# ■ Chapter 5

Slowly， Old Mrs White went back into the house．Her husband looked up and saw something strange in her face．

What's the matter？'he asked．

Nothing，'his wife answered，and she sat down to finish her breakfast． She began to think about Tom Morris again and suddenly she said to her husband，'Your friend drank a lot of whisky last night！ A monkey's paw！ What a story！'

Mr White did not answer her because just then the post man arrived． He brought two letters for them—but there was no money in them． After breakfast the two old people forgot about the money and the monkey's paw．

Later in the day， at about one o'clock， Mr and Mrs White sat down to eat and then they began to talk about money again． They did not have very much money， so they often needed to talk about it．

That thirty thousand pounds，'Mrs White said， 'we need it！'

But it didn't come this morning，' her husband answered．'Let's forget it！'

Then he said，'But that thing moved． The monkey's paw moved in my hand！ Tom's story was true！'

You drank a lot of whisky last night．Perhaps the paw didn't move，'Mrs White answered．

It moved！'Mr White cried angrily．

At first his wife did not answer，but then she said，'Well， Herbert laughed about it…'

Suddenly she stopped talking． She stood up and went over to the window．

What's the matter？' her husband asked.

There's a man in front of our house，' Mrs White answered．'He's a stranger—very tall—and well－dressed． He's looking at our house…Oh，no…it's OK…He's going away…'

Come and sit down！ Finish eating！'Mr White said．

The old woman did not listen to her husband．'He isn't going away，' she went on．'He's coming back． I don't know him—he's a stranger． Yes， he's very well—dressed…'suddenly Mrs White stopped． She was very excited．'He's coming to the door… Perhaps he's bringing the money！'

And she ran out of the room to open the front door．

The tall， well－dressed stranger stood there． For a minute he said nothing， but then he began，'Good afternoon． I'm looking for Mr and Mrs White．'

Well，I'm Mrs White，' the old woman answered．'What can I do for you？'

At first the stranger did not answer， but then he said，'Mrs White， I'm from Maw and Meggins． Can I come in and talk to you？'

Maw and Meggins had a big factory and Herbert White worked there on the machinery．

Yes，of course，'Mrs White answered．' Please come in．'

The well－dressed stranger came into the little living－room and Mr White stood up．

Are you Mr White？' the stranger began． Then he went on，'I'm from Maw and Meggins．'

Mrs White looked at the stranger and she thought，'Perhaps he has the money… but why Maw and Meggins？And his face is very unhappy… Why？'suddenly the old woman was afraid．

Please sit down，' Mr White began， but now his wife could not wait．

What's the matter？'she cried．'Is Herbert…'she could not finish the question．

The stranger did not look at their faces—and Mr White began to be afraid too．

Please， tell us！' he said．

I'm very sorry，' the man from Maw and Meggins began． He stopped for a minute and then he began again．'I'm very sorry， but this morning there was an accident at the factory…'

What's the matter？ Is Herbert OK？' Mrs White cried a gain．

Well…' the man began slowly．

Is he in hospital？ the old woman asked， very afraid now．

Yes， but…' the stranger looked at Mrs White's face and stopped．

Is he dead？ Is Herbert dead？ Mr White asked quietly．

Dead！' Mrs White cried．'Oh no… please…not dead！ Not Herbert！ Not our son！'

Suddenly the old woman stopped because she saw the stranger's face． Then the two old people knew． Their son was dead！ Old Mrs White began to cry quietly and Mr White put his arm round her．

Some time later the man from Maw and Meggins said， 'It was the machinery—an accident Herbert called， “Help！”． The men heard him—and ran to him quickly，but they could do nothing． The next minute he was in the machinery． I'm very， very sorry，' he finished．

For a minute or two the room was quiet． At last Mrs White said，'Our son！ Dead！ We're never going to see him again．What are we going to do without him？'

Her husband said，'He was our son． We loved him．'

Then Mrs White asked the stranger，'Can we see him？Can we see our son？ Please take me to him． I want to see my son．'

But the stranger answered quickly，'No！' he said．'It's better not to see him． They couldn't stop the machinery quickly． He was in there for a long time． And at first they couldn't get him out．He was… 'the man stopped． Then he said,'Don't go to see him！'

The stranger went over to the window because he did not want to see the faces of the two old people． He said nothing， but he stood there for some time and he waited．

Then he went back to the old people and began to talk again．'There's one more thing，' he said．'Your son worked for Maw and Meggins for six years and he was a good worker． Now Maw and Meggins want to help you at this unhappy time．'Again the stranger stopped．After a minute he began again．'Maw and Meggins want to give you some money．' Then he put something into Mr White's hand．

Old Mr White did not look at the money in his hand． Slowly he stood up and looked at the stranger， afraid．'How much？' Mr White asked， very quietly． He did not want to hear the answer．

Thirty thousand pounds，' the stranger said．

■ 5

慢慢地，年邁的懷特太太又回到了屋裡。她的丈夫打量著她，瞧見她臉上有一種奇怪的表情。

“怎麼啦？”他問。

“沒事兒，”妻子說著就坐下來繼續吃她的早餐。她又開始想湯姆·莫里斯的事。突然，她對丈夫說，“昨天晚上你的朋友喝了太多的威士忌！講了神奇的猴爪！可怕的故事！”

懷特先生沒有回答她，因為這時候郵差到了，郵差為他們帶來了兩封信，但裡面並沒有錢。早餐後，兩位老人已忘記了錢和猴爪的事。

這一天晚些時候，大約1點左右，懷特夫婦坐下來吃東西；又開始了有關錢的談論，他們沒有富足的錢，所以他們常常需要談論錢。

“我們需要 30 000英磅。”懷特太太說。

“可今天上午一分錢也沒得到，”他丈夫說，“還是讓我們忘掉它吧！”

接著，他說，“但那東西確實移動了。猴爪在我的手裡動了！湯姆的故事是真的！”

“你昨晚喝多了。也許猴爪並未移動。”懷特太太回答道。

“它移動了！”懷特先生惱怒地叫了起來。

開始，他妻子沒有理他，好一會兒才說：“赫伯特也嘲笑過這件事。”

突然，她止住話音，站起來向窗戶走去。

“怎麼啦？”她丈夫問。

“我們的房子前面有一個人，是一個高個子穿著講究的陌生人，他朝我們這邊看，呵，不，好了，他已經走了……”懷特太太告訴他丈夫。

“坐下來，吃完你的飯！”懷特先生說。

老婦人並沒有聽丈夫的話。“他沒走，”她繼續說，“他又回來了，我不認識他，他是陌生人。不錯，他穿得很講究……”突然，懷特太太不說話了，她很興奮，“他正朝我們的門口走來……也許他給我們帶來了錢！”

她跑出房間，打開了前門。

穿著講究的高個子陌生人站在那兒。他什麼也沒說。好一會兒，他才開始說話。“下午好，我正要找懷特夫婦。”

“哦，我就是懷特太太，”老婦人答道，“我能為你做些什麼嗎？”

陌生人頓了頓才說，“懷特太太，我從莫和麥金森來，我能進去跟您談談嗎？”

莫和麥金森有一個大工廠，赫伯特·懷特在那兒作機器操作工。

“當然可以，請進吧。”懷特太太答道。

穿著講究的陌生人進了小客廳，懷特先生站了起來。

“你是懷特先生嗎？”陌生人問。他又繼續介紹，“我從莫和麥金森來”。

懷特太太看著陌生人，想道，“也許，他很有錢……但為什麼來自莫和麥金森？從他的臉色看他並不高興……為什麼？”突然，老婦人很害怕。

“請坐。”懷特先生說，但她妻子已經等得不耐煩了。

“出了什麼事？”她叫了起來，“是不是赫伯特……”她幾乎不能把話問完。

陌生人並不瞧他們的臉，懷特先生也開始害怕了。

“請告訴我們！”他說。

從莫和麥金森來的人停了好一會兒才開始說，“對不起，非常對不起，今天早晨，工廠發生了一起事故……。”

“到底出了什麼事，赫伯特還好嗎？”懷特太太又叫了起來。

“是這樣……”陌生人慢慢地說。

“他住院了嗎？”老婦人問，現在她非常害怕。

“但是……”陌生人看了一眼懷特太太的臉又停了下來。

“他死了嗎？赫伯特死啦？”懷特先生平靜地問。

“死啦，”懷特太太哭叫著。“不，請不要這樣說……，不，赫伯特不會死，我們的兒子不會死！”

突然，老婦人不喊了，因為她看見了陌生人的表情。兩個老人明白，他們的兒子已經死了！老懷特太太嗚咽著，懷特先生傷心地摟著她。

過了一會兒，從莫和麥金森來的男人說，“那是一起機器事故，聽到赫伯特喊救命，工友們跑過去，可一點辦法也沒有。只能眼睜睜地看著赫伯特在機器裡。對不起，非常對不起。”他結束一了講話。

剎那間，屋子裡非常安靜。最後，懷特太太說，“我們的兒子，死了，我們再也不能見到他了，沒有他，我們以後的日子怎麼過？”

他丈夫說，“他是我們的兒子，我們愛他。”

接著，懷特太太問陌生人，“我們能看看他嗎？我們能不能看看我們的兒子？請帶我去，我想去看看我的兒子。”

但陌生人很快答道，“不行，最好不要去看他，他們不能快速把機器停下來，赫伯特在裡面呆了很長時間，並且開始的時候弄不出來，他……”陌生人停了下來，接著他說，“還是別去看他吧！”

陌生人走到窗戶邊，因為他不想看到兩位老人的痛苦的表情，他什麼也沒說，站在那兒等了好長時間。

然而，他又回過身來開始和兩位老人談話。“但是，你們的兒子是一個好工人，他為莫和麥金森工作了6年。現在，莫和麥金森要在這個不幸的時候幫助你們。”陌生人又停了下來，過了一會兒又說，“莫和麥金森想給你們一些錢。”說完，他把一些東西交到懷特先生手上。

老懷特先生沒有看手裡的錢，他慢慢地站起來，害怕地看著陌生人，“多少錢？”懷特先生非常平靜地問。其實他並不想聽到答案。

“30 000英鎊。”陌生人說。