搜索
Unit7TheChaserJohnHenryCollier1AlanAusten,asnervousasakitten,wentupcertaindarkandcreakystairsintheneighborhoodofPellStreet,andpeeredaboutforalongtimeonthedimhallwaybeforehefoundthenamehewantedwrittenobscurelyononeofthedoors.2Hepushedopenthisdoor,ashehadbeentoldtodo,andfoundhimselfinatinyroom,whichcontainednofurniturebutaplainkitchentable,arocking-chair,andanordinarychair.Ononeofthedirtybuff-colouredwallswereacoupleofshelves,containinginallperhapsadozenbottlesandjars.3Anoldmansatintherocking-chair,readinganewspaper.Alan,withoutaword,handedhimthecardhehadbeengiven.“Sitdown,Mr.Austen,”saidtheoldmanverypolitely.“Iamgladtomakeyouracquaintance.”4“Isittrue,”askedAlan,“thatyouhaveacertainmixturethathas…er…quiteextraordinaryeffects?”5“Mydearsir,”repliedtheoldman,“mystockintradeisnotverylarge—Idon’tdealinlaxativesandteethingmixtures—butsuchasitis,itisvaried.IthinknothingIsellhaseffectswhichcouldbepreciselydescribedasordinary.”6“Well,thefactis…”beganAlan.7“Here,forexample,”interruptedtheoldman,reachingforabottlefromtheshelf.“Hereisaliquidascolourlessaswater,almosttasteless,quiteimperceptibleincoffee,wine,oranyotherbeverage.Itisalsoquiteimperceptibletoanyknownmethodofautopsy.”8“Doyoumeanitisapoison?”criedAlan,verymuchhorrified.9“Callitaglove-cleanerifyoulike,”saidtheoldmanindifferently.“Maybeitwillcleangloves.Ihavenevertried.Onemightcallitalife-cleaner.Livesneedcleaningsometimes.”10“Iwantnothingofthatsort,”saidAlan.11“Probablyitisjustaswell,”saidtheoldman.“Doyouknowthepriceofthis?Foroneteaspoonful,whichissufficient,Iaskfivethousanddollars.Neverless.Notapennyless.”12“Ihopeallyourmixturesarenotasexpensive,”saidAlanapprehensively.13“Ohdear,no,”saidtheoldman.“Itwouldbenogoodchargingthatsortofpriceforalovepotion,forexample.Youngpeoplewhoneedalovepotionveryseldomhavefivethousanddollars.Otherwisetheywouldnotneedalovepotion.”14“Iamgladtohearthat,”saidAlan.15“Ilookatitlikethis,”saidtheoldman.“Pleaseacustomerwithonearticle,andhewillcomebackwhenheneedsanother.Evenifitismorecostly.Hewillsaveupforit,ifnecessary.”16“So,”saidAlan,“youreallydoselllovepotions?”17“IfIdidnotselllovepotions,”saidtheoldman,reachingforanotherbottle,“Ishouldnothavementionedtheothermattertoyou.Itisonlywhenoneisinapositiontoobligethatonecanaffordtobesoconfidential.“18“Andthesepotions,”saidAlan.“Theyarenotjust…just…er…”19“Oh,no,”saidtheoldman.“Theireffectsarepermanent,andextendfarbeyondthemerecasualimpulse.Buttheyincludeit.Oh,yestheyincludeit.Bountifully,insistently.Everlastingly.”20“Dearme!”saidAlan,attemptingalookofscientificdetachment.“Howveryinteresting!”21“Butconsiderthespiritualside,”saidtheoldman.22“Ido,indeed,”saidAlan.23“Forindifference,”saidtheoldman,“theysubstitutedevotion.Forscorn,adoration.Giveonetinymeasureofthistotheyounglady—itsflavourisimperceptibleinorangejuice,soup,orcocktails—andhowevergayandgiddysheis,shewillchangealtogether.Shewillwantnothingbutsolitudeandyou.”24“Icanhardlybelieveit,”saidAlan.“Sheissofondofparties.”25“Shewillnotlikethemanymore,”saidtheoldman.“Shewillbeafraidoftheprettygirlsyoumaymeet.”26“Shewillactuallybejealous?”criedAlaninarapture.“Ofme?”27“Yes,shewillwanttobeeverythingtoyou.”28“Sheis,already.Onlyshedoesn’tcareaboutit.”29“Shewill,whenshehastakenthis.Shewillcareintensely.Youwillbehersoleinterestinlife.”30“Wonderful!”criedAlan.31“Shewillwanttoknowallyoudo,”saidtheoldman.“Allthathashappenedtoyouduringtheday.Everywordofit.Shewillwanttoknowwhatyouarethinkingabout,whyyousmilesuddenly,whyyouarelookingsad.”32“Thatislove!”criedAlan.33“Yes,”saidtheoldman.“Howcarefullyshewilllookafteryou!Shewillneverallowyoutobetired,tositinadraught,toneglectyourfood.Ifyouareanhourlate,shewillbeterrified.Shewillthinkyouarekilled,orthatsomesirenhascaughtyou.”34“IcanhardlyimagineDianalikethat!”criedAlan,overwhelmedwithjoy.35“Youwillnothavetouseyourimagination,”saidtheoldman.“And,bytheway,sincetherearealwayssirens,ifbyanychanceyoushould,lateron,slipalittle,youneednotworry.Shewillforgiveyou,intheend.Shewillbeterriblyhurt,ofcourse,butshewillforgiveyou—intheend.”36“Thatwillnothappen,”saidAlanfervently.37“Ofcoursenot,”saidtheoldman.“But,ifitdid,youneednotworry.Shewouldneverdivorceyou.Oh,no!And,ofcourse,shewillnevergiveyoutheleast,theveryleast,groundsfor—uneasiness.”38“Andhowmuch,”saidAlan,“isthiswonderfulmixture?”39“Itisnotasdear,”saidtheoldman,“astheglove-cleaner,orlife-cleaner,asIsometimescallit.No.Thatisfivethousanddollars,neverapennyless.Onehastobeolderthanyouare,toindulgeinthatsortofthing.Onehastosaveupforit.”40“Butthelovepotion?”saidAlan.41“Oh,that,”saidtheoldman,openingthedrawerinthekitchentable,andtakingoutatiny,ratherdirty-lookingphial.“Thatisjustadollar.”42“Ican’ttellyouhowgratefulIam,”saidAlan,watchinghimfillit.43“Iliketooblige,”saidtheoldman.“Thencustomerscomeback,laterinlife,whentheyarebetteroff,andwantmoreexpensivethings.Hereyouare.Youwillfinditveryeffective.”44“Thankyouagain,”saidAlan.“Good-bye.”45“Aurevoir,”saidtheman.解酒水艾伦·奥斯丁，紧张得像只小猫，心里七上八下、忐忑不安的进了裴尔街区的一个楼道，黑乎乎的楼梯咯吱咯吱直响。他在昏暗的平台上停了下来，仔细张望了许久，才看到了那扇门，门上那个模糊不清的名字正是他要找的。按别人说的，他推开了门，门里面是一间很小的