the voice of the city-第35章

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called　it　success。　　Often　the　stew　lacked　both　meat

and　potatoes。　　Sometimes　it　became　as　bad　as　con…

somme'　with　music。



In　this　mouldy　old　house　Katy　waxed　plump　and

pert　and　wholesome　and　as　beautiful　and　freckled　as

a　tiger　lily。　　She　was　the　good　fairy　who　was　guilty

of　placing　the　damp　clean　towels　and　cracked　pitchers

of　freshly　laundered　Croton　in　the　lodgers'　rooms。



You　are　informed　（by　virtue　of　the　privileges　of

astronomical　discovery）　that　the　star　lodger's　name

was　Mr。　Brunelli。　　His　wearing　a　yellow　tie　and　pay…

ing　his　rent　promptly　distinguished　him　from　the

other　lodgers。　　His　raiment　was　splendid；　his　com…

plexion　olive；　his；　mustache　fierce；　his　manners　a

prince's；　his　rings　and　pins　as　magnificent　as　those

of　a　traveling　dentist。



He　had　breakfast　served　in　his　room；　and　he　ate　it

in　a　red　dressing　gown　with　green　tassels。　He　left

the　house　at　noon　and　returned　at　midnight。　　Those

were　mysterious　hours；　but　there　was　nothing　my…

terious　about　Mrs。　Dempsey's　lodgers　except　the

things　that　were　not　mysterious。　　One　of　Mr。　Kip…

ling's　poems　is　addressed　to　〃Ye　who　hold　the　un…

written　clue　to　all　save　all　unwritten　thing。〃　　The

same　〃readers〃　are　invited　to　tackle　the　foregoing

assertion。



Mr。　Brunelli；　being　impressionable　and　a　Latin；

fell　to　conjugating　the　verb　〃amare；〃　with　Katy　in

the　objective　case；　though　not　because　of　antipathy。

She　talked　it　over　with　her　mother。



〃Sure；　I　like　him；〃　said　Katy。　　〃He's　more　po…

liteness　than　twinty　candidates　for　Alderman；　and　lie

makes　me　feel　like　a　queen　whin　he　walks　at　me　side。

But　what　is　he；　I　dinno？　　I've　me　suspicions。　　The

marnin'll　coom　whin　he'll　throt　out　the　picture　av　his

baronial　halls　and　ax　to　have　the　week's　rint　hung

up　in　the　ice　chist　along　wid　all　the　rist　of　'em。〃



〃'Tis　true；〃　admitted　Mrs。　Dempsey；　〃that　he

seems　to　be　a　sort　iv　a　Dago；　and　too　coolchured　in

his　spache　for　a　rale　gentleman。　　But　ye　may　be　mis…

judgin'　him。　　Ye　should　niver　suspect　any　wan　of

bein'　of　noble　descint　that　pays　cash　and　pathronizes

the　laundry　rig'lar。〃



〃He's　the　same　tbricks　of　spakin'　and　blarneyin'

wid　his　hands；〃　sighed　Katy；　〃as　the　Frinch　noble…

man　at　Mrs。　Toole's　that　ran　away　wid　Mr。　Toole's

Sunday　pants　and　left　the　photograph　of　the　Bastile；

his　grandfather's　chat…taw；　as　security　for　tin　weeks'

rint。〃



Mr。　Brunelli　continued　his　calorific　wooing。　　Katy

continued　to　hesitate。　　One　day　he　asked　her　out　to

dine　and　she　felt　that　a　denouement　was　in　the　air。

While　they　are　on　their　way；　with　Katy　in　her　best

muslin；　you　must　take　as　an　entr'acte　a　brief　peep　at

New　York's　Bohemia。



'Tonio's　restaurant　is　in　Bohemia。　　The　very　lo…

cation　of　it　is　secret。　　If　you　wish　to　know　where　it　is

ask　the　first　person　you　meet。　　He　will　tell　you　in　a

whisper。　　'Tonio　discountenances　custom；　he　keeps

his　house…front　black　and　forbidding；　he　gives　you　a

pretty　bad　dinner；　he　locks　his　door　at　the　dining

hour；　but　he　knows　spaghetti　as　the　boarding…house

knows　cold　veal；　and　　he　has　deposited　many　dol…

lars　in　a　certain　Banco　di　　something　with　many

gold　vowels　in　the　name　on　its　windows。



To　this　restaurant　Mr。　Brunelli　conducted　Katy。

The　house　was　dark　and　the　shades　were　lowered；　but

Mr。　Brunelli　touched　an　electric　button　by　the　base…

ment　door；　and　they　were　admitted。



Along　a　long；　dark；　narrow　hallway　they　went　and

then　through　a　shining　and　spotless　kitchen　that

opened　directly　upon　a　back　yard。



The　walls　of　houses　hemmed　three　sides　of　the

yard；　a　high；　board　fence；　surrounded　by　cats；　the

other。　　A　wash　of　clothes　was　suspended　high　upon

a　line　stretched　from　diagonal　corners。　　Those　were

property　clothes；　and　were　never　taken　in　by　'Tonio。

They　were　there　that　wits　with　defective　pronuncia…

tion　might　make　puns　in　connection　with　the　ragout。



A　dozen　and　a　half　little　tables　set　upon　the　bare

ground　were　crowded　with　Bohemia…hunters；　who

flocked　there　because　'Tonio　pretended　not　to　want

them　and　pretended　to　give　them　a　good　dinner。

There　was　a　sprinkling　of　real　Bohemians　present

who　came　for　a　change　because　they　were　tired　of

the　real　Bohemia；　and　a　smart　shower　of　the　men

who　originate　the　bright　sayings　of　Congressmen　and

the　little　nephew　of　the　well…known　general　passen…

ger　agent　of　the　Evansville　and　Terre　Haute　Rail…

road　Company。



Here　is　a　bon　mot　that　was　manufactured　at

'Tonio's：



〃A　dinner　at　'Tonio's；〃　said　a　Bohemian；　〃always

amounts　to　twice　the　price　that　is　asked　for　it。〃



Let　us　assume　that　an　accommodating　voice　in…

quires：



〃How　so？〃



〃The　dinner　costs　you　40　cents；　you　give　10　cents

to　the　waiter；　and　it　makes　you　feel　like　30　cents。〃



Most　of　the　diners　were　confirmed　table　d'hoters　

gastronomic　adventuress；　forever　seeking　the　El　Do…

rado　of　a　good　claret；　and　consistently　coming　to

grief　in　California。



Mr。　Brunelli　escorted　Katy　to　a　little　table　em…

bowered　with　shrubbery　in　tubs；　and　asked　her　to

excuse　him　for　a　while。



Katy　sat；　enchanted　by　a　scene　so　brilliant　to　her。

The　grand　ladies；　in　splendid　dresses　and　plumes　and

sparkling　rings；　the　fine　gentlemen　who　laughed　so

loudly；　the　cries　of　〃Garsong！　〃　and　〃We；　mon…

seer；〃　and　〃Hello；　Mame！　〃　that　distinguish　Bo…

hemia；　the　lively　chatter；　the　cigarette　smoke；　the

interchange　of　bright　smiles　and　eye…glances　　all

this　display　and　magnificence　overpowered　the　daugh…

ter　of　Mrs。　Dempsey　and　held　her　motionless。



Mr。　Brunelli　stepped　into　the　yard　and　seemed　to

spread　his　smile　and　bow　over　the　entire　company。

And　everywhere　there　was　a　great　clapping　of　bands

and　a　few　cries　of　〃Bravo！　〃　and　〃'Tonio！　　'Tonio！〃

whatever　those　words　might　mean。　　Ladies　waved

their　napkins　at　him；　gentlemen　almost　twisted　their

necks　off；　trying　to　catch　his　nod。



When　the　ovation　was　concluded　Mr。　Brunelli；

with　a　final　bow；　stepped　nimbly　into　the　kitchen　and

flung　off　his　coat　and　waistcoat。



〃Flaherty；　the　nimblest　〃garsong〃　among　the

waiters；　had　been　assigned　to　the　special　service　of

Katy。　　She　was　a　little　faint　from　hunger；　for　the

Irish　stew　on　the　Dempsey　table　had　been　particu…

larly　weak　that　day。　　Delicious　odors　from　unknown

dishes　tantalized　her。　　And　Flaherty　began　to　bring

to　her　table　course　after　course　of　ambrosial　food

that　the　gods　might　have　pronounced　excellent。



But　even　in　the　midst　of　her　Lucullian　repast　Katy

laid　down　her　knife　and　fork。　　Her　heart　sank　as

lead；　and　a　tear　fell　upon　her　filet　mignon。　　Her

haunting　suspicions　of　the　star　lodger　arose　again；

fourfold。　　Thus　courted　and　admired　and　smiled

upon　by　that　fashionable　and　gracious　assembly；

what　else　could　Mr。　Brunelli　be　but　one　of　those

dazzling　titled　patricians；　glorious　of　name　but　shy

of　rent　money；　concerning　whom　experience　had　made

her　wise？　　With　a　sense　of　his　ineligibility　growing

within　her　there　was　mingled　a　torturing　conviction

that　his　personality　was　becoming　more　pleasing　to

her　day　by　day。　　And　why　had　he　left　her　to　dine

alone？



But　here　he　was　coming　again；　now　coatless；　his

snowy　shirt…sleeves　rolled　high　above　his　Jeffries…

onian　elbows；　a　white　yachting　cap　perched　upon　his

jetty　curls。



〃'Tonio！　　'Tonio！〃　shouted　many；　and　〃The

spaghetti！　　The　spaghetti！〃　shouted　the　rest。



Never　at　'Tonio's　did　a　waiter　dare　to　serve　a　dish

of　spaghetti　until　'Tonio　came　to　test　it；　to　prove　the

sauce　and　add　the　needful　dash　of　seasoning　that

gave　it　perfection。



From　table　to　table　moved　'Tonio；　like　a　prince　in

his　palace；　greeting　his　guests。　　White；　jewelled

bands　signalled　him　from　every　side。



A　glass　of　wine　with　this　one　and　that；　smiles　for

all；　a　jest　and　repartee　for　any　that　might　challenge

　truly　few　princes　could　be　so　agreeable　a　host！

And　what　artist　could　ask　for　further　appreciation

of　his　handiwork？　　Katy　did