他把墙缝和墙角掏了一遍，找到一些瓶塞和烟蒂。对这些东西他不屑一顾。但有一次他在一折地毡里发现一支抽了半截的雪茄，铁青着脸使劲咒了一声，用脚后跟把它踩得稀烂。他把整个房间从一端到另一端筛了一遍，发现许许多多游客留下的无聊、可耻的记载。但是，有关可能曾住过这儿的、其幽灵好像仍然徘徊在这里的、他正在寻求的她，他却丝毫痕迹也未发现。
And then he thought of the housekeeper.
这时他记起了女房东。
He ran from the haunted room downstairs and to a door that showed a crack of light. She came out to his knock. He smotheredsmother v.窒息 his excitement as best he could.
他从幽灵萦绕的房间跑下楼，来到透出一缝光线的门前。她应声开门出来。他竭尽全力，克制住激动之情。
“Will you tell me， madam，” he besought her， “who occupied the room I have before I came？”
“请告诉我，夫人，”他哀求道，“我来之前谁住过那个房间？”
“Yes， sir. I can tell you again. Twas Sprowls and Mooney， as I said. Miss Bretta Sprowls it was in the theatres， but Missis Mooney she was. My house is well known for respectabilityrespectability n.可尊敬之人或物， 值得尊敬之性质或状态. The marriage certificate hung， framed， on a nail over—”
“好的，先生。我可以再说一遍。以前住的是斯普罗尔斯和穆尼夫妇，我已经说过。布雷塔·斯普罗尔斯小姐，演戏的，后来成了穆尼夫人。我的房子从来声誉就好。他们的结婚证都是挂起的，还镶了框，挂在钉子上——”
“What kind of a lady was Miss Sprowls—in looks， I mean？”
“斯普罗尔斯小姐是哪种女人——我是说，她长相如何？”
“Why， blackhaired， sir， short， and stout， with a comicalcomical adj.好笑的， 滑稽的 face. They left a week ago Tuesday.”
“喔，先生，黑头发，矮小，肥胖，脸蛋儿笑嘻嘻的。他们一个星期前搬走，上星期二。”
“And before they occupied it？”
“在他们以前谁住过？”
“Why， there was a single gentleman connected with the draying business. He left owing me a week. Before him was Missis Crowder and her two children， that stayed four months； and back of them was old Mr. Doyle， whose sons paid for him. He kept the room six months. That goes back a year， sir， and further I do not remember.”
“嗨，有个单身男人，搞运输的。他还欠我一个星期的房租没付就走了。在他以前是克劳德夫人和她两个孩子，住了四个月；再以前是多伊尔老先生，房租是他儿子付的。他住了六个月。都是一年以前的事了，再往以前我就记不得了。”
He thanked her and crept back to his room. The room was dead. The essence that had vivified it was gone. The perfume of mignonette had departed. In its place was the old， stale odour of mouldymouldy adj.发霉的， 腐朽的， 旧式的 house furniture， of atmosphere in storage.
他谢了她，慢腾腾地爬回房间。房间死气沉沉。曾为它注入生机的香气已经消失，木樨花香已经离去，代之而来的是发霉家具老朽、陈腐、凝滞的臭气。
The ebbing of his hope drained his faith. He sat staring at the yellow， singing gaslightgaslight n.煤气灯光， 煤气灯. Soon he walked to the bed and began to tear the sheets into strips. With the blade of his knife he drove them tightly into every crevice around windows and door. When all was snug and taut he turned out the light， turned the gas full on again and laid himself gratefully upon the bed.
希望破灭，他顿觉信心殆尽。他坐在那儿，呆呆地看着咝咝作响的煤气灯的黄光。稍许，他走到床边，把床单撕成长条，然后用刀刃把布条塞进门窗周围的每一条缝隙。一切收拾得严实紧扎以后，他关掉煤气灯，却又把煤气开足，最后感激不尽地躺在床上。
It was Mrs. McCools night to go with the can for beer. So she fetched it and sat with Mrs. Purdy in one of those subterraneansubterranean adj.地下的 retreats where housekeepers foregatherforegather v.偶然碰见， 相遇 and the worm death seldom.
按照惯例，今晚轮到麦克库尔夫人拿罐子去打啤酒。她取酒回来，和珀迪夫人在一个地下幽会场所坐了下来。这是房东们聚会、蛆虫猖獗的地方。
“I rented out my third floor， back， this evening.” said Mrs. Purdy， across a fine circle of foam. “A young man took it. He went up to bed two hours ago.”
“今晚我把三楼后间租了出去，”珀迪夫人说，杯中的酒泡圆圆的。“房客是个年轻人。两个钟头以前他就上床了。”
“Now， did ye， Mrs. Purdy， maam？” said Mrs. McCool， with intense admiration. “You do be a wonder for rentin rooms of that kind. And did ye tell him， then？” she concluded in a husky whisper， laden withladen with 载满， 充满烦恼 mystery.
“嗬，真有你的，珀迪夫人，”麦克库尔夫人说，羡慕不已。“那种房子你都租得出去，可真是奇迹。那你给他说那件事没有呢？”她说这话时悄声细语，嘎声哑气，充满神秘。
“Rooms，” said Mrs. Purdy， in her furriest tones， “are furnished for to rent. I did not tell him， Mrs. McCool.”
“房间里安起家具嘛，”珀迪夫人用她最令人毛骨悚然的声音说，“就是为了租出去。我没给他说那事儿，麦克库尔夫人。”
“Tis right ye are， maam； tis by renting rooms we kape alive. Ye have the rale sense for business， maam. There be many people will rayjict the rentin of a room if they be tould a suicidesuicide n.自杀， 自毁， 给自己带来伤害或损失的行为 has been after dyin in the bed of it.”
“可不是嘛，我们就是靠出租房子过活。你的生意经没错，夫人。如果知道这个房间里有人自杀，死在床上，谁还来租这个房间呢。”
“As you say， we has our living to be making.” remarked Mrs. Purdy.
“当然嘛，我们总得活下去啊。”珀迪夫人说。
“Yis， maam； tis true. Tis just one wake ago this day I helped ye lay out the third floor， back. A pretty slip of a colleen she was to be killin herself wid the gas—a swate little face she had， Mrs. Purdy， maam.”
“对，夫人，这话不假。一个星期前我才帮你把三楼后间收拾规矩。那姑娘用煤气就把自己给弄死了——她那小脸蛋儿多甜啊，珀迪夫人。”
“Shed a—been called handsome， as you say，” said Mrs. Purdy， assenting but criticalcritical adj.评论的， 鉴定的， 批评的， 危急的， 临界的， “but for that mole she had agrowin by her left eyebrow. Do fill up your glass again， Mrs. McCool.”
“可不是嘛，都说她长得俏，”珀迪夫人说，既表示同意又显得很挑剔。“只是她左眼眉毛边的痣长得不好看。再来一杯，麦克库尔夫人。”