第 22 节
作者:悟来悟去      更新:2021-02-20 15:46      字数:9322
  Messieurs Gliddon and Buckingham; it addressed them; in very capital
  Egyptian; thus:
  〃I must say; gentlemen; that I am as much surprised as I am mortified at
  your behavior。 Of Doctor Ponnonner nothing better was to be expected。 He
  is a poor little fat fool who knows no better。 I pity and forgive him。 But
  you; Mr。 Gliddon… and you; Silk  who have travelled and resided in Egypt
  until one might imagine you to the manner born  you; I say who have been
  so much among us that you speak Egyptian fully as well; I think; as you
  write your mother tongue  you; whom I have always been led to regard as
  the firm friend of the mummies  I really did anticipate more gentlemanly
  conduct from you。 What am I to think of your standing quietly by and
  seeing me thus unhandsomely used? What am I to suppose by your permitting
  Tom; Dick; and Harry to strip me of my coffins; and my clothes; in this
  wretchedly cold climate? In what light (to come to the point) am I to
  regard your aiding and abetting that miserable little villain; Doctor
  Ponnonner; in pulling me by the nose?〃
  It will be taken for granted; no doubt; that upon hearing this speech
  under the circumstances; we all either made for the door; or fell into
  violent hysterics; or went off in a general swoon。 One of these three
  things was; I say; to be expected。 Indeed each and all of these lines of
  conduct might have been very plausibly pursued。 And; upon my word; I am at
  a loss to know how or why it was that we pursued neither the one nor the
  other。 But; perhaps; the true reason is to be sought in the spirit of the
  age; which proceeds by the rule of contraries altogether; and is now
  usually admitted as the solution of every thing in the way of paradox and
  impossibility。 Or; perhaps; after all; it was only the Mummy's exceedingly
  natural and matter…of…course air that divested his words of the terrible。
  However this may be; the facts are clear; and no member of our party
  betrayed any very particular trepidation; or seemed to consider that any
  thing had gone very especially wrong。
  For my part I was convinced it was all right; and merely stepped aside;
  out of the range of the Egyptian's fist。 Doctor Ponnonner thrust his hands
  into his breeches' pockets; looked hard at the Mummy; and grew excessively
  red in the face。 Mr。 Glidden stroked his whiskers and drew up the collar
  of his shirt。 Mr。 Buckingham hung down his head; and put his right thumb
  into the left corner of his mouth。
  The Egyptian regarded him with a severe countenance for some minutes and
  at length; with a sneer; said:
  〃Why don't you speak; Mr。 Buckingham? Did you hear what I asked you; or
  not? Do take your thumb out of your mouth!〃
  Mr。 Buckingham; hereupon; gave a slight start; took his right thumb out of
  the left corner of his mouth; and; by way of indemnification inserted his
  left thumb in the right corner of the aperture above…mentioned。
  Not being able to get an answer from Mr。 B。; the figure turned peevishly
  to Mr。 Gliddon; and; in a peremptory tone; demanded in general terms what
  we all meant。
  Mr。 Gliddon replied at great length; in phonetics; and but for the
  deficiency of American printing…offices in hieroglyphical type; it would
  afford me much pleasure to record here; in the original; the whole of his
  very excellent speech。
  I may as well take this occasion to remark; that all the subsequent
  conversation in which the Mummy took a part; was carried on in primitive
  Egyptian; through the medium (so far as concerned myself and other
  untravelled members of the company)  through the medium; I say; of
  Messieurs Gliddon and Buckingham; as interpreters。 These gentlemen spoke
  the mother tongue of the Mummy with inimitable fluency and grace; but I
  could not help observing that (owing; no doubt; to the introduction of
  images entirely modern; and; of course; entirely novel to the stranger)
  the two travellers were reduced; occasionally; to the employment of
  sensible forms for the purpose of conveying a particular meaning。 Mr。
  Gliddon; at one period; for example; could not make the Egyptian
  comprehend the term 〃politics;〃 until he sketched upon the wall; with a
  bit of charcoal a little carbuncle…nosed gentleman; out at elbows;
  standing upon a stump; with his left leg drawn back; right arm thrown
  forward; with his fist shut; the eyes rolled up toward Heaven; and the
  mouth open at an angle of ninety degrees。 Just in the same way Mr。
  Buckingham failed to convey the absolutely modern idea 〃wig;〃 until (at
  Doctor Ponnonner's suggestion) he grew very pale in the face; and
  consented to take off his own。
  It will be readily understood that Mr。 Gliddon's discourse turned chiefly
  upon the vast benefits accruing to science from the unrolling and
  disembowelling of mummies; apologizing; upon this score; for any
  disturbance that might have been occasioned him; in particular; the
  individual Mummy called Allamistakeo; and concluding with a mere hint (for
  it could scarcely be considered more) that; as these little matters were
  now explained; it might be as well to proceed with the investigation
  intended。 Here Doctor Ponnonner made ready his instruments。
  In regard to the latter suggestions of the orator; it appears that
  Allamistakeo had certain scruples of conscience; the nature of which I did
  not distinctly learn; but he expressed himself satisfied with the
  apologies tendered; and; getting down from the table; shook hands with the
  company all round。
  When this ceremony was at an end; we immediately busied ourselves in
  repairing the damages which our subject had sustained from the scalpel。 We
  sewed up the wound in his temple; bandaged his foot; and applied a square
  inch of black plaster to the tip of his nose。
  It was now observed that the Count (this was the title; it seems; of
  Allamistakeo) had a slight fit of shivering  no doubt from the cold。 The
  Doctor immediately repaired to his wardrobe; and soon returned with a
  black dress coat; made in Jennings' best manner; a pair of sky…blue plaid
  pantaloons with straps; a pink gingham chemise; a flapped vest of brocade;
  a white sack overcoat; a walking cane with a hook; a hat with no brim;
  patent…leather boots; straw…colored kid gloves; an eye…glass; a pair of
  whiskers; and a waterfall cravat。 Owing to the disparity of size between
  the Count and the doctor (the proportion being as two to one); there was
  some little difficulty in adjusting these habiliments upon the person of
  the Egyptian; but when all was arranged; he might have been said to be
  dressed。 Mr。 Gliddon; therefore; gave him his arm; and led him to a
  comfortable chair by the fire; while the Doctor rang the bell upon the
  spot and ordered a supply of cigars and wine。
  The conversation soon grew animated。 Much curiosity was; of course;
  expressed in regard to the somewhat remarkable fact of Allamistakeo's
  still remaining alive。
  〃I should have thought;〃 observed Mr。 Buckingham; 〃that it is high time
  you were dead。〃
  〃Why;〃 replied the Count; very much astonished; 〃I am little more than
  seven hundred years old! My father lived a thousand; and was by no means
  in his dotage when he died。〃
  Here ensued a brisk series of questions and computations; by means of
  which it became evident that the antiquity of the Mummy had been grossly
  misjudged。 It had been five thousand and fifty years and some months since
  he had been consigned to the catacombs at Eleithias。
  〃But my remark;〃 resumed Mr。 Buckingham; 〃had no reference to your age at
  the period of interment (I am willing to grant; in fact; that you are
  still a young man); and my illusion was to the immensity of time during
  which; by your own showing; you must have been done up in asphaltum。〃
  〃In what?〃 said the Count。
  〃In asphaltum;〃 persisted Mr。 B。
  〃Ah; yes; I have some faint notion of what you mean; it might be made to
  answer; no doubt  but in my time we employed scarcely any thing else
  than the Bichloride of Mercury。〃
  〃But what we are especially at a loss to understand;〃 said Doctor
  Ponnonner; 〃is how it happens that; having been dead and buried in Egypt
  five thousand years ago; you are here to…day all alive and looking so
  delightfully well。〃
  〃Had I been; as you say; dead;〃 replied the Count; 〃it is more than
  probable that dead; I should still be; for I perceive you are yet in the
  infancy of Calvanism; and cannot accomplish with it what was a common
  thing among us in the old days。 But the fact is; I fell into catalepsy;
  and it was considered by my best friends that I was either dead or should
  be; they accordingly embalmed me at once  I presume you are aware of the
  chief principle of the embalming process?〃
  〃Why not altogether。〃
  〃Why; I perceive  a deplorable condition of ignorance! Well I cannot
  enter into details just now: but it is necessary to explain that to embalm
  (properly speaking); in Egypt; was to arrest indefinitely all the animal
  functions subjected to the process。 I use the word 'animal' in its widest
  sense; as including the physical not more than the moral and vital being。
  I repeat that the leading principle of embalmment consisted; with us; in
  the immediately arresting; and holding in perpetual abeyance; all the
  animal functions subjected t