part 6-第8章

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at　his　own　ingenuousness。　　For　he　did　not　know　her　better。



This　woman　he　had　never　known；　she　had　somehow　de…



voured　his　little　friend；　as　the　wolf　ate　up　Red　Ridinghood。



Beautiful；　radiant；　tender　as　she　was；　she　chilled　his　old



affection；　that　sort　of　feeling　was　not　appropriate。　　She



seemed　much；　much　farther　away　from　him　than　she　had



seemed　all　those　years　when　she　was　in　Germany。　　The



ocean　he　could　cross；　but　there　was　something　here　he



could　not　cross。　　There　was　a　moment；　when　she　turned　to



the　King　and　smiled　that　rare；　sunrise　smile　of　her　child…



hood；　when　he　thought　she　was　coming　back　to　him。　　After



the　HERALD'S　second　call　for　her　champion；　when　she　knelt















in　her　impassioned　prayer；　there　was　again　something



familiar；　a　kind　of　wild　wonder　that　she　had　had　the　power



to　call　up　long　ago。　　But　she　merely　reminded　him　of　Thea；



this　was　not　the　girl　herself。







　　　　　After　the　tenor　came　on；　the　doctor　ceased　trying　to



make　the　woman　before　him　fit　into　any　of　his　cherished



recollections。　　He　took　her；　in　so　far　as　he　could；　for　what



she　was　then　and　there。　　When　the　knight　raised　the



kneeling　girl　and　put　his　mailed　hand　on　her　hair；　when　she



lifted　to　him　a　face　full　of　worship　and　passionate　humility；



Archie　gave　up　his　last　reservation。　　He　knew　no　more



about　her　than　did　the　hundreds　around　him；　who　sat　in



the　shadow　and　looked　on；　as　he　looked；　some　with　more



understanding；　some　with　less。　　He　knew　as　much　about



ORTRUDE　or　LOHENGRIN　as　he　knew　about　ELSAmore；　be…



cause　she　went　further　than　they；　she　sustained　the　leg…



endary　beauty　of　her　conception　more　consistently。　　Even



he　could　see　that。　　Attitudes；　movements；　her　face；　her



white　arms　and　fingers；　everything　was　suffused　with　a



rosy　tenderness；　a　warm　humility；　a　gracious　and　yet



to　himwholly　estranging　beauty。







　　　　　During　the　balcony　singing　in　the　second　act　the　doctor's



thoughts　were　as　far　away　from　Moonstone　as　the　singer's



doubtless　were。　　He　had　begun；　indeed；　to　feel　the　exhila…



ration　of　getting　free　from　personalities；　of　being　released



from　his　own　past　as　well　as　from　Thea　Kronborg's。　　It　was



very　much；　he　told　himself；　like　a　military　funeral；　exalting



and　impersonal。　　Something　old　died　in　one；　and　out　of　it



something　new　was　born。　　During　the　duet　with　ORTRUDE；



and　the　splendors　of　the　wedding　processional；　this　new



feeling　grew　and　grew。　　At　the　end　of　the　act　there　were



many　curtain　calls　and　ELSA　acknowledged　them；　brilliant；



gracious；　spirited；　with　her　far…breaking　smile；　but　on　the



whole　she　was　harder　and　more　self…contained　before　the



curtain　than　she　was　in　the　scene　behind　it。　　Archie　did　his



part　in　the　applause　that　greeted　her；　but　it　was　the　new















and　wonderful　he　applauded；　not　the　old　and　dear。　　His



personal；　proprietary　pride　in　her　was　frozen　out。







　　　　　He　walked　about　the　house　during　the　ENTR'ACTE；　and　here



and　there　among　the　people　in　the　foyer　he　caught　the



name　〃Kronborg。〃　　On　the　staircase；　in　front　of　the　coffee…



room；　a　long…haired　youth　with　a　fat　face　was　discoursing



to　a　group　of　old　women　about　〃die　Kronborg。〃　　Dr。　Archie



gathered　that　he　had　crossed　on　the　boat　with　her。







　　　　　After　the　performance　was　over；　Archie　took　a　taxi　and



started　for　Riverside　Drive。　　He　meant　to　see　it　through



to…night。　　When　he　entered　the　reception　hall　of　the　hotel



before　which　he　had　strolled　that　morning；　the　hall　porter



challenged　him。　　He　said　he　was　waiting　for　Miss　Kronborg。



The　porter　looked　at　him　suspiciously　and　asked　whether



he　had　an　appointment。　　He　answered　brazenly　that　he



had。　　He　was　not　used　to　being　questioned　by　hall　boys。



Archie　sat　first　in　one　tapestry　chair　and　then　in　another；



keeping　a　sharp　eye　on　the　people　who　came　in　and　went



up　in　the　elevators。　　He　walked　about　and　looked　at　his



watch。　　An　hour　dragged　by。　　No　one　had　come　in　from　the



street　now　for　about　twenty　minutes；　when　two　women　en…



tered；　carrying　a　great　many　flowers　and　followed　by　a　tall



young　man　in　chauffeur's　uniform。　　Archie　advanced　to…



ward　the　taller　of　the　two　women；　who　was　veiled　and



carried　her　head　very　firmly。　　He　confronted　her　just　as



she　reached　the　elevator。　　Although　he　did　not　stand　di…



rectly　in　her　way；　something　in　his　attitude　compelled　her



to　stop。　　She　gave　him　a　piercing；　defiant　glance　through



the　white　scarf　that　covered　her　face。　　Then　she　lifted　her



hand　and　brushed　the　scarf　back　from　her　head。　　There



was　still　black　on　her　brows　and　lashes。　　She　was　very　pale



and　her　face　was　drawn　and　deeply　lined。　　She　looked；　the



doctor　told　himself　with　a　sinking　heart；　forty　years　old。



Her　suspicious；　mystified　stare　cleared　slowly。







　　　　　〃Pardon　me；〃　the　doctor　murmured；　not　knowing　just



how　to　address　her　here　before　the　porters；　〃I　came　up















from　the　opera。　　I　merely　wanted　to　say　good…night　to



you。〃







　　　　　Without　speaking；　still　looking　incredulous；　she　pushed



him　into　the　elevator。　　She　kept　her　hand　on　his　arm　while



the　cage　shot　up；　and　she　looked　away　from　him；　frowning；



as　if　she　were　trying　to　remember　or　realize　something。



When　the　cage　stopped；　she　pushed　him　out　of　the　elevator



through　another　door；　which　a　maid　opened；　into　a　square



hall。　　There　she　sank　down　on　a　chair　and　looked　up　at



him。







　　　　　〃Why　didn't　you　let　me　know？〃　she　asked　in　a　hoarse



voice。







　　　　　Archie　heard　himself　laughing　the　old；　embarrassed



laugh　that　seldom　happened　to　him　now。　　〃Oh；　I　wanted



to　take　my　chance　with　you；　like　anybody　else。　　It's　been



so　long；　now！〃







　　　　　She　took　his　hand　through　her　thick　glove　and　her　head



dropped　forward。　　〃Yes；　it　has　been　long；〃　she　said　in　the



same　husky　voice；　〃and　so　much　has　happened。〃







　　　　　〃And　you　are　so　tired；　and　I　am　a　clumsy　old　fellow　to



break　in　on　you　to…night；〃　the　doctor　added　sympathetic…



ally。　　〃Forgive　me；　this　time。〃　　He　bent　over　and　put　his



hand　soothingly　on　her　shoulder。　　He　felt　a　strong　shudder



run　through　her　from　head　to　foot。







　　　　　Still　bundled　in　her　fur　coat　as　she　was；　she　threw　both



arms　about　him　and　hugged　him。　　〃Oh；　Dr。　Archie；



DR。　ARCHIE；〃she　shook　him；〃don't　let　me　go。　　Hold



on；　now　you're　here；〃　she　laughed；　breaking　away　from



him　at　the　same　moment　and　sliding　out　of　her　fur　coat。



She　left　it　for　the　maid　to　pick　up　and　pushed　the　doctor



into　the　sitting…room；　where　she　turned　on　the　lights。　　〃Let



me　LOOK　at　you。　　Yes；　hands；　feet；　head；　shouldersjust



the　same。　　You've　grown　no　older。　　You　can't　say　as　much



for　me；　can　you？〃







　　　　　She　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　in　a　white



silk　shirtwaist　and　a　short　black　velvet　skirt；　which　some…















how　suggested　that　they　had　‘cut　off　her　petticoats　all



round　about。'　　She　looked　distinctly　clipped　and　plucked。



Her　hair　was　parted　in　the　middle　and　done　very　close　to



her　head；　as　she　had　worn　it　under　the　wig。　　She　looked



like　a　fugitive；　who　had　escaped　from　something　in　clothes



caught　up　at　hazard。　　It　flashed　across　Dr。　Archie　that　she



was　running　away　from　the　other　woman　down　at　the



opera　house；　who　had　used　her　hardly。







　　　　　He　took　a　step　toward　her。　　〃I　can't　tell　a　thing　in　the



world　about　you；　Theaif　I　may　still　call　you　that。〃







　　　　　She　took　hold　of　the　collar　of　his　overcoat。　　〃Yes；　call



me