the dwelling place of ligh-第69章

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Janet　found　this　bewildering　and　yet　through　it　seemed　to　shine　for　her　a
gleam　of　light。　　Her　excitement　grew。　　Never　before　had　she　been　in　the
presence　of　one　who　talked　like　this；　with　such　assurance　and　ease。　　And
the　fact　that　he　despised　knowledge；　yet　possessed　it；　lent　him　glamour。

〃But　you　have　studied！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Oh　yes；　I　have　studied；〃　he　replied；　with　a　touch　of　weariness；　〃only　to
learn　that　life　is　simple；　after　all；　and　that　what　is　needed　for　the
social　order　is　simple。　　We　have　only　to　take　what　belongs　to　us；　we　who
work；　to　follow　our　feelings；　our　inclinations。〃

〃You　would　take　possession　of　the　mills？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　quickly；　〃of　all　wealth；　and　of　the　government。　　There
would　be　no　governmentwe　should　not　need　it。　　A　little　courage　is　all
that　is　necessary；　and　we　come　into　our　own。　　You　are　a　stenographer；　you
say。　　But　youyou　are　not　content；　I　can　see　it　in　your　face；　in　your
eyes。　　You　have　cause　to　hate　them；　too；　these　masters；　or　you　would　not
have　been　herein　this　place；　to…day。　　Is　it　not　so？〃

She　shivered；　but　was　silent。

〃Is　it　not　so？〃　he　repeated。　　〃They　have　wronged　you；　too；　perhaps；they
have　wronged　us　all；　but　some　are　too　stupid；　too　cowardly　to　fight　and
crush　them。　　Christians　and　slaves　submit。　　The　old　religion　teaches　that
the　world　is　cruel　for　most　of　us；　but　if　we　are　obedient　and　humble　we
shall　be　rewarded　in　heaven。〃　Rolfe　laughed。　　〃The　masters　approve　of
that　teaching。　　They　would　not　have　it　changed。　　But　for　us　it　is　war。
We'll　strike　and　keep　on　striking；　we'll　break　their　machinery；　spoil
their　mills　and　factories；　and　drive　them　out。　　And　even　if　we　do　not　win
at　once；　it　is　better　to　suffer　and　die　fighting　than　to　have　the　life
ground　out　of　usis　it　not？〃

〃Yes；　it　is　better！〃　she　agreed。　　The　passion　in　her　voice　did　not　escape
him。

〃Some　day；　perhaps　sooner　than　we　think；　we　shall　have　the　true
Armageddon；　the　general　strike；　when　the　last　sleeping　toiler　shall　have
aroused　himself　from　his　lethargy　to　rise　up　and　come　into　his
inheritance。〃　　He　seemed　to　detach　himself　from　her；　his　eyes　became　more
luminous。

〃‘Like　unseen　music　in　the　night；'so　Sorel　writes　about　it。　　They　may
scoff　at　it；　the　wise　ones；　but　it　will　come。　　‘Like　music　in　the　night！'
You　respond　to　that！〃

Again　she　was　silent。　　They　had　walked　on；　through　familiar　streets　that
now　seemed　strange。

〃You　respondI　can　tell；〃　he　said。　　〃And　yet；　you　are　not　like　these
others；　like　me；　even。　　You　are　an　American。　　And　yet　you　are　not　like
most　of　your　countrywomen。〃

〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃

〃I　will　tell　you。　　Because　they　are　cold；　most　of　them；　and　trivial；　they
do　not　feel。　　But　youyou　can　feel；　you　can　love　and　hate。　　You　look
calm　and　cold；　but　you　are　notI　knew　it　when　I　looked　at　you；　when　you
came　up　to　me。〃

She　did　not　know　whether　to　resent　or　welcome　his　clairvoyance；　his
assumption　of　intimacy；　his　air　of　appropriation。　　But　her　curiosity　was
tingling。

〃And　you？〃　she　asked。　　〃Your　name　is　Rolfe；　isn't　it？〃

He　assented。　　〃And　yours？〃

She　told　him。

〃You　have　been　in　America　longyour　family？〃

〃Very　long；〃　she　said。　　〃But　you　speak　Italian；　and　Rolfe　isn't　an
Italian　name。〃

〃My　father　was　an　Englishman；　an　artist；　who　lived　in　Italymy　mother　a
peasant　woman　from　Lombardy；　such　as　these　who　come　to　work　in　the　mills。
When　she　was　young　she　was　beautifullike　a　Madonna　by　an　old　master。〃

〃An　old　master？〃

〃The　old　masters　are　the　great　painters　who　lived　in　Italy　four　hundred
years　ago。　　I　was　named　after　one　of　themthe　greatest。　　I　am　called
Leonard。　　He　was　Leonardo　da　Vinci。〃

The　name；　as　Rolfe　pronounced　it；　stirred　her。　　And　art；　painting！　　It
was　a　realm　unknown　to　her；　and　yet　the　very　suggestion　of　it　evoked
yearnings。　　And　she　recalled　a　picture　in　the　window　of　Hartmann's　book…
store；　a　coloured　print　before　which　she　used　to　stop　on　her　way　to　and
from　the　office；　the　copy　of　a　landscape　by　a　California　artist。　　The
steep　hillside　in　the　foreground　was　spread　with　the　misty　green　of　olive
trees；　and　beyondfar　beyonda　snow…covered　peak；　like　some　high　altar；
flamed　red　in　the　sunset。　　She　had　not　been　able　to　express　her　feeling
for　this　picture；　it　had　filled　her　with　joy　and　sadness。　　Once　she　had
ventured　to　enter　and　ask　its　priceten　dollars。　　And　then　came　a
morning　when　she　had　looked　for　it；　and　it　was　gone。

〃And　your　fatherdid　he　paint　beautiful　pictures；　too？〃

〃Ah；　he　was　too　much　of　a　socialist。　　He　was　always　away　whey　I　was　a
child；　and　after　my　mother's　death　he　used　to　take　me　with　him。　　When　I
was　seventeen　we　went　to　Milan　to　take　part　in　the　great　strike；　and
there　I　saw　the　soldiers　shooting　down　the　workers　by　the　hundreds；
putting　them　in　prison　by　the　thousands。　　Then　I　went　to　live　in　England；
among　the　socialists　there；　and　I　learned　the　printer's　trade。　　When　I
first　came　to　this　country　I　was　on　a　labour　paper　in　New　York；　I　set　up
type；　I　wrote　articles；　and　once　in　a　while　I　addressed　meetings　on　the
East　Side。　　But　even　before　I　left　London　I　had　read　a　book　on
Syndicalism　by　one　of　the　great　Frenchmen；　and　after　a　while　I　began　to
realize　that　the　proletariat　would　never　get　anywhere　through　socialism。〃

〃The　proletariat？〃　　The　word　was　new　to　Janet's　ear。

〃The　great　mass　of　the　workers；　the　oppressed；　the　people　you　saw　here
to…day。　　Socialism　is　not　for　them。　　Socialismpolitical　socialism
betrays　them　into　the　hands　of　the　master　class。　　Direct　action　is　the
thing；　the　general　strike；　war；the　new　creed；　the　new　religion　that
will　bring　salvation。　　I　joined　the　Industrial　Workers　of　the　World　that
is　the　American　organization　of　Syndicalism。　　I　went　west；　to　Colorado
and　California　and　Oregon；　I　preached　to　the　workers　wherever　there　was
an　uprising；　I　met　the　leaders；　Ritter　and　Borkum　and　Antonelli　and
Jastro　and　Nellie　Bond；　I　was　useful　to　them；　I　understand　Syndicalism　as
they　do　not。　　And　now　we　are　here；　to　sow　the　seed　in　the　East。　　Come；〃
he　said；　slipping　his　arm　through　hers；　〃I　will　take　you　to　Headquarters；
I　will　enlist　you；　you　shall　be　my　recruit。　　I　will　give　you　the　cause；
the　religion　you　need。〃

She　longed　to　go；　and　yet　she　drew　back；　puzzled。　　The　man　fired　and
fascinated　her；　but　there　were　reservations；　apprehensions　concerning
him；　felt　rather　than　reasoned。　　Because　of　her　state　of　rebellion；　of
her　intense　desire　to　satisfy　in　action　the　emotion　aroused　by　a　sense　of
wrong；　his　creed　had　made　a　violent　appeal；　but　in　his　voice；　in　his
eyes；　in　his　manner　she　had　been　quick　to　detect　a　personal；　sexual　note
that　disturbed　and　alarmed　her；　that　implied　in　him　a　lack　of　unity。

〃I　can't；　to…night；〃　she　said。　　〃I　must　go　homemy　mother　is　all　alone。
But　I　want　to　help；　I　want　to　do　something。〃

They　were　standing　on　a　corner；　under　a　street　lamp。　　And　she　averted　her
eyes　from　his　glance。

〃Then　come　to…morrow；〃　he　said　eagerly。　　〃You　know　where　Headquarters　is；
in　the　Franco…Belgian　Hall？〃

〃What　could　I　do？〃　　she　asked。

〃You？　　You　could　help　in　many　waysamong　the　women。　　Do　you　know　what
picketing　is？〃

〃You　mean　keeping　the　operatives　out　of　the　mills？〃

〃Yes；　in　the　morning；　when　they　go　to　work。　　And　out　of　the　Chippering
Mill；　especially。　　Ditmar；　the　agent　of　that　mill；　is　the　ablest　of　the
lot；　I'm　told。　　He's　the　man　we　want　to　cripple。〃

〃Cripple！〃　exclaimed　Janet。

〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　to　harm　him　personally。〃　　Rolfe　did　not　seem　to　notice
her　tone。　　〃But　he　intends　to　crush　the　strike；　and　I　understand　he's
importing　scabs　here　to　finish　out　an　ordera　big　order。　　If　it　weren't
for　him；　we'd　have　an　easier　fight；　he　stiffens　up　the　others。　　There's
always　one　man　like　that；　in　every　place。　　And　what　we　want　to　do　is　to
make　him　shut　down；　especially。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　Janet。

〃You'll　come　to　Headquarters？〃　Rolfe　repeated。

〃Yes；　I'll　come；　to…morrow；〃　she　promised。

After　she　had　left　him　she　walked　rapidly　through　several　streets；　not
heeding　her　directionsuch　was　the　driving　power　of　the　new　ideas　he　had
given　her。　　Certain　words　and　phrases　he　had　spoken　rang　in　her　head；　and
like　martial　music　kept　pace　with　her　steps。　　She