按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Misses Brannon。'
'I will all right if he's down there tomorrow。 But you leave that
bag alone。 It don't belong to that sponger any more。'
'I know spongers； and Blount's not one；' Biff said。 'Myself—I
don't know so well。 But I'm not that kind of a thief。'
Calmly Biff put down the suitcase on the steps outside。
11
The air was not so stale and sultry in the room as it was
downstairs。 He decided to stay for a short while and douse his
face with cold water before going back。
'I told you already what I'll do if you don't get rid of that
fellow for good tonight。 In the daytime he takes them naps at
the back； and then at night you feed him dinners and beer。 For
a week now he hasn't paid one cent。 And all his wild talking
and carrying…on will ruin any decent trade。'
'You don't know people and you don't know real business；'
Biff said。 〃The fellow in question first came in here twelve
days ago and he was a stranger in the town。 The first week he
gave us twenty dollars' worth of trade。 Twenty at the
minimum。'
'And since then on credit；' Alice said。 Tive days on credit； and
so drunk it's a disgrace to the business。 And besides； he's
nothing but a bum and a freak。'
'I like freaks；' Biff said。
'I reckon you dol I just reckon you certainly ought to； Mister
Brannon—being as you're one yourself。'
He rubbed his bluish chin and paid her no attention。 For the
first fifteen years of their married life they had called each
other just plain Biff and Alice。 Then in one of their quarrels
they had begun calling each other Mister and Misses； and
since then they had never made it up enough to change it。
Tm just warning you he'd better not be there when I come
down tomorrow。'
Biff went into the bathroom； and after he had bathed his face
he decided that he would have time for a shave。 His beard was
black and heavy as though it had grown for three days。 He
stood before the mirror and rubbed his cheek meditatively。 He
was sorry he had talked to Alice。 With her； silence was better。
Being around that woman always made him different from his
real self。 It made him tough and small and common as she
was。 Biff's eyes were cold and staring； half…concealed by the
cynical droop of his eyelids。 On the fifth finger of his
calloused hand there was a woman's wedding ring。 The door
was open behind him； and in the mirror he could see Alice
lying in the bed。
'Listen；' he said。 〃The trouble with you is that you don't have
any real kindness。 Not but one woman Fve ever known had
this real kindness I'm talking about'12
'Well； I've known you to do things no man in this world would
be proud of。 I've known you to'
'Or maybe it's curiosity I mean。 You don't ever see or notice
anything important that goes on。 You never watch and think
and try to figure anything out。 Maybe that's the biggest
difference between you and me； after all。'
Alice was almost asleep again； and through the mirror he
watched her with detachment。 There was no distinctive point
about her on which he could fasten his attention； and his gaze
glided from her pale brown hair to the stumpy outline of her
feet beneath the cover。 The soft curves of her face led to the
roundness of her hips and thighs。 When he was away from her
there was no one feature that stood out in his mind and he
remembered her as a complete； unbroken figure。
〃The enjoyment of a spectacle is something you have never
known；' he said。
Her voice was tired。 〃That fellow downstairs is a spectacle； all
right； and a circus too。 But I'm through putting up with him。'
'Hell； the man don't mean anything to me。 He's no relative or
buddy of mine。 But you don't know what it is to store up a
whole lot of details and then come upon something real。' He
turned on the hot water and quickly began to shave。
It was the morning of May 15； yes； that Jake Blount had come
in。 He had noticed him immediately and watched。 The man
was short； with heavy shoulders like beams。 He had a small；
ragged mustache； and beneath this his lower lip looked as
though it had been stung by a wasp。 There were many things
about the fellow that seemed contrary。 His head was very
large and well…shaped； but his neck was soft and slender as a
boy's。 The mustache looked false； as if it had been stuck on for
a costume party and would fall off if he talked too fast。 It
made him seem almost middle…aged； although his face with its
high； smooth forehead and wide…open eyes was young。 His
hands were huge； stained； and calloused； and he was dressed
in a cheap white…linen suit。 There was something very funny
about the man； yet at the same time another feeling would not
let you laugh。
He ordered a pint of liquor and drank it straight in half an
hour。 Then he sat at one of the booths and ate a big
chicken dinner。 Later he read a book and drank beer。 That was
the beginning。 And although Biff had noticed Blount very
carefully he would never have guessed about the crazy things
that happened later。 Never had he seen a man change so many
times in twelve days。 Never had he seen a fellow drink so
much； stay drunk so long。
Biff pushed up the end of his nose with his thumb and shaved
his upper lip。 He was finished and his face seemed cooler。
Alice was asleep when he went through the bedroom on the
way downstairs。
The suitcase was heavy。 He carried it to the front of the
restaurant； behind the cash register； where he usually stood
each evening。 Methodically he glanced around the place。 A
few customers had left and the room was not so crowded； but
the set…up was the same。 The deaf…mute still drank coffee by
himself at one of the middle tables。 The drunk had not stopped
talking。 He was not addressing anyone around him in
particular； nor was anyone listening。 When he had come into
the place that evening he wore those blue overalls instead of
the filthy linen suit he had been wearing the twelve days。 His
socks were gone and his ankles were scratched and caked with
mud。
Alertly Biff picked up fragments of his monologue。 The
fellow seemed to be talking some queer kind of politics again。
Last night he had been talking about places he had been—
about Texas and Oklahoma and the Carolinas。 Once he had
got on the subject of cat…houses； and afterward his jokes got so
raw he had to be hushed up with beer。 But most of the time
nobody was sure just what he was saying。 Talk—talk—talk。
The words came out of his throat like a cataract。 And the thing
was that the accent he used was always changing； the kinds of
words he used。 Sometimes he talked like a linthead and
sometimes nice a professor。 He would use words a foot long
and then slip up on his grammar。 It was hard to tell what kind
of folks he had or what part of the country he was from。 He
was always changing。 Thoughtfully Biff fondled the tip of his
nose。 There was no connection。 Yet connection usually went
with brains。 This man had a good mind； all right； but he went
from one thing to another without any reason behind it at all。
He was like a man thrown off his track by something。14
Biff leaned his weight on th