part 6-第9章

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







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



me　that。　　Do：　I　like　to　hear　it。　　You　frighten　me　a　little；



but　I　expect　I　frighten　you　more。　　I'm　always　a　scarecrow



after　I　sing　a　long　part　like　thatso　high；　too。〃　　She



absently　pulled　out　the　handkerchief　that　protruded　from



his　breast　pocket　and　began　to　wipe　the　black　paint　off　her



eyebrows　and　lashes。　　〃I　can't　take　you　in　much　to…night；



but　I　must　see　you　for　a　little　while。〃　　She　pushed　him　to　a



chair。　　〃I　shall　be　more　recognizable　to…morrow。　　You



mustn't　think　of　me　as　you　see　me　to…night。　　Come　at　four



to…morrow　afternoon　and　have　tea　with　me。　　Can　you？



That's　good。〃







　　　　　She　sat　down　in　a　low　chair　beside　him　and　leaned　for…



ward；　drawing　her　shoulders　together。　　She　seemed　to　him



inappropriately　young　and　inappropriately　old；　shorn　of



her　long　tresses　at　one　end　and　of　her　long　robes　at　the



other。







　　　　　〃How　do　you　happen　to　be　here？〃　she　asked　abruptly。



〃How　can　you　leave　a　silver　mine？　　I　couldn't！　　Sure



nobody'll　cheat　you？　　But　you　can　explain　everything　to…



morrow。〃　　She　paused。　　〃You　remember　how　you　sewed



me　up　in　a　poultice；　once？　　I　wish　you　could　to…night。　　I



need　a　poultice；　from　top　to　toe。　　Something　very　disagree…



able　happened　down　there。　　You　said　you　were　out　front？



Oh；　don't　say　anything　about　it。　　I　always　know　exactly



how　it　goes；　unfortunately。　　I　was　rotten　in　the　balcony。















I　never　get　that。　　You　didn't　notice　it？　　Probably　not；　but



I　did。〃







　　　　　Here　the　maid　appeared　at　the　door　and　her　mistress



rose。　　〃My　supper？　　Very　well；　I'll　come。　　I'd　ask　you　to



stay；　doctor；　but　there　wouldn't　be　enough　for　two。　　They



seldom　send　up　enough　for　one；〃she　spoke　bitterly。



〃I　haven't　got　a　sense　of　you　yet；〃turning　directly　to



Archie　again。　　〃You　haven't　been　here。　　You've　only　an…



nounced　yourself；　and　told　me　you　are　coming　to…morrow。



You　haven't　seen　me；　either。　　This　is　not　I。　　But　I'll　be



here　waiting　for　you　to…morrow；　my　whole　works！　　Good…



night；　till　then。〃　　She　patted　him　absently　on　the　sleeve



and　gave　him　a　little　shove　toward　the　door。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V











　　　　　WHEN　Archie　got　back　to　his　hotel　at　two　o'clock　in



the　morning；　he　found　Fred　Ottenburg's　card　under



his　door；　with　a　message　scribbled　across　the　top：　〃When



you　come　in；　please　call　up　room　811；　this　hotel。〃　　A　mo…



ment　later　Fred's　voice　reached　him　over　the　telephone。







　　　　　〃That　you；　Archie？　　Won't　you　come　up？　　I'm　having



some　supper　and　I'd　like　company。　　Late？　　What　does　that



matter？　　I　won't　keep　you　long。〃







　　　　　Archie　dropped　his　overcoat　and　set　out　for　room　811。



He　found　Ottenburg　in　the　act　of　touching　a　match　to　a



chafing…dish；　at　a　table　laid　for　two　in　his　sitting…room。



〃I'm　catering　here；〃　he　announced　cheerfully。　　〃I　let　the



waiter　off　at　midnight；　after　he'd　set　me　up。　　You'll　have



to　account　for　yourself；　Archie。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　laughed；　pointing　to　three　wine…coolers　under



the　table。　　〃Are　you　expecting　guests？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　two。〃　　Ottenburg　held　up　two　fingers；〃you；



and　my　higher　self。　　He's　a　thirsty　boy；　and　I　don't　invite



him　often。　　He　has　been　known　to　give　me　a　headache。



Now；　where　have　you　been；　Archie；　until　this　shocking



hour？〃







　　　　　〃Bah；　you've　been　banting！〃　the　doctor　exclaimed；



pulling　out　his　white　gloves　as　he　searched　for　his　handker…



chief　and　throwing　them　into　a　chair。　　Ottenburg　was　in



evening　clothes　and　very　pointed　dress　shoes。　　His　white



waistcoat；　upon　which　the　doctor　had　fixed　a　challenging



eye；　went　down　straight　from　the　top　button；　and　he　wore



a　camelia。　　He　was　conspicuously　brushed　and　trimmed



and　polished。　　His　smoothly　controlled　excitement　was



wholly　different　from　his　usual　easy　cordiality；　though　he



had　his　face；　as　well　as　his　figure；　well　in　hand。　　On　the















serving…table　there　was　an　empty　champagne　pint　and　a



glass。　　He　had　been　having　a　little　starter；　the　doctor　told



himself；　and　would　probably　be　running　on　high　gear　before



he　got　through。　　There　was　even　now　an　air　of　speed　about



him。







　　　　　〃Been；　Freddy？〃the　doctor　at　last　took　up　his　ques…



tion。　　〃I　expect　I've　been　exactly　where　you　have。　　Why



didn't　you　tell　me　you　were　coming　on？〃







　　　　　〃I　wasn't；　Archie。〃　　Fred　lifted　the　cover　of　the　chafing…



dish　and　stirred　the　contents。　　He　stood　behind　the　table；



holding　the　lid　with　his　handkerchief。　　〃I　had　never　thought



of　such　a　thing。　　But　Landry；　a　young　chap　who　plays　her



accompaniments　and　who　keeps　an　eye　out　for　me；　tele…



graphed　me　that　Madame　Rheinecker　had　gone　to　Atlantic



City　with　a　bad　throat；　and　Thea　might　have　a　chance　to



sing　ELSA。　　She　has　sung　it　only　twice　here　before；　and　I



missed　it　in　Dresden。　　So　I　came　on。　　I　got　in　at　four　this



afternoon　and　saw　you　registered；　but　I　thought　I　would



n't　butt　in。　　How　lucky　you　got　here　just　when　she　was



coming　on　for　this。　　You　couldn't　have　hit　a　better　time。〃



Ottenburg　stirred　the　contents　of　the　dish　faster　and　put



in　more　sherry。　　〃And　where　have　you　been　since　twelve



o'clock；　may　I　ask？〃







　　　　　Archie　looked　rather　self…conscious；　as　he　sat　down　on　a



fragile　gilt　chair　that　rocked　under　him；　and　stretched　out



his　long　legs。　　〃Well；　if　you'll　believe　me；　I　had　the　bru…



tality　to　go　to　see　her。　　I　wanted　to　identify　her。　　Couldn't



wait。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　placed　the　cover　quickly　on　the　chafing…dish



and　took　a　step　backward。　　〃You　did；　old　sport？　　My　word！



None　but　the　brave　deserve　the　fair。　　Well；〃he　stooped



to　turn　the　wine；〃and　how　was　she？〃







　　　　　〃She　seemed　rather　dazed；　and　pretty　well　used　up。　　She



seemed　disappointed　in　herself；　and　said　she　hadn't　done



herself　justice　in　the　balcony　scene。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　if　she　didn't；　she's　not　the　first。　　Beastly　stuff　to















sing　right　in　there；　lies　just　on　the　‘break'　in　the　voice。〃



Fred　pulled　a　bottle　out　of　the　ice　and　drew　the　cork。



Lifting　his　glass　he　looked　meaningly　at　Archie。　　〃You



know　who；　doctor。　　Here　goes！〃　　He　drank　off　his　glass



with　a　sigh　of　satisfaction。　　After　he　had　turned　the　lamp



low　under　the　chafing…dish；　he　remained　standing；　looking



pensively　down　at　the　food　on　the　table。　　〃Well；　she



rather　pulled　it　off！　　As　a　backer；　you're　a　winner；　Archie。



I　congratulate　you。〃　　Fred　poured　himself　another　glass。



〃Now　you　must　eat　something；　and　so　must　I。　　Here；　get



off　that　bird　cage　and　find　a　steady　chair。　　This　stuff　ought



to　be　rather　good；　head　waiter's　suggestion。　　Smells　all



right。〃　　He　bent　over　the　chafing…dish　and　began　to　serve



the　contents。　　〃Perfectly　innocuous：　mushrooms　and　truf…



fles　and　a　little　crab…meat。　　And　now；　on　the　level；　Archie；



how　did　it　hit　you？〃







　　　　　Archie　turned　a　frank　smile　to　his　friend　and　shook　his



head。　　〃It　was　all　miles　beyond　me；　of　course；　but　it　gave



me　a　pulse。　　The　general　excitement　got　hold　of　me；　I　sup…



pose。　　I　like　your　wine；　Freddy。〃　　He　put　down　his　glass。



〃It　goes　to　the　spot　to…night。　　She　WAS　all　right；　then？



You　weren't　disappointed？〃







　　　　　〃Disappointed？　　My　dear　Archie；　that's　the　high　voice



we　dream　of；　so　pure　and　yet　so　virile　and　human。　　That



combination　hardly　ever　happens　with　sopr