第59部分(第3/7 頁)

ked　me　why　I　looked　so　flushed　and　smelled　so　sweaty；　I　told　her　I　had　stopped　the　car　on　my　way　home　and　gone　running　for　awhile；　running　hard。　I　told　her　that　much　…　as　I　may　have　said　（there's　too　many　pages　here　now　for　me　to　want　to　look　back　through　and　make　sure）；　lying　wasn't　much　a　part　of　our　marriage　…　but　I　didn't　tell　her　why。

And　she　didn't　ask。

9。

There　were　no　thunderstorms　on　the　night　it　came　John　Coffey's　turn　to　walk　the　Green　Mile。　It　was　seasonably　cold　for　those　parts　at　that　time　of　year；　in　the　thirties；　I'd　guess；　and　a　million　stars　spilled　across　used…up；　picked…out　fields　where　frost　glittered　on　fenceposts　and　glowed　like　diamonds　on　the　dry　skeletons　of　July's　corn。

Brutus　Howell　was　out　front　for　this　one　…　he　would　do　the　capping　and　tell　Van　Hay　to　roll　when　it　was　time。　Bill　Dodge　was　in　with　Van　Hay。　And　at　around　eleven…twenty　on　the　night　of　November　20th；　Dean　and　Harry　and　I　went　down　to　our　one　occupied　cell；　where　John　Coffey　sat　on　the　end　of　his　bunk　with　his　hands　clasped　between　his　knees　and　a　tiny　dab　of　meatloaf　gravy　on　the　collar　of　his　blue　shirt。　He　looked　out　through　the　bars　at　us；　a　lot　calmer　than　we　felt；　it　seemed。　My　hands　were　cold　and　my　temples　were　throbbing。　It　was　one　thing　to　know　he　was　willing　…　it　made　it　at　least　possible　for　us　to　do　our　job　…　but　it　was　another　to　know　we　were　going　to　electrocute　him　for　someone　else's　crime。

I　had　last　seen　Hal　Moores　around　seven　that　evening。　He　was　in　his　office；　buttoning　up　his　overcoat。　His　face　was　pale；　his　hands　shaking　so　badly　that　he　e　production　of　those　buttons。　I　almost　wanted　to　knock　his　fingers　aside　and　do　the　coat　up　myself；　like　you　would　with　a　little　kid。　The　irony　was　that　Melinda　had　looked　better　when　J