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part 2-第5部分

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Mrs。 Harsanyi noticed that she wore high heavy shoes



which needed blacking。  The choir in Mr。 Larsen's church



stood behind a railing; so Thea did not pay much attention



to her shoes。







     〃You have nothing to do to your hair;〃 Mrs。 Harsanyi



said kindly; as Thea turned to the mirror。  〃However it



happens to lie; it's always pretty。  I admire it as much as



Tanya does。〃







     Thea glanced awkwardly away from her and looked



stern; but Mrs。 Harsanyi knew that she was pleased。  They



went into the living…room; behind the studio; where the



two children were playing on the big rug before the coal



grate。  Andor; the boy; was six; a sturdy; handsome child;



and the little girl was four。  She came tripping to meet



Thea; looking like a little doll in her white net dressher



mother made all her clothes。  Thea picked her up and



hugged her。  Mrs。 Harsanyi excused herself and went to the



dining…room。  She kept only one maid and did a good deal



of the housework herself; besides cooking her husband's



favorite dishes for him。  She was still under thirty; a slender;



graceful woman; gracious; intelligent; and capable。  She



adapted herself to circumstances with a well…bred ease



which solved many of her husband's difficulties; and kept



him; as he said; from feeling cheap and down at the heel。



No musician ever had a better wife。  Unfortunately her



beauty was of a very frail and impressionable kind; and



she was beginning to lose it。  Her face was too thin now;



and there were often dark circles under her eyes。







     Left alone with the children; Thea sat down on Tanya's



little chairshe would rather have sat on the floor; but



was afraid of rumpling her dressand helped them play



〃cars〃 with Andor's iron railway set。  She showed him















new ways to lay his tracks and how to make switches; set



up his Noah's ark village for stations and packed the ani…



mals in the open coal cars to send them to the stockyards。



They worked out their shipment so realistically that when



Andor put the two little reindeer into the stock car; Tanya



snatched them out and began to cry; saying she wasn't



going to have all their animals killed。







     Harsanyi came in; jaded and tired; and asked Thea to go



on with her game; as he was not equal to talking much



before dinner。  He sat down and made pretense of glancing



at the evening paper; but he soon dropped it。  After the



railroad began to grow tiresome; Thea went with the child…



ren to the lounge in the corner; and played for them the



game with which she used to amuse Thor for hours to…



gether behind the parlor stove at home; making shadow



pictures against the wall with her hands。  Her fingers were



very supple; and she could make a duck and a cow and a



sheep and a fox and a rabbit and even an elephant。  Har…



sanyi; from his low chair; watched them; smiling。  The boy



was on his knees; jumping up and down with the excite…



ment of guessing the beasts; and Tanya sat with her feet



tucked under her and clapped her frail little hands。  Thea's



profile; in the lamplight; teased his fancy。  Where had he



seen a head like it before?







     When dinner was announced; little Andor took Thea's



hand and walked to the dining…room with her。  The chil…



dren always had dinner with their parents and behaved



very nicely at table。  〃Mamma;〃 said Andor seriously as



he climbed into his chair and tucked his napkin into the



collar of his blouse; 〃Miss Kronborg's hands are every



kind of animal there is。〃







     His father laughed。  〃I wish somebody would say that



about my hands; Andor。〃







     When Thea dined at the Harsanyis before; she noticed



that there was an intense suspense from the moment they



took their places at the table until the master of the house















had tasted the soup。  He had a theory that if the soup



went well; the dinner would go well; but if the soup was



poor; all was lost。  To…night he tasted his soup and smiled;



and Mrs。 Harsanyi sat more easily in her chair and turned



her attention to Thea。  Thea loved their dinner table; be…



cause it was lighted by candles in silver candle…sticks;



and she had never seen a table so lighted anywhere else。



There were always flowers; too。  To…night there was a



little orange tree; with oranges on it; that one of Harsanyi's



pupils had sent him at Thanksgiving time。  After Harsanyi



had finished his soup and a glass of red Hungarian wine; he



lost his fagged look and became cordial and witty。  He



persuaded Thea to drink a little wine to…night。  The first



time she dined with them; when he urged her to taste the



glass of sherry beside her plate; she astonished them by



telling them that she 〃never drank。〃







     Harsanyi was then a man of thirty…two。  He was to have



a very brilliant career; but he did not know it then。



Theodore Thomas was perhaps the only man in Chicago



who felt that Harsanyi might have a great future。  Har…



sanyi belonged to the softer Slavic type; and was more like



a Pole than a Hungarian。  He was tall; slender; active; with



sloping; graceful shoulders and long arms。  His head was



very fine; strongly and delicately modelled; and; as Thea



put it; 〃so independent。〃  A lock of his thick brown hair



usually hung over his forehead。  His eye was wonderful;



full of light and fire when he was interested; soft and



thoughtful when he was tired or melancholy。  The mean…



ing and power of two very fine eyes must all have gone



into this onethe right one; fortunately; the one next



his audience when he played。  He believed that the glass



eye which gave one side of his face such a dull; blind look;



had ruined his career; or rather had made a career impos…



sible for him。  Harsanyi lost his eye when he was twelve



years old; in a Pennsylvania mining town where explo…



sives happened to be kept too near the frame shanties















in which the company packed newly arrived Hungarian



families。







     His father was a musician and a good one; but he had



cruelly over…worked the boy; keeping him at the piano for



six hours a day and making him play in cafes and dance



halls for half the night。  Andor ran away and crossed the



ocean with an uncle; who smuggled him through the port



as one of his own many children。  The explosion in which



Andor was hurt killed a score of people; and he was



thought lucky to get off with an eye。  He still had a clip…



ping from a Pittsburg paper; giving a list of the dead



and injured。  He appeared as 〃Harsanyi; Andor; left eye



and slight injuries about the head。〃  That was his first



American 〃notice〃; and he kept it。  He held no grudge



against the coal company; he understood that the acci…



dent was merely one of the things that are bound to hap…



pen in the general scramble of American life; where every



one comes to grab and takes his chance。







     While they were eating dessert; Thea asked Harsanyi



if she could change her Tuesday lesson from afternoon to



morning。  〃I have to be at a choir rehearsal in the after…



noon; to get ready for the Christmas music; and I expect



it will last until late。〃







     Harsanyi put down his fork and looked up。  〃A choir



rehearsal?  You sing in a church?〃







     〃Yes。  A little Swedish church; over on the North



side。〃







     〃Why did you not tell us?〃







     〃Oh; I'm only a temporary。  The regular soprano is not



well。〃







     〃How long have you been singing there?〃







     〃Ever since I came。  I had to get a position of some



kind;〃 Thea explained; flushing; 〃and the preacher took



me on。  He runs the choir himself。  He knew my father; and



I guess he took me to oblige。〃







     Harsanyi tapped the tablecloth with the ends of his















fingers。  〃But why did you never tell us?  Why are you so



reticent with us?〃







     Thea looked shyly at him from under her brows。  〃Well;



it's certainly not very interesting。  It's only a little church。



I only do it for business reasons。〃







     〃What do you mean?  Don't you like to sing?  Don't you



sing well?〃







     〃I like it well enough; but; of course; I don't know any…



thing about singing。  I guess that's why I never said any…



thing about it。  Anybody that's got a voice can sing in a



little church like that。〃







     Harsanyi laughed softlya little scornfully; Thea



thought。  〃So you have a voice; have you?〃







     Thea hesitated; looked intently at the candles and then



at Harsanyi。  〃Yes;〃 she said firmly; 〃I have got some;



anyway。〃







     〃Good girl;〃 said Mrs。 Harsanyi; nodding and smiling



at Thea。  〃You must let us hear you sing after dinner。〃







     This remark seemingly closed the subject; and when the



coffee was brought they began to talk of other things。



Harsanyi asked Thea how she happened to know so much



about the way in which freight trains are operated; and



she tried to give him some idea of how the people in little



desert towns live by the railway and order their lives by the



coming and going of the trains。  When they left the dining…



room the children were sent to bed and Mrs。 Harsanyi



took Thea into the studio。  She and her husband usually



sat 
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