part 6-第6章

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You　shall　have　everything　you　want；　and　we　will　always　be



together。　　I　have　a　little　house　all　picked　out　where　we　are



to　live。〃







　　　　　〃Bringing　up　a　family　is　not　all　it's　cracked　up　to　be；〃



said　Mrs。　Kronborg　with　a　flicker　of　irony；　as　she　tucked



the　letter　back　under　her　pillow。　　〃The　children　you　don't



especially　need；　you　have　always　with　you；　like　the　poor。



But　the　bright　ones　get　away　from　you。　　They　have　their



own　way　to　make　in　the　world。　　Seems　like　the　brighter



they　are；　the　farther　they　go。　　I　used　to　feel　sorry　that　you



had　no　family；　doctor；　but　maybe　you're　as　well　off。〃







　　　　　〃Thea's　plan　seems　sound　to　me；　Mrs。　Kronborg。



There's　no　reason　I　can　see　why　you　shouldn't　pull　up



and　live　for　years　yet；　under　proper　care。　　You'd　have　the



best　doctors　in　the　world　over　there；　and　it　would　be　won…



derful　to　live　with　anybody　who　looks　like　that。〃　　He



nodded　at　the　photograph　of　the　young　woman　who　must



have　been　singing　〃DICH；　THEURE　HALLE；　GRUSS'　ICH　WIEDER；〃















her　eyes　looking　up；　her　beautiful　hands　outspread　with



pleasure。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　laughed　quite　cheerfully。　　〃Yes；　would



n't　it？　　If　father　were　here；　I　might　rouse　myself。　　But



sometimes　it's　hard　to　come　back。　　Or　if　she　were　in



trouble；　maybe　I　could　rouse　myself。〃







　　　　　〃But；　dear　Mrs。　Kronborg；　she　is　in　trouble；〃　her　old



friend　expostulated。　　〃As　she　says；　she's　never　needed　you



as　she　needs　you　now。　　I　make　my　guess　that　she's　never



begged　anybody　to　help　her　before。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　smiled。　　〃Yes；　it's　pretty　of　her。　　But



that　will　pass。　　When　these　things　happen　far　away　they



don't　make　such　a　mark；　especially　if　your　hands　are　full



and　you've　duties　of　your　own　to　think　about。　　My　own



father　died　in　Nebraska　when　Gunner　was　born；we



were　living　in　Iowa　then；and　I　was　sorry；　but　the　baby



made　it　up　to　me。　　I　was　father's　favorite；　too。　　That's　the



way　it　goes；　you　see。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　took　out　Thea's　letter　to　him；　and　read　it　over



to　Mrs。　Kronborg。　　She　seemed　to　listen；　and　not　to　listen。







　　　　　When　he　finished；　she　said　thoughtfully：　〃I'd　counted



on　hearing　her　sing　again。　　But　I　always　took　my　pleasures



as　they　come。　　I　always　enjoyed　her　singing　when　she　was



here　about　the　house。　　While　she　was　practicing　I　often



used　to　leave　my　work　and　sit　down　in　a　rocker　and　give



myself　up　to　it；　the　same　as　if　I'd　been　at　an　entertainment。



I　was　never　one　of　these　housekeepers　that　let　their　work



drive　them　to　death。　　And　when　she　had　the　Mexicans　over



here；　I　always　took　it　in。　　First　and　last；〃she　glanced



judicially　at　the　photograph；〃I　guess　I　got　about　as



much　out　of　Thea's　voice　as　anybody　will　ever　get。〃







　　　　　〃I　guess　you　did！〃　the　doctor　assented　heartily；　〃and　I



got　a　good　deal　myself。　　You　remember　how　she　used　to　sing



those　Scotch　songs　for　me；　and　lead　us　with　her　head；　her



hair　bobbing？〃







　　　　　〃‘Flow　Gently；　Sweet　Afton；'I　can　hear　it　now；〃















said　Mrs。　Kronborg；　〃and　poor　father　never　knew　when



he　sang　sharp！　　He　used　to　say；　‘Mother；　how　do　you　always



know　when　they　make　mistakes　practicing？'〃　　Mrs。　Kron…



borg　chuckled。







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　took　her　hand；　still　firm　like　the　hand　of　a



young　woman。　　〃It　was　lucky　for　her　that　you　did　know。



I　always　thought　she　got　more　from　you　than　from　any



of　her　teachers。〃







　　　　　〃Except　Wunsch；　he　was　a　real　musician；〃　said　Mrs。



Kronborg　respectfully。　　〃I　gave　her　what　chance　I　could；



in　a　crowded　house。　　I　kept　the　other　children　out　of　the



parlor　for　her。　　That　was　about　all　I　could　do。　　If　she　wasn't



disturbed；　she　needed　no　watching。　　She　went　after　it　like　a



terrier　after　rats　from　the　first；　poor　child。　　She　was　down…



right　afraid　of　it。　　That's　why　I　always　encouraged　her



taking　Thor　off　to　outlandish　places。　　When　she　was　out　of



the　house；　then　she　was　rid　of　it。〃







　　　　　After　they　had　recalled　many　pleasant　memories　to…



gether；　Mrs。　Kronborg　said　suddenly：　〃I　always　under…



stood　about　her　going　off　without　coming　to　see　us　that



time。　　Oh；　I　know！　　You　had　to　keep　your　own　counsel。



You　were　a　good　friend　to　her。　　I've　never　forgot　that。〃



She　patted　the　doctor's　sleeve　and　went　on　absently。



〃There　was　something　she　didn't　want　to　tell　me；　and



that's　why　she　didn't　come。　　Something　happened　when



she　was　with　those　people　in　Mexico。　　I　worried　for　a　good



while；　but　I　guess　she's　come　out　of　it　all　right。　　She'd



had　a　pretty　hard　time；　scratching　along　alone　like　that



when　she　was　so　young；　and　my　farms　in　Nebraska　were



down　so　low　that　I　couldn't　help　her　none。　　That's　no　way



to　send　a　girl　out。　　But　I　guess；　whatever　there　was；　she



wouldn't　be　afraid　to　tell　me　now。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg



looked　up　at　the　photograph　with　a　smile。　　〃She　doesn't



look　like　she　was　beholding　to　anybody；　does　she？〃







　　　　　〃She　isn't；　Mrs。　Kronborg。　　She　never　has　been。　　That



was　why　she　borrowed　the　money　from　me。〃



















　　　　　〃Oh；　I　knew　she'd　never　have　sent　for　you　if　she'd　done



anything　to　shame　us。　　She　was　always　proud。〃　　Mrs。



Kronborg　paused　and　turned　a　little　on　her　side。　　〃It's



been　quite　a　satisfaction　to　you　and　me；　doctor；　having



her　voice　turn　out　so　fine。　　The　things　you　hope　for　don't



always　turn　out　like　that；　by　a　long　sight。　　As　long　as　old



Mrs。　Kohler　lived；　she　used　always　to　translate　what　it



said　about　Thea　in　the　German　papers　she　sent。　　I　could



make　some　of　it　out　myself；it's　not　very　different　from



Swedish；but　it　pleased　the　old　lady。　　She　left　Thea　her



piece…picture　of　the　burning　of　Moscow。　　I've　got　it　put



away　in　moth…balls　for　her；　along　with　the　oboe　her　grand…



father　brought　from　Sweden。　　I　want　her　to　take　father's



oboe　back　there　some　day。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg　paused　a



moment　and　compressed　her　lips。　　〃But　I　guess　she'll　take



a　finer　instrument　than　that　with　her；　back　to　Sweden！〃



she　added。







　　　　　Her　tone　fairly　startled　the　doctor；　it　was　so　vibrating



with　a　fierce；　defiant　kind　of　pride　he　had　heard　often　in



Thea's　voice。　　He　looked　down　wonderingly　at　his　old　friend



and　patient。　　After　all；　one　never　knew　people　to　the　core。



Did　she；　within　her；　hide　some　of　that　still　passion　of



which　her　daughter　was　all…compact？







　　　　　〃That　last　summer　at　home　wasn't　very　nice　for　her；〃



Mrs。　Kronborg　began　as　placidly　as　if　the　fire　had　never



leaped　up　in　her。　　〃The　other　children　were　acting…up



because　they　thought　I　might　make　a　fuss　over　her　and



give　her　the　big…head。　　We　gave　her　the　dare；　somehow；



the　lot　of　us；　because　we　couldn't　understand　her　changing



teachers　and　all　that。　　That's　the　trouble　about　giving　the



dare　to　them　quiet；　unboastful　children；　you　never　know



how　far　it'll　take　'em。　　Well；　we　ought　not　to　complain；



doctor；　she's　given　us　a　good　deal　to　think　about。〃











　　　　　The　next　time　Dr。　Archie　came　to　Moonstone；　he　came



to　be　a　pall…bearer　at　Mrs。　Kronborg's　funeral。　　When　he















last　looked　at　her；　she　was　so　serene　and　queenly　that　he



went　back　to　Denver　feeling　almost　as　if　he　had　helped



to　bury　Thea　Kronborg　herself。　　The　handsome　head　in



the　coffin　seemed　to　him　much　more　really　Thea　than　did



the　radiant　young　woman　in　the　picture；　looking　about



at　the　Gothic　vaultings　and　greeting　the　Hall　of　Song。