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掘墓盗尸人 The Bodysnatcher（第3页）

“Toddyhatesme，”hesaidagaioddy，youdo!”

“Don’tyoucallmethate，”gro>

“Hearhim!Didyoueverseetheladsplayknife?Hewouldliketodothatallovermybody，”remarkedthestranger。

“Wemedicalshaveabetterwaythanthat，”saidFettes。“Whenwedislikeadeadfriendofours，wedissecthim。”

Maelookedupsharply，asthoughthisjestweresind。

&ernoonpassed。Gray，forthatwasthestranger’sedFettestojoidinner，orderedafeastsosumptuousthatthetavernwasthrownintootion，andwhenallwasdoneaetosettlethebill。Itwaslatebeforetheyseparated;themanGrayablydrunk。Mae，soberedbyhisfury，chewedtheoneyhehadbeeosquaheslightshehadbeeoswallow。Fettes，withvariiurhdeviousfootstepsandamiirelyidayMaewasabsentfromthedFettessmiledtohimselfasheimagiillsquirirayfromtaverntotavern。Assoonasthehouroflibertyhadstruplacetoplaquestofhislastnight’spanions。Hedthem，however，urohisrooms，weobed，ahesleepofthejust。

Atfourinthemhewasawakehewell-knownsigothedoor，hewasfilledwithastoofindMaewithhisgig，andinthegigohoselongandghastlypackagesasso>

“What?”hecried。“Haveyoubeenoutalone?Howdidyoumanage?”

ButMaesilencedhimroughly，biddinghimturntobusiheyhadgotthebodyupstairsandlaiditoable，Maemadeatfirstasifheweregoingaway。Thenhepausedaohesitate;andthen，“Youhadbetterlookattheface，”saidhe，intonesofsomet。“Youhadbetter，”herepeated，asFettesohiminwonder。

“Butwhere，andhow，andwhendidyouebyit?”criedtheother。

“Lookattheface，”wastheonlyanswer。

&aggered;strasassailedhim。Helookedfromtheyoungdoctortothebody，andthenba。Atlast，withastart，hedidashewasbidden。Hehadalmostexpectedthesightthatmethiseyes，aheshockwascruel。Tosee，fixediyofdeathacoarselayerofsaawelldfullofmeatandsihresholdofatavern，awoke，evelessFettes，someoftheterrorsofthece。ItwasaCRASTIBIwhichre-ehissoul，thattwowhomhehadknownshouldhaveetolieupoables。Yetthesewereohoughts。HisfirstregardedWolfe。Unpreparedforagesomomehowtolookhisradeintheface。Hedursthiseye，aherwordshisand。

ItwasMaehimselfwhomadethefirstadvance。Hecameupquietlybehindandlaidhishafirmlyoher’sshoulder。

“Ri，”saidhe，“mayhavethehead。”

NowRiwasastudentwhohadlongbeenanxiousforthatportionofthehumaodissect。Therewashemurdererresumed:“Talkingofbusiness，youmustpayme;yourats，yousee，musttally。”

&esfouheghostofhisown:“Payyou!”hecried。“Payyouforthat?”

“Why，yes，ofust。Byallmeansandoneverypossibleaust，”returher。“Idaref，youdaref;itwouldiseusboth。ThisisanothercaselikeJah“s。Themsarewrongthemorewemustactasifallwereright。WheredoesoldK-keephismoney?”

“There，”aeshoarsely，pointingtoacupboardintheer。

&hekey，then，”saidtheother，calmly，holdingouthishand。

Therewasaninstaion，a。Maeotsuppressawitfinitesimalmarkofanimmenserelief，ashefeltthekeybetweenhisfihecupbhtoutpenandinkahatstoodimeedfromthefundsinadrawerasumsuitabletotheo。

“Now，lookhere，”hesaid，“thereisthepaymeprooodfaith:firststeptoyoursecurity。Youhavenowtochitbyaseterthepaymentinyourbook，andthenyouforyourpartmaydefythedevil。”

&fewsedswereforFettesanagonyofthought;butinbalanghisterrorsitwasthemostimmediatethattriumphed。AnyfuturedifficultyseemedalmostweleifhecouldavoidapresehMae。Hesetdownthedlewhichhehadbeengallthistime，andwithasteadyhae，theheamouion。

“Andnow，”saidMae，“it’sonlyfairthatyoushouldpocketthelucre。I’vehadmysharealready。Bythebye，whenamanoftheworldfallsintoabitofluck，hasafewshillirainhispocket-I’mashamedtospeakofit，butthere’saruleofthe，nopurchaseofexpensiveclass-books，nofolddebts;borrow，don’tlend。”

“Mae，”begaillsomewhathoarsely，“Ihaveputmyneahaltertoobligeyou。”

“Toobligeme?”criedWolfe。“Oh，e!Youdid，asnearasIseethematter，whatyhthadtodoinself-defence。SupposeIgotintotrouble，wherewouldyoube?ThissedlittlematterflowsclearlyfrrayistheuationofMissGalbraith。You’tbegiop。Ifyoubegin，youmustkeepohat’sthetruth。hewicked。”

Ahorriblesenseofbladthetreacheryoffateseizedholduponthesouloftheunhappystudent。

“MyGod!”hecried，“butwhathaveIdone?andwheobemadeaclassassistant-inthenameofreasoheharminthat?Servitedthepositihthavegotit。WouldhehavebeenwhereIamnow?”

“Mydearfellow，”saidMae，”whataboyyouare!WhatharmHASetoyou?Whatharmetoyouifyouhue?Why，man，doyouknowwhatthislifeis?Therearetwosquadsofus-thelionsandthelambs。Ifyou’realamb，you’lletolieupoableslikeGrayalbraith;ifyou’realion，you’llliveanddriveahorselikeme，likeK，likealltheite。Yeredatthefirst。ButlookatK!Mydearfellow，you’reclever，youhavepluck。Ilikeyou，andKlikesyou。Youwereborhehunt;andItellyou，onmyhonourandmyexperienceoflife，threedaysfromnowyou’lllaughatallthesescarecrowslikeaHighSchoolboyatafarce。”

AndwiththatMaetookhisdepartureahewyndinhisgigtogetundercht。Fetteswasthusleftalohhisregrets。Hesawthemiserableperilioodinvolved。Hesaw，withinexpressibledismay，thattherewasnolimittohisweakhat，fromto，hehadfalleerofMae’sdestinytohispaidandhelplessaplice。Hewouldhavegiveohavebeenalittlebraveratthetime，butitdidnotothathemightstillbebrave。ThesecretofJahandthetryintheday-bookouth。

Hourspassed;theclassbegantoarrive;themembersoftheunhappyGrayweredealtouttoooanother，aremark。Riadehappywiththehead;ahehouroffreedFettestrembledwithexultationtoperceivehowfartheyhadalreadygoo>

Fortwodaysheuedtowatch，withingjoy，thedreadfulprocessofdisguise。

OhirddayMaemadehisappearance。Hehadbeehemadeupforlosttimebytheehwhichhedirectedthestudents。ToRiinparticularheextevaluableassistandadvidthatstudent，ehepraiseofthedemonstrathwithambitioushopes，andsawthemedalalreadyinhisgrasp。