marm lisa-第4部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


tituents。　　There　was　always　some　duller　spirit　who　could　slip　in　and　'do　the　dishes；'　that　Mrs。　Grubb　might　grace　a　conversazione　on　the　steps　or　at　the　gate。　　She　was　not　one　of　those　napkin　people　who　hide　their　talents；　or　who　immure　their　lights　under　superincumbent　bushels。　　Whatever　was　hers　was　everybody's；　for　she　dispensed　her　favours　with　a　liberal　hand。　　She　would　never　have　permitted　a　child　to　suffer　for　lack　of　food　or　bed；　for　she　was　not　at　heart　an　unkind　woman。　　You　could　see　that　by　looking　at　her　vague；　soft　brown　eyes；eyes　that　never　saw　practical　duties　straight　in　front　of　them；liquid；　star…gazing；　vision…seeing　eyes；　that　could　never　be　focussed　on　any　near　object；　such　as　a　twin　or　a　cooking…stove。　　Individuals　never　interested　her；　she　cared　for　nothing　but　humanity；　and　humanity　writ　very　large　at　that；　so　that　once　the　twins　nearly　died　of　scarlatina　while　Mrs。　Grubb　was　collecting　money　for　the　children　of　the　yellow…fever　sufferers　in　the　South。

But　Providence　had　an　eye　for　Mr。　Grubb's　perplexities。　　It　does　not　and　cannot　always　happen；　in　a　world　like　this；　that　vice　is　assisted　to　shirk；　and　virtue　aideth　to　do；　its　duty；　but　any　man　as　marvellously　afflicted　as　Mr。　Grubb　is　likely　to　receive　not　only　spiritual　consolation；　but　miraculous　aid　of　some　sort。　　The　spectacle　of　the　worthy　creature　as　he　gave　the　reluctant　twins　their　occasional　bath；　and　fed　them　on　food　regularly　prescribed　by　Mrs。　Grubb；　and　almost　as　regularly　rejected　by　them；　would　have　melted　the　stoniest　heart。　　And　who　was　the　angel　of　deliverance？　　A　little　vacant…eyed；　half…foolish；　almost　inarticulate　child；　whose　feeble　and　sickly　mother　was　dragging　out　a　death…in…life　existence　in　a　street　near　by。　　The　child　saw　Mr。　Grubb　wheeling　the　twins　in　a　double　perambulator：　　followed　them　home；　came　again；　and　then　again；　and　then　again；　hung　about　the　door；　fell　upon　a　dog　that　threatened　to　bite　them；　and　drove　it　away　howling；　often　stood　over　the　perambulator　with　a　sunshade　for　three　hours　at　a　time；　without　moving　a　muscle；　and　adored　Mr。　Grubb　with　a　consuming　passion。　There　was　no　special　reason　for　this　sentiment；　but　then　Alisa　Bennett　was　not　quite　a　reasonable　being。　　Mr。　Grubb　had　never　been　adored　before　in　his　life；　and　to　say　the　truth；　his　personality　was　not　winning。　　He　had　a　pink；　bald　head；　pale　blue　eyes；　with　blond　tufts　for　eyebrows；　and　a　pointed　beard　dripping　from　his　chin；　which　tended　to　make　him　look　rather　like　an　invalid　goat。　　But　as　animals　are　said　to　have　an　eye　for　spirits；　children　have　an　eye　for　souls；　which　is　far　rarer　than　an　eye　for　beautiful　surfaces。

Mr。　Grubb　began　by　loathing　Alisa；　then　patiently　suffered　her；　then　pitied；　then　respected；　then　loved　her。　　Mrs。　Grubb　seldom　saw　her；　and　objected　to　nothing　by　which　she　herself　was　relieved　of　care。　So　Lisa　grew　to　be　first　a　familiar　figure　in　the　household；　and　later　an　indispensable　one。

Poor　Mrs。　Bennett　finally　came　to　the　end　of　things　temporal。　　'Dying　is　the　first　piece　of　good　luck　I　ever　had；'　she　said　to　Mr。　Grubb。　'If　it　turns　out　that　I've　brought　a　curse　upon　an　innocent　creature；　I'd　rather　go　and　meet　my　punishment　half…way　than　stay　here　and　see　it　worked　out　to　the　end。'

'〃In　my　Father's　house　are　many　mansions；〃'　stammered　Mr。　Grubb；　who　had　never　before　administered　spiritual　consolation。

She　shook　her　head。　　'If　I　can　only　get　rid　of　this　world；　it's　all　I　ask；'　she　said；　'if　the　other　one　isn't　any　better；　why；　it　can't　be　any　worse！　　Feel　under　the　mattress　and　you'll　find　money　enough　to　last　three　or　four　years。　　It's　all　she'll　ever　get；　for　she　hasn't　a　soul　now　to　look　to　for　help。　　That's　the　way　we　human　beings　arrange　things；we；　or　the　Lord；　or　the　Evil　One；　or　whoever　it　is；　we　bring　a　puzzle　into　the　world；　and　then　leave　it　for　other　people　to　work　outif　they　can！　　Who'll　work　out　this　one？　　Who'll　work　out　this　one？　　Perhaps　she'll　die　before　the　money's　gone；　let's　hope　for　the　best。'

'Don't　take　on　like　that！'　said　Mr。　Grubb　despairingly；'don't！　Pray　for　resignation；　can't　you？'

'Pray！'　she　exclaimed　scornfully。　　'Thank　goodness；　I've　got　enough　self…respect　left　not　to　pray！Yes；　I　must　pray；　I　MUST　。　。　。　Oh；　God！　　I　do　not　ask　forgiveness　for　him　or　for　myself；　I　only　beg　that；　in　some　way　I　cannot　see；　we　may　be　punished；　and　she　spared！'

And　when　the　stricken　soul　had　fled　from　her　frail　body；　they　who　came　to　prepare　her　for　the　grave　looked　at　her　face　and　found　it　shining　with　hope。

It　was　thus　that　poor　little　Alisa　Bennett　assumed　maternal　responsibilities　at　the　age　of　ten；　and　gained　her　sobriquet　of　'Marm　Lisa。'　　She　grew　more　human；　more　tractable；　under　Mr。　Grubb's　fostering　care；　but　that　blessed　martyr　had　now　been　dead　two　years；　and　she　began　to　wear　her　former　vacuous　look；　and　to　slip　back　into　the　past　that　was　still　more　dreadful　than　the　present。

It　seemed　to　Mrs。　Grubb　more　than　strange　that　she；　with　her　desire　for　freedom；　should　be　held　to　earth　by　three　children　not　flesh　of　her　fleshand　such　children。　　The　father　of　the　twins　had　been　a　professional　pugilist；　but　even　that　fact　could　never　sufficiently　account　for　Pacific　Simonson。　　She　had　apparently　inherited　instincts　from　tribes　of　warlike　ancestors　who　skulked　behind　trees　with　battle…axes；　and　no　one　except　her　superior　in　size　and　courage　was　safe　from　her　violent　hand。　　She　had　little；　wicked；　dark　eyes　and　crimson；　swollen　cheeks；　while　Atlantic　had　flaxen　hair；　a　low　forehead；　and　a　square　jaw。　　He　had　not　Pacific's　ingenuity　in　conceiving　evil；　but　when　it　was　once　conceived；　he　had　a　dogged　persistency　in　carrying　it　out　that　made　him　worthy　of　his　twin。

Yet　with　all　these　crosses　Mrs。　Grubb　was　moderately　cheerful；　for　her　troubles　were　as　nebulous　as　everything　else　to　her　mind。　　She　intended　to　invent　some　feasible　plan　for　her　deliverance　sooner　or　later；　but　she　was　much　more　intent　upon　development　than　deliverance；　and　she　never　seemed　to　have　the　leisure　to　break　her　shackles。　　Nothing　really　mattered　much。　　Her　body　might　be　occasionally　in　Eden　Place；　but　her　soul　was　always　in　a　hired　hall。　She　delighted　in　joining　the　New　Order　of　Something；anything；　so　long　as　it　was　an　Order　and　a　new　one；and　then　going　with　a　selected　committee　to　secure　a　lodge…room　or　a　hall　for　meetings。　She　liked　to　walk　up　the　dim　aisle　with　the　janitor　following　after　her；　and　imagine　brilliant　lights　（paid　for　by　collection）；　a　neat　table　and　lamp　and　pitcher　of　iced　water；　and　herself　in　the　chair　as　president　or　vice…president；　secretary　or　humble　trustee。　　There　was　that　about　her　that　precluded　the　possibility　of　simple　membership。　She　always　rose　into　office　the　week　after　she　had　joined　any　society。　　If　there　was　no　office　vacant；　then　some　bold　spirit　（generally　male）　would　create　one；　that　Mrs。　Grubb　might　not　wither　in　the　privacy　of　the　ranks。　　Before　the　charter　members　had　fully　learned　the　alphabet　of　their　order　and　had　gained　a　thorough　understanding　of　the　social　revolution　it　was　destined　to　work；　Mrs。　Grubb　had　mastered　the　whole　scheme　and　was　unfolding　it　before　large　classes　for　the　study　of　the　higher　theory。　　The　instant　she　had　a　tale　to　tell　she　presumed　the　'listening　earth'　to　be　ready　to　hear　it。　　The　new　Order　became　an　old　one　in　course　of　time；　and；　like　the　nautilus。　　Mrs。　Grubb　outgrew　her　shell　and　built　herself　a　more　stately　chamber。　　Another　clue　to　the　universe　was　soon　forthcoming；　for　all　this　happened　in　a　city　where　it　is　necessary　only　for　a　man　to　open　his　lips　and　say；　'I　am　a　prophet'；　and　followers　flock　unto　him　as　many　in　number　as　the　stars。　　She　was　never　disturbed　that　the　last　clue　had　brought　her　nowhere；　she　followed　the　new　one　as　passionately　as　the　old；　and　told　her　breathless　pupils　that　their　feet　must　not　be　weary；　for　they　were　treading　the　path　of　progress；　that　these　apparently　fruitless　excursions　into　the　domain　of　knowledge　all　served　as　so　many　milestones　in　their　glorious　ascent　of　the　mountain　of　truth。



CHAPTER　IVMARM　LISA　IS　TRANSPLANTED



It　was　precisely　as　Rhoda　thought　and　feared。　　The　three　strange　beings　who　had　drifted　within　Mistress　Mary's　reach　had　proved　to　belong　to　her　simply　because　they　did　not　belong　to　anybody　else。　They　did　not　know　their　names；　the　streets　in　which　they　lived；　or　anything　else　about　which　they　were　questioned；　but　she　had　followed　them　home　to　the　corner　house　of　Eden　Place；　although　she　failed；　on　the　occasion　of　that　first　visit；　to　find　Mrs。　Grubb　within。　　There　was；　however；　a　very　voluble　person　next　door；　who　supplied　a　little　information　and　asked　considerable　more。　　Mrs。　Sylvester　told　Mary　that　Mrs。　Grubb　was　at　that　moment　presiding　over　a　meeting　of　the　Kipling　Brothers　in　Unity　Hall；　just　round　the　corner。

'They　meet　Tuesdays　and　Thursdays　at　four　o'clock；'　she　said；　'and　you'd　find　it　a　real　treat　if　you　like　to　step　over　there。'

'Thank　you；　I　am　rather　busy　this　afternoon；'　replied　Mary。

'Do　you　wish　to　leave　any　name　or　message？　　Did　you　want　a　setting？'

'A　sitting？'　asked　Mary　vaguely。　　'Oh　no；　thank　you；　I　merely　wished　to　see　Mrs。　Grubbis　that　the　name？'

'That's　it；　and　an　awful　grievance　it　is　to　herMrs。　S。　Cora　Grubb。　You　have　seen　it　in　the　newspapers；　I　suppose；　she　has　a　half　column　〃ad。〃　in　the　Sunday　Observer　once　a　month。　　Wouldn't　you　like　your　nails　attended　to？　　I　have　a　perfectly　splendid　manicure　stopping　with　me。'

'No；　thank　you。　　I　hoped　to　see　Mrs。　Grubb；　to　ask　if　her　children　can　come　and　spend　the　morning　with　me　to…morrow。'

'Oh；　that'll　be　all　right；　they're　not　her　children；　she　doesn't　care　where　they　go；　they　stay　in　the　back　yard　or　on　the　sand…lot　most　of　the　time：　　she's　got　something　more　important　to　occupy　her　attention。　　Say；　I　hope　you'll　excuse　me；　but　you　look　a　little　pale。　If　you　were　intending　to　get　some　mental　healing　from　Mrs。　Grubb；　why；　I　can　do　it；　she　found　I　had　the　power；　and　she's　handed　all　her　healing　over　to　me。　　It's　a　new　method；　and　is　going　to　supersede　all　the　others；　we　think。　　My　hours　are　from　ten　to　twelve；　and　two　to　four；　but　I　could　take　you　evenings；　if　you're　occupied　during　the　day。　　My　cures　are　almost　as　satisfactory　as　Mrs。　Grubb's　now；　though　I　haven't　been　healing　but　six　mo