pgw.psmith,journalist-第32部分

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the　telephone　and　asked　to　speak　to　him。　I　explained　the　painful　circumstances；　and；　later；　went　round　and　hob…nobbed　with　the　great　man。　A　very　pleasant　fellow。　He　asks　to　re…engage　rade　Windsor's　services　at　a　pretty　sizeable　salary；　so；　as　far　as　our　prison　expert　is　concerned；　all　may　be　said　to　be　well。　He　has　got　where　he　wanted。　Cosy　Moments　may　therefore　ease　up　a　bit。　If；　at　about　the　beginning　of　next　month；　you　should　hear　a　deafening　squeal　of　joy　ring　through　this　city；　it　will　be　the　infants　of　New　York　and　their　parents　receiving　the　news　that　Cosy　Moments　stands　where　it　did。　May　I　count　on　your　services；　rade　Wilberfloss？　Excellent。　I　see　I　may。　Then　perhaps　you　would　not　mind　passing　the　word　round　among　rades　Asher；　Waterman；　and　the　rest　of　the　squad；　and　telling　them　to　burnish　their　brains　and　be　ready　to　wade　in　at　a　moment's　notice。　I　fear　you　will　have　a　pretty　tough　job　roping　in　the　old　subscribers　again；　but　it　can　be　done。　I　look　to　you；　rade　Wilberfloss。　Are　you　on？〃
　Mr。　Wilberfloss；　wriggling　in　his　chair；　intimated　that　he　was。
　
　CONCLUSION
　
　IT　was　a　drizzly　November　evening。　The　streets　of　Cambridge　were　a　pound　of　mud；　mist；　and　melancholy。　But　in　Psmith's　rooms　the　fire　burned　brightly；　the　kettle　droned；　and　all；　as　the　proprietor　had　just　observed；　was　joy；　jollity；　and　song。　Psmith；　in　pyjamas　and　a　college　blazer；　was　lying　on　the　sofa。　Mike；　who　had　been　playing　football；　was　reclining　in　a　atose　state　in　an　arm…chair　by　the　fire。
　〃How　pleasant　it　would　be；〃　said　Psmith　dreamily；　〃if　all　our　friends　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic　could　share　this　very　peaceful　moment　with　us！　Or　perhaps　not　quite　all。　Let　us　say；　rade　Windsor　in　the　chair　over　there；　rades　Brady　and　Maloney　on　the　table；　and　our　old　pal　Wilberfloss　sharing　the　floor　with　B。　Henderson　Asher；　Bat　Jarvis；　and　the　cats。　By　the　way；　I　think　it　would　be　a　graceful　act　if　you　were　to　write　to　rade　Jarvis　from　time　to　time　telling　him　how　your　Angoras　are　getting　on。　He　regards　you　as　the　World's　Most　Prominent　Citizen。　A　line　from　you　every　now　and　then　would　sweeten　the　lad's　existence。〃
　Mike　stirred　sleepily　in　his　chair。
　〃What？〃　he　said　drowsily。
　〃Never　mind；　rade　Jackson。　Let　us　pass　lightly　on。　I　am　filled　with　a　strange　content　to…night。　I　may　be　wrong；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　all　is　singularly　to　de　good；　as　rade　Maloney　would　put　it。　Advices　from　rade　Windsor　inform　me　that　that　prince　of　blighters；　Waring；　was　rejected　by　an　intelligent　electorate。　Those　keen；　clear…sighted　citizens　refused　to　vote　for　him　to　an　extent　that　you　could　notice　without　a　micro…scope。　Still；　he　has　one　consolation。　He　owns　what；　when　the　improvements　are　pleted；　will　be　the　finest　and　most　modious　tenement　houses　in　New　York。　Millionaires　will　stop　at　them　instead　of　going　to　the　Plaza。　Are　you　asleep；　rade　Jackson？〃
　〃Um…m；〃　said　Mike。
　〃That　is　excellent。　You　could　not　be　better　employed。　Keep　listening。　rade　Windsor　also　statedas　indeed　did　the　sporting　papersthat　rade　Brady　put　it　all　over　friend　Eddie　Wood；　administering　the　sleep…producer　in　the　eighth　round。　My　authorities　are　silent　as　to　whether　or　not　the　lethal　blow　was　a　half…scissor　hook；　but　I　presume　such　to　have　been　the　case。　The　Kid　is　now　definitely　matched　against　rade　Garvin　for　the　championship；　and　the　experts　seem　to　think　that　he　should　win。　He　is　a　stout　fellow；　is　rade　Brady；　and　I　hope　he　wins　through。　He　will　probably　e　to　England　later　on。　When　he　does；　we　must　show　him　round。　I　don't　think　you　ever　met　him；　did　you；　rade　Jackson？〃
　〃Ur…r；〃　said　Mike。
　〃Say　no　more；〃　said　Psmith。　〃I　take　you。〃
　He　reached　out　for　a　cigarette。
　〃These；〃　he　said；　fortably；　〃are　the　moments　in　life　to　which　we　look　back　with　that　wistful　pleasure。　What　of　my　boyhood　at　Eton？　Do　I　remember　with　the　keenest　joy　the　brain…tourneys　in　the　old　form…room；　and　the　bally　rot　which　used　to　take　place　on　the　Fourth　of　June？　No。　Burned　deeply　into　my　memory　is　a　certain　hot　bath　I　took　after　one　of　the　foulest　cross…country　runs　that　ever　occurred　outside　Dante's　Inferno。　So　with　the　present　moment。　This　peaceful　scene；　rade　Jackson；　will　remain　with　me　when　I　have　forgotten　that　such　a　person　as　rade　Repetto　ever　existed。　These　are　the　real　Cosy　Moments。　And　while　on　that　subject　you　will　be　glad　to　hear　that　the　little　sheet　is　going　strong。　The　man　Wilberfloss　is　a　marvel　in　his　way。　He　appears　to　have　gathered　in　the　majority　of　the　old　subscribers　again。　Hopping　mad　but　a　brief　while　ago；　they　now　eat　out　of　his　hand。　You've　really　no　notion　what　a　feeling　of　quiet　pride　it　gives　you　owning　a　paper。　I　try　not　to　show　it；　but　I　seem　to　myself　to　be　looking　down　on　the　world　from　some　lofty　peak。　Yesterday　night；　when　I　was　looking　down　from　the　peak　without　a　cap　and　gown；　a　proctor　slid　up。　To…day　I　had　to　dig　down　into　my　jeans　for　a　matter　of　two　plunks。　But　what　of　it？　Life　must　inevitably　be　dotted　with　these　minor　tragedies。　I　do　not　repine。　The　whisper　goes　round；　'Psmith　bites　the　bullet；　and　wears　a　brave　smile。'　rade　Jackson〃
　A　snore　came　from　the　chair。
　Psmith　sighed。　But　he　did　not　repine。　He　bit　the　bullet。　His　eyes　closed。
　Five　minutes　later　a　slight　snore　came　from　the　sofa；　too。　The　man　behind　Cosy　Moments　slept。
　
　
　
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