The Skylight Room.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-04-06
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The Skylight Room.docx
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TheSkylightRoom
TheSkylightRoom
FirstMrs.Parkerwouldshowyouthedoubleparlours.Youwouldnotdaretointerruptherdescriptionoftheiradvantagesandofthemeritsofthegentlemanwhohadoccupiedthemforeightyears.Thenyouwouldmanagetostammerforththeconfessionthatyouwereneitheradoctornoradentist.Mrs.Parker'smannerofreceivingtheadmissionwassuchthatyoucouldneverafterwardentertainthesamefeelingtowardyourparents,whohadneglectedtotrainyouupinoneoftheprofessionsthatfittedMrs.Parker'sparlours.
Nextyouascendedoneflightofstairsandlookedatthesecond-floor-backat$8.Convincedbyhersecond-floormannerthatitwasworththe$12thatMr.Toosenberryalwayspaidforituntilhelefttotakechargeofhisbrother'sorangeplantationinFloridanearPalmBeach,whereMrs.McIntyrealwaysspentthewintersthathadthedoublefrontroomwithprivatebath,youmanagedtobabblethatyouwantedsomethingstillcheaper.
IfyousurvivedMrs.Parker'sscorn,youweretakentolookatMr.Skidder'slargehallroomonthethirdfloor.Mr.Skidder'sroomwasnotvacant.Hewroteplaysandsmokedcigarettesinitalldaylong.Buteveryroom-hunterwasmadetovisithisroomtoadmirethelambrequins.Aftereachvisit,Mr.Skidder,fromthefrightcausedbypossibleeviction,wouldpaysomethingonhisrent.
Then--oh,then--ifyoustillstoodononefoot,withyourhothandclutchingthethreemoistdollarsinyourpocket,andhoarselyproclaimedyourhideousandculpablepoverty,nevermorewouldMrs.Parkerbeciceroneofyours.Shewouldhonkloudlytheword"Clara,"shewouldshowyouherback,andmarchdownstairs.ThenClara,thecolouredmaid,wouldescortyouupthecarpetedladderthatservedforthefourthflight,andshowyoutheSkylightRoom.Itoccupied7x8feetoffloorspaceatthemiddleofthehall.Oneachsideofitwasadarklumberclosetorstoreroom.
Initwasanironcot,awashstandandachair.Ashelfwasthedresser.Itsfourbarewallsseemedtocloseinuponyoulikethesidesofacoffin.Yourhandcrepttoyourthroat,yougasped,youlookedupasfromawell--andbreathedoncemore.Throughtheglassofthelittleskylightyousawasquareofblueinfinity.
"Twodollars,suh,"Clarawouldsayinherhalf-contemptuous,half-Tuskegeenialtones.
OnedayMissLeesoncamehuntingforaroom.Shecarriedatypewritermadetobeluggedaroundbyamuchlargerlady.Shewasaverylittlegirl,witheyesandhairthathadkeptongrowingaftershehadstoppedandthatalwayslookedasiftheyweresaying:
"Goodnessme!
Whydidn'tyoukeepupwithus?
"
Mrs.Parkershowedherthedoubleparlours."Inthiscloset,"shesaid,"onecouldkeepaskeletonoranaestheticorcoal"
"ButIamneitheradoctornoradentist,"saidMissLeeson,withashiver.
Mrs.Parkergavehertheincredulous,pitying,sneering,icystarethatshekeptforthosewhofailedtoqualifyasdoctorsordentists,andledthewaytothesecondfloorback.
"Eightdollars?
"saidMissLeeson."Dearme!
I'mnotHettyifIdolookgreen.I'mjustapoorlittleworkinggirl.Showmesomethinghigherandlower."
Mr.Skidderjumpedandstrewedthefloorwithcigarettestubsattheraponhisdoor.
"Excuseme,Mr.Skidder,"saidMrs.Parker,withherdemon'ssmileathispalelooks."Ididn'tknowyouwerein.Iaskedtheladytohavealookatyourlambrequins."
"They'retoolovelyforanything,"saidMissLeeson,smilinginexactlythewaytheangelsdo.
AftertheyhadgoneMr.Skiddergotverybusyerasingthetall,black-hairedheroinefromhislatest(unproduced)playandinsertingasmall,roguishonewithheavy,brighthairandvivaciousfeatures.
"AnnaHeld'lljumpatit,"saidMr.Skiddertohimself,puttinghisfeetupagainstthelambrequinsanddisappearinginacloudofsmokelikeanaerialcuttlefish.
Presentlythetocsincallof"Clara!
"soundedtotheworldthestateofMissLeeson'spurse.Adarkgoblinseizedher,mountedaStygianstairway,thrustherintoavaultwithaglimmeroflightinitstopandmutteredthemenacingandcabalisticwords"Twodollars!
"
"I'lltakeit!
"sighedMissLeeson,sinkingdownuponthesqueakyironbed.
EverydayMissLeesonwentouttowork.Atnightshebroughthomepaperswithhandwritingonthemandmadecopieswithhertypewriter.Sometimesshehadnoworkatnight,andthenshewouldsitonthestepsofthehighstoopwiththeotherroomers.MissLeesonwasnotintendedforasky-lightroomwhentheplansweredrawnforhercreation.Shewasgay-heartedandfulloftender,whimsicalfancies.OncesheletMr.Skidderreadtoherthreeactsofhisgreat(unpublished)comedy,"It'sNoKid;or,TheHeiroftheSubway."
TherewasrejoicingamongthegentlemenroomerswheneverMissLeesonhadtimetositonthestepsforanhourortwo.ButMissLongnecker,thetallblondewhotaughtinapublicschoolandsaid,"Well,really!
"toeverythingyousaid,satonthetopstepandsniffed.AndMissDorn,whoshotatthemovingducksatConeyeverySundayandworkedinadepartmentstore,satonthebottomstepandsniffed.MissLeesonsatonthemiddlestepandthemenwouldquicklygrouparoundher.
EspeciallyMr.Skidder,whohadcastherinhismindforthestarpartinaprivate,romantic(unspoken)dramainreallife.AndespeciallyMr.Hoover,whowasforty-five,fat,flushandfoolish.AndespeciallyveryyoungMr.Evans,whosetupahollowcoughtoinducehertoaskhimtoleaveoffcigarettes.Themenvotedher"thefunniestandjolliestever,"butthesniffsonthetopstepandthelowerstepwereimplacable.
******
IprayyouletthedramahaltwhileChorusstalkstothefootlightsanddropsanepicediantearuponthefatnessofMr.Hoover.Tunethepipestothetragedyoftallow,thebaneofbulk,thecalamityofcorpulence.Triedout,FalstaffmighthaverenderedmoreromancetothetonthanwouldhaveRomeo'sricketyribstotheounce.Alovermaysigh,buthemustnotpuff.TothetrainofMomusarethefatmenremanded.Invainbeatsthefaithfullestheartabovea52-inchbelt.Avaunt,Hoover!
Hoover,forty-five,flushandfoolish,mightcarryoffHelenherself;Hoover,forty-five,flush,foolishandfatismeatforperdition.Therewasneverachanceforyou,Hoover.
AsMrs.Parker'sroomerssatthusonesummer'sevening,MissLeesonlookedupintothefirmamentandcriedwithherlittlegaylaugh:
"Why,there'sBillyJackson!
Icanseehimfromdownhere,too."
Alllookedup--someatthewindowsofskyscrapers,somecastingaboutforanairship,Jackson-guided.
"It'sthatstar,"explainedMissLeeson,pointingwithatinyfinger."Notthebigonethattwinkles--thesteadyblueonenearit.Icanseeiteverynightthroughmyskylight.InameditBillyJackson."
"Well,really!
"saidMissLongnecker."Ididn'tknowyouwereanastronomer,MissLeeson."
"Oh,yes,"saidthesmallstargazer,"Iknowasmuchasanyofthemaboutthestyleofsleevesthey'regoingtowearnextfallinMars."
"Well,really!
"saidMissLongnecker."ThestaryourefertoisGamma,oftheconstellationCassiopeia.Itisnearlyofthesecondmagnitude,anditsmeridianpassageis--"
"Oh,"saidtheveryyoungMr.Evans,"IthinkBillyJacksonisamuchbetternameforit."
"Samehere,"saidMr.Hoover,loudlybreathingdefiancetoMissLongnecker."IthinkMissLeesonhasjustasmuchrighttonamestarsasanyofthoseoldastrologershad."
"Well,really!
"saidMissLongnecker.
"Iwonderwhetherit'sashootingstar,"remarkedMissDorn."IhitnineducksandarabbitoutofteninthegalleryatConeySunday."
"Hedoesn'tshowupverywellfromdownhere,"saidMissLeeson."Yououghttoseehimfrommyroom.Youknowyoucanseestarseveninthedaytimefromthebottomofawell.Atnightmyroomisliketheshaftofacoalmine,anditmakesBillyJacksonlooklikethebigdiamondpinthatNightfastensherkimonowith."
TherecameatimeafterthatwhenMissLeesonbroughtnoformidablepapershometocopy.Andwhenshewentoutinthemorning,insteadofworking,shewentfromofficetoofficeandletherheartmeltawayinthedripofcoldrefusalstransmittedthroughinsolentofficeboys.Thiswenton.
TherecameaneveningwhenshewearilyclimbedMrs.Parker'sstoopatthehourwhenshealwaysreturnedfromherdinnerattherestaurant.Butshehadhadnodinner.
AsshesteppedintothehallMr.Hoovermetherandseizedhischance.Heaskedhertomarryhim,andhisfatnesshoveredaboveherlikeanavalanche.Shedodged,andcaughtthebalustrade.Hetriedforherhand,andsheraiseditandsmotehimweaklyintheface.Stepbystepshewentup,draggingherselfbytherailing.ShepassedMr.Skidder'sdoorashewasred-inkingastagedirectionforMyrtleDelorme(MissLeeson)inhis(unaccepted)comedy,to"pirouetteacrossstagefromLtothesideoftheCount."Upthecarpetedladdershecrawledatlastandopenedthedooroftheskylightroom.
Shewastooweaktolightthelamportoundress.Shefellupontheironcot,herfragilebodyscarcelyhollowingthewornsprings.AndinthatErebusoftheskylightroom,sheslowlyraisedherheavyeyelids,andsmiled.
ForBillyJacksonwasshiningdownonher,calmandbrightandconstantthroughtheskylight.Therewasnoworldabouther.Shewassunkinapitofblackness,withbutthatsmallsquareofpallidlightframingthestarthatshehadsowhimsicallyandoh,soineffectuallynamed.MissLongneckermustberight;itwasGamma,oftheconstellationCassiopeia,andnotBillyJackson.AndyetshecouldnotletitbeGamma.
Asshelayonherbackshetriedtwicetoraiseherarm.ThethirdtimeshegottwothinfingerstoherlipsandblewakissoutoftheblackpittoBillyJackson.Herarmfellbacklimply.
"Good
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