the dust-第30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！


aggle　with　merchants　who　have　got　doubly　ready　for　them　by　laying　in　inferior　goods　and　by　putting　up　prices　in　advance。　　She　knew　how　much　ten　dollars　a　week　was；　the　meaning　of　the　twenty　to　thirty　dollars　a　week　her　father　had　made。　　But　she　had　only　a　faintand　exaggeratedly　mistakennotion　about　sixty…five　hundred　a　yearsix　and　a　half　thousands。　　It　seemed　wealth　to　her；　so　vast　that　a　hundred　thousand　a　year　would　have　seemed　no　more。　　As　soon　as　she　drifted　away　from　the　known　coursethe　thirty　to　forty　dollars　a　week　upon　which　they　had　been　living　Dorothea　Hallowell　was　in　a　trackless　sea；　with　a　broken　compass　and　no　chart　whatever。　　A　common　enough　experience　in　America；　the　land　of　sudden　changes　of　fortune；　of　rosiest　hopes　about　〃striking　it　rich；〃　of　carelessness　and　ignorance　as　to　values；　of　eager　and　untrained　appetite　for　luxury　and　novelty　of　any　and　every　kind。

At　first　any　expenditure；　however　small；　for　the　plainest　comfort　which　had　been　beyond　their　means　seemed　a　giddy　extravagance。　　But　a　bank　accountAND　a　check　booksoon　dissipated　that　nervousness。　　A　few　charge　accounts；　a　little　practice　in　the　simple　easy　gesture　of　drawing　a　check；　and　she　was　almost　at　her　ease。　　With　people　who　have　known　only　squalor　or　with　those　who　have　earned　their　better　fortune　by　privation　and　slow　accumulation；　the　spreading　out　process　is　usually　slownot　so　slow　as　it　used　to　be　when　our　merchants　had　not　learned　the　art　of　tempting　any　and　every　kind　of　human　nature；　but　still　far　from　rapid。　　A　piece　of　money　reminds　them　vividly　and　painfully　of　the　toil　put　into　acquiring　it；　and　they　shy　away　from　the　pitfall　of　the　facile　check。　　With　those　born　and　bred　as　Dorothy　was　and　elevated　into　what　seems　to　them　affluence　by　no　effort　of　their　own；　the　spreading　is　a　tropical；　overnight　affair。

Counting　all　she　spent　and　arranged　to　spend　in　those　first　few　weeks；　you　had　no　great　total。　　But　it　was　great　for　a　girl　who　had　been　making　ten　dollars　a　week。　　Also　there　were　sown　in　her　mind　broadcast　and　thick　the　seeds　of　desire　for　more　luxurious　comfort；　of　need　for　it；　that　could　never　be　uprooted。

Norman　came　over　almost　every　evening。　　He　got　a　new　and　youthful　and　youth…restoring　kind　of　pleasure　out　of　this　process　of　expansion。　　He　liked　to　hear　each　trifling　detail；　and　he　was　always　making　suggestions　that　bore　immediate　fruit　in　further　expenditure。　When　he　again　brought　up　the　subject　of　a　larger　house；　she　listened　with　only　the　faintest　protests。　　Her　ideas　of　such　a　short　time　before　seemed　small；　laughably　small　now。　　〃Father　was　worrying　only　this　morning　because　he　is　so　cramped；〃　she　admitted。

〃We　must　remedy　that　at　once；〃　said　Norman。

And　on　the　following　Sunday　he　and　she　went　house　hunting。　　They　found　a　satisfactory　placepeculiarly　satisfactory　to　Norman　because　it　was　near　the　Hudson　tunnel；　and　so　only　a　few　minutes　from　his　office。　　To　Dorothy　it　loomed　a　mansion；　almost　a　palace。　　In　fact　it　was　a　modestly　roomy　old…fashioned　brick　house；　with　a　brick　stable　at　the　side　that；　with　a　little　changing；　would　make　an　admirable　laboratory。

〃You　haven't　the　timeor　the　experienceto　fit　this　place　up；〃　said　Norman。　　〃I'll　attend　to　itthat　is；　I'll　have　it　attended　to。〃　　Seeing　her　uneasy　expression；　he　added：　　〃I　can　get　much　better　terms。　　They'd　certainly　overcharge　you。　　There's　no　sense　in　wasting　moneyis　there？〃

〃No；〃　she　admitted；　convinced。

He　gave　the　order　to　a　firm　of　decorators。　　It　was　a　moderate　order；　considering　the　amount　of　work　that　had　to　be　done。　　But　if　the　girl　had　seen　the　estimates　Norman　indorsed；　she　would　have　been　terrified。　　However；　he　saw　to　it　that　she　did　not　see　them；　and　she；　ignorant　of　values；　believed　him　when　he　told　her　the　general　account　of　the　corporation　must　be　charged　with　two　thousand　dollars。

Her　alarm　took　him　by　surprise。　　The　sum　seemed　small　to　himand　it　was　only　about　one　fifth　what　the　alterations　and　improvements　had　cost。　　Cried　she；　〃Why；　that's　more　than　our　whole　income　for　a　year　has　been！〃

〃You　are　forgetting　these　improvements　add　to　the　value　of　the　property。　　I've　bought　it。〃

That　quieted　her。　　〃You　are　sure　you　didn't　pay　those　decorators　and　furnishers　too　much？〃　said　she。

〃You　don't　like　their　work？〃　inquired　he；　chagrined。

〃Oh；　yesyes；　indeed；〃　she　assured　him。　　〃I　like　plain；　solid…looking　things。　　Buttwo　thousand　dollars　is　a　lot　of　money。〃

Norman　regretted　that；　as　his　whole　object　had　been　to　please　her；　he　had　not　ordered　the　more　showy　cheaper　stuff　but　had　insisted　upon　the　simplest；　plainest…　looking　appointments　throughout。　　Even　her　bedroom　furniture；　even　her　dressing　table　set；　was　of　the　kind　that　suggests　cost　only　to　the　experienced；　carefully　and　well　educated　in　values　and　in　taste。

〃But　I'm　sure　it　isn't　fair　to　charge　ALL　these　things　to　the　company；〃　she　protested。　　〃I　can't　allow　it。　　Not　the　things　for　my　personal　use。〃

〃You　ARE　a　fierce　watchdog　of　a　treasurer；〃　said　Norman；　laughing　at　her　but　noting　and　respecting　the　fine　instinct　of　good　breeding　shown　in　her　absence　of　greediness；　of　desire　to　get　all　she　could。　　〃But　I'm　letting　the　firm　of　decorators　take　over　what　you　leave　　behind　in　the　old　house。　　I'll　see　what　they'll　allow　for　it。　　Maybe　that　will　cover　the　expense　you　object　to。〃

This　contented　her。　　Nor　was　she　in　the　least　suspicious　when　he　announced　that　the　decorators　had　made　such　a　liberal　allowance　that　the　deficit　was　but　three　hundred　dollars。　　〃Those　chaps；〃　he　explained；　〃have　a　wide　margin　of　profit。　　Besides；　they're　eager　to　get　more　and　bigger　work　from　me。〃

A　few　weeks；　and　he　was　enjoying　the　sight　of　her　ensconced　with　her　father　in　luxurious　comfortwith　two　servants；　with　a　well…run　house；　with　pleasant　gardens；　with　all　that　is　at　the　command　of　an　income　of　six　thousand　a　year　in　a　comparatively　inexpensive　city。　Only　occasionallyand　then　not　deeplywas　he　troubled　by　the　reflection　that　he　was　still　far　from　his　goal　and　had　made　apparently　absurdly　little　progress　toward　it　through　all　this　maneuvering。　　The　truth　was；　he　preferred　to　linger　when　lingering　gave　him　so　many　new　kinds　of　pleasure。　　Of　those　in　the　large　and　motley　company　that　sit　down　to　the　banquet　of　the　senses；　the　most　are　crude；　if　not　coarse；　gluttons。　　They　eat　fast　and　furiously；　having　a　raw　appetite。　　Now　and　then　there　is　one　who　has　some　idea　of　the　art　of　enjoymentthe　art　of　prolonging　and　varying　both　the　joys　of　anticipation　and　the　joys　of　realization。

He　turned　his　attention　to　tempting　her　to　extravagance　in　dress。　　Rut　his　success　there　was　not　all　he　could　have　wished。　　She　wore　better　clothesmuch　better。　　She　no　longer　looked　the　poor　working　girl；　struggling　desperately　to　be　neat　and　clean。　　She　had　almost　immediately　taken　on　the　air　of　the　comfortable　classes。　Rut　everything　she　got　for　herself　was　inexpensive。　and　she　made　dresses　for　herself；　and　trimmed　all　her　hats。　　With　the　hats　Norman　found　no　fault。　　There　her　good　taste　produced　about　as　satisfactory　results　as　could　have　been　got　at　the　fashionable　millinersmore　satisfactory　than　are　got　by　the　women　who　go　there；　with　no　taste　of　their　own　beyond　a　hazy　idea　that　they　want　〃something　like　what　Mrs。　So…and…So　is　wearing。〃　But　homemade　dresses　were　a　different　matter。

Norman　longed　to　have　her　in　toilettes　that　would　bring　out　the　full　beauty　of　her　marvelous　figure。　　He；　after　the　manner　of　the　more　intelligent　and　worldly…　wise　New　York　men；　had　some　knowledge　of　women's　clothes。　　His　sister　knew　how　to　dress；　Josephine　knew　how；　though　her　taste　was　somewhat　too　sober　to　suit　Normanat　least　to　suit　him　in　Dorothy。　　He　thought　out　and　suggested　dresses　to　Dorothy；　and　told　her　where　to　get　them。　　Dorothy　tried　to　carry　out　at　home　such　of　his　suggestions　as　pleased　herfor；　like　all　women；　she　believed　she　knew　how　to　dress　herself。　　Her　handiwork　was　creditable。　　It　would　have　contented　a　less　exacting　and　less　trained　taste　than　Norman's。　　It　would　have　contented　him　had　he　not　been　infatuated　with　her　beauty　of　face　and　form。　　As　it　was；　the　improvement　in　her　appearance　only　served　to　intensify　his　agitation。　　He　now　saw　in　her　not　only　all　that　had　first　conquered　him；　b