《象人》第2章

So　next　day；　at　seven　o’clock；　I　came　to　the　shop　in　a　cab。　There　were　not　very　many　people　in　the　road；　be－cause　it　was　early　in　the　morning。　In　November　it　is　dark　at　seven　o’clock　in　the　morning；　and　I　could　not　see　the　shop　very　well。　I　waited　five　minutes。　A　postman　walked　past。　Then　the　door　of　the　shop　opened；　and　the　creature；　Merrick　；　came　out。　
I　could　not　see　his　face　or　his　body。　He　had　an　enormous　black　hat　on　his　head；　like　a　big　box。　A　grey　cloth　came　down　from　the　hat；　in　front　of　his　face。　There　was　a　hole　in　the　cloth　in　front　of　his　eyes。　He　could　see　out　of　the　hole　but　I　could　not　see　in。　He　wore　a　long　black　coat；　too。　The　coat　began　at　his　neck；　and　ended　at　his　feet；　so　I　could　not　see　his　arms；　his　body；　or　his　legs。　On　his　feet　he　wore　big　shoes；　like　old　bags。　
He　had　a　stick　in　his　left　hand；　and　he　walked　very　slowly。　I　opened　the　door　of　the　cab；　and　got　out。　
‘Good　morning；　Mr　Merrick；　’I　said。　‘Can　you　get　in？’
‘Elpmyupasteps；　’he　said。　
‘I"m　sorry；　’I　said。　‘I　don"t　understand。　’
For　a　minute　he　stood　by　the　door　of　the　cab　and　said　nothing。　Then　he　hit　the　cab　with　his　stick。　
‘STEPS！　’he　said　loudly。　‘Help　me　up　the　steps！　’
Then　I　understood。　There　were　three　steps　up　into　the　cab；　and　he　could　not　get　up　them。　
‘Yes；　I　see。　I"m　sorry；　’I　said。　‘Let　me　help　you。　’
I　took　his　left　hand　and　began　to　help　him。　My　right　hand　was　behind　his　back。　I　felt　very　strange。　His　left　hand　was　like　a　young　woman"s；　but　his　back　under　the　coat；　was　horrible。　I　could　feel　the　bags　of　old　skin　on　his　back　under　the　coat。　
He　put　one　enormous　foot　on　the　first　step；　and　then　he　stopped。　After　a　minute；　he　moved　his　second　foot　slowly。　Then　he　stopped　and　waited　again。　
‘Hello；　sir。　Can　I　help　you？’
I　looked　behind　me。　It　was　the　postman。　And　behind　him；　I　could　see　three　young　boys。　One　of　the　boys　laughed。　
The　postman　smiled。　‘Is　the　gentleman　ill？’he　asked。　
I　thought　quickly。　‘Yes。　But　this　is　a　lady；　not　a　gentle…man。　I"m　a　doctor；　and　she"s　ill。　Take　her　hand；　so　I　can　help　her　better。　’
The　postman　took　Merrick"s　left　hand；　and　I　helped　him　with　two　hands　from　behind。　Slowly；　very　slowly；　Merrick　went　up　the　steps　and　into　the　cab。　
One　boy　was　very　near　the　cab。　He　called　to　his　friends。　
‘e　and　see　this；　boys！　A　fat　lady　in　a　black　coat！　And　look　at　that　enormous　hat！　’
The　boys　laughed。　They　were　very　near　the　cab　too；　now。　I　closed　the　door　quickly。　
‘Thank　you；　’I　said　to　the　postman。　
‘That"s　all　right；　sir；　’he　said。　‘She"s　a　strange　lady；　sir；　isn"t　she？’
‘She"s　ill；　that"s　all；　’I　said　quickly。　‘We"re　going　to　the　hospital。　Goodbye；　and　thank　you。　’
The　cab　drove　down　the　road　to　the　hospital。　I　locked　at　Merrick。　‘That　was　difficult；　wasn"t　it？’I　said。　
At　first　he　said　nothing；　but　then　he　spoke。　His　voice　was　very　strange；　but　I　listened　to　him　carefully；　and　I　could　understand　him。　
‘The　steps　were　very　difficult；　’he　said。　‘But　most　things　are　difficult　for　me。　’
‘Yes；　’I　said。　‘　Nothing　is　easy　for　you；　is　it？’
‘No；　’he　said。　He　inute。　Then　he　said；　‘Who　are　you；　sir？’
‘Who　am　I？Oh；　I"m　sorry；　My　name　is　Dr　Treves。　Here；　this　is　my　card。　’
I　gave　him　a　card　with　my　name　on。　Then　I　thought；　‘That　was　no　good。　This　man　can"t　read。　’But　Merrick　took　the　card　and　looked　at　it　very　carefully。　Then　he　put　it　in　his　trousers　pocket。　
I　did　not　talk　to　him　very　much　at　the　hospital。　I　looked　at　his　head　and　arms　and　legs　and　body　very　carefully。　Then　I　wrote　the　important　things　about　him　in　a　little　book。　A　nurse　helped　me。　Merrick　looked　at　her　sometimes；　but　she　did　not　smile　at　him　or　talk　to　him。　I　think　she　was　afraid　of　him。　I　think　Merrick　was　afraid　too；　because　he　was　very　quiet。　
At　four　o’clock　I　took　him　back　to　the　shop　in　a　cab。　The　next　day　I　looked　in　the　shop　window　again；　but　the　picture　was　not　there。　
Chapter　3
A　Letter　to‘The　Times’
I　did　not　see　Merrick　again　for　two　years。　Then；　one　day；　the　police　found　him。　He　had　my　card　in　his　hand；　so　they　brought　him　to　the　London　Hospital。　He　was　very　tired；　hungry；　and　dirty；　so　I　put　him　to　bed　in　a　quiet　little　room。　But　he　could　not　stay　at　the　hospital。　He　was　not　ill；　and　of　course　the　beds　in　the　hospital　are　for　ill　people。　We　have　no　beds　for　hungry　people；　or　ugly　people。　
I　told　the　Hospital　Chairman；　Mr　Cars　Gomm；　about　Merrick。　He　listened　carefully；　and　then　he　wrote　a　letter　to　the　editor　of　The　Times　newspaper。　
From　The　Times；　December　4th；　1886
A　Letter　to　the　Editor。　
Dear　Sir；　
I　am　writing　to　you　about　a　man　in　our　hospital。　He　needs　your　help。　His　name　is　Joseph　Merrick；　and　he　is　27　years　old。　He　is　not　ill；　but　he　cannot　go　out　of　the　hospital　because　he　is　very；　very　ugly。　Nobody　likes　to　look　at　him；　and　some　people　are　afraid　him。　We　call　him　‘The　Elephant　Man’。　
Two　years　ago；　Merrick　lived　in　a　shop　near　the　London　Hospital。　For　two　pence；　people　could　see　him　and　laugh　at　him。　One　day　Dr　Frederick　Treves—a　hospital　doctor——sawMerrick；　brought　him　to　this　hospital；　and　looked　at　him　carefully。　Dr　Treves　could　not　help　Merrick；　but　he　gave　him　his　card。　
Then　the　shopkeeper；　Silcock；　took　merrick　to　Belgium。　A　lot　of　people　in　Belgium　wanted　to　see　him；　and　so　after　a　year　Merrick　had　￡50。　But　then　Silcock　took　Merrick"s　￡50；　left　Merrick　in　Belgium；　and　went　back　to　London。　
Merrick　came　back　to　London　by　himself。　Everyone　on　the　train　and　the　ship　looked　at　him；　and　laughed　at　him。　In　London；　the　police　put　him　in　prison。　But　then　they　saw　DrTreves"s　card；　and　brought　Merrick　to　the　London　Hospital。　
This　man　has　no　money；　and　he　cannot　work。　His　face　and　body　are　very；　very　ugly；　so　of　course　many　people　are　afraid　of　him。　But　he　is　a　very　interesting　man。　He　can　read　and　write；　and　he　thinks　a　lot。　He　is　a　good；　quiet　man。　Sometimes　he　makes　things　with　his　hands　and　gives　them　to　the　nurses；　because　they　are　kind　to　him。　
He　remembers　his　mother；　and　he　has　a　picture　of　her。　She　was　beautiful　and　kind；　he　says。　But　he　never　sees　her　now。　She　gave　him　to　Silco