The Dolt

  EDGARREPARINGTOTAKEtheNationalWrit?ersExamination,afive-hourfifty-minuteexamina?tion,forhiscertificate.Hewasinhisroht?eheprospectoftakingtheexamagainputhiminworldsofhurt.Hehadtakenittwicebefore,withevilresults.Nowhewasstudyingabookwhitaitheactualquestionsfromtheexaminationbutsimilarquestions."Barbara,ifIdontknockitforaloopthistimeIdontknoelldo."Barbaratioaddressher?selftotheironingboard.Edgarthoughtaboutsay?ingsomethingtohisyoungerchild,histwo-year-olddaughter,Rose,earingawhiteterry-clothbeltedbathrobeandlookedlikeatinyfighterabouttoclimbint.Theywereallintheroomwhilehewasstudyingfortheexamination.

  "ThewrittenpartiswhereIfalldown,"Edgarsaidmorosely,toeveryoheroom."TheoralpartiswhereIdobest."Helookedatthebackofhiswifewhichoihim."IfIdontkickitintheheadthistimeIdontknoeregoingtodo,"herepeated."Barb?"Butshefailedtorespondtothisimpliedquestioitwasafalsehope,takingthisexaminationwhichhehadalreadyfailedmiserablytwidwhichalwaysgothimveryworkedup,blackwithfear,beforehetookit.Nowshedidntwishtowithespec?taymoresoshegavehimherback.

  "Theoralpart,"Edgartinuedencingly,"isA-okay.Iforinstancegiveyoualistofanswers,Iknowitsowell.Listen,hereisanan?swer,youtellmethequestion?"Barbara,whowasverysexuallyattractive(thatwaswhatmadeEdgartaponherforadate,manyyearsbefore)butalsodeeplymean,saidnothing.Sheputhermindontheirsilentchild,Rose.

  "Hereistheanswer,"Edgarsaid."TheanswerisJuliaWardHowe.Whatisthequestion?"

  ThisanswerwastooprovocativeforBarbaratoresistlong,becauseshekhequestion."WhowrotetheBattleHymnoftheRepublic?"shesaid."ThereisnotagrownpersoniedStateswhodoesntknowthat."

  "Yht,"Edgarsaidunhappily,forhewouldhavepreferredthattheanswerhadbeenalittlemorerecherche,oshewouldnothaveknownthequestionto.Butshehadbeenahookerforaperiodbeforetheirmarriageandhecouldresorttothisareaifhertriumphgrewtoogreat."Doyouwanttotryanotherone?"

  "EdgarIdontbelieveinthatexaminationanymore,"shetoldhimcoldly.

  "IdontbelieveinyouBarbara,"hetered.

  Thisremarkfilledherwithremorseandanger.Shesideredmomentarilylettinghimhaveoneupsidetheheadbutfearpreventedherfromdoingitsosheturnedherbackagainandthoughtaboutthevauntedcertificate.Withacertificatehecouldwriteforalltheimportantaperiodicals,andtherewouldbesomemohehouseforageinsteadofwhattheygotfromhisbrotherandtheUnemployment.

  "ItisntyouassthisNationalWrit?ersExamination,"heshotpasther.Then,tomol?lify,hegaveheranotheranswer."Brand,tuck,glave,claymore."

  "Isthatananswer?"sheaskedfrombehindherback.

  "Itisindeed.Whatsthequestion?"

  "Idontknow,"sheadmitted,slightlypleasedtobeputbaafemininepositionofnotknowing.

  "Thosearefournamesforasword.Theyrearchaic."

  "ThatswhyIdidntknowthem,then."

  "Obviously,"saidEdgarwithsomemalice,forBarbarawassometimesgiventosayingthingsthatwereobvious,justtofilltheair."Youputawordlikethatinnowaofreshenyourline,"heexplained."Eventhoughitsanoldword,itssoolditsnew.Butyouhavetobecareful,thetexthastoletpeopleknowwhatthethingis.Youdontwanttobesimplyobscure."Helikedexplain?iricksofthetradetoBarb,whomadesomeshowofiinthem.

  "DoyouwaoreadyouwhatIvewrittenforthewrittenpart?"

  Barbsaidyes,withalookofpain,forshestillfeltacutelywhathewastryingtodo.

  "Thisisthebeginning,"Edgarsaid,preparinghisyellowmanuscriptpaper.

  "Whatisthetitle?"Barbaraasked.Shehadturofacehim.

  "Ihaventgotatitleyet,"Edgarsaid."Okay,thisisthebeginning."Hebegantoreadaloud."IownofA--,irictofY--,therelivedacertainMadameA--,wifeofthatBaronA--whowasintheserviceoftheyoungFriedrichIIofPrussia.TheBaron,amanofunonability,ischieflyrememberedforhisnotoriousandinexplic?ablebluheBattleofKolin:bywithdrawingthenunderhisandatacrucialmo?mentinthefighting,heearnedforhimselfthegreatestpartoftheblameforFriedrichsdefeat,whichresultedinaloss,onthePrussianside,of13,000outof33,000men.NowasithappehechateauinwhichMadameA--wasshelteringlaynotfarfromthebattlefield;infact,theremovalofherhusbandscorpsplacedthechateauitselfinthegravestdanger;andatthemomentMadameA--learned,fromaCaptainOrsini,ofherhus?bahbyhisownhand,shewasalsotoldthatadetatofpandours,thebrutalandmuch-fearedHungarianlightirregularcavalry,washam?meringatthechateaugates."

  Edgarpausedtobreathe.

  Barblookedathiminsomesurprise."Thebe?ginningturnsmeon,"shesaid."Morethanusual,Imean."Shebegantohavesomefainthope,andsatdownonthesofabed.

  "Thankyou,"Edgarsaid."Doyouwaoreadyouthedevelopment?"

  "Goahead."

  Edgardranksomewaterfromaglassohand.

  "Themanwhhtthisterriblenewsen?joyedapeculiarstatusinregardtothelady;hewasherlover,andhewasnot.GiaoOrsini,sedsonofanoblefamilyofSiena,hadasayoungmanareligiousvocation.Hehadbeeapriest,notthegrandersortofpriestwhomakesacareerinRomeandihouses,butamodestvillagepriestihofhistry.Herebe?fellhimasingularmisfortuwasthepleasureofFriedrichWilhelmI,fatherofthepresentruler,toassemble,asiswellknown,thefiarmyinEurope.TinyPrussiawasuosupplymeninsuffitosatisfythisambition;hisre?cruitersrangedoverthewholeofEurope,andthosewhomtheycouldnotpersuade,withprom?isesofliberalbounties,intothekingsservice,theykidnapped.NowFriedrichwasaboveallelsefondofverytallmen,andhadcreated,forhispersonalguard,aregimentofgiants,muchmockedatthetime,buthelessabraveandformidablesight.ItwasthebadluckofthepriestOrsinitobeaverytallman,andofimpressivemienandbearingwithal;hewasabductedstraightfromthealtar,ashewassayingmass,theHostinhishands--"

  "Thisisveryexg,"Barbbrokein,hereyesshowinggenuinepleasureahusiasm.

  "Thankyou,"Edgarsaid,andtinuedhisread?ing.

  "--andservedtenyearsintheregimentofgiants.OhofFriedrichWilhelm,theregimentwasdisbanded,amongothereies;buttheformerpriest,bynowhabituatedtomilitarylife,andevefulforit,enlisteduhenewyoungking,withtherankofcaptain."

  "Isthishistoricallyaccurate?"Barbaraasked.

  "Itdoesnottradictwhatisknown,"Edgarassuredher.

  "AssighestaffofBaronA--,andmuthetattershouseinsequence,hewasthrowninwiththelovelyInge,MadameA--,awomanmuchyouhanherhusband,andpossessedofmanyexcellentqualities.Adeepsympathyestab?lisheditselfbetweenthem,withthisidiosyncrasy,thatitwasneverpressedtoaclusion,onhispart,oraowledgedinanyway,onhers.Butbothwereawarethatitexisted,anddrewseourishmentfromit,andtookmuchdelightinthenearness,oheother.Butthispleasantstateofaffairsalsohadamelancholyaspect,forOrsini,althoughexergthegreatestrestraintier,helesssideredthathehad,inevenadmittingtohimselfthathewasihMadameA--,damagedhispatrontheBaron,whomhekobeajustandhonorableman,andonewhohad,moreover,donehimmanykind?nesses.InthishumorOrsinisawhimselfasasonofjackalskulkingabouttheperipheryofhisbene?factorsdomesticlife,whichhadbeenharmoniousandwhole,butwasnow,inwhatshtde?gree,promised."

  Rose,thechild,stoodinherwhitebathrobelook?ingatherfatherwhowastalkingforsuchalongtime,andinsuchadramaticshakingvoice.

  "TheBaron,onhisside,wasnotatallinsensibleofthepassionthatresent,asitwereina?ditionoflatency,betweenhisyoungwifeandthehandsomeSieruth,hisknowledgeoftheirintercourse,whichheimaginedhadripenedfarbeyondthepointithadactuallyreached,hadflunghimheadlongintoahorriblecrime:forhiswith?holdingofthedecisivetroopsatKolin,forwhichhistoryhasjudgedhimsoharshly,washeranerrorynoradisplayofpusillanimity,butawillfulact,havingasitspurposetheexposureofthechateau,andthusthelovers,whomhehadcausedtobetogetherthere,tothebloodlustofthepandours.Andasforhisallegedsuicide,thattoowasacruelfarce;helived,inahiddenplace."

  Edgarstopped.

  "Itsswift-moving,"Barbaraplimented.

  "Well,doyouwaoreadyoutheend?"Edgarasked.

  "Theend?Isittheendalready?"

  "Doyouwaoreadyoutheend?"herepeated.

  "Yes."

  "IvegottheendbutIdonthavethemiddle,"Edgarsaid,alittleashamed.

  "Youdonthavethemiddle?"

  "Doyouwaoreadyoutheendordontyou?"

  "Yes,readmetheend."Thepossibilityofasemi-professionalapartment,whichshehadeainedbriefly,wasfallingoutofherheadwiththishattherewasnomiddle.

  "Thelastparagraphisthis:

  "DuringtheseeventsFriedrich,tosolehim?selfforthedebacleatKolin,posedinhiscastleatBerlinaflutesonata,ofwhichthecriticGuildahassaid,thatitisnotlesslovelythanthesonatasofGePhilipTelemann."

  "Thatsironic,"shesaidknowingly.

  "Yes,"Edgaragreed,impatient.Hewasasvola?tileaspop.

  "Butwhataboutthemiddle?"

  "Idonthavethemiddle!"hethundered.

  "Somethinghastohappeweenthem,Ingeandwhatshisname,"shewenton."Otherwisetheresnostory."Lookingatherhethought:sheisstillstreetyalthoughwearingherhousewifegear.Thechilderfectlove,however,andcouldoldfromthechildrenofsuccess.

  Barbtheellingastoryshekhathadhappeoafriendofhers.Thisgirlhadhadanaffairwithamanandhadbeepregnant.ThemanhadgooSeville,toseeifhellwasacitymuchlikeit,andshehadspontaneouslyaborted,inChicago.Thenshehadflowoparley,andtheyhadwalkedireetsandvisitedelderlychurchesandlikethat.Andthefirstchurchtheywentinto,therewasthistinylittlewhitecoffincoveredwithflowers,rightinthesanctuary.

  "Banal,"Edgarpronounced.

  Shetriedtothinkofanotheraetodelivertohim.

  "Ivegottogetthatcertificate!"hesuddenlycalledoutdesperately.

  "IdontthinkyoupasstheNationalWritersExaminationwithwhatyouhaveonthatpaper,"Barbsaidthen,withgreatregret,becauseeventhoughhewasherhusbandshedidntwanttohurthimunnecessarily.Butshehadtotellthetruth."Withoutamiddle."

  "Iwouldnthavebee,evenwiththecer?tificate,"hesaid.

  "Yourviewswouldhavebeeknown.Youwouldhavebeehing."

  Atthatmomentthesonmaeredtheroom.Thesonmanquewaseightfeettallandworeascrapewovenoutoftwohuransistorra?dios,allturnedonandtuodifferentstations.JustbylookingathimyoucouldhearPortlandandNogales,Mexico.

  "Nograssinthehouse?"

  BarbaragotthegrasswhichtihoselittleyellowaalistersmadeforsendingfilmbacktoEastmanKodak.

  Edgartriedtothinkofawaytobadmouththisimmensesonleaningoverhimlikealargeblaringbuilding.Buthecouldntthinkofanything.Think?ingofanythingwasbeyondhim.Isympathize.Imyselfhavetheseproblems.Endingsareelusive,middlesareobefound,butworstofallistobegin,tobegin,tobegin.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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