the dwelling place of ligh-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



They　had　talked　over　the　predicament　before；　and　always　came　to　the　same
impasse。　　In　the　privacy　of　the　kitchen　Hannah　paused　suddenly　in　her　energetic
rubbing　of　a　plate　and　with　supreme　courage　uttered　a　question。

〃Janet；　do　you　calculate　he　means　anything　wrong？〃

〃I　don't　know　what　he　means；〃　Janet　replied；　unwilling　to　give　Mr。　Wiley　credit
for　anything；　〃but　I　know　this；　that　Lise　is　too　smart　to　let　him　take
advantage　of　her。〃

Hannah　ruminated。　　Cleverness　as　the　modern　substitute　for　feminine　virtue　did
not　appeal　to　her；　but　she　let　it　pass。　　She　was　in　no　mood　to　quarrel　with　any
quality　that　would　ward　off　disgrace。

〃I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　Liseshe　don't　appear　to　have　any
principles。。。。〃

If　the　Wiley　affair　lasted　longer　than　those　preceding　it；　this　was　because
former　suitors　had　not　commanded　automobiles。　　When　Mr。　Wiley　lost　his
automobile　he　lost　his　luckif　it　may　be　called　such。　　One　April　evening；
after　a　stroll　with　Eda；　Janet　reached　home　about　nine　o'clock　to　find　Lise
already　in　their　room；　to　remark　upon　the　absence　of　Mr。　Wiley's　picture　from
the　frame。

〃I'm　through　with　him；〃　Lise　declared　briefly；　tugging　at　her　hair。

〃Through　with　him？〃　Janet　repeated。

Lise　paused　in　her　labours　and　looked　at　her　sister　steadily。　　〃I　handed　him
the　mitdo　you　get　me？〃

〃But　why？〃

〃Why？　　I　was　sick　of　himain't　that　enough？　　And　then　he　got　mixed　up　with　a
Glendale　trolley　and　smashed　his　radiator；　and　the　Wizard　people　sacked　him。　　I
always　told　him　he　was　too　fly。　　It's　lucky　for　him　I　wasn't　in　the　car。〃

〃It's　lucky　for　you；〃　said　Janet。　　Presently　she　inquired　curiously：　〃Aren't
you　sorry？〃

〃Nix。〃　　Lise　shook　her　head；　which　was　now　bowed；　her　face　hidden　by　hair。
〃Didn't　I　tell　you　I　was　sick　of　him？　　But　he　sure　was　some　spender；〃　she
added；　as　though　in　justice　bound　to　give　him　his　due。

Janet　was　shocked　by　the　ruthlessness　of　it；　for　Lise　appeared　relieved；　almost
gay。　　She　handed　Janet　a　box　containing　five　peppermint　creamsall　that
remained　of　Mr。　Wiley's　last　gift。

One　morning　in　the　late　spring　Janet　crossed　the　Warren　Street　bridge；　the
upper　of　the　two　spider…like　structures　to　be　seen　from　her　office　window；
spanning　the　river　beside　the　great　Hampton　dam。　　The　day；　dedicated　to　the
memory　of　heroes　fallen　in　the　Civil　War；　the　thirtieth　of　May；　was　a　legal
holiday。　　Gradually　Janet　had　acquired　a　dread　of　holidays　as　opportunities
never　realized；　as　intervals　that　should　have　been　filled　with　unmitigated
joys；　and　yet　were　invariably　wasted；　usually　in　walks　with　Eda　Rawle。　　To…day；
feeling　an　irresistible　longing　for　freedom；　for　beauty；　for　adventure；　for
quest　and　discovery　of　she　knew　not　what；　she　avoided　Eda；　and　after　gazing
awhile　at　the　sunlight　dancing　in　the　white　mist　below　the　falls；　she　walked
on；　southward；　until　she　had　left　behind　her　the　last　straggling　houses　of　the
city　and　found　herself　on　a　wide；　tarvia　road　that　led；　ultimately；　to　Boston。
So　read　the　sign。

Great　maples；　heavy　with　leaves；　stood　out　against　the　soft　blue　of　the　sky；
and　the　sunlight　poured　over　everything；　bathing　the　stone　walls；　the　thatches
of　the　farmhouses；　extracting　from　the　copses　of　stunted　pine　a　pungent；
reviving　perfume。　　Sometimes　she　stopped　to　rest　on　the　pine　needles；　and
walked　on　again；　aimlessly；　following　the　road　because　it　was　the　easiest　way。
There　were　spring　flowers　in　the　farmhouse　yards；　masses　of　lilacs　whose　purple
she　drank　in　eagerly；　the　air；　which　had　just　a　tang　of　New　England　sharpness；
was　filled　with　tender　sounds；　the　clucking　of　hens；　snatches　of　the　songs　of
birds；　the　rustling　of　maple　leaves　in　the　fitful　breeze。　　A　chipmunk　ran　down
an　elm　and　stood　staring　at　her　with　beady；　inquisitive　eyes；　motionless　save
for　bas　quivering　tail；　and　she　put　forth　her　hand；　shyly；　beseechingly；　as
though　he　held　the　secret　of　life　she　craved。　　But　he　darted　away。

She　looked　around　her　unceasingly；　at　the　sky；　at　the　trees；　at　the　flowers　and
ferns　and　fields；　at　the　vireos　and　thrushes；　the　robins　and　tanagers　gashing
in　and　out　amidst　the　foliage；　and　she　was　filled　with　a　strange　yearning　to
expand　and　expand　until　she　should　become　a　part　of　all　nature；　be　absorbed
into　it；　cease　to　be　herself。　　Never　before　had　she　known　just　that　feeling；
that　degree　of　ecstasy　mingled　with　divine　discontent　。。。。　　Occasionally；
intruding　faintly　upon　the　countryside　peace；　she　was　aware　of　a　distant
humming　sound　that　grew　louder　and　louder　until　there　shot　roaring　past　her　an
automobile　filled　with　noisy　folk；　leaving　behind　it　a　suffocating　cloud　of
dust。　　Even　these　intrusions；　reminders　of　the　city　she　had　left；　were
powerless　to　destroy　her　mood；　and　she　began　to　skip；　like　a　schoolgirl；
pausing　once　in　a　while　to　look　around　her　fearfully；　lest　she　was　observed；
and　it　pleased　her　to　think　that　she　had　escaped　forever；　that　she　would　never
go　back：　she　cried　aloud；　as　she　skipped；　〃I　won't　go　back；　I　won't　go　back；〃
keeping　time　with　her　feet　until　she　was　out　of　breath　and　almost　intoxicated；
delirious；　casting　herself　down；　her　heart　beating　wildly；　on　a　bank　of　ferns；
burying　her　face　in　them。　　She　had　really　stopped　because　a　pebble　had　got　into
her　shoe；　and　as　she　took　it　out　she　looked　at　her　bare　heel　and　remarked
ruefully：

〃Those　twenty…five　cent　stockings　aren't　worth　buying！〃

Economic　problems；　however；　were　powerless　to　worry　her　to…day；　when　the　sun
shone　and　the　wind　blew　and　the　ferns；　washed　by　the　rill　running　through　the
culvert　under　the　road；　gave　forth　a　delicious　moist　odour　reminding　her　of　the
flower　store　where　her　sister　Lise　had　once　been　employed。　　But　at　length　she
arose；　and　after　an　hour　or　more　of　sauntering　the　farming　landscape　was　left
behind；　the　crumbling　stone　fences　were　replaced　by　a　well…kept　retaining　wall
capped　by　a　privet　hedge；　through　which；　between　stone　pillars；　a　driveway
entered　and　mounted　the　shaded　slope；　turning　and　twisting　until　lost　to　view。
But　afar；　standing　on　the　distant　crest；　through　the　tree　trunks　and　foliage
Janet　saw　one　end　of　the　mansion　to　which　it　led；　and　ventured　timidly　but
eagerly　in　among　the　trees　in　the　hope　of　satisfying　her　new…born　curiosity。
Try　as　she　would；　she　never　could　get　any　but　disappointing　and　partial
glimpses　of　a　house　which；　because　of　the　mystery　of　its　setting；　fired　her
imagination；　started　her　to　wondering　why　it　was　that　some　were　permitted　to
live　in　the　midst　of　such　beauty　while　she　was　condemned　to　spend　her　days　in
Fillmore　Street　and　the　prison　of　the　mill。　　She　was　not　even　allowed　to　look
at　it！　　The　thought　was　like　a　cloud　across　the　sun。

However；　when　she　had　regained　the　tarvia　road　and　walked　a　little　way　the
shadow　suddenly　passed；　and　she　stood　surprised。　　The　sight　of　a　long　common
with　its　ancient　trees　in　the　fullness　of　glory；　dense　maples；　sturdy　oaks；
strong；　graceful　elms　that　cast　flickering；　lacy　shadows　across　the　road　filled
her　with　satisfaction；　with　a　sense　of　peace　deepened　by　the　awareness；　in　the
background；　ranged　along　the　common　on　either　side；　of　stately；　dignified
buildings；　each　in　an　appropriate　frame　of　foliage。　　With　the　essence　rather
than　the　detail　of　all　this　her　consciousness　became　steeped；　she　was　naturally
ignorant　of　the　great　good　fortune　of　Silliston　Academy　of　having　been　spared
with　one　or　two　exceptionsdonations　during　those　artistically　lean　years　of
the　nineteenth　century　when　American　architecture　affected　the　Gothic；　the
Mansard；　and　the　subsequent　hybrid。　　She　knew　this　must　be　Silliston；　the　seat
of　that　famous　academy　of　which　she　had　heard。

The　older　school　buildings　and　instructors'　houses；　most　of　them　white　or
creamy　yellow；　were　native　Colonial；　with　tall；　graceful　chimneys　and　classic
pillars　and　delicate　balustrades；　eloquent　at　once　of　the　racial　inheritance　of
the　Republic　and　of　a　bygone　individuality；　dignity；　and　pride。　　And　the　modern
architect；　of　whose　work　there　was　an　abundance；　had　graciously　and　intuitively
held　this　earlier　note　and　developed　it。　　He　was　an　American；　but　an　American
who　had　been　trained。　　The　result　was　harmony；　life　as　it　should　proceed；　the