the game-第4章

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matrimony。　　Now　he　saw　the　deeper　wisdom　in　it；　wanted　it　himself；

and　concluded　therefrom　that　he　was　in　love。



Both　were　now　of　the　same　mind；　and　there　could　be　but　the　one

ending；　and　it　was　the　mild　nine　days'　wonder　of　Genevieve's

neighborhood　when　she　and　Joe　walked　out　together。



Both　were　blessed　with　an　avarice　of　speech；　and　because　of　it　their

courtship　was　a　long　one。　　As　he　expressed　himself　in　action；　she

expressed　herself　in　repose　and　control；　and　by　the　love…light　in

her　eyesthough　this　latter　she　would　have　suppressed　in　all　maiden

modesty　had　she　been　conscious　of　the　speech　her　heart　printed　so

plainly　there。　　〃Dear〃　and　〃darling〃　were　too　terribly　intimate　for

them　to　achieve　quickly；　and；　unlike　most　mating　couples；　they　did

not　overwork　the　love…words。　　For　a　long　time　they　were　content　to

walk　together　in　the　evenings；　or　to　sit　side　by　side　on　a　bench　in

the　park；　neither　uttering　a　word　for　an　hour　at　a　time；　merely

gazing　into　each　other's　eyes；　too　faintly　luminous　in　the　starshine

to　be　a　cause　for　self…consciousness　and　embarrassment。



He　was　as　chivalrous　and　delicate　in　his　attention　as　any　knight　to

his　lady。　　When　they　walked　along　the　street；　he　was　careful　to　be

on　the　outside；somewhere　he　had　heard　that　this　was　the　proper

thing　to　do；and　when　a　crossing　to　the　opposite　side　of　the　street

put　him　on　the　inside；　he　swiftly　side…stepped　behind　her　to　gain

the　outside　again。　　He　carried　her　parcels　for　her；　and　once；　when

rain　threatened；　her　umbrella。　　He　had　never　heard　of　the　custom　of

sending　flowers　to　one's　lady…love；　so　he　sent　Genevieve　fruit

instead。　　There　was　utility　in　fruit。　　It　was　good　to　eat。　　Flowers

never　entered　his　mind；　until；　one　day；　he　noticed　a　pale　rose　in

her　hair。　　It　drew　his　gaze　again　and　again。　　It　was　HER　hair；

therefore　the　presence　of　the　flower　interested　him。　　Again；　it

interested　him　because　SHE　had　chosen　to　put　it　there。　　For　these

reasons　he　was　led　to　observe　the　rose　more　closely。　　He　discovered

that　the　effect　in　itself　was　beautiful；　and　it　fascinated　him。　　His

ingenuous　delight　in　it　was　a　delight　to　her；　and　a　new　and　mutual

love…thrill　was　theirsbecause　of　a　flower。　　Straightway　he　became

a　lover　of　flowers。　　Also；　he　became　an　inventor　in　gallantry。　　He

sent　her　a　bunch　of　violets。　　The　idea　was　his　own。　　He　had　never

heard　of　a　man　sending　flowers　to　a　woman。　　Flowers　were　used　for

decorative　purposes；　also　for　funerals。　　He　sent　Genevieve　flowers

nearly　every　day；　and　so　far　as　he　was　concerned　the　idea　was

original；　as　positive　an　invention　as　ever　arose　in　the　mind　of　man。



He　was　tremulous　in　his　devotion　to　heras　tremulous　as　was　she　in

her　reception　of　him。　　She　was　all　that　was　pure　and　good；　a　holy　of

holies　not　lightly　to　be　profaned　even　by　what　might　possibly　be　the

too　ardent　reverence　of　a　devotee。　　She　was　a　being　wholly　different

from　any　he　had　ever　known。　　She　was　not　as　other　girls。　　It　never

entered　his　head　that　she　was　of　the　same　clay　as　his　own　sisters；

or　anybody's　sister。　　She　was　more　than　mere　girl；　than　mere　woman。

She　waswell；　she　was　Genevieve；　a　being　of　a　class　by　herself；

nothing　less　than　a　miracle　of　creation。



And　for　her；　in　turn；　there　was　in　him　but　little　less　of　illusion。

Her　judgment　of　him　in　minor　things　might　be　critical　（while　his

judgment　of　her　was　sheer　worship；　and　had　in　it　nothing　critical　at

all）；　but　in　her　judgment　of　him　as　a　whole　she　forgot　the　sum　of

the　parts；　and　knew　him　only　as　a　creature　of　wonder；　who　gave

meaning　to　life；　and　for　whom　she　could　die　as　willingly　as　she

could　live。　　She　often　beguiled　her　waking　dreams　of　him　with

fancied　situations；　wherein；　dying　for　him；　she　at　last　adequately

expressed　the　love　she　felt　for　him；　and　which；　living；　she　knew　she

could　never　fully　express。



Their　love　was　all　fire　and　dew。　　The　physical　scarcely　entered　into

it；　for　such　seemed　profanation。　　The　ultimate　physical　facts　of

their　relation　were　something　which　they　never　considered。　　Yet　the

immediate　physical　facts　they　knew；　the　immediate　yearnings　and

raptures　of　the　fleshthe　touch　of　finger　tips　on　hand　or　arm；　the

momentary　pressure　of　a　hand…clasp；　the　rare　lip…caress　of　a　kiss；

the　tingling　thrill　of　her　hair　upon　his　cheek；　of　her　hand　lightly

thrusting　back　the　locks　from　above　his　eyes。　　All　this　they　knew；

but　also；　and　they　knew　not　why；　there　seemed　a　hint　of　sin　about

these　caresses　and　sweet　bodily　contacts。



There　were　times　when　she　felt　impelled　to　throw　her　arms　around　him

in　a　very　abandonment　of　love；　but　always　some　sanctity　restrained

her。　　At　such　moments　she　was　distinctly　and　unpleasantly　aware　of

some　unguessed　sin　that　lurked　within　her。　　It　was　wrong；

undoubtedly　wrong；　that　she　should　wish　to　caress　her　lover　in　so

unbecoming　a　fashion。　　No　self…respecting　girl　could　dream　of　doing

such　a　thing。　　It　was　unwomanly。　　Besides；　if　she　had　done　it；　what

would　he　have　thought　of　it？　　And　while　she　contemplated　so　horrible

a　catastrophe；　she　seemed　to　shrivel　and　wilt　in　a　furnace　of　secret

shame。



Nor　did　Joe　escape　the　prick　of　curious　desires；　chiefest　among

which；　perhaps；　was　the　desire　to　hurt　Genevieve。　　When；　after　long

and　tortuous　degrees；　he　had　achieved　the　bliss　of　putting　his　arm

round　her　waist；　he　felt　spasmodic　impulses　to　make　the　embrace

crushing；　till　she　should　cry　out　with　the　hurt。　　It　was　not　his

nature　to　wish　to　hurt　any　living　thing。　　Even　in　the　ring；　to　hurt

was　never　the　intention　of　any　blow　he　struck。　　In　such　case　he

played　the　Game；　and　the　goal　of　the　Game　was　to　down　an　antagonist

and　keep　that　antagonist　down　for　a　space　of　ten　seconds。　　So　he

never　struck　merely　to　hurt；　the　hurt　was　incidental　to　the　end；　and

the　end　was　quite　another　matter。　　And　yet　here；　with　this　girl　he

loved；　came　the　desire　to　hurt。　　Why；　when　with　thumb　and　forefinger

he　had　ringed　her　wrist；　he　should　desire　to　contract　that　ring　till

it　crushed；　was　beyond　him。　　He　could　not　understand；　and　felt　that

he　was　discovering　depths　of　brutality　in　his　nature　of　which　he　had

never　dreamed。



Once；　on　parting；　he　threw　his　arms　around　her　and　swiftly　drew　her

against　him。　　Her　gasping　cry　of　surprise　and　pain　brought　him　to

his　senses　and　left　him　there　very　much　embarrassed　and　still

trembling　with　a　vague　and　nameless　delight。　　And　she；　too；　was

trembling。　　In　the　hurt　itself；　which　was　the　essence　of　the

vigorous　embrace；　she　had　found　delight；　and　again　she　knew　sin；

though　she　knew　not　its　nature　nor　why　it　should　be　sin。



Came　the　day；　very　early　in　their　walking　out；　when　Silverstein

chanced　upon　Joe　in　his　store　and　stared　at　him　with　saucer…eyes。

Came　likewise　the　scene；　after　Joe　had　departed；　when　the　maternal

feelings　of　Mrs。　Silverstein　found　vent　in　a　diatribe　against　all

prize…fighters　and　against　Joe　Fleming　in　particular。　　Vainly　had

Silverstein　striven　to　stay　the　spouse's　wrath。　　There　was　need　for

her　wrath。　　All　the　maternal　feelings　were　hers　but　none　of　the

maternal　rights。



Genevieve　was　aware　only　of　the　diatribe；　she　knew　a　flood　of　abuse

was　pouring　from　the　lips　of　the　Jewess；　but　she　was　too　stunned　to

hear　the　details　of　the　abuse。　　Joe；　her　Joe；　was　Joe　Fleming　the

prize…fighter。　　It　was　abhorrent；　impossible；　too　grotesque　to　be

believable。　　Her　clear…eyed；　girl…cheeked　Joe　might　be　anything　but

a　prize…fighter。　　She　had　never　seen　one；　but　he　in　no　way　resembled

her　conception　of　what　a　prize…fighter　must　bethe　human　brute　with

tiger　eyes　and　a　streak　for　a　forehead。　　Of　course　she　had　heard　of

Joe　Flemingwho　in　West　Oakland　had　not？but　that　there　should　be

anything　more　than　a　coincidence　of　names　had　never　crossed　her

mind。



She　came　out　of　her　daze　to　hear　Mrs。　Silverstein's　hysterical

sneer；　〃keepin'　company　vit　a　bruiser。〃　　Next；　Silverstein　and　his

wife　fell　to　differing　on　〃noted〃　and　〃notorious〃　as　applicable　to

her　lov