蓝光药店位于市中心，正好在博韦里街和第一大道之间，那是两条街道距离最短的地方。蓝光药店并不认为药剂学是一种摆设、香水或冰淇淋汽水。如果你向它请求一种止痛药，它不会给你一块糖果。

蓝光药店蔑视现代药剂学的省力艺术。它会自己浸泡鸦片，过滤自制的阿片酊和麻醉剂。至今这里仍然是在高大的处方台后面制作药丸——药丸在自己的药丸瓷砖上滚压，用抹刀分开，用手指和拇指揉成形，撒上煅烧镁粉，然后装在小圆纸药盒里交给顾客。药店位于一个角落，周围玩耍着一群羽毛破旧、欢快的孩子们，他们成为了等待里面咳嗽药和舒缓糖浆的候选者。

艾基·肖恩斯坦是蓝光药店的夜班店员，是顾客的朋友。在东区，药剂师应当扮演这样的角色，在那里，药剂师不仅是顾问、告解者和顾问，也是愿意充当传教士和导师的人，其学识受到尊重，神秘的智慧受到崇敬，而他们的药物常常未经品尝便被倒入水渠。因此，艾基那略显弯曲的、戴眼镜的鼻子和狭窄、因知识而微微弯腰的身影在蓝光药店周围非常显眼，他的建议和关注也备受渴望。

艾基住在离药店两个街区的里德尔太太家，早晨也在这里吃饭。里德尔太太有一个女儿，名叫罗茜。这个叙述没有绕圈子——你一定已经猜到了——艾基爱慕着罗茜。她滋润了他所有的思绪；她是所有化学纯净和官方成分的复合提取物——药房中没有任何东西能够与她相提并论。但艾基很害羞，他的希望在他的迟钝和恐惧的溶剂中始终无法溶解。在柜台后面，他是个优越的存在，冷静地意识到自己的特殊知识和价值；而在外面，他则是个软弱、目盲、饱受电车司机咒骂的游荡者，穿着不合身的衣服，沾满了化学品的污迹，散发着苏科特林芦荟和氨基酸醋酸盐的气味。

艾基心中的绊脚石（欢迎您来到这一次的困扰！）就是昌克·麦戈万。

麦戈万先生同样在努力捕捉罗茜投来的灿烂微笑。然而，他并不像艾基那样是个外场球员；他是个能够直接接下那些笑容的人。与此同时，他也是艾基的朋友和顾客，经常光顾蓝光药店，以便在愉快的晚上沿着博韦里街后给自己刷碘酒处理擦伤或者用橡胶绷带包扎伤口。

一个下午，麦戈万以他那轻松安静的方式走了进来，

IX The Love-philtre ofIkey Schoenstein THE BLUE LIGHT DRUG STORE is down-town, between the Bowery and First Avenue, where the distance between the two streets is the shortest. The Blue Light does not consider that pharmacy is a thingof bric-a-brac, scent and ice-cream soda. If you ask it for a pain-killer it will not give you a bonbon. The Blue Light scorns the labour-saving arts of modern phar­ macy. It macerates its opium and percolates its own laudanum and paregoric. To this day pills are made behind its tall prescription desk - pills rolled out on its own pill-tile, divided with a spatula, rolled with the finger and thumb, dusted with calcined magnesia and delivered in little round, pasteboard pill-boxes. The store is on a corner about which coveys of ragged-plumed, hilarious children play and become candidates for the cough-drops and soothing syrups that wait for them inside. Ikey Schoenstein was the night clerk of the Blue Light and the friend of his customers. Thus it is on the East Side, where the heart of pharmacy is not glacé. There, as it should be, the druggist is a counsellor, a confessor, an adviser, an able and willing mis­ sionary and mentor whose learning is respected, whose occult wisdom is venerated and whose medicine is often poured, untasted, into the gutter. Therefore Ikey's corniform, bespecta­ cled nose and narrow, knowledge-bowed figure was well known in the vicinity of the Blue Light, and his advice and notice were much desired. Ikey roomed and breakfasted at Mrs. Riddle's, two squares away. Mrs. Riddle had a daughter named Rosy. The circumlocu­ tion has been in vain - you must have guessed it - Ikey adored Rosy. She tinctured all his thoughts; she was the compound extract of all that was chemically pure and officinal - the dispen­ satory contained nothing equal to her. But Ikey was timid, and his hopes remained insoluble in the menstruum of his backwardness and fears. Behind his counter he was a superior being, calmly conscious of special knowledge and worth; outside, he was a weak-kneed, purblind, motorman-cursed rambler, with ill-fitting clothes stained with chemicals and smelling of socotrine aloes and valerianate of ammonia. The fly in Ikey's ointment (thrice welcome, pat trope!) was Chunk McGowan. Mr. McGowan was also striving to catch the bright smiles tossed about by Rosy. But he was no out-fielder as Ikey was; he picked them off the bat. At the same time he was Ikey's friend and customer, and often dropped in at the Blue Light Drug Store to have a bruise painted with iodine or get a cut rubber-plastered after a pleasant evening spent along the Bowery. One afternoon McGowan drifted in in his silent, easy way, and

坐在凳子上，面色光滑、硬朗，不屈不挠，性情和善的麦戈万说道：“艾基，”当他的朋友取来研钵，对面坐下，开始将安息香树脂研磨成粉末时，“帮我忙活一下吧。如果你有我需要的药，我就要。”

艾基打量了一下麦戈万的脸，寻找他平常冲突的迹象，但没有发现。

“脱下你的外套，”他命令道。“我已经猜到了，你肯定是被人用刀捅了肋骨。我已经多次告诉过你，那些意大利佬会对你下手。”

麦戈万微笑着说：“不是他们，不是任何意大利佬。但你的诊断没错——就在我的外套下面，靠近肋骨。听着！艾基，罗茜和我今晚要私奔结婚。”

艾基的左食指弯曲着压在研钵边缘，稳住它。他用杵猛烈地敲击了一下研钵，但并未感觉到。与此同时，麦戈万的微笑褪去了，变得困惑而阴郁。“也就是说，”他继续说道，“如果她在时间到来之前坚持这个想法。我们已经为这一刻准备了两个星期。有一天她说愿意，晚上又说不愿意。我们一致同意今晚，而罗茜这次已经坚持了两整天。但离时间还有五个小时，我担心她到时候会放我鸽子。”

“你说你想要药，”艾基冷冷地说道。

麦戈万看起来不安且焦虑，这与他平常的举止截然相反。他把一份专利药物年鉴卷成一圈，仔细地缠绕在自己的手指上。“我不会让这双重障碍今晚搞砸的，哪怕给我一百万，”他说。“我在哈莱姆有一个小公寓，一切都准备好了，桌上摆着菊花，还有水壶可以烧开。我还约好了一个牧师，9点半在他家等着我们。这事必须成。如果罗茜不再改变主意！”麦戈万停顿下来，被自己的疑虑所折磨。

“我还不知道，”艾基简短地说，“你为什么会提到药，或者我能做些什么。”

“不老头儿里德尔一点也不喜欢我，”这位不安的求婚者继续说道，努力组织自己的论述。“这周以来，他一直不让我和罗茜一起出门。如果不是因为失去一个房客，他们早就把我轰走了。我每周挣20美元，她绝不会后悔跟昌克·麦戈万飞走。”

“请原谅我，昌克，”艾基说。“我得先处理一个即将被取走的处方。”

“喂，”麦戈万突然抬头说道，“喂，艾基，难道没有什么药——某种粉末，可以让女孩更喜欢你吗？如果你给她吃了的话？”

艾基嘴唇下嘴角因优越的见识而微微翘起，但在他能够回答之前，麦戈万接着说：

“蒂姆·莱西曾经告诉我，他从市区一个江湖医生那里拿到一些药，给他女朋友兑入汽水中。从第一次服用开始，她就把他当作宝，其他人眼中不过三毛钱。他们不到两个星期就结婚了。”

昌克·麦戈万显得强壮而简单。他比艾基更懂人心的人可能会看到，他那坚韧的身躯其实在细线之上悬挂着。就像一位准备进攻敌人领土的优秀将军，他试图保护每个环节，以防可能的失败。

“我想着，”昌克满怀希望地继续说道，“如果我能在今晚晚餐时给罗茜一剂这样的药，也许能鼓舞她，让她不再反悔逃跑的提议。我想她不需要一支骡队来拖她走，但女人在教练方面比跑垒更在行。如果这种东西能只有效几个小时，就能做到这一点。”

“这个私奔的愚蠢计划什么时候发生？”艾基问道。

sat, comely, smoothed-faced, hard, indomitable, good-natured, upon a stool. 'Ikey,' said he, when his friend had fetched his mortar and sat opposite, grinding gum benzoin to a powder, 'get busy with your ear. It's drugs for me if you've got the line I need.' Ikey scanned the countenance of Mr. McGowan for the usual evidences of conflict, but found none. 'Take your coat off,' he ordered. 'I guess already that you have been stuck in the ribs with a knife. I have many times told you those Dagoes would do you up.' Mr. McGowan smiled. 'Not them,' he said. 'Not any Dagoes. But you've located the diagnosis all right enough - it's under my coat, near the ribs. Say! Ikey - Rosy and me are goin' to run away and get married to-night.' Ikey's left forefinger was doubled over the edge of the mortar, holding it steady. He gave it a wild rap with the pestle, but felt it not. Meanwhile Mr. McGowan's smile faded to a look of perplexed gloom.That is,' he continued, 'if she keeps in the notion until the time comes. We've been layin' pipes for the gateway for two weeks. One day she says she will; the same evenin' she says nixy. We've agreed on to-night, and Rosy's stuck to the affirmative this time for two whole days. But it's five hours yet till the time, and I'm afraid she'll stand me up when it comes to the scratch.' 'You said you wanted drugs,' remarked Ikey. Mr. McGowan looked ill at ease and harassed - a condition opposed to his usual line of demeanour. He made a patent-medi­ cine almanac into a roll and fitted it with unprofitable carefulness about his finger. 'I wouldn't have this double handicap make a false start to-night for a million,' he said. 'I've got a little flat up in Harlem all ready, with chrysanthemums on the table and a kettle ready to boil. And I've engaged a pulpit pounder to be ready at his house for us at 9.30. It's got to come off. And if Rosy don't change her mind again!' - Mr. McGowan ceased, a prey to his doubts. 'I don't see then yet,' said Ikey shortly, 'what makes it that you talk of drugs, or what I can be doing about it.' 'Old man Riddle don't like me a little bit,' went on the uneasy suitor, bent upon marshalling his arguments. 'For a week he hasn't let Rosy step outside the door with me. If it wasn't for losin' a boarder they'd have bounced me long ago. I'm makin' $20 a week and she'll never regret flyin' the coop with Chunk McGowan.'You will excuse me, Chunk,' said Ikey. 'I must make a prescription that is to be called for soon.' 'Say,' said McGowan, looking up suddenly, 'say, Ikey, ain't there a drug of some kind - some kind of powders that'll make a girl like you better if you give 'em to her?' Ikey's lip beneath his nose curled with the scorn of superior enlightenment; but before he could answer, McGowan continued: 'Tim Lacy told me once that he got some from a croaker up­ town and fed 'em to his girl in soda water. From the very first dose he was ace-high and everybody else looked like thirty cents to her. They was married in less than two weeks.' Strong and simple was Chunk McGowan. A better reader of men than Ikey was could have seen that his tough frame was strung upon fine wires. Like a good general who was about to invade the enemy's territory he was seeking to guard every point against possible failure. 'I thought,' went on Chunk hopefully, 'that if I had one of them powders to give Rosy when I see her at supper to-night it might brace her up and keep her from reneging on the proposition to skip. I guess she don't need a mule team to drag her away, but women are better at coaching than they are at running bases. If the stuff'll work just for a couple of hours it'll do the trick.' 'When is this foolishness of running away to be happening?' asked Ikey.

“晚上九点，”麦戈万先生说道。“晚餐在七点。八点时，罗茜因为头痛上床休息。九点钟，老帕文扎诺让我通过他的后院，我再从里德尔的篱笆旁的一个缺口穿过去。我会在她窗户下帮她顺着火灾逃生梯下来。我们得早点动身，牧师等不及。如果罗茜在出发时不犹豫，那一切都很简单。艾基，你能给我搞一剂这样的药吗？”

艾基·肖恩斯坦慢慢地揉了揉鼻子。“昌克，”他说，“这种药物，药剂师必须非常小心。只有你一个人我才会托付这样一剂粉末。但为了你，我会准备的，你将会看到它如何让罗茜想起你。”

艾基走到处方台后面。他将两片可溶解的药片压成粉末，每片药里含有四分之一格令的吗啡。然后他加了一点乳糖来增加体积，把混合物整齐地包好，装进一张白纸里。对于成年人来说，这种药粉可以确保数小时的沉重睡眠，而不会对睡眠者造成危险。他把药递给昌克·麦戈万，并告诉他尽量用液体给罗茜服下，然后收到了来自这个后院英雄的热烈感谢。

艾基的举动的微妙之处在于他随后的行动。他派人去找里德尔先生，并透露了麦戈万与罗茜私奔的计划。里德尔先生是个壮实的人，脸色有些砖红，性情急躁。“谢谢你，”他简短地对艾基说。“那个懒惰的爱尔兰人！我的房间就在罗茜的正上方，我就去那里，吃完晚饭后装好猎枪等着。如果他敢进我的后院，他会进急救车而不是新婚马车！”

在罗茜被梦神摩耳菲斯束缚，陷入沉深的睡眠中时，那位渴望报复的父亲正静静等待，手持武器，艾基觉得他的对手确实近在咫尺，面临困境。

整个晚上，艾基在蓝灯商店守着岗位，等待悲剧的消息，但没有任何消息传来。

早上八点，日班职员来了，艾基匆忙赶往里德尔夫人的家，想了解结果。而就在他刚走出商店的瞬间，昌克·麦戈万从经过的电车上跳下，抓住了他的手——昌克·麦戈万满面胜利的微笑，脸上充满喜悦。

“成功了，”昌克嘴角挂着悠然自得的笑容说道，“罗茜准时从火灾逃生梯下来了，我们在9点30分顺利抵达牧师那里！她现在在公寓里——今天早上穿着蓝色浴袍做了鸡蛋——天啊，我真幸运！你一定要有空上来吃饭，艾基。我在桥那边找到了一份工作，现在正朝那边去。”

“那……那剂药？”艾基结结巴巴地问道。

“哦，你给我的那东西！”昌克微笑得更灿烂了；“情况是这样的。昨晚我坐在里德尔家的晚餐桌上，看着罗茜，心里想着，‘昌克，如果你能娶到这个女孩，就要诚心诚意，别跟她玩什么花招。’于是我把你给我的药纸放在口袋里。然后我注意到另一位在场的人，我心想，他对即将成为女婿的态度并不友好，所以我趁机把那粉末倒进老里德尔的咖啡里——明白了吗？”

'Nine o'clock,' said Mr. McGowan. 'Supper's at seven. At eight Rosy goes to bed with a headache. At nine old Parvenzano lets me through to his backyard, where there's a board off Riddle's fence, next door. I go under her window and help her down the fire- escape. W e've got to make it early on the preacher's account. It's all dead easy if Rosy don't balk when the flag drops. Can you fix me one of them powders, Ikey?' Ikey Schoenstein rubbed his nose slowly. 'Chunk,' said he, 'it is of drugs of that nature that pharma­ ceutists must have much carefulness. To you alone of my acquain­ tance would I entrust a powder like that. But for you I shall make it, and you shall see how it makes Rosy to think of you.' Ikey went behind the prescription desk. There he crushed to a powder two soluble tablets, each containing a quarter of a grain of morphia. To them he added a little sugar of milk to increase the bulk, and folded the mixture neatly in a white paper. Taken by an adult this powder would ensure several hours of heavy slumber without danger to the sleeper. This he handed to ChunkMcGowan, telling him to administer it in a liquid, if possible, and received the hearty thanks of the backyard Lochinvar. The subtlety of Ikey's action becomes apparent upon recital of his subsequent move. He sent a messenger for Mr. Riddle and dis­ closed the plans of McGowan for eloping with Rosy. Mr. Riddle was a stout man, brick-dusty of complexion and sudden in action. 'Much obliged,' he said briefly to Ikey. 'The lazy Irish loafer! My own room's just above Rosy's, I'll just go up there myself after supper and load the shot-gun and wait. If he comes in my back­ yard he'll go away in an ambulance instead of a bridal chaise.' With Rosy held in the clutches of Morpheus for a many- hours' deep slumber, and the bloodthirsty parent waiting, armed and forewarned, Ikey felt that his rival was close, indeed, upon discomfiture. All night in the Blue Light Store he waited at his duties for chance news of the tragedy, but none came. At eight o'clock in the morning the day clerk arrived and Ikey started hurriedly for Mrs. Riddle's to learn the outcome. And, lo! as he stepped out of the store who but Chunk McGowan sprang from a passing street-car and grasped his hand - Chunk McGowan with a victor's smile and flushed with joy. 'Pulled it off,' said Chunk with Elysium in his grin. 'Rosy hit the fire-escape on time to a second and we was under the wire at the Reverend's at 9.30 1/ . She's up at the flat - she cooked eggs this 4 mornin' in a blue kimono - Lord! how lucky I am! You must pace up some day, Ikey, and feed with us. I've got a job down near the bridge, and that's where I'm heading for now.' 'The - the powder?' stammered Ikey. 'Oh, that stuff you gave me!' said Chunk broadening his grin; 'well, it was this way. I sat down at the supper table last night at Riddle's, and I looked at Rosy, and I says to myself, "Chunk, if you get the girl get her on the square - don't try any hocus-pocus with a thoroughbred like her." And I keeps the paper you give me in my pocket. And then my lamps falls on another party present, who, I says to myself, is failin' in a proper affection toward his comin' son-in-law, so I watches my chance and dumps that powder in old man Riddle's coffee - see?'

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