The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22]
imagined that his character had undergone a pretty radical change . but that was because he_did_not know himself .

in several ways his opinions were totally changed, and would never go back to what they were before, but the main structure of_his character was not changed, and could_not_be changed . one_or_two very_important features of it were altered, and in_time effects would result from_this, if opportunity offered--effects of a quite serious nature, too . under the influence of a great mental and moral upheaval, his character and_his habits had taken on_the appearance of complete change, but after a while with_the subsidence of_the storm, both began to settle toward their former places . he dropped gradually back into his old frivolous and easygoing ways and conditions of feeling and manner of speech, and no familiar of_his could_have detected anything in him that differentiated him from_the weak and careless Tom of other days .

the theft raid which he had made upon_the village turned out better than he had ventured to hope . it produced the sum necessary to_pay his gaming debts, and saved him from exposure to_his uncle and another smashing of_the will . he and_his mother learned to like each_other fairly well . she couldn't love him, as_yet, because there " warn't nothing to him," as she expressed it, but her nature needed something or somebody to rule over, and he_was better than nothing . her strong character and aggressive and commanding ways compelled Tom's admiration in_spite of_the fact that he got more illustrations of_them than he_needed for_his comfort . however, as a rule her conversation was_made up of racy tale about_the privacies of_the chief families of_the town ( for she went harvesting among their kitchens every time she came to_the village), and Tom enjoyed this . it_was just in_his line . she always collected her half of_his pension punctually, and he_was always at_the haunted house to_have achat with her on_these occasions . every now_and_then, she paid him a visit there on between-days also .

Occasions he_would run up_to St . Louis for a few weeks, and at last temptation caught him again . he won alot of money, but lost it, and with it a deal more besides, which he promised to raise as_soon_as_possible .

for_this purpose he projected a new raid on_his town . he never meddled with any_other town, for he_was afraid to venture into houses whose ins and outs he_did_not know and_the habits of whose households he_was not acquainted with . he arrived at_the haunted house in disguise on_the Wednesday before_the advent of_the twins-- after writing his aunt Pratt that he_would_not arrive until two days after-- and laying in hiding there with_his mother until toward daylight Friday morning, when he went to_his uncle's house and entered by_the back way with_his own key, and slipped up to_his room where he could_have the use of_the mirror and toilet articles . he had a suit of girl's clothes with_him in a bundle as a disguise for_his raid, and was wearing a suit of_his mother's clothing, with black gloves and veil . by dawn he_was tricked out for_his raid, but he caught a glimpse of Pudd'nhead Wilson through_the window over the way, and knew that Pudd'nhead had caught a glimpse of him . so he entertained Wilson with some airs and graces and attitudes for a while, then stepped out of sight and resumed the other disguise, and by and by went down and out the back way and started downtown to reconnoiter the scene of_his intended labors .

but he_was ill at ease . he had changed back to Roxy's dress, with_the stoop of age added to he disguise, so_that Wilson would_not bother himself about a humble old women leaving a neighbor's house by_the back way in_the early morning, in_case he_was still spying . but supposing Wilson had seen him leave, and had thought it suspicious, and had also followed him ? the thought made Tom cold . he_gave up the raid for_the day, and hurried back to_the haunted house by_the obscurest route he_knew . his mother was gone; but she came back, by and by, with_the news of_the grand reception at Patsy Cooper's, and soon persuaded him that_the opportunity was like a special Providence, it_was so inviting and perfect . so he went raiding, after all, and made a nice success of it while everybody was gone to Patsy Cooper's . success gave him nerve and even actual intrepidity; insomuch, indeed, that after he had conveyed his harvest to_his mother in a back alley, he went to_the reception himself, and added several of_the valuables of_that house to_his takings .

after_this long digression we_have now arrived once more at_the point where Pudd'nhead Wilson, while waiting for_the arrival of_the twins on_that same Friday evening, sat puzzling over the strange apparition of_that morning--a girl in young Tom Driscoll's bedroom; fretting, and guessing, and puzzling over it, and wondering who the shameless creature might_be .

chapter 11

Pudd'nhead's Thrilling discovery

there_are three infallible ways of pleasing an author, and_the three form arising scale of compliment: 1-- to_tell him you_have read one of_his books; 2-- to_tell him you_have read all of_his books; 3-- to ask him to let you read the manuscript of_his forthcoming book . no .1 admits you to_his respect; no .2 admits you to_his admiration; no .3 carries you clear into his heart .

--Pudd'nhead Wilson's calendar

as_to_the adjective: when in doubt, strike it out .

--Pudd'nhead Wilson's calendar

the twins arrived presently, and talk began . it flowed along chattily and sociably, and under its influence the new friendship gathered ease and strength . Wilson got out his calendar, by request, and read a passage or two from_it, which the twins praised quite cordially . this pleased the author so_much that he complied gladly when_the asked him to lend them a batch of_the work to read at home . in_the course of_their wide travels, they had found out that_there_are three sure ways of pleasing an author; they were now working the best of_the three .

there_was an interruption now . young Driscoll appeared, and joined the party . he pretended to_be seeing the distinguished strangers for_the first time when_they rose to shake hands; but this_was only a blind, as he had already had a glimpse of_them, at_the reception, while robbing the house . the twins made mental note that he_was smooth- faced and rather handsome, and smooth and undulatory in_his movements-- graceful, in_fact .Angelo thought he had a good eye; Luigi thought there_was something veiled and sly about_it .Angelo thought he had a pleasant free- and- easy way of talking; Luigi thought it_was more so than was agreeable .Angelo thought he_was asufficiently nice young man; Luigi reserved his decision .Tom's first contribution to_the conversation was a question which he had put to Wilson a hundred times before . it_was always cheerily and good-natured put, and always inflicted a little pang, for_it touched a secret sore; but this_time the pang was sharp, since strangers were present .

" well, how does the law come on ? had a case yet ? "

Wilson bit his lip, but answered, " no-- not yet," with as_much indifference as he_could assume . judge Driscoll had generously left the law feature out of Wilson's biography which he had furnished to_the twins . young Tom laughed pleasantly, and said:

" Wilson's a lawyer, gentlemen, but he doesn't practice now ."

the sarcasm bit, but Wilson kept himself under control, and said without passion:

"I don't practice, it_is true . it_is true that I_have never had a case, and have_had to earn a poor living for twenty years as an expert accountant in a town where I_can't get a hold of a set of books to untangle as often as i_should like . but it_is also true that I_did myself well for_the practice of_the law . by_the_time i_was your age, Tom, I had chosen a profession, and was soon competent to enter upon it ." Tom winced ."I never got a chance to_try my hand at it, and I_may never get a chance; and yet if I ever do get it, I_shall_be found ready, for I_have kept up my law studies all these years ."

" that's it; that's good grit ! I like to_see it .I've a notion to throw all my business your way . my business and your law practice ought to_make a pretty gay team, Dave," and_the young fellow laughed again .

" if_you_will throw--" Wilson had thought of_the girl in Tom's bedroom, and was going to_say, " if_you_will throw the surreptitious and disreputable part of your business my way, it may amount to something," but thought better of it and said,

" however, this_matter doesn't fit well in a general conversation ."

" all right, we'll change the subject; I guess you were about to_give_me another dig, anyway, so I'm willing to_change . how's the awful mystery flourishing these days ? Wilson's got a scheme for driving plain window glass panes out_of_the market by decorating it with greasy finger marks, and getting rich by selling it at famine prices to_the crowned heads over in Europe to outfit their palaces with . fetch it out, Dave ."

Wilson brought three of_his glass strips, and said:

"I get the subject to_pass the fingers of_his right through his hair, so as to_get a little coating of_the natural oil on them, and then press the balls of_them on_the glass .a fine an delicate print of_the lines in_the skin results, and_is permanent, if_it doesn't come in contact with something able to rub it off . you begin, Tom ."

" why, i_think you took my finger marks once_or_twice before ."

" yes, but you were a little boy the last time, only about twelve years old ."

" that's so . of_course, I've changed entirely since then, and variety is what the crowned heads want, I guess ."

he passed his fingers through his crop of short hair, and pressed them one at_a_time on_the glass .Angelo made a print of_his fingers on another glass, and Luigi followed with a third . Wilson marked the glasses with names and dates, and put them away .Tom gave one of_his little laughs, and said:

" i_thought I wouldn't say anything, but if variety is what you_are after, you_have wasted a piece of glass . the hand print of one twin is_the same as_the hand print of_the fellow twin ."

" well, it's done now, and I like to_have them both, anyway," said Wilson, returned to_his place .

" but look here, Dave," said Tom, you used to_tell people's fortunes, too, when_you took their finger marks .Dave's just an all- round genius-- a genius of_the first water, gentlemen; a great scientist running to seed here in_this village, a prophet with_the kind of honor that prophets generally get at home-- for here they don't give shucks for_his scientifics, and_they call his skull a notion factory--hey, Dave, ain't it so ? but never mind, he'll make his mark someday-- finger mark, you_know, he- he ! but really, you_want to let him take a shy at your palms once; it's worth twice the price of admission or your money's returned at_the door . why, he'll read your wrinkles as easy as a book, and not_only tell you fifty or sixty things that's going to happen to_you, but fifty or sixty thousand that ain't . come, Dave, show the gentlemen what an inspired jack- at- all- science we've got in_this town, and don't know it ."

Wilson winced under this nagging and not very courteous chaff, and_the twins suffered with_him and for him . they rightly judged, now, that_the best way was to relieve him would_be to take_the thing in earnest and treat it with respect, ignoring Tom's rather overdone raillery; so Luigi said:

" we_have seen something of palmistry in_our wanderings, and know very_well what astonishing things it can do . if_it isn't a science, and one_of_the greatest of_them too, I don't know what its other name ought_to_be . in_the orient--"

Tom looked surprised and incredulous . he_said:

" that juggling a science ? but really, you ain't serious, are_you ? "

" yes, entirely so .Four years_ago we had our hands read out to_us as_if our plans had_been covered with print ."

" well, do_you_mean to_say there_was actually anything in_it ? " asked Tom, his incredulity beginning to weaken a little .

" there_was this much in_it," said Angelo: " what_was told us of_our characters was minutely exact-- we_could_have not have bettered it ourselves . next, two_or_three memorable things that_have happened to_us were laid bare-- things which no one present but ourselves could_have known about ."

" why, it's rank sorcery ! " exclaimed Tom, who was now becoming very_much interested ." and how did they make out with what_was going to happen to_you in_the_future ? "

" on_the whole, quite fairly," said Luigi ." two_or_three of_the most striking things foretold have happened since; much the most striking one of all happened within that same year . some_of_the minor prophesies have come true; some_of_the minor and some_of_the major ones have_not_been fulfilled yet, and of_course may never be: still, i_should_be more surprised if_they failed to arrive than if_they didn't ."

Tom was entirely sobered, and profoundly impressed . he_said, apologetically:

"Dave, I wasn't meaning to belittle that science; i_was only chaffing-- chattering, I reckon I'd better say . i_wish you_would look at their palms . come, won't you ? "

" why certainly, if_you_want me to; but you_know I've had no chance to_become an expert, and don't claim to_be one . when a past event is somewhat prominently recorded in_the palm, I_can generally detect that, but minor ones often escape me-- not always,

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22]