part 4-第6章

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with　all　that　beauty　and　all　that　talent；　Miss　Kronborg？〃







　　　　　She　turned　away　to　the　fire　again。　　〃I　don't　know　what



you're　talking　about；〃　she　muttered　with　an　awkwardness



which　did　not　conceal　her　pleasure。







　　　　　Ottenburg　laughed　softly。　　〃Oh；　yes；　you　do！　　Nobody



better！　　You're　a　close　one；　but　you　give　yourself　away



sometimes；　like　everybody　else。　　Do　you　know；　I've　de…



cided　that　you　never　do　a　single　thing　without　an　ulterior



motive。〃　　He　threw　away　his　cigarette；　took　out　his



tobacco…pouch　and　began　to　fill　his　pipe。　　〃You　ride　and



fence　and　walk　and　climb；　but　I　know　that　all　the　while



you're　getting　somewhere　in　your　mind。　　All　these　things



are　instruments；　and　I；　too；　am　an　instrument。〃　　He　looked



up　in　time　to　intercept　a　quick；　startled　glance　from　Thea。



〃Oh；　I　don't　mind；〃　he　chuckled；　〃not　a　bit。　　Every



woman；　every　interesting　woman；　has　ulterior　motives；



many　of　'em　less　creditable　than　yours。　　It's　your　constancy















that　amuses　me。　　You　must　have　been　doing　it　ever　since



you　were　two　feet　high。〃







　　　　　Thea　looked　slowly　up　at　her　companion's　good…humored



face。　　His　eyes；　sometimes　too　restless　and　sympathetic　in



town；　had　grown　steadier　and　clearer　in　the　open　air。　　His



short　curly　beard　and　yellow　hair　had　reddened　in　the　sun



and　wind。　　The　pleasant　vigor　of　his　person　was　always



delightful　to　her；　something　to　signal　to　and　laugh　with　in



a　world　of　negative　people。　　With　Fred　she　was　never　be…



calmed。　　There　was　always　life　in　the　air；　always　something



coming　and　going；　a　rhythm　of　feeling　and　action；



stronger　than　the　natural　accord　of　youth。　　As　she　looked



at　him；　leaning　against　the　sunny　wall；　she　felt　a　desire　to



be　frank　with　him。　　She　was　not　willfully　holding　anything



back。　　But；　on　the　other　hand；　she　could　not　force　things



that　held　themselves　back。　　〃Yes；　it　was　like　that　when　I



was　little；〃　she　said　at　last。　　〃I　had　to　be　close；　as　you



call　it；　or　go　under。　　But　I　didn't　know　I　had　been　like　that



since　you　came。　　I've　had　nothing　to　be　close　about。　　I



haven't　thought　about　anything　but　having　a　good　time



with　you。　　I've　just　drifted。〃







　　　　　Fred　blew　a　trail　of　smoke　out　into　the　breeze　and　looked



knowing。　　〃Yes；　you　drift　like　a　rifle　ball；　my　dear。　　It's



youryour　direction　that　I　like　best　of　all。　　Most　fellows



wouldn't；　you　know。　　I'm　unusual。〃







　　　　　They　both　laughed；　but　Thea　frowned　questioningly。



〃Why　wouldn't　most　fellows？　　Other　fellows　have　liked



me。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　serious　fellows。　　You　told　me　yourself　they　were　all



old；　or　solemn。　　But　jolly　fellows　want　to　be　the　whole



target。　　They　would　say　you　were　all　brain　and　muscle；



that　you　have　no　feeling。〃







　　　　　She　glanced　at　him　sidewise。　　〃Oh；　they　would；　would



they？〃







　　　　　〃Of　course　they　would；〃　Fred　continued　blandly。　　〃Jolly



fellows　have　no　imagination。　　They　want　to　be　the　animat…















ing　force。　　When　they　are　not　around；　they　want　a　girl　to



beextinct；〃　he　waved　his　hand。　　〃Old　fellows　like　Mr。



Nathanmeyer　understand　your　kind；　but　among　the　young



ones；　you　are　rather　lucky　to　have　found　me。　　Even　I



wasn't　always　so　wise。　　I've　had　my　time　of　thinking　it



would　not　bore　me　to　be　the　Apollo　of　a　homey　flat；　and



I've　paid　out　a　trifle　to　learn　better。　　All　those　things　get



very　tedious　unless　they　are　hooked　up　with　an　idea　of



some　sort。　　It's　because　we　DON'T　come　out　here　only　to



look　at　each　other　and　drink　coffee　that　it's　so　pleasant　to



look　at　each　other。〃　　Fred　drew　on　his　pipe　for　a　while；



studying　Thea's　abstraction。　　She　was　staring　up　at　the



far　wall　of　the　canyon　with　a　troubled　expression　that　drew



her　eyes　narrow　and　her　mouth　hard。　　Her　hands　lay　in　her



lap；　one　over　the　other；　the　fingers　interlacing。　　〃Suppose；〃



Fred　came　out　at　length；〃suppose　I　were　to　offer　you



what　most　of　the　young　men　I　know　would　offer　a　girl



they'd　been　sitting　up　nights　about：　a　comfortable　flat　in



Chicago；　a　summer　camp　up　in　the　woods；　musical　even…



ings；　and　a　family　to　bring　up。　　Would　it　look　attractive



to　you？〃







　　　　　Thea　sat　up　straight　and　stared　at　him　in　alarm；　glared



into　his　eyes。　　〃Perfectly　hideous！〃　she　exclaimed。







　　　　　Fred　dropped　back　against　the　old　stonework　and



laughed　deep　in　his　chest。　　〃Well；　don't　be　frightened。　　I



won't　offer　them。　　You're　not　a　nest…building　bird。　　You



know　I　always　liked　your　song；　‘Me　for　the　jolt　of　the



breakers！'　　I　understand。〃







　　　　　She　rose　impatiently　and　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　cliff。



〃It's　not　that　so　much。　　It's　waking　up　every　morning



with　the　feeling　that　your　life　is　your　own；　and　your



strength　is　your　own；　and　your　talent　is　your　own；　that



you're　all　there；　and　there's　no　sag　in　you。〃　　She　stood　for



a　moment　as　if　she　were　tortured　by　uncertainty；　then



turned　suddenly　back　to　him。　　〃Don't　talk　about　these



things　any　more　now；〃　she　entreated。　　〃It　isn't　that　I















want　to　keep　anything　from　you。　　The　trouble　is　that　I've



got　nothing　to　keepexcept　（you　know　as　well　as　I）　that



feeling。　　I　told　you　about　it　in　Chicago　once。　　But　it　always



makes　me　unhappy　to　talk　about　it。　　It　will　spoil　the　day。



Will　you　go　for　a　climb　with　me？〃　　She　held　out　her　hands



with　a　smile　so　eager　that　it　made　Ottenburg　feel　how　much



she　needed　to　get　away　from　herself。







　　　　　He　sprang　up　and　caught　the　hands　she　put　out　so　cor…



dially；　and　stood　swinging　them　back　and　forth。　　〃I　won't



tease　you。　　A　word's　enough　to　me。　　But　I　love　it；　all　the



same。　　Understand？〃　　He　pressed　her　hands　and　dropped



them。　　〃Now；　where　are　you　going　to　drag　me？〃







　　　　　〃I　want　you　to　drag　me。　　Over　there；　to　the　other　houses。



They　are　more　interesting　than　these。〃　　She　pointed　across



the　gorge　to　the　row　of　white　houses　in　the　other　cliff。



〃The　trail　is　broken　away；　but　I　got　up　there　once。　　It's



possible。　　You　have　to　go　to　the　bottom　of　the　canyon；



cross　the　creek；　and　then　go　up　hand…over…hand。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg；　lounging　against　the　sunny　wall；　his　hands　in



the　pockets　of　his　jacket；　looked　across　at　the　distant　dwell…



ings。　　〃It's　an　awful　climb；〃　he　sighed；　〃when　I　could　be



perfectly　happy　here　with　my　pipe。　　However〃　　He



took　up　his　stick　and　hat　and　followed　Thea　down　the



water　trail。　　〃Do　you　climb　this　path　every　day？　　You



surely　earn　your　bath。　　I　went　down　and　had　a　look　at　your



pool　the　other　afternoon。　　Neat　place；　with　all　those　little



cottonwoods。　　Must　be　very　becoming。〃







　　　　　〃Think　so？〃　Thea　said　over　her　shoulder；　as　she　swung



round　a　turn。







　　　　　〃Yes；　and　so　do　you；　evidently。　　I'm　becoming　expert



at　reading　your　meaning　in　your　back。　　I'm　behind　you　so



much　on　these　single…foot　trails。　　You　don't　wear　stays；　do



you？〃







　　　　　〃Not　here。〃







　　　　　〃I　wouldn't；　anywhere；　if　I　were　you。　　They　will　make



you　less　elastic。　　The　side　muscles　get　flabby。　　If　you　go　in















for　opera；　there's　a　fortune　in　a　flexible　body。　　Most　of　the



German　singers　are　clumsy；　even　when　they're　well　set　up。〃







　　　　　Thea　switched　a　PINON　branch　back　at　him。　　〃Oh；　I'll



never　get　fat！　　That　I　can　promise　you。〃







　　　　　Fred　smiled；　looking　after　her。　　〃Keep　that　promise；　no



matter　how　many　others　you　break；〃　he　drawled。







　　　　　The　upward　climb；　after　they　had　crossed　the　stream；



was　at　first　a