part 2-第8部分

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places：　Montgomery　Ward　and　Company's　big　mail…order



store；　and　the　packing…houses；　to　which　all　the　hogs　and



cattle　that　went　through　Moonstone　were　bound。　　One



of　Mrs。　Lorch's　lodgers　worked　in　a　packing…house；　and



Mrs。　Andersen　brought　Thea　word　that　she　had　spoken　to



Mr。　Eckman　and　he　would　gladly　take　her　to　Packing…



town。　　Eckman　was　a　toughish　young　Swede；　and　he



thought　it　would　be　something　of　a　lark　to　take　a　pretty



girl　through　the　slaughter…houses。　　But　he　was　disap…



pointed。　　Thea　neither　grew　faint　nor　clung　to　the　arm　he



kept　offering　her。　　She　asked　innumerable　questions　and



was　impatient　because　he　knew　so　little　of　what　was　going



on　outside　of　his　own　department。　　When　they　got　off　the



street…car　and　walked　back　to　Mrs。　Lorch's　house　in　the



dusk；　Eckman　put　her　hand　in　his　overcoat　pocketshe



had　no　muffand　kept　squeezing　it　ardently　until　she



said；　〃Don't　do　that；　my　ring　cuts　me。〃　　That　night　he



told　his　roommate　that　he　〃could　have　kissed　her　as　easy



as　rolling　off　a　log；　but　she　wasn't　worth　the　trouble。〃　　As



for　Thea；　she　had　enjoyed　the　afternoon　very　much；　and



wrote　her　father　a　brief　but　clear　account　of　what　she　had



seen。







　　　　　One　night　at　supper　Mrs。　Andersen　was　talking　about



the　exhibit　of　students'　work　she　had　seen　at　the　Art　In…















stitute　that　afternoon。　　Several　of　her　friends　had　sketches



in　the　exhibit。　　Thea；　who　always　felt　that　she　was　be…



hindhand　in　courtesy　to　Mrs。　Andersen；　thought　that　here



was　an　opportunity　to　show　interest　without　committing



herself　to　anything。　　〃Where　is　that；　the　Institute？〃　she



asked　absently。







　　　　　Mrs。　Andersen　clasped　her　napkin　in　both　hands。　　〃The



Art　Institute？　　Our　beautiful　Art　Institute　on　Michigan



Avenue？　　Do　you　mean　to　say　you　have　never　visited　it？〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　is　it　the　place　with　the　big　lions　out　in　front？　　I



remember；　I　saw　it　when　I　went　to　Montgomery　Ward's。



Yes；　I　thought　the　lions　were　beautiful。〃







　　　　　〃But　the　pictures！　　Didn't　you　visit　the　galleries？〃







　　　　　〃No。　　The　sign　outside　said　it　was　a　pay…day。　　I've　al…



ways　meant　to　go　back；　but　I　haven't　happened　to　be



down　that　way　since。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Lorch　and　Mrs。　Andersen　looked　at　each　other。



The　old　mother　spoke；　fixing　her　shining　little　eyes　upon



Thea　across　the　table。　　〃Ah；　but　Miss　Kronborg；　there　are



old　masters！　　Oh；　many　of　them；　such　as　you　could　not　see



anywhere　out　of　Europe。〃







　　　　　〃And　Corots；〃　breathed　Mrs。　Andersen；　tilting　her



head　feelingly。　　〃Such　examples　of　the　Barbizon　school！〃



This　was　meaningless　to　Thea；　who　did　not　read　the　art



columns　of　the　Sunday　INTER…OCEAN　as　Mrs。　Andersen　did。







　　　　　〃Oh；　I'm　going　there　some　day；〃　she　reassured　them。



〃I　like　to　look　at　oil　paintings。〃







　　　　　One　bleak　day　in　February；　when　the　wind　was　blow…



ing　clouds　of　dirt　like　a　Moonstone　sandstorm；　dirt　that



filled　your　eyes　and　ears　and　mouth；　Thea　fought　her　way



across　the　unprotected　space　in　front　of　the　Art　Institute



and　into　the　doors　of　the　building。　　She　did　not　come　out



again　until　the　closing　hour。　　In　the　street…car；　on　the　long



cold　ride　home；　while　she　sat　staring　at　the　waistcoat　but…



tons　of　a　fat　strap…hanger；　she　had　a　serious　reckoning　with



herself。　　She　seldom　thought　about　her　way　of　life；　about















what　she　ought　or　ought　not　to　do；　usually　there　was　but



one　obvious　and　important　thing　to　be　done。　　But　that



afternoon　she　remonstrated　with　herself　severely。　　She　told



herself　that　she　was　missing　a　great　deal；　that　she　ought　to



be　more　willing　to　take　advice　and　to　go　to　see　things。　　She



was　sorry　that　she　had　let　months　pass　without　going



to　the　Art　Institute。　　After　this　she　would　go　once　a　week。







　　　　　The　Institute　proved；　indeed；　a　place　of　retreat；　as　the



sand　hills　or　the　Kohlers'　garden　used　to　be；　a　place　where



she　could　forget　Mrs。　Andersen's　tiresome　overtures　of



friendship；　the　stout　contralto　in　the　choir　whom　she　so



unreasonably　hated；　and　even；　for　a　little　while；　the　torment



of　her　work。　　That　building　was　a　place　in　which　she　could



relax　and　play；　and　she　could　hardly　ever　play　now。　　On



the　whole；　she　spent　more　time　with　the　casts　than　with



the　pictures。　　They　were　at　once　more　simple　and　more



perplexing；　and　some　way　they　seemed　more　important；



harder　to　overlook。　　It　never　occurred　to　her　to　buy　a



catalogue；　so　she　called　most　of　the　casts　by　names　she



made　up　for　them。　　Some　of　them　she　knew；　the　Dying



Gladiator　she　had　read　about　in　〃Childe　Harold〃　almost



as　long　ago　as　she　could　remember；　he　was　strongly　as…



sociated　with　Dr。　Archie　and　childish　illnesses。　　The　Venus



di　Milo　puzzled　her；　she　could　not　see　why　people　thought



her　so　beautiful。　　She　told　herself　over　and　over　that　she



did　not　think　the　Apollo　Belvedere　〃at　all　handsome。〃



Better　than　anything　else　she　liked　a　great　equestrian



statue　of　an　evil；　cruel…looking　general　with　an　unpro…



nounceable　name。　　She　used　to　walk　round　and　round　this



terrible　man　and　his　terrible　horse；　frowning　at　him；　brood…



ing　upon　him；　as　if　she　had　to　make　some　momentous　de…



cision　about　him。







　　　　　The　casts；　when　she　lingered　long　among　them；　always



made　her　gloomy。　　It　was　with　a　lightening　of　the　heart；　a



feeling　of　throwing　off　the　old　miseries　and　old　sorrows　of



the　world；　that　she　ran　up　the　wide　staircase　to　the　pic…















tures。　　There　she　liked　best　the　ones　that　told　stories。



There　was　a　painting　by　Gerome　called　〃The　Pasha's



Grief〃　which　always　made　her　wish　for　Gunner　and　Axel。



The　Pasha　was　seated　on　a　rug；　beside　a　green　candle　al…



most　as　big　as　a　telegraph　pole；　and　before　him　was　stretched



his　dead　tiger；　a　splendid　beast；　and　there　were　pink　roses



scattered　about　him。　　She　loved；　too；　a　picture　of　some



boys　bringing　in　a　newborn　calf　on　a　litter；　the　cow　walking



beside　it　and　licking　it。　　The　Corot　which　hung　next　to　this



painting　she　did　not　like　or　dislike；　she　never　saw　it。







　　　　　But　in　that　same　room　there　was　a　pictureoh；　that



was　the　thing　she　ran　upstairs　so　fast　to　see！　　That　was



her　picture。　　She　imagined　that　nobody　cared　for　it　but



herself；　and　that　it　waited　for　her。　　That　was　a　picture　in…



deed。　　She　liked　even　the　name　of　it；　〃The　Song　of　the



Lark。〃　　The　flat　country；　the　early　morning　light；　the　wet



fields；　the　look　in　the　girl's　heavy　facewell；　they　were



all　hers；　anyhow；　whatever　was　there。　　She　told　herself　that



that　picture　was　〃right。〃　　Just　what　she　meant　by　this；　it



would　take　a　clever　person　to　explain。　　But　to　her　the　word



covered　the　almost　boundless　satisfaction　she　felt　when　she



looked　at　the　picture。











　　　　　Before　Thea　had　any　idea　how　fast　the　weeks　were　fly…



ing；　before　Mr。　Larsen's　〃permanent〃　soprano　had　re…



turned　to　her　duties；　spring　came；　windy；　dusty；　strident；



shrill；　a　season　almost　more　violent　in　Chicago　than　the



winter　from　which　it　releases　one；　or　the　heat　to　which　it



eventually　delivers　one。　　One　sunny　morning　the　apple



trees　in　Mrs。　Lorch's　back　yard　burst　into　bloom；　and　for



the　first　time　in　months　Thea　dressed　without　building　a



fire。　　The　morning　shone　like　a　holiday；　and　for　her　it　was



to　be　a　holiday。　　There　was　in　the　air　that　sudden；　treacher…



ous　softness　which　makes　the　Poles　who　work　in　the　pack…



ing…houses　get　drunk。　　At　such　times　beauty　is　necessary；



and　in　Packingtown　there　is　no　place　to　get　it　except　at　the















saloons；　where　one　can　buy　for　a　few　hours　the　illusion　of



comfort；　hope；　love；whatever　one　most　longs　for。







　　　　　Harsanyi　had　given　Thea　a　ticket　for　the　symphony



concert　that　afternoon；　and　when　she　looked　out　at　the



white　apple　trees　her　doubts　as　to　whether　she　ought　to　go



vanished　at　once。　　She　would　make　her　work　light　that



morning；　she　told　herself。　　She　would　go　to　the　concert　full



of　energy。　　When　she　set　off；　after　dinner；　Mrs。　Lorch；　who



knew　Chicago　weather；　prevailed　upon　her　to　take　her



cape。　　The　old　lady　said　that　such　sudden　mildness；　so



early　in　April；　presaged　a　sharp　return　of　winter；　and　she



was　anxious　about　her　apple　trees。







　　　　　The　concert　began　at　two…thirty；　and　Thea　was　in　her



seat　in　the　Auditorium　at　ten　minutes　after　twoa　fine



seat　in　the　first　row　of　the　balcony；　on　the　side；　where　she



could　see　the　house　as　well　as　the　orchestra。　　She　had　been



to　so　few　concerts　that　the　great　house；　the　crowd　of



people；　and　the　lights；　all　had　a　stimulating　effect。　　She



was　surprised　to　see　so　many　men　in　the　audience；　and



wondered　how　they　could　leave　their　business　in　the　after…



noon。　　During　the　first　number　Thea　was　so　much　inter…



ested　in　the　orchestra　itself；　in　the　men；　the　instruments；



the　volume　of　sound；　that　she　paid　little　attention　to　what



they　were　playing。　　Her　excitement　impaired　her　power



of　listening。　　She　kept　saying　to　herself；　〃Now　I　must



stop　this　foolishness　and　listen；　I　may　never　hear　this



again〃；　but　her　mind　was　like　a　glass　that　is　hard　to



focus。　　She　was　not　ready　to　listen　until　the　second　num…



ber；　Dvorak's　Symphony　in　E　minor；　called　on　the　pro…



gramme；　〃From　the　New　World。〃　　The　first　theme　had



scarcely　been　given　out　when　her　mind　became　clear；　in…



stant