a hazard of new fortunes v1-第14部分

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art　instruction　in　New　York；　and　has　to　go　to　Paris　for　it！　　Well；　it's
pathetic；　after　all；　Basil。　　I　can't　help　feeling　sorry　for　a　person　who
mistakes　herself　to　that　extent。〃

〃I　can't　help　feeling　sorry　for　the　husband　of　a　person　who　mistakes
herself　to　that　extent。　　What　is　Mr。　Grosvenor　Green　going　to　do　in　Paris
while　she's　working　her　way　into　the　Salon？〃

〃Well；　you　keep　away　from　her　apartment；　Basil；　that's　all　I've　got　to
say　to　you。　　And　yet　I　do　like　some　things　about　her。〃

〃I　like　everything　about　her　but　her　apartment；〃　said　March。

〃I　like　her　going　to　be　out　of　the　country；〃　said　his　wife。　　〃We
shouldn't　be　overlooked。　　And　the　place　was　prettily　shaped；　you　can't
deny　it。　　And　there　was　an　elevator　and　steam　heat。　　And　the　location　is
very　convenient。　　And　there　was　a　hall…boy　to　bring　up　cards。　　The　halls
and　stairs　were　kept　very　clean　and　nice。　　But　it　wouldn't　do。　　I　could
put　you　a　folding　bed　in　the　room　where　you　wrote；　and　we　could　even　have
one　in　the　parlor〃

〃Behind　a　portiere？　　I　couldn't　stand　any　more　portieres！〃

〃And　we　could　squeeze　the　two　girls　into　one　room；　or　perhaps　only　bring
Margaret；　and　put　out　the　whole　of　the　wash。　　Basil！〃　she　almost
shrieked；　〃it　isn't　to　be　thought　of！〃

He　retorted；　〃　I'm　not　thinking　of　it；　my　dear。〃

Fulkerson　came　in　just　before　they　started　for　Mrs。　March's　train；　to
find　out　what　had　become　of　them；　he　said；　and　to　see　whether　they　had
got　anything　to　live　in　yet。

〃Not　a　thing；〃　she　said。　　〃And　I'm　just　going　back　to　Boston；　and　leaving
Mr。　March　here　to　do　anything　he　pleases　about　it。　　He　has　'carte
blanche。'〃

〃But　freedom　brings　responsibility；　you　know；　Fulkerson；　and　it's　the
same　as　if　I'd　no　choice。　　I'm　staying　behind　because　I'm　left；　not
because　I　expect　to　do　anything。〃

〃Is　that　so？〃　　asked　Fulkerson。　　〃Well；　we　must　see　what　can　be　done。　　I
supposed　you　would　be　all　settled　by　this　time；　or　I　should　have　humped
myself　to　find　you　something。　　None　of　those　places　I　gave　you　amounts　to
anything？〃

〃As　much　as　forty　thousand　others　we've　looked　at；〃　said　Mrs。　March。
〃Yes；　one　of　them　does　amount　to　something。　　It　comes　so　near　being　what
we　want　that　I've　given　Mr。　March　particular　instructions　not　to　go　near
it。〃

She　told　him　about　Mrs。　Grosvenor　Green　and　her　flats；　and　at　the　end　he
said：

〃Well；　well；　we　must　look　out　for　that。　　I'll　keep　an　eye　on　him；　Mrs。
March；　and　see　that　he　doesn't　do　anything　rash；　and　I　won't　leave　him
till　he's　found　just　the　right　thing。　　It　exists；　of　course；　it　must　in　a
city　of　eighteen　hundred　thousand　people；　and　the　only　question　is　where
to　find　it。　　You　leave　him　to　me；　Mrs。　March；　I'll　watch　out　for　him。〃

Fulkerson　showed　some　signs　of　going　to　the　station　when　he　found　they
were　not　driving；　but　she　bade　him　a　peremptory　good…bye　at　the　hotel
door。

〃He's　very　nice；　Basil；　and　his　way　with　you　is　perfectly　charming。
It's　very　sweet　to　see　how　really　fond　of　you　he　is。　　But　I　didn't　want
him　stringing　along　with　us　up　to　Forty…second　Street　and　spoiling　our
last　moments　together。〃

At　Third　Avenue　they　took　the　Elevated　for　which　she　confessed　an
infatuation。　　She　declared　it　the　most　ideal　way　of　getting　about　in　the
world；　and　was　not　ashamed　when　he　reminded　her　of　how　she　used　to　say
that　nothing　under　the　sun　could　induce　her　to　travel　on　it。　　She　now
said　that　the　night　transit　was　even　more　interesting　than　the　day；　and
that　the　fleeing　intimacy　you　formed　with　people　in　second　and　third
floor　interiors；　while　all　the　usual　street　life　went　on　underneath；　had
a　domestic　intensity　mixed　with　a　perfect　repose　that　was　the　last　effect
of　good　society　with　all　its　security　and　exclusiveness。　　He　said　it　was
better　than　the　theatre；　of　which　it　reminded　him；　to　see　those　people
through　their　windows：　a　family　party　of　work…folk　at　a　late　tea；　some　of
the　men　in　their　shirt…sleeves；　a　woman　sewing　by　a　lamp；　a　mother　laying
her　child　in　its　cradle；　a　man　with　his　head　fallen　on　his　hands　upon　a
table；　a　girl　and　her　lover　leaning　over　the　window…sill　together。　　What
suggestion！　what　drama？　what　infinite　interest！　　At　the　Forty…second
Street　station　they　stopped　a　minute　on　the　bridge　that　crosses　the　track
to　the　branch　road　for　the　Central　Depot；　and　looked　up　and　down　the　long
stretch　of　the　Elevated　to　north　and　south。　　The　track　that　found　and
lost　itself　a　thousand　times　in　the　flare　and　tremor　of　the　innumerable
lights；　the　moony　sheen　of　the　electrics　mixing　with　the　reddish　points
and　blots　of　gas　far　and　near；　the　architectural　shapes　of　houses　and
churches　and　towers；　rescued　by　the　obscurity　from　all　that　was　ignoble
in　them；　and　the　coming　and　going　of　the　trains　marking　the　stations　with
vivider　or　fainter　plumes　of　flame…shot　steam…formed　an　incomparable
perspective。　　They　often　talked　afterward　of　the　superb　spectacle；　which
in　a　city　full　of　painters　nightly　works　its　unrecorded　miracles；　and
they　were　just　to　the　Arachne　roof　spun　in　iron　over　the　cross　street　on
which　they　ran　to　the　depot；　but　for　the　present　they　were　mostly
inarticulate　before　it。　　They　had　another　moment　of　rich　silence　when
they　paused　in　the　gallery　that　leads　from　the　Elevated　station　to　the
waiting…rooms　in　the　Central　Depot　and　looked　down　upon　the　great　night
trains　lying　on　the　tracks　dim　under　the　rain　of　gas…lights　that　starred
without　dispersing　the　vast　darkness　of　the　place。　　What　forces；　what
fates；　slept　in　these　bulks　which　would　soon　be　hurling　themselves　north
and　south　and　west　through　the　night！　　Now　they　waited　there　like　fabled
monsters　of　Arab　story　ready　for　the　magician's　touch；　tractable；
reckless；　will…lessorganized　lifelessness　full　of　a　strange　semblance
of　life。

The　Marches　admired　the　impressive　sight　with　a　thrill　of　patriotic　pride
in　the　fact　that　the　whole　world　perhaps　could　not　afford　just　the　like。
Then　they　hurried　down　to　the　ticket…offices；　and　he　got　her　a　lower
berth　in　the　Boston　sleeper；　and　went　with　her　to　the　car。　　They　made　the
most　of　the　fact　that　her　berth　was　in　the　very　middle　of　the　car；　and
she　promised　to　write　as　soon　as　she　reached　home。　　She　promised　also
that；　having　seen　the　limitations　of　New　York　in　respect　to　flats；　she
would　not　be　hard　on　him　if　he　took　something　not　quite　ideal。　　Only　he
must　remember　that　it　was　not　to　be　above　Twentieth　Street　nor　below
Washington　Square；　it　must　not　be　higher　than　the　third　floor；　it　must
have　an　elevator；　steam　heat；　hail…boys；　and　a　pleasant　janitor。　　These
were　essentials；　if　he　could　not　get　them；　then　they　must　do　without。
But　he　must　get　them。




XI。

Mrs。　March　was　one　of　those　wives　who　exact　a　more　rigid　adherence　to
their　ideals　from　their　husbands　than　from　themselves。　　Early　in　their
married　life　she　had　taken　charge　of　him　in　all　matters　which　she
considered　practical。　　She　did　not　include　the　business　of　bread…winning
in　these；　that　was　an　affair　that　might　safely　be　left　to　his　absent…
minded；　dreamy　inefficiency；　and　she　did　not　interfere　with　him　there。
But　in　such　things　as　rehanging　the　pictures；　deciding　on　a　summer
boarding…place；　taking　a　seaside　cottage；　repapering　rooms；　choosing
seats　at　the　theatre；　seeing　what　the　children　ate　when　she　was　not　at
table；　shutting　the　cat　out　at　night；　keeping　run　of　calls　and
invitations；　and　seeing　if　the　furnace　was　dampered；　he　had　failed　her　so
often　that　she　felt　she　could　not　leave　him　the　slightest　discretion　in
regard　to　a　flat。　　Her　total　distrust　of　his　judgment　in　the　matters
cited　and　others　like　them　consisted　with　the　greatest　admiration　of　his
mind　and　respect　for　his　character。　　She　often　said　that　if　he　would　only
bring　these　to　bear　in　such　exigencies　he　would　be　simply　perfect；　but
she　had　long　given　up　his　ever　doing　so。　　She　subjected　him；　therefore；
to　an　iron　code；　but　after　proclaiming　it　she　was　apt　to　abandon　him　to
the　native　lawlessness　of　his　temperament。　　She　expected　him　in　this
event　to　do　as　he　pleased；　and　she　resigned　herself　to　it　with
considerable　comfort　in　holding　him　accountable。　　He　learned　to　expect
this；　and　after　suffering　keenly　from　her　disappointment　with　whatever　he
did　he　waited　patiently　till　she　forgot　her　grievance　and　began　to
extract　what　consolation　lurks　in　the　irreparable。　　She　would　almost
admit　at　moments　that　what　he　had　done　was　a　very　good　thing；　but　she
reserved　the　right　to　return　in　full　force　to　her　original　condemnation
of　it；　and　she　accumulated　each　act　of　independent　volition　in　witness
and　warning　against　him。　　Their　mass　oppressed　but　never　deterred　him。
He　expected　to　do　the　wrong　thing　when　left　to　his　own　devices；　and　he
did　it　without　any　apparent　recollection　of　his　former　misdeeds　and　their
consequences。　　There　was　a　good　deal　of　comedy　in　it　all；　and　some
tragedy。

He　now　experienced　a　certain　expansion；　such　as　husbands　of　his　kind　will
imagine；　on　going　back　to　his　hotel　alone。　　It　was；　perhaps；　a　revulsion
from　the　pain　of　parting；　and　he　toyed　with　the　idea　of　Mrs。　Grosvenor
Green's　apartment；　which；　in　its　preposterous　unsuitability；　had　a
strange　attraction。　　He　felt　that　he　could　take　it　with　less　risk　than
anything　else　they　had　seen；　but　he　said　he　would　look　at　all　the　other
places　in　town　first。　　He　really　spent　the　greater　part　of　the　next　day
in　hunting　up　the　owner　of　an　apartment　that　had　neither　steam　heat　nor
an　elevator；　but　was　otherwise　perfect；　and　trying　to　get　him　to　take
less　than　the　agent　asked。　　By　a　curious　psychical　operation　he　was　able；
in　the　transaction；　to　work　himself　into　quite　a　passionate　desire　for
the　apartment；　while　he　held　the　Grosvenor　Green　apartment　in　the
background　of　his　mind　as　something　that　he　could　return　to　as　altogether
more　suitable。　　He　conducted　some　simultaneous　negotiation　for　a
furnished　house；　which　enhanced　still　more　the　desirability　of　the
Grosvenor　Green　apartment。　　Toward　evening　he　went　off　at　a　tangent　far
up…town；　so　as　to　be　able　to　tell　his　wife　how　utterly　preposterous　the
best　there　would　be　as　compared　even　with　this　ridiculous　Grosvenor　Green
gimcrackery。　　It　is　hard　to　report　the　processes　of　his　sophistication；
perhaps　this；　again；