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The white librarian looked at me.
这时，白人图书管理员看着我。
"What do you want, boy?"
"你要什么，小家伙?"
As though I did not possess the power of speech, I stepped forward and simply handed her the forged note, not parting my lips.
我像不会说话似的走向前去，只是把伪造的条子递给她，没有开口。
"What books by Mencken does he want?" She asked.
"他要门肯的哪几本书?"她问道。
"I don't know, ma-am," I said, avoiding her eyes.
"我不知道，夫人，"我说着，避开她的视线。
"Who gave you this card?"
"谁给你这个借书证的?"
"Mr. Falk," I said.
"福尔克先生，"我说。
"Where is he?"
"他在哪儿?"
"He's at work, at M -- Optical Company," I said. "I've been in here for him before."
"他在办公，在M—光学仪器公司，"我说。"以前我来这里帮他借过书。"
"I remember," the woman said. "But he never wrote notes like this."
"我记得，"这女人说。"但他从未写过这样的条子。"
Oh, God, she's suspicious. Perhaps she would not let me have the books? If she had turned her back at that moment, I would have ducked out the door and never gone back. Then I thought of a bold idea.
哦，上帝，她起了疑心。说不定她不肯让我借这些书。如果她当时转过身去，我就会一下子钻出门外，永不回去。正在这时，我想出了一个大胆的主意。
"You can call him up, ma-am," I said, my heart pounding.
"你可以给他打个电话，夫人，"我说着，心怦怦直跳。
"You're not using these books, are you?" she asked pointedly.
"你不看这些书吧?"她直截了当地问道。
"Oh, no, ma-am. I can't read."
"哦，不，夫人。我不识字。"
"I don't know what he wants by Mencken," she said under her breath.
"我不知道他要门肯的哪些书，"她小声说道。
I knew now that I had non; she was thinking of other things and the race question had gone out of her mind. She went to the shelves. Once or twice she looked over her shoulder at me, as though she was still doubtful. Finally she came forward with two books in her hand.
这时，我知道我胜利了。她已在想着别的事儿，种族问题已经被忘记了。她走到书架跟前。此后，她掉头看过我一两回，似乎还有些怀疑。末了，她拿着两本书走上前来。
"I'm sending him two books," she said. "But tell Mr. Falk to come in next time, or send me the names of the books he wants. I don't know what he wants to read."
"我给他两本书，"她说。"不过你告诉福尔克先生，下次自己来，要不就给我写来他要的书的书名。我不知道他想看什么书。"
