the voice of the city-第14章

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them　into　his　pocket。



〃It's　all　right；〃　he　said；　smilingly。　　〃There　isn't　a

bit　of　need　to　bother　you　with　this。　　I　don't　suppose

you'd　understand　these　itemized　bets；　anyway。　　I

lost　the　thousand　dollars　on　the　races。　　Good…day　to

you；　gentlemen。〃



Tolman　&　Sharp　shook　their　beads　mournfully　at

each　other　when　Gillian　left；　for　they　heard　him　whis…

tling　gayly　in　the　hallway　as　he　waited　for　the　ele…

vator。









THE　DEFEAT　OF　THE　CITY



Robert　Walmsley's　descent　upon　the　city

resulted　in　a　Kilkenny　struggle。　　He　came　out　of　the

fight　victor　by　a　fortune　and　a　reputation。　　On　the

other　band；　he　was　swallowed　up　by　the　city。　　The

city　gave　him　what　he　demanded　and　then　branded

him　with　its　brand。　　It　remodelled；　cut；　trimmed　and

stamped　him　to　the　pattern　it　approves。　　It　opened

its　social　gates　to　him　and　shut　him　in　on　a　close…

cropped；　formal　lawn　with　the　select　herd　of　rumi…

nants。　　In　dress；　habits；　manners；　provincialism；

routine　and　narrowness　he　acquired　that　charming　in…

solence；　that　irritating　completeness；　that　sophisti…

cated　crassness；　that　overbalanced　poise　that　makes

the　Manhattan　gentleman　so　delightfully　small　in　his

greatness。



One　of　the　up…state　rural　counties　pointed　with

pride　to　the　successful　young　metropolitan　lawyer　as

a　product　of　its　soil。　Six　years　earlier　this　county

had　removed　the　wheat　straw　from　between　its　huckle…

berry…stained　teeth　and　emitted　a　derisive　and　bucolic

laugh　as　old　man　Walmsley's　freckle…faced　〃　Bob

abandoned　the　certain　three…per…diem　meals　of　the

one…horse　farm　for　the　discontinuous　quick　lunch

counters　of　the　three…ringed　metropolis。　　At　the　end

of　the　six　years　no　murder　trial；　coaching　party；　au…

tomobile　accident　or　cotillion　was　complete　in　which

the　name　of　Robert　Walmsley　did　not　figure。　　Tailors

waylaid　him　in　the　street　to　get　a　new　wrinkle　from

the　cut　of　his　unwrinkled　trousers。　　Hyphenated　fel…

lows　in　the　clubs　and　members　of　the　oldest　subpoenaed

families　were　glad　to　clap　him　on　the　back　and　allow

him　three　letters　of　his　name。



But　the　Matterhorn　of　Robert　Walmsley's　success

was　not　scaled　until　be　married　Alicia　Van　Der　Pool。

I　cite　the　Matterhorn；　for　just　so　high　and　cool　and

white　and　inaccessible　was　this　daughter　of　the　old

burghers。　　The　social　Alps　that　ranged　about　her

over　whose　bleak　passes　a　thousand　climbers　struggled

　reached　only　to　her　knees。　　She　towered　in　her　own

atmosphere；　serene；　chaste；　prideful；　wading　in　no

fountains；　dining　no　monkeys；　breeding　no　dogs　for

bench　shows。　　She　was　a　Van　Der　Pool。　　Fountains

were　made　to　play　for　her；　monkeys　were　made　for

other　people's　ancestors；　dogs；　she　understood；　were

created　to　be　companions　of　blind　persons　and　objec…

tionable　characters　who　smoked　pipes。



This　was　the　Matterhorn　that　Robert　Walmsley

accomplished。　　If　he　found；　with　the　good　poet　with

the　game　foot　and　artificially　curled　hair；　that　he　who

ascends　to　mountain　tops　will　find　the　loftiest　peaks

most　wrapped　in　clouds　and　snow；　he　concealed　his

chilblains　beneath　a　brave　and　smiling　exterior。　　He

was　a　lucky　man　and　knew　it；　even　though　he　were

imitating　the　Spartan　boy　with　an　ice…cream　freezer

beneath　his　doublet　frappeeing　the　region　of　his

heart。



After　a　brief　wedding　tour　abroad；　the　couple　re…

turned　to　create　a　decided　ripple　in　the　calm　cistern

（so　placid　and　cool　and　sunless　it　is）　of　the　best　so…

ciety。　　They　entertained　at　their　red　brick　mausoleum

of　ancient　greatness　in　an　old　square　that　is　a　ceme…

tery　of　crumbled　glory。　　And　Robert　Walmsley　was

proud　of　his　wife；　although　while　one　of　his　hands

shook　his　guests'　the　other　held　tightly　to　his　alpen…

stock　and　thermometer。



One　day　Alicia　found　a　letter　written　to　Robert　by

his　mother。　　It　was　an　unerudite　letter；　full　of　crops

and　motherly　love　and　farm　notes。　　It　chronicled　the

health　of　the　pig　and　the　recent　red　calf；　and　asked

concerning　Robert's　in　return。　　It　was　a　letter　direct

from　the　soil；　straight　from　home；　full　of　biographies

of　bees；　tales　of　turnips；　peaans　of　new…laid　eggs；　neg…

lected　parents　and　the　slump　in　dried　apples。



〃Why　have　I　not　been　shown　your　mother's　let…

ters？〃　asked　Alicia。　　There　was　always　something　in

her　voice　that　made　you　think　of　lorgnettes；　of　ac…

counts　at　Tiffany's；　of　sledges　smoothly　gliding　on

the　trail　from　Dawson　to　Forty　Mile；　of　the　tinkling

of　pendant　prisms　on　your　grandmothers'　chandeliers；

of　snow　lying　on　a　convent　roof；　of　a　police　sergeant

refusing　bail。　　〃Your　mother；〃　continued　Alicia；

〃invites　us　to　make　a　visit　to　the　farm。　　I　have

never　seen　a　farm。　　We　will　go　there　for　a　week　or

two；　Robert。〃



〃We　will；〃　said　Robert；　with　the　grand　air　of　an

associate　Supreme　Justice　concurring　in　an　opinion。

〃I　did　not　lay　the　invitation　before　you　because　I

thought　you　would　not　care　to　go。　I　am　much　pleased

at　your　decision。〃



〃I　will　write　to　her　myself；〃　answered　Alicia；　with

a　faint　foreshadowing　of　enthusiasm。　　〃　Felice　shall

pack　my　trunks　at　once。　　Seven；　I　think；　will　be

enough。　　I　do　not　suppose　that　your　mother　entertains

a　great　deal。　　Does　she　give　many　house　parties？〃



Robert　arose；　and　as　attorney　for　rural　places　filed

a　demurrer　against　six　of　the　seven　trunks。　He　en…

deavored　to　define；　picture；　elucidate；　set　forth　and

describe　a　farm。　　His　own　words　sounded　strange　in

his　ears。　　He　had　not　realized　how　thoroughly　urbsi…

dized　he　had　become。



A　week　passed　and　found　them　landed　at　the　little

country　station　five　hours　out　from　the　city。　　A　grin…

ning；　stentorian；　sarcastic　youth　driving　a　mule　to　a

spring　wagon　hailed　Robert　savagely。



〃Hallo；　Mr。　Walmsley。　　Found　your　way　back　at

last；　have　you？　　Sorry　I　couldn't　bring　in　the　auto…

mobile　for　you；　but　dad's　bull…tonguing　the　ten…acre

clover　patch　with　it　to…day。　　Guess　you'll　excuse　my；

not　wearing　a　dress　suit　over　to　meet　you　　it　ain't

six　o'clock　yet；　you　know。〃



〃I'm　glad　to　see　you；　Tom；〃　said　Robert；　grasp…

ing　his　brother's　band。　　〃Yes；　I've　found　my　way　at

last。　　You've　a　right　to　say　'at　last。'　It's　been　over

two　years　since　the　last　time。　　But　it　will　be　oftener

after　this；　my　boy。〃



Alicia；　cool　in　the　summer　beat　as　an　Arctic　wraith；

white　as　a　Norse　snow　maiden　in　her　flimsy　muslin　and

fluttering　lace　parasol；　came　round　the　corner　of　the

station；　and　Tom　was　stripped　of　his　assurance。　　He

became　chiefly　eyesight　clothed　in　blue　jeans；　and　on

the　homeward　drive　to　the　mule　alone　did　he　confide

in　language　the　inwardness　of　his　thoughts。



They　drove　homeward。　　The　low　sun　dropped　a

spendthrift　flood　of　gold　upon　the　fortunate　fields　of

wheat。　　The　cities　were　far　away。　　The　road　lay　curl…

ing　around　wood　and　dale　and　bill　like　a　ribbon　lost

from　the　robe　of　careless　summer。　　The　wind　followed

like　a　whinnying　colt　in　the　track　of　Phoebus's　steeds。



By　and　by　the　farmhouse　peeped　gray　out　of　its

faithful　grove；　they　saw　the　long　lane　with　its　convoy

of　walnut　trees　running　from　the　road　to　the　house；

they　smelled　the　wild　rose　and　the　breath　of　cool；

damp　willows　in　the　creek's　bed。　　And　then　in　unison

all　the　voices　of　the　soil　began　a　chant　addressed　to

the　soul　of　Robert　Walmsley。　　Out　of　the　tilted　aisles

of　the　dim　wood　they　came　hollowly；　they　chirped　and

buzzed　from　the　parched　grass；　they　trilled　from　the

ripples　of　the　creek　ford；　they　floated　up　in　clear

Pan's　pipe　notes　from　the　dimming　meadows；　the

whippoorwills　joined　in　as　they　pursued　midges　in　the

upper　air；　slow…going　cow…bells　struck　out　a　homely

accompaniment　　and　this　was　what　each　one　said：

〃You've　found　your　way　back　at　last；　have　you？〃



The　old　voices　of　the　soil　spoke　to　him。　　Leaf　and

bud　and　blossom　conversed　with　him　in　the　old　vocabu…

lary　of　his　careless　youth　…　the　inanimate　things；　the

familiar　stones　and　rails；　the　gates　and　furrows