第60部分(第1/7 頁)

I　started　to　get　up；　and　John　caught　my　arm。　He　gave　me　a　look　that　was　both　timid　and　hopeful。　〃I　'member　a　prayer　someone　taught　me　when　I　'us　little〃；　he　said。　〃At　least　I　think　I　do。　Can　I　say　it？〃

〃You　go　right　on　and　do　her〃；　Dean　said。　〃Lots　of　time　yet；　John　。〃

John　closed　his　eyes　and　frowned　with　concentration。　I　expected　now…I…lay…me…down…to…sleep；　or　maybe　a　garbled　version　of　the　Lord's　prayer；　but　I　got　neither；　I　had　never　heard　what　he　came　out　with　before；　and　have　never　heard　it　again；　not　that　either　the　sentiments　or　expressions　were　particularly　unusual。　Holding　his　hands　up　in　front　of　his　closed　eyes；　John　Coffey　said：　〃Baby　Jesus；　meek　and　mild；　pray　for　me；　an　orphan　child。　Be　my　strength；　be　my　friend；　be　with　me　until　the　end。　Amen。〃　He　opened　his　eyes；　started　to　get　up；　then　looked　at　me　closely。

I　wipe　my　arm　across　my　eyes。　As　I　listened　to　him；　I　had　been　thinking　about　Del；　he　had　wanted　to　pray　one　more　at　the　end；　too。　Holy　Mary；　mother　of　God；　pray　for　us　sinners　now；　and　at　the　hour　of　our　death。　〃Sorry；　John　。〃

〃Don't　be〃；　he　said。　He　squeezed　my　arm　and　smiled。　And　then；　as　I'd　thought　he　might　have　to　do；　he　helped　me　to　my　feet。

10。

There　weren't　many　witnesses　…　maybe　fourteen　in　all；　half　the　number　that　had　been　in　the　storage　room　for　the　Delacroix　execution。　Homer　Cribus　was　there；　overflowing　his　chair　as　per　usual；　but　I　didn't　see　Deputy　McGee。　Like　Warden　Moores；　he　had　apparently　decided　to　give　this　one　a　miss。

Sitting　in　the　front　row　was　an　elderly　couple　I　didn't　recognize　at　first；　even　though　I　had　seen　their　pictures　in　a　good　many　newspaper　articles　by　that　day　in　the　third　week　of　November。　Then；　as　we　neared　the　platform　where　Old　Sparky　waited；　the　woman　sp