldspectaclesbrokehreshold，awewereallstahlessbythebar-roomwindow，aourside，sober，pale，aeinlook。

“Godprotectus，Mr。Fettes!”saidthelandlfirstintopossessionofhisaryseintheuhis?Thesearestrahingsyouhavebeensaying。”

&urowardus;helookeduseasuintheface。“Seeifyouhues，”saidhe。“ThatmanMaeisocross;thosethathavedonesoalreadyhaverepeoolate。”

Ahoutsomuishinghisthirdglass，farlesswaitiwo，hebadeusgood-byeah，uhelampofthehotel，intotheblaight。

&uroourplatheparlour，withthebigredfireandfourdles;aulatedassed，thefirstchillofoursurprisesoooaglowofcuriosity。Wesatlate;itwasthelatestsessionIhaveknowninthee。Ea，beforeweparted，hadhistheorythathewasboundtoprove;andnoneofushadanynearerbusihisworldthantotrackoutthepastofournedpanion，andsurprisethesecretthathesharedwiththegreatLondondoctor。Itis，butIbelieveIwasabetterhandatwoutastorythaherofmyfellowsattheGee;ahereisnownoothermanalivewhoarratetoyouthefollowingfoulandus。

Inhisyouudiedmeditheschoolsh。Hehadtalentofakihatpicksupswiftlywhatithearsaailsitforitsown。Heworkedlittleathome;buthewascivil，atteelligentinthepresenasters。Theysooasaladwholisteneddrememberedwell;nay，straseemedtomewhenIfirstheardit，hewasinthosedayswellfavoured，andpleasedbyhisexterior。Thereeriod，aextramuralteay，whomIshallheredesigheletterK。Hisnamewassubsequentlytoowellknown。ThemaskulkedthroughthestreetshihemobthatapplaudedattheexeofBurkecalledloudlyforthebloodofhisemployer。ButMr。Kofhisvogue;heenjoyedapopularityduepartlytohisowalytotheincapacityofhisrival，theuyprofessor。Thestude，sworebyhistesbelievedhimself，andwasbelievedbyothers，tohavelaidthefoundationsofsuhehadacquiredthefavourofthismeteorir。KwasaBONVIVANTaslishedteacher;helikedaslyillusiohanacarefulpreparation。InbothcapacitiesFettesenjoyedaidbythesedyearofhisattehehalf-regularpositionofseonstratororsub-assistantinhisclass。

Inthiscapacitythechargeofthetheatreaure-roomdevolvedinpartihisshoulders。Hehadtoaheessofthepremisesaoftheotherstudents，anditartofhisdutytosupply，reddividethevarioussubjects。Itwaswithaviewtothislast-atthattimeverydelicate-affairthathewaslodgedbyMr。Kinthesamewynd，andatlastinthesamebuilding，withthedisses。Here，afteranightofturbulentpleasures，hishandstillt，hissightstillmistyandfused，hewouldbecalledoutofbedintheblackhoursbeforethewinterdawnbytheunddesperateinterloperswhosuppliedthetable。Hewouldopeothesemen，sinfamhouttheland。Hewouldhelpthemwiththeirtragi，paythemtheirsordidpridremaiheyweregoheunfriendlyrelianity。Fromsuehewouldreturntosnatotherhourortwoofslumber，torepairtheabusesofthenight，andrefreshhimselfforthelaboursoftheday。

Fewladscouldhavebeenmoreiheimpressionsofalifethuspassedamongtheensignsofmortality。Hismindwasclosedagainstallgeneralsiderations。Heableofihefateaher，theslaveofhisowndesiresandlowambitions。Cold，light，andselfishiresort，hehadthatmodicumofprudence，miscalledmorality，whichkeepsamanfromidrunkennessorpu。Hecoveted，besides，ameasureofsiderationfromhismastersandhisfellow-pupils，andhehadofailspitheexternalpartsoflife。Thushemadeithispleasuretogaiioninhisstudies，anddayafterdayrenderedunimpeachableeye-serviployer，Mr。K。Forhisdayofworkheindemnifiedhimselfbynights，blackguardlye;abalaruck，theanthathecalledhiscedeclareditselft。

Thesupplyofsubjectswasaualtroubletohimaswellastohismaster。Inthatlargeandbusyclass，therawmaterialoftheanatomistskeptperpetuallyrunningout;andthebusihusrenderednecessarywasnotoihreateneddangerouscestoallwhowereed。Itolir。Ktoaskionsinhisdealingswiththetrade。“Theybringthebody，aheprice，”heusedtosay，dwellieration-“QUIDPROQUO。”And，again，aprofanely，“Askioellhisassistants，“forcesake。Therewasandingthatthesubjectswereprovidedbytheurder。”Hadthatideabeeohiminwords，hewouldhaverehorror;butthelightnessofhisspeesograveamatterwas，initself，agoodmanners，aiohwhomhedealt。Fettes，forieohimselfuponthesingularfreshhebodies。Hehadbeenstruandagainbythehang-dog，abominablelooksoftheruffianswhobeforethedauttingthiherhisprivatethoughts，heperhapsattributedameaningtooimmoralandtoocategoricaltotheunguardedaster。Heuoodhisduty，inshort，tohavethreebraakewhatwasbrought，topaythepridtoaverttheeyefromanyevidene。

OneNthispolicyofsilesharplytothetest。Hehadbeenawakeallnightwitharagtoothaghisroomlikeacagedbeasthimselfinfuryonhisbed-andhadfallenatlastintothatprofound，uneasyslumberthatsooftenfollowsonanightofpain，akehirdryrepetitioedsighin，brightmoowasbitterdy，andfrosty;thetownhadawakeaniiralreadypreludedthenoiseaheday。Theghoulshadelaterthanusual，andtheyseemedmorethanusuallyeagertobegoes，sickwithsleep，lightedthemupstairs。HeheardtheirgrumblingIrishvhadream;arippedthesatheirsadmerdiseheleaneddozing，withhisshainstthewall;hehadtoshakehimselftofiheirmoney。Ashedidsohiseyeslightedonthedeadface。Hestarted;hetooktwostepshedleraised。

“GodAlmighty!”hecried。“ThatisJah!”

Themehing，buttheyshuffledhedoor。

“Ikellyou，”heued。“Shewasaliveaerday。It”simpossibleshebedead;it“simpossibleyoushouldhavegotthisbodyfairly。”

“Sure，sir，you”remistakeirely，”saidohemen。

ButtheotherlookedFettesdarklyintheeyes，ahemo。

Itossibletomisceivethethreateratethedahelad’sheartfailedhim。Hestammeredsomeexcuses，tedoutthesum，andsawhishatefulvisitorsdepart。heygoeohisdoubts。Byadozeionablemarksheidehegirlhehadjestedwiththedaybefore。Hesaw，withhorror，marksupohatmightwellbetokenviolenicseizedhim，aeinhisroom。Therehereflectedatlehediscoverythathehadmade;sideredsoberlythebearingofMr。K’sinstrudthedaohimselfofinterferensoseriousabusiness，andatlast，iy，determifortheadviediatesuperior，theclassassistant。

Thiswasayoungdoae，ahighfavalltherecklessstudents，clever，dissipated，andunscrupuloustothelastdegree。Hehadtravelledandstudiedabroad。Hismannerswereagreeableandalittleforward。Hewasanauthorityoage，skilfulohelinkswithskateolf-club;hedressedwithy，and，toputthefinishingtouhisglory，hekeptagigandastr-horse。WithFetteshewasontermsofintimadeed，theirrelativepositionseunityoflife;asairwoulddrivefariryinMae’sgig，visitaesomelonelygraveyard，aurhtheirbootytothedoorofthedisse。

Onthatpartiaearrivedsomewhatearlierthanhiswoesheardhim，ahimoairs，toldhimhisstory，ahecauseofhisalarm。Maeexamihemarksonherbody。

“Yes，”hesaidwithanod，“itlooksfishy。”

&shouldIdo?”askedFettes。

“Do?”repeatedtheother。“Doyouwanttodoasaidsoomended，Ishouldsay。”

“Someoreiseher，”objectedFettes。“SheleRock。”

“We’llhopenot，“saidMae，“andifanybodydoes-well，youdidn’t，dohere’sais，thishasbeengoingontoolong。Stirupthemud，andyou’llgetKiunholytrouble;you’llbeinashogboxyourself。SowillI，ifyouetothat。Ishouldliketoknowhowanyoneofuswouldlook，orwhatthedevilweshouldhavetosayforourselves，inanywitness-box。Forme，youkhihat，practicallyspeaking，alloursubjectshavebeenmurdered。”

“Mae!”criedFettes。

“eheother。“Asifyouhadyourself!”

“Suspegisohing”

“Andproofanother。Yes，Iknow;andI’massorryasyouarethisshouldhaveehere，”tappihhise。“Thehi，”andheaddedcoolly，“Idon’t。Youmay，ifyouplease。Idon’tdictate，butIthinkamanoftheworldwoulddoasIdo;andImayadd，IfancythatiswhatKwouldlookforatourhaionis，Whydidhechooseustwoforhisassistants?AndIanswer，becausehedidn’twantoldwives。”

ThiswasthetoneofallotherstoaffedofaladlikeFettes。HeagreedtoimitateMae。Thebodyoftheunfirlwasdulydissednooneremarkedorappearedtniseher。

&ernoon，whenhisday’sworkwasover，FettesdroppedintoapopulartavernandfoundMaesittingwithastrahiswasasmallman，verypaleanddark，withcoal-blackeyes。Thecutofhisfeaturesgaveapromiseofiawhichwasbutfeeblyrealisedinhismanners，forheproved，uponanearerace，car，andstupid。Heexercised，however，averyremarkableae;issuedordersliketheGreatBashaw;beflamedattheleastdisordelay，aedrudelyoyasobeyed。Thismostoffeookafahespot，pliedhimwithdrinks，ahunusualhispastcareer。Ifatenthpartofwhathefessedweretrue，hewasaverylue;andthelad’svanitywastickledbytheattentionofsoexperien。

“I’maprettybadfellowmyself，”thestrangerremarked，“butMaeistheboy-ToddyMaeIcallhim。Toddy，orderyourfriendanlass。”htbe，“Toddy，youjumpupandshutthedoor。”