the man between-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ight；　and　when　it　ceased　the　player's　voice　thrilled　every　heart　to　passionate　patriotism；　as　he　sang　with　magnificent　power　and　feeling

　　There　is　not　a　spot　on　this　wide…peopled　earth　　　So　dear　to　our　heart　as　the　Land　of　our　Birth；　etc。


A　tumult　of　hearty　applause　followed；　and　then　he　cried；　〃Gentlemen；　this　old　man　fought　for　the　land　of　our　birth。　He　is　dying　of　hunger；〃　and　into　the　old　man's　hat　he　dropped　a　bill　and　then　handed　it　round　to　millionaire　and　workingman　alike。　Ethel's　purse　was　in　her　hand。　As　he　passed　along　the　curb　at　which　her　carriage　stood；　he　looked　at　her　eager　face；　and　with　a　smile　held　out　the　battered　hat。　She；　also　smiling；　dropped　her　purse　into　it。　In　a　few　moments　the　hat　was　nearly　full；　the　old　man　and　the　money　were　confided　to　the　care　of　an　hotel　officer；　the　stream　of　traffic　and　pleasure　went　on　its　usual　way；　and　the　musician　disappeared。

All　that　evening　the　conversation　turned　constantly　to　this　event。　Mostyn　was　sure　he　was　a　member　of　some　operatic　troupe。　〃Voices　of　such　rare　compass　and　exceptional　training　were　not　to　be　found　among　non…professional　people；〃　he　said；　and　Judge　Rawdon　was　of　his　opinion。

〃His　voice　will　haunt　me　for　many　days；〃　he　said。　〃Those　two　lines；　for　instance

　　'Tis　the　home　of　our　childhood；　that　beautiful　spot　　　Which　memory　retains　when　all　else　is　forgot。

The　melody　was　wonderful。　I　wish　we　could　find　out　where　he　is　singing。　His　voice；　as　I　said；　haunts　my　ear。〃

Ethel　might　have　made　the　same　remark；　but　she　was　silent。　She　had　noticed　the　musician　more　closely　than　her　father　or　Fred　Mostyn；　and　when　Ruth　Bayard　asked　her　if　his　personality　was　interesting；　she　was　able　to　give　a　very　clear　description　of　the　man。

〃I　do　not　believe　he　is　a　professional　singer；　he　is　too　young；〃　she　answered。　〃I　should　think　he　was　about　twenty…five　years　old；　tall；　slender；　and　alert。　He　was　fashionably　dressed；　as　if　he　had　been；　or　was　going；　to　an　afternoon　reception。　Above　all　things；　I　should　say　he　was　a　gentleman。〃

Oh；　why　are　our　hearts　so　accessible　to　our　eyes？　Only　a　smiling　glance　had　passed　between　Ethel　and　the　Unknown；　yet　his　image　was　prisoned　behind　the　bars　of　her　eyelids。　On　this　day　of　days　she　had　met　Love　on　the　crowded　street；　and　he　had

　　〃But　touched　his　lute　wherein　was　audible　　　The　certain　secret　thing　he　had　to　tell；　　　Only　their　mirrored　eyes　met　silently〃；

and　a　sweet　trouble；　a　restless；　pleasing　curiosity；　had　filled　her　consciousness。　Who　was　he？　Where　had　he　gone　to？　When　should　they　meet　again？　Ah；　she　understood　now　how　Emmeline　Labiche　had　felt　constrained　to　seek　her　lover　from　the　snows　of　Canada　to　the　moss…veiled　oaks　of　Louisiana。

But　her　joyous；　hopeful　soul　could　not　think　of　love　and　disappointment　at　the　same　moment。　〃I　have　seen　him；　and　I　shall　see　him　again。　We　met　by　appointment。　Destiny　introduced　us。　Neither　of　us　will　forget；　and　somewhere；　some　day；　I　shall　be　waiting；　and　he　will　come。〃

Thus　this　daughter　of　sunshine　and　hope　answered　herself；　and　why　not？　All　good　things　come　to　those　who　can　wait　in　sweet　tranquillity　for　them；　and　seldom　does　Fortune　fail　to　bring　love　and　heart's…ease　upon　the　changeful　stream　of　changeful　days　to　those　who　trust　her　for　them。

On　the　following　morning；　when　the　two　girls　entered　the　parlor；　they　found　the　Judge　smoking　there。　He　had　already　breakfasted；　and　looked　over　the　three　or　four　newspapers　whose　opinions　he　thought　worthy　of　his　consideration。　They　were　lying　in　a　state　of　confusion　at　his　side；　and　Ethel　glanced　at　them　curiously。

〃Did　any　of　the　papers　speak　of　the　singing　before　the　Holland　House？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes。　I　think　reporters　must　be　ubiquitous。　All　my　papers　had　some　sort　of　a　notice　of　the　affair。〃

〃What　do　they　say？〃

〃One　gave　the　bare　circumstances　of　the　case；　another　indulged　in　what　was　supposed　to　be　humorous　description；　a　third　thought　it　might　have　been　the　result　of　a　bet　or　dare；　a　fourth　was　of　the　opinion　that　conspiracy　between　the　old　beggar　and　the　young　man　was　not　unlikely；　and　credited　the　exhibition　as　a　cleverly　original　way　of　obtaining　money。　But　all　agreed　in　believing　the　singer　to　be　a　member　of　some　opera　company　now　in　the　city。〃

Ethel　was　indignant。　〃It　was　neither　‘bet'　nor　‘dare'　nor　‘conspiracy；'〃　she　said。　〃I　saw　the　singer　as　he　came　walking　rapidly　down　the　avenue；　and　he　looked　as　happy　and　careless　as　a　boy　whistling　on　a　country　lane。　When　his　eyes　fell　on　the　old　man　he　hesitated；　just　a　moment；　and　then　spoke　to　him。　I　am　sure　they　were　absolute　strangers　to　each　other。〃

〃But　how　can　you　be　sure　of　a　thing　like　that；　Ethel？〃

〃I　don't　know　‘how；'　Ruth；　but　all　the　same；　I　am　sure。　And　as　for　it　being　a　new　way　of　begging；　that　is　not　correct。　Not　many　years　ago；　one　of　the　De　Reszke　brothers　led　a　crippled　soldier　into　a　Paris　cafe；　and　sang　the　starving　man　into　comfort　in　twenty　minutes。〃

〃And　the　angelic　Parepa　Rosa　did　as　much　for　a　Mexican　woman；　whom　she　found　in　the　depths　of　sorrow　and　povertybrought　her　lifelong　comfort　with　a　couple　of　her　songs。　Is　it　not　likely；　then；　that　the　gallant　knight　of　the　Holland　House　is　really　a　member　of　some　opera　company；　that　he　knew　of　these　examples　and　followed　them？〃

〃It　is　not　unlikely；　Ruth；　yet　I　do　not　believe　that　is　the　explanation。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　Judge；　throwing　his　cigarette　into　the　fire；　〃if　the　singer　had　never　heard　of　De　Reszke　and　Parepa　Rosa；　we　may　suppose　him　a　gentleman　of　such　culture　as　to　be　familiar　with　the　exquisite　Greek　legend　of　Phoebus　Apollothat　story　would　be　sufficient　to　inspire　any　man　with　his　voice。　Do　you　know　it？〃

Both　girls　answered　with　an　enthusiastic　entreaty　for　its　recital；　and　the　Judge　went　to　the　library　and　returned　with　a　queer…looking　little　book；　bound　in　marbled　paper。

〃It　was　my　father's　copy；〃　he　said；　〃an　Oxford　edition。〃　And　he　turned　the　leaves　with　loving　carefulness　until　he　came　to　the　incident。　Then　being　a　fine　reader；　the　words　fell　from　his　lips　in　a　stately　measure　better　than　music：

〃After　Troy　fell　there　came　to　Argos　a　scarred　soldier　seeking　alms。　Not　deigning　to　beg；　he　played　upon　a　lyre；　but　the　handling　of　arms　had　robbed　him　of　his　youthful　power；　and　he　stood　by　the　portico　hour　after　hour；　and　no　one　dropped　him　a　lepton。　Weary；　hungry　and　thirsty；　he　leaned　in　despair　against　a　pillar。　A　youth　came　to　him　and　asked；　‘Why　not　play　on；　Akeratos？〃　And　Akeratos　meekly　answered；　‘I　am　no　longer　skilled。'　‘Then；'　said　the　stranger；　‘hire　me　thy　lyre；　here　is　a　didrachmon。　I　will　play；　and　thou　shalt　hold　out　thy　cap　and　be　dumb。'　So　the　stranger　took　the　lyre　and　swept　the　strings；　and　men　heard；　as　it　were；　the　clashing　of　swords。　And　he　sang　the　fall　of　Troyhow　Hector　perished；　slain　by　Achilles；　the　rush　of　chariots；　the　ring　of　hoofs；　the　roar　of　flamesand　as　he　sang　the　people　stopped　to　listen；　breathless　and　eager；　with　rapt；　attentive　ear。　And　when　the　singer　ceased　the　soldier's　cap　was　filled　with　coins；　and　the　people　begged　for　yet　another　song。　Then　he　sang　of　Venus；　till　all　men's　hearts　were　softly　stirred；　and　the　air　was　purple　and　misty　and　full　of　the　scent　of　roses。　And　in　their　joy　men　cast　before　Akeratos　not　coins　only；　but　silver　bracelets　and　rings；　and　gems　and　ornaments　of　gold；　until　the　heap　had　to　its　utmost　grown；　making　Akeratos　rich　in　all　men's　sight。　Then　suddenly　the　singer　stood　in　a　blaze　of　light；　and　the　men　of　Argos　saw　their　god　of　song；　Phoebus　Apollo；　rise　in　glory　to　the　skies。〃

The　girls　were　delighted；　the　Judge　pleased　both　with　his　own　rendering　of　the　legend　and　the　manifest　appreciation　with　which　it　had　been　received。　For　a　moment　or　two　all　felt　the　exquisite　touch　of　the　antique　world；　and　Ethel　said；　in　a　tone　of　longing；

〃I　wish　that　I　had　been　a　Greek　and　lived　in　Argos。〃

〃You　would　not　have　liked　it　as　well　as　being　an　American　and　living　in　New　York；〃　said　her　father。

〃And　you　would　have　been　a　pagan；〃　added　Ruth。

〃They　were　such　lovely　pagans；　Ruth；　and　they　dreamed　such　beautiful　dreams　of　life。　Leave　the　book　with　me；　father；　I　will　take　good　care　of　it。〃

Then　the　Judge　gave　her　the　book；　and　with　a　sigh　looked　into　the　modern　street。　〃I　o