龙腾小说网

第2部分（第1页）

Derwent　who　added　the　roque　court　I　saw　you　admiring　when　you　arrived。〃

〃Roque？〃

〃A　British　forebear　of　our　croquet；　Mr。　Torrance。　Croquet　is　bastardized

roque。　According　to　legend；　Derwent　learned　the　game　from　his　social　secretary

and　fell　pletely　in　love　with　it。　Ours　may　be　the　finest　roque　court　in

America。〃

〃I　wouldnt　doubt　it；〃　Jack　said　gravely。　A　roque　court；　a　topiary　full　of

hedge　animals　out　front；　what　next？　A　life…sized　Uncle　Wiggly　game　behind　the

equipment　shed？　He　was　getting　very　tired　of　Mr。　Stuart　Ullman；　but　he　could　see

that　Ullman　wasnt　done。　Ullman　was　going　to　have　his　say；　every　last　word　of

it。

〃When　he　had　lost　three　million；　Derwent　sold　it　to　a　group　of　California

investors。　Their　experience　with　the　Overlook　was　equally　bad。　Just　not　hotel

people。

〃In　1970；　Mr。　Shockley　and　a　group　of　his　associates　bought　the　hotel　and

turned　its　management　over　to　me。　We　have　also　run　in　the　red　for　several　years；

but　Im　happy　to　say　that　the　trust　of　the　present　owners　in　me　has　never

wavered。　Last　year　we　broke　even。　And　this　year　the　Overlooks　accounts　were

written　in　black　ink　for　the　first　time　in　almost　seven　decades。〃

Jack　supposed　that　this　fussy　little　mans　pride　was　justified；　and　then　his

original　dislike　washed　over　him　again　in　a　wave。

He　said：　〃I　see　no　connection　between　the　Overlooks　admittedly　colorful

history　and　your　feeling　that　Im　wrong　for　the　post；　Mr。　Ullman。〃

〃One　reason　that　the　Overlook　has　lost　so　much　money　lies　in　the　depreciation

that　occurs　each　winter。　It　shortens　the　profit　margin　a　great　deal　more　than

you　might　believe；　Mr。　Torrance。　The　winters　are　fantastically　cruel。　In　order

to　cope　with　the　problem；　Ive　installed　a　full…time　winter　caretaker　to　run　the

boiler　and　to　heat　different　parts　of　the　hotel　on　a　daily　rotating　basis。　To

repair　breakage　as　it　occurs　and　to　do　repairs；　so　the　elements　cant　get　a

foothold。　To　be　constantly　alert　to　any　and　every　contingency。　During　our　first

winter　I　hired　a　family　instead　of　a　single　man。　There　was　a　tragedy。　A　horrible

tragedy。〃

Ullman　looked　at　Jack　coolly　and　appraisingly。

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