帶家具出租的房間英文原文_The Furnished Room
關燈
小
中
大
ateflotsamcastasidebytheroom'smarooned
whenaluckysailhadbornethemtoafreshport--atriflingvaseor
two,picturesofactresses,amedicinebottle,somestraycardsout
ofadeck.
Onebyone,asthecharactersofacryptographbecomeexplicit,the
littlesignsleftbythefurnishedroom'sprocessionofguests
developedasignificance.Thethreadbarespaceintheruginfront
ofthedressertoldthatlovelywomanhadmarchedinthethrong.
Tinyfingerprintsonthewallspokeoflittleprisonerstryingto
feeltheirwaytosunandair.Asplatteredstain,rayinglikethe
shadowofaburstingbomb,witnessedwhereahurledglassorbottle
hadsplinteredwithitscontentsagainstthewall.Acrossthepier
glasshadbeenscrawledwithadiamondinstaggeringlettersthename
"Marie."Itseemedthatthesuccessionofdwellersinthefurnished
roomhadturnedinfury--perhapstemptedbeyondforbearancebyits
garishcoldness--andwreakeduponittheirpassions.Thefurniture
waschippedandbruisedthecouch,distortedbyburstingsprings,
seemedahorriblemonsterthathadbeenslainduringthestressof
somegrotesqueconvulsion.Somemorepotentupheavalhadclovena
greatslicefromthemarblemantel.Eachplankinthefloorowned
itsparticularcantandshriekasfromaseparateandindividual
agony.Itseemedincrediblethatallthismaliceandinjuryhadbeen
wroughtupontheroombythosewhohadcalleditforatimetheir
homeandyetitmayhavebeenthecheatedhomeinstinctsurviving
blindly,theresentfulrageatfalsehouseholdgodsthathadkindled
theirwrath.Ahutthatisourownwecansweepandadornand
cherish.
Theyoungtenantinthechairallowedthesethoughtstofile,soft-
shod,throughhismind,whiletheredriftedintotheroomfurnished
soundsandfurnishedscents.Heheardinoneroomatitteringand
incontinent,slacklaughterinothersthemonologueofascold,the
rattlingofdice,alullaby,andonecryingdullyabovehimabanjo
tinkledwithspirit.Doorsbangedsomewheretheelevatedtrains
roaredintermittentlyacatyowledmiserablyuponabackfence.And
hebreathedthebreathofthehouse--adanksavourratherthanasmell
--acold,mustyeffluviumasfromundergroundvaultsmingledwiththe
reekingexhalationsoflinoleumandmildewedandrottenwoodwork.
Then,suddenly,asherestedthere,theroomwasfilledwiththe
strong,sweetodourofmignonette.Itcameasuponasinglebuffet
ofwindwithsuchsurenessandfragranceandemphasisthatitalmost
seemedalivingvisitant.Andthemancriedaloud:"What,dear?"as
ifhehadbeencalled,andsprangupandfacedabout.Therichodour
clungtohimandwrappedhimaround.Hereachedouthisarmsforit,
allhissensesfo