part 6-第17章

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was　pure　Scandinavian；　this　FRICKA：　〃Swedish　summer〃！



he　remembered　old　Mr。　Nathanmeyer's　phrase。　　She　had



wished　him　to　see　her　because　she　had　a　distinct　kind　of



loveliness　for　this　part；　a　shining　beauty　like　the　light　of



sunset　on　distant　sails。　　She　seemed　to　take　on　the　look



of　immortal　loveliness；　the　youth　of　the　golden　apples；　the



shining　body　and　the　shining　mind。　　FRICKA　had　been　a



jealous　spouse　to　him　for　so　long　that　he　had　forgot　she



meant　wisdom　before　she　meant　domestic　order；　and　that；



in　any　event；　she　was　always　a　goddess。　　The　FRICKA　of



that　afternoon　was　so　clear　and　sunny；　so　nobly　conceived；



that　she　made　a　whole　atmosphere　about　herself　and　quite



redeemed　from　shabbiness　the　helplessness　and　unscrupu…



lousness　of　the　gods。　　Her　reproaches　to　WOTAN　were　the



pleadings　of　a　tempered　mind；　a　consistent　sense　of　beauty。



In　the　long　silences　of　her　part；　her　shining　presence　was　a















visible　complement　to　the　discussion　of　the　orchestra。　　As



the　themes　which　were　to　help　in　weaving　the　drama　to　its



end　first　came　vaguely　upon　the　ear；　one　saw　their　import



and　tendency　in　the　face　of　this　clearest…visioned　of　the



gods。







　　　　　In　the　scene　between　FRICKA　and　WOTAN；　Ottenburg



stopped。　　〃I　can't　seem　to　get　the　voices；　in　there。〃







　　　　　Landry　chuckled。　　〃Don't　try。　　I　know　it　well　enough。



I　expect　I've　been　over　that　with　her　a　thousand　times。　　I



was　playing　for　her　almost　every　day　when　she　was　first



working　on　it。　　When　she　begins　with　a　part　she's　hard　to



work　with：　so　slow　you'd　think　she　was　stupid　if　you　didn't



know　her。　　Of　course　she　blames　it　all　on　her　accompanist。



It　goes　on　like　that　for　weeks　sometimes。　　This　did。　　She



kept　shaking　her　head　and　staring　and　looking　gloomy。



All　at　once；　she　got　her　lineit　usually　comes　suddenly；



after　stretches　of　not　getting　anywhere　at　alland　after



that　it　kept　changing　and　clearing。　　As　she　worked　her　voice



into　it；　it　got　more　and　more　of　that　‘gold'　quality　that



makes　her　FRICKA　so　different。〃







　　　　　Fred　began　FRICKA'S　first　aria　again。　　〃It's　certainly



different。　　Curious　how　she　does　it。　　Such　a　beautiful　idea；



out　of　a　part　that's　always　been　so　ungrateful。　　She's　a



lovely　thing；　but　she　was　never　so　beautiful　as　that；　really。



Nobody　is。〃　　He　repeated　the　loveliest　phrase。　　〃How　does



she　manage　it；　Landry？　　You've　worked　with　her。〃







　　　　　Landry　drew　cherishingly　on　the　last　cigarette　he　meant



to　permit　himself　before　singing。　　〃Oh；　it's　a　question　of　a



big　personalityand　all　that　goes　with　it。　　Brains；　of



course。　　Imagination；　of　course。　　But　the　important　thing



is　that　she　was　born　full　of　color；　with　a　rich　personality。



That's　a　gift　of　the　gods；　like　a　fine　nose。　　You　have　it；　or



you　haven't。　　Against　it；　intelligence　and　musicianship



and　habits　of　industry　don't　count　at　all。　　Singers　are　a



conventional　race。　　When　Thea　was　studying　in　Berlin　the



other　girls　were　mortally　afraid　of　her。　　She　has　a　pretty















rough　hand　with　women；　dull　ones；　and　she　could　be　rude；



too！　　The　girls　used　to　call　her　DIE　WOLFIN。〃







　　　　　Fred　thrust　his　hands　into　his　pockets　and　leaned　back



against　the　piano。　　〃Of　course；　even　a　stupid　woman



could　get　effects　with　such　machinery：　such　a　voice　and



body　and　face。　　But　they　couldn't　possibly　belong　to　a



stupid　woman；　could　they？〃







　　　　　Landry　shook　his　head。　　〃It's　personality；　that's　as　near



as　you　can　come　to　it。　　That's　what　constitutes　real　equip…



ment。　　What　she　does　is　interesting　because　she　does　it。



Even　the　things　she　discards　are　suggestive。　　I　regret　some



of　them。　　Her　conceptions　are　colored　in　so　many　different



ways。　　You've　heard　her　ELIZABETH？　　Wonderful；　isn't　it？



She　was　working　on　that　part　years　ago　when　her　mother



was　ill。　　I　could　see　her　anxiety　and　grief　getting　more



and　more　into　the　part。　　The　last　act　is　heart…breaking。



It's　as　homely　as　a　country　prayer　meeting：　might　be



any　lonely　woman　getting　ready　to　die。　　It's　full　of　the



thing　every　plain　creature　finds　out　for　himself；　but　that



never　gets　written　down。　　It's　unconscious　memory；　maybe；



inherited　memory；　like　folk…music。　　I　call　it　personality。〃







　　　　　Fred　laughed；　and　turning　to　the　piano　began　coaxing



the　FRICKA　music　again。　　〃Call　it　anything　you　like；　my



boy。　　I　have　a　name　for　it　myself；　but　I　shan't　tell　you。〃



He　looked　over　his　shoulder　at　Landry；　stretched　out　by



the　fire。　　〃You　have　a　great　time　watching　her；　don't



you？〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　yes！〃　replied　Landry　simply。　　〃I'm　not　interested



in　much　that　goes　on　in　New　York。　　Now；　if　you'll　excuse



me；　I'll　have　to　dress。〃　　He　rose　with　a　reluctant　sigh。



〃Can　I　get　you　anything？　　Some　whiskey？〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　no。　　I'll　amuse　myself　here。　　I　don't　often



get　a　chance　at　a　good　piano　when　I'm　away　from　home。



You　haven't　had　this　one　long；　have　you？　　Action's　a　bit



stiff。　　I　say；〃　he　stopped　Landry　in　the　doorway；　〃has



Thea　ever　been　down　here？〃



















　　　　　Landry　turned　back。　　〃Yes。　　She　came　several　times



when　I　had　erysipelas。　　I　was　a　nice　mess；　with　two



nurses。　　She　brought　down　some　inside　window…boxes；



planted　with　crocuses　and　things。　　Very　cheering；　only　I



couldn't　see　them　or　her。〃







　　　　　〃Didn't　she　like　your　place？〃







　　　　　〃She　thought　she　did；　but　I　fancy　it　was　a　good　deal



cluttered　up　for　her　taste。　　I　could　hear　her　pacing　about



like　something　in　a　cage。　　She　pushed　the　piano　back



against　the　wall　and　the　chairs　into　corners；　and　she　broke



my　amber　elephant。〃　　Landry　took　a　yellow　object　some



four　inches　high　from　one　of　his　low　bookcases。　　〃You　can



see　where　his　leg　is　glued　on；a　souvenir。　　Yes；　he's



lemon　amber；　very　fine。〃







　　　　　Landry　disappeared　behind　the　curtains　and　in　a　moment



Fred　heard　the　wheeze　of　an　atomizer。　　He　put　the　amber



elephant　on　the　piano　beside　him　and　seemed　to　get　a　great



deal　of　amusement　out　of　the　beast。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IX











　　　　　WHEN　Archie　and　Ottenburg　dined　with　Thea　on



Saturday　evening；　they　were　served　downstairs　in



the　hotel　dining…room；　but　they　were　to　have　their　coffee



in　her　own　apartment。　　As　they　were　going　up　in　the　ele…



vator　after　dinner；　Fred　turned　suddenly　to　Thea。　　〃And



why；　please；　did　you　break　Landry's　amber　elephant？〃







　　　　　She　looked　guilty　and　began　to　laugh。　　〃Hasn't　he　got



over　that　yet？　　I　didn't　really　mean　to　break　it。　　I　was　per…



haps　careless。　　His　things　are　so　over…petted　that　I　was



tempted　to　be　careless　with　a　lot　of　them。〃







　　　　　〃How　can　you　be　so　heartless；　when　they're　all　he　has



in　the　world？〃







　　　　　〃He　has　me。　　I'm　a　great　deal　of　diversion　for　him；　all　he



needs。　　There；〃　she　said　as　she　opened　the　door　into　her



own　hall；　〃I　shouldn't　have　said　that　before　the　elevator



boy。〃







　　　　　〃Even　an　elevator　boy　couldn't　make　a　scandal　about



Oliver。　　He's　such　a　catnip　man。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　laughed；　but　Thea；　who　seemed　suddenly　to



have　thought　of　something　annoying；　repeated　blankly；



〃Catnip　man？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　he　lives　on　catnip；　and　rum　tea。　　But　he's　not　the



only　one。　　You　are　like　an　eccentric　old　woman　I　know　in



Boston；　who　goes　about　in　the　spring　feeding　catnip　to



street　cats。　　You　dispense　it　to　a　lot　of　fellows。　　Your　pull



s