part 6-第15部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





shrugged　impatiently。　　〃For　one　thing；　they　change　the



cast　at　the　eleventh　hour　and　then　rehearse　the　life　out　of



me。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　put　down　his　cup　with　exaggerated　care。



〃Still；　you　really　want　to　do　it；　you　know。〃







　　　　　〃Want　to？〃　she　repeated　indignantly；　〃of　course　I　want



to！　　If　this　were　only　next　Thursday　night　　But　between



now　and　Friday　I'll　do　nothing　but　fret　away　my　strength。



Oh；　I'm　not　saying　I　don't　need　the　rehearsals！　　But　I



don't　need　them　strung　out　through　a　week。　　That　sys…



tem's　well　enough　for　phlegmatic　singers；　it　only　drains



me。　　Every　single　feature　of　operatic　routine　is　detri…



mental　to　me。　　I　usually　go　on　like　a　horse　that's　been



fixed　to　lose　a　race。　　I　have　to　work　hard　to　do　my　worst；















let　alone　my　best。　　I　wish　you　could　hear　me　sing　well；



once；〃　she　turned　to　Fred　defiantly；　〃I　have；　a　few　times



in　my　life；　when　there　was　nothing　to　gain　by　it。〃







　　　　　Fred　approached　her　again　and　held　out　his　hand。　　〃I



recall　my　instructions；　and　now　I'll　leave　you　to　fight　it　out



with　Archie。　　He　can't　possibly　represent　managerial　stu…



pidity　to　you　as　I　seem　to　have　a　gift　for　doing。〃







　　　　　As　he　smiled　down　at　her；　his　good　humor；　his　good



wishes；　his　understanding；　embarrassed　her　and　recalled



her　to　herself。　　She　kept　her　seat；　still　holding　his　hand。



〃All　the　same；　Fred；　isn't　it　too　bad；　that　there　are　so



many　things〃　　She　broke　off　with　a　shake　of　the　head。







　　　　　〃My　dear　girl；　if　I　could　bridge　over　the　agony　between



now　and　Friday　for　you　　But　you　know　the　rules　of　the



game；　why　torment　yourself？　　You　saw　the　other　night



that　you　had　the　part　under　your　thumb。　　Now　walk；　sleep；



play　with　Archie；　keep　your　tiger　hungry；　and　she'll　spring



all　right　on　Friday。　　I'll　be　there　to　see　her；　and　there'll　be



more　than　I；　I　suspect。　　Harsanyi's　on　the　Wilhelm　der



Grosse；　gets　in　on　Thursday。〃







　　　　　〃Harsanyi？〃　　Thea's　eye　lighted。　　〃I　haven't　seen　him



for　years。　　We　always　miss　each　other。〃　　She　paused；　hesi…



tating。　　〃Yes；　I　should　like　that。　　But　he'll　be　busy；　may…



be？〃







　　　　　〃He　gives　his　first　concert　at　Carnegie　Hall；　week　after



next。　　Better　send　him　a　box　if　you　can。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I'll　manage　it。〃　　Thea　took　his　hand　again。　　〃Oh；



I　should　like　that；　Fred！〃　she　added　impulsively。　　〃Even



if　I　were　put　out；　he'd　get　the　idea；〃she　threw　back



her　head；〃for　there　is　an　idea！〃







　　　　　〃Which　won't　penetrate　here；〃　he　tapped　his　brow　and



began　to　laugh。　　〃You　are　an　ungrateful　huzzy；　COMME　LES



AUTRES！〃







　　　　　Thea　detained　him　as　he　turned　away。　　She　pulled　a



flower　out　of　a　bouquet　on　the　piano　and　absently　drew



the　stem　through　the　lapel　of　his　coat。　　〃I　shall　be　walking















in　the　Park　to…morrow　afternoon；　on　the　reservoir　path；



between　four　and　five；　if　you　care　to　join　me。　　You　know



that　after　Harsanyi　I'd　rather　please　you　than　anyone　else。



You　know　a　lot；　but　he　knows　even　more　than　you。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you。　　Don't　try　to　analyze　it。　　SCHLAFEN　SIE



WOHL！〃　he　kissed　her　fingers　and　waved　from　the　door；



closing　it　behind　him。







　　　　　〃He's　the　right　sort；　Thea。〃　　Dr。　Archie　looked　warmly



after　his　disappearing　friend。　　〃I've　always　hoped　you'd



make　it　up　with　Fred。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　haven't　I？　　Oh；　marry　him；　you　mean！　　Perhaps



it　may　come　about；　some　day。　　Just　at　present　he's　not



in　the　marriage　market　any　more　than　I　am；　is　he？〃







　　　　　〃No；　I　suppose　not。　　It's　a　damned　shame　that　a　man



like　Ottenburg　should　be　tied　up　as　he　is；　wasting　all　the



best　years　of　his　life。　　A　woman　with　general　paresis　ought



to　be　legally　dead。〃







　　　　　〃Don't　let　us　talk　about　Fred's　wife；　please。　　He　had　no



business　to　get　into　such　a　mess；　and　he　had　no　business　to



stay　in　it。　　He's　always　been　a　softy　where　women　were



concerned。〃







　　　　　〃Most　of　us　are；　I'm　afraid；〃　Dr。　Archie　admitted



meekly。







　　　　　〃Too　much　light　in　here；　isn't　there？　　Tires　one's　eyes。



The　stage　lights　are　hard　on　mine。〃　　Thea　began　turning



them　out。　　〃We'll　leave　the　little　one；　over　the　piano。〃



She　sank　down　by　Archie　on　the　deep　sofa。　　〃We　two　have



so　much　to　talk　about　that　we　keep　away　from　it　altogether；



have　you　noticed？　　We　don't　even　nibble　the　edges。　　I　wish



we　had　Landry　here　to…night　to　play　for　us。　　He's　very



comforting。〃







　　　　　〃I'm　afraid　you　don't　have　enough　personal　life；　outside



your　work；　Thea。〃　　The　doctor　looked　at　her　anxiously。







　　　　　She　smiled　at　him　with　her　eyes　half　closed。　　〃My　dear



doctor；　I　don't　have　any。　　Your　work　becomes　your　per…



sonal　life。　　You　are　not　much　good　until　it　does。　　It's　like















being　woven　into　a　big　web。　　You　can't　pull　away；　because



all　your　little　tendrils　are　woven　into　the　picture。　　It　takes



you　up；　and　uses　you；　and　spins　you　out；　and　that　is　your



life。　　Not　much　else　can　happen　to　you。〃







　　　　　〃Didn't　you　think　of　marrying；　several　years　ago？〃







　　　　　〃You　mean　Nordquist？　　Yes；　but　I　changed　my　mind。



We　had　been　singing　a　good　deal　together。　　He's　a　splendid



creature。〃







　　　　　〃Were　you　much　in　love　with　him；　Thea？〃　the　doctor



asked　hopefully。







　　　　　She　smiled　again。　　〃I　don't　think　I　know　just　what　that



expression　means。　　I've　never　been　able　to　find　out。　　I



think　I　was　in　love　with　you　when　I　was　little；　but　not



with　any　one　since　then。　　There　are　a　great　many　ways　of



caring　for　people。　　It's　not；　after　all；　a　simple　state；　like



measles　or　tonsilitis。　　Nordquist　is　a　taking　sort　of　man。



He　and　I　were　out　in　a　rowboat　once　in　a　terrible　storm。



The　lake　was　fed　by　glaciers；ice　water；and　we



couldn't　have　swum　a　stroke　if　the　boat　had　filled。　　If　we



hadn't　both　been　strong　and　kept　our　heads；　we'd　have



gone　down。　　We　pulled　for　every　ounce　there　was　in　us；



and　we　just　got　off　with　our　lives。　　We　were　always　being



thrown　together　like　that；　under　some　kind　of　pressure。



Yes；　for　a　while　I　thought　he　would　make　everything



right。〃　　She　paused　and　sank　back；　resting　her　head　on　a



cushion；　pressing　her　eyelids　down　with　her　fingers。　　〃You



see；〃　she　went　on　abruptly；　〃he　had　a　wife　and　two　chil…



dren。　　He　hadn't　lived　with　her　for　several　years；　but



when　she　heard　that　he　wanted　to　marry　again；　she　began



to　make　trouble。　　He　earned　a　good　deal　of　money；　but　he



was　careless　and　always　wretchedly　in　debt。　　He　came　to



me　one　day　and　told　me　he　thought　his　wife　would　settle



for　a　hundred　thousand　marks　and　consent　to　a　divorce。



I　got　very　angry　and　sent　him　away。　　Next　day　he　came



back　and　said　he　thought　she'd　take　fifty　thousand。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　drew　away　from　her；　to　the　end　of　the　sofa。



















　　　　　〃Good　God；　Thea；〃　　He　ran　his　handkerchief　over　his



forehead。　　〃What　sort　of　people〃　　He　stopped　and　shook



his　head。







　　　　　Thea　rose　and　stood　beside　him；　her　hand　on　his　shoul…



der。　　〃That's　exactly　how　it　struck　me；〃　she　said　quietly。



〃Oh；　we　have　things　in　common；　things　that　go　away　back；



under　everything。　　You　understand；　of　course。　　Nordquist



didn't。　　He　thought　I　wasn't　willing　to　part　with　the



money。　　I　couldn't　let　myself　buy　him　from　Fru　Nord…



quist；　and　he　couldn't　see　why。　　He　had　always　thought　I



was　close　about　money；　so　he　attributed　it　to　that。　　I　am



careful；〃she　ran　her　arm　through　Archie's　and　when



he　rose　began　to　walk　about　the　room　with　him。　　〃I



can't　be　careless　with　money。　　I　began　the　world　on　six



hundred　dollars；　and　it　was　the　price　of　a　man's　life。　　Ray



Kennedy　had　worked　hard　and　been　sober　and　denied　him…



self；　and　when　he　died　he　had　six　hundred　dollars　to　show



for　it。　　I　always　measure　things　by　that　six　hundred　dol…



lars；　just　as　I　measure　high　buildings　by　the　Moonstone



standpipe。　　There　are　standards　we　can't　get　away　from。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　took　her　hand。　　〃I　don't　believe　we　should



be　any　happier　if　we　did　get　away　from　them。　　I　think　it



gives　you　some　of　your　poise；　having　that　anchor。　　You



look；〃　glancing　down　at　her　head　and　shoulders；　〃some…



times　so　like　your　mother。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you。　　You　couldn't　say　anything　nicer　to　me



than　that。　　On　Friday　afternoon；　didn't　you　think？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　but　at　other　times；　too。　　I　love　to　see　it。　　Do　you



know　what　I　thought　about　that　first　night　when　I　heard



you　sing？　　I　kept　remembering　the　night　I　took　care　of　you



when　you　had　pneumonia；　when　you　were　ten　years　old。



You　were　a　terribly　sick　child；　and　I　was　a　country　doctor



without　much　experience。　　There　were　no　oxygen　tanks



about　then。　　You　pretty　nearly　slipped　away　from　me。



If　you　had〃







　　　　　Thea　dropped　her　head　on　his　shoulder。　　〃I'd　have















saved　myself　and　you　a　lot　of　trouble；　wouldn't　I？　　Dear



Dr。　Archie！〃　she　murmured。







　　　　　〃As　for　me；　life　would　have　been　a　pretty　bleak　stretch；



with　you　left　out。〃　　The　doctor　took　one　of　the　crystal



pendants　that　hung　from　her　shoulder　and　looked　into　it



thoughtfully。　　〃I　guess　I'm　a　romantic　old　fellow；　under…



neath。　　And　you've　always　been　my　romance。　　Those



years　when　you　were　growing　up　were　my　happiest。　　When



I　dream　about　you；　I　always　see　you　as　a　little　girl。〃