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through a muddy construction site—abominable tragedy—her mother died of a broken heart. Mr Hubert sat on Flora's bed and nodded his bald head acknowledging all the offences of life, and wiped his eyes with a violet handkerchief which turned orange—a little parlor trick—when he stuffed it back into his heart-pocket, and continued to nod as he tried to adjust his thick outsole to a pattern of the carpet. He looked now like a not too successful conjuror paid to tell

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真是惨绝人寰的悲剧——她母亲因伤心过度而死去。休伯特先生坐在弗洛拉的床上，他那光秃秃的脑袋点了点，承认自己一生所犯的所有过错，并用一条紫色的手帕擦了擦眼睛，手帕被他塞回心形口袋时变成了橙色——不过是客厅小戏法，他在根据地毯上的图案调整自己厚厚的鞋底位置时继续点着头，此刻，他看起来就像一位不太高明的魔术师，被雇来