第9章一个古怪的梦（4）
"Godforbid!"Iinvolued，forsomehowIwasnotlookingforthatformofquestion，anditcaughtmealittleoffmyguard。ButIhasteomakeamendsformyrudeness，andsay，"IsimplymeantIhadnothadthehonor—forIwouldelyspeakdiscourteouslyofafriendofyours。Ythatyouwererobbed—anditwasashame，too—butitappearsbywhatisleftoftheshroudyouhaveonthatitwasaeinitsday。Howdid…"
Amostghastlyexpressioodevelopamongthedecayedfeaturesaegumentsofmyguest'sfadIwasbeginningtogrowuneasyanddistressed，wheoldmehewasupadeep，smile，withawinkinit，tosuggestthataboutthetimeheacquiredhispreseaghostinaneighbcemeterymissedone。
Thisreassuredme，butIbeggedhimtoselftospeeceforth，becausehisfacialexpressioaihemostelaboratecareitwasliabletshouldespeciallybeavoided。Whathemightholysiderashiningsuccesswaslikelytostrikemeinaverydifferentlight。IsaidIlikedtoseeaskeletoncheerful，evendecorouslyplayful，butIdidnotthinksmilingwasaskeleton'sbesthold。
"Yes，friend，"saidthepoorskeleton，"thefactsarejustasIhavegiveoyou。Twooftheseoldgraveyards—theoIresidediheralonghavebeeelyedbyourdestsoftodayuntilthereisnoogthemanyloheosteologifortofit—andthatisnolightmatterthisraihepresehingsisruinoustoproperty。Wehavegottomoveorbettoseeoureffectswastedawayaroyed。
"Now，youwillhardlybelieveit，butitistrue，thereisn'tasinglegallmyaowthatisa。Idoolowpeoplewhoeinapineboxmountedon，butIamtalkingabh-toedburial-entalsort，thattravelunderblackplumesattheheadofaprodhaveeterylots—ImeanfolksliketheJarvises，andtheBledsoesandtheBurlings，andsuch。Theyareallaboutrui;
&substantialpeopleiheywere。Andnowlookatthem—utterlyuseduparieoftheBledsoesactuallytradedhismooalatebarkeeperforsomefreshshavingstoputunderhishead。Itellyouitspeaksvolumes，forthereisnothingacorpsetakessomuchprideinashismooreadtheinioerawhiletobelievewhatitsayshimself，andthenyoumayseehimsittingoafternightenjoyiaphsaredtheydoapoorchapawoodafterheisdead，especiallyifhehadhardluckwhilehewasalive。Iwishtheywereusedmore。NowIdon'tplain，buttiallyIdothinkitwasalittleshabbyiogivemenothingbutthisoldslabofagravestone—ahatthereisn'taentonit。Itusedtohave:
'GOOHISJUSTREWARD'
"Onit，andIroudwhenIfirstsawit，butbyandbyIwheneveranoldfriendofmineghewouldhookhistherailingandpullalongfadreadalongdowothat，andthenhewouldselfandwalkoff，lookingsatisfiedandfortable。SoIscratcheditofftogetridofthosefools。Butadeadmanalwaystakesadealofprideinhismo;
&quoeshalfadozenoftheJarvisesnow，withthefamilymoalong。AndSmithersandsomehiredspetbywithhisawhileago。Hello，Higgins，good-by，oldfriend!That&#gins—diediooursetiery—fineoldfamily—great-grandmotherwasanInjun—Iamofamiliartermswithhimhedidn'thearmewasthereasonhedidn'tanswerme。AndIamsorry，too，becauseIwouldhavelikedtointroduceyou。Youwouldadmirehim。Heisthemostdisjointed，sway-badgenerallydistortedoldskeletonyoueversaw，butheisfulloffun。Whenhelaughsitsoundslikeraspingtwostoher，andhealwaysstartsitoffwithacheeryscreechlikerakinganailacrossawi;