part 6-第15章

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yawned。　　〃Well；　I　got　through；　eh？〃　　Her　tone　was　reas…



suring。　　〃On　the　whole；　I　think　I've　given　you　gentlemen　a



pretty　lively　evening；　for　one　who　has　no　social　accomplish…



ments。〃







　　　　　〃Rather！　　There　was　something　like　a　popular　uprising



at　the　end　of　the　second　act。　　Archie　and　I　couldn't　keep



it　up　as　long　as　the　rest　of　them　did。　　A　howl　like　that



ought　to　show　the　management　which　way　the　wind　is



blowing。　　You　probably　know　you　were　magnificent。〃







　　　　　〃I　thought　it　went　pretty　well；〃　she　spoke　impartially。



〃I　was　rather　smart　to　catch　his　tempo　there；　at　the　begin…



ning　of　the　first　recitative；　when　he　came　in　too　soon；　don't



you　think？　　It's　tricky　in　there；　without　a　rehearsal。　　Oh；



I　was　all　right！　　He　took　that　syncopation　too　fast　in　the



beginning。　　Some　singers　take　it　fast　therethink　it



sounds　more　impassioned。　　That's　one　way！〃　　She　sniffed；



and　Fred　shot　a　mirthful　glance　at　Archie。　　Her　boastful…



ness　would　have　been　childish　in　a　schoolboy。　　In　the　light



of　what　she　had　done；　of　the　strain　they　had　lived　through



during　the　last　two　hours；　it　made　one　laugh；almost



cry。　　She　went　on；　robustly：　〃And　I　didn't　feel　my　din…



ner；　really；　Fred。　　I　am　hungry　again；　I'm　ashamed　to　say；



and　I　forgot　to　order　anything　at　my　hotel。〃







　　　　　Fred　put　his　hand　on　the　door。　　〃Where　to？　　You　must



have　food。〃







　　　　　〃Do　you　know　any　quiet　place；　where　I　won't　be　stared



at？　　I've　still　got　make…up　on。〃







　　　　　〃I　do。　　Nice　English　chop…house　on　Forty…fourth　Street。



Nobody　there　at　night　but　theater　people　after　the　show；



and　a　few　bachelors。〃　　He　opened　the　door　and　spoke　to　the



driver。







　　　　　As　the　car　turned；　Thea　reached　across　to　the　front　seat



and　drew　Dr。　Archie's　handkerchief　out　of　his　breast　pocket。



















　　　　　〃This　comes　to　me　naturally；〃　she　said；　rubbing　her　cheeks



and　eyebrows。　　〃When　I　was　little　I　always　loved　your



handkerchiefs　because　they　were　silk　and　smelled　of　Col…



ogne　water。　　I　think　they　must　have　been　the　only　really



clean　handkerchiefs　in　Moonstone。　　You　were　always



wiping　my　face　with　them；　when　you　met　me　out　in　the



dust；　I　remember。　　Did　I　never　have　any？〃







　　　　　〃I　think　you'd　nearly　always　used　yours　up　on　your



baby　brother。〃







　　　　　Thea　sighed。　　〃Yes；　Thor　had　such　a　way　of　getting



messy。　　You　say　he's　a　good　chauffeur？〃　　She　closed　her



eyes　for　a　moment　as　if　they　were　tired。　　Suddenly　she



looked　up。　　〃Isn't　it　funny；　how　we　travel　in　circles？　　Here



you　are；　still　getting　me　clean；　and　Fred　is　still　feeding　me。



I　would　have　died　of　starvation　at　that　boarding…house　on



Indiana　Avenue　if　he　hadn't　taken　me　out　to　the　Bucking…



ham　and　filled　me　up　once　in　a　while。　　What　a　cavern　I　was



to　fill；　too。　　The　waiters　used　to　look　astonished。　　I'm　still



singing　on　that　food。〃







　　　　　Fred　alighted　and　gave　Thea　his　arm　as　they　crossed　the



icy　sidewalk。　　They　were　taken　upstairs　in　an　antiquated



lift　and　found　the　cheerful　chop…room　half　full　of　supper



parties。　　An　English　company　playing　at　the　Empire　had



just　come　in。　　The　waiters；　in　red　waistcoats；　were　hurry…



ing　about。　　Fred　got　a　table　at　the　back　of　the　room；



in　a　corner；　and　urged　his　waiter　to　get　the　oysters　on　at



once。







　　　　　〃Takes　a　few　minutes　to　open　them；　sir；〃　the　man　ex…



postulated。







　　　　　〃Yes；　but　make　it　as　few　as　possible；　and　bring　the



lady's　first。　　Then　grilled　chops　with　kidneys；　and　salad。〃







　　　　　Thea　began　eating　celery　stalks　at　once；　from　the　base



to　the　foliage。　　〃Necker　said　something　nice　to　me　to…



night。　　You　might　have　thought　the　management　would



say　something；　but　not　they。〃　　She　looked　at　Fred　from



under　her　blackened　lashes。　　〃It　WAS　a　stunt；　to　jump　in















and　sing　that　second　act　without　rehearsal。　　It　doesn't



sing　itself。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　was　watching　her　brilliant　eyes　and　her　face。



She　was　much　handsomer　than　she　had　been　early　in　the



evening。　　Excitement　of　this　sort　enriched　her。　　It　was　only



under　such　excitement；　he　reflected；　that　she　was　entirely



illuminated；　or　wholly　present。　　At　other　times　there　was



something　a　little　cold　and　empty；　like　a　big　room　with　no



people　in　it。　　Even　in　her　most　genial　moods　there　was　a



shadow　of　restlessness；　as　if　she　were　waiting　for　something



and　were　exercising　the　virtue　of　patience。　　During　dinner



she　had　been　as　kind　as　she　knew　how　to　be；　to　him　and　to



Archie；　and　had　given　them　as　much　of　herself　as　she　could。



But；　clearly；　she　knew　only　one　way　of　being　really　kind；



from　the　core　of　her　heart　out；　and　there　was　but　one　way　in



which　she　could　give　herself　to　people　largely　and　gladly；



spontaneously。　　Even　as　a　girl　she　had　been　at　her　best　in



vigorous　effort；　he　remembered；　physical　effort；　when　there



was　no　other　kind　at　hand。　　She　could　be　expansive　only　in



explosions。　　Old　Nathanmeyer　had　seen　it。　　In　the　very　first



song　Fred　had　ever　heard　her　sing；　she　had　unconsciously



declared　it。







　　　　　Thea　Kronborg　turned　suddenly　from　her　talk　with



Archie　and　peered　suspiciously　into　the　corner　where　Otten…



burg　sat　with　folded　arms；　observing　her。　　〃What's　the



matter　with　you；　Fred？　　I'm　afraid　of　you　when　you're



quiet；fortunately　you　almost　never　are。　　What　are　you



thinking　about？〃







　　　　　〃I　was　wondering　how　you　got　right　with　the　orchestra



so　quickly；　there　at　first。　　I　had　a　flash　of　terror；〃　he　re…



plied　easily。







　　　　　She　bolted　her　last　oyster　and　ducked　her　head。　　〃So



had　I！　　I　don't　know　how　I　did　catch　it。　　Desperation；　I



suppose；　same　way　the　Indian　babies　swim　when　they're



thrown　into　the　river。　　I　HAD　to。　　Now　it's　over；　I'm　glad　I



had　to。　　I　learned　a　whole　lot　to…night。〃



















　　　　　Archie；　who　usually　felt　that　it　behooved　him　to　be　silent



during　such　discussions；　was　encouraged　by　her　geniality



to　venture；　〃I　don't　see　how　you　can　learn　anything　in　such



a　turmoil；　or　how　you　can　keep　your　mind　on　it；　for　that



matter。〃







　　　　　Thea　glanced　about　the　room　and　suddenly　put　her　hand



up　to　her　hair。　　〃Mercy；　I've　no　hat　on！　　Why　didn't　you



tell　me？　　And　I　seem　to　be　wearing　a　rumpled　dinner　dress；



with　all　this　paint　on　my　face！　　I　must　look　like　something



you　picked　up　on　Second　Avenue。　　I　hope　there　are　no



Colorado　reformers　about；　Dr。　Archie。　　What　a　dreadful



old　pair　these　people　must　be　thinking　you！　　Well；　I　had　to



eat。〃　　She　sniffed　the　savor　of　the　grill　as　the　waiter　uncov…



ered　it。　　〃Yes；　draught　beer；　please。　　No；　thank　you；　Fred；



NO　champagne。　　To　go　back　to　your　question；　Dr。　Archie；



you　can　believe　I　keep　my　mind　on　it。　　That's　the　whole



trick；　in　so　far　as　stage　experience　goes；　keeping　right　there



every　second。　　If　I　think　of　anything　else　for　a　flash；　I'm



gone；　done　for。　　But　at　the　same　time；　one　can　take　things



inwith　another　part　of　your　brain；　maybe。　　It's　different



from　what　you　get　in　study；　more　practical　and　conclusive。



There　are　some　things　you　learn　best　in　calm；　and　some　in



storm。　　You　learn　the　delivery　of　a　part　only　before　an



audience。〃







　　　　　〃Heaven　help　us；〃　gasped　Ottenburg。　　〃Weren't　you



hungry；　though！　　It's　beautiful　to　see　you　eat。〃







　　　　　〃Glad　you　like　it。　　Of　course　I'm　hungry。　　Are　you　stay…



ing　over　for　‘Rheingold'　Friday　afternoon？〃







　　　　　〃My　dear　Thea；〃Fred　lit　a　cigarette；〃I'm　a　seri…