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　　 zhè jiàn shì yǐ jīng guò qù duō nián liǎo。 dāng shí hǎdé lāi bǎo shì sì lǐ bā xiāng zuì chéng shí、 zuì zhèng zhí de yī gè zhèn zǐ。 tā bǎ zhè zhǒng cóng méi yòu wū diǎn de míng wàng yī zhí bǎo chí liǎo sān bèi 'ér， bìng qiě yǐ cǐ wéi róng， bǎ zhè zhǒng míng wàng kàn dé zhòng yú tā yōng yòu de qí tā yī qiē。 zhè zhǒng zì háo gǎn shì rú cǐ qiáng liè， bǎo chí zhè zhǒng róng yù de yuàn wàng shì rú cǐ pò qiē， yǐ zhì yú zhèn zǐ lǐ de yīng 'ér zài yáo lán lǐ jiù kāi shǐ jiē shòu chéng shí xìn niàn de xūn táo， ér qiě， zhè yī lèi de jiào huì hái yào zuò wéi zhù yào nèi róng， zài yǐ hòu duì tā men jìn xíng jiào yù shí guàn chuān shǐ zhōng。 lìng wài， zài zhěng gè fā yù qī lǐ， qīng nián rén yào yǔ yī qiē chè dǐ gé jué， zhè yàng， tā men de chéng shí jiù néng gòu lì yòng yī diǎn yī dī de jī huì biàn dé jiān dìng 'ér láo gù， chéng wéi tā men de zhù xīn gǔ。 lín jìn de nà xiē zhèn zǐ dū jí dù zhè zhǒng zhì gāo wú shàng de róng yào， tā men biǎo miàn shàng duì hǎdé lāi bǎo rén yǐ chéng shí wéi róng lěng cháo rè fěng， shuō nà shì xū róng xīn zuò guài； rán 'ér， tā men yě bù dé bù chéng rèn hǎdé lāi bǎo dídí què què shì yī gè fǔ shí bù liǎo de zhèn zǐ； zài zhuī wèn xià qù， tā men hái huì chéng rèn： yī gè xiǎng lí jiā chū wài zhǎo yī gè hǎo gōng zuò de qīng nián rén， rú guǒ tā shì cóng hǎdé lāi bǎo chū qù de， nà me， tā chú liǎo zì jǐ lǎo jiā de pái zǐ yǐ wài， jiù yòng bù zhe dài shénme tuī jiàn xìn liǎo。
　　 rán 'ér， rì jiǔ tiān cháng， hǎdé lāi bǎo yīn wéi dé zuì yī wèi guò lù de wài dì rén zhōng yú dǎo liǎo méi héng héng zhè jiàn shì tā men yě xǔ chū yú wú xīn， kěn dìng yě méi yòu zài yì， yīn wéi hǎdé lāi bǎo gōng dé， suǒ yǐ， wú lùn shì wài xiāng rén de xián yán suì yǔ， hái shì gāo tán kuò lùn， hǎdé lāi bǎo réndōu wú xū zài yì。 kě huà yòu shuō liǎo huí lái， zǎo zhī cǐ rén shì gè 'ài jì chóu、 bù hǎo rě de jiā huǒ， dāng chū duì tā pò pò lì bù jiù wàn shì dà jí liǎo má？ zhěng zhěng yī nián de gōng fū， nà rén wú lùn zǒu dào nǎ 'ér， dù zǐ lǐ zǒng biē zhe zài hǎdé lāi bǎo shòu de wěi qū， zhǐ yào yī yòukòngxián， jiù wā kōng xīn sī dì zhuó mó zěn me néng bào fù yī xià， ràng zì jǐ xīn lǐ shū tǎn。 tā xiǎng liǎo hǎo duō hǎo duō de zhù yì， zhè xiē zhù yì quándōu bù cuò， kě méi yòu yī gè shí quán shí měi de； yào hài zhī chù zài yú： zhè xiē zhù yì zhǐ néng yī gè yī gè dì shāng hài hǎo duō rén， ér tā xiǎng yào de què shì néng bǎ quán zhèn yī wǎng dǎ jìn de bàn fǎ， bù néng yòu yī tiáo wèi shòu shāng hài de lòu wǎng zhī yú。 zuì hòu tā líng jī yī dòng， xiǎng dào liǎo yī gè zhù yì， zhè zhù yì gāng mào chū lái， tā de nǎo hǎi zhōng jiù bèi xìng zāi lè huò de guāng máng zhào dé tōng míng tòu liàng。 tā mǎ shàng kāi shǐ nǐ dìng yī xiàng shí shī fāng 'àn， hái zì yán zì yǔ dì shuō：“ jiù zhè me bàn héng héng wǒ yào bǎ nà gè zhèn zǐ lā xià shuǐ！”
　　 liù gè yuè zhī hòu， tā zuò zhe yī liàng qīng biàn mǎ chē zài cì lái dào hǎdé lāi bǎo， yuē mō wǎn shàng shí diǎn zhōng zuǒ yòu， mǎ chē tíng zài liǎo yínháng lǎo chū nà yuán de dà mén wài。 tā cóng mǎ chē shàng bān xià yī zhǐ kǒu dài， káng zhe tā diē diē zhuàng zhuàng dì chuān guò yuàn zǐ， qiāo liǎo qiāo mén。 yī gè nǚ rén de shēng yīn shuō liǎo shēng“ qǐng jìn”， tā jiù jìn qù liǎo。 tā bǎ nà zhǐ kǒu dài fàng zài kè tīng lǐ huǒ lú de hòu miàn， kè kè qì qì dì xiàng zhèng zài dēng xià zuò zhe kàn《 jiào yǒu dǎo bào》 de lǎo tài tài shuō：
　　“ nín zhǐ guǎn zuò zhe hǎo liǎo， tài tài， wǒ bù dǎ rǎo nín。 hǎo liǎo héng héng xiàn zài zhè dōng dé yán yán shí shí； shuí xiǎng zhī dào tā zài nǎ 'ér kě bù róng yì liǎo。 tài tài， wǒ néng jiàn jiàn nín xiān shēng má？”
　　“ bù chéng， tā shàng bù lǐ kè sī dùn liǎo， yě xǔ guò bàn yè cái néng huí lái。”
　　“ hěn hǎo， tài tài， zhè bù yào jǐn。 wǒ zhǐ bù guò shì xiǎng ràng nín xiān shēng zhào guǎn yī xià zhè zhǐ kǒu dài， rú guǒ tā zhǎo dào liǎo wù zhù， jiù zhuǎn jiāo gěi tā。 wǒ shì wài dì rén， nín xiān shēng bù rèn shí wǒ； jīn tiān yè lǐ wǒ shì tè yì lù jīng zhè gè zhèn zǐ， liǎo què wǒ gē liǎo hǎo jiǔ de yī zhuāng xīn shì。 xiàn zài shì qíng yǐ jīng bàn tuǒ， wǒ kě yǐ zǒu liǎo， wǒ hěn gāo xīng， hái shāo shāo yòu diǎn 'ér dé yì， yǐ hòu nǐ men zài yě bù huì jiàn dào wǒ liǎo。 kǒu dài shàng bié zhe yī zhāng zì tiáo， shàng miàn bǎ suǒ yòu de shìdōu shuō qīng chǔ liǎo。 wǎn 'ān， tài tài。”
　　 zhè wèi lǎo tài tài hài pà zhè gè shén shān guǐ méi de dà gè zǐ wài dì rén， jiàn tā zǒu liǎo xīn lǐ cái tà shí。 bù guò tā de hàoqí xīn bèi yǐn dòu liǎo qǐ lái， jiù zhíbèn kǒu dài 'ér qù， qǔ xià liǎo nà zhāng zì tiáo。 shàng miàn kāi tóu de huà shì：
　　 qǐng yú gōng bù； huò zhě yòng sī fǎng de bàn fǎ zhǎo dào wù zhù héng héng zhǐ yào néng zhǎo dào wù zhù， wú lùn nǎ yī zhǒng bàn fǎ jiē kě。 zhè gè kǒu dài lǐ zhuāng de shì jīn bì， zhòng yī bǎi liù shí bàng líng sì 'àng sī héng héng
　　“ lǎo tiān， mén méi suǒ yā！”
　　 lǐ chá cí tài tài duō duō suo suo dì pū guò qù bǎ mén suǒ shàng， rán hòu bǎ chuāng lián fàng xià lái， zhàn zhàn jīng jīng dì zhàn zài nà 'ér， tí xīn diào dǎn， sīliáng hái yòu shénme bàn fǎ néng ràng zì jǐ hé nà yī kǒu dài qián gèng bǎo xiǎn yī diǎn 'ér。 tā shù qǐ 'ěr duǒ tīng tīng yòu méi yòu zéi， guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， tā dǐ dǎng bù zhù hàoqí xīn， yòu huí dào dēng xià， kàn wán liǎo nà zhāng zhǐ shàng de huà：
　　 wǒ shì gè wài guó rén， mǎ shàng jiù yào huí běn guó qù， zài nà lǐ cháng zhù。 wǒ zài guì guó qí xià dòu liú liǎo hěn cháng shí jiān， duō méng guì guó guān zhào， bù shèng gǎn xiè； duì yú guì guó de yī wèi gōng mín héng héng yī wèi hǎdé lāi bǎo de gōng mín héng héng wǒ gèng xiǎng gé wài zhì yǐ xiè yì， yīn wéi yī liǎng nián qián tā yòu dà 'ēn yú wǒ。 shì shí shàng， nà shì liǎng zhuāng 'ēn dé。 róng wǒ xì shuō duān xiáng。 wǒ céng jīng shì gè dǔ tú。 wǒ de yì sī shì， wǒ guò qù shì gè dǔ tú。 yī gè shū dé jīng guāng de dǔ tú。 nà tiān yè lǐ wǒ lái dào zhè gè zhèn zǐ de shí hòu， fù nèi kōng kōng， shēn wú fēn wén。 wǒ xiàng rén qiú gào héng héng shì zài hēi yǐng lǐ， wǒ bù hǎo yì sī zài liàng chù qǐ tǎo。 wǒ qiú duì rén liǎo。 tā gěi liǎo wǒ 'èr shí kuài qián héng héng yě kě yǐ shuō， tā gěi liǎo wǒ yī tiáo mìng， wǒ dāng shí jiù shì zhè me xiǎng de。 tā hái gěi liǎo wǒ cái yùn； yīn wéi wǒ kào nà bǐ qián zài dǔ chǎng lǐ fā liǎo dà cái。 hái yòu zuì hòu yī tiáo： dāng shí tā duì wǒ shuō guò de yī jù huà wǒ jì zài xīn shàng， zhí dào rú jīn。 zhè jù huà zuì hòu ràng wǒ kǒu fú xīn fú； yīn wéi kǒu fú xīn fú， wǒ cái liáng xīn fā xiàn， zài yě bù dǔ liǎo。 xiàn zài wǒ bìng bù zhī dào tā shì shuí， kě shì wǒ yào zhǎo dào tā， ràng tā dé dào zhè bǐ qián， zhì yú tā shì bǎ qián gěi rén， rēng diào， hái shì zì jǐ liú zhe， quándōu yóu tā。 zhè zhǐ bù guò shì wǒ zhī 'ēn tú bào de fāng shì bà liǎo。 jiǎ shì。 wǒ kě yǐ zài cǐ dì dòu liú， wǒ běn lái huì zì jǐ qù zhǎo tā； bù guò méi yòu guān xì。 yī dìng néng zhǎo dào tā de。 zhè shì gè chéng shí de zhèn zǐ， fǔ shí bù liǎo de zhèn zǐ， wǒ zhī dào wǒ kě yǐ xìn rèn tā， bù yòng dān xīn。 píng nà wèi xiān shēng dāng nián duì wǒ shuō de nà jù huà， jiù kě yǐ què dìng nǎ yī wèi shì wǒ de 'ēn rén； wǒ xiāng xìn tā yī dìng hái jì dé nà jù huà。
　　 xiàn zài wǒ yòu zhè yàng yī gè bàn fǎ： jiǎ rú nín yuàn yì jìn xíng sī fǎng， xī tīng zūn biàn。 bǎ zhè zhāng zhǐ shàng xiě de huà gào sù měi yī gè kě néng shì nà wèi xiān shēng de rén， jiǎ rú tā huí dá shuō，“ wǒ jiù shì nà gè rén； wǒ dāng chū shuō guò zěn yàng de yī jù huà，” jiù qǐng hé shí yī xià héng héng yě jiù shì shuō： dǎ kāi kǒu dài， nín néng zài kǒu dài lǐ zhǎo dào yī gè zhuāng zhe nà jù huà de mì fēng xìn dài。 rú guǒ nà wèi hòu xuǎn rén suǒ shuō de huà yǔ cǐ xiāng fú， nà jiù bǎ zhè bǐ qián jiāo gěi tā， bù yòng zài wèn xià qù liǎo， yīn wéi tā wú yí jiù shì nà wèi xiān shēng。
　　 rú guǒ nín yuàn yì gōng kāi xún fǎng， jiù qǐng bǎ zhè fān huà fā biǎo zài běn dì bào zhǐ shàng héng héng zài jiā shàng rú xià shuō míng， jí： cóng dāng rì qǐ sān shí tiān nèi， qǐng shēn lǐng rén yú（ xīng qī wǔ） wǎn bā shí guāng lín zhèn gōng suǒ， jiāng tā dāng chū suǒ shuō de huà mì fēng jiāo gěi（ rú guǒ tā kěn fèi xīn liào lǐ de huà） bó jié sī mù shī； qǐng bó jié sī xiān shēng jiè shí dào chǎng， bǎ qián dài shàng de fēng tiáo qù diào， dǎ kāi qián dài， kàn yǔ dài nèi de huà shì fǒu xiāng fú； rú guǒ xiāng fú， jiù qǐng jiāng zhè bǐ qián lián tóng wǒ de zhōng xīn xiè yì yī qǐ， jiāo gěi wǒ de zhè wèi yǐ jīng què rèn shēn fèn de 'ēn rén。
　　 lǐ chá cí tài tài zuò xià lái， xiān shì jī dòng dé chàn chàn wēi wēi， hěn kuài yòu xiàn rù liǎo chén sī héng héng tā de sī lù rú xià：“ zhè kě zhēn shì jiàn qīqiao shì 'ér！ …… nà gè hǎo xīn rén qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ shīshě liǎo jǐ gè xiǎo qián， qiáo zhè fèn huí bào！…… zhè jiàn hǎo shì yào shì wǒ zhàng fū gān de jiù hǎo liǎo！ héng héng yīn wéi wǒ men tài qióng liǎo， zhè me lǎo liǎo， hái zhè me qióng！……” zhè shí tā tàn liǎo yī kǒu qì héng héng“ kě zhè bìng bù shì wǒ de 'ài dé huá gān de； bù shì， gěi wài dì rén 'èr shí kuài qián de bù shì tā。 zhè kě zhēn bù qiǎo， zhēn de； xiàn zài wǒ míng bái liǎo……” zhè shí tā dǎ liǎo gè lěng zhàn héng héng“ bù guò， zhè shì dǔ tú de qián nǎ！ shì bù qīng bù bái dé lái de： zhè zhǒng qián zán men kě bù néng ná， lián zhān dōubù néng zhān。 wǒ kě yào lí tā yuǎn yuǎn de； zhè qián yī kàn jiù zāng xī xī de。” tā huàn liǎo bǎ yuǎn yī diǎn de yǐ zǐ zuò xià lái héng héng“ wǒ pàn zhe 'ài dé huá huí lái， bǎ zhè qián ná dào yínháng qù； shuō bù dìng shénme shí hòu xiǎo tōu jiù huì lái； yī gè rén zài zhè 'ér shǒu zhe tā zhēn nán 'áo 'ā。”
　　 shí yī diǎn zhōng de shí hòu， lǐ chá cí xiān shēng huí lái liǎo， tā qī zǐ yíng tóu jiù shuō：“ nǐ kě huí lái liǎo！” tā què shuō：“ wǒ tài lěi liǎo héng héng lěi dé yào sǐ； guò qióng rì zǐ kě zhēn bù róng yì， dào liǎo zhè gè suì shù hái yào chū zhè zhǒng kǔchāi。 jiù wéi nà diǎn 'ér xīn shuǐ， áo lái 'áo qù 'áo bù chū tóu，…… gěi rén jiā dāng nú cái； kě rén jiā tā lā zhe tuō xié zài jiā lǐ zuò zhe， yòu de shì qián， zhēn shū tǎn nǎ。”
　　“ wèile nǐ， wǒ yòu duō nán guò yā， ài dé huá， zhè nǐ dū zhī dào； bù guò， nǐ dé xiǎng kāi diǎn 'ér： zán men de rì zǐ zǒng suàn hái guò dé qù； zán men de míng shēng yě bù cuò……”
　　“ shì yā， mǎ lì， zhè bǐ shénme dōuyào jǐn nǎ。 wǒ gāng cái shuō de huà nǐ bié fàng zài xīn shàng héng héng wǒ jiù shì yī zhèn 'ér xiǎng bù kāi， suàn bù liǎo shénme。 qīn qīn wǒ héng héng hǎo liǎo， shénme shì yě méi liǎo， wǒ yě bù zài fā láo sāo liǎo。 nǐ nòng shénme dōng xī lái liǎo？ kǒu dài lǐ yòu shénme？”
　　 yú shì， tā qī zǐ bǎ nà gè tiān dà de mì mì gào sù liǎo tā。 yī zhèn tiān xuán dì zhuǎn zhī hòu， tā shuō：
　　“ yī bǎi liù shí bàng zhòng？ āi， mǎ lì， nà dé yòu sì héng héng wàn héng héng kuài qián nǎ héng héng xiǎng xiǎng héng héng yī dà bǐ cái chǎn 'ā！ zán men zhèn zǐ shàng yòu zhè me duō cái chǎn de rén guò bù liǎo shí gè。 gěi wǒ kàn kàn nà zhāng zhǐ。”
　　 tā bǎ nà zhāng zì tiáo sǎo liǎo yī biàn， shuō：
　　“ zhè kě shì chū liǎo qí liǎo！ hēi， jiǎn zhí jiù xiàng xiǎo shuō yī yàng； hé shū shàng nà xiē méi yǐng de shì yī yàng， píng cháng shuí jiàn guò zhè yàng de shì yā。” zhè shí tā jī dòng qǐ lái， shén cǎi yì yì， xīng gāo cǎi liè。 tā dǎzháo hā hā dàn dàn lǎo tài pó de liǎn dàn 'ér， shuō：“ hāi， zán men fā cái liǎo， mǎ lì， fā cái liǎo。 zán men zhǐ yào bǎ zhè xiē qián mái qǐ lái； bǎ zhè zhāng zhǐ yī shāo jiù xíng liǎo。 yào shì nà gè dǔ tú zài lái dǎ tīng， zán men zhǐ yào 'ài lǐ bù lǐ dì dèng zhe tā， shuō： ‘ nǐ shuō shénme hú huà yā？ wǒ men cóng lái méi tīng shuō guò nǐ， yě méi tīng shuō guò nǐ nà tiáo shénme jīn zǐ kǒu dài。 ’ nà shí hòu， tā jiù shǎ liǎo yǎn， hái yòu héng héng”
　　“ hái yòu， nǐ jiù shùn zuǐ shuō xiào huà bā， nà yī dài zǐ qián kě hái duī zài zhè 'ér nǎ， yǎn kàn jiù yào dào zéi chū mén de shí hòu liǎo。”
　　“ nǐ shuō dé duì。 hǎo bā， nà zán men zěn me bàn ní héng héng sī fǎng？ bù xíng， bù néng zhè me bàn： nà kě jiù bǎ zhè piān xiǎo shuō zāo tà lā。 hái shì tiǎo míng liǎo hǎo。 xiǎng xiǎng kàn， zhè jiàn shì dé nào chū duō dà de dòng jìng lái！ hái bù ràng bié de zhèn zǐ quándōu jí dù sǐ。 zài zhè zhǒng shì qíng shàng， chú liǎo hǎdé lāi bǎo， yī gè wài xiāng rén hái néng xìn dé guò shuí yā， zhè yī diǎn tā men xīn lǐ dōuyòu shù。 zhè bù shì gěi zán men zhèn zǐ jīn bǎng tí míng má。 wǒ xiàn zài jiù dé dào bào guǎn de yìn shuà chǎng qù， yào bù rán jiù lái bù jí liǎo。”
　　“ màn zhe héng héng màn zhe héng héng bié bǎ wǒ yī gè rén liú zài zhè 'ér shǒu zhe tā yā， ài dé huá！”
　　 kě shì tā yǐ jīng zǒu liǎo。 bù guò zhǐ zǒu liǎo yī xiǎo huì 'ér。 zài lí jiā bù yuǎn de dì fāng， tā jiù yù jiàn liǎo bào guǎn de zhù bǐ jiān lǎo bǎn。 lǐ chá cí bǎ nà piān wén zì jiāo gěi tā shuō：“ wǒ yòu yī piān hǎo dōng xī gěi nǐ， kǎo kè sī héng héng dēng chū lái bā。”
　　“ kě néng tài wǎn liǎo， lǐ chá cí xiān shēng， bù guò wǒ kàn yī kàn bā。”
　　 huí dào jiā lǐ， tā hé qī zǐ zuò xià lái yòu bǎ zhè jiàn mí rén de qīqiao shì tán lùn liǎo yī biàn； liǎng gè rén yī sī shuì yì dōuméi yòu。 dì yī gè wèn tí shì， nà wèi gěi guò wài xiāng rén 'èr shí kuài qián de gōng mín huì shì shuí ní？ zhè gè wèn tí sì hū hěn jiǎn dān； fū qī liǎ bù yuē 'ér tóng dì shuō liǎo chū lái：
　　“ bā kè lì · gǔ dé sēn。”
　　“ bù cuò，” lǐ chá cí shuō，“ zhè yàng de shì tā gānde chū lái， zhè yě zhèng shì tā de zuò pài， xiàng tā zhè yàng de rén zhèn zǐ lǐ zài yě tiǎo bù chū dì 'èr gè liǎo。”
　　“ shuídōu huì zhè me shuō， ài dé huá héng héng bù guǎn dāng zhòng zěn me yàng， bèi hòu shuídōu huì zhè me shuō。 dào rú jīn yòu liù gè yuè liǎo bā， zán men zhèn zǐ yòu biàn chéng yuán lái nà gè lǎo yàng zǐ lā héng héng chéng shí， xiǎo xīn yǎn， lǎo zǐ tiān xià dì yī， hái lǎo hǔ pì gǔ mō bù dé。”
　　“ tā xiàng láidōu shì zhè me shuō de， yī zhí shuō dào yànqì de nà yī tiān héng héng hái yī diǎn 'ér dōubù bì rén。”
　　“ shì yā， jiù wèile zhè gè， tā cái zāo rén hèn。”
　　“ hāi， jiù shì； bù guò tā dǎo bù zài hū。 jiào wǒ shuō， chú liǎo bó jié sī mù shī， zài zán men zhè xiē rén dāng zhōng， zuì zāo rén hèn de jiù shì tā liǎo。”
　　“ kě bó jié sī zāo rén hèn shì huó gāi yā héng héng zài zhè kuài dì fāng， tā zài yě bié xiǎng yòu rén tīng tā bù dào liǎo。 suī shuō zhè zhèn zǐ yě méi shénme chū xī， kě rén men duì tā zǒng hái shì xīn lǐ yòu shù de。 ài dé huá， zhè gè wài xiāng rén zhǐ míng ràng bó jié sī fā zhè bǐ qián， zhè jiàn shì kàn qǐ lái shì bù shì yòu diǎn guài yā？”
　　“ āi， duì héng héng shì yòu diǎn guài。 nà shì héng héng nà shì héng héng”
　　“ nǎ lái de zhè me duō‘ nà shì’ yā？ huàn liǎo nǐ huì tiǎo tā má？”
　　“ mǎ lì， shuō bù dìng nà gè wài xiāng rén bǐ zhè zhèn zǐ shàng de rén gèng liǎo jiě tā nǎ。”
　　“ zhè huà shuō dé zài duō， yě bāng bù liǎo bó jié sī de máng！”
　　 zhàng fū sì hū zuǒ yòu wéi nán， bù zhī shuō shí me hǎo； qī zǐ zhí dèng dèng dì dīng zhù tā， děng zhe tā dá huà。 lǐ chá cí hòu lái yóu yóu yù yù dì kāi kǒu liǎo， hǎo xiàng míng zhī dào tā de huà yào shòu dào zhì yí：
　　“ mǎ lì， bó jié sī bù shì gè huài rén yā。”
　　 tā qī zǐ zì rán shì chī liǎo yī jīng。
　　“ hú shuō！” tā jiào liǎo qǐ lái。
　　“ tā bù shì gè huài rén。 zhè wǒ míng bái。 tā rén yuán bù hǎo， dōushì yīn wéi nà yī jiàn shì héng héng jiù shì nào dé fèi fèi yáng yáng de nà yī jiàn shì。”
　　“ nà‘ yī jiàn shì’， tài duì lā！ jiù nà‘ yī jiàn shì” hái bù gòu dà me？”
　　“ gòu dà liǎo。 gòu dà liǎo。 zhǐ bù guò nà jiàn shì bù shì tā de cuò 'ā。”
　　“ nǐ shuō shénme！ bù shì tā de cuò！ shuídōu zhī dào， jiù shì tā zuò de niè！”
　　“ mǎ lì， nǐ tīng wǒ de héng héng tā shì qīng bái de。”
　　“ wǒ méi fǎ xiāng xìn， wǒ bù xìn。 nǐ shì zěn me zhī dào de？”
　　“ zhè shì bù dǎ zì zhāo。 wǒ méi liǎn shuō， kě shì wǒ fēi dé shuō chū lái bù kě。 zhǐ yòu wǒ yī gè rén zhī dào tā qīng bái。 wǒ běn lái néng gòu jiù tā， kě shì héng héng kě shì héng héng 'āi， nǐ zhī dào nà shí hòu quán zhèn zǐ shàng de rén yī biān dǎo héng héng wǒ nǎ yòu yǒng qì shuō chū lái yā。 yī shuō chū lái dà jiā jiù dū chòngzhe wǒ lái liǎo。 wǒ yě jué dé nà yàng zuò bù gòu yì sī， tài bù gòu yì sī liǎo， kě shì wǒ bù gǎn nǎ； wǒ méi yòu yǒng qì hé zhòng rén duì zhe gān。”
　　 mǎ lì yī fù xīn fán yì luàn de yàng zǐ， yī shēng bù kēng。 guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， tā tūn tūn tù tù dì shuō：
　　“ wǒ héng héng wǒ xiǎng nǐ jiù shì héng héng jiù shì héng héng yě méi yòu shénme yòng chù。 rén kě bù néng héng héng 'e héng héng dà jiā huǒ de kàn fǎ héng héng bù néng bù nà me xiǎo xīn héng héng nà me héng héng” zhè tiáo lù bù dà hǎo zǒu， tā rào bù chū lái liǎo； kě shì， shāo tíng yī huì 'ér， tā yòu kāi liǎo qiāng。“ yào shuō zhè jiàn shì shì bù dà hé shì， kě shì héng héng hāi， zán men dǐng bù zhù yā， ài dé huá héng héng zhēn shì dǐng bù zhù 'ā。 āi， wú lùn rú hé， wǒ yě bù yuàn ràng nǐ shuō chū lái！”
　　“ mǎ lì， jiǎ rú shuō chū lái， bù zhī huì yòu duō shǎo rén bù ná zhèng yǎn kàn zán men； nà yàng yī lái héng héng nà yàng yī lái héng héng”
　　“ xiàn zài wǒ dān xīn de shì tā zěn me kàn zán men， ài dé huá。”
　　“ tā？ tā kě méi xiǎng guò wǒ dāng chū néng gòu jiù tā。”
　　“ ā，” qī zǐ sōng liǎo yī kǒu qì， rǎng rǎng zhe，“ zhè yàng wǒ jiù gāo xīng liǎo。 zhǐ yào tā dāng chū bù zhī dào nǐ néng gòu jiù tā， tā héng héng tā héng héng 'e， zhè jiàn shì jiù hǎo bàn duō liǎo。 āi， wǒ yuán běn jiù gāi xiǎng dào tā bù zhī dào， suī rán zán men bù dà dā lǐ tā， kě tā lǎo shì xiǎng gēn zán men tào jìn hū。 bié rén ná zhè jiàn shì wā kǔ wǒ kě bù zhǐ yī cì liǎo。 xiàng wēi 'ěr xùn liǎng kǒu zǐ， wēi 'ěr kē kè sī liǎng kǒu zǐ， hái yòu hā kè nèi sī liǎng kǒu zǐ， tā mendōu huà lǐ yòu huà dì xínkāixīn， míng zhī dào wǒ miàn zǐ shàng guò bù qù， fēi yào shuō‘ nǐ men de péng yǒu bó jié sī’ rú hé rú hé。 wǒ kě bù xiǎng ràng tā yī gè jìn 'ér chán zhe zán men； wǒ bù míng bái tā wèishénme bù sǎ shǒu ní。”
　　“ tā wèishénme zhè yàng zuò wǒ míng bái。 zhè kě yòu shì bù dǎ zì zhāo liǎo。 nà jiàn shì gāng nào chū lái， zhèng zài fèi fèi yáng yáng de shí hòu， zhèn shàng dǎ suàn ràng tā‘ pá gān’。 wǒ bèi liáng xīn zhé mó dé jiǎn zhí shòu bù liǎo， tōu tōu qù gěi tā tōng fēng bào xìn， tā jiù lí kāi zhèn zǐ， dào wài dì bì fēng qù liǎo， zhí duǒ dào méi shì 'ér liǎo cái huí lái。”
　　“ ài dé huá！ dāng shí zhèn shàng yào shì chá chū lái héng héng”
　　“ bié shuō liǎo！ zhí dào xiàn zài wǒ yī xiǎng qǐ lái hái hài pà ní。 nà jiàn shì gāng zuò wán wǒ jiù hòu huǐ liǎo； suǒ yǐ wǒdōu méi gǎn gēn nǐ shuō， jiù pà nǐ liǎn shàng guà bù zhù， bèi bié rén kàn chū lái。 nà tiān wǎn shàng， wǒ xīn lǐ dí gū， yī yè dōuméi yòu hé yǎn。 kě shì guò liǎo jǐ tiān， yī kàn shuí yě méi yòuhuái yí， cóng nà yǐ hòu wǒ yòu jué dé gān liǎo nà me yī jiàn shì tǐng gāo xīng。 dào xiàn zài wǒ hái gāo xīng ní， mǎ lì héng héng bié tí yòu duō gāo xīng liǎo。”
　　“ xiàn zài wǒ yě gāo xīng 'ā， nà yàng duì dài tā yě tài kě pà liǎo。 shì yā， wǒ tǐng gāo xīng； nǐ zhī dào， nǐ zhè yàng zuò cái suàn duì dé qǐ tā。 kě shì， ài dé huá， wàn yī zhè jiàn shì nǎ tiān lù liǎo xiàn ní？”
　　“ bù huì。”
　　“ wèishénme？”
　　“ yīn wéi shuídōu huì yǐ wéi nà shì gǔ dé sēn gān de。”
　　“ tā men yī dìng shì zhè me xiǎng de！”
　　“ jiù shì。 dāng rán lā， tā yě bù zài hū dà jiā zhè me xiǎng。 dà jiā cuānduo nà gè kě lián de suǒ sī bó lǐ lǎo hàn zhǎo tā suàn zhàng， lǎo hàn jiù zhào tā men shuō de fēng fēng huǒ huǒ páo liǎo qù。 gǔ dé sēn bǎ lǎo hàn shàng shàng xià xià dǎliang liǎo yī biàn， hǎo xiàng yào zài suǒ sī bó lǐ shēn shàng zhǎo chū yī kuài zì jǐ tè bié qiáo bù qǐ de dì fāng， rán hòu shuō：‘ zhè me shuō， nǐ shì diào chá zǔ de， shì má？’ suǒ sī bó lǐ shuō： chàbù lí bā。‘ ò。 yǐ nǐ shuō， tā men shì xiǎng zǎi zǎi xì xì dì wèn ní， hái shì tīng diǎn 'ér jiǎn dān de jiù xíng liǎo ní？’‘ gǔ dé sēn xiān shēng， yào shì tā men xiǎng zǎi zǎi xì xì dì wèn， wǒ jiù zài lái yī tàng； wǒ xiān tīng jiǎn dān de bā。’‘ nà tài hǎo liǎo， nǐ jiù ràng tā men quándōu jiàn tā mā de guǐ qù héng héng wǒ jué dé zhè gòu jiǎn dān de liǎo。 suǒ sī bó lǐ， wǒ zài quàn nǐ jǐ jù； nǐ zài lái zǎi zǎi xì xì dǎ tīng de shí hòu， dài gè lán zǐ lái， bǎ nǐ nà jǐ gēn lǎo gǔ tóu tí huí jiā qù。’”
　　“ gǔ dé sēn jiù shì zhè yàng； yī diǎn dōuméi zǒu yàng。 tā lǎo shì jué dé tā de zhù yì bǐ shuídōu qiáng： tā jiù zhè diǎn xū róng xīn。”
　　“ mǎ lì， zhè yī lái jiù wàn shì dà jí， bǎ zán men gěi jiù liǎo。 nà jiàn shì zài yě bù huì yòu rén tí liǎo。”
　　“ lǎo tiān yòu yǎn， wǒ xiǎng yě bù huì yòu rén tí liǎo。”
　　 tā men yòu xīng zhì bó bó dì bǎ huà tóu yǐn huí nà dài shén mì de jīn zǐ shàng lái。 guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， tā men de tán huà kāi shǐ yòu liǎo tíng dùn héng héng yīn wéi chén sī 'ér tíng dùn。 tíng dùn de cì shù yuè lái yuè duō。 zuì hòu lǐ chá cí jìng rán xiǎng dāi liǎo。 tā zuò liǎo bàn tiān， shén qíng máng rán dì dīng zhe dì bǎn， màn màn dì， tā de liǎng zhǐ shǒu kāi shǐ zuò yī xiē shén jīng zhì de xiǎo dòng zuò， juàn diǎn zhe xīn lǐ de niàn tóu， hǎo xiàng shì yòu diǎn 'ér zháojí。 zhè shí hòu， tā qī zǐ yě fàn liǎo bìng， yī shēng bù kēng dì xiǎng xīn shì， cóng shén tài kàn dé chū tā xīn luàn rú má， bù dà zì zài。 zuì hòu， lǐ chá cí zhàn liǎo qǐ lái， màn wú mù biāo dì zài fáng jiān lǐ liù dá， shí gè shǒu zhǐ tóu zài tóu fā lǐ bì guò lái， bì guò qù， jiù xiàng yī gè mèng yóu de rén zhèng zuò yī gè 'è mèng。 hòu lái， tā hǎo xiàng shì ná dìng liǎo zhù yì； yī shēng bù xiǎng dì dài shàng mào zǐ， dà bù liú xīng dì chū mén qù liǎo。 tā qī zǐ hái zài zhòu zhe méi tóu xiǎng xīn shì， hǎo xiàng méi yòu fā jué wū lǐ zhǐ shèng xià tā yī gè rén liǎo。 tā bù shí nán nán zì yǔ： kě bié bǎ wǒ men yǐn dào…… kě shì héng héng kě shì héng héng wǒ men zhēn shì tài qióng liǎo， tài qióng liǎo！……， kě bié bǎ wǒ men yǐn dào…… ā， zhè 'ài bié rén de shì má？ héng héng zài shuō shuí yě bù huì zhī dào…… kě bié bǎ wǒ men……” tā de shēng yīn yuè lái yuè xiǎo， hòu lái zhǐ shèng xià zuǐ chún dòng dàn。 shāo tíng， tā tái tóu sǎo liǎo yī yǎn， bàn jīng bàn xǐ dì shuō héng héng
　　“ tā qù liǎo！ kě shì， tiān nǎ， yě xǔ tài wǎn liǎo héng héng lái bù jí liǎo…… yě xǔ hái bù wǎn héng héng yě xǔ hái lái dé jí。” tā qǐ shēn zhàn zhe xiǎng， shén jīng zhì dì yī huì 'ér bǎ liǎng shǒu jiǎo zài yī qǐ， yī huì 'ér yòu sōng kāi。 yī zhèn qīng wēi de zhànlì lüè guò quán shēn， tā cóng gān yǎ de sǎng zǐ jǐ chū liǎo shēng yīn：“ shàng dì ráo shù wǒ bā héng héng zhè niàn tóu zhēn kě pà yā héng héng kě shì…… shàng dì yā， kàn wǒ men chéng shénme yàng zǐ lā héng héng wǒ mendōu biàn chéng guài wù liǎo！”
　　 tā bǎ dēng guāng níng xiǎo yī diǎn， niè shǒu niè jiǎo dì liù dào nà zhǐ kǒu dài bàng guì xià， yòng shǒu chù mō zhe gǔ gǔ náng náng de biān biān jiǎo jiǎo， ài bù shì shǒu； nián mài hūn huā de lǎo yǎn zhōng shǎn chū yī sī tān lán de guāng。 tā yòu shí xiàng líng hún chū qiào； yòu shí yòu yòu yī bàn qīng xǐng， dū dū nāng nāng dì shuō：“ wǒ men yào shì néng děng yī děng jiù hǎo liǎo！ héng héng 'ā， zhǐ yào děng nà me yī xiǎo huì 'ér， bié nà me zháojí jiù hǎo liǎo！”
　　 zhè shí hòu， kǎo kè sī yě cóng bàn gōng shì huí dào jiā lǐ， bǎ zhè jiàn qīqiao shì yuán yuán běn běn dì gào sù liǎo zì jǐ de qī zǐ， pò bù jí dài dì yì lùn liǎo yī fān zhī hòu， tā men cāi dào liǎo yǐ gù de gǔ dé sēn， rèn wéi quán zhèn zǐ de nán rén lǐ tóu zhǐ yòu tā cái huì kāng kǎi jiě náng ná chū 'èr shí kuài qián lái， yòng zhè bǐ bù xiǎo de shù mù qù jiē jì yī gè luònàn de wài xiāng rén。 hòu lái， tā men de tán huà tíng liǎo xià lái， liǎ rén mò mò wú yán dì xiǎng qǐ liǎo xīn shì。 tā men de shén jīng yuè lái yuè jǐn zhāng， fán zào bù 'ān。 zuì hòu qī zǐ kāi kǒu liǎo， hǎo xiàng shì zì yán zì yǔ：
　　“ chú liǎo lǐ chá cí liǎng kǒu zǐ…… hái yòu zán men， shuí yě bù zhī dào zhè gè mì mì…… méi yòu bié rén liǎo。”
　　 zhàng fū wēi wēi shòu dào chù dòng， cóng míng sī kǔ xiǎng zhōng jiě tuō chū lái； tā yǎn bā bā dì dèng zhe liǎn sè shuà bái de qī zǐ； hòu lái。 tā chí chí yí yí dì zhàn qǐ shēn。 tōu tōu dì mó liǎo yī yǎn mào zǐ， yòu piǎo liǎo yī yǎn zì jǐ de qī zǐ héng héng zhè shì wú shēng de qǐng shì。 kǎo kè sī tài tài sān fān liǎng cì yù yán yòu zhǐ， hòu lái tā yǐ shǒu fēng hóu， diǎn tóu shì yì。 hěn kuài， jiā lǐ zhǐ shèng xià tā yī gè rén zài nà lǐ zì yán zì yǔ liǎo。
　　 zhè shí， lǐ chá cí hé kǎo kè sī jiǎo bù cōng cōng， chuān guò qù wú rén jì de jiē dào， yíng tóu zǒu lái。 liǎng rén qì chuǎn xū xū dì zài yìn shuà chǎng de lóu tī kǒu pèng liǎo miàn； yè sè zhōng， tā men xiāng hù dǎliang zhe duì fāng de liǎn sè。 kǎo kè sī qiāoqiāo dì wèn：
　　“ chú liǎo zán men， méi rén zhī dào zhè jiàn shì bā？”
　　 qiāoqiāo dì huí dá：
　　“ guǐ dōubù zhī dào héng héng wǒ dān bǎo， guǐ dōubù zhī dào！”
　　“ yào shì hái lái dé jí héng héng”
　　 liǎng gè rén shàng liǎo lóu tī； jiù zài zhè shí hòu， yī gè xiǎo huǒ zǐ gǎn liǎo shàng lái， kǎo kè sī wèn dào：
　　“ shì nǐ má， yuē hàn ní？”
　　“ shì， xiān shēng。”
　　“ nǐ xiān bù yòng fā zǎo bān yóu jiàn héng héng shénme yóu jiàn dū bié fā； děng zhe， dào shí hòu wǒ gào sù nǐ。”
　　“ yǐ jīng fā zǒu liǎo， xiān shēng。”
　　“ fā zǒu liǎo？” huà yīn lǐ bāo hán zhe nán yǐ yán chuán de shī wàng。
　　“ shì， xiān shēng。 cóng jīn tiān qǐ dào bù lǐ kè sī dùn yǐ yuǎn suǒ yòu chéng zhèn de huǒ chē dū gǎi diǎn liǎo， xiān shēng héng héng bào zhǐ yào bǐ wǎng cháng zǎo fā 'èr shí fēn zhōng。 wǒ zhǐ hǎo jǐn gǎn màn gǎn； yào shì zài wǎn liǎng fēn zhōng jiù héng héng”
　　 liǎ rén méi tīng tā shuō wán， jiù diào guò tóu qù màn màn zǒu kāi liǎo。 dà yuē yòu shí fēn zhōng， liǎng gè réndōu méi yòu chū shēng； hòu lái kǎo kè sī qì hēng hēng dì shuō：
　　“ nǐ jiū jìng gǎn gè shénme jìn yā， wǒ zhēn bù míng bái。”
　　 bì gōng bì jìng dì huí dá：
　　“ wǒ xiàn zài míng bái liǎo， nǐ kàn， yě bù zhī dào shì zěn me gǎo de， wǒ lǎo shì bù dòng nǎo zǐ， xiǎng chī hòu huǐ yào yě lái bù jí。 bù guò xià yī cì héng héng”
　　“ xià yī cì gè pì！ yī qiān nián yě bù huì yòu xià yī cì liǎo。”
　　 zhè duì péng yǒu méi dào wǎn 'ān jiù gè bēn dōng xī； gè zì tuō zhe liǎng tiáo tuǐ zǒu huí jiā qù， jiù xiàng shuāng dǎ liǎo yī yàng。 huí dào jiā， tā men de qī zǐ dū yī yuè 'ér qǐ， pò bù jí dài dì wèn“ zěn me yàng？” héng héng tā men yòng yǎn jīng jiù dé chū liǎo dá 'àn， bù děng tīng yī zì bàn jù， zì jǐ xiān chuí tóu sàng qì yī pì gǔ zuò liǎo xià qù。 liǎng jiādōu fā shēng liǎo jī liè de zhēng lùn héng héng zhè kě shì xīn xiān shì； cóng qián liǎng kǒu zǐ yě bàn zuǐ， kě shì dōubù jī liè， yě méi yòu sī pò guò liǎn miàn。 jīn tiān yè lǐ liǎng jiā de kǒu jiǎo jiù hǎo xiàng shì yī gè shī fù jiào chū lái de。 lǐ chá cí tài tài shuō：
　　“ ài dé huá， yào shì nǐ děng yī děng héng héng yào shì nǐ tíng xià lái zhuó mó zhuó mó ní； kě shì nǐ bù， nǐ fēi yào zhíbèn bào guǎn de yìn shuà chǎng， bǎ zhè jiàn shì rǎng rǎng chū qù， ràng tiān xià de réndōu zhī dào。”
　　“ nà shàng miàn shì shuō liǎo yào fā biǎo yā。”
　　“ shuō liǎo yòu zěn me yàng； nà shàng miàn hái shuō kě yǐ sī fǎng ní， zhǐ yào nǐ yuàn yì cái suàn shù。 xiàn zài kě hǎo héng héng wǒ méi shuō cuò bā？”
　　“ hāi， méi cuò héng héng méi cuò， zhēn shì nà me shuō de； bù guò， wǒ yī xiǎng zhè jiàn shì huì nào dé fèi fèi yáng yáng， yī xiǎng dào yī gè wài xiāng rén zhè me xìn dé guò hǎdé lāi bǎo， zhè shì duō dà de liǎn miàn héng héng”
　　“ ā， dāng rán lā， zhè xiē wǒdōu míng bái； kě shì zhǐ yào nǐ děng yī děng， zǎi xì xiǎng xiǎng， bù jiù néng xiǎng qǐ lái yǐ jīng zhǎo bù dào yīnggāi dé zhè bǐ qián de rén liǎo má。 tā yǐ jīng jìn liǎo guān cái， yě méi yòu liú xià yī nán bàn nǚ， lián qīn qī yě méi yòu； zhè me yī lái， zhè bǐ qián yào shì guī liǎo nǎ gè jí děng yòng qián de rén， duì shuídōu méi yòu fáng 'ài yā， zài shuō héng héng zài shuō héng héng”
　　 tā shuō bù xià qù， kū liǎo qǐ lái。 tā zhàng fū běn lái shì xiǎng zhǎo jǐ jù kuān xīn huà， kě tuō kǒu 'ér chū de què shì zhè me jǐ jù：
　　“ kě shì， mǎ lì， bié guǎn zěn me shuō， zhè yàng zuò kěn dìng shì zuì hǎo de bàn fǎ héng héng kěn dìng shì； zán men xīn lǐ yòu shù。 zài shuō， zán men bié wàng liǎo， zhè yě shì mìng 'ā héng héng”
　　“ mìng！ hē， yī gè rén yào shì yú liǎo chǔn shì xiǎng zhǎo gè jiè kǒu， jiù shuō‘ shénme dōushì mìng 'ā！’ yào shuō mìng， zhè bǐ qián tè dì lái dào zán men jiā， bù yě shì mìng má？ lǎo tiān yé yǐ jīng 'ān pái hǎo de shì， nǐ fēi yào chā yī gàng zǐ héng héng shuí gěi nǐ zhè zhǒng quán lì lā？ zhè jiào xiā zhēténg， jiù shì zhè me huí shì héng héng jìng jiǔ bù chī chī fá jiǔ， nǐ jiù bié zài zhuāng lǎo shí rén、 zhuāng guīju rén lā héng héng”
　　“ kě shì， mǎ lì， nǐ yě zhī dào zán men cóng xiǎo dào dà shòu de shì shénme jiào yù， bǎ zán men jiào de zhǐ yào shì lǎo shí shì， xiǎng yě bù xiǎng jiù mǎ shàng qù zuò， quán zhèn zǐ shàng de réndōu shì zhè yàng， zhè dū biàn chéng zán men de dì 'èr tiān xìng héng héng”

　　It was many years ago. Hadleyburg was the most honest and upright town in all the region round about. It had kept that reputation unsmirched during three generations, and was prouder of it than of any other of its possessions. It was so proud of it, and so anxious to insure its perpetuation, that it began to teach the principles of honest dealing to its babies in the cradle, and made the like teachings the staple of their culture thenceforward through all the years devoted to their education. Also, throughout the formative years temptations were kept out of the way of the young people, so that their honesty could have every chance to harden and solidify, and become a part of their very bone. The neighbouring towns were jealous of this honourable supremacy, and affected to sneer at Hadleyburg's pride in it and call it vanity; but all the same they were obliged to acknowledge that Hadleyburg was in reality an incorruptible town; and if pressed they would also acknowledge that the mere fact that a young man hailed from Hadleyburg was all the recommendation he needed when he went forth from his natal town to seek for responsible employment.
　　 But at last, in the drift of time, Hadleyburg had the ill luck to offend a passing stranger--possibly without knowing it, certainly without caring, for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself, and cared not a rap for strangers or their opinions. Still, it would have been well to make an exception in this one's case, for he was a bitter man, and revengeful. All through his wanderings during a whole year he kept his injury in mind, and gave all his leisure moments to trying to invent a compensating satisfaction for it. He contrived many plans, and all of them were good, but none of them was quite sweeping enough: the poorest of them would hurt a great many individuals, but what he wanted was a plan which would comprehend the entire town, and not let so much as one person escape unhurt. At last he had a fortunate idea, and when it fell into his brain it lit up his whole head with an evil joy. He began to form a plan at once, saying to himself "That is the thing to do--I will corrupt the town."
　　 Six months later he went to Hadleyburg, and arrived in a buggy at the house of the old cashier of the bank about ten at night. He got a sack out of the buggy, shouldered it, and staggered with it through the cottage yard, and knocked at the door. A woman's voice said "Come in," and he entered, and set his sack behind the stove in the parlour, saying politely to the old lady who sat reading the "Missionary Herald" by the lamp:
　　 "Pray keep your seat, madam, I will not disturb you. There--now it is pretty well concealed; one would hardly know it was there. Can I see your husband a moment, madam?"
　　 No, he was gone to Brixton, and might not return before morning.
　　 "Very well, madam, it is no matter. I merely wanted to leave that sack in his care, to be delivered to the rightful owner when he shall be found. I am a stranger; he does not know me; I am merely passing through the town to-night to discharge a matter which has been long in my mind. My errand is now completed, and I go pleased and a little proud, and you will never see me again. There is a paper attached to the sack which will explain everything. Good- night, madam."
　　 The old lady was afraid of the mysterious big stranger, and was glad to see him go. But her curiosity was roused, and she went straight to the sack and brought away the paper. It began as follows:
　　 "TO BE PUBLISHED, or, the right man sought out by private inquiry-- either will answer. This sack contains gold coin weighing a hundred and sixty pounds four ounces--"
　　 "Mercy on us, and the door not locked!"
　　 Mrs. Richards flew to it all in a tremble and locked it, then pulled down the window-shades and stood frightened, worried, and wondering if there was anything else she could do toward making herself and the money more safe. She listened awhile for burglars, then surrendered to curiosity, and went back to the lamp and finished reading the paper:
　　 "I am a foreigner, and am presently going back to my own country, to remain there permanently. I am grateful to America for what I have received at her hands during my long stay under her flag; and to one of her citizens--a citizen of Hadleyburg--I am especially grateful for a great kindness done me a year or two ago. Two great kindnesses in fact. I will explain. I was a gambler. I say I WAS. I was a ruined gambler. I arrived in this village at night, hungry and without a penny. I asked for help--in the dark; I was ashamed to beg in the light. I begged of the right man. He gave me twenty dollars--that is to say, he gave me life, as I considered it. He also gave me fortune; for out of that money I have made myself rich at the gaming-table. And finally, a remark which he made to me has remained with me to this day, and has at last conquered me; and in conquering has saved the remnant of my morals: I shall gamble no more. Now I have no idea who that man was, but I want him found, and I want him to have this money, to give away, throw away, or keep, as he pleases. It is merely my way of testifying my gratitude to him. If I could stay, I would find him myself; but no matter, he will be found. This is an honest town, an incorruptible town, and I know I can trust it without fear. This man can be identified by the remark which he made to me; I feel persuaded that he will remember it.
　　 "And now my plan is this: If you prefer to conduct the inquiry privately, do so. Tell the contents of this present writing to any one who is likely to be the right man. If he shall answer, 'I am the man; the remark I made was so-and-so,' apply the test--to wit: open the sack, and in it you will find a sealed envelope containing that remark. If the remark mentioned by the candidate tallies with it, give him the money, and ask no further questions, for he is certainly the right man.
　　 "But if you shall prefer a public inquiry, then publish this present writing in the local paper--with these instructions added, to wit: Thirty days from now, let the candidate appear at the town-hall at eight in the evening (Friday), and hand his remark, in a sealed envelope, to the Rev. Mr. Burgess (if he will be kind enough to act); and let Mr. Burgess there and then destroy the seals of the sack, open it, and see if the remark is correct: if correct, let the money be delivered, with my sincere gratitude, to my benefactor thus identified."
　　 Mrs. Richards sat down, gently quivering with excitement, and was soon lost in thinkings--after this pattern: "What a strange thing it is! . . . And what a fortune for that kind man who set his bread afloat upon the waters! . . . If it had only been my husband that did it!--for we are so poor, so old and poor! . . ." Then, with a sigh--"But it was not my Edward; no, it was not he that gave a stranger twenty dollars. It is a pity too; I see it now. . . " Then, with a shudder--"But it is GAMBLERS' money! the wages of sin; we couldn't take it; we couldn't touch it. I don't like to be near it; it seems a defilement." She moved to a farther chair. . . "I wish Edward would come, and take it to the bank; a burglar might come at any moment; it is dreadful to be here all alone with it."
　　 At eleven Mr. Richards arrived, and while his wife was saying "I am SO glad you've come!" he was saying, "I am so tired--tired clear out; it is dreadful to be poor, and have to make these dismal journeys at my time of life. Always at the grind, grind, grind, on a salary--another man's slave, and he sitting at home in his slippers, rich and comfortable."
　　 "I am so sorry for you, Edward, you know that; but be comforted; we have our livelihood; we have our good name--"
　　 "Yes, Mary, and that is everything. Don't mind my talk--it's just a moment's irritation and doesn't mean anything. Kiss me--there, it's all gone now, and I am not complaining any more. What have you been getting? What's in the sack?"
　　 Then his wife told him the great secret. It dazed him for a moment; then he said:
　　 "It weighs a hundred and sixty pounds? Why, Mary, it's for-ty thou- sand dollars--think of it--a whole fortune! Not ten men in this village are worth that much. Give me the paper."
　　 He skimmed through it and said:
　　 "Isn't it an adventure! Why, it's a romance; it's like the impossible things one reads about in books, and never sees in life." He was well stirred up now; cheerful, even gleeful. He tapped his old wife on the cheek, and said humorously, "Why, we're rich, Mary, rich; all we've got to do is to bury the money and burn the papers. If the gambler ever comes to inquire, we'll merely look coldly upon him and say: 'What is this nonsense you are talking? We have never heard of you and your sack of gold before;' and then he would look foolish, and--"
　　 "And in the meantime, while you are running on with your jokes, the money is still here, and it is fast getting along toward burglar- time."
　　 "True. Very well, what shall we do--make the inquiry private? No, not that; it would spoil the romance. The public method is better. Think what a noise it will make! And it will make all the other towns jealous; for no stranger would trust such a thing to any town but Hadleyburg, and they know it. It's a great card for us. I must get to the printing-office now, or I shall be too late."
　　 "But stop--stop--don't leave me here alone with it, Edward!"
　　 But he was gone. For only a little while, however. Not far from his own house he met the editor--proprietor of the paper, and gave him the document, and said "Here is a good thing for you, Cox--put it in."
　　 "It may be too late, Mr. Richards, but I'll see."
　　 At home again, he and his wife sat down to talk the charming mystery over; they were in no condition for sleep. The first question was, Who could the citizen have been who gave the stranger the twenty dollars? It seemed a simple one; both answered it in the same breath -
　　 "Barclay Goodson."
　　 "Yes," said Richards, "he could have done it, and it would have been like him, but there's not another in the town."
　　 "Everybody will grant that, Edward--grant it privately, anyway. For six months, now, the village has been its own proper self once more- -honest, narrow, self-righteous, and stingy."
　　 "It is what he always called it, to the day of his death--said it right out publicly, too."
　　 "Yes, and he was hated for it."
　　 "Oh, of course; but he didn't care. I reckon he was the best-hated man among us, except the Reverend Burgess."
　　 "Well, Burgess deserves it--he will never get another congregation here. Mean as the town is, it knows how to estimate HIM. Edward, doesn't it seem odd that the stranger should appoint Burgess to deliver the money?"
　　 "Well, yes--it does. That is--that is--"
　　 "Why so much that-IS-ing? Would YOU select him?"
　　 "Mary, maybe the stranger knows him better than this village does."
　　 "Much THAT would help Burgess!"
　　 The husband seemed perplexed for an answer; the wife kept a steady eye upon him, and waited. Finally Richards said, with the hesitancy of one who is making a statement which is likely to encounter doubt,
　　 "Mary, Burgess is not a bad man."
　　 His wife was certainly surprised.
　　 "Nonsense!" she exclaimed.
　　 "He is not a bad man. I know. The whole of his unpopularity had its foundation in that one thing--the thing that made so much noise."
　　 "That 'one thing,' indeed! As if that 'one thing' wasn't enough, all by itself."
　　 "Plenty. Plenty. Only he wasn't guilty of it."
　　 "How you talk! Not guilty of it! Everybody knows he WAS guilty."
　　 "Mary, I give you my word--he was innocent."
　　 "I can't believe it and I don't. How do you know?"
　　 "It is a confession. I am ashamed, but I will make it. I was the only man who knew he was innocent. I could have saved him, and-- and--well, you know how the town was wrought up--I hadn't the pluck to do it. It would have turned everybody against me. I felt mean, ever so mean; ut I didn't dare; I hadn't the manliness to face that."
　　 Mary looked troubled, and for a while was silent. Then she said stammeringly:
　　 "I--I don't think it would have done for you to--to--One mustn't-- er--public opinion--one has to be so careful --so--" It was a difficult road, and she got mired; but after a little she got started again. "It was a great pity, but-- Why, we couldn't afford it, Edward--we couldn't indeed. Oh, I wouldn't have had you do it for anything!"
　　 "It would have lost us the good-will of so many people, Mary; and then--and then--"
　　 "What troubles me now is, what HE thinks of us, Edward."
　　 "He? HE doesn't suspect that I could have saved him."
　　 "Oh," exclaimed the wife, in a tone of relief, "I am glad of that. As long as he doesn't know that you could have saved him, he--he-- well that makes it a great deal better. Why, I might have known he didn't know, because he is always trying to be friendly with us, as little encouragement as we give him. More than once people have twitted me with it. There's the Wilsons, and the Wilcoxes, and the Harknesses, they take a mean pleasure in saying 'YOUR FRIEND Burgess,' because they know it pesters me. I wish he wouldn't persist in liking us so; I can't think why he keeps it up."
　　 "I can explain it. It's another confession. When the thing was new and hot, and the town made a plan to ride him on a rail, my conscience hurt me so that I couldn't stand it, and I went privately and gave him notice, and he got out of the town and stayed out till it was safe to come back."
　　 "Edward! If the town had found it out--"
　　 "DON'T! It scares me yet, to think of it. I repented of it the minute it was done; and I was even afraid to tell you lest your face might betray it to somebody. I didn't sleep any that night, for worrying. But after a few days I saw that no one was going to suspect me, and after that I got to feeling glad I did it. And I feel glad yet, Mary--glad through and through."
　　 "So do I, now, for it would have been a dreadful way to treat him. Yes, I'm glad; for really you did owe him that, you know. But, Edward, suppose it should come out yet, some day!"
　　 "It won't."
　　 "Why?"
　　 "Because everybody thinks it was Goodson."
　　 "Of course they would!"
　　 "Certainly. And of course HE didn't care. They persuaded poor old Sawlsberry to go and charge it on him, and he went blustering over there and did it. Goodson looked him over, like as if he was hunting for a place on him that he could despise the most; then he says, 'So you are the Committee of Inquiry, are you?' Sawlsberry said that was about what he was. 'H'm. Do they require particulars, or do you reckon a kind of a GENERAL answer will do?' 'If they require particulars, I will come back, Mr. Goodson; I will take the general answer first.' 'Very well, then, tell them to go to hell--I reckon that's general enough. And I'll give you some advice, Sawlsberry; when you come back for the particulars, fetch a basket to carry what is left of yourself home in.'"
　　 "Just like Goodson; it's got all the marks. He had only one vanity; he thought he could give advice better than any other person."
　　 "It settled the business, and saved us, Mary. The subject was dropped."
　　 "Bless you, I'm not doubting THAT."
　　 Then they took up the gold-sack mystery again, with strong interest. Soon the conversation began to suffer breaks--interruptions caused by absorbed thinkings. The breaks grew more and more frequent. At last Richards lost himself wholly in thought. He sat long, gazing vacantly at the floor, and by-and-by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. Meantime his wife too had relapsed into a thoughtful silence, and her movements were beginning to show a troubled discomfort. Finally Richards got up and strode aimlessly about the room, ploughing his hands through his hair, much as a somnambulist might do who was having a bad dream. Then he seemed to arrive at a definite purpose; and without a word he put on his hat and passed quickly out of the house. His wife sat brooding, with a drawn face, and did not seem to be aware that she was alone. Now and then she murmured, "Lead us not into t . . . but--but--we are so poor, so poor! . . . Lead us not into . . . Ah, who would be hurt by it?--and no one would ever know . . . Lead us . . . " The voice died out in mumblings. After a little she glanced up and muttered in a half-frightened, half-glad way -
　　 "He is gone! But, oh dear, he may be too late--too late . . . Maybe not--maybe there is still time." She rose and stood thinking, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands. A slight shudder shook her frame, and she said, out of a dry throat, "God forgive me--it's awful to think such things--but . . . Lord, how we are made--how strangely we are made!"
　　 She turned the light low, and slipped stealthily over and knelt down by the sack and felt of its ridgy sides with her hands, and fondled them lovingly; and there was a gloating light in her poor old eyes. She fell into fits of absence; and came half out of them at times to mutter "If we had only waited!--oh, if we had only waited a little, and not been in such a hurry!"
　　 Meantime Cox had gone home from his office and told his wife all about the strange thing that had happened, and they had talked it over eagerly, and guessed that the late Goodson was the only man in the town who could have helped a suffering stranger with so noble a sum as twenty dollars. Then there was a pause, and the two became thoughtful and silent. And by-and-by nervous and fidgety. At last the wife said, as if to herself,
　　 "Nobody knows this secret but the Richardses . . . and us . . . nobody."
　　 The husband came out of his thinkings with a slight start, and gazed wistfully at his wife, whose face was become very pale; then he hesitatingly rose, and glanced furtively at his hat, then at his wife--a sort of mute inquiry. Mrs. Cox swallowed once or twice, with her hand at her throat, then in place of speech she nodded her head. In a moment she was alone, and mumbling to herself.
　　 And now Richards and Cox were hurrying through the deserted streets, from opposite directions. They met, panting, at the foot of the printing-office stairs; by the night-light there they read each other's face. Cox whispered:
　　 "Nobody knows about this but us?"
　　 The whispered answer was:
　　 "Not a soul--on honour, not a soul!"
　　 "If it isn't too late to--"
　　 The men were starting up-stairs; at this moment they were overtaken by a boy, and Cox asked,
　　 "Is that you, Johnny?"
　　 "Yes, sir."
　　 "You needn't ship the early mail--nor ANY mail; wait till I tell you."
　　 "It's already gone, sir."
　　 "GONE?" It had the sound of an unspeakable disappointment in it.
　　 "Yes, sir. Time-table for Brixton and all the towns beyond changed to-day, sir--had to get the papers in twenty minutes earlier than common. I had to rush; if I had been two minutes later--"
　　 The men turned and walked slowly away, not waiting to hear the rest. Neither of them spoke during ten minutes; then Cox said, in a vexed tone,
　　 "What possessed you to be in such a hurry, I can't make out."
　　 The answer was humble enough:

　　“ ō， wǒ zhī dào， wǒ zhī dào héng héng méi wán méi liǎo de jiào yù、 jiào yù、 jiào yù， jiào rén yào chéng shí héng héng cóng yáo lán lǐ jiù kāi shǐ jiào， ná chéng shí dāng dǎng jiàn pái， dǐ zhì yī qiē， suǒ yǐ zhè chéng shí quán shì jiǎ de， yī lái， jiù quándōu pào tānɡ liǎo， jīn tiān wǎn shàng zán men kě dū kàn jiàn liǎo。 lǎo tiān zài shàng， wǒ duì zì jǐ zhè zhǒng jiāng chéng liǎo shí tóu、 xiǎng dǎ dū dǎ bù làn de chéng shí cóng lái méi yòu yī sī yī háo de huái yí， zhí dào jīn tiān héng héng jīn tiān， dì yī cì zhēn zhèng de dà yī lái， wǒ jiù héng héng 'ài dé huá， wǒ xiāng xìn quán zhèn zǐ de chéng shí dū biàn wèi liǎo， jiù xiàng wǒ yī yàng； yě xiàng nǐ yī yàng， dū biàn wèi liǎo。 zhè gè zhèn zǐ bēi bǐ， lěng kù、 lìn sè， chú liǎo chuī niú、 bǎi jià zǐ de chéng shí， zhè gè zhèn zǐ lián yī diǎn 'ér dé xíng dōuméi yòu liǎo； wǒ gǎn fā shì， wǒ què shí xiāng xìn， yòu cháo yī rì zhè fèn chéng shí zài yào mìng de jiǎo dǐ xià zāi liǎo gēn tóu， tā de dǐng dǐng dà míng huì xiàng zhǐ hú de fáng zǐ yī yàng biàn chéng suì piàn。 hǎo， zhè yī huí wǒ kě shì chè dǐ tǎn bái liǎo， xīn lǐ yě hǎo shòu liǎo。 wǒ shì gè piàn zǐ， huó liǎo yī bèi zǐ， piàn liǎo yī bèi zǐ， zì jǐ hái bù zhī dào。 yǐ hòu shuí yě bié zài shuō wǒ chéng shí héng héng wǒ kě shòu bù liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ héng héng 'āi， mǎ lì， wǒ xīn lǐ xiǎng de hé nǐ yī mó yī yàng， wǒ zhēn shì zhè me xiǎng de。 zhè hǎo xiàng yòu diǎn guài， tài guài liǎo。 guò qù wǒ cóng lái bù gǎn xiāng xìn huì shì zhè yàng héng héng cóng lái bù xìn。”
　　 suí hòu shì yī zhèn cháng shí jiān de chén mò； fū qī liǎ dū xiàn rù liǎo chén sī。 zuì hòu qī zǐ tái qǐ tóu lái shuō：
　　“ wǒ zhī dào nǐ zài xiǎng shénme， ài dé huá。”
　　 lǐ chá cí yī liǎn bèi rén zhuā zhù liǎo bǎ bǐng de jiǒng tài。
　　“ rú shí shuō chū lái zhēn méi liǎn jiàn rén， mǎ lì， kě shì héng héng”
　　“ méi shì， ài dé huá， wǒ xiàn zài gēn nǐ xiǎng dào yī qǐ qù liǎo。”
　　“ wǒ zhēn pàn zhe néng xiǎng dào yī qǐ qù。 nǐ shuō bā。”
　　“ nǐ xiǎng de shì， rú guǒ yòu rén cāi dé chū gǔ dé sēn duì nà gè wài xiāng rén shuō guò shénme huà jiù hǎo liǎo。”
　　“ yī diǎn méi cuò。 wǒ jué dé zhè shì zuì guò， méi liǎn jiàn rén。 nǐ ní？”
　　“ wǒ shì guò lái rén liǎo。 zán men zài zhè 'ér dā gè chuáng bā； zán men dé hǎohǎo shǒu zhe， shǒu dào míng tiān zǎo shàng yínháng jīn kù kāi mén， shōu liǎo zhè zhǐ kǒu dài…… tiān nǎ， tiān nǎ héng héng zán men yào shì méi zǒu cuò nà bù qí， gāi yòu duō hǎo！”
　　 dā hǎo liǎo chuáng， mǎ lì shuō：
　　“ zhī má kāi mén héng héng nà jù huà dào dǐ shì zěn me shuō de？ wǒ zhēn xiǎng zhī dào nà jù huà shì zěn me shuō de？ hǎo bā， lái； zán men gāi shàng chuáng liǎo。”
　　“ shuì jué？”
　　“ bù； xiǎng。”
　　“ hǎo bā， xiǎng。”
　　 zhè shí hòu， kǎo kè sī fū fù yě dǎ wán liǎo zuǐ zhàng， yán guī yú hǎo， tā men shàng liǎo chuáng héng héng xiǎng lái xiǎng qù， niǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè， fán zào bù 'ān， sīliáng gǔ dé sēn jiū jìng duì nà gè zǒu tóu wú lù de liú làng hàn shuō liǎo yī jù shénme huà； nà zhēn shì jīn kǒu yù yán nǎ， yī jù huà jiù zhí sì wàn kuài， hái shì xiàn kuǎn。
　　 zhèn zǐ shàng de diàn bào suǒ nà tiān wǎn shàng guān mén bǐ píng rì wǎn， yuán yīn rú xià： kǎo kè sī bào guǎn lǐ de biān ji zhù rèn shì měi lián shè de dì fāng tōng xùn yuán。 tā zhè gè tōng xùn yuán jiǎn zhí shì guà míng de， yīn wéi tā yī nián fā de gǎo zǐ bèi shè lǐ cǎi yòng chāo bù guò sì cì， duō bù guò sān shí gè zì。 kě zhè yī cì bù tóng。 tā bǎ bǔ zhuō dào de xiàn suǒ diàn gào zhī hòu， mǎ shàng jiù jiē dào liǎo huí diàn：
　　 jiāng yuán wěi bào lái héng héng diǎn dī wù lòu héng héng yī qiān 'èr bǎi zì。
　　 yuē de shì yī piān dà gǎo zǐ yā！ biān ji zhù rèn rú yuē jiāo liǎo gǎo； yú shì， tā chéng liǎo quán měi guó zuì fēng guāng de rén。 dì 'èr tiān chī zǎo fàn de shí hòu， suǒ yòu de měi guó réndōu zài niàn dāo“ jù fǔ shí de hǎdé lāi bǎo”， cóng méng tè lì 'ěr dào mò xī gē wān， cóng 'ā lā sī jiā de bīng tiān xuě dì dào fó luó lǐ dá de gān jié yuán； qiān bǎi wàn réndōu zài tán lùn nà gè wài xiāng rén hé tā de qián dài zǐ， dū cāo xīn néng bù néng zhǎo dào nà wèi yìng dé zhè bǐ qián de rén， dū pàn zhe kuài kuài kàn dào zhè jiàn shì de hòu xù bào dào héng héng yuè kuài yuè hǎo。
　　2
　　 hǎdé lāi bǎo zhèn de rén men yī jué xǐng lái yǐ jīng míng yáng tiān xià， tā men xiān shì dà chī yī jīng， jì 'ér huān xīn gǔ wǔ， jì 'ér dé yì yáng yáng。 dé yì zhī qíng nán yǐ yán biǎo。 zhèn shàng shí jiǔ wèi yào rén jí qí fū rén men bēn zǒu xiāng gào， wò shǒu yán huān， bǐ cǐ dào hè， dà jiādōu shuō zhè jiàn shì gěi cí diǎn lǐ tiān liǎo yī gè xīn cí héng héng hǎdé lāi bǎo： yì tóng“ jù fǔ shí” héng héng zhè gè cí zhù dìng yào zài gè dà cí diǎn lǐ wàn gǔ liú fāng lā！ cì yào 'ér wú zú qīng zhòng de gōng mín jí qí lǎo pó men yě dào chù luàn páo， jǔ dòng yě dà tóng xiǎo yì。 rén réndōu páo dào yínháng qù kàn nà zhǐ zhuāng zhe jīn zǐ de kǒu dài； hái bù dào zhèng wǔ shí fēn， jiù yǐ jīng yòu yù yù guǎ huān、 xīn huái jí dù de rén chéng qún jié duì dì cóng bù lǐ kè sī dùn hé lín jìn gè zhèn fēng yōng 'ér zhì。 dāng tiān xià wǔ hé dì 'èr tiān， jì zhě men yě cóng sì miàn bā fāng fēn fēn gǎn lái， yàn míng zhè zhǐ qián dài de zhèng shēn jí qí lái lóng qù mài， bǎ zhěng gè gù shì chóngxīn bāo zhuāng， duì qián dài zuò liǎo jí xīng de miáo mó xuàn rǎn， lǐ chá cí de jiā， yínháng， zhǎnglǎo huì jiào táng， jìn lǐ huì jiào táng， gōng gòng guǎng chǎng， yǐ jí jiāng yào yòng lái hé shí shēn fèn、 yí jiāo qián cái de zhèn gōng suǒ， yě méi yòu táo guò jì zhě men de shēng huā miào bǐ； cǐ wài hái gěi jǐ gè rén wù huà liǎo jǐ fú guài mó guài yàng de xiào xiàng， yòu lǐ chá cí fū fù， yínháng jiā píng kè dùn， yòu kǎo kè sī， yòu bào guǎn de biān ji zhù rèn， hái yòu bó jié sī mù shī hé yóu diàn suǒ suǒ cháng héng héng shèn zhì hái yòu jié kè · hā lǐ dài。 hā lǐ dài yóu shǒu hǎo xián， pí qì bù cuò， shì gè zài zhèn zǐ lǐ pái bù shàng hào de cū rén， sān tiān dǎ yú， liǎng tiān shài wǎng， tā shì hái zǐ wáng， yě shì sāngjiā quǎn men de péng yǒu， shì zhèn zǐ shàng diǎn xíng de“ sà mǔ · láo sēn” ①。 qí mào bù yáng de xiǎo gè zǐ píng kè dùn pí xiào ròu bù xiào、 yóu qiāng huá diào dì xiàng suǒ yòu lái bīn zhǎn shì qián dài zǐ， tā lè diān diān dì guà zhe yī duì xì pí nèn ròu de bā zhǎng， xuàn rǎn zhè gè zhèn zǐ yuán yuǎn liú cháng de chéng shí měi míng yǐ jí zhè cì wú yǔ lún bǐ de lì zhèng， tā xī wàng bìng qiě xiāng xìn zhè gè fàn lì jiāng chuán bō kāi qù， chuán biàn měi zhōu， zài zhòng zhèn shì dào rén xīn fāng miàn qǐ dào huàshídài de zuò yòng。 rú cǐ děng děng。
　　--
　　① sà mǔ · láo sēn shì yǐ chuàng zuò《 tānɡ mǔ shū shū de xiǎo wū》（ UncleTom'sCabin） zhī míng de měi guó zuò jiā sī tuó fū rén（ HdrrietBeecherStowe） bǐ xià de yī gè rén wù， tā shì yī gè zhī zú cháng lè、 zuǐ bù ráo rén de lǎn hàn。
　　--
　　 yī gè xīng qī guò hòu， yī qiē yòu píng jìng xià lái； rú chī rú kuáng de zì háo hé xǐ yuè yǐ jīng jiàn jiàn huà zuò qīng róu、 tián mì hé wú yán de xīn wèi héng héng shì nà zhǒng shēn chén juàn yǒng， shuō bù qīng、 dào bù míng de xīn mǎn yì zú。 rén rén liǎn shàng dū liú lù zhe píng hé 'ér shèng jié de xìng fú biǎo qíng。
　　 zhè shí fā shēng liǎo yī zhǒng biàn huà。 zhè shì yī zhǒng jiàn jìn de biàn huà： yīn wéi biàn dé fēi cháng màn， suǒ yǐ kāi shǐ shí hěn nán chá jué； yě xǔ dà jiā gēn běn jiù méi yòu chá jué， zhǐ yòu zài shénme shì qíng lǐ dōunéng kàn chū mén dào lái de jié kè · hā lǐ dài shì gè lì wài。 wú lùn shénme shì qíng， hā lǐ dài zǒng néng ná lái kāi wán xiào。 tā fā xiàn yòu xiē rén kàn qǐ lái bù xiàng yī liǎng tiān yǐ qián nà me gāo xīng， jiù kāi shǐ shuō fēng liáng huà； jiē zhe， tā shuō zhè zhǒng xīn de xiàn xiàng zhèng zài xiàng mèn mèn bù lè de fāng xiàng shēn huà； hòu lái tā yòu shuō rén jiā mǎn liǎn dōushì huì qì； zuì hòu， tā shuō rén réndōu biàn dé nù qì chōng chōng， mǎn dù zǐ xīn sī， xīn bù zài yān liǎo， jiù suàn tā bǎ shǒu yī zhí shēn dào zhèn zǐ shàng zuì lìn sè de rén kù dài shēn chù kōu yī fēn qián， yě bù huì ràng tā qīng xǐng guò lái。
　　 zài zhè gè jiē duàn héng héng yě xǔ dà yuē zài zhè gè jiē duàn héng héng nà shí jiǔ hù yào rén de yī jiā zhī cháng zài lín shuì qián chàbù duō dōuyào shuō yī jù zhè yàng de huà héng héng tōng cháng shì xiān tàn yī kǒu qì， rán hòu cái shuō：
　　“ āi， nà gè gǔ dé sēn dào dǐ shuō guò yī jù shénme huà ní？”
　　 nán rén de qī zǐ jǐn jiē zhe héng héng yòng fā chàn de shēng yīn shuō：
　　“ hāi， bié shuō liǎo！ nǐ xīn lǐ zhuǎn shénme niàn tóu ní？ guài xià rén de。 kàn zài zhù de fèn 'ér shàng， kuài bié xiǎng liǎo！”
　　 kě shì， dào dì 'èr tiān wǎn shàng， zhè xiē nán rén yòu bǎ zhè gè wèn tí bān liǎo chū lái héng héng zhào yàng shòu dào hē chì。 bù guò hē chì de shēng yīn xiǎo liǎo yī diǎn。
　　 dì sān tiān wǎn shàng， nán rén men zài niàn dāo zhè gè wèn tí de shí hòu héng héng shēng yīn lǐ tòu zhe kǔ mèn hé máng rán。 zhè yī cì héng héng hái yòu cì rì wǎn shàng héng héng qī zǐ men lüè wēi yòu diǎn xīn fán yì luàn， tā mendōu yòu huà yào shuō。 kě shì tā mendōu méi yòu shuō chū kǒu lái。
　　 jiē xià lái de nà gè wǎn shàng， tā men zhōng yú kāi liǎo kǒu， rèqiè dì yìnghè zhe：
　　“ āi， zán men yào shì néng cāi chū lái duō hǎo 'ā！”
　　 yī tiān tiān guò qù， hā lǐ dài de píng lùn yuè lái yuè sì wú jì dá， yuè lái yuè tǎo rén xián， yuè lái yuè yīn sǔn liǎo。 tā bù cí xīn láo dì dào chù luàn páo； qǔ xiào zhèn zǐ shàng de rén， yòu shí hòu shì yī gè gè dì wā kǔ， yòu shí hòu yòu fàng zài yī qǐ cháo xiào。 bù guò， quán zhèn zǐ lǐ yě zhǐ yòu tā hái néng xiàode chū lái： zhè xiào shēng suǒ dào zhī chù， jìn shì kōng kuàng 'ér qī liáng de huāng mò。 nǎ lǐ dū kàn bù dào yī sī xiào róng。 hā lǐ dài káng zhe yī gè sān jiǎo jià dào chù páo， shàng miàn fàng yī gè xuějiā yān hé zǐ， quán dāng zhàoxiàng jī； pèng shàng guò lù de rén jiù jié zhù， bǎ zhè wán yì 'ér duì zhǔn tā men shuō：“ zhǔn bèi！ héng héng xiào yī xiào， nín nǎ。” kě shì， rú cǐ gāo míng de wán xiào yě méi néng gěi nà yī zhāng zhāng yīn chén de liǎn yī gè jīng xǐ， ràng tā men sōng chí yī xià。
　　 sān gè xīng qī jiù zhè yàng guò qù liǎo héng héng hái shèng xià yī gè xīng qī。 nà shì xīng qī liù de wǎn shàng héng héng wǎn fàn yǐ jīng chī guò。 rú jīn de xīng qī liù méi yòu liǎo yǐ wǎng nà zhǒng rè rè nào nào guàng shāng diàn、 kāi wán xiào de chǎng miàn， jiē miàn shàng kōng kōng dàng dàng， rén jì xī shǎo。 lǐ chá cí hé lǎo bàn zài xiǎo kè tīng lǐ dōng yī gè、 xī yī gè dì zuò zhe héng héng chóu méi bù zhǎn， mǎn dù zǐ xīn shì。 zhè zhǒng qíng xíng yǐ jīng chéng liǎo tā men wǎn jiān de xí guàn： cóng qián tā men shǒu liǎo yī bèi zǐ de lǎo xí guàn héng héng kàn shū， biān zhì， suí yì liáo tiān， huò zhě shì lín jū men hù xiāng zǒu dòng， zhè xiē xí guàn yǐ jīng chéng wéi lì shǐ， bèi tā men wàng què hǎo cháng shí jiān liǎo héng héng yě xǔ yǐ jīng yòu liǎng sān gè xīng qī liǎo； xiàn zài méi yòu rén xián tán， méi yòu rén kàn shū， yě méi yòu rén chuàn mén héng héng quán zhèn zǐ shàng de réndōu zuò zài jiā lǐ 'āi shēng tàn qì， chóu méi bù zhǎn dì fā dāi。 dū xiǎng cāi dào nà jù huà。
　　 yóu dì yuán sòng lái liǎo yī fēng xìn。 lǐ chá cí liǎng yǎn wú shén dì sǎo liǎo yī yǎn xìn fēng shàng de zì hé yóu chuō héng héng méi yòu yī yàng miàn shú héng héng tā bǎ xìn diū zài zhuō zǐ shàng， chóngxīn jiē shàng gāng gāng bèi dǎ duàn de sī lù， rěn shòu zhe wú wàng 'ér chén mèn de kǔ nǎo， jì xù cāi dù nà jù jīn kǒu yù yán。 liǎng sān gè xiǎo shí yǐ hòu， tā de qī zǐ jīng pí lì jìn dì zhàn qǐ lái， méi yòu dào wǎn 'ān jiù xiǎng qù shàng chuáng liǎo héng héng rú jīn zhè yǐ jīng sī kōng jiàn guàn héng héng kě shì， tā zǒu dào nà fēng xìn bàng tíng xià liǎo jiǎo bù， méi jīng dǎ cǎi dì kàn liǎo kàn， rán hòu chāi kāi xìn， cóng shàng dào xià sǎo liǎo yī biàn。 lǐ chá cí zhèng dāi zuò zhe， qiáo qǐ de yǐ zǐ bèi dǐng zhe qiáng， xià bā 'é mái zài liǎng tuǐ dāng zhōng； zhè shí hòu tā tīng jiàn liǎo dōng xī dǎo dì de shēng yīn。 yuán lái shì tā qī zǐ。 tā gǎn kuài páo guò qù chān fú， bù liào tā què dà jiào qǐ lái：
　　“ bié guǎn wǒ， wǒ tài gāo xīng liǎo。 nǐ kuài kàn xìn héng héng kàn nǎ！”
　　 tā jiē guò xìn lái jiù kàn。 yī mù shí xíng dì kàn wán， tā de nǎo zǐ jiù xiàng téng yún jià wù yī bān。 nà fēng xìn shì cóng hěn yuǎn de yī gè zhōu jì lái de， xìn lǐ shuō：
　　 wǒ hé nǐ sù bù xiāng shí， bù guò zhè méi yòu guān xì： wǒ xiǎng gào sù nǐ yī jiàn shì qíng。 wǒ gāng cóng mò xī gē huí dào jiā zhōng， jiù tīng dào liǎo nà tiáo xīn wén。 nǐ dāng rán bù zhī dào nà jù huà shì shuí shuō de， kě shì wǒ zhī dào， zài shì de rén dāng zhōng zhǐ yòu wǒ yī gè rén zhī dào。 nà rén shì gǔ dé sēn。 duō nián yǐ qián， wǒ hěn shú xī tā。 jiù zài nà tiān wǎn shàng， wǒ lù guò nǐ men nà gè zhèn zǐ， zuò bàn yè de huǒ chē lí kāi yǐ qián， wǒ yī zhí zài tā nà 'ér zuò kè。 tā zài 'àn chù duì wài xiāng rén shuō nà jù huà de shí hòu， wǒ zài bàng biān tīng jiàn liǎo héng héng nà shì zài hè 'ěr hú tóng。 dāng shí， cóng qù tā jiā de lù shàng， zhí dào hòu lái zài tā jiā chōu yān de shí hòu， tā hé wǒ tán lùn dedōu shì zhè jiàn shì。 tā zài tán huà zhōng tí dào liǎo hěn duō nǐ men zhèn zǐ shàng de rén héng héng duì dà duō shù rén biǎn dé dōuhěn lì hài， zhǐ duì liǎng sān gè rén hái suàn shǒu xià liú qíng； zhè liǎng sān gè rén dāng zhōng jiù yòu nǐ。 wǒ shuō de shì“ shǒu xià liú qíng” héng héng jǐn cǐ 'ér yǐ。 wǒ jì dé dāng shí tā jiǎng dào， shuō shí zài huà， quán zhèn shàng de rén tā méi yòu yī gè xǐ huān de héng héng yī gèdōu méi yòu； bù guò shuō dào nǐ héng héng wǒ xiǎng tā shuō de shì nǐ héng héng zhè yīnggāi bù huì cuò héng héng yòu yī cì bāng guò tā yī gè dà máng， yě xǔ nǐ zì jǐ dōubù zhī dào zhè gè máng bāng dé yòu duō dà， tā shuō tā xī wàng yòu yī bǐ cái chǎn， lín sǐ de shí hòu liú gěi nǐ， zhì yú zhèn shàng de qí tā jū mín， liú gěi tā men de zhǐ yòu zǔ zhòu。 rú cǐ shuō lái， jiǎ rú nà gè máng què shí shì nǐ bāng de， nǐ jiù shì tā de hé fǎ jì chéng rén， jiù yòu quán lì dé dào nà yī dài jīn zǐ。 wǒ zhī dào wǒ kě yǐ xìn lài nǐ de liáng zhī hé chéng shí， yīn wéi měi yī gè hǎdé lāi bǎo zhèn de gōng mín dū jù yòu zhè xiē shì dài xiāng chuán、 cóng wèi yān méi de tiān xìng， suǒ yǐ wǒ xiàn zài jiù bǎ nà jù huà tòu lù gěi nǐ， wǒ fēi cháng fàng xīn： rú guǒ nǐ zì jǐ bù yìng dé zhè bǐ qián， yī dìng huì qù zhǎo dào yìng dé de rén， ràng kě lián de gǔ dé sēn dé yǐ bào dá yīn shòu huì 'ér jiǔ de rén qíng。 nà jù huà shì zhè yàng shuō de：“ nǐ jué bù shì yī gè huài dàn： qù bā， gǎi liǎo jiù hǎo。”
　　 huò huá dé ·L· shǐ dì wén sēn
　　“ ā， ài dé huá， nà qián shì zán men de liǎo。 wǒ zhēn shì tài gāo xīng liǎo， ō， tài gāo xīng liǎo héng héng qīn qīn wǒ， qīn 'ài de， zán men yòu duō shàorì zǐ méi qīn guò liǎo héng héng zán men zhèng yòng dé zhe héng héng zhè bǐ qián héng héng xiàn zài nǐ kě yǐ shuǎi kāi píng kè dùn hé tā de yín xíng liǎo， zài yě bù yòng gěi bié rén dāng nú cái liǎo。 wǒ gāo xīng dé jiǎn zhí yào fēi qǐ lái liǎo。”
　　 fū qī liǎ xiāng hù 'ài fǔ zhe zài cháng kào yǐ shàng dù guò liǎo bàn gè xiǎo shí de kuài lè shí guāng； jiù rì de shí guāng zhòng yòu lái lín héng héng nà zhǒng shí guāng cóng tā men xiāng 'ài jiù kāi shǐ liǎo， zhí dào nà gè wài xiāng rén dài lái zhè bǐ gāi sǐ de qián yǐ hòu cái bèi dǎ duàn。 guò liǎo yī huì 'ér， qī zǐ shuō：
　　“ ā， ài dé huá， dāng chū bāng tā yī gè dà máng zhēn shì nǐ de fú fēn， kě lián de gǔ dé sēn！ guò qù wǒ cóng lái bù xǐ huān tā， xiàn zài wǒ dǎo xǐ huān shàng tā liǎo。 zuò liǎo zhè yàng de shì nǐ dū méi yòu shuō guò， yě bù xiǎn bǎi， zhēn bù cuò， gānde piào liàng。” rán hòu tā yòu zuò liǎo yī diǎn 'ér xiǎo xiǎo de pī píng：“ bù guò nǐ zǒng gāi gào sù wǒ má， ài dé huá， nǐ zǒng gāi gào sù zì jǐ de qī zǐ yā。”
　　“ zhè gè， wǒ héng héng ní héng héng zhè gè， mǎ lì， nǐ qiáo héng héng”
　　“ bié zài zhè gè nà gè de lā， gēn wǒ shuō shuō bā， ài dé huá。 wǒ yī zhí shì 'ài nǐ de， xiàn zài gèng wéi nǐ gǎn dào zì háo。 shuídōu xiāng xìn zhè zhèn zǐ shàng zhǐ yòu yī gè kāng kǎi dà fāng de hǎo rén， yuán lái nǐ yě héng héng 'ài dé huá， nǐ zěn me bù gào sù wǒ？”
　　“ zhè gè héng héng ní héng héng 'ǒu héng héng 'āi， mǎ lì， wǒ bù néng shuō！”
　　“ nǐ bù néng shuō？ zěn me bù néng shuō？”
　　“ nǐ qiáo， tā héng héng zhè gè， tā héng héng tā ràng wǒ bǎo zhèng bù shuō chū qù。”
　　 qī zǐ bǎ tā cóng shàng dào xià kàn liǎo yī biàn， hěn màn hěn màn dì shuō：
　　“ ràng héng héng nǐ héng héng bǎo zhèng？ ài dé huá， nǐ gēn wǒ shuō zhè huà shì shénme yì sī？”
　　“ mǎ lì， nǐ xiǎng wǒ huì sǎ huǎng má？”
　　 tā bù chū shēng dì mèn liǎo yī huì 'ér， rán hòu bǎ zì jǐ de shǒu fàng zài zhàng fū de shǒu xīn lǐ shuō：
　　“ bù shì…… bù shì。 zán men zhè shì bǎ huà chě yuǎn liǎo héng héng shàng dì ráo shù wǒ men bā！ nǐ zhè yī bèi zǐ cóng lái méi yòu sǎ guò huǎng。 kě shì xiàn zài héng héng xiàn zài zán men jiǎo dǐ xià de gēn jī yǎn kàn jiù yào zhàn bù zhù liǎo， zán men jiù héng héng zán men jiù héng héng” tā yī shí xiǎng bù chū cí 'ér lái， hòu lái yòu duàn duàn xù xù dì shuō：“ bié bǎ zán men yǐn dào xié lù shàng qù héng héng wǒ xiǎng nǐ shì gēn rén jiā bǎo zhèng guò， ài dé huá。 nà jiù suàn liǎo bā。 zán men bù shuō zhè jiàn shì liǎo。 hǎo bā héng héng zhè jiàn shì jiù suàn guò qù liǎo； zán men hái shì gāo gāo xīng xīng de， bié zì zhǎo má fán liǎo。”
　　 tīng zhe qī zǐ de huà， ài dé huá yòu diǎn 'ér gēn bù shàng， yīn wéi tā zǒng shì xīn yuán yì mǎ héng héng tā zài shǐ jìn xiǎng dào dǐ gěi gǔ dé sēn bāng guò shénme máng。
　　 fū qī liǎ yī yè dōuméi zěn me hé yǎn， mǎ lì gāo gāo xīng xīng dì máng zhe xiǎng xīn shì； ài dé huá yě máng zhe xiǎng， què bù zěn me gāo xīng。 mǎ lì sīliáng zěn me yòng zhè bǐ qián。 ài dé huá shǐ jìn huí yì zì jǐ duì gǔ dé sēn de 'ēn huì。 gāng kāi shǐ， tā hái yīn wéi duì mǎ lì shuō liǎo jiǎ huà héng héng rú guǒ shuō nà yě suàn jiǎ huà héng héng yòu diǎn 'ér zhuì zhuì bù 'ān。 hòu lái tā jīng guò zài sān sī suǒ héng héng jiù suàn shuō de shì jiǎ huà， nà yòu zěn me yàng ní？ zhè suàn shénme dà bù liǎo de shì má？ zán men bù shì jīng cháng zuò jiǎ má？ jì rán jiǎ de néng zuò， zěn me jiù bù néng shuō ní？ nǐ kàn mǎ lì héng héng kàn tā dū gān liǎo shénme。 tā zhuā jǐn shí jiān zuò lǎo shí shì de shí hòu， tā zuò shí me ní？ tā zhèng zài chī hòu huǐ yào ní， hòu huǐ zì jǐ méi yòu huǐ liǎo nà zhāng zì tiáo， bǎ qián mèi xià lái！ tōu dōng xī néng bǐ shuō jiǎ huà hǎo dào nǎ lǐ qù？
　　 zhè yī diǎn bù zài nà me xiǎn yǎn liǎo héng héng sǎ huǎng de shì tuì jū hòu tái， ér qiě hái liú xià liǎo yī diǎn 'ér liáo yǐ de dōng xī。 lìng yī diǎn què biàn dé tū chū liǎo： tā zhēn bāng guò rén jiā de máng má？ nǐ kàn， shǐ dì wén sēn de xìn lǐ shuō liǎo， yòu gǔ dé sēn zì jǐ wéi zhèng； zài yě méi yòu bǐ zhè gèng hǎo de zhèng míng liǎo héng héng zhè jiǎn zhí shì tā zì jǐ tí jiāo de zhèng shū 'ā。 què dìng wú yí。 yīn cǐ zhè yī diǎn jiù méi wèn tí liǎo héng héng bù， bìng bù shì háo wú wèn tí。 tā tǎn tè bù 'ān dì huí xiǎng qǐ， bāng máng de rén jiū jìng shì lǐ chá cí， hái shì qí tā shénme rén， zhè wèi sù bù xiāng shí de shǐ dì wén sēn xiān shēng bìng méi yòu shí fēn bǎ wò， héng héng 'ér qiě， āi yā， tā hái bǎ zhè jiàn shì quándōu tuō fù gěi lǐ chá cí liǎo！ lǐ chá cí zhǐ néng zì jǐ lái jué dìng zhè bǐ qián yīnggāi guī shuí héng héng jiǎ rú lǐ chá cí bù shì nà gè gāi ná qián de rén， tā yī dìng huì xiōng huái tǎn dàng dì bǎ gāi ná qián de rén zhǎo chū lái， duì cǐ shǐ dì wén sēn xiān shēng háo bù huái yí。 bǎ rén bǎi bù dào zhè zhòngdì bù， duō kě hèn nǎ héng héng 'āi， shǐ dì wén sēn nán dào jiù bù néng bù liú xià zhè gè yí diǎn má！ tā wèishénme yào duō cǐ yī jǔ ní？
　　 zài wǎng shēn chù xiǎng xiǎng。 shì lǐ chá cí、 ér bù shì bié rén de míng zì liú zài liǎo shǐ dì wén sēn de yìn xiàng zhōng， ràng tā jué dé nà gè gāi ná qián de rén jiù shì lǐ chá cí， zhè dào dǐ shì zěn me huí shì ní？ zhè yī diǎn gǎn jué bù cuò。 shì de， zhè yī diǎn gǎn jué hěn hǎo。 shuō zhēn de， tā yuè wǎng xià xiǎng， zhè zhǒng gǎn jué jiù yuè hǎo héng héng zhí dào zhè zhǒng gǎn jué jiàn jiàn chéng wéi shí shí zài zài de zhèng jù。 yú shì lǐ chá cí mǎ shàng bǎ zhè gè wèn tí fàng dào yī bàng， bù qù xiǎng tā， yīn wéi tā yòu yī zhǒng zhí jué： zhèng jù yī dàn chéng lì， zuì hǎo bù yào zài qù jiū chán。
　　 zhè yàng yī lái， tā lǐ suǒ dāng rán dì fàng kuān liǎo xīn， kě shì hái yòu yī jiàn suǒ shì què lǎo lái gān rǎo tā de zhù yì lì： tā dāng rán bāng guò rén jiā de máng héng héng zhè yī diǎn yǐ jīng chéng lì liǎo； kě dào dǐ bāng guò shénme máng ní？ tā bì xū xiǎng chū lái héng héng zhè jiàn shì bù xiǎng chū lái tā jiù bù néng qù shuì jué； zhǐ yòu xiǎng chū lái cái néng ràng tā xīn dì tǎn rán。 yú shì tā xiǎng 'ā xiǎng 'ā。 tā xiǎng dào liǎo shí duō jiàn shì qíng héng héng cóng kě néng bāng guò de máng， zhí dào hěn kě néng bāng guò de máng héng héng kě shì zhè xiē shì qíng hǎo xiàng méi yòu yī jiàn gòu zī gé， méi yòu yī jiàn gòu fènliàng， méi yòu yī jiàn néng zhí nà me duō qián héng héng zhí dé gǔ dé sēn dà hēng pàn zhe néng lì yí zhǔ gěi tā liú xià yī bǐ cái chǎn。 zhè hái bù suàn， tā gēn běn jiù xiǎng bù qǐ zì jǐ céng jīng gān guò zhè xiē shì。 nà me， zhè gè héng héng nà me， zhè gè héng héng jiū jìng yào bāng yī gè shénme yàng de máng， cái néng ràng yī gè rén gǎn jī bù jìn ní？ ō héng héng zhěng jiù tā de líng hún！ yī dìng shì zhè jiàn shì。 duì， tā xiàn zài xiǎng qǐ lái liǎo： dāng chū tā céng jīng zì gào fèn yǒng qù quàn gǔ dé sēn gǎi xié guī zhèng， kǔ kǔ dì quàn liǎo tā zú yòu héng héng tā zhèng xiǎng shuō quàn liǎo tā zú yòu sān gè yuè； kě shì jīng guò shèn zhòng kǎo lǜ， hái shì xuē jiǎn wéi yī gè yuè， rán hòu yòu xuē jiǎn wéi yī gè xīng qī， xuē jiǎn chéng yī tiān， zuì hòu jiǎn dé yī diǎn bù shèng liǎo。 shì 'ā， tā xiàn zài xiǎng qǐ lái liǎo， nà gè chǎng miàn bù dà hǎo shòu， kě shì què lì lì zài mù， gǔ dé sēn dāng shí ràng tā gǔn dàn， shǎo guǎn xián shì héng héng tā kě bù gēn zài hǎdé lāi bǎo de pì gǔ hòu miàn shàng tiān táng！
　　 zhè tiáo lù zǒu bù tōng héng héng tā bìng méi yòu zhěng jiù guò gǔ dé sēn de líng hún。 lǐ chá cí xiè liǎo qì。 shāo tíng， yòu yī gè niàn tóu mào liǎo chū lái： tā wǎn jiù guò gǔ dé sēn de cái chǎn má？ bù xíng， zhè bàn bù dào héng héng tā shì gè qióng guāng dàn。 jiù guò tā de mìng？ duì yā。 zhèng shì。 āi yā， tā zǎo jiù gāi xiǎng dào zhè yī diǎn liǎo。 zhè yī cì tā zǒng suàn zǒu duì liǎo lù， háo wú yí wèn。 qǐng kè zhī jiān， tā de xiǎng xiàng jī qì jiù shǐ jìn zhuǎn liǎo qǐ lái。
　　 zài cǐ hòu de zhěng zhěng liǎng gè xiǎo shí lǐ， tā 'ǒu xīn lì xuè， máng yú zhěng jiù gǔ dé sēn de xìng mìng。 tā cháng shì zhe lì jìn gè zhǒng jiān xiǎn jiù gǔ dé sēn yī mìng。 měi cì jiù mìng xíng dòng dū tuī jìn dào liǎo yī gè gōng dé de dì bù； jiù zài tā kāi shǐ shēn xìn zhèyīháng dòng què yòu qí shì de shí hòu， zǒng huì mào chū yī gè xì jié lái dǎo luàn， bǎ zhěng gè shì qíng dū jiǎo chéng wú jī zhī tán。 jiù ná jiù luò shuǐ de gǔ dé sēn zhè gè lì zǐ lái shuō。 zhè yī cì tā pī bō zhǎn làng xiàng qián chōng， bǎ bùxǐng rén shì de gǔ dé sēn tuō shàng 'àn lái， sì zhōu hái yòu yī dà qún rén wéi guān hècǎi； kě shì， zhèng dāng tā yǐ jīng bǎ zhěng gè guò chéng xiǎng hǎo， kāi shǐ bǎ zhè yī qiē míng jì zài xīn de shí hòu， yī dà duī chāi tái de xì jié què fēn zhì tà lái： zhè zhǒng shì qíng zhèn shàng de rén men zǒng dé zhī dào bā， mǎ lì zǒng dé zhī dào bā； zì jǐ de jì yì lǐ rú guǒ yòu zhè zhǒng shì qíng， yě huì xiàng dǎzháo dēng lóng yī yàng zhào dé qīng qīng chǔ chǔ， zhè yòu bù shì nà zhǒng bù zú guà chǐ de xiǎo shì， zěn me huì zuò wán hái“ bù zhī dào bāng liǎo rén jiā duō dà de máng” ní。 hái yòu， dào liǎo zhè gè dì bù， tā cái xiǎng qǐ lái： zì jǐ hái bù huì fú shuǐ ní。
　　 ā héng héng yòu yī diǎn tā cóng kāi shǐ jiù hū lüè liǎo： zhè jiàn shì bì xū shì tā yǐ jīng bāng liǎo bié rén de máng què“ bù zhī dào zhè máng bāng dé jiū jìng yòu duō dà”。 āi， zhēn shì de， yào zhǎo zhè yàng de shì yīnggāi shì bù fèi chuī huī zhī lì má héng héng bǐ zhǎo qí tā shì qíng róng yì duō liǎo。 guǒ rán rú cǐ， bù jiǔ tā jiù xiǎng chū liǎo yī jiàn。 hǎo duō hǎo duō nián yǐ qián， gǔ dé sēn yǎn kàn jiù yào hé yī gè míng jiào nán qiàn · tǐ wéi tè de fēi cháng piào liàng de tián niū chéng qīn， dàn shì chū yú zhǒng zhǒng yuán yīn， zhè zhuāng hūn shì hòu lái hái shì chuī liǎo； nà gū niàn sǐ liǎo， gǔ dé sēn yǐ rán shì gè dān shēn hàn， ér qiě màn màn biàn chéng liǎo yī gè jiān suān kè bó qiáo shuídōu bù shùn yǎn de jiā huǒ。 nà gū niàn sǐ hòu bù jiǔ， zhèn zǐ shàng de rén jiù fā xiàn， huò shì zì yǐ wéi zǎo jiù zhī dào： tā yòu yī diǎn diǎn hēi rén xuè tǒng。 lǐ chá cí bǎ gè zhǒng xì zhī mò jié xiǎng liǎo bàn tiān， gǎn dào tā zhōng yú xiǎng qǐ liǎo yī xiē yǔ cǐ yòu guān de shì qíng， zhè xiē shì qíng yī dìng shì yīn wéi hǎo duō nián wú xiá gù jí， yǐ jīng cóng jì yì zhōng xiāo shī liǎo。 tā sì hū yǐn yǐn yuē yuē jì dé， dāng chū jiù shì tā zì jǐ fā xiàn gū niàn zhān diǎn 'ér hēi rén xuè tǒng， yě shì tā bǎ zhè gè xiāo xī gào sù liǎo zhèn zǐ shàng de rén， zhèn zǐ shàng de rén yě gào sù liǎo gǔ dé sēn tā men shì cóng nǎ lǐ dé lái de xiāo xī； tā jiù rú cǐ zhè bān dì wǎn jiù liǎo gǔ dé sēn， shǐ tā miǎn yú hé nà gè xuè tǒng bù chún de gū niàn jié hūn。 tā bāng liǎo gǔ dé sēn yī gè dà máng， què“ bù zhī dào zhè gè máng bāng dé yòu duō dà”， shuō shí zài de， tā gēn běn jiù bù zhī dào shì zài bāng rén jiā de máng， kě shì gǔ dé sēn míng bái bāng zhè gè máng de jià zhí， yě míng bái tā shì zěn yàng jiǎo xìng táo tuō de， yú shì cái zài lín sǐ qián duì bāng tā máng de rén qiān 'ēn wàn xiè， bā bù dé néng liú gěi tā yī bǐ cái chǎn。 xiàn zài quándōu nòng qīng chǔ liǎo， shì qíng zài jiǎn dān bù guò， tā yuè xiǎng zhè jiàn shì jiù yuè míng bái、 yuè shí zài； zuì hòu， dāng tā shū shū fú fú dì tǎng xià， xīn mǎn yì zú、 gāo gāo xīng xīng zhǔn bèi shuì jué de shí hòu， zhè jiàn shì zài tā de jì yì zhōng jiù xiàng shì zuó tiān gāng gāng fā shēng de yī yàng。 shuō zhēn de， tā hái néng yǐn yuē jì dé gǔ dé sēn yòu yī cì duì tā biǎo shì guò xiè yì。 jiù zài lǐ chá cí sī kǎo de zhè duàn shí jiān lǐ， mǎ lì yǐ jīng wéi tā zì jǐ huā liǎo liù qiān yuán mǎi xīn fáng zǐ， hái gěi tā de mù shī mǎi liǎo yī shuāng tuō xié， cǐ kè tā 'ān 'ān wěn wěn dì shuì zhe liǎo。
　　 jiù zài zhè gè xīng qī liù de wǎn shàng， yóu dì yuán gěi zhèn zǐ shàng de qí tā gè wèi dà hù fēn bié sòng qù liǎo yī fēng xìn héng héng yī gòng sòng liǎo shí jiǔ fēng。 měi gè xìn fēng dōubù yī yàng， xìn fēng shàng de bǐ jì gè bù xiāng tóng， kě shì lǐ miàn de xìn chú liǎo yī gè dì fāng zhī wài fēn háo bùchà。 měi fēng xìn dū hé lǐ chá cí shōu dào de nà yī fēng rú chū yī zhé héng héng bǐ jì hé qí tā yī qiē héng héng suǒ yòu xìn de luò kuǎn dōushì shǐ dì wén sēn， zhǐ shì zài yòu lǐ chá cí míng zì de dì fāng huàn shàng liǎo qí tā shōu xìn rén de míng zì。
　　 zhěng zhěng yī yè， nà shí bā wèi běn zhèn dà hù zài tóng yàng de shí jiān lǐ zuò liǎo yǔ tā men tóng mìng xiāng lián de lǐ chá cí zuò de tóng yī jiàn shì héng héng tā men jí zhōng jīng lì， xiǎng jì qǐ tā men céng zài wú yì zhōng gěi bā kè lì · gǔ dé sēn bāng guò shénme máng。 wú lùn duì shuí lái shuō， zhè dū bù shì、 zhuāng qīng 'ér yì jǔ de gōng zuò； rán 'ér tā mendōu chéng gōng liǎo。
　　 zài tā men cóng shì zhè xiàng jiān kǔ gōng zuò de tóng shí， tā men de qī zǐ què yòng liǎo yī yè de shí jiān lái qīng qīng sōng sōng dì huā qián。 yī yè zhī jiān， shí jiǔ wèi tài tài píng jūn měi rén bǎ nà zhǐ kǒu dài lǐ de sì wàn kuài qián huā liǎo qī qiān kuài héng héng jiā qǐ lái yī gòng shì shí sān wàn sān qiān kuài qián。
　　 dì 'èr tiān jié kè · hā lǐ dài dà chī yī jīng。 tā kàn chū zhèn shàng de shí jiǔ wèi yào rén jí qí fū rén liǎn shàng chóngxīn chéng xiàn chū 'ān xiáng shèng jié de kuài lè shén qíng。 duì cǐ tā bù guāng nán yǐ lǐ jiě， yě xiǎng bù chū cí lái xiāo chú huò zhě rǎo luàn zhè zhǒng qíng xù。 xiàn zài gāi lún dào tā duì shēng huó gǎn dào bù mǎn liǎo。 tā 'àn zì duì zhè zhǒng kuài lè de qǐ yīn zuò liǎo zhū duō cāi cè， rán 'ér yī jīng tuī qiāo， méi yòu yī tiáo néng zhàn dé zhù jiǎo。 tā pèng jiàn wēi 'ěr kē kè sī tài tài de shí hòu， kàn jiàn tā nà xīn zuì shén mí de yàng zǐ， jiù xiǎng dào：“ tā jiā de māo shēng liǎo xiǎo māo mǐ liǎo” héng héng qù wèn tā jiā de chú zǐ： jiēguǒ bìng wú cǐ shì。 chú zǐ yě fā jué liǎo zhè sì xǐ qì， què bù zhī dào xǐ cóng hé lái。 hā lǐ dài fā xiàn“ lǎo shí rén”（ zhèn shàng rén sòng de wài hào） bǐ 'ěr xùn liǎn shàng yě yòu xīn zuì shén mí de biǎo qíng， jiù duàn dìng bǐ 'ěr xùn de nǎ yī jiā lín jū shuāi duàn liǎo tuǐ， dàn shì diào chá biǎo míng， cǐ shì yě wèi céng fā shēng。 gé lǐ gāo lì · yé cí qiáng rěn zhe dé yì wàng xíng zhǐ kě néng yòu yī zhǒng yuán yīn héng héng tā de zhàng mǔ niàn sǐ liǎo： jiēguǒ yòu cāi cuò liǎo。“ nà me píng kè dùn héng héng píng kè dùn héng héng tā yī dìng shì yào huí lái yī jiǎo qián de lǎo zhàng， zhè bǐ qián tā běn lái yǐ wéi méi yòu pàn tóu liǎo。” rú cǐ děng děng。 yòu de cāi cè zhǐ néng cún yí， yòu xiē zé yè yǐ zhèng míng shì dà cuò tè cuò。 zuì hòu， hā lǐ dài zì yán zì yǔ dì shuō：“ bù guǎn zěn me yàng， yǎn xià hǎdé lāi bǎo yòu shí jiǔ jiā yī bù dēng tiān liǎo。 wǒ hái bù qīng chǔ zhè jiàn shì de qián yīn hòu guǒ， wǒ zhǐ zhī dào shàng dì jīn tiān bù zhí bān。”
　　 yòu yī wèi lín zhōu de shè jì shī jiān jiàn zhù shāng jìn rì lái dào zhè gè qián jǐng 'àn dàn de zhèn zǐ， mào xiǎn bàn liǎo yī jiā xiǎo gōng sī， guà pái yǐ jīng yòu yī gè xīng qī liǎo， hái méi yòu yī gè gù kè shàng mén。 zhè rén chuí tóu sàng qì， hòu huǐ tā bù gāi lái。 shuí liào dào tū rán jiān yún kāi wù sàn。 nà xiē xiǎo zhèn dà hù de tài tài men yī gè jiē yī gè lái zhǎo tā， qiāoqiāo dì shuō：
　　“ xià xīng qī yī dào wǒ men jiā lái héng héng bù guò zhè jiàn shì nǐ xiān bié shēng zhāng。 wǒ men zhèng dǎ suàn gài fáng zǐ nǎ。”

　　"I see it now, but somehow I never thought, you know, until it was too late. But the next time--"
　　 "Next time be hanged! It won't come in a thousand years."
　　 Then the friends separated without a good-night, and dragged themselves home with the gait of mortally stricken men. At their homes their wives sprang up with an eager "Well?"--then saw the answer with their eyes and sank down sorrowing, without waiting for it to come in words. In both houses a discussion followed of a heated sort--a new thing; there had been discussions before, but not heated ones, not ungentle ones. The discussions to-night were a sort of seeming plagiarisms of each other. Mrs. Richards said:
　　 "If you had only waited, Edward--if you had only stopped to think; but no, you must run straight to the printing-office and spread it all over the world."
　　 "It SAID publish it."
　　 "That is nothing; it also said do it privately, if you liked. There, now--is that true, or not?"
　　 "Why, yes--yes, it is true; but when I thought what a stir it would make, and what a compliment it was to Hadleyburg that a stranger should trust it so--"
　　 "Oh, certainly, I know all that; but if you had only stopped to think, you would have seen that you COULDN'T find the right man, because he is in his grave, and hasn't left chick nor child nor relation behind him; and as long as the money went to somebody that awfully needed it, and nobody would be hurt by it, and--and--"
　　 She broke down, crying. Her husband tried to think of some comforting thing to say, and presently came out with this:
　　 "But after all, Mary, it must be for the best--it must be; we know that. And we must remember that it was so ordered--"
　　 "Ordered! Oh, everything's ORDERED, when a person has to find some way out when he has been stupid. Just the same, it was ORDERED that the money should come to us in this special way, and it was you that must take it on yourself to go meddling with the designs of Providence--and who gave you the right? It was wicked, that is what it was--just blasphemous presumption, and no more becoming to a meek and humble professor of--"
　　 "But, Mary, you know how we have been trained all our lives long, like the whole village, till it is absolutely second nature to us to stop not a single moment to think when there's an honest thing to be done--"
　　 "Oh, I know it, I know it--it's been one everlasting training and training and training in honesty--honesty shielded, from the very cradle, against every possible temptation, and so it's ARTIFICIAL honesty, and weak as water when temptation comes, as we have seen this night. God knows I never had shade nor shadow of a doubt of my petrified and indestructible honesty until now--and now, under the very first big and real temptation, I--Edward, it is my belief that this town's honesty is as rotten as mine is; as rotten as yours. It is a mean town, a hard, stingy town, and hasn't a virtue in the world but this honesty it is so celebrated for and so conceited about; and so help me, I do believe that if ever the day comes that its honesty falls under great temptation, its grand reputation will go to ruin like a house of cards. There, now, I've made confession, and I feel better; I am a humbug, and I've been one all my life, without knowing it. Let no man call me honest again--I will not have it."
　　 "I-- Well, Mary, I feel a good deal as you do: I certainly do. It seems strange, too, so strange. I never could have believed it-- never."
　　 A long silence followed; both were sunk in thought. At last the wife looked up and said:
　　 "I know what you are thinking, Edward."
　　 Richards had the embarrassed look of a person who is caught.
　　 "I am ashamed to confess it, Mary, but--"
　　 "It's no matter, Edward, I was thinking the same question myself."
　　 "I hope so. State it."
　　 "You were thinking, if a body could only guess out WHAT THE REMARK WAS that Goodson made to the stranger."
　　 "It's perfectly true. I feel guilty and ashamed. And you?"
　　 "I'm past it. Let us make a pallet here; we've got to stand watch till the bank vault opens in the morning and admits the sack. . . Oh dear, oh dear--if we hadn't made the mistake!"
　　 The pallet was made, and Mary said:
　　 "The open sesame--what could it have been? I do wonder what that remark could have been. But come; we will get to bed now."
　　 "And sleep?"
　　 "No; think."
　　 "Yes; think."
　　 By this time the Coxes too had completed their spat and their reconciliation, and were turning in--to think, to think, and toss, and fret, and worry over what the remark could possibly have been which Goodson made to the stranded derelict; that golden remark; that remark worth forty thousand dollars, cash.
　　 The reason that the village telegraph-office was open later than usual that night was this: The foreman of Cox's paper was the local representative of the Associated Press. One might say its honorary representative, for it wasn't four times a year that he could furnish thirty words that would be accepted. But this time it was different. His despatch stating what he had caught got an instant answer:
　　 "Send the whole thing--all the details--twelve hundred words."
　　 A colossal order! The foreman filled the bill; and he was the proudest man in the State. By breakfast-time the next morning the name of Hadleyburg the Incorruptible was on every lip in America, from Montreal to the Gulf, from the glaciers of Alaska to the orange-groves of Florida; and millions and millions of people were discussing the stranger and his money-sack, and wondering if the right man would be found, and hoping some more news about the matter would come soon--right away.
　　 II
　　 Hadleyburg village woke up world-celebrated--astonished--happy-- vain. Vain beyond imagination. Its nineteen principal citizens and their wives went about shaking hands with each other, and beaming, and smiling, and congratulating, and saying THIS thing adds a new word to the dictionary--HADLEYBURG, synonym for INCORRUPTIBLE-- destined to live in dictionaries for ever! And the minor and unimportant citizens and their wives went around acting in much the same way. Everybody ran to the bank to see the gold-sack; and before noon grieved and envious crowds began to flock in from Brixton and all neighbouring towns; and that afternoon and next day reporters began to arrive from everywhere to verify the sack and its history and write the whole thing up anew, and make dashing free- hand pictures of the sack, and of Richards's house, and the bank, and the Presbyterian church, and the Baptist church, and the public square, and the town-hall where the test would be applied and the money delivered; and damnable portraits of the Richardses, and Pinkerton the banker, and Cox, and the foreman, and Reverend Burgess, and the postmaster--and even of Jack Halliday, who was the loafing, good-natured, no-account, irreverent fisherman, hunter, boys' friend, stray-dogs' friend, typical "Sam Lawson" of the town. The little mean, smirking, oily Pinkerton showed the sack to all comers, and rubbed his sleek palms together pleasantly, and enlarged upon the town's fine old reputation for honesty and upon this wonderful endorsement of it, and hoped and believed that the example would now spread far and wide over the American world, and be epoch- making in the matter of moral regeneration. And so on, and so on.
　　 By the end of a week things had quieted down again; the wild intoxication of pride and joy had sobered to a soft, sweet, silent delight--a sort of deep, nameless, unutterable content. All faces bore a look of peaceful, holy happiness.
　　 Then a change came. It was a gradual change; so gradual that its beginnings were hardly noticed; maybe were not noticed at all, except by Jack Halliday, who always noticed everything; and always made fun of it, too, no matter what it was. He began to throw out chaffing remarks about people not looking quite so happy as they did a day or two ago; and next he claimed that the new aspect was deepening to positive sadness; next, that it was taking on a sick look; and finally he said that everybody was become so moody, thoughtful, and absent-minded that he could rob the meanest man in town of a cent out of the bottom of his breeches pocket and not disturb his reverie.
　　 At this stage--or at about this stage--a saying like this was dropped at bedtime--with a sigh, usually--by the head of each of the nineteen principal households:
　　 "Ah, what COULD have been the remark that Goodson made?"
　　 And straightway--with a shudder--came this, from the man's wife:
　　 "Oh, DON'T! What horrible thing are you mulling in your mind? Put it away from you, for God's sake!"
　　 But that question was wrung from those men again the next night--and got the same retort. But weaker.
　　 And the third night the men uttered the question yet again--with anguish, and absently. This time--and the following night--the wives fidgeted feebly, and tried to say something. But didn't.
　　 And the night after that they found their tongues and responded-- longingly:
　　 "Oh, if we COULD only guess!"
　　 Halliday's comments grew daily more and more sparklingly disagreeable and disparaging. He went diligently about, laughing at the town, individually and in mass. But his laugh was the only one left in the village: it fell upon a hollow and mournful vacancy and emptiness. Not even a smile was findable anywhere. Halliday carried a cigar-box around on a tripod, playing that it was a camera, and halted all passers and aimed the thing and said "Ready! --now look pleasant, please," but not even this capital joke could surprise the dreary faces into any softening.
　　 So three weeks passed--one week was left. It was Saturday evening after supper. Instead of the aforetime Saturday-evening flutter and bustle and shopping and larking, the streets were empty and desolate. Richards and his old wife sat apart in their little parlour--miserable and thinking. This was become their evening habit now: the life-long habit which had preceded it, of reading, knitting, and contented chat, or receiving or paying neighbourly calls, was dead and gone and forgotten, ages ago--two or three weeks ago; nobody talked now, nobody read, nobody visited--the whole village sat at home, sighing, worrying, silent. Trying to guess out that remark.
　　 The postman left a letter. Richards glanced listlessly at the superscription and the post-mark--unfamiliar, both--and tossed the letter on the table and resumed his might-have-beens and his hopeless dull miseries where he had left them off. Two or three hours later his wife got wearily up and was going away to bed without a good-night--custom now--but she stopped near the letter and eyed it awhile with a dead interest, then broke it open, and began to skim it over. Richards, sitting there with his chair tilted back against the wall and his chin between his knees, heard something fall. It was his wife. He sprang to her side, but she cried out:
　　 "Leave me alone, I am too happy. Read the letter--read it!"
　　 He did. He devoured it, his brain reeling. The letter was from a distant State, and it said:
　　 "I am a stranger to you, but no matter: I have something to tell. I have just arrived home from Mexico, and learned about that episode. Of course you do not know who made that remark, but I know, and I am the only person living who does know. It was GOODSON. I knew him well, many years ago. I passed through your village that very night, and was his guest till the midnight train came along. I overheard him make that remark to the stranger in the dark--it was in Hale Alley. He and I talked of it the rest of the way home, and while smoking in his house. He mentioned many of your villagers in the course of his talk--most of them in a very uncomplimentary way, but two or three favourably: among these latter yourself. I say 'favourably'--nothing stronger. I remember his saying he did not actually LIKE any person in the town--not one; but that you--I THINK he said you--am almost sure--had done him a very great service once, possibly without knowing the full value of it, and he wished he had a fortune, he would leave it to you when he died, and a curse apiece for the rest of the citizens. Now, then, if it was you that did him that service, you are his legitimate heir, and entitled to the sack of gold. I know that I can trust to your honour and honesty, for in a citizen of Hadleyburg these virtues are an unfailing inheritance, and so I am going to reveal to you the remark, well satisfied that if you are not the right man you will seek and find the right one and see that poor Goodson's debt of gratitude for the service referred to is paid. This is the remark 'YOU ARE FAR FROM BEING A BAD MAN: GO, AND REFORM.'
　　 "HOWARD L. STEPHENSON."
　　 "Oh, Edward, the money is ours, and I am so grateful, OH, so grateful,--kiss me, dear, it's for ever since we kissed--and we needed it so--the money--and now you are free of Pinkerton and his bank, and nobody's slave any more; it seems to me I could fly for joy."
　　 It was a happy half-hour that the couple spent there on the settee caressing each other; it was the old days come again--days that had begun with their courtship and lasted without a break till the stranger brought the deadly money. By-and-by the wife said:
　　 "Oh, Edward, how lucky it was you did him that grand service, poor Goodson! I never liked him, but I love him now. And it was fine and beautiful of you never to mention it or brag about it." Then, with a touch of reproach, "But you ought to have told ME, Edward, you ought to have told your wife, you know."
　　 "Well, I--er--well, Mary, you see--"
　　 "Now stop hemming and hawing, and tell me about it, Edward. I always loved you, and now I'm proud of you. Everybody believes there was only one good generous soul in this village, and now it turns out that you-- Edward, why don't you tell me?"
　　 "Well--er--er--Why, Mary, I can't!"
　　 "You CAN'T? WHY can't you?"
　　 "You see, he--well, he--he made me promise I wouldn't."
　　 The wife looked him over, and said, very slowly:
　　 "Made--you--promise? Edward, what do you tell me that for?"
　　 "Mary, do you think I would lie?"
　　 She was troubled and silent for a moment, then she laid her hand within his and said:
　　 "No . . . no. We have wandered far enough from our bearings--God spare us that! In all your life you have never uttered a lie. But now--now that the foundations of things seem to be crumbling from under us, we--we--" She lost her voice for a moment, then said, brokenly, "Lead us not into temptation. . . I think you made the promise, Edward. Let it rest so. Let us keep away from that ground. Now--that is all gone by; let us he happy again; it is no time for clouds."
　　 Edward found it something of an effort to comply, for his mind kept wandering--trying to remember what the service was that he had done Goodson.
　　 The couple lay awake the most of the night, Mary happy and busy, Edward busy, but not so happy. Mary was planning what she would do with the money. Edward was trying to recall that service. At first his conscience was sore on account of the lie he had told Mary--if it was a lie. After much reflection--suppose it WAS a lie? What then? Was it such a great matter? Aren't we always ACTING lies? Then why not tell them? Look at Mary--look what she had done. While he was hurrying off on his honest errand, what was she doing? Lamenting because the papers hadn't been destroyed and the money kept. Is theft better than lying?
　　 THAT point lost its sting--the lie dropped into the background and left comfort behind it. The next point came to the front: HAD he rendered that service? Well, here was Goodson's own evidence as reported in Stephenson's letter; there could be no better evidence than that--it was even PROOF that he had rendered it. Of course. So that point was settled. . . No, not quite. He recalled with a wince that this unknown Mr. Stephenson was just a trifle unsure as to whether the performer of it was Richards or some other--and, oh dear, he had put Richards on his honour! He must himself decide whither that money must go--and Mr. Stephenson was not doubting that if he was the wrong man he would go honourably and find the right one. Oh, it was odious to put a man in such a situation--ah, why couldn't Stephenson have left out that doubt? What did he want to intrude that for?
　　 Further reflection. How did it happen that RICHARDS'S name remained in Stephenson's mind as indicating the right man, and not some other man's name? That looked good. Yes, that looked very good. In fact it went on looking better and better, straight along--until by-and- by it grew into positive PROOF. And then Richards put the matter at once out of his mind, for he had a private instinct that a proof once established is better left so.
　　 He was feeling reasonably comfortable now, but there was still one other detail that kept pushing itself on his notice: of course he had done that service--that was settled; but what WAS that service? He must recall it--he would not go to sleep till he had recalled it; it would make his peace of mind perfect. And so he thought and thought. He thought of a dozen things--possible services, even probable services--but none of them seemed adequate, none of them seemed large enough, none of them seemed worth the money--worth the fortune Goodson had wished he could leave in his will. And besides, he couldn't remember having done them, anyway. Now, then--now, then--what KIND of a service would it be that would make a man so inordinately grateful? Ah--the saving of his soul! That must be it. Yes, he could remember, now, how he once set himself the task of converting Goodson, and laboured at it as much as--he was going to say three months; but upon closer examination it shrunk to a month, then to a week, then to a day, then to nothing. Yes, he remembered now, and with unwelcome vividness, that Goodson had told him to go to thunder and mind his own business--HE wasn't hankering to follow Hadleyburg to heaven!
　　 So that solution was a failure--he hadn't saved Goodson's soul. Richards was discouraged. Then after a little came another idea: had he saved Goodson's property? No, that wouldn't do--he hadn't any. His life? That is it! Of course. Why, he might have thought of it before. This time he was on the right track, sure. His imagination-mill was hard at work in a minute, now.
　　 Thereafter, during a stretch of two exhausting hours, he was busy saving Goodson's life. He saved it in all kinds of difficult and perilous ways. In every case he got it saved satisfactorily up to a certain point; then, just as he was beginning to get well persuaded that it had really happened, a troublesome detail would turn up which made the whole thing impossible. As in the matter of drowning, for instance. In that case he had swum out and tugged Goodson ashore in an unconscious state with a great crowd looking on and applauding, but when he had got it all thought out and was just beginning to remember all about it, a whole swarm of disqualifying details arrived on the ground: the town would have known of the circumstance, Mary would have known of it, it would glare like a limelight in his own memory instead of being an inconspicuous service which he had possibly rendered "without knowing its full value." And at this point he remembered that he couldn't swim anyway.