the dwelling place of ligh-第6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！


the　satisfaction　afforded　by　the　ability　to　take　a　commanding　position　in
Hampton　society；　gradually　to　become　aware　of　the　need　of　a　more　commodious
residence。　　In　a　certain　kind　of　intuition　she　was　rich。　　Her　husband　had
meanwhile　become　Agent　of　the　Chippering　Mill；　and　she　strongly　suspected　that
his　prudent　reticence　on　the　state　of　his　finances　was　the　best　indication　of
an　increasing　prosperity。　　He　had　indeed　made　money；　been　given　many
opportunities　for　profitable　investments；　but　the　argument　for　social　pre…
eminence　did　not　appeal　to　him：　tears　and　reproaches；　recriminations；　when
frequently　applied；　succeeded　better；　like　many　married　men；　what　he　most
desired　was　to　be　let　alone；　but　in　some　unaccountable　way　she　had　come　to
suspect　that　his　preference　for　blondes　was　of　a　more　liberal　nature　than　at
first；　in　her　innocence；　she　had　realized。　　She　was　jealous；　too；　of　his
cronies；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　these　gentlemen；　when　they　met　her；　treated
her　with　an　elaborate　politeness；　and　she　accused　him　with　entire　justice　of
being　more　intimate　with　them　than　with　her；　with　whom　he　was　united　in　holy
bonds。　　The　inevitable　result　of　these　tactics　was　the　modern　mansion　in　the
upper　part　of　Warren　Street；　known　as　the　〃residential〃　district。　　Built　on　a
wide　lot；　with　a　garage　on　one　side　to　the　rear；　with　a　cement　driveway　divided
into　squares；　and　a　wall　of　democratic　height　separating　its　lawn　from　the
sidewalk；　the　house　may　for　the　present　be　better　imagined　than　described。

A　pious　chronicler　of　a　more　orthodox　age　would　doubtless　have　deemed　it　a
judgment　that　Cora　Ditmar　survived　but　two　years　to　enjoy　the　glories　of　the
Warren　Street　house。　　For　a　while　her　husband　indulged　in　a　foolish　optimism；
only　to　learn　that　the　habit　of　matrimonial　blackmail；　once　acquired；　is　not
easily　shed。　　Scarcely　had　he　settled　down　to　the　belief　that　by　the
gratification　of　her　supreme　desire　he　had　achieved　comparative　peace；　than　he
began　to　suspect　her　native　self…confidence　of　cherishing　visions　of　a　career
contemplating　nothing　less　than　the　eventual　abandonment　of　Hampton　itself　as　a
field　too　limited　for　her　social　talents　and　his　business　ability　and　bank
accountat　which　she　was　pleased　to　hint。　　Hampton　suited　Ditmar；　his　passion
was　the　Chippering　Mill；　and　he　was　in　process　of　steeling　himself　to　resist；
whatever　the　costs；　this　preposterous　plan　when　he　was　mercifully　released　by
death。　　Her　intention　of　sending　the　children　away　to　acquire　a　culture　and
finish　Hampton　did　not　afford；George　to　Silliston　Academy；　Amy　to　a
fashionable　boarding　school；he　had　not　opposed；　yet　he　did　not　take　the　idea
with　sufficient　seriousness　to　carry　it　out。　　The　children　remained　at　home；
more　or　lessincreasingly　lessin　the　charge　of　an　elderly　woman　who　acted　as
housekeeper。

Ditmar　had　miraculously　regained　his　freedom。　　And　now；　when　he　made　trips　to
New　York　and　Boston；　combining　business　with　pleasure；　there　were　no　questions
asked；　no　troublesome　fictions　to　be　composed。　　More　frequently　he　was　in
Boston；　where　he　belonged　to　a　large　and　comfortable　club；　not　too　exacting　in
regard　to　membership；　and　here　he　met　his　cronies　and　sometimes　planned
excursions　with　them；　automobile　trips　in　summer　to　the　White　Mountains　or
choice　little　resorts　to　spend　Sundays　and　holidays；　generally　taking　with　them
a　case　of　champagne　and　several　bags　of　golf　sticks。　　He　was　fond　of　shooting；
and　belonged　to　a　duck　club　on　the　Cape；　where　poker　and　bridge　were　not
tabooed。　　To　his　intimates　he　was　known　as　〃Dit。〃　　Nor　is　it　surprising　that
his　attitude　toward　women　had　become　in　general　one　of　resentment；　matrimony　he
now　regarded　as　unmitigated　folly。　　At　five　and　forty　he　was　a　vital；
dominating；　dust…coloured　man　six　feet　and　half　an　inch　in　height；　weighing　a
hundred　and　ninety　pounds；　and　thus　a　trifle　fleshy。　　When　relaxed；　and　in
congenial　company；　he　looked　rather　boyish；　an　aspect　characteristic　of　many
American　business　men　of　to…day。

His　head　was　large；　he　wore　his　hair　short；　his　features　also　proclaimed　him　as
belonging　to　a　modern　American　type　in　that　they　were　not　clear…cut；　but　rather
indefinable；　a　bristling；　short…cropped　moustache　gave　him　a　certain　efficient；
military　look　which；　when　introduced　to　strangers　as　〃Colonel；〃　was　apt　to
deceive　them　into　thinking　him　an　army　officer。　　The　title　he　had　once　received
as　a　member　of　the　staff　of　the　governor　of　the　state；　and　was　a　tribute　to　a
gregariousness　and　political　influence　rather　than　to　a　genius　for　the　art　of
war。　　Ex　officio；　as　the　agent　of　the　Chippering　Mill　and　a　man　of　substance　to
boot；　he　was　〃in〃　politics；　hail　fellow　well　met　with　and　an　individual　to　be
taken　into　account　by　politicians　from　the　governor　and　member　of　congress
down。　　He　was　efficient；　of　course；　he　had　efficient　hands　and　shrewd；
efficient　eyes；　and　the　military　impression　was　deepened　by　his　manner　of
dealing　with　people；　his　conversation　being　yea；　yea　and　nay；　nay；save　with
his　cronies　and　those　of　the　other　sex　from　whom　he　had　something　to　gain。　　His
clothes　always　looked　new；　of　pronounced　patterns　and　light　colours　set　aside
for　him　by　an　obsequious　tailor　in　Boston。

If　a　human　being　in　such　an　enviable　position　as　that　of　agent　of　the
Chippering　Mill　can　be　regarded　as　property；　it　might　be　said　that　Mr。　Claude
Ditmar　belonged　to　the　Chipperings　of　Boston；　a　family　still　owning　a
controlling　interest　in　the　company。　　His　loyalty　to　them　and　to　the　mill　he　so
ably　conducted　was　the　great　loyalty　of　his　life。　　For　Ditmar；　a　Chippering
could　do　no　wrong。　　It　had　been　the　keen　eye　of　Mr。　Stephen　Chippering　that
first　had　marked　him；　questioned　him；　recognized　his　ability；　and　from　the
moment　of　that　encounter　his　advance　had　been　rapid。　　When　old　Stephen　had　been
called　to　his　fathers；　Ditmar's　allegiance　was　automatically；　as　it　were；
transferred　to　the　two　sons；　George　and　Worthington；　already　members　of　the
board　of　directors。　　Sometimes　Ditmar　called　on　them　at　their　homes；　which
stood　overlooking　the　waters　of　the　Charles　River　Basin。　　The　attitude　toward
him　of　the　Chipperings　and　their　wives　was　one　of　an　interesting　adjustment　of
feudalism　to　democracy。　　They　were　fond　of　him；　grateful　to　him；　treating　him
with　a　frank　camaraderie　that　had　in　it　not　the　slightest　touch　of
condescension；　but　Ditmar　would　have　been　the　first　to　recognize　that　there
were　limits　to　the　intimacy。　　They　did　not；　for　instanceno　doubt　out　of
considerationinvite　him　to　their　dinner　parties　or　take　him　to　their　club；
which　was　not　the　same　as　that　to　which　he　himself　belonged。　　He　felt　no
animus。　　Nor　would　he；　surprising　though　it　may　seem；　have　changed　places　with
the　Chipperings。　　At　an　early　age；　and　quite　unconsciously；　he　had　accepted
property　as　the　ruling　power　of　the　universe；　and　when　family　was　added　thereto
the　combination　was　nothing　less　than　divine。

There　were　times；　especially　during　the　long　winters；　when　life　became　almost
unbearable　for　Janet；　and　she　was　seized　by　a　desire　to　run　away　from　Fillmore
Street；　from　the　mills；　from　Hampton　itself。　　Only　she　did　not　know　where　to
go；　or　how　to　get　away。　　She　was　convinced　of　the　existence　in　the　world　of
delightful　spots　where　might　be　found　congenial　people　with　whom　it　would　be　a
joy　to　talk。　　Fillmore　Street；　certainly；　did　not　contain　any　such。　　The　office
was　not　so　bad。　　It　is　true　that　in　the　mornings；　as　she　entered　West　Street；
the　sight　of　the　dark　facade　of　the　fortress…like　structure；　emblematic　of　the
captivity　in　which　she　passed　her　days；　rarely　failed　to　arouse　in　her
sensations　of　oppression　and　revolt；　but　here；　at　least；　she　discovered　an
outlet　for　her　energies；　she　was　often　too　busy　to　reflect；　and　at　odd　moments
she　could　find　a　certain　solace　and　companionship　in　the　river；　so　intent；　so
purposeful；　so　beautiful；　so　undisturbed　by　the　inconcinnity；　the　clatter　and
confusion　of　Hampton　as　it　flowed　serenely　under　the　bridges　and　between　the
mills　toward　the　sea。　　Toward　the　sea！

It　was　when；　at　night；　she　went　back　to　Fillmore　Streetwhen　she　thought　of
the　monotony；　yes；　and　the　sordidness　of　home；　when　sh