part 6-第23章

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was　a　very　poor　one。　　She　tasted　the　soup　and　then　indig…



nantly　put　on　her　wraps　to　go　out　and　hunt　a　dinner。　　As



she　was　going　to　the　elevator；　she　had　to　admit　that　she















was　behaving　foolishly。　　She　took　off　her　hat　and　coat



and　ordered　another　dinner。　　When　it　arrived；　it　was　no



better　than　the　first。　　There　was　even　a　burnt　match　under



the　milk　toast。　　She　had　a　sore　throat；　which　made　swal…



lowing　painful　and　boded　ill　for　the　morrow。　　Although　she



had　been　speaking　in　whispers　all　day　to　save　her　throat；



she　now　perversely　summoned　the　housekeeper　and　de…



manded　an　account　of　some　laundry　that　had　been　lost。



The　housekeeper　was　indifferent　and　impertinent；　and



Thea　got　angry　and　scolded　violently。　　She　knew　it　was



very　bad　for　her　to　get　into　a　rage　just　before　bedtime；　and



after　the　housekeeper　left　she　realized　that　for　ten　dollars'



worth　of　underclothing　she　had　been　unfitting　herself　for



a　performance　which　might　eventually　mean　many　thous…



ands。　　The　best　thing　now　was　to　stop　reproaching　herself



for　her　lack　of　sense；　but　she　was　too　tired　to　control　her



thoughts。







　　　　　While　she　was　undressingTherese　was　brushing　out



her　SIEGLINDE　wig　in　the　trunk…roomshe　went　on　chid…



ing　herself　bitterly。　　〃And　how　am　I　ever　going　to　get　to



sleep　in　this　state？〃　she　kept　asking　herself。　　〃If　I　don't



sleep；　I'll　be　perfectly　worthless　to…morrow。　　I'll　go　down



there　to…morrow　and　make　a　fool　of　myself。　　If　I'd　let　that



laundry　alone　with　whatever　nigger　has　stolen　it　　WHY



did　I　undertake　to　reform　the　management　of　this　hotel



to…night？　　After　to…morrow　I　could　pack　up　and　leave　the



place。　　There's　the　PhillamonI　liked　the　rooms　there



better；　anyhowand　the　Umberto〃　　She　began　going



over　the　advantages　and　disadvantages　of　different　apart…



ment　hotels。　　Suddenly　she　checked　herself。　　〃What　AM



I　doing　this　for？　　I　can't　move　into　another　hotel　to…night。



I'll　keep　this　up　till　morning。　　I　shan't　sleep　a　wink。〃







　　　　　Should　she　take　a　hot　bath；　or　shouldn't　she？　　Some…



times　it　relaxed　her；　and　sometimes　it　roused　her　and　fairly



put　her　beside　herself。　　Between　the　conviction　that　she



must　sleep　and　the　fear　that　she　couldn't；　she　hung　para…















lyzed。　　When　she　looked　at　her　bed；　she　shrank　from　it　in



every　nerve。　　She　was　much　more　afraid　of　it　than　she　had



ever　been　of　the　stage　of　any　opera　house。　　It　yawned　be…



fore　her　like　the　sunken　road　at　Waterloo。







　　　　　She　rushed　into　her　bathroom　and　locked　the　door。　　She



would　risk　the　bath；　and　defer　the　encounter　with　the　bed　a



little　longer。　　She　lay　in　the　bath　half　an　hour。　　The　warmth



of　the　water　penetrated　to　her　bones；　induced　pleasant



reflections　and　a　feeling　of　well…being。　　It　was　very　nice　to



have　Dr。　Archie　in　New　York；　after　all；　and　to　see　him　get



so　much　satisfaction　out　of　the　little　companionship　she



was　able　to　give　him。　　She　liked　people　who　got　on；　and



who　became　more　interesting　as　they　grew　older。　　There



was　Fred；　he　was　much　more　interesting　now　than　he　had



been　at　thirty。　　He　was　intelligent　about　music；　and　he



must　be　very　intelligent　in　his　business；　or　he　would　not



be　at　the　head　of　the　Brewers'　Trust。　　She　respected　that



kind　of　intelligence　and　success。　　Any　success　was　good。



She　herself　had　made　a　good　start；　at　any　rate；　and　now；



if　she　could　get　to　sleep　　Yes；　they　were　all　more　inter…



esting　than　they　used　to　be。　　Look　at　Harsanyi；　who　had



been　so　long　retarded；　what　a　place　he　had　made　for　him…



self　in　Vienna。　　If　she　could　get　to　sleep；　she　would　show



him　something　to…morrow　that　he　would　understand。







　　　　　She　got　quickly　into　bed　and　moved　about　freely　be…



tween　the　sheets。　　Yes；　she　was　warm　all　over。　　A　cold；



dry　breeze　was　coming　in　from　the　river；　thank　goodness！



She　tried　to　think　about　her　little　rock　house　and　the　Ari…



zona　sun　and　the　blue　sky。　　But　that　led　to　memories　which



were　still　too　disturbing。　　She　turned　on　her　side；　closed



her　eyes；　and　tried　an　old　device。







　　　　　She　entered　her　father's　front　door；　hung　her　hat　and



coat　on　the　rack；　and　stopped　in　the　parlor　to　warm　her



hands　at　the　stove。　　Then　she　went　out　through　the　dining…



room；　where　the　boys　were　getting　their　lessons　at　the　long



table；　through　the　sitting…room；　where　Thor　was　asleep　in















his　cot　bed；　his　dress　and　stocking　hanging　on　a　chair。　　In



the　kitchen　she　stopped　for　her　lantern　and　her　hot　brick。



She　hurried　up　the　back　stairs　and　through　the　windy　loft



to　her　own　glacial　room。　　The　illusion　was　marred　only　by



the　consciousness　that　she　ought　to　brush　her　teeth　before



she　went　to　bed；　and　that　she　never　used　to　do　it。　　Why？



The　water　was　frozen　solid　in　the　pitcher；　so　she　got　over



that。　　Once　between　the　red　blankets　there　was　a　short；



fierce　battle　with　the　cold；　then；　warmerwarmer。　　She



could　hear　her　father　shaking　down　the　hard…coal　burner



for　the　night；　and　the　wind　rushing　and　banging　down　the



village　street。　　The　boughs　of　the　cottonwood；　hard　as



bone；　rattled　against　her　gable。　　The　bed　grew　softer　and



warmer。　　Everybody　was　warm　and　well　downstairs。　　The



sprawling　old　house　had　gathered　them　all　in；　like　a　hen；



and　had　settled　down　over　its　brood。　　They　were　all　warm



in　her　father's　house。　　Softer　and　softer。　　She　was　asleep。



She　slept　ten　hours　without　turning　over。　　From　sleep　like



that；　one　awakes　in　shining　armor。











　　　　　On　Friday　afternoon　there　was　an　inspiring　audience；



there　was　not　an　empty　chair　in　the　house。　　Ottenburg



and　Dr。　Archie　had　seats　in　the　orchestra　circle；　got　from



a　ticket　broker。　　Landry　had　not　been　able　to　get　a　seat；



so　he　roamed　about　in　the　back　of　the　house；　where　he



usually　stood　when　he　dropped　in　after　his　own　turn　in



vaudeville　was　over。　　He　was　there　so　often　and　at　such



irregular　hours　that　the　ushers　thought　he　was　a　singer's



husband；　or　had　something　to　do　with　the　electrical



plant。







　　　　　Harsanyi　and　his　wife　were　in　a　box；　near　the　stage；



in　the　second　circle。　　Mrs。　Harsanyi's　hair　was　noticeably



gray；　but　her　face　was　fuller　and　handsomer　than　in　those



early　years　of　struggle；　and　she　was　beautifully　dressed。



Harsanyi　himself　had　changed　very　little。　　He　had　put　on



his　best　afternoon　coat　in　honor　of　his　pupil；　and　wore　a















pearl　in　his　black　ascot。　　His　hair　was　longer　and　more



bushy　than　he　used　to　wear　it；　and　there　was　now　one



gray　lock　on　the　right　side。　　He　had　always　been　an　elegant



figure；　even　when　he　went　about　in　shabby　clothes　and



was　crushed　with　work。　　Before　the　curtain　rose　he　was



restless　and　nervous；　and　kept　looking　at　his　watch　and



wishing　he　had　got　a　few　more　letters　off　before　he　left　his



hotel。　　He　had　not　been　in　New　York　since　the　advent　of



the　taxicab；　and　had　allowed　himself　too　much　time。　　His



wife　knew　that　he　was　afraid　of　being　disappointed　this



afternoon。　　He　did　not　often　go　to　the　opera　because　the



stupid　things　that　singers　did　vexed　him　so；　and　it　always



put　him　in　a　rage　if　the　conductor　held　the　tempo　or　in



any　way　accommodated　the　score　to　the　singer。







　　　　　When　the　lights　went　out　and　the　violins　began　to



quaver　their　long　D　against　the　rude　figure　of　the　basses；



Mrs。　Harsanyi　saw　her　husband's　fingers　fluttering　on　his



knee　in　a　rapid　tattoo。　　At　the　moment　when　SIEGLINDE



entered　from　the　side　door；　she　leaned　toward　him