part 6-第10章

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combination　hardly　ever　happens　with　sopranos。〃　　Otten…



burg　sat　down　and　turned　to　the　doctor；　speaking　calmly



and　trying　to　dispel　his　friend's　manifest　bewilderment。



〃You　see；　Archie；　there's　the　voice　itself；　so　beautiful　and



individual；　and　then　there's　something　else；　the　thing　in　it



which　responds　to　every　shade　of　thought　and　feeling；



spontaneously；　almost　unconsciously。　　That　color　has　to



be　born　in　a　singer；　it　can't　be　acquired；　lots　of　beautiful



voices　haven't　a　vestige　of　it。　　It's　almost　like　another



giftthe　rarest　of　all。　　The　voice　simply　is　the　mind　and



is　the　heart。　　It　can't　go　wrong　in　interpretation；　because　it



has　in　it　the　thing　that　makes　all　interpretation。　　That's















why　you　feel　so　sure　of　her。　　After　you've　listened　to　her



for　an　hour　or　so；　you　aren't　afraid　of　anything。　　All　the



little　dreads　you　have　with　other　artists　vanish。　　You　lean



back　and　you　say　to　yourself；　‘No；　THAT　voice　will　never　be…



tray。'　　TREULICH　GEFUHRT；　TREULICH　BEWACHT。〃







　　　　　Archie　looked　envyingly　at　Fred's　excited；　triumphant



face。　　How　satisfactory　it　must　be；　he　thought；　to　really



know　what　she　was　doing　and　not　to　have　to　take　it　on



hearsay。　　He　took　up　his　glass　with　a　sigh。　　〃I　seem　to



need　a　good　deal　of　cooling　off　to…night。　　I'd　just　as　lief



forget　the　Reform　Party　for　once。







　　　　　〃Yes；　Fred；〃　he　went　on　seriously；　〃I　thought　it



sounded　very　beautiful；　and　I　thought　she　was　very



beautiful；　too。　　I　never　imagined　she　could　be　as　beautiful



as　that。〃







　　　　　〃Wasn't　she？　　Every　attitude　a　picture；　and　always　the



right　kind　of　picture；　full　of　that　legendary；　supernatural



thing　she　gets　into　it。　　I　never　heard　the　prayer　sung　like



that　before。　　That　look　that　came　in　her　eyes；　it　went　right



out　through　the　back　of　the　roof。　　Of　course；　you　get　an



ELSA　who　can　look　through　walls　like　that；　and　visions　and



Grail…knights　happen　naturally。　　She　becomes　an　abbess；



that　girl；　after　LOHENGRIN　leaves　her。　　She's　made　to　live



with　ideas　and　enthusiasms；　not　with　a　husband。〃　　Fred



folded　his　arms；　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　began　to



sing　softly：











　　　　　　　　　　











　　　　　〃Doesn't　she　die；　then；　at　the　end？〃　the　doctor　asked



guardedly。







　　　　　Fred　smiled；　reaching　under　the　table。　　〃Some　ELSAS　do；



she　didn't。　　She　left　me　with　the　distinct　impression　that



she　was　just　beginning。　　Now；　doctor；　here's　a　cold　one。〃



He　twirled　a　napkin　smoothly　about　the　green　glass；　the



cork　gave　and　slipped　out　with　a　soft　explosion。　　〃And　now



we　must　have　another　toast。　　It's　up　to　you；　this　time。〃



















　　　　　The　doctor　watched　the　agitation　in　his　glass。　　〃The



same；〃　he　said　without　lifting　his　eyes。　　〃That's　good



enough。　　I　can't　raise　you。〃







　　　　　Fred　leaned　forward；　and　looked　sharply　into　his　face。



〃That's　the　point；　how　COULD　you　raise　me？　　Once　again！〃







　　　　　〃Once　again；　and　always　the　same！〃　　The　doctor　put



down　his　glass。　　〃This　doesn't　seem　to　produce　any　symp…



toms　in　me　to…night。〃　　He　lit　a　cigar。　　〃Seriously；　Freddy；



I　wish　I　knew　more　about　what　she's　driving　at。　　It　makes



me　jealous；　when　you　are　so　in　it　and　I'm　not。〃







　　　　　〃In　it？〃　　Fred　started　up。　　〃My　God；　haven't　you　seen



her　this　blessed　night？when　she'd　have　kicked　any



other　man　down　the　elevator　shaft；　if　I　know　her。　　Leave



me　something；　at　least　what　I　can　pay　my　five　bucks　for。〃







　　　　　〃Seems　to　me　you　get　a　good　deal　for　your　five　bucks；〃



said　Archie　ruefully。　　〃And　that；　after　all；　is　what　she　cares



about；what　people　get。〃







　　　　　Fred　lit　a　cigarette；　took　a　puff　or　two；　and　then　threw　it



away。　　He　was　lounging　back　in　his　chair；　and　his　face　was



pale　and　drawn　hard　by　that　mood　of　intense　concentration



which　lurks　under　the　sunny　shallows　of　the　vineyard。　　In



his　voice　there　was　a　longer　perspective　than　usual；　a　slight



remoteness。　　〃You　see；　Archie；　it's　all　very　simple；　a　natu…



ral　development。　　It's　exactly　what　Mahler　said　back　there



in　the　beginning；　when　she　sang　WOGLINDE。　　It's　the　idea；



the　basic　idea；　pulsing　behind　every　bar　she　sings。　　She



simplifies　a　character　down　to　the　musical　idea　it's　built　on；



and　makes　everything　conform　to　that。　　The　people　who



chatter　about　her　being　a　great　actress　don't　seem　to　get



the　notion　of　where　SHE　gets　the　notion。　　It　all　goes　back　to



her　original　endowment；　her　tremendous　musical　talent。



Instead　of　inventing　a　lot　of　business　and　expedients　to



suggest　character；　she　knows　the　thing　at　the　root；　and　lets



the　musical　pattern　take　care　of　her。　　The　score　pours　her



into　all　those　lovely　postures；　makes　the　light　and　shadow



go　over　her　face；　lifts　her　and　drops　her。　　She　lies　on　it；　the















way　she　used　to　lie　on　the　Rhine　music。　　Talk　about



rhythm！〃







　　　　　The　doctor　frowned　dubiously　as　a　third　bottle　made　its



appearance　above　the　cloth。　　〃Aren't　you　going　in　rather



strong？〃







　　　　　Fred　laughed。　　〃No；　I'm　becoming　too　sober。　　You　see



this　is　breakfast　now；　kind　of　wedding　breakfast。　　I　feel



rather　weddingish。　　I　don't　mind。　　You　know；〃　he　went　on



as　the　wine　gurgled　out；　〃I　was　thinking　to…night　when



they　sprung　the　wedding　music；　how　any　fool　can　have



that　stuff　played　over　him　when　he　walks　up　the　aisle　with



some　dough…faced　little　hussy　who's　hooked　him。　　But　it



isn't　every　fellow　who　can　seewell；　what　we　saw　to…



night。　　There　are　compensations　in　life；　Dr。　Howard　Archie；



though　they　come　in　disguise。　　Did　you　notice　her　when　she



came　down　the　stairs？　　Wonder　where　she　gets　that　bright…



and…morning　star　look？　　Carries　to　the　last　row　of　the



family　circle。　　I　moved　about　all　over　the　house。　　I'll　tell



you　a　secret；　Archie：　that　carrying　power　was　one　of　the



first　things　that　put　me　wise。　　Noticed　it　down　there　in



Arizona；　in　the　open。　　That；　I　said；　belongs　only　to　the　big



ones。〃　　Fred　got　up　and　began　to　move　rhythmically　about



the　room；　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　　The　doctor　was　aston…



ished　at　his　ease　and　steadiness；　for　there　were　slight　lapses



in　his　speech。　　〃You　see；　Archie；　ELSA　isn't　a　part　that's



particularly　suited　to　Thea's　voice　at　all；　as　I　see　her　voice。



It's　over…lyrical　for　her。　　She　makes　it；　but　there's　nothing



in　it　that　fits　her　like　a　glove；　except；　maybe；　that　long



duet　in　the　third　act。　　There；　of　course；〃he　held　out　his



hands　as　if　he　were　measuring　something；〃we　know



exactly　where　we　are。　　But　wait　until　they　give　her　a　chance



at　something　that　lies　properly　in　her　voice；　and　you'll　see



me　rosier　than　I　am　to…night。〃







　　　　　Archie　smoothed　the　tablecloth　with　his　hand。　　〃I　am



sure　I　don't　want　to　see　you　any　rosier；　Fred。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed。　　〃It's　en…















thusiasm；　doctor。　　It's　not　the　wine。　　I've　got　as　much　in…



flated　as　this　for　a　dozen　trashy　things：　brewers'　dinners



and　political　orgies。　　You；　too；　have　your　extravagances；



Archie。　　And　what　I　like　best　in　you　is　this　particular



enthusiasm；　which　is　not　at　all　practical　or　sensible；　which



is　downright　Quixotic。　　You　are　not　altogether　what　you



seem；　and　you　have　your　reservations。　　Living　among　the



wolves；　you　have　not　become　one。　　LUPIBUS　VIVENDI　NON



LUPUS　SUM。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　seemed　embarrassed。　　〃I　was　just　thinking



how