下载辰思小说免费APP
`Anabruptheavyrumblemademeliftmyhead。Thenoiseseemedtorollaway，andsuddenlyasearchingandviolentglarefellontheblindfaceofthenight。Thesustainedanddazzlingflickersseemedtolastforanunconscionabletime。ThegrowlofthethunderincreasedsteadilywhileIlookedathim，distinctandblack，plantedsolidlyupontheshoresofaseaoflight。Atthemomentofgreatestbrilliancethedarknessleapedbackwithaculminatingcrash，andhevanishedbeforemydazzledeyesasutterlyasthoughhehadbeenblowntoatoms。Ablusteringsighpassed；
furioushandsseemedtotearattheshrubs，shakethetopsofthetreesbelow，slamdoors，breakwindow-panes，allalongthefrontofthebuilding。
Hesteppedin，closingthedoorbehindhim，andfoundmebendingoverthetable：mysuddenanxietyastowhathewouldsaywasverygreat，andakintoafright。“MayIhaveacigarette？“heasked。Igaveapushtotheboxwithoutraisingmyhead。“Iwant——want——tobacco，“hemuttered。Ibecameextremelybuoyant。“Justamoment，“Igrunted，pleasantly。Hetookafewstepshereandthere。“That’sover，“Iheardhimsay。Asingledistantclapofthundercamefromthesealikeagunofdistress。“Themonsoonbreaksupearlythisyear，“heremarked，conversationally，somewherebehindme。Thisencouragedmetoturnround，whichIdidassoonasIhadfinishedaddressingthelastenvelope。Hewassmokinggreedilyinthemiddleoftheroom，andthoughheheardthestirImade，heremainedwithhisbacktomeforatime。
“`Come——Icarrieditoffprettywell，“hesaid，wheelingsuddenly。“Something’spaidoff——notmuch。Iwonderwhat’stocome。“Hisfacedidnotshowanyemotion，onlyitappearedalittledarkenedandswollen，asthoughhehadbeenholdinghisbreath。Hesmiledreluctantlyasitwere，andwentonwhileIgazedupathimmutely……“Thankyou，though——yourroom——jollyconvenient——forachap——badlyhipped。“……Therainpatteredandswishedinthegarden；awater-pipe(itmusthavehadaholeinit)performedjustoutsidethewindowaparodyofblubberingwoewithfunnysobsandgurglinglamentations，interuptedbyjerkyspasmsofsilence……“Abitofshelter，“
hemumbledandceased。
`Aflashoffadedlightningdartedinthroughtheblackframe-workofthewindowsandebbedoutwithoutanynoise。IwasthinkinghowIhadbestapproachhim(Ididnotwanttobeflungoffagain)whenhegavealittlelaugh。“Nobetterthanavagabondnow“……theendofthecigarettesmoulderedbetweenhisfingers……“Withoutasingle——single……“hepronouncedslowly；“andyet……“Hepaused；therainfellwithredoubledviolence。
“Somedayone’sboundtocomeuponsomesortofchancetogetitallbackagain。Must!“hewhispered，distinctly，glaringatmyboots。
`Ididnotevenknowwhatitwashewishedsomuchtoregain，whatitwashehadsoterriblymissed。Itmighthavebeensomuchthatitwasimpossibletosay。Apieceofass’sskin，accordingtoChester……Helookedupatmeinquisitively。“Perhaps。Iflife’slongenough，“Imutteredthroughmyteethwithunreasonableanimosity。“Don’treckontoomuchonit。“
“`Jove!Ifeelasifnothingcouldevertouchme，“hesaidinatoneofsombreconviction。“Ifthisbusinesscouldn’tknockmeover，thenthere’snofearoftherebeingnotenoughtimeto——climbout，and……“Helookedupwards。
`Itstruckmethatitisfromsuchashethatthegreatarmyofwaifsandstraysisrecruited，thearmythatmarchesdown，downintoalltheguttersoftheearth。Assoonasheleftmyroom，that“bitofshelter，“
hewouldtakehisplaceintheranks，andbeginthejourneytowardsthebottomlesspit。Iatleasthadnoillusions；butitwasI，too，whoamomentagohadbeensosureofthepowerofwords，andnowwasafraidtospeak，inthesamewayonedaresnotmoveforfearoflosingaslipperyhold。
Itiswhenwetrytograpplewithanotherman’sintimateneedthatweperceivehowincomprehensible，wavering，andmistyarethebeingsthatsharewithusthesightofthestarsandthewarmthofthesun。Itisasiflonelinesswereahardandabsoluteconditionofexistence；theenvelopeoffleshandbloodonwhichoureyesarefixedmeltsbeforetheoutstretchedhand，andthereremainsonlythecapricious，unconsolable，andelusivespiritthatnoeyecanfollow，nohandcangrasp。Itwasthefearoflosinghimthatkeptmesilent，foritwasborneuponmesuddenlyandwithunaccountableforcethatshouldIlethimslipawayintothedarknessIwouldneverforgivemyself。
“`Well。Thanks——oncemore。You’vebeen——er——uncommonly——reallythere’snowordto……Uncommonly!Idon’tknowwhy，Iamsure。IamafraidI
don’tfeelasgratefulasIwouldifthewholethinghadn’tbeensobrutallysprungonme。Becauseatbottom……you，yourself……“Hestuttered。
“`Possibly，’Istruckin。Hefrowned。
“`Allthesame，oneisresponsible。“Hewatchedmelikeahawk。
“`Andthat’strue，too，“Isaid。
“`Well。I’vegonewithittotheend，andIdon’tintendtoletanymancastitinmyteethwithout——without——resenting。“Heclenchedhisfist。
“`There’syourself，“Isaidw
