a death in the desert-第3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！





bravado　of　her　smile　could　not　conceal　the　shadow　of　an　unrest



that　was　almost　discontent。　　The　chief　charm　of　the　woman；　as



Everett　had　known　her；　lay　in　her　superb　figure　and　in　her　eyes；



which　possessed　a　warm；　lifegiving　quality　like　the　sunlight；



eyes　which　glowed　with　a　sort　of　perpetual　salutat　to　the



world。　　Her　head；　Everett　remembered　as　peculiarly　well…shaped　and



proudly　poised。　　There　had　been　always　a　little　of　the　imperatrix



about　her；　and　her　pose　in　the　photograph　revived　all　his　old



impressions　of　her　unattachedness；　of　how　absolutely　and　valiantly



she　stood　alone。







Everett　was　still　standing　before　the　picture；　his　hands　behind　him



and　his　head　inclined；　when　he　heard　the　door　open。　　A　very　tall



woman　advanced　toward　him；　holding　out　her　hand。　　As　she　started　to



speak；　she　coughed　slightly；　then；　laughing；　said；　in　a　low；　rich



voice；　a　trifle　husky：　〃You　see　I　make　the　traditional　Camille



entrancewith　the　cough。　　How　good　of　you　to　come；　Mr。　Hilgarde。〃







Everett　was　acutely　conscious　that　while　addressing　him　she



was　not　looking　at　him　at　all；　and；　as　he　assured　her　of　his



pleasure　in　coming；　he　was　glad　to　have　an　opportunity　to　collect



himself。　　He　had　not　reckoned　upon　the　ravages　of　a　long　illness。　



The　long；　loose　folds　of　her　white　gown　had　been　especially



designed　to　conceal　the　sharp　outlines　of　her　emaciated　body；　but



the　stamp　of　her　disease　was　there；　simple　and　ugly　and　obtrusive；



a　pitiless　fact　that　could　not　be　disguised　or　evaded。　　The



splendid　shoulders　were　stooped；　there　was　a　swaying　unevenness　in



her　gait；　her　arms　seemed　disproportionately　long；　and　her　hands



were　transparently　white　and　cold　to　the　touch。　　The　changes　in　her



face　were　less　obvious；　the　proud　carriage　of　the　head；　the　warm；



clear　eyes；　even　the　delicate　flush　of　color　in　her　cheeks；　all



defiantly　remained；　though　they　were　all　in　a　lower　keyolder；



sadder；　softer。







She　sat　down　upon　the　divan　and　began　nervously　to　arrange　the



pillows。　　〃I　know　I'm　not　an　inspiring　object　to　look　upon；　but　you



must　be　quite　frank　and　sensible　about　that　and　get　used　to　it　at



once；　for　we've　no　time　to　lose。　　And　if　I'm　a　trifle　irritable　you



won't　mind？for　I'm　more　than　usually　nervous。〃







〃Don't　bother　with　me　this　morning；　if　you　are　tired；〃　urged



Everett。　　〃I　can　come　quite　as　well　tomorrow。〃







〃Gracious；　no！〃　she　protested；　with　a　flash　of　that　quick；



keen　humor　that　he　remembered　as　a　part　of　her。　　〃It's　solitude



that　I'm　tired　to　death　ofsolitude　and　the　wrong　kind　of　people。　



You　see；　the　minister；　not　content　with　reading　the　prayers　for　the



sick；　called　on　me　this　morning。　　He　happened　to　be　riding



by　on　his　bicycle　and　felt　it　his　duty　to　stop。　　Of　course；　he



disapproves　of　my　profession；　and　I　think　he　takes　it　for　granted



that　I　have　a　dark　past。　　The　funniest　feature　of　his　conversation



is　that　he　is　always　excusing　my　own　vocation　to　mecondoning　it；



you　knowand　trying　to　patch　up　my　peace　with　my　conscience　by



suggesting　possible　noble　uses　for　what　he　kindly　calls　my　talent。〃







Everett　laughed。　　〃Oh！　　I'm　afraid　I'm　not　the　person　to　call



after　such　a　serious　gentlemanI　can't　sustain　the　situation。　



At　my　best　I　don't　reach　higher　than　low　comedy。　　Have　you



decided　to　which　one　of　the　noble　uses　you　will　devote　yourself？〃







Katharine　lifted　her　hands　in　a　gesture　of　renunciation　and



exclaimed：　〃I'm　not　equal　to　any　of　them；　not　even　the　least



noble。　　I　didn't　study　that　method。〃







She　laughed　and　went　on　nervously：　〃The　parson's　not　so　bad。　



His　English　never　offends　me；　and　he　has　read　Gibbon's　Decline



and　Fall；　all　five　volumes；　and　that's　something。　　Then；　he　has



been　to　New　York；　and　that's　a　great　deal。　　But　how　we　are　losing



time！　　Do　tell　me　about　New　York；　Charley　says　you're　just　on　from



there。　　How　does　it　look　and　taste　and　smell　just　now？　　I　think　a



whiff　of　the　Jersey　ferry　would　be　as　flagons　of　cod…liver　oil　to



me。　　Who　conspicuously　walks　the　Rialto　now；　and　what　does　he　or



she　wear？　　Are　the　trees　still　green　in　Madison　Square；　or　have



they　grown　brown　and　dusty？　　Does　the　chaste　Diana　on　the　Garden



Theatre　still　keep　her　vestal　vows　through　all　the　exasperating



changes　of　weather？　　Who　has　your　brother's　old　studio　now；　and



what　misguided　aspirants　practice　their　scales　in　the　rookeries



about　Carnegie　Hall？　　What　do　people　go　to　see　at　the　theaters；



and　what　do　they　eat　and　drink　there　in　the　world　nowadays？　　You



see；　I'm　homesick　for　it　all；　from　the　Battery　to　Riverside。　　Oh；



let　me　die　in　Harlem！〃　　She　was　interrupted　by　a　violent　attack



of　coughing；　and　Everett；　embarrassed　by　her　discomfort；　plunged



into　gossip　about　the　professional　people　he　had　met　in　town



during　the　summer　and　the　musical　outlook　for　the　winter。　　He　was



diagraming　with　his　pencil；　on　the　back　of　an　old　envelope　he



found　in　his　pocket；　some　new　mechanical　device　to　be



used　at　the　Metropolitan　in　the　production　of　the　Rheingold；



when　he　became　conscious　that　she　was　looking　at　him　intently；　and



that　he　was　talking　to　the　four　walls。







Katharine　was　lying　back　among　the　pillows；　watching　him



through　half…closed　eyes；　as　a　painter　looks　at　a　picture。　　He



finished　his　explanation　vaguely　enough　and　put　the　envelope　back



in　his　pocket。　　As　he　did　so　she　said；　quietly：　〃How　wonderfully



like　Adriance　you　are！〃　and　he　felt　as　though　a　crisis　of　some



sort　had　been　met　and　tided　over。







He　laughed；　looking　up　at　her　with　a　touch　of　pride　in　his



eyes　that　made　them　seem　quite　boyish。　　〃Yes；　isn't　it　absurd？



It's　almost　as　awkward　as　looking　like　Napoleonbut；　after　all；



there　are　some　advantages。　　It　has　made　some　of　his　friends　like



me；　and　I　hope　it　will　make　you。〃







Katharine　smiled　and　gave　him　a　quick；　meaning　glance　from



under　her　lashes。　　〃Oh；　it　did　that　long　ago。　　What　a　haughty；



reserved　youth　you　were　then；　and　how　you　used　to　stare　at　people



and　then　blush　and　look　cross　if　they　paid　you　back　in　your　own



coin。　　Do　you　remember　that　night　when　you　took　me　home　from　a



rehearsal　and　scarcely　spoke　a　word　to　me？〃







〃It　was　the　silence　of　admiration；〃　protested　Everett；　〃very



crude　and　boyish；　but　very　sincere　and　not　a　little　painful。　



Perhaps　you　suspected　something　of　the　sort？　　I　remember　you　saw



fit　to　be　very　grown…up　and　worldly。







〃I　believe　I　suspected　a　pose；　the　one　that　college　boys



usually　affect　with　singers'an　earthen　vessel　in　love　with　a



star；'　you　know。　　But　it　rather　surprised　me　in　you；　for　you　must



have　seen　a　good　deal　of　your　brother's　pupils。　　Or　had　you　an



omnivorous　capacity；　and　elasticity　that　always　met　the



occasion？〃







〃Don't　ask　a　man　to　confess　the　follies　of　his　youth；〃　said



Everett；　smiling　a　little　sadly；　〃I　am　sensitive　about　some　of



them　even　now。　　But　I　was　not　so　sophisticated　as　you　imagined。　



I　saw　my　brother's　pupils　come　and　go；　but　that　was　about　all。　



Sometimes　I　was　called　on　to　play　accompaniments；　or　to　fill　out



a　vacancy　at　a　rehearsal；　or　to　order　a　carriage　for　an



infuriated　soprano　who　had　thrown　up　her　part。　　But　they　never



spent　any　time　on　me；　unless　it　was　to　notice　the　resemblance　you



speak　of。〃







〃Yes〃；　observed　Katharine；　thoughtfully；　〃I　noticed　it　then；



too；　but　it　has　grown　as　you　have　grown　older。　　That　is　rather



strange；　when　you　have　lived　such　different　lives。　　It's　not



merely　an　ordinary　family　likeness　of　feature；　you　know；　but　a