the dwelling place of ligh-第8章

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surmounting　the　structure　and　almost　equalling　it　in　size　is　a　sky…blue　cupola；
once　the　white　crown　of　the　Sutter　mansion；　the　pride　of　old　Hampton。　　The
walls　of　this　dwelling　were　wrested　from　the　sides　of　Mackey's　Tavern；　while
the　shutters　for　many　years　adorned　the　parsonage　of　the　old　First　Church。
Similarly；　in　Hampton　and　in　Fillmore　Street；　lived　in　enforced　neighbourliness
human　fragments　once　having　their　places　in　crystallized　communities　where
existence　had　been　regarded　as　solved。　　Here　there　was　but　one　order；if　such
it　may　be　called；one　relationship；　direct；　or　indirect；　one　necessity
claiming　them　allthe　mills。

Like　the　boards　forming　the　walls　of　the　shacks　at　Glendale；　these　human　planks
torn　from　an　earlier　social　structure　were　likewise　warped；　which　is　to　say
they　were　dominated　by　obsessions。　　Edward's　was　the　Bumpus　family；　and　Chris
Auermann；　who　lived　in　the　flat　below；　was　convinced　that　the　history　of
mankind　is　a　deplorable　record　of　havoc　caused　by　women。　　Perhaps　he　was　right；
but　the　conviction　was　none　the　less　an　obsession。　　He　came　from　a　little
village　near　Wittenburg　that　has　scarcely　changed　since　Luther's　time。　　Like
most　residents　of　Hampton　who　did　not　work　in　the　mills；　he　ministered　to　those
who　did；　or　to　those　who　sold　merchandise　to　the　workers；　cutting　their　hair　in
his　barber　shop　on　Faber　Street。

The　Bumpuses；　save　Lise；　clinging　to　a　native　individualism　and　pride；
preferred　isolation　to　companionship　with　the　other　pieces　of　driftwood　by
which　they　were　surrounded；　and　with　which　the　summer　season　compelled　a
certain　enforced　contact。　　When　the　heat　in　the　little　dining…room　grew
unbearable；　they　were　driven　to　take　refuge　on　the　front　steps　shared　in　common
with　the　household　of　the　barber。　　It　is　true　that　the　barber's　wife　was　a　mild
hausfrau　who　had　little　to　say；　and　that　their　lodgers；　two　young　Germans　who
worked　in　the　mills；　spent　most　of　their　evenings　at　a　bowling　club；　but
Auermann　himself；　exhaling　a　strong　odour　of　bay　rum；　would　arrive　promptly　at
quarter　past　eight；　take　off　his　coat；　and　thus；　as　it　were　stripped　for
action；　would　turn　upon　the　defenceless　Edward。

〃Vill　you　mention　one　great　manyoost　onewho　is　not　greater　if　the　vimmen
leave　him　alone？〃　he　would　demand。　　〃Is　it　Anthony；　the　conqueror　of　Egypt　and
the　East？　　I　vill　show　you　Cleopatra。　　Und　Burns；　and　Napoleon；　the　greatest
man　what　ever　livedvimmen　again。　　I　tell　you　there　is　no　Elba；　no　St。　Helena
if　it　is　not　for　the　vimmen。　　Und　vat　vill　you　say　of　Goethe？〃

Poor　Edward　could　think　of　nothing　to　say　of　Goethe。

〃He　is　great；　I　grant　you；〃　Chris　would　admit；　〃but　vat　is　he　if　the　vimmen
leave　him　alone？　　Divine　yoost　that。〃　　And　he　would　proceed　to　cite　endless
examples　of　generals　and　statesmen　whose　wives　or　mistresses　had　been　their
bane。　　Futile　Edward's　attempts　to　shift　the　conversation　to　the　subject　of　his
own　obsession；　the　German　was　by　far　the　more　aggressive；　he　would　have　none　of
it。　　Perhaps　if　Edward　had　been　willing　to　concede　that　the　Bumpuses　had　been
brought　to　their　present　lowly　estate　by　the　sinister　agency　of　the　fair　sex
Chris　might　conditionally　have　accepted　the　theme。　　Hannah；　contemptuously
waving　a　tattered　palm　leaf　fan；　was　silent；　but　on　one　occasion　Janet　took
away　the　barber's　breath　by　suddenly　observing：

〃You　never　seem　to　think　of　the　women　whose　lives　are　ruined　by　men；　Mr。
Auermann。〃

It　was　unheard…of；　this　invasion　of　a　man's　argument　by　a　woman；　and　by　a　young
woman　at　that。　　He　glared　at　her　through　his　spectacles；　took　them　off；　wiped
them；　replaced　them；　and　glared　at　her　again。　　He　did　not　like　Janet；　she　was
capable　of　what　may　be　called　a　speaking　silence；　and　he　had　never　been　wholly
unaware　of　her　disapproval　and　ridicule。　　Perhaps　he　recognized　in　her；
instinctively；　the　potential　qualities　of　that　emerging　modern　woman　who　to　him
was　anathema。

〃It　is　somethings　I　don't　think　about；〃　he　said。

He　was　a　wizened　little　man　with　faience…blue　eyes；　and　sat　habitually　hunched
up　with　his　hands　folded　across　his　shins。

〃Nam　fuit　ante　Helenam〃as　Darwin　quotes。　　Toward　all　the　masculine　residents
of　Fillmore　Street；　save　one；　the　barber's　attitude　was　one　of　unconcealed
scorn　for　an　inability　to　recognize　female　perfidy。　　With　Johnny　Tiernan　alone
he　refused　to　enter　the　lists。　　When　the　popular　proprietor　of　the　tin　shop
came　sauntering　along　the　sidewalk　with　nose　uptilted；　waving　genial　greetings
to　the　various　groups　on　the　steps；　Chris　Auermann's　expression　would　suddenly
change　to　one　of　fatuous　playfulness。

〃What's　this　I　hear　about　giving　the　girls　the　vote；　Chris？〃　　Johnny　would
innocently　inquire；　winking　at　Janet；　invariably　running　his　hand　through　the
wiry　red　hair　that　resumed　its　corkscrew　twist　as　soon　as　he　released　it。　　And
Chris　would　as　invariably　reply：

〃You　have　the　dandruffsyes？　　You　come　to　my　shop；　I　give　you　somethings。。。。〃

Sometimes　the　barber；　in　search　of　a　more　aggressive　adversary　than　Edward；
would　pay　visits；　when　as　likely　as　not　another　neighbour　with　profound
convictions　and　a　craving　for　proselytes　would　swoop　down　on　the　defenceless
Bumpuses：　Joe　Shivers；　for　instance；　who　lived　in　one　of　the　tenements　above
the　cleaning　and　dyeing　establishment　kept　by　the　Pappas　Bros。；　and　known　as
〃The　Gentleman。〃　　In　the　daytime　Mr。　Shivers　was　a　model　of　acquiescence　in　a
system　he　would　have　designated　as　one　of　industrial　feudalism；　his　duty　being
to　examine　the　rolls　of　cloth　as　they　came　from　the　looms　of　the　Arundel　Mill；
in　case　of　imperfections　handing　them　over　to　the　women　menders：　at　night；　to
borrow　a　vivid　expression　from　Lise；　he　was　〃batty　in　the　belfry〃　on　the
subject　of　socialism。　　Unlike　the　barber；　whom　he　could　not　abide；　for　him　the
cleavage　of　the　world　was　between　labour　and　capital　instead　of　man　and　woman；
his　philosophy　was　stern　and　naturalistic；　the　universethe　origin　of　which　he
did　not　discussjust　an　accidental　assemblage　of　capricious　forces　over　which
human　intelligence　was　one　day　to　triumph。　　Squatting　on　the　lowest　step；　his
face　upturned；　by　the　light　of　the　arc　sputtering　above　the　street　he　looked
like　a　yellow　frog；　his　eager　eyes　directed　toward　Janet；　whom　he　suspected　of
intelligence。

〃If　there　was　a　God；　a　nice；　kind；　all…powerful　God；　would　he　permit　what
happened　in　one　of　the　loom…rooms　last　week？　　A　Polak　girl　gets　her　hair　caught
in　the　belt　pfff！〃　　He　had　a　marvellously　realistic　gift　when　it　came　to
horrors：　Janet　felt　her　hair　coming　out　by　the　roots。　　Although　she　never　went
to　church；　she　did　not　like　to　think　that　no　God　existed。　　Of　this　Mr。　Shivers
was　very　positive。　　Edward；　too；　listened　uneasily；　hemmed　and　hawed；　making
ineffectual　attempts　to　combat　Mr。　Shivers's　socialism　with　a　deeply…rooted
native　individualism　that　Shivers　declared　as　defunct　as　Christianity。

〃If　it　is　possible　for　the　workingman　to　rise　under　a　capitalistic　system；　why
do　you　not　rise；　then？　　Why　do　I　not　rise？　　I'm　as　good　as　Ditmar；　I'm　better
educated；　but　we're　all　slaves。　　What　right　has　a　man　to　make　you　and　me　work
for　him　just　because　he　has　capital？〃

〃Why；　the　right　of　capital；〃　Edward　would　reply。

Mr。　Shivers；　with　the　manner　of　one　dealing　with　an　incurable　romanticism　and
sentimentality；　would　lift　his　hands　in　despair。　　And　in　spite　of　the　fact　that
Janet　detested　him；　he　sometimes　exercised　over　her　a　paradoxical　fascination；
suggesting　as　he　did　unexplored　intellectual　realms。　　She　despised　her　father
for　not　being　able　to　crush　the　little　man。　　Edward　would　make　pathetic
attempts　to　capture　the　role　Shivers　had　appropriated；　to　be　the　practical
party　himself；　to　convict　Shivers　of　idealism。　　Socialism　scandalized　him；
outraged；　even　more　than　atheism；　something　within　him　he　held　sacred；　and　he
was　greatly　annoyed　because　he　was　unable　adequately　to　express　this　feeling。

〃You　can't　change　human　nature；　Mr。　Shivers；〃　Edward　would　insist　in　his
precise　but　ineffectual　manner。　　〃We　all　want　property；　you　would　accept　a
fortune　if　it　was　offered　to　you；　and　so　should　I。　　Americans　will　never　become
socialists。〃

〃But　look　at　me；　wasn't　I　born　in