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第67章

merton of the movies-第67章

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At times when they waited for a car after these dissipations he suffered a not unpleasant alarm at sight of a large…worded advertisement along the back of a bench on which they would sit。 〃You furnish the Girl; We furnish the House;〃 screamed the bench to him above the name of an enterprising tradesman that came in time to bite itself deeply into his memory。

Of course it would be absurd; but stranger things; he thought; had happened。 He wondered if the girl was as afraid of him as of other men。 She seemed not to be; but you couldn't tell much about her。 She had kissed him one day with a strange warmth of manner; but it had been quite publicly in the presence of other people。 When he left her at her door now it was after the least sentimental of partings; perhaps a shake of her hard little hand; or perhaps only a 〃S'long see you at the show…shop!〃

It was on one of these nights that she first invited him to dine with the Montague family。 〃I tried last night to get you on the telephone;〃 she explained; 〃but they kept giving me someone else; or maybe I called wrong。 Ain't these six…figured Los Angeles telephone numbers the limit? When you call 208972 or something; it sounds like paging a box…car。 I was going to ask you over。 Ma had cooked a lovely mess of corned beef and cabbage。 Anyway; you come eat with us to…morrow night; will you? She'll have something else cooked up that will stick to the merry old slats。 You can come home with me when we get in from work。〃

So it was that on the following night he enjoyed a home evening with the Montagues。 Mrs。 Montague had indeed cooked up something else; and had done it well; while Mr。 Montague offered at the sideboard a choice of amateur distillations and brews which he warmly recommended to the guest。 While the guest timidly considered; having had but the slightest experience with intoxicants; it developed that the confidence placed in his product by the hospitable old craftsman was not shared by his daughter。

〃Keep off it;〃 she warned; and then to her father; 〃Say; listen; Pa; have a heart; that boy's got to work to…morrow。〃 〃So be it; my child;〃 replied Mr。 Montague with a visible stiffening of manner。 〃Sylvester Montague is not the man to urge strong drink upon the reluctant or the over…cautious。 I shall drink my aperatif alone。〃

〃Go to it; old Pippin;〃 rejoined his daughter as she vanished to the kitchen。

〃Still; a little dish of liquor at this hour;〃 continued the host suggestively when they were alone。

〃Well〃Merton wished the girl had stayed〃perhaps just a few drops。〃

〃Precisely; my boy; precisely。 A mere dram。〃 He poured the mere dram and his guest drank。 It was a colourless; fiery stuff with an elusive taste of metal。 Merton contrived an expression of pleasure under the searching glance of his host。 〃Ah; I knew you would relish it。 I fancy I could amaze you if I told you how recently it was made。 Now here〃He grasped another bottle purposely〃is something a full ten days older。 It has developed quite a bouquet。 Just a drop〃

The guest graciously yet firmly waved a negation。

〃Thanks;〃 he said; 〃but I want to enjoy the lastitit has so much flavour。〃

〃It has; it has; indeed。 I'll not urge you; of course。 Later you must see the simple mechanism by which I work these wonders。 Alone; then; I drink to you。〃

Mr。 Montague alone drank of two other fruits of his loom before the ladies appeared with dinner。 He was cleanshaven now and his fine face glowed with hospitality as he carved roast chickens。 The talk was of the shop: of what Mr。 Montague scornfully called 〃grind shows〃 when his daughter led it; and of the legitimate hall…show when he gained the leadership。 He believed that moving pictures had sounded the knell of true dramatic art and said so in many ways。

He tried to imagine the sensations of Lawrence Barrett or Louis James could they behold Sylvester Montague; whom both these gentlemen had proclaimed to be no mean artist; enacting the role of a bar…room rowdy five days on end by reclining upon a sawdust floor with his back supported by a spirits barrel。 The supposititious comments of the two placed upon the motion…picture industry the black guilt of having degraded a sterling artist to the level of a peep…show mountebank。 They were frankly disgusted at the spectacle; and their present spokesman thought it as well that they had not actually lived to witness iteven the happier phases of this so… called art in which a mere chit of a girl might earn a living wage by falling downstairs for a so…called star; or the he…doll whippersnapperMerton Gill flinched in spite of himselfcould name his own salary for merely possessing a dimpled chin。

Further; an artist in the so…called art received his payment as if he had delivered groceries at one's back door。 〃You; I believe〃 The speaker addressed his guest〃are at present upon a pay…roll; but there are others; your elders…possibly your betters; though I do not say that〃

〃You better not;〃 remarked his daughter; only to be ignored。

〃others who must work a day and at the close of it receive a slip of paper emblazoned 'Talent Pay Check。' How more effectively could they cheapen the good word 'talent'? And at the foot of this slip you are made to sign; before receiving the pittance you have earned; a consent to the public exhibition for the purpose of trade or advertising; of the pictures for which you may have posed。 Could tradesmen descend to a lower level; I ask you?〃

〃I'll have one for twelve fifty to…morrow night;〃 said Mrs。 Montague; not too dismally。 〃I got to do a duchess at a reception; and I certainly hope my feet don't hurt me again。〃

〃Cheer up; old dears! Pretty soon you can both pick your parts;〃 chirped their daughter。 〃Jeff's going to give me a contract; and then you can loaf forever for all I care。 Only I know you won't; and you know you won't。 Both of you'd act for nothing if you couldn't do it for money。 What's the use of pretending?〃

〃The chit may be right; she may be right;〃 conceded Mr。 Montague sadly。

Later; while the ladies were again in the kitchen; Mr。 Montague; after suggesting; 〃Something in the nature of an after…dinner cordial;〃 quaffed one for himself and followed it with the one he had poured out for a declining guest who still treasured the flavour of his one aperitif。

He then led the way to the small parlour where he placed in action on the phonograph a record said to contain the ravings of John McCullough in his last hours。 He listened to this emotionally。

〃That's the sort of technique;〃 he said; 〃that the socalled silver screen has made but a memory。〃 He lighted his pipe; and identified various framed photographs that enlivened the walls of the little room。 Many of them were of himself at an earlier age。

〃My dear mother…in…law;〃 he said; pointing to another。 〃A sterling artist; and in her time an ornament of the speaking stage。 I was on tour when her last days came。 She idolized me; and passed away with my name on her lips。 Her last request was that a photograph of me should be placed in her casket before it went to its final resting place。〃

He paused; his emotion threatening to overcome him。 Presently he brushed a hand across his eyes and continued; 〃I discovered later that they had picked out the most wretched of all my photographsan atrocious thing I had supposed was destroyed。 Can you imagine it?〃

Apparently it was but the entrance of his daughter that saved him from an affecting collapse。 His daughter removed the record of John McCullough's ravings; sniffed at it; and put a fox…trot in its place。

〃He's got to learn to dance;〃 she explained; laying hands upon the guest。

〃Dancingdancing!〃 murmured Mr。 Montague; as if the very word recalled bitter memories。

With brimming eyes he sat beating time to the fox…trot measure while Merton Gill proved to all observers that his mastery of this dance would; if ever at all achieved; be only after long and discouraging effort。

〃You forget all about your feet;〃 remarked the girl as they paused; swaying to the rhythm。 〃Remember the feetthey're important in a dance。 Now!〃 But it was hard to remember his feet or; when he did recall them; to relate their movements even distantly to the music。 When this had 

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