part 2-第9部分

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



stant　composure　fell　upon　her；　and　with　it　came　the　power



of　concentration。　　This　was　music　she　could　understand；



music　from　the　New　World　indeed！　　Strange　how；　as



the　first　movement　went　on；　it　brought　back　to　her　that



high　tableland　above　Laramie；　the　grass…grown　wagon















trails；　the　far…away　peaks　of　the　snowy　range；　the　wind　and



the　eagles；　that　old　man　and　the　first　telegraph　message。







　　　　　When　the　first　movement　ended；　Thea's　hands　and　feet



were　cold　as　ice。　　She　was　too　much　excited　to　know　any…



thing　except　that　she　wanted　something　desperately；　and



when　the　English　horns　gave　out　the　theme　of　the　Largo；



she　knew　that　what　she　wanted　was　exactly　that。　　Here



were　the　sand　hills；　the　grasshoppers　and　locusts；　all　the



things　that　wakened　and　chirped　in　the　early　morning；



the　reaching　and　reaching　of　high　plains；　the　immeas…



urable　yearning　of　all　flat　lands。　　There　was　home　in　it；



too；　first　memories；　first　mornings　long　ago；　the　amaze…



ment　of　a　new　soul　in　a　new　world；　a　soul　new　and　yet　old；



that　had　dreamed　something　despairing；　something　glori…



ous；　in　the　dark　before　it　was　born；　a　soul　obsessed　by　what



it　did　not　know；　under　the　cloud　of　a　past　it　could　not　re…



call。







　　　　　If　Thea　had　had　much　experience　in　concert…going；　and



had　known　her　own　capacity；　she　would　have　left　the



hall　when　the　symphony　was　over。　　But　she　sat　still；



scarcely　knowing　where　she　was；　because　her　mind　had



been　far　away　and　had　not　yet　come　back　to　her。　　She　was



startled　when　the　orchestra　began　to　play　againthe



entry　of　the　gods　into　Walhalla。　　She　heard　it　as　people



hear　things　in　their　sleep。　　She　knew　scarcely　anything



about　the　Wagner　operas。　　She　had　a　vague　idea　that



〃Rhinegold〃　was　about　the　strife　between　gods　and　men；



she　had　read　something　about　it　in　Mr。　Haweis's　book　long



ago。　　Too　tired　to　follow　the　orchestra　with　much　under…



standing；　she　crouched　down　in　her　seat　and　closed　her



eyes。　　The　cold；　stately　measures　of　the　Walhalla　music



rang　out；　far　away；　the　rainbow　bridge　throbbed　out　into



the　air；　under　it　the　wailing　of　the　Rhine　daughters　and



the　singing　of　the　Rhine。　　But　Thea　was　sunk　in　twilight；



it　was　all　going　on　in　another　world。　　So　it　happened　that



with　a　dull；　almost　listless　ear　she　heard　for　the　first　time















that　troubled　music；　ever…darkening；　ever…brightening；



which　was　to　flow　through　so　many　years　of　her　life。







　　　　　When　Thea　emerged　from　the　concert　hall；　Mrs。　Lorch's



predictions　had　been　fulfilled。　　A　furious　gale　was　beating



over　the　city　from　Lake　Michigan。　　The　streets　were　full　of



cold；　hurrying；　angry　people；　running　for　street…cars　and



barking　at　each　other。　　The　sun　was　setting　in　a　clear；



windy　sky；　that　flamed　with　red　as　if　there　were　a　great



fire　somewhere　on　the　edge　of　the　city。　　For　almost　the



first　time　Thea　was　conscious　of　the　city　itself；　of　the　con…



gestion　of　life　all　about　her；　of　the　brutality　and　power　of



those　streams　that　flowed　in　the　streets；　threatening　to



drive　one　under。　　People　jostled　her；　ran　into　her；　poked



her　aside　with　their　elbows；　uttering　angry　exclamations。



She　got　on　the　wrong　car　and　was　roughly　ejected　by　the



conductor　at　a　windy　corner；　in　front　of　a　saloon。　　She　stood



there　dazed　and　shivering。　　The　cars　passed；　screaming　as



they　rounded　curves；　but　either　they　were　full　to　the　doors；



or　were　bound　for　places　where　she　did　not　want　to　go。



Her　hands　were　so　cold　that　she　took　off　her　tight　kid



gloves。　　The　street　lights　began　to　gleam　in　the　dusk。　　A



young　man　came　out　of　the　saloon　and　stood　eyeing　her



questioningly　while　he　lit　a　cigarette。　　〃Looking　for　a



friend　to…night？〃　he　asked。　　Thea　drew　up　the　collar　of　her



cape　and　walked　on　a　few　paces。　　The　young　man　shrugged



his　shoulders　and　drifted　away。







　　　　　Thea　came　back　to　the　corner　and　stood　there　irreso…



lutely。　　An　old　man　approached　her。　　He；　too；　seemed　to　be



waiting　for　a　car。　　He　wore　an　overcoat　with　a　black　fur



collar；　his　gray　mustache　was　waxed　into　little　points；　and



his　eyes　were　watery。　　He　kept　thrusting　his　face　up　near



hers。　　Her　hat　blew　off　and　he　ran　after　ita　stiff；　pitiful



skip　he　hadand　brought　it　back　to　her。　　Then；　while



she　was　pinning　her　hat　on；　her　cape　blew　up；　and　he　held



it　down　for　her；　looking　at　her　intently。　　His　face　worked



as　if　he　were　going　to　cry　or　were　frightened。　　He　leaned















over　and　whispered　something　to　her。　　It　struck　her　as



curious　that　he　was　really　quite　timid；　like　an　old　beggar。



〃Oh；　let　me　ALONE！〃　she　cried　miserably　between　her　teeth。



He　vanished；　disappeared　like　the　Devil　in　a　play。　　But



in　the　mean　time　something　had　got　away　from　her；　she



could　not　remember　how　the　violins　came　in　after　the



horns；　just　there。　　When　her　cape　blew　up；　perhaps　　Why



did　these　men　torment　her？　　A　cloud　of　dust　blew　in　her



face　and　blinded　her。　　There　was　some　power　abroad　in　the



world　bent　upon　taking　away　from　her　that　feeling　with



which　she　had　come　out　of　the　concert　hall。　　Everything



seemed　to　sweep　down　on　her　to　tear　it　out　from　under



her　cape。　　If　one　had　that；　the　world　became　one's　enemy；



people；　buildings；　wagons；　cars；　rushed　at　one　to　crush　it



under；　to　make　one　let　go　of　it。　　Thea　glared　round　her



at　the　crowds；　the　ugly；　sprawling　streets；　the　long　lines



of　lights；　and　she　was　not　crying　now。　　Her　eyes　were



brighter　than　even　Harsanyi　had　ever　seen　them。　　All



these　things　and　people　were　no　longer　remote　and　negli…



gible；　they　had　to　be　met；　they　were　lined　up　against　her；



they　were　there　to　take　something　from　her。　　Very　well；



they　should　never　have　it。　　They　might　trample　her　to



death；　but　they　should　never　have　it。　　As　long　as　she　lived



that　ecstasy　was　going　to　be　hers。　　She　would　live　for　it；



work　for　it；　die　for　it；　but　she　was　going　to　have　it；　time



after　time；　height　after　height。　　She　could　hear　the　crash



of　the　orchestra　again；　and　she　rose　on　the　brasses。　　She



would　have　it；　what　the　trumpets　were　singing！　　She



would　have　it；　have　it；it！　　Under　the　old　cape　she



pressed　her　hands　upon　her　heaving　bosom；　that　was　a



little　girl's　no　longer。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI











　　　　　ONE　afternoon　in　April；　Theodore　Thomas；　the　con…



ductor　of　the　Chicago　Symphony　Orchestra；　had



turned　out　his　desk　light　and　was　about　to　leave　his　office



in　the　Auditorium　Building；　when　Harsanyi　appeared　in



the　doorway。　　The　conductor　welcomed　him　with　a　hearty



hand…grip　and　threw　off　the　overcoat　he　had　just　put　on。



He　pushed　Harsanyi　into　a　chair　and　sat　down　at　his　bur…



dened　desk；　pointing　to　the　piles　of　papers　and　railway



folders　upon　it。







　　　　　〃Another　tour；　clear　to　the　coast。　　This　traveling　is　the



part　of　my　work　that　grinds　me；　Andor。　　You　know　what



it　means：　bad　food；　dirt；　noise；　exhaustion　for　the　men　and



for　me。　　I'm　not　so　young　as　I　once　was。　　It's　time　I　quit



the　highway。　　This　is　the　last　tour；　I　swear！〃







　　　　　〃Then　I'm　sorry　for　the　‘highway。'　　I　remember　when　I



first　heard　you　in　Pittsburg；　long　ago。　　It　was　a　life…line　you



threw　me。　　It's　about　one　of　the　people　along　your　high…



way　that　I've　come　to　see　you。　　Whom　do　you　consider　the



best　teacher　for　voice　in　Chicago？〃







　　　　　Mr。　Thomas　frowned　and　pulled　his　heavy　mustache。



〃Let　me　see；　I　suppose　on　the　whole　Madison　Bowers　is



the　best。　　He's　intelligent；　and　he　had　good　training。　　I



don't　like　him。〃







　　　　　Harsanyi　nodded。　　〃I　thought　there　was　no　one　else。



I　don't　like　him；　either；　so　I　hesitated。　　But　I　suppose　he



must　do；　for　the　present。〃







　　　　　〃Have　you　found　anything　promising？　　One　of　your　own



students？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　sir。　　A　young　Swedish　girl　from　somewhere　in



Colorado。　　She　is　very　talented；　and　she　seems　to　me　to



have　a　remarkable　voice。〃



















　　　　　〃High　voice？〃







　　　　　〃I　think　it　will　be；　though　her　low　voice　has　a　beauti…



ful　quality；　very　individual。　　She　has　had　no　instruction



in　voice　at　all；　and　I　shrink　from　handing　her　over　to　any…



body；　her　own　instinct　about　it　has　been　so　good。　　It　is



one　of　those　voices　that　manages　itself　easily；　without



thinning　as　it　goes　up；　good　breathing　and　perfect　relaxa…



tion。　　But　she　must　have　a　teacher；　of　course。　　There　is　a



break　in　the　middle　voice；　so　that　the　voice　does　not　all



work　together；　an　unevenness。〃







　　　　　Thomas　looked　up。　　〃So？　　Curious；　that　cleft　often



happens　with　the　Swedes。　　Some　of　their　best　singers　have



had　it。　　It　always　reminds　me　of　the　space　you　so　often　see



between　their　front　teeth。　　Is　she　strong　physically？〃







　　　　　Harsanyi's　eye　flashed。　　He　lifted　his　hand　before　him



and　clenched　it。　　〃Like　a　horse；　like　a　tree！　　Every　time



I　give　her　a　lesson；　I　lose　a　pound。　　She　goes　after　what　she



wants。〃







　　　　　〃Intelligent；　you　say？　　Musically　intelligent？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　but　no　cultivation　whatever。　　She　came　to　me　like



a　fine　young　savage；　a　book　with　nothing　written　in　it。



That　is　why　I　feel　the　responsibility　of　directing　her。〃



Harsanyi　paused　and　crushed　his　soft　gray　ha