Chapter 16 June 4, 1928 (Tue) (1)

June 4, 1928 (Tue) (1) You will be glad to know that I have recently been given the opportunity to pursue a career.As for the specific situation of this undertaking, I should disclose it to you on a more appropriate occasion, and it is inconvenient to explain it clearly in the letter.The reason why I keep it secret for the time being is that I might as well tell you the reason.I have been in business for many years, and my experience tells me that when it comes to confidential matters, it is necessary to be cautious and never explain to others in a way that goes further than face-to-face narration.If my attitude is so prudent, you can guess the value of this undertaking.Needless to say, I have made a very thorough examination of every aspect of this undertaking.I can tell you without hesitation that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can now clearly see that the goal I have been striving for for a long time has finally appeared in front of me. My personal financial situation will be greatly improved, and the family business will also be revived.I am ashamed to say, I am the only son left of Bascombe's noble family; Of course, I regard your lady-born mother and my nephew as family.

However, due to various reasons, I have not yet reached the point where I can make full use of this good opportunity, and I still need to continue to work hard. In order not to overflow my rights and interests, I plan to withdraw a small sum of money from your mother's deposit today to make up for it. My own first investment.Enclosed is a piece of IOU written by me in my own handwriting, and the customer's IOU, so that the procedures are complete and correct.Needless to say, this was a formality intended to give your mother some security in the vicissitudes of society.Naturally, I will treat this sum as my own investment, so that your mother can share a portion of the benefits of what I have carefully identified as a veritable windfall - pardon my vulgar language. .

You must understand that my openness means that a business person trusts a colleague. We can harvest this rich orchard together in the future. What do you think?In view of your mother's weak constitution and the fact that the ladies in the south regard money affairs as timid, and in view of Yi Zi's unwise disclosure of secrets in the chats of the woman, I think it is better not to mention this matter in front of her.After much deliberation, I decided that keeping silent was the best policy.At some time in the future, it seems better for me to deposit this sum in the bank along with other sums I have successively borrowed, and not mention the matter to her at all.I, a man of my generation, really shouldn't bring such vulgar money matters to a lady like your mother.

love your uncle Maury Basilien "What are you going to do?" I said, spinning Xinfei across the table. "I know you don't like me giving him money," she said. "That's your money," I said. "Even if you want to use it for bird hunting, that's your business." "He's my brother," said my mother. "He's the last Bascombe man. We'll kill the Bascomon name when we die." "I figured this kind of thing is not very good for some people," I said. "All right! All right!" I said. "It's your money. Do with it what you like. Do you want me to tell the bank to pay?"

"I know you resent him," she said. "I know you have a heavy burden on your shoulders. You'll be relieved when I close your eyes." "I could have made life easier now," I said. "All right! All right! I'll never speak of it again. If you want, we can have a whole madhouse in our house." "He's your brother," she said, "in spite of his faults." "I'm taking your passbook," I said, "and I'm going to cash the check today." "He's always six days late in paying you," she said. "Do you think his business is reliable? I always find it strange why a company that is not in arrears or in arrears can't pay salaries on time."

"He's fine," I said. "Safe as a bank. I told him to leave me alone and settle the monthly accounts. Sometimes that's why there's a delay of a few days." "I just can't bear to see you lose the little money I invested in you," she said. "I often feel that Al is not a shrewd businessman. I know that you have invested in his store and should have some rights, but he doesn't trust you enough. I'm going to talk to him." "No, leave him alone," I said. "That's his name." "You have a thousand dollars in equity in it."

"Leave him alone," I said, "I'm watching. I have your agency. It'll be all right." "You have no idea what a comfort you are to me," she said. "You have always been my pride. My joy, when you volunteered to come to me and insist that your monthly paycheck be banked in my name, I thank God for taking them to heaven , but left you to me." "They're all nice people," I said. "I figured they'd all done their part, too." "I know you're complaining about your dead father when you talk like that," she said. "Accordingly, you have a right to complain. But it breaks my heart to hear you talk like that."

I stand up. "The next step is for you to cry," I said, "but I'm sorry I can't accompany you, but if you want to cry, you have to cry alone, because I have to go back to work. I'm going to get the passbook now." ① refers to Al.Jason had to use his mother's passbook to cash the checks from Katie that he received on the sixth of every month; he lied that Al was six days in arrears before writing him his salary check. "I'll get it for you," she said. "You don't move," I said. "I'll get it." I went upstairs to take out the passbook from her writing desk and went back to town.I went to the bank, deposited the check, the money order, and the ten dollars, and stopped a while at the telegraph office.It is now one "point" higher than when it opened.I've got thirteen "o'clock," and it's all because at twelve o'clock she came in and distracted me with the letter.

"When did you get that quote?" I said. "About an hour ago," said the man. "An hour?" I said. "What are we giving you money for?" I said, "to get a weekly business review? How can anyone else do anything? The roof is coming off and we're still in the dark." "I don't think you can do much more," he said. "They changed the law to stop buying short and selling short in the cotton market." "Corrected?" I said. "I haven't heard anything about it. It must have come from Western Union. I go back to the store.Thirteen "dots".I don't believe anyone understands the secrets of this; except the big bosses sitting in their New York offices, waiting for the country folks to come to them with money and beg for their favor.Well, a guy who just made the call showed he has little confidence in himself, and I said earlier, what's the point of paying for this if you're not going to take someone's opinion.Besides, these people are insiders, they know everything.I have a telegram in my pocket.I only need to prove that they used the telegraph office for fraudulent activities, and I can confirm that it is an illegal speculative company.I've never been one to be indecisive.Just fuck it, it has to be a big company like Western Union.Only companies with strong capital can issue market reports on time.They can't wait to send you a telegram saying, "My account has been settled today."But they don't care about other people's life or death.They are all with the New York Group.This is so obvious that anyone can see it.

①A telegraph company in the United States. I went in and Al looked at his watch.But he said nothing.When the customer left, he said: "Are you home for lunch?" "I have a toothache and I need to go to the dentist," I said.I say this because where I eat has nothing to do with him, but I still have to spend the whole afternoon with him in the shop.I've had enough of my sins, and it's too much for him to babble on and on.I have said long ago that if you are the owner of a small country shop, you should take it seriously, and then a person with only five hundred dollars will have to put on an attitude of having fifty thousand dollars.

"You should have told me," he said. "I thought you'd be right back." "I'm willing to sell this tooth any time, and I can also give you ten dollars back," I said. "Our original agreement was to have an hour for lunch at noon," I said. "You know exactly what to do if you're not happy with my behavior." "I've known that for a while, too," he said. "If it wasn't for your mother. I'd have had a fit. She's a lady I'm very sympathetic to, Jason. It's a pity I don't know anyone else who deserves my sympathy." "Keep that sympathy to yourself," I said. "We'll let you know in advance when we need it." "It's been a long time since I've covered you for what you did, Jason," he said. "Really?" I said, and I let him go on.Listen to what he has to say before gagging him. "How did you get that car? I'm sure I know better than she does." "You think you know, don't you?" I said. "When are you going to go out and spread the word that I stole it from my mother?" "I didn't say anything," he said. "I know you have her agency. I also know she still thinks I have her thousand dollars in the deal." "Okay," I said, "since you know so much, I might as well tell you one more thing: you go to the bank to inquire about it. For twelve years, I have deposited one hundred and sixty yuan on the first day of each month. In whose name." "I didn't say anything," he said, "I just wish you better be careful in the future." I don't say anything anymore.It's useless to say.I have long found that after a person's thinking is rigid, the best way is to let him cling to his prejudices.When someone thinks he has some harsh advice to tell you, the best thing to do is to say "good night and good-bye" to him.I'm glad I don't have that kind of fragile conscience, otherwise, I would have to coax this conscience like nursing a sick puppy.If I had to be as careful as he is, and never let my small business profit exceed eight per cent, then I might as well be dead.I figured he thought the government would come after him with the Usury Act if it went over eight percent.What hope is there for a man tied up in such a small town, in such a dead business.Well, if I'd take over his business, within a year, I'd take him out of work for the rest of his life; but he'd give all his money to the church or something.If there's one thing I can't stand the most, it's a hypocrite.This kind of person thinks that there is something wrong with everything that he doesn't fully understand, and whenever he gets a chance, he feels that he has a moral responsibility to tell a third party about things that have nothing to do with him.In my opinion, if I feel that every time someone does something that I don't quite understand, I think he's a liar, at least I can find some problems in his stack of ledgers in the back of the shop without too much trouble. In the eyes of ordinary people, these accounts books are not worth telling about, and it is not worth telling the people I think they should know. None of my business.At this time, Al said, "My account book is open to everyone. Anyone concerned or a lady who thinks she has rights and interests in this company can come to the back room to check it. I am very welcome." "Of course, you won't tell," I said, "you haven't been able to convince your conscience to do so. You'll just take her to the back counting room and let her find out for herself. You won't say it." ①Jason's sentence is a continuation of Al's words "I didn't say anything" in line 11 on the previous page. "I have no intention of interfering in your affairs," he said. "I know you, like Quentin, are dissatisfied in some ways. But your mother's life is hard enough. If she comes here and asks me why you quit your job, I can only tell you the truth. That's not Because of the thousand dollars itself. You know that. The thing is, if a man is not what he says on the books, he can't do anything. And I don't want to lie to anyone, whether for My own business or someone else's business." "Then," said I, "your conscience is a better fellow, I think, than mine; it doesn't have to go home to eat at noon. But don't let your conscience spoil my appetite, "I said, 'cause oh my god, how can I ever get things done, there's a family, there's a mother who doesn't have Katie or anybody, like that time she just happened to run into a The boy was kissing Kitty, and all the next day she walked about the house in mourning and veil, and even her father couldn't get her to say a word, and she just cried and said her little daughter dead, and Katie was only fifteen, and within three years my mother would have been wearing underwear made of dervish shag, maybe made of sandpaper.I said, do you think I can stand watching her walk up and down the high street with every new salesman in town?They were gone, and they had to tell the salesman they met on the road where they could find a hot chick in Jefferson.I'm not a face-to-face person, I can't feed a kitchen full of niggers, and I don't want to keep home a top-notch freshman from a state mental institution.Noble blood, I said, from several governors and generals.Fortunately, there were no kings or presidents in our ancestors, otherwise, our whole family would go to Jackson to catch butterflies.I said, if Ben was my child, it would be very bad; but I can at least be sure from the beginning that this is a foreign bastard, but at this point, even if I let old God judge, he can't figure it out. Clear up this mess. After a while, I heard the band blowing up, and the store was gradually emptying out.Everyone is walking towards the venue of the performance.They haggled over a quarter of a saddle rope to save a quarter to honor the Yankees.The crooks came to town and paid maybe ten bucks for the rights to the show.I walked out the back door and into the backyard. "Hey," I said, "if you don't watch out, that bolt will grow into your flesh. I'll have to get an ax and chop it off by then. If you don't get those cultivators in place If the farmers are not allowed to plant cotton well, what will the weevils eat?" I said, "Maybe they should eat sage?" "Those guys are really good at playing the trumpets!" Job said. "They say there's a guy in the troupe who can make out tunes with a handsaw like he's strumming a banjo." "Listen," I said. "You know how much money this show will bring to our town? ①The "she" here refers to little Quentin again. About ten dollars," I said, "that's the ten-dollar bill that's lying in Buck Turbo's pocket right now. " "Why did they give Mr. Buck ten dollars?" he said. "For the right to play here," I said. "That way you can figure out how much they spent on feasting your eyes." "You mean they pay ten dollars to play at this place?" he said. "That's not all," I said. "You think they have to pay..." "My God," he said, "you mean, the authorities charged the troupe a fee before they allowed the troupe to perform here? I mean, I'd have to pay ten dollars to see that guy do the seesaw. Come on. At that rate, we owe them nine dollars and seventy-five cents tomorrow morning." Well, the Yankees kept on telling us to raise the status of the niggers.Let them improve, I always say that.Let them go so far that you can't find another dog on a leash south of Louisville, can't you?I was telling Job the troupe would pack up and leave our county with at least a thousand dollars by Saturday night, but he said: "We're not jealous, we can afford the entrance fee of twenty-five cents." "What twenty-five cents," I said. "Twenty-five cents ain't even a cent. They sell you a box of candy bars for two cents; rip you off and charge you a dime or a quarter. You're standing here listening to that band, Wasting time in vain, does this time cost money?" "That's true," he said. "Well, if we're alive and well tonight, they'll take an extra twenty-five cents with them when they leave. That's obvious." "That means you're an idiot," I said. ①It may be the name of a local chief executive. ②A large city in northern Kentucky. What Jason means here is: since northerners like black people so much, let all black people go to the north. "Well," he said, "we don't argue with you. If stupidity is a crime, then the prisoners in the penitentiary wouldn't all be black." Well, at this moment, I accidentally raised my head and looked into the alley, and caught sight of her.I took a step back and looked at my watch, at which point I didn't notice who the guy next to me was because I was looking at it.It was only two-thirty, forty-five minutes earlier than was expected--I was certainly not the case--forty-five minutes before she would emerge from school.I glanced towards the door, and the first thing I saw was the red tie on his body.I thought at the time, what kind of person is wearing a red tie.But because I was staring at the store door and sneaking along the wall of the alley, I didn't have time to think about who this man was.I was thinking, she really doesn't see me at all. I told her to go to school, but she wanted to play truant. Not only that, she actually dared to walk through the store door, not afraid that I would see her.It's just that she couldn't see what was going on in the store, because the sun was right on the store, and it was as dazzling as looking at the headlights of a car, so I hid in the door and watched her go by, her face was smeared. Like a hozen's butt, her hair was anointed with some sticky oil and combed into a strange hairstyle.When I was young, if a woman came out in such a short skirt that barely covered her thighs and bottom, even on the notorious Gayosu Street or Beale Street, she would be arrested. .Honestly, women wear this kind of clothing.The purpose is to make the men passing by on the street unable to resist reaching out to touch it.I was thinking hard, trying to figure out who would wear a red tie, when it suddenly dawned on me, isn't this just an actor in the troupe?Just like she told me herself.Well, I'm flexible; if I can't hold my breath sometimes, I don't know what I'm going to do today, so when they turned the corner, I jumped out of the shop and followed them.I didn't even wear a hat, and I actually nailed other people's tops in the back streets and alleys in broad daylight. This was entirely to protect my mother's reputation. There is no way.If there is a base root in her blood, then no matter how much you pull her, you won't be able to pull her up.The only way is to throw her away, let her soak up with people who share the same smell, and let her live or die. ①The two streets in Memphis were once the concentration of low-grade entertainment venues. I came to the street, but they were nowhere to be seen.I just stand there.Not even wearing a hat, like I'm crazy too.Others would naturally think this way: one of the family is a fool, the other committed suicide by throwing himself into the river, and the girl was dumped by her husband. From this point of view, it is logical that the rest of the family are also lunatics.When I stand in the street, I can see people staring at me like vultures, just waiting for a chance to say: Well, no, as I expected, I already thought this family was all crazy of.Sold the land for him to go to Harvard, paid taxes for many years to support a state university that has nothing to do with it except I went to it twice during the baseball league and doesn't let her daughter's name be mentioned at home. Then my father went out to town and he just sat there all day with a bottle in his arms and I could still see the hem of his nightgown and his bare legs and I could hear the bottle squeak as it was being poured Jingle at the end he couldn't even pour his own wine and had to ask T.P. to help him pour hers ③ also said that your country didn't show any respect when you remembered your dead father I said I don't understand why it wasn't like this My memory of him It's always stuck in my head unless I'm crazy myself God knows what I'm going to do I'm sick of seeing water Ask me to drink whiskey I'd rather gulp down a glass of petrol Loren tells everyone he probably can't drink But if you don't believe he's a real man I can tell you how you'll know it's her and say if I let me someday ① refers to Quentin. ② refers to Mrs. Compson. ③Take Mrs. Compson.Now you hang out with that little whore and I want you to know how good I am He said I'm going to choke her I'm going to keep whipping her as long as she doesn't run away without a trace She said so I Let's just say I don't drink that's my personal thing but if you ever find out I'm useless if you want I'll buy you a big tub of beer to bathe in because I'm such a bitch for a nice guy yeah Very respectful because I have to maintain my mother's health as well as my position but this chick ②despite all the things I do for her she doesn't appreciate her intentions to let my mother let me go to town now. I don't know where she slipped off, I can't see her anymore.She must have seen me follow, turned into another alley, and ran up and down the alley with a stinking actor in a red tie.Anyone who saw him couldn't help staring at him, thinking to himself: What kind of person is this, and why is he dressed like this.Oh, the boy at the telegraph office kept talking to me. I accepted the telegram without knowing what it was in my hand. I didn't understand until I signed it.I opened the telegram, still not paying much attention to what was in it.However, I expected it anyway.This was the only kiosk that could have happened, and it was deliberately delayed until I had the check in my passbook. I can't figure it out.It's nothing more than how a city as big as New York can accommodate so many people who only make a living by ripping off us country people.We worked hard every day and remitted our own money, but in exchange for a small piece of paper: Zunhu was settled at the closing price of 20.62 yuan.They keep coaxing you, let you get a little profit on paper, and when it comes, there will be a puff: the settlement will be based on the closing price of 20.62 yuan.That's not counting.You have to pay ten dollars a month to a certain man who either doesn't know anything about it, or shares a pair of trousers with the telegraph office, whose only job is to teach you how to lose your money as quickly as possible.All right, I've learned enough of their tricks, anyway, this is the last time I let them cheat.Anyone but a Jew-believing fool knew the market was going to keep going up because the Mississippi Delta was about to flood again and the cotton would have to be washed out like it was last year.The crops here are flooded year after year, but the adults and gentlemen in Washington spend 50,000 yuan a day on the military to send troops to interfere in the internal affairs of Nicaragua or other countries.Of course the Mississippi would flood, and cotton would rise to three cents a pound.Hi, I really want to give them a hit and get all my money back.I don't want them to lose their fortunes, that's what small-town desperadoes do, I just want to get back the money the damned Jews scammed out of me with their supposedly reliable inside information.From now on I'll quit, and they won't cheat me for a dime by kissing my feet. ① refers to "little whore". ② refers to little Quentin. I go back to the store.It was almost half past three.It's too late to make a booth, but I'm used to it.This kind of knowledge does not need to go to Harvard University to learn.The band has stopped playing.All the audience was tricked into the venue at this moment.They don't have to waste their energy in vain anymore.Al said, "Did he find you? The kid with the telegram. I thought you were in the backyard when he came here to see you." So, I said, "I got it. They couldn't hold it back all afternoon. This town is too small. I have to go home for a while," I said. "If you want to make yourself feel better, you can deduct my wages." "Go ahead," he said, "I can handle it now. I hope you don't have bad news!" "You'll have to go to the telegraph office and find out," I said. "They have time to tell you. I don't have time." "I was just asking casually," he said. "Your mother knows she can count on me." "She'll appreciate it," I said.I'll be back as soon as possible. " "You needn't worry," he said. "I can handle it now. You go." I found the car and drove home.I walked away once in the morning, twice at noon, and now again, all because of her, so I had to follow around the town and beg my family to let me eat some meals that I paid for.Sometimes I think, what's the point of all this.Given the precedent I've set myself, it's going to drive me crazy to continue.I'm trying to hurry home right now so I can drive a long way to get a basket of tomatoes or something, and then I have to come back to town and smell like camphor, like I've just come out of a camphor factory, so I The head on the shoulder will not burst.I always tell her that there's nothing in aspirin but flour and water, and that it's just for people who think they're sick.I said you don't know what a headache is. I said if I had my way. Do you think I'd be willing to fiddle with this old car. I said I could live without a car, I'm used to having this and that Yes. But if you're not afraid of death, and ride in that old wagon that's falling apart with some half-grown nigger, fine! Because, as I said, God's always on people like Ben. Knows to do something good for the Ben, but if you think I'm going to hand over a thousand dollar squeamish machine to a half-sized or grown nigger, you might as well buy him one yourself. Because As I said, you like cars, and you know that very well. Dilsey said Mother was in the house.I went all the way into the hall and listened, but I heard nothing.I went upstairs, but she stopped me just as I passed her door. "I just wanted to know who it was," she said. "I've been alone in the house for so long, I can hear even the tiniest voice." ①Jason had a headache, and he used camphor oil, so he had this saying. ② refers to Mrs. Compson. "You don't really have to stay at home all the time," I said. "If you like, you can hang around all day like other women." At this moment she came to the door. "I just thought you were sick," he said. "Dinners are always in such a hurry." "You'll have better luck next time," I said. "What do you want?" "Is something wrong?" he said. "How can something go wrong?" I said. "I'll check back in the middle of the afternoon. What's all the fuss about?" "Have you seen Quentin?" she said. "She's at school," I said. "It's past three o'clock," she said. "I heard the bell strike at least half an hour ago. He should be back by now, too." "She should?" I said. "When did you ever see her come home before dark?" "She should go home," she said. "When I was a girl..." "You have discipline," I said, "she doesn't." "There's nothing I can do with her," she said. "I've tried this and that." "You don't know why you won't let me try it," I said. "So you should be satisfied too." I walked to my own room.I locked the door slowly and stood there until someone turned the croquet outside.Then she said, "Jason "What's up," I said. "I wonder if something is wrong." "I don't have any here anyway," I said. "You're in the wrong place." "I don't want to bother you," she said. "I'm glad to hear that," I said. "I wasn't sure. I thought I had misheard. What's the matter?" After a while, he said, "No. Nothing." At this point she walked away.I took the box down, counted out the money, put the box away, opened the door with the key, and went out of the room.I'd like to use camphor oil, but it's too late anyway.All I have to do is make one more trip.She stood at the door of her room and waited. "Do you want me to bring you something from town?" I said. "No," she said, "I don't want to interfere in your business. But I don't know what I would do if something happened to you, Jason." "I'm fine," I said. "Just a little headache." "You better take some aspirin," she said. "I know you have to drive out." "What does driving have to do with headaches?" I said. "How can a car give you a headache?" "You know the smell of gasoline always makes you sick," she said. "You've been like this since you were a kid. I want you to take some aspirin." "You just hope," I said, "it won't do you any harm anyway." I got in the car and drove back to town.I had just turned onto the street when I saw a Ford speeding towards me.But it stopped suddenly.I heard the wheels skidding and then the car turned around and backed up and scurried forward and I was wondering what the hell was going on with this car when I caught a glimpse of the red tie.Then I saw her face looking back through the back window again.The car hurried into an alley.I saw him turn the corner again, and when I got into the back street he went away from there, trying to get away. I'm on fire.She did it after I took care of her so much!After I recognized the red tie, I was so angry that I forgot everything.I didn't think about my headache until I got to the first fork and had to come down.Shit, we spend money on roads time and time again.But the road we drove was like a piece of corrugated iron: I wondered how it was possible to overtake the car in front, even if it was a handcart, I still cherished my car too much, I I don't want to treat it like a Ford and knock it apart like a Ford.Nine times out of ten, they stole this Ford, otherwise they wouldn't feel bad about it.I often say that blood is everything.If a person has that kind of blood in him, he can do anything.I also said that if you believed you owed her any duty, it is now discharged.You can only blame yourself for what happens from now on, because you know what any sane person would do in such a situation: I said, if I had to spend half my time spying on other people's movements Come on, at least I'm going to find a place that will pay me. In this way, I had to stop at the fork.Then I had a headache again, as if someone had hammered on my chest.I said that I was really trying not to make you worry about her; jokingly, as far as I am concerned, I would like to let her go to hell immediately, and the sooner the better, I said what do you expect? The salesman and the cheap actor in the town have become her friends, because even the frivolous boys in the town don't pay attention to her now.You don't understand the situation, I said, you didn't hear what people were talking about, but I did.You can also believe that I will not stop gagging them.I said, when your ancestors opened three small shops in the village and raised the kind of broken land that even niggers couldn't look down on, our family could support groups of black slaves. If they had really raised the land, that would be fine.God has blessed this place, which is a good thing, and the people who go to this place have never done a good thing at all.It's Friday afternoon and from where I am I can see that nothing within 5 miles of the square has been plowed.Every working man in the county has gone to the town to see the show, and if I were a stranger who was starving to death, I really couldn't find anyone to ask how to get to the town.But she also wants me to take aspirin.I said, I want to eat bread, and I ate it dignifiedly at the table.You always say how much sacrifice you have made for us, but the money you spend on expensive medicines is enough to make ten new sets of clothes a year.I'm not saying I have to find a cure-all for what's wrong with me, just thank goodness I'm not on those aspirins.As long as I have to work ten hours a day to feed a kitchen full of lazy niggers and have them go to some show like every nigger in the county does, I've got a headache.But the nigger in front is already late today, and by the time he goes to the theater, the performance will be over. ① refers to Mrs. Compson.The next "she" refers to little Quentin. 过了一会儿，他走到汽车旁边来了，我终于想办法让他脑子里弄明白我问的是有没有两个人开了一辆福特经过他的身边，他说有的。于是我继续往前开，等我来到大车路拐弯的地方，我看到轮胎的痕迹了。阿伯·罗素①在他的地里干活，可是我没有费事停下来问他，因为我离开他的谷仓还不多远就见到了那辆福特。他们想把它藏起来。她这件事干得真拙劣，就跟她干别的事时一模一样。我常说，不是我对她特别有成见；没准她天生就是这么贱，可是他不应该这么不考虑自己的家庭，不应该这么大大咧咧。我常常担心会在大街街心撞见他们或是在广场上大车下面见到他们象一对野狗那样在一起。 我停住汽车，走了下来。现在我得绕个弯穿过一片犁过的田地，这还是我离开镇子以来所见到的唯一的一块耕过的地呢。每走一步都觉得有人跟在我的后面，要用一根棍子打我的脑袋。我一直在想，等我穿过这片地，至少可以有平实的土地让我走了吧，不至于象现在这样每走一步都要晃上一晃。可是等我走进树林，发现遍地都是矮树丛，我得踅来踅去才能穿过去。接着我遇到了一条长满了荆棘的小沟。我沿着小沟走了一段路，可是荆棘却越来越密了。这时候，没准艾尔一直在给我家里打电话，打听我在哪儿，把母亲弄得心神不宁呢。 ①当地的一个农民。 我终于穿过了小沟，但是我弯子绕得太大，只好停下步子，细细辨认那辆汽车到底在哪儿。我知道他们不会离汽车太远的，总是在最近的灌木底下，因此我又回过头来，一点点往大路那边走回去。可是这时我又弄不清自己离大路究竟有多远，因此只好停下来仔细听路上的声音，这时血从我的腿部往上涌，全涌进我的头部，仿佛马上就要炸裂似的。太阳也落了下来，平射着我的眼睛，我的耳朵鸣响不已，什么声音都听不见。我继续往前走，想尽量不出声音，这时我听见一条狗或是别的什么动物的哼哼声，我知道等它嗅出了我的气味必定会大吠特吠，这样一来岔也就暴露了。 我身上全粘满了"叫化虱"①、小树枝和别的脏东西，连衣服和鞋子里都有了，这时我回过头来看看，不料一只手偏偏搭在一束毒毛莫上。我不明白为什么捏着的仅仅是毒毛草而不是一条蛇或更精采的东西。所以我干脆不去管它。我只顾站在那里，一直等到那条狗走开。然后我接着往前走。 我现在一点也摸不着头脑那辆福特到底在哪儿。我只感到一阵阵头疼，什么也不能思考，我只顾站在一个地方不动，怀疑自己是否真的看到过一辆福特，而且连我到底看到了没有也不大在乎了。我不是说了吗，即使她整日整夜到外面去跟镇上任何一个汉子睡觉，这又与我有什么相干呢。人家一点不给我考虑，我当然也不欠人家任何情分，"再说，这样做也不象话呀。 ①一种植物的种子，带刺，极易粘挂在人畜的身上。 把那辆福特安在那儿，让我花上整整一个下午去我，而艾尔却可以把她。领到后面账房间去，让她看各种各样的账簿，因为对这个世界来说他的道德大高尚了。我说，你②进了天堂没你的好日子过，因为那儿没有你可以管的闲事。不过可别让我当场逮住你③，我睁一眼闭一眼完全是看在你外婆的份上，可是只要让我在自己家里也就是我母亲住的地方发现一次你在于那种勾当，你倒试试看。那班油头小光棍，自以为有多大能耐，我倒要让他们看看我有多大能耐，也要让你看看。我要让那戏子知道，如果他以为能带着我的外甥女儿在树林子里乱跑，那条红领带便不是别的什么，而是牵他到地狱去的催命吊索啦！ 太阳光和乱七八糟的反光照射在我眼睛上，我的血液往上涌，我一遍一遍地想：我的脑袋越来越疼，真的要爆炸了，这下子可要一了百了啦，还不说那些荆棘和小树枝在死乞白赖地攀住我。这时我来到他们方才到过的沙沟边上，我认出了方才汽车停靠着的那棵村。正当我爬出沙沟开始奔跑时，我听到了汽车发动的声音。它响着喇叭飞快地开走了。他们让喇叭直响着，仿佛在说：好哇，好哇。好——哇。与此同时，车子逐渐变小。等我来到大路上，刚好赶上看到汽车在眼前消失。 等到我来到自己的汽车跟前，已经完全不见他们的影子了，那喇叭倒还在鸣响。哼，我还没想到自己的车子会出事，我一心怨的是快走。快回到镇上去。快点回家竭力让母亲相信，我根本没见到你坐在那辆汽车里。竭力让她相信我根本不知道那个男的是谁。竭力让她相信我并没有差点儿在沙沟里逮住你，我们之间只差十英尺。竭力让她相信你一直是站着的，从来没有躺下去过。 ①指康普生太太。 ②指艾尔。 ③指小昆丁。 那辆车子一直在喊：好哇——，好哇——，好——哇。只是声音越来越微弱，最后听不见了，这时我听见一头牛在罗素的牛棚里哞哞叫的声音。我仍然设想到自己的汽车会怎么样，我来到车门边，打开车门，抬起我的脚。我觉得车子好象有点斜。虽说路面是斜的，但也不至于歪成这样，不过我还是没有明白过来，一直到坐进汽车发动时才知道不对头了。 哼，我只好坐在那里。太阳快下山了，镇子离这儿大约有五英里远。他们没胆量，不敢把轮子扎穿，捅上一个洞。他们光是把气放掉。我只好在车子旁边站着，一边寻思：养活了一厨房的黑鬼，却谁也抽不出时间来给我把备用轮胎安上车后的铁架，拧紧几个螺丝。奇怪的是，她虽说诡，还不至于想得那么远，故意把打气筒摘掉，除非是小伙子放气的当儿，她恰好想到了这一手。不过可能是早就不知让谁卸下来交给班当气枪玩了，他们这些人哪，只要班要，即使把汽车全拆散了也会千的，可迪尔西还说什么投人会碰你的车的。咱们玩你的车干什么呀？我就说了，你是黑鬼，你有福气，你懂吗？我说，我哪一天都愿意跟你对换身份，因为只有白人才那么傻，会去操心一个骚蹄子行为规矩不规矩。 我朝罗索的农场走去。他有打气筒。我想，这一点他们倒疏忽了。只是我仍然无法相信她胆子有这么大，会千出这样的事来。我一直在琢磨这件事。我也不知道为什么，反正我不相信一个女的能有什么作为。我不断地想，咱们先撇开个人之间的恩怨不说，反正这样的事我对你是做不出来的，不管你过去对我怎样。因为正如我所说的，亲戚嘛总是亲戚，这是躲不掉绕不开的。这可不是八岁的小顽童想出来的淘气花招，这是让一个居然会戴红领带的人来羞辱你的亲舅舅。这班戏子来到镇上，不分青红皂白把我们一概都叫作"阿乡"，还嫌咱这地方小，辱没了他们这些大艺术家。哼，他哪知道他这话算是说对了！昆丁也是。如果她果真这么想，那就滚她的蛋吧，她一走，咱们这儿就干净了。 我打完气，把气筒还给罗素，便往镇上驶去。我开到药房门口，买了一瓶可口可乐，接着又来到电报局。收盘时牌价12．21元，跌了四十"点"。是四十五块钱呢；你想买什么就拿这笔钱买吧乡只要你办得到。她①要说了，我非要这笔钱不可，我非要不可。我就要说那可太糟了，你可得跟别人去要了，我一分钱也没有；我太忙了，没工夫去挣钱。 我傻愣愣地看着他②。 "我要告诉你一个消息，"我说，"我对棉花行情是感兴趣的，你听到这个消息，一定感到很惊讶，"我说。"你准是从来也没有想到过吧，是吗？" "我想尽了办法要把它送到你手里啊，"他说。"我给店里挂了两次电话，又打电话到你府上，可是大家都不知道你在哪儿，"他说，一边在抽屉里翻东西。 "送什么？"我问。他递给我一份电报。"是什么时候到的？"我说。 "大约三点半，"他说。 "可现在已经是五点过十分了，"我说。 ① refers to Little Quentin. ②电报局的报务员。 "我想尽办法要送："他说，"可是怎么也找不到你。" "这不是我的错儿，是不是？"我说。我拆开电报，想看看他们这回又给我扯什么谎了。他们居然挖空心思不远千里上密西西比州来骗我十块钱一个月，准也是够狼狈的了。脱手为宜，电报里说，行情即将波动，总的趋势看跌。照官方的说法是无须惊恐。 "打这样一份电报要多少钱？"我问。他告诉了我价钱。 "电报费那边也付了，"他说。 "那我就只欠他们这些钱了，"我说。"这行情我早就知道了。给我发一份电报，电报费向对方收，"我说，抽出一张空白的单子。吃进，我写道，行情即将大涨。有时制造一些混乱可以让有些还没有来电报局的乡巴佬上钩。无须惊恐。"给我发了，向那边收款！"我说。 他看了看电文，抬起头来看了看钟。"一小时之前就已经收盘了，"他说。 "哼，"我说，"这也不是我的错儿呀。这档子事又不是我发明的；我仅仅是买进了一些，我还以为电报公司会不断通知我行情的上落呢。" "我们一收到行情，总是马上就公布的，"他说。 "不错，"我说，"可是在孟菲斯，人家每十秒钟就在黑板上公布一次，"我说。"今天下午，我到过离那里不到六十六英里的地方。 " 他打量着这张电报纸。"你是要发出去吗？"他说。 "我还没有改变主意，"我说。我写好了另外一封电报，并且把钱数了数。"这一封也要发，如果你确实会写吃进这两个字的活。" I go back to the store.我能听到从大街那头传来的乐队声。禁酒①真是件好事。以前，每到星期六，那些乡下佬总是穿着全家仅有的一双皮鞋进城，他们总是到"快捷运货公司"办公室去取托运的包裹；现在他们全都光了脚来看演出了，那些商人都站在店门口盯着他们走过去，象是一排笼子里的老虎或是别的什么猛兽。艾尔说了， "我希望不至于是什么严重的事。" "What?" I said.他瞧了瞧他的表，接着走到门口，望望法院门楼上的那只钟。 "你应该用那种一块钱一只的老爷表的，"我说。 "花钱不多，也同样每次都能让你相信你的表不准。" "你说什么？"他问。 "没什么，"我说。"希望我方才没给你带来不方便。" "方才不算太忙，"他说。"人们都看演出去了。没什么关系。" "如果有关系，"我说，"你当然知道你可以采取什么措施。" "我刚才说没什么关系，"他说。 "我听清楚了，"我说。"如果有什么关系，你当然知道你可以采取什么措施。" "你是不是想辞职不干？"他问。 "这不是我开的店，"我说。"我怎么想都是不起作用的。不过你千万不要以为你雇了我是在照顾我。"