the voice of the city-第34章

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his　seine。　　She　smiled　at　him；　and　they　raised　glasses

and　drank　of　the　wine　that　boiled　when　it　was　cold。

Binkley　had　abandoned　art　and　was　prating　of　the

unusual　spring　catch　of　shad。　　Miss　Elise　arranged

the　palette…and…maul…stick　tie　pin　of　Mr。　Vandyke。

A　Philistine　at　some　distant　table　was　maundering

volubly　either　about　Jerome　or　Gerome。　　A　famous

actress　was　discoursing　excitably　about　monogrammed

hosiery。　　A　hose　clerk　from　a　department　store　was

loudly　proclaiming　his　opinions　of　the　drama。　　A

writer　was　abusing　Dickens。　　A　magazine　editor　and

a　photographer　were　drinking　a　dry　brand　at　a　re…

served　table。　　A　36…25…42　young　lady　was　saying　to

an　eminent　sculptor：　〃Fudge　for　your　Prax　Italys！

Bring　one　of　your　Venus　Anno　Dominis　down　to

Cohen's　and　see　bow　quick　she'd　be　turned　down　for

a　cloak　model。　　Back　to　the　quarries　with　your

Greeks　and　Dagos！〃



Thus　went　Bohemia。



At　eleven　Mr。　Binkley　took　Medora　to　the　board…

ing…bouse　and　left　her；　with　a　society　bow；　at　the　foot

of　the　hall　stairs。　　She　went　up　to　her　room　and　lit

the　gas。



And　then；　as　suddenly　as　the　dreadful　genie　arose

in　vapor　from　the　copper　vase　of　the　fisherman；

arose　in　that　room　the　formidable　shape　of　the　New

England　Conscience。　　The　terrible　thing　that

Medora　had　done　was　revealed　to　her　in　its　full

enormity。　　She　had　sat　in　the　presence　of　the　un…

godly　and　looked　upon　the　wine　both　when　it　was　red

and　effervescent。



At　midnight　she　wrote　this　letter：



〃Mr。　BERLAH　HOSKINS；　Harmony；　Vermont。



〃Dear　Sir：　Henceforth；　consider　me　as　dead　to

you　forever。　　I　have　loved　you　too　well　to　blight　your

career　by　bringing　into　it　my　guilty　and　sin…stained

life。　　I　have　succumbed　to　the　insidious　wiles　of　this

wicked　world　and　have　been　drawn　into　the　vortex　of

Bohemia。　　There　is　scarcely　any　depth　of　glittering

iniquity　that　I　have　not　sounded。　　It　is　hopeless　to

combat　my　decision。　　There　is　no　rising　from　the

depths　to　which　I　have　sunk。　　Endeavor　to　forget

me。　I　am　lost　forever　in　the　fair　but　brutal　maze　of

awful　Bohemia。　　Farewell。



〃ONCE　YOUR　MEDORA。〃





On　the　next　day　Medora　formed　her　resolutions。

Beelzebub；　flung　from　heaven；　was　no　more　cast　down。

Between　her　and　the　apple　blossoms　of　Harmony

there　was　a　fixed　gulf。　　Flaming　cherubim　warded

her　from　the　gates　of　her　lost　paradise。　　In　one

evening；　by　the　aid　of　Binkley　and　Mumm；　Bohemia

had　gathered　her　into　its　awful　midst。



There　remained　to　her　but　one　thing　　a　life　of

brilliant；　but　irremediable　error。　　Vermont　was　a

shrine　that　she　never　would　dare　to　approach　again。

But　she　would　not　sink　　there　were　great　and　com…

pelling　ones　in　history　upon　whom　she　would　model

her　meteoric　career　　Camille；　Lola　Montez；　Royal

Mary；　Zaza　　such　a　name　as　one　of　these　would　that

of　Medora　Martin　be　to　future　generations



For　two　days　Medora　kept　her　room。　　On　the

third　she　opened　a　magazine　at　the　portrait　of　the

King　of　Belgium；　and　laughed　sardonically。　　If　that

far…famed　breaker　of　women's　hearts　should　cross　her

path；　he　would　have　to　bow　before　her　cold　and　im…

perious　beauty。　　She　would　not　spare　the　old　or

the　young。　　All　America　　all　Europe　should　do

homage　to　her　sinister；　but　compelling　charm。



As　yet　she　could　not　bear　to　think　of　the　life　she

had　once　desired　　a　peaceful　one　in　the　shadow　of

the　Green　Mountains　with　Beriah　at　her　side；　and

orders　for　expensive　oil　paintings　coming　in　by　each

mail　from　New　York。　　Her　one　fatal　misstep　had

shattered　that　dream。



On　the　fourth　day　Medora　powdered　her　face　and

rouged　her　lips。　　Once　she　had　seen　Carter　in

〃Zaza。〃　　She　stood　before　the　mirror　in　a　reckless

attitude　and　cried：　〃Zut！　zut！〃　　She　rhymed　it

with　〃nut；〃　but　with　the　lawless　word　Harmony

seemed　to　pass　away　forever。　　The　Vortex　had　her。

She　belonged　to　Bohemia　for　evermore。　　And　never

would　Beriah　



The　door　opened　and　Beriah　walked　in。



〃'Dory；〃　said　he；　〃what's　all　that　chalk　and　pink

stuff　on　your　face；　honey？



Medora　extended　an　arm。



〃Too　late；〃　she　said；　solemnly。　　The　die　is　cast。

I　belong　in　another　world。　　Curse　me　if　you　will　

it　is　your　right。　Go；　and　leave　me　in　the　path　I

have　chosen。　　Bid　them　all　at　home　never　to　men…

tion　my　name　again。　　And　sometimes；　Beriah；　pray

for　me　when　I　am　revelling　in　the　gaudy；　but　hol…

low；　pleasures　of　Bohemia。〃



〃Get　a　towel；　'Dory；〃　said　Beriah；　　〃and　wipe

that　paint　off　your　face。　　I　came　as　soon　as　I　got

your　letter。　　Them　pictures　of　yours　ain't　amount…

ing　to　anything。　　I've　got　tickets　for　both　of　us

back　on　the　evening　train。　　Hurry　and　get　your

things　in　your　trunk。〃



〃Fate　was　too　strong　for　me；　Beriah。　　Go　while

I　am　strong　to　bear　it。〃



〃How　do　you　fold　this　easel；　'Dory？　　now　begin

to　pack；　so　we　have　time　to　eat　before　train　time。

The　maples　is　all　out　in　full…grown　leaves；　'Dory　

you　just　ought　to　see　'em！



〃Not　this　early；　Beriah？



〃You　ought　to　see　'em；　'Dory；　they're　like　an

ocean　of　green　in　the　morning　sunlight。〃



〃Oh；　Beriah！〃



On　the　train　she　said　to　him　suddenly：



〃I　wonder　why　you　came　when　you　got　my　let…

ter。〃



〃Oh；　shucks！　〃　said　Beriah。　　〃Did　you　think　you

could　fool　me？　　How　could　you　be　run　away　to　that

Bohemia　country　like　you　said　when　your　letter　was

postmarked　New　York　as　plain　as　day？〃











A　PHILISTINE　IN　BOHEMIA





George　Washington；　with　his　right　arm　up…

raised；　sits　his　iron　horse　at　the　lower　corner　of

Union　Square；　forever　signaling　the　Broadway　cars

to　stop　as　they　round　the　curve　into　Fourteenth

Street。　　But　the　cars　buzz　on；　heedless；　as　they　do　at

the　beck　of　a　private　citizen；　and　the　great　General

must　feel；　unless　his　nerves　are　iron；　that　rapid　tran…

sit　gloria　mundi。



Should　the　General　raise　his　left　hand　as　he　has

raised　his　right　it　would　point　to　a　quarter　of　the

city　that　forms　a　haven　for　the　oppressed　and　sup…

pressed　of　foreign　lands。　　In　the　cause　of　national

or　personal　freedom　they　have　found　a　refuge　here；

and　the　patriot　who　made　it　for　them　sits　his　steed；

overlooking　their　district；　while　he　listens　through　his

left　car　to　vaudeville　that　caricatures　the　posterity

of　his　proteges。　　Italy；　Poland；　the　former　Spanish

possessions　and　the　polyglot　tribes　of　Austria…Hun…

gary　have　spilled　here　a　thick　lather　of　their　effer…

vescent　sons。　　In　the　eccentric　cafes　and　lodging…

houses　of　the　vicinity　they　hover　over　their　native

wines　and　political　secrets。　　The　colony　changes


with　much　frequency。　　Faces　disappear　from　the

haunts　to　be　replaced　by　others。　　Whither　do　these

uneasy　birds　flit？　　For　half　of　the　answer　observe

carefully　the　suave　foreign　air　and　foreign　courtesy

of　the　next　waiter　who　serves　your　table　d'hote。

For　the　other　half；　perhaps　if　the　barber　shops　had

tongues　（and　who　will　dispute　it？）　they　could　tell

their　share。



Titles　are　as　plentiful　as　finger　rings　among　these

transitory　exiles。　　For　lack　of　proper　exploitation　a

stock　of　titled　goods　large　enough　to　supply　the　trade

of　upper　Fifth　Avenue　is　here　condemned　to　a　mere

pushcart　traffic。　　The　new…world　landlords　who　en…

tertain　these　offshoots　of　nobility　are　not　dazzled

by　coronets　and　crests。　　They　have　doughnuts　to

sell　instead　of　daughters。　　With　them　it　is　a　serious

matter　of　trading　in　flour　and　sugar　instead　of　pearl

powder　and　bonbons。



These　assertions　are　deemed　fitting　as　an　intro…

duction　to　the　tale；　which　is　of　plebeians　and　contains

no　one　with　even　the　ghost　of　a　title。



Katy　Dempsey's　mother　kept　a　furnished…room

house　in　this　oasis　of　the　aliens。　　The　business　was

not　profitable。　　If　the　two　scraped　together　enough

to　meet　the　landlord's　agent　on　rent　day　and　nego…

tiate　for　the　ingredients　of　a　daily　Irish　stew　they

called　it　success。　　Often　the　stew　lacked　both　meat

and　potatoes。　　Sometimes　it　became　a