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第47章 带家具出租的房间2（第1页）

ncethehousesofthisdistrict，havinghadathousanddwellers，shouldhaveathousandtalestotell，mostlydullones，nodoubt;butitwouldbestrangeiftherecouldnotbefoundaghostortwointhewakeofallthesevagrantguests。

Oneeveningafterdarkayoungmanrowledamongthesecrumblingredmansions，ringingtheirbells。Atthetwelfthherestedhisleanhand-baggageuonthesteandwiedthedustfromhishatbandandforehead。Thebellsoundedfaintandfarawayinsomeremote，hollowdeths。

Tothedoorofthis，thetwelfthhousewhosebellhehadrung，cameahousekeeerwhomadehimthinkofanunwholesome，surfeitedwormthathadeatenitsnuttoahollowshellandnowsoughttofillthevacancywithediblelodgers。

Heaskediftherewasaroomtolet。

"Comein，

"saidthehousekeeer。Hervoicecamefromherthroat;herthroatseemedlinedwithfur。

"Ihavethethirdfloorback，vacantsinceaweekback。Shouldyouwishtolookatit?

"

Theyoungmanfollowedheruthestairs。Afaintlightfromnoarticularsourcemitigatedtheshadowsofthehalls。Theytrodnoiselesslyuonastaircaretthatitsownloomwouldhaveforsworn。Itseemedtohavebecomevegetable;tohavedegeneratedinthatrank，sunlessairtolushlichenorsreadingmossthatgrewinatchestothestaircaseandwasviscidunderthefootlikeorganicmatter。Ateachturnofthestairswerevacantnichesinthewall。Perhaslantshadoncebeensetwithinthem。Ifsotheyhaddiedinthatfoulandtaintedair。Itmaybethatstatuesofthesaintshadstoodthere，butitwasnotdifficulttoconceivethatimsanddevilshaddraggedthemforthinthedarknessanddowntotheunholydethsofsomefurnisheditbelow。

"Thisistheroom，

"saidthehousekeeer，fromherfurrythroat。

"Itsaniceroom。Itisntoftenvacant。Ihadsomemosteleganteoleinitlastsummer—notroubleatall，andaidinadvancetotheminute。Thewatersattheendofthehall。SrowlsandMooneyketitthreemonths。Theydoneavaudevillesketch。MissBrettaSrowls—youmayhaveheardofher—Oh，thatwasjustthestagenames—rightthereoverthedresseriswherethemarriagecertificatehung，framed。Thegasishere，andyouseethereislentyofclosetroom。Itsaroomeverybodylikes。Itneverstaysidlelong。

"

"Doyouhavemanytheatricaleoleroominghere?

"askedtheyoungman。

"Theycomeandgo。Agoodroortionofmylodgersisconnectedwiththetheatres。Yes，sir，thisisthetheatricaldistrict。Actoreoleneverstayslonganywhere。Igetmyshare。Yes，theycomeandtheygo。

"

Heengagedtheroom，ayingforaweekinadvance。Hewastired，hesaid，andwouldtakeossessionatonce。Hecountedoutthemoney。Theroomhadbeenmadeready，shesaid，eventotowelsandwater。Asthehousekeeermovedawayheut，forthethousandthtime，thequestionthathecarriedattheendofhistongue。

"Ayounggirl—MissVashner—MissEloiseVashner—doyouremembersuchaoneamongyourlodgers?Shewouldbesingingonthestage，mostlikely。Afairgirl，ofmediumheightandslender，withreddish，goldhairandadarkmolenearherlefteyebrow。

"

"No，Idontrememberthename。Thestageeolehavenamestheychangeasoftenastheirrooms。Theycomeandtheygo。No，Idontcallthatonetomind。

"

No。Alwaysno。Fivemonthsofceaselessinterrogationandtheinevitablenegative。Somuchtimesentbydayinquestioningmanagers，agents，schoolsandchoruses;bynightamongtheaudiencesoftheatresfromall-starcastsdowntomusichallssolowthathedreadedtofindwhathemosthoedfor。Hewhohadlovedherbesthadtriedtofindher。Hewassurethatsinceherdisaearancefromhomethisgreat，water-girtcityheldhersomewhere，butitwaslikeamonstrousquicksand，shiftingitsarticlesconstantly，withnofoundation，itsuergranulesoftodayburiedtomorrowinoozeandslime。

Thefurnishedroomreceiveditslatestguestwithafirstglowofseudo-hositality，ahectic，haggard，erfunctorywelcomelikethesecioussmileofademire。Thesohisticalcomfortcameinreflectedgleamsfromthedecayedfurniture，theraggedbrocadeuholsteryofacouchandtwochairs，afootwidecheaierglassbetweenthetwowindows，fromoneortwogiltictureframesandabrassbedsteadinacorner。

Theguestreclined，inert，uonachair，whiletheroom，confusedinseechasthoughitwereanaartmentinBabel，triedtodiscoursetohimofitsdiverstenantry。

Aolychromaticruglikesomebrilliant-floweredrectangular，troicalisletlaysurroundedbyabillowyseaofsoiledmatting。Uonthegay-aeredwallwerethoseicturesthatursuethehomelessonefromhousetohouse—TheHuguenotLovers，TheFirstQuarrel，TheWeddingBreakfast，PsycheattheFountain。ThemantelschastelysevereoutlinewasingloriouslyveiledbehindsomeertdraerydrawnrakishlyaskewlikethesashesoftheAmazonianballet。Uonitwassomedesolateflotsamcastasidebytheroomsmaroonedwhenaluckysailhadbornethemtoafreshort—atriflingvaseortwo，icturesofactresses，amedicinebottle，somestraycardsoutofadeck。