pgw.adamselindistress-第5章

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　〃'Morning；　George。　'Morning；　Mac。　Any　mail？〃
　〃I'll　see；　miss。〃
　〃How　did　your　better　four…fifths　like　the　show；　Mac？〃
　〃I　was　just　telling　Mr。　Bevan；　miss；　that　the　missus　said　she　'adn't　seen　a　livelier　show　for　a　long　time。〃
　〃Fine。　I　knew　I'd　be　a　hit。　Well；　George；　how's　the　boy　this　bright　afternoon？〃
　〃Limp　and　pessimistic。〃
　〃That　es　of　sitting　up　till　four　in　the　morning　with　festive　hams。〃
　〃You　were　up　as　late　as　I　was；　and　you　look　like　Little　Eva　after　a　night　of　sweet；　childish　slumber。〃
　〃Yes；　but　I　drank　ginger　ale；　and　didn't　smoke　eighteen　cigars。　And　yet；　I　don't　know。　I　think　I　must　be　getting　old；　George。　All…night　parties　seem　to　have　lost　their　charm。　I　was　ready　to　quit　at　one　o'clock；　but　it　didn't　seem　matey。　I　think　I'll　marry　a　farmer　and　settle　down。〃
　George　was　amazed。　He　had　not　expected　to　find　his　present　view　of　life　shared　in　this　quarter。
　〃I　was　just　thinking　myself；〃　he　said；　feeling　not　for　the　first　time　how　different　Billie　was　from　the　majority　of　those　with　whom　his　profession　brought　him　in　contact；　〃how　flat　it　all　was。　　The　show　business　I　mean；　and　these　darned　first　nights；　and　the　party　after　the　show　which　you　can't　sidestep。　Something　tells　me　I'm　about　through。〃
　Billie　Dore　nodded。
　〃Anybody　with　any　sense　is　always　about　through　with　the　show　business。　I　know　I　am。　If　you　think　I'm　wedded　to　my　art；　let　me　tell　you　I'm　going　to　get　a　divorce　the　first　chance　that　es　along。　It's　funny　about　the　show　business。　The　way　one　drifts　into　it　and　sticks；　I　mean。　Take　me；　for　example。　Nature　had　it　all　doped　out　for　me　to　be　the　Belle　of　Hicks　Corners。　　What　I　ought　to　have　done　was　to　buy　a　gingham　bonnet　and　milk　cows。　But　I　would　e　to　the　great　city　and　help　brighten　up　the　tired　business　man。〃
　〃I　didn't　know　you　were　fond　of　the　country；　Billie。〃
　〃Me？　I　wrote　the　words　and　music。　Didn't　you　know　I　was　a　country　kid？　My　dad　ran　a　Bide　a　Wee　Home　for　flowers；　and　I　used　to　know　them　all　by　their　middle　names。　He　was　a　nursery　gardener　out　in　Indiana。　I　tell　you；　when　I　see　a　rose　nowadays；　I　shake　its　hand　and　say：　'Well；　well；　Cyril；　how's　everything　with　you？　And　how　are　Joe　and　Jack　and　Jimmy　and　all　the　rest　of　the　boys　at　home？'　Do　you　know　how　I　used　to　put　in　my　time　the　first　few　nights　I　was　over　here　in　London？　　I　used　to　hang　around　Covent　Garden　with　my　head　back；　sniffing。　The　boys　that　mess　about　with　the　flowers　there　used　to　stub　their　toes　on　me　so　often　that　they　got　to　look　on　me　as　part　of　the　scenery。〃
　〃That's　where　we　ought　to　have　been　last　night。〃
　〃We'd　have　had　a　better　time。　Say；　George；　did　you　see　the　awful　mistake　on　Nature's　part　that　Babe　Sinclair　showed　up　with　towards　the　middle　of　the　proceedings？　You　must　have　noticed　him；　because　he　took　up　more　room　than　any　one　man　was　entitled　to。　His　name　was　Spenser　Gray。〃
　George　recalled　having　been　introduced　to　a　fat　man　of　his　own　age　who　answered　to　that　name。
　〃It's　a　darned　shame；〃　said　Billie　indignantly。　〃Babe　is　only　a　kid。　This　is　the　first　show　she's　been　in。　And　I　happen　to　know　there's　an　awfully　nice　boy　over　in　New　York　crazy　to　marry　her。　And　I'm　certain　this　gink　is　giving　her　a　raw　deal。　　He　tried　to　get　hold　of　me　about　a　week　ago；　but　I　turned　him　down　hard；　and　I　suppose　he　thinks　Babe　is　easier。　And　it's　no　good　talking　to　her；　she　thinks　he's　wonderful。　That's　another　kick　I　have　against　the　show　business。　It　seems　to　make　girls　such　darned　chumps。　Well；　I　wonder　how　much　longer　Mr。　　Arbuckle　is　going　to　be　retrieving　my　mail。　What　ho；　within　there；　Fatty！〃
　Mac　came　out；　apologetic；　carrying　letters。
　〃Sorry；　miss。　By　an　oversight　I　put　you　among　the　G's。〃
　〃All's　well　that　ends　well。　'Put　me　among　the　G's。'　There's　a　good　title　for　a　song　for　you；　George。　Excuse　me　while　I　grapple　with　the　correspondence。　I'll　bet　half　of　these　are　mash　notes。　I　got　three　between　the　first　and　second　acts　last　night。　　Why　the　nobility　and　gentry　of　this　burg　should　think　that　I'm　their　affinity　just　because　I've　got　golden　hairwhich　is　perfectly　genuine；　Mac；　I　can　show　you　the　pedigreeand　because　I　earn　an　honest　living　singing　off　the　key；　is　more　than　I　can　understand。〃
　Mac　leaned　his　massive　shoulders　fortably　against　the　building；　and　resumed　his　chat。
　〃I　expect　you're　feeling　very　'appy　today；　sir？〃
　George　pondered。　He　was　certainly　feeling　better　since　he　had　seen　Billie　Dore；　but　he　was　far　from　being　himself。
　〃I　ought　to　be；　I　suppose。　But　I'm　not。〃
　〃Ah；　you're　getting　blarzy；　sir；　that's　what　it　is。　You've　'ad　too　much　of　the　fat；　you　'ave。　This　piece　was　a　big　'it　in　America；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。　It　ran　over　a　year　in　New　York；　and　there　are　three　panies　of　it　out　now。〃
　〃That's　'ow　it　is；　you　see。　You've　gone　and　got　blarzy。　　Too　big　a　'elping　of　success；　you've　'ad。〃　Mac　wagged　a　head　like　a　harvest　moon。　〃You　aren't　a　married　man；　are　you；　sir？〃
　Billie　Dore　finished　skimming　through　her　mail；　and　crumpled　the　letters　up　into　a　large　ball；　which　she　handed　to　Mac。
　〃Here's　something　for　you　to　read　in　your　spare　moments；　Mac。　Glance　through　them　any　time　you　have　a　suspicion　you　may　be　a　chump；　and　you'll　have　the　fort　of　knowing　that　there　are　others。　What　were　you　saying　about　being　married？〃
　〃Mr。　Bevan　and　I　was　'aving　a　talk　about　'im　being　blarzy；　miss。〃
　〃Are　you　blarzy；　George？〃
　〃So　Mac　says。〃
　〃And　why　is　he　blarzy；　miss？〃　demanded　Mac　rhetorically。
　〃Don't　ask　me；〃　said　Billie。　〃It's　not　my　fault。〃
　〃It's　because；　as　I　was　saying；　'e's　'ad　too　big　a　'elping　of　success；　and　because　'e　ain't　a　married　man。　You　did　say　you　wasn't　a　married　man；　didn't　you；　sir？〃
　〃I　didn't。　But　I'm　not。〃
　〃That's　'ow　it　is；　you　see。　You　pretty　soon　gets　sick　of　pulling　off　good　things；　if　you　ain't　got　nobody　to　pat　you　on　the　back　for　doing　of　it。　Why；　when　I　was　single；　if　I　got　'old　of　a　sure　thing　for　the　three　o'clock　race　and　picked　up　a　couple　of　quid；　the　thrill　of　it　didn't　seem　to　linger　somehow。　But　now；　if　some　of　the　gentlemen　that　e　'ere　put　me　on　to　something　safe　and　I　make　a　bit；　'arf　the　fascination　of　it　is　taking　the　stuff　'ome　and　rolling　it　on　to　the　kitchen　table　and　'aving　'er　pat　me　on　the　back。〃
　〃How　about　when　you　lose？〃
　〃I　don't　tell　'er；〃　said　Mac　simply。
　〃You　seem　to　understand　the　art　of　being　happy；　Mac。〃
　〃It　ain't　an　art；　sir。　It's　just　gettin'　'old　of　the　right　little　woman；　and　'aving　a　nice　little　'ome　of　your　own　to　go　back　to　at　night。〃
　〃Mac；〃　said　Billie　admiringly；　〃you　talk　like　a　Tin　Pan　Alley　song　hit；　except　that　you've　left　out　the　scent　of　honeysuckle　and　Old　Mister　Moon　climbing　up　over　the　trees。　Well；　you're　quite　right。　I'm　all　for　the　simple　and　domestic　myself。　If　I　could　find　the　right　man；　and　he　didn't　see　me　ing　and　duck；　I'd　bee　one　of　the　Mendelssohn's　March　Daughters　right　away。　Are　you　going；　George？　There's　a　rehearsal　at　two…thirty　for　cuts。〃
　〃I　want　to　get　the　evening　papers　and　send　off　a　cable　or　two。　　See　you　later。〃
　〃We　shall　meet　at　Philippi。〃
　Mac　eyed　George's　retreating　back　till　he　had　turned　the　corner。
　〃A　nice　pleasant　gentleman；　Mr。　Bevan；〃　he　said。　〃Too　bad　'e's　got　the　pip　the　way　'e　'as；　just　after　'avin'　a　big　success　like　this　'ere。　es　of　bein'　a　artist；　I　suppose。〃
　Miss　Dore　dived　into　her　vanity　case　and　produced　a　puff　with　which　she　proceeded　to　powder　her　nose。
　〃All　posers　are　nuts；　Mac。　I　was　in　a　show　once　where　the　manager　was　panning　the　poser　because　there　wasn't　a　number　in　the　score　that　had　a　tune　to　it。　The　poor　geek　admitted　they　weren't　very　tuney；　but　said　the　thing　about　his　music　was　that　it　had　such　a　wonderful　aroma。　They　all　get　that　way。　The　jazz　seems　to　go　to　their　heads。　George　is　all　right；　though；　and　don't　let　anyone　tell　you　different。〃
　〃Have　you　know　him　long；　miss？〃
　〃About　five　years。　I　was　a　stenographer　in　the　house　that　published　his　songs　when　I　first　met　him。　And　there's　another　thing　you've　got　to　hand　it　to　George　for。　He　hasn't　let　success　give　him　a　swelled　head。　The　money　that　boy　makes　is　sinful；　Mac。　He　wears　thousand　dollar　bills　next　to　his　skin　winter　and　summer。　But　he's　just　the　same　as　he　was　when　I　first　knew　him；　when　he　was　just　hanging　around　Broa