第25章

Heretheninhiskitchen，theonlyroomwhereasparkoffire

tookoffthechillofaNovemberevening，poorPeterGoldthwaitehad

justbeenvisitedbyhisricholdpartner。Atthecloseoftheir

interview，Peter，withratheramortifiedlook，glanceddownwardsat

hisdress，partsofwhichappearedasancientasthedaysof

Goldthwaite&Brown。Hisuppergarmentwasamixedsurtout，wofully

faded，andpatchedwithnewerstuffoneachelbow；beneaththishe

woreathreadbareblackcoat，someofthesilkbuttonsofwhichhad

beenreplacedwithothersofadifferentpattern；andlastly，though

helackednotapairofgraypantaloons，theywereveryshabbyones，

andhadbeenpartiallyturnedbrownbythefrequenttoastingof

Peter’sshinsbeforeascantyfire。Peter’spersonwasinkeepingwith

hisgoodlyapparel。Gray-headed，hollow-eyed，pale-cheeked，and

lean-bodied，hewastheperfectpictureofamanwhohadfedon

windyschemesandemptyhopes，tillhecouldneitherliveonsuch

unwholesometrash，norstomachmoresubstantialfood。But，withal，

thisPeterGoldthwaite，crack-brainedsimpletonas，perhaps，hewas，

mighthavecutaverybrilliantfigureintheworld，hadheemployed

hisimaginationintheairybusinessofpoetry，insteadofmakingita

demonofmischiefinmercantilepursuits。Afterall，hewasnobad

fellow，butasharmlessasachild，andashonestandhonorable，and

asmuchofthegentlemanwhichnaturemeanthimfor，asanirregular

lifeanddepressedcircumstanceswillpermitanymantobe。

AsPeterstoodontheunevenbricksofhishearth，lookingroundat

thedisconsolateoldkitchen，hiseyesbegantokindlewiththe

illuminationofanenthusiasmthatneverlongdesertedhim。He

raisedhishand，clinchedit，andsmoteitenergeticallyagainstthe

smokypaneloverthefireplace。

“Thetimeiscome！”saidhe。“Withsuchatreasureatcommand，it

werefollytobeapoormananylonger。TomorrowmorningIwill

beginwiththegarret，nordesisttillIhavetornthehousedown！”

Deepinthechimney-corner，likeawitchinadarkcavern，sata

littleoldwoman，mendingoneofthetwopairsofstockings

wherewithPeterGoldthwaitekepthistoesfrombeingfrostbitten。As

thefeetwereraggedpastalldarning，shehadcutpiecesoutofa

cast-offflannelpetticoat，tomakenewsoles。TabithaPorterwasan

oldmaid，upwardsofsixtyyearsofage，fifty-fiveofwhichshehad

satinthatsamechimney-corner，suchbeingthelengthoftimesince

Peter’sgrandfatherhadtakenherfromthealmshouse。Shehadno

friendbutPeter，norPeteranyfriendbutTabitha；solongasPeter

mighthaveashelterforhisownhead，Tabithawouldknowwhereto

shelterhers；or，beinghomelesselsewhere，shewouldtakeher

masterbythehandandbringhimtohernativehome，thealmshouse。

Shoulditeverbenecessary，shelovedhimwellenoughtofeedhim

withherlastmorsel，andclothehimwithherunderpetticoat。But

Tabithawasaqueeroldwoman，and，thoughneverinfectedwithPeter’s

flightiness，hadbecomesoaccustomedtohisfreaksandfolliesthat

sheviewedthemallasmattersofcourse。Hearinghimthreatentotear

thehousedown，shelookedquietlyupfromherwork。

“Bestleavethekitchentillthelast，Mr。Peter。”saidshe。

“Thesoonerwehaveitalldownthebetter。”saidPeter

Goldthwaite。“Iamtiredtodeathoflivinginthiscold，dark，windy，

smoky，creaking，groaning，dismaloldhouse。Ishallfeellikea

youngermanwhenwegetintomysplendidbrickmansion，as，please

Heaven，weshallbythistimenextautumn。Youshallhavearoomon

thesunnyside，oldTabby，finishedandfurnishedasbestmaysuit

yourownnotions。”

“Ishouldlikeitprettymuchsucharoomasthiskitchen。”

answeredTabitha。“Itwillneverbelikehometometillthe

chimney-cornergetsasblackwithsmokeasthis；andthatwon’tbe

thesehundredyears。Howmuchdoyoumeantolayoutonthehouse，Mr。

Peter？”

“Whatisthattoth