the voice of the city-第22章

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other　'story'　by　a　young　woman　who　spent　a　week

as　a　spy　making　overalls　on　the　East　Side；　another

'fiction'　story　that　reeks　of　the　'garage'　and　a　cer…

tain　make　of　automobile。　　Of　course；　the　title　contains

the　words　'Cupid'　and　'Chauffeur'　　an　article　on

naval　strategy；　illustrated　with　cuts　of　the　Spanish

Armada；　and　the　new　Staten　Island　ferry…boats；　an…

other　story　of　a　political　boss　who　won　the　love　of　a

Fifth　Avenue　belle　by　blackening　her　eye　and　refusing

to　vote　for　an　iniquitous　ordinance　（it　doesn't　say

whether　it　was　in　the　Street…Cleaning　Department　or

Congress）；　and　nineteen　pages　by　the　editors　brag…

ging　about　the　circulation。　　The　whole　thing；　Sammy；

is　an　obituary　on　Romance。〃



Sammy　Brown　sat　comfortably　in　the　leather　arm…

chair　by　the　open　window。　　His　suit　was　a　vehement

brown　with　visible　checks；　beautifully　matched　in

shade　by　the　ends　of　four　cigars　that　his　vest　pocket

poorly　concealed。　　Light　tan　were　his　shoes；　gray　his

socks；　sky…blue　his　apparent　linen；　snowy　and　high

and　adamantine　his　collar；　against　which　a　black　but…

terfly　had　alighted　and　spread　his　wings。　　Sammy's

face　　least　important　　was　round　and　pleasant

and　pinkish；　and　in　his　eyes　you　saw　no　haven　for

fleeing　Romance。



That　window　of　Ravenel's　apartment　opened　upon

an　old　garden　full　of　ancient　trees　and　shrubbery。

The　apartment…house　towered　above　one　side　of　it；

a　high　brick　wall　fended　it　from　the　street；　oppo…

site　Ravenel's　window　an　old；　old　mansion　stood；　half…

hidden　in　the　shade　of　the　summer　foliage。　　The　house

was　a　castle　besieged。　　The　city　howled　and　roared

and　shrieked　and　beat　upon　its　double　doors；　and

shook　white；　fluttering　checks　above　the　wall；　offering

terms　of　surrender。　　The　gray　dust　settled　upon　the

trees；　the　siege　was　pressed　hotter；　but　the　draw…

bridge　was　not　lowered。　　No　further　will　the　language

of　chivalry　serve。　　Inside　lived　an　old　gentleman　who

loved　his　home　and　did　not　wish　to　sell　it。　　That　is

all　the　romance　of　the　besieged　castle。



Three　or　four　times　every　week　came　Sammy

Brown　to　Ravenel's　apartment。　　He　belonged　to　the

poet's　club；　for　the　former　Browns　had　been　con…

spicuous；　though　Sammy　bad　been　vulgarized　by

Business。　He　had　no　tears　for　departed　Romance。

The　song　of　the　ticker　was　the　one　that　reached

his　heart；　and　when　it　came　to　matters　equine　and

batting　scores　he　was　something　of　a　pink　edition。

He　loved　to　sit　in　the　leather　armchair　by　Ravenel's

window。　　And　Ravenel　didn't　mind　particularly。

Sammy　seemed　to　enjoy　his　talk；　and　then　the　broker's

clerk　was　such　a　perfect　embodiment　of　modernity　and

the　day's　sordid　practicality　that　Ravenel　rather

liked　to　use　him　as　a　scapegoat。



〃I'll　tell　you　what's　the　matter　with　you；〃　said

Sammy；　with　the　shrewdness　that　business　had　taught

him。　　〃The　magazine　has　turned　down　some　of　your

poetry　stunts。　　That's　why　you　are　sore　at　it。〃



〃That　would　be　a　good　guess　in　Wall　Street　or　in

a　campaign　for　the　presidency　of　a　woman's　club；〃

said　Ravenel；　quietly。　　〃Now；　there　is　a　poem　…　if

you　will　allow　me　to　call　it　that　…　of　my　own　in　this

number　of　the　magazine。〃



〃Read　it　to　me；〃　said　Sammy；　watching　a　cloud

of　pipe…smoke　be　had　just　blown　out　the　window。



Ravenel　was　no　greater　than　Achilles。　　No　one　is。

There　is　bound　to　be　a　spot。　　The　Somebody…or…Other

must　take　bold　of　us　somewhere　when　she　dips　us　in

the　Something…or…Other　that　makes　us　invulnerable。

He　read　aloud　this　verse　in　the　magazine：





THE　FOUR　ROSES



'One　rose　I　twined　within　your　hair　



　　（White　rose；　that　spake　of　worth）；



And　one　you　placed　upon　your　breast　



　　（Red　rose；　love's　seal　of　birth）。



You　plucked　another　from　its　stem　



　　（Tea　rose；　that　means　for　aye）；



And　one　you　gave　　that　bore　for　me



　　The　thorns　of　memory。〃





〃That's　a　crackerjack；〃　said　Sammy；　admiringly。



There　are　five　more　verses；〃　said　Ravenel；　pa…

tiently　sardonic。　　〃One　naturally　pauses　at　the　end

of　each。　　Of　course　　〃



〃Oh；　let's　have　the　rest；　old　man；〃　shouted　Sammy；

contritely；　〃　I　didn't　mean　to　cut　you　off。　　I'm　not

much　of　a　poetry　expert；　you　know。　　I　never　saw　a

poem　that　didn't　look　like　it　ought　to　have　terminal

facilities　at　the　end　of　every　verse。　　Reel　off　the　rest

of　it。〃



Ravenel　sighed；　and　laid　the　magazine　down。　　〃All

right；〃　said　Sammy；　cheerfully；　〃we'll　have　it　next

time。　　I'll　be　off　now。　　Got　a　date　at　five　o'clock。〃



He　took　a　last　look　at　the　shaded　green　garden

and　left；　whistling　in　an　off　key　an　untuneful　air　from

a　roofless　farce　comedy。



The　next　afternoon　Ravenel；　while　polishing　a

ragged　line　of　a　new　sonnet；　reclined　by　the　window

overlooking　the　besieged　garden　of　the　unmercenary

baron。　　Suddenly　he　sat　up；　spilling　two　rhymes　and

a　syllable　or　two。；



Through　the　trees　one　window　of　the　old　mansion

could　be　seen　clearly。　　In　its　window；　draped　in　flow…

ing　white；　leaned　the　angel　of　all　his　dreams　of　ro…

mance　and　poesy。　　Young；　fresh　as　a　drop　of　dew；

graceful　as　a　spray　of　clematis；　conferring　upon　the

garden　hemmed　in　by　the　roaring　traffic　the　air

of　a　princess's　bower；　beautiful　as　any　flower　sung

by　poet　　thus　Ravenel　saw　her　for　the　first　time。

She　lingered　for　a　while；　and　then　disappeared　within；

leaving　a　few　notes　of　a　birdlike　ripple　of　song　to

reach　his　entranced　ears　through　the　rattle　of　cabs

and　the　snarling　of　the　electric　cars。



Thus；　as　if　to　challenge　the　poet's　flaunt　at　ro…

mance　and　to　punish　him　for　his　recreancy　to　the

undying　spirit　of　youth　and　beauty；　this　vision　bad

dawned　upon　him　with　a　thrilling　and　accusive　power。

And　so　metabolic　was　the　power　that　in　an　instant

the　atoms　of　Ravenel's　entire　world　were　redistrib…

uted。　　The　laden　drays　that　passed　the　house　in　which

she　lived　rumbled　a　deep　double…bass　to　the　tune　of

love。　　The　newsboys'　shouts　were　the　notes　of　singing

birds；　that　garden　was　the　pleasance　of　the　Capulets；

the　janitor　was　an　ogre；　himself　a　knight；　ready　with

sword；　lance　or　lute。



Thus　does　romance　show　herself　amid　forests　of

brick　and　stone　when　she　gets　lost　in　the　city；　and

there　has　to　be　sent　out　a　general　alarm　to　find　her

again。



At　four　in　the　afternoon　Ravenel　looked　out　across

the　garden。　　In　the　window　of　his　hopes　were　set

four　small　vases；　each　containing　a　great；　full…blown

rose　…　red　and　white。　　And；　as　he　gazed；　she　leaned

above　them；　shaming　them　with　her　loveliness　and

seeming　to　direct　her　eyes　pensively　toward　his　own

window。　　And　then；　as　though　she　had　caught　his

respectful　but　ardent　regard；　she　melted　away；　leaving

the　fragrant　emblems　on　the　window…sill。



〃Yes；　emblems！　　he　would　be　unworthy　if　be　had

not　understood。　　She　had　read　his　poem；　〃The　Four

Roses〃；　it　had　reached　her　heart；　and　this　was　its

romantic　answer。　　Of　course　she　must　know　that

Ravenel；　the　poet；　lived　there　across　her　garden。　　His

picture；　too；　she　must　have　seen　in　the　magazines。

The　delicate；　tender；　modest；　flattering　message　could

not　be　ignored。



Ravenel　noticed　beside　the　roses　a　small　flowering…

pot　containing　a　plant。　　Without　shame　be　brought

his　opera…glasses　and　employed　them　from　the　cover

of　his　window…curtain。　　A　nutmeg　geranium！



With　the　true　poetic　instinct　be　dragged　a　book

of　useless　information　from　his　shelves；　and　tore　open

the　leaves　at　〃The　Language　of　Flowers。〃



〃Geranium；　Nutmeg　…　I　expect　a　meeting。〃



So！　Romance　never　does　things　by　halves。　　If　she

comes　back　to　you　she　brings　gifts　and　her　knitting；

and　will　sit　in　your　chimney…corner　if　you　will　let

her。



And　now　Ravenel　smiled。　　The　lover　smiles

when　be　thinks　he　has　won。　　The　woman　who　loves

ceases　to　smile　with　victory。　　He　ends　a　battle；　she

begins　hers。　　What　a　pretty　idea　to　set　the　four　roses

in　her　window　for　him　to　see！　　She　must　have

a　sweet；　poetic　soul。