登陆注册
8778300000084

第84章 32The Last Leaf(2)

“Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy,closing her eyes, and lying white and still as fallen statue,“because I want to see the last one fall. I’m tired ofwaiting. I’m tired of thinking. I want to turn loose myhold on everything, and go sailing down, down, just likeone of those poor, tired leaves.”

“Try to sleep,” said Sue. “I must call Behrman up tobe my model for the old hermit miner. I’ll not be gone aminute. Don’t try to move ’til I come back.”

Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the groundfloor beneath them. He was past sixty and had a MichaelAngelo’s Moses beard curling down from the head of asatyr along with the body of an imp. Behrman was a failurein art. Forty years he had wielded the brush withoutgetting near enough to touch the hem of his Mistress’srobe. He had been always about to paint a masterpiece,but had never yet begun it. For several years he hadpainted nothing except now and then a daub in the lineof commerce or advertising. He earned a little by servingas a model to those young artists in the colony who couldnot pay the price of a professional. He drank gin to excess,and still talked of his coming masterpiece. For the rest hewas a fierce little old man, who scoffed terribly at softnessin any one, and who regarded himself as especial mastiff-in-waiting to protect the two young artists in the studioabove.

Sue found Behrman smelling strongly of juniper berriesin his dimly lighted den below. In one corner was a blankcanvas on an easel that had been waiting there for twentyfiveyears to receive the first line of the masterpiece. Shetold him of Johnsy’s fancy, and how she feared she would,indeed, light and fragile as a leaf herself, float away, whenher slight hold upon the world grew weaker.

Old Behrman, with his red eyes plainly streaming,shouted his contempt and derision for such idioticimaginings.

“Vass!” he cried. “Is dere people in de world mit derfoolishness to die because leafs dey drop off from aconfounded vine? I haf not heard of such a thing. No, I willnot bose as a model for your fool hermit-dunderhead. Vydo you allow dot silly pusiness to come in der brain of her?

Ach, dot poor leetle Miss Yohnsy.”

“She is very ill and weak,” said Sue, “and the feverhas left her mind morbid and full of strange fancies.

Very well, Mr. Behrman, if you do not care to pose forme, you needn’t. But I think you are a horrid old—oldflibbertigibbet.”

“You are just like a woman!” yelled Behrman. “Who saidI will not bose? Go on. I come mit you. For half an hour Ihaf peen trying to say dot I am ready to bose. Gott! dis isnot any blace in which one so goot as Miss Yohnsy shall liesick. Some day I vill baint a masterpiece, and ve shall all goaway. Gott! yes.”

Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. Suepulled the shade down to the window-sill, and motionedBehrman into the other room. In there they peered outthe window fearfully at the ivy vine. Then they looked ateach other for a moment without speaking. A persistent,cold rain was falling, mingled with snow. Behrman, in hisold blue shirt, took his seat as the hermit miner on anupturned kettle for a rock.

When Sue awoke from an hour’s sleep the next morningshe found Johnsy with dull, wide-open eyes staring at thedrawn green shade.

“Pull it up; I want to see,” she ordered, in a whisper.

同类推荐
  • CountrysideofChina

    CountrysideofChina

    ChinahasavaStterritoryandlonghistorywithgreatdifferencesinnaturalConditionsamongdifierentareasofthecountry.Thebookprovidesadetaileddeionof34selectedvillagesinordertoshowthenaturalandSocialphenomenaofthecountrysideinChina.
  • 英语PARTY——纯正口语对话室

    英语PARTY——纯正口语对话室

    本套书籍带你领略英语世界风景,感悟英语学习氛围,有助于英语学习。
  • 非洲的百万富翁(双语译林)

    非洲的百万富翁(双语译林)

    《非洲的百万富翁》讲述了骗子克雷上校与查尔斯爵士斗智斗勇的故事。克雷上校通过伪装成不同的身份,如墨西哥先知、小牧师理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗、施莱尔马赫教授等欺骗查尔斯,令查尔斯防不胜防。而案情的揭露则是通过克雷上校在事后给查尔斯发来的羞辱信,把他实施作案的过程揭露出来的。最终,克雷上校受到了法律的制裁。
  • 用英语介绍中国:这里是上海

    用英语介绍中国:这里是上海

    阅读可以提升人格情操,增长知识,提高语言文化的综合素质,其更本质、更核心的意义在于培养学习者的兴趣,而兴趣才是一切学习者的学习动力、成功源泉。本书为读者奉上原汁原味的人文阅读精华,详细介绍了人们最感兴趣的上海历史文化、城市风景、上海生活、名人逸事等,带您全方位地了解上海。读者在学习英语的同时,又能品味这座东方文化名城的独特魅力。
  • Sense and sensibility(理智与情感)(英文版)

    Sense and sensibility(理智与情感)(英文版)

    小说的情节围绕着两位女主人公的择偶活动展开,着力揭示出当时英国社会潮流中,以婚配作为女子寻求经济保障、提高社会地位的恶习,重门第而不顾女子感情和做人权利的丑陋时尚。小说中的女主角均追求与男子思想感情的平等交流与沟通,要求社会地位上的平等权利,坚持独立观察、分析和选择男子的自由。在当时的英国,这几乎无异于反抗的呐喊。
热门推荐
  • 夏天,不闹了

    夏天,不闹了

    他是夏天,14岁时的青春。
  • EXO之你不配当我哥哥

    EXO之你不配当我哥哥

    她叫张艺馨,是张艺兴的妹妹,她被人下毒而离开,当回去时,已不是张艺馨了,发生了什么?
  • 我的诸天杀主角之旅

    我的诸天杀主角之旅

    作为魔族第一殿堂魔帝的他,却因为受不了魔帝殿无聊的生活来到人类的世界,从而展开了他的人类世界之旅
  • 暗神争霸

    暗神争霸

    背景设定:东元元年,人类被一场未知的灾难所毁灭。毁灭即是开始,经过几千年的演化,在地球诞生新人类,他们具有比旧人类更强的体魄,更长的寿命。而新人类中的佼佼者更拥有着可以与在地球诞生时的古老力量进行沟通的能力。这种能力被称为功法。一个天才由于封印沦落成了废物,还好被死了万年的初皇看中,帮其解开封印,收为弟子。一步一步变强,直到足以杀死初皇的仇家,太,古双皇。
  • 羽秋

    羽秋

    现代大学生李羽秋穿越到古代,修真顺带谈情说爱的故事。女强,男主依靠女主的故事。但是女主也并非一帆风顺,也有很多痛苦无奈,悲欢离合。
  • 极致极魂

    极致极魂

    我本随性,却有人逼我踏上极致之路;我本有情,却落得痛心疾首肝肠寸断;我本和善,却非逼我冷漠到底至此无情;人道,天道,我只走我自己的道。你们即说我逆天,那我就逆一个看看;当我将你们踩在脚下,你们又能奈我何?
  • 堇堇作儒生

    堇堇作儒生

    想过放弃,但不会放弃,想过离开,但不会离开。
  • 广灵天

    广灵天

    从蛮荒到远古,再从远古流传至今,是梦,是传说,是横渡血与雨的追寻。旧梦遗忘,新史光耀,担万古之任,一只戟,一双拳,破诸天,为心中拳拳之念。
  • 重生之淳儿的前世今生

    重生之淳儿的前世今生

    淳儿的今生今世,我是楚乔的淳儿,因为爱错了人,一生悲剧,如今到二十一世纪重生,带着前世的记忆,楚乔夫妇,还有燕洵哥哥她们都带着前世的记忆该何去何从,重生就算了,还有那个大佬,我不爱你,大佬却不以为然的说到,淳儿,只要我爱你就好了
  • 朝凤之傻太子的丑妃

    朝凤之傻太子的丑妃

    当现代神偷穿越到古代,会是怎样的一幕;丑女、废物?你见过比天下第一美的美女吗?你见过废物身环绝技,还是高级召唤师、丹药师、驯兽师…吗?他本只是看热闹的,谁知道她让他忍不住去帮一把,她瞬间的改变让他加更喜欢来看她的各种热闹…他是世人眼中的傻子,连她都分不出是真傻还是假傻;她是世人眼中的丑女,有倾城之貌的她瞒了他很久;她说他们互不相欠,有谁知道,他帮了她好多,她欠了他好多…