the dwelling place of ligh-第6部分

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these　unfulfilled　experiences；　and　the　mere　thought　of　confiding　them　to　any
person　appalled　her。　　Even　if　there　existed　some　wonderful；　understanding　being
to　whom　she　might　be　able　thus　to　empty　her　soul；　the　thought　of　the　ecstasy　of
that　kenosis　was　too　troubling　to　be　dwelt　upon。

She　had　tried　reading；　with　unfortunate　results；perhaps　because　no　Virgil　had
as　yet　appeared　to　guide　her　through　the　mysteries　of　that　realm。　　Her
schooling　had　failed　to　instil　into　her　a　discriminating　taste　for　literature；
and　when；　on　occasions；　she　had　entered　the　Public　Library　opposite　the　Common
it　had　been　to　stare　hopelessly　at　rows　of　books　whose　authors　and　titles
offered　no　clue　to　their　contents。　　Her　few　choices　had　not　been　happy；　they
had　failed　to　interest　and　thrill。。。

Of　the　Bumpus　family　Lise　alone　found　refuge；　distraction；　and　excitement　in
the　vulgar　modern　world　by　which　they　were　surrounded；　and　of　whose
heedlessness　and　remorselessness　they　were　the　victims。　　Lise　went　out　into　it；
became　a　part　of　it；　returning　only　to　sleep　and　eat；a　tendency　Hannah　found
unaccountable；　and　against　which　even　her　stoicism　was　not　wholly　proof。
Scarce　an　evening　went　by　without　an　expression　of　uneasiness　from　Hannah。

〃She　didn't　happen　to　mention　where　she　was　going；　did　she；　Janet？〃　　Hannah
would　query；　when　she　had　finished　her　work　and　put　on　her　spectacles　to　read
the　Banner。

〃To　the　movies；　I　suppose；〃　Janet　would　reply。　　Although　well　aware　that　her
sister　indulged　in　other　distractions；　she　thought　it　useless　to　add　to
Hannah's　disquietude。　　And　if　she　had　little　patience　with　Lise；　she　had　less
with　the　helpless　attitude　of　her　parents。

〃Well；〃　Hannah　would　add；　〃I　never　can　get　used　to　her　going　out　nights　the　way
she　does；　and　with　young　men　and　women　I　don't　know　anything　about。　　I　wasn't
brought　up　that　way。　　But　as　long　as　she's　got　to　work　for　a　living　I　guess
there's　no　help　for　it。〃

And　she　would　glance　at　Edward。　　It　was　obviously　due　to　his　inability
adequately　to　cope　with　modern　conditions　that　his　daughters　were　forced　to
toil；　but　this　was　the　nearest　she　ever　came　to　reproaching　him。　　If　he　heard；
he　acquiesced　humbly；　and　in　silence：　more　often　than　not　he　was　oblivious；
buried　in　the　mazes　of　the　Bumpus　family　history；　his　papers　spread　out　on　the
red　cloth　of　the　dining…room　table；　under　the　lamp。　　Sometimes　in　his
simplicity　and　with　the　enthusiasm　that　demands　listeners　he　would　read　aloud
to　them　a　letter；　recently　received　from　a　distant　kinsman；　an　Alpheus　Bumpus；
let　us　say；　who　had　migrated　to　California　in　search　of　wealth　and　fame；　and
who　had　found　neither。　　In　spite　of　age　and　misfortunes；　the　liberal　attitude
of　these　western　members　of　the　family　was　always　a　matter　of　perplexity　to
Edward。

〃He　tells　me　they're　going　to　give　women　the　ballot；doesn't　appear　to　be　much
concerned　about　his　own　womenfolks　going　to　the　polls。〃

〃Why　shouldn't　they；　if　they　want　to？〃　　Janet　would　exclaim；　though　she　had
given　little　thought　to　the　question。

Edward　would　mildly　ignore　this　challenge。

〃He　has　a　house　on　what　they　call　Russian　Hill；　and　he　can　watch　the　vessels　as
they　come　in　from　Japan；〃　he　would　continue　in　his　precise　voice；　emphasizing
admirably　the　last　syllables　of　the　words　〃Russian；〃　〃vessels；〃　and　〃Japan。〃
〃Wouldn't　you　like　to　see　the　letter？〃

To　do　Hannah　justice；　although　she　was　quite　incapable　of　sharing　his　passion；
she　frequently　feigned　an　interest；　took　the　letter；　presently　handing　it　on　to
Janet　who；　in　deciphering　Alpheus's　trembling　calligraphy；　pondered　over　his
manifold　woes。　　Alpheus's　son；　who　had　had　a　good　position　in　a　sporting　goods
establishment　on　Market　Street；　was　sick　and　in　danger　of　losing　it；　the　son's
wife　expecting　an　addition　to　the　family；　the　house　on　Russian　Hill　mortgaged。
Alpheus；　a　veteran　of　the　Civil　War；　had　been　for　many　years　preparing　his
reminiscences；　but　the　newspapers　nowadays　seemed　to　care　nothing　for　matters
of　solid　worth；　and　so　far　had　refused　to　publish　them。。。。　　Janet；　as　she　read；
reflected　that　these　letters　invariably　had　to　relate　tales　of　failures；　of
disappointed　hopes；　she　wondered　at　her　father's　perennial　interest　in
failures；provided　they　were　those　of　his　family；　and　the　next　evening；　as　he
wrote　painfully　on　his　ruled　paper；　she　knew　that　he　in　turn　was　pouring　out
his　soul　to　Alpheus；　recounting；　with　an　emotion　by　no　means　unpleasurable；　to
this　sympathetic　but　remote　relative　the　story　of　his　own　failure！

If　the　city　of　Hampton　was　emblematic　of　our　modern　world　in　which
haphazardness　has　replaced　order；　Fillmore　Street　may　be　likened　to　a　back　eddy
of　the　muddy　and　troubled　waters；　in　which　all　sorts　of　flotsam　and　jetsam　had
collected。　　Or；　to　find　perhaps　an　even　more　striking　illustration　of　the
process　that　made　Hampton　in　general　and　Fillmore　Street　in　particular；　one　had
only　to　take　the　trolley　to　Glendale；　the　Italian　settlement　on　the　road
leading　to　the　old　New　England　village　of　Shrewsbury。　　Janet　sometimes　walked
there；　alone　or　with　her　friend　Eda　Rawle。　　Disintegration　itselfin　a
paradoxically　pathetic　attempt　at　reconstructionhad　built　Glendale。　　Human
hands；　Italian　hands。　　Nor；　surprising　though　it　may　seem；　were　these
descendants　of　the　people　of　the　Renaissance　in　the　least　offended　by　their
handiwork。　　When　the　southern　European　migration　had　begun　and　real　estate
became　valuable；　one　by　one　the　more　decorous　edifices　of　the　old　American
order　had　been　torn　down　and　carried　piecemeal　by　sons　of　Italy　to　the　bare
hills　of　Glendale；　there　to　enter　into　new　combinations　representing；　to　an　eye
craving　harmony；　the　last　word　of　a　chaos；　of　a　mental　indigestion；　of　a　colour
scheme　crying　aloud　to　heaven　for　retribution。　　Standing　alone　and　bare　amidst
its　truck　gardens；　hideous；　extreme；　though　typical　of　the　entire　settlement；
composed　of　fragments　ripped　from　once…appropriate　settings；　is　a　house　with　a
tiny　body　painted　strawberry…red；　with　scroll…work　shutters　a　tender　green；
surmounting　the　structure　and　almost　equalling　it　in　size　is　a　sky…blue　cupola；
once　the　white　crown　of　the　Sutter　mansion；　the　pride　of　old　Hampton。　　The
walls　of　this　dwelling　were　wrested　from　the　sides　of　Mackey's　Tavern；　while
the　shutters　for　many　years　adorned　the　parsonage　of　the　old　First　Church。
Similarly；　in　Hampton　and　in　Fillmore　Street；　lived　in　enforced　neighbourliness
human　fragments　once　having　their　places　in　crystallized　communities　where
existence　had　been　regarded　as　solved。　　Here　there　was　but　one　order；if　such
it　may　be　called；one　relationship；　direct；　or　indirect；　one　necessity
claiming　them　allthe　mills。

Like　the　boards　forming　the　walls　of　the　shacks　at　Glendale；　these　human　planks
torn　from　an　earlier　social　structure　were　likewise　warped；　which　is　to　say
they　were　dominated　by　obsessions。　　Edward's　was　the　Bumpus　family；　and　Chris
Auermann；　who　lived　in　the　flat　below；　was　convinced　that　the　history　of
mankind　is　a　deplorable　record　of　havoc　caused　by　women。　　Perhaps　he　was　right；
but　the　conviction　was　none　the　less　an　obsession。　　He　came　from　a　little
village　near　Wittenburg　that　has　scarcely　changed　since　Luther's　time。　　Like
most　residents　of　Hampton　who　did　not　work　in　the　mills；　he　ministered　to　those
who　did；　or　to　those　who　sold　merchandise　to　the　workers；　cutting　their　hair　in
his　barber　shop　on　Faber　Street。

The　Bumpuses；　save　Lise；　clinging　to　a　native　individualism　and　pride；
preferred　isolation　to　companionship　with　the　other　pieces　of　driftwood　by
which　they　were　surrounded；　and　with　which　the　summer　season　compelled　a
certain　enforced　contact。　　When　the　heat　in　the　little　dining…room　grew
unbearable；　they　were　driven　to　take　refuge　on　the　front　steps　shared　in　common
with　the　household　of　the　barber。　　It　is　true　that　the　barber's　wife　was　a　mild
hausfrau　who　had　little　to　say；　and　that　their　lodgers；　two　young　Germans　who
worked　in　the　mills；　spent　most　of　their　evenings　at　a　bowling　club；　but
Auermann　himself；　exhaling　a　strong　odour　of　bay　rum；　would　arrive　promptly　at
quarter　past　eight；　take　off　his　coat；　and　thus；　as　it　were　stripped　for
action；　would　turn　upon　the　defenceless　Edward。

〃Vill　you　mention　one　great　manyoost　onewho　is　not　greater　if　the　vimmen
leave　him　alone？〃　he　would　demand。　　〃Is　it　Anthony；　the　conqueror　of　Egypt　and
the　East？　　I　vill　show　you　Cleopatra。　　Und　Burns；　and　Napoleon；　the　greatest
man　what　ever　livedvimmen　again。　　I　tell　you　there　is　no　Elba；　no　St。　Helena
if　it　is　not　for　the　vimmen。　　Und　vat　vill　you　say　of　Goethe？〃

Poor　Edward　could　think　of　nothing　to　say　of　Goethe。

〃He　is　great；　I　grant　you；〃　Chris　would　admit；　〃but　vat　is　he　if　the　vimmen
leave　him　alone？　　Divine　yoost　that。〃　　And　he　would　proceed　to　cite　endless
examples　of　generals　and　statesmen　whose　wives　or　mistresses　had　been　their
bane。　　Futile　Edward's　attempts　to　shift　the　conversation　to　the　subject　of　his
own　obsession；　the　German　was　by　far　the　more　aggressive；　he　would　have　none　of
it。　　Perhaps　if　Edward　had　been　willing　to　concede　that　the　Bumpuses　had　been
brought　to　their　present　lowly　estate　by　the　sinister　agency　of　the　fair　sex
Chris　might　conditionally　have　accepted　the　theme。　　Hannah；　contemptuously
waving　a　tattered　palm　leaf　fan；　was　silent；　but　on　one　occasion　Janet　took
away　the　barber's　breath　by　suddenly　observing：

〃You　never　seem　to　think　of　the　women　whose　lives　are　ruined　by　men；　Mr。
Auermann。〃

It　was　unheard…of；　this　invasion　of　a　man's　argument　by　a　woman；　and　by　a　young
woman　at　that。　　He　glared　at　her　through　his　spectacles；　took　them　off；　wiped
them；　replaced　them；　and　glared　at　her　again。　　He　did　not　like　Janet；　she　was
capable　of　what　may　be　called　a　speaking　silence；　and　he　had　never　been　wholly
unaware　of　her　disapproval　and　ridicule。　　Perhaps　he　recognized　in　her；
instinctively；　the　potential　qualities　of　that　emerging　modern　woman　who　to　him
was　anathema。

〃It　is　somethings　I　don't　think　about；〃　he　said。

He　was　a　wizened　little　man　with　faience…blue　eyes；　and　sat　habitually　hunched
up　with　his　hands　folded　across　his　shins。

〃Nam　fuit　ante　Helenam〃as　Darwin　quotes。　　Toward　all　the　masculine　reside