part 6-第3章

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chance　to　do　something；　and　they　just　kept　on　writing



about　each　other　and　what　temptations　they　had　over…



come。〃



















　　　　　While　Archie　and　his　friend　were　busy　with　Colorado



politics；　the　impeccable　Japanese　attended　swiftly　and



intelligently　to　his　duties；　and　the　dinner；　as　Ottenburg　at



last　remarked；　was　worthy　of　more　profitable　conversation。







　　　　　〃So　it　is；〃　the　doctor　admitted。　　〃Well；　we'll　go　up…



stairs　for　our　coffee　and　cut　this　out。　　Bring　up　some　cognac



and　arak；　Tai；〃　he　added　as　he　rose　from　the　table。







　　　　　They　stopped　to　examine　a　moose's　head　on　the　stair…



way；　and　when　they　reached　the　library　the　pine　logs　in



the　fireplace　had　been　lighted；　and　the　coffee　was　bubbling



before　the　hearth。　　Tai　placed　two　chairs　before　the　fire



and　brought　a　tray　of　cigarettes。







　　　　　〃Bring　the　cigars　in　my　lower　desk　drawer；　boy；〃　the



doctor　directed。　　〃Too　much　light　in　here；　isn't　there；



Fred？　　Light　the　lamp　there　on　my　desk；　Tai。〃　　He　turned



off　the　electric　glare　and　settled　himself　deep　into　the　chair



opposite　Ottenburg's。







　　　　　〃To　go　back　to　our　conversation；　doctor；〃　Fred　began



while　he　waited　for　the　first　steam　to　blow　off　his　coffee；



〃why　don't　you　make　up　your　mind　to　go　to　Washington？



There'd　be　no　fight　made　against　you。　　I　needn't　say　the



United　Breweries　would　back　you。　　There'd　be　some　KUDOS



coming　to　us；　too；　backing　a　reform　candidate。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　measured　his　length　in　his　chair　and　thrust



his　large　boots　toward　the　crackling　pitch…pine。　　He　drank



his　coffee　and　lit　a　big　black　cigar　while　his　guest　looked



over　the　assortment　of　cigarettes　on　the　tray。　　〃You　say



why　don't　I；〃　the　doctor　spoke　with　the　deliberation　of　a



man　in　the　position　of　having　several　courses　to　choose



from；　〃but；　on　the　other　hand；　why　should　I？〃　　He　puffed



away　and　seemed；　through　his　half…closed　eyes；　to　look



down　several　long　roads　with　the　intention　of　luxuriously



rejecting　all　of　them　and　remaining　where　he　was。　　〃I'm



sick　of　politics。　　I'm　disillusioned　about　serving　my　crowd；



and　I　don't　particularly　want　to　serve　yours。　　Nothing　in　it



that　I　particularly　want；　and　a　man's　not　effective　in　poli…















tics　unless　he　wants　something　for　himself；　and　wants　it



hard。　　I　can　reach　my　ends　by　straighter　roads。　　There　are



plenty　of　things　to　keep　me　busy。　　We　haven't　begun　to



develop　our　resources　in　this　State；　we　haven't　had　a　look



in　on　them　yet。　　That's　the　only　thing　that　isn't　fake



making　men　and　machines　go；　and　actually　turning　out　a



product。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　poured　himself　some　white　cordial　and　looked



over　the　little　glass　into　the　fire　with　an　expression　which



led　Ottenburg　to　believe　that　he　was　getting　at　something



in　his　own　mind。　　Fred　lit　a　cigarette　and　let　his　friend



grope　for　his　idea。







　　　　　〃My　boys；　here；〃　Archie　went　on；　〃have　got　me　rather



interested　in　Japan。　　Think　I'll　go　out　there　in　the　spring；



and　come　back　the　other　way；　through　Siberia。　　I've　always



wanted　to　go　to　Russia。〃　　His　eyes　still　hunted　for　some…



thing　in　his　big　fireplace。　　With　a　slow　turn　of　his　head　he



brought　them　back　to　his　guest　and　fixed　them　upon　him。



〃Just　now；　I'm　thinking　of　running　on　to　New　York　for



a　few　weeks；〃　he　ended　abruptly。







　　　　　Ottenburg　lifted　his　chin。　　〃Ah！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　if　he



began　to　see　Archie's　drift。　　〃Shall　you　see　Thea？〃







　　　　　〃Yes。〃　　The　doctor　replenished　his　cordial　glass。　　〃In



fact；　I　suspect　I　am　going　exactly　TO　see　her。　　I'm　getting



stale　on　things　here；　Fred。　　Best　people　in　the　world　and



always　doing　things　for　me。　　I'm　fond　of　them；　too；　but



I've　been　with　them　too　much。　　I'm　getting　ill…tempered；



and　the　first　thing　I　know　I'll　be　hurting　people's　feelings。



I　snapped　Mrs。　Dandridge　up　over　the　telephone　this



afternoon　when　she　asked　me　to　go　out　to　Colorado　Springs



on　Sunday　to　meet　some　English　people　who　are　staying



at　the　Antlers。　　Very　nice　of　her　to　want　me；　and　I　was　as



sour　as　if　she'd　been　trying　to　work　me　for　something。



I've　got　to　get　out　for　a　while；　to　save　my　reputation。〃







　　　　　To　this　explanation　Ottenburg　had　not　paid　much　atten…



tion。　　He　seemed　to　be　looking　at　a　fixed　point：　the　yellow















glass　eyes　of　a　fine　wildcat　over　one　of　the　bookcases。



〃You've　never　heard　her　at　all；　have　you？〃　he　asked



reflectively。　　〃Curious；　when　this　is　her　second　season　in



New　York。〃







　　　　　〃I　was　going　on　last　March。　　Had　everything　arranged。



And　then　old　Cap　Harris　thought　he　could　drive　his　car



and　me　through　a　lamp…post　and　I　was　laid　up　with　a　com…



pound　fracture　for　two　months。　　So　I　didn't　get　to　see



Thea。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　studied　the　red　end　of　his　cigarette　attentively。



〃She　might　have　come　out　to　see　you。　　I　remember　you



covered　the　distance　like　a　streak　when　she　wanted　you。〃







　　　　　Archie　moved　uneasily。　　〃Oh；　she　couldn't　do　that。　　She



had　to　get　back　to　Vienna　to　work　on　some　new　parts　for



this　year。　　She　sailed　two　days　after　the　New　York　season



closed。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　then　she　couldn't；　of　course。〃　　Fred　smoked　his



cigarette　close　and　tossed　the　end　into　the　fire。　　〃I'm　tre…



mendously　glad　you're　going　now。　　If　you're　stale；　she'll



jack　you　up。　　That's　one　of　her　specialties。　　She　got　a　rise



out　of　me　last　December　that　lasted　me　all　winter。〃







　　　　　〃Of　course；〃　the　doctor　apologized；　〃you　know　so　much



more　about　such　things。　　I'm　afraid　it　will　be　rather　wasted



on　me。　　I'm　no　judge　of　music。〃







　　　　　〃Never　mind　that。〃　　The　younger　man　pulled　himself



up　in　his　chair。　　〃She　gets　it　across　to　people　who　aren't



judges。　　That's　just　what　she　does。〃　　He　relapsed　into　his



former　lassitude。　　〃If　you　were　stone　deaf；　it　wouldn't　all



be　wasted。　　It's　a　great　deal　to　watch　her。　　Incidentally；



you　know；　she　is　very　beautiful。　　Photographs　give　you　no



idea。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　clasped　his　large　hands　under　his　chin。　　〃Oh；



I'm　counting　on　that。　　I　don't　suppose　her　voice　will　sound



natural　to　me。　　Probably　I　wouldn't　know　it。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　smiled。　　〃You'll　know　it；　if　you　ever　knew　it。



It's　the　same　voice；　only　more　so。　　You'll　know　it。〃



















　　　　　〃Did　you；　in　Germany　that　time；　when　you　wrote　me？



Seven　years　ago；　now。　　That　must　have　been　at　the　very



beginning。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　somewhere　near　the　beginning。　　She　sang　one　of



the　Rhine　daughters。〃　　Fred　paused　and　drew　himself　up



again。　　〃Sure；　I　knew　it　from　the　first　note。　　I'd　heard　a



good　many　young　voices　come　up　out　of　the　Rhine；　but；



by　gracious；　I　hadn't　heard　one　like　that！〃　　He　fumbled



for　another　cigarette。　　〃Mahler　was　conducting　that　night。



I　met　him　as　he　was　leaving　the　house　and　had　a　word　with



him。　　‘Interesting　voice　you　tried　out　this　evening；'　I



said。　　He　stopped　and　smiled。　　‘Miss　Kronborg；　you　mean？



Yes；　very。　　She　seems　to　sing　for　the　idea。　　Unusual　in　a



young　singer。'　　I'd　never　heard　him　admit　before　that　a



singer　could　have　an　idea。　　She　not　only　had　it；　but　she　got



it　across。　　The　Rhine　music；　that　I'd　known　since　I　was　a



boy；　was　fresh　to　me；　vocalized　for　the　first　time。　　You



realized　that　she　was　beginning　that　long　story；　adequately；



with　the　end　in　view。　　Every　phrase　she　sang　was　basic。



She　simply　WAS　the　idea　of　the　Rhine　music。〃　　Ottenburg



rose　and　stood　with　h