the glimpses of the moon-第2部分

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to　my　interfering〃　Susy　hesitated；　and　then　murmured：　　〃But　if

it　will　make　you　any　happier　I'll　arrange　to　see　him　less

often　。。。。〃　　She　sounded　the　lowest　depths　of　subservience　in

returning　Ursula's　tearful　kiss　。。。。



Susy　Branch　had　a　masculine　respect　for　her　word；　and　the　next

day　she　put　on　her　most　becoming　hat　and　sought　out　young　Mr。

Lansing　in　his　lodgings。　　She　was　determined　to　keep　her　promise

to　Ursula；　but　she　meant　to　look　her　best　when　she　did　it。



She　knew　at　what　time　the　young　man　was　likely　to　be　found；　for

he　was　doing　a　dreary　job　on　a　popular　encyclopaedia　（V　to　X）；

and　had　told　her　what　hours　were　dedicated　to　the　hateful　task。

〃Oh；　if　only　it　were　a　novel！〃　she　thought　as　she　mounted　his

dingy　stairs；　but　immediately　reflected　that；　if　it　were　the

kind　that　she　could　bear　to　read；　it　probably　wouldn't　bring　him

in　much　more　than　his　encyclopaedia。　　Miss　Branch　had　her

standards　in　literature　。。。。



The　apartment　to　which　Mr。　Lansing　admitted　her　was　a　good　deal

cleaner；　but　hardly　less　dingy；　than　his　staircase。　　Susy；

knowing　him　to　be　addicted　to　Oriental　archaeology；　had　pictured

him　in　a　bare　room　adorned　by　a　single　Chinese　bronze　of

flawless　shape；　or　by　some　precious　fragment　of　Asiatic　pottery。

But　such　redeeming　features　were　conspicuously　absent；　and　no

attempt　had　been　made　to　disguise　the　decent　indigence　of　the

bed…sitting…room。



Lansing　welcomed　his　visitor　with　every　sign　of　pleasure；　and

with　apparent　indifference　as　to　what　she　thought　of　his

furniture。　　He　seemed　to　be　conscious　only　of　his　luck　in　seeing

her　on　a　day　when　they　had　not　expected　to　meet。　　This　made　Susy

all　the　sorrier　to　execute　her　promise；　and　the　gladder　that　she

had　put　on　her　prettiest　hat；　and　for　a　moment　or　two　she　looked

at　him　in　silence　from　under　its　conniving　brim。



Warm　as　their　mutual　liking　was；　Lansing　had　never　said　a　word

of　love　to　her；　but　this　was　no　deterrent　to　his　visitor；　whose

habit　it　was　to　speak　her　meaning　clearly　when　there　were　no

reasons；　worldly　or　pecuniary；　for　its　concealment。　　After　a

moment；　therefore；　she　told　him　why　she　had　come；　it　was　a

nuisance；　of　course；　but　he　would　understand。　　Ursula　Gillow　was

jealous；　and　they　would　have　to　give　up　seeing　each　other。



The　young　man's　burst　of　laughter　was　music　to　her；　for；　after

all；　she　had　been　rather　afraid　that　being　devoted　to　Ursula

might　be　as　much　in　his　day's　work　as　doing　the　encyclopaedia。



〃But　I　give　you　my　word　it's　a　raving…mad　mistake！　　And　I　don't

believe　she　ever　meant　me；　to　begin　with〃　he　protested；　but

Susy；　her　common…sense　returning　with　her　reassurance；　promptly

cut　short　his　denial。



〃You　can　trust　Ursula　to　make　herself　clear　on　such　occasions。

And　it　doesn't　make　any　difference　what　you　think。　　All　that

matters　is　what　she　believes。〃



〃Oh；　come！　　I've　got　a　word　to　say　about　that　too；　haven't　I？〃



Susy　looked　slowly　and　consideringly　about　the　room。　　There　was

nothing　in　it；　absolutely　nothing；　to　show　that　he　had　ever

possessed　a　spare　dollaror　accepted　a　present。



〃Not　as　far　as　I'm　concerned；〃　she　finally　pronounced。



〃How　do　you　mean？　　If　I'm　as　free　as　air？〃



〃I'm　not。〃



He　grew　thoughtful。　　〃Oh；　then；　of　course。　　It　only　seems　a

little　odd；〃　he　added　drily；　〃that　in　that　case；　the　protest

should　have　come　from　Mrs。　Gillow。〃



〃Instead　of　coming　from　my　millionaire　bridegroom；　Oh；　I　haven't

any；　in　that　respect　I'm　as　free　as　you。〃



〃Well；　then？　　Haven't　we　only　got　to　stay　free？〃



Susy　drew　her　brows　together　anxiously。　　It　was　going　to　be

rather　more　difficult　than　she　had　supposed。



〃I　said　I　was　as　free　in　that　respect。　　I'm　not　going　to

marryand　I　don't　suppose　you　are？〃



〃God；　no！〃　he　ejaculated　fervently。



〃But　that　doesn't　always　imply　complete　freedom　。。。。〃



He　stood　just　above　her；　leaning　his　elbow　against　the　hideous

black　marble　arch　that　framed　his　fireless　grate。　　As　she

glanced　up　she　saw　his　face　harden；　and　the　colour　flew　to　hers。



〃Was　that　what　you　came　to　tell　me？〃　he　asked。



〃Oh；　you　don't　understandand　I　don't　see　why　you　don't；　since

we've　knocked　about　so　long　among　exactly　the　same　kind　of

people。〃　　She　stood　up　impulsively　and　laid　her　hand　on　his　arm。

〃I　do　wish　you'd　help　me！〃



He　remained　motionless；　letting　the　hand　lie　untouched。



〃Help　you　to　tell　me　that　poor　Ursula　was　a　pretext；　but　that

there　IS　someone　whofor　one　reason　or　anotherreally　has　a

right　to　object　to　your　seeing　me　too　often？〃



Susy　laughed　impatiently。　　〃You　talk　like　the　hero　of　a　novel

the　kind　my　governess　used　to　read。　　In　the　first　place　I　should

never　recognize　that　kind　of　right；　as　you　call　itnever！〃



〃Then　what　kind　do　you？〃　　he　asked　with　a　clearing　brow。



〃Whythe　kind　I　suppose　you　recognize　on　the　part　of　your

publisher。〃　　This　evoked　a　hollow　laugh　from　him。　　〃A　business

claim；　call　it；〃　she　pursued。　　〃Ursula　does　a　lot　for　me：　　I

live　on　her　for　half　the　year。　　This　dress　I've　got　on　now　is

one　she　gave　me。　　Her　motor　is　going　to　take　me　to　a　dinner

to…night。　　I'm　going　to　spend　next　summer　with　her　at

Newport　。。。。　　If　I　don't；　I've　got　to　go　to　California　with　the

Bockheimers…so　good…bye。〃



Suddenly　in　tears；　she　was　out　of　the　door　and　down　his　steep

three　flights　before　he　could　stop　herthough；　in　thinking　it

over；　she　didn't　even　remember　if　he　had　tried　to。　　She　only

recalled　having　stood　a　long　time　on　the　corner　of　Fifth　Avenue；

in　the　harsh　winter　radiance；　waiting　till　a　break　in　the

torrent　of　motors　laden　with　fashionable　women　should　let　her

cross；　and　saying　to　herself：　　〃After　all；　I　might　have　promised

Ursula　。。。　and　kept　on　seeing　him　。。。。〃



Instead　of　which；　when　Lansing　wrote　the　next　day　entreating　a

word　with　her；　she　had　sent　back　a　friendly　but　firm　refusal；

and　had　managed　soon　afterward　to　get　taken　to　Canada　for　a

fortnight's　ski…ing；　and　then　to　Florida　for　six　weeks　in　a

house…boat　。。。。



As　she　reached　this　point　in　her　retrospect　the　remembrance　of

Florida　called　up　a　vision　of　moonlit　waters；　magnolia　fragrance

and　balmy　airs；　merging　with　the　circumambient　sweetness；　it

laid　a　drowsy　spell　upon　her　lids。　　Yes；　there　had　been　a　bad

moment：　　but　it　was　over；　and　she　was　here；　safe　and　blissful；

and　with　Nick；　and　this　was　his　knee　her　head　rested　on；　and

they　had　a　year　ahead　of　them　。。。　a　whole　year　。。。。　　〃Not

counting　the　pearls；〃　she　murmured；　shutting　her　eyes　。。。。







II。



LANSING　threw　the　end　of　Strefford's　expensive　cigar　into　the

lake；　and　bent　over　his　wife。　　Poor　child！　　She　had　fallen

asleep　。。。。　　He　leaned　back　and　stared　up　again　at　the

silver…flooded　sky。　　How　queerhow　inexpressibly　queerit　was

to　think　that　that　light　was　shed　by　his　honey…moon！　　A　year

ago；　if　anyone　had　predicted　his　risking　such　an　adventure；　he

would　have　replied　by　asking　to　be　locked　up　at　the　first

symptoms　。。。。



There　was　still　no　doubt　in　his　mind　that　the　adventure　was　a

mad　one。　　It　was　all　very　well　for　Susy　to　remind　him　twenty

times　a　day　that　they　had　pulled　it　offand　so　why　should　he

worry？　　Even　in　the　light　of　her　far…seeing　cleverness；　and　of

his　own　present　bliss；　he　knew　the　future　would　not　bear　the

examination　of　sober　thought。　　And　as　he　sat　there　in　the　summer

moonlight；　with　her　head　on　his　knee；　he　tried　to　recapitulate

the　successive　steps　that　had　landed　them　on　Streffy's

lake…front。



On　Lansing's　side；　no　doubt；　it　dated　back　to　his　leaving

Harvard　with　the　large　resolve　not　to　miss　anything。　　There

stood　the　evergreen　Tree　of　Life；　the　Four　Rivers　flowing　from

its　foot；　and　on　every　one　of　the　four　currents　he　meant　to

launch　his　little　skiff。　　On　two　of　them　he　had　not　gone　very

far；　on　the　third　he　had　nearly　stuck　in　the　mud；　but　the　fourth

had　carried　him　to　the　very　heart　of　wonder。　　It　was　the　stream

of　his　lively　imagination；　of　his　inexhaustible　interest　in

every　form　of　beauty　and　strangeness　and　folly。　　On　this　stream；

sitting　in　the　stout　little　craft　of　his　poverty；　his

insignificance　and　his　independence；　he　had　made　some　notable

voyages　。。。。　　And　so；　when　Susy　Branch；　whom　he　had　sought　out

through　a　New　York　season　as　the　prettiest　and　most　amusing　girl

in　sight；　had　surprised　him　with　the　contradictory　revelation　of

her　modern　sense　of　expediency　and　her　old…fashioned　standard　of

good　faith；　he　had　felt　an　irresistible　desire　to　put　off　on　one

more　cruise　into　the　unknown。



It　was　of　the　essence　of　the　adventure　that；　after　her　one　brief

visit　to　his　lodgings；　he　should　have　kept　his　promise　and　not

tried　to　see　her　again。　　Even　if　her　straightforwardness　had　not

roused　his　emulation；　his　understanding　of　her　difficulties

would　have　moved　his　pity。　　He　knew　on　how　frail　a　thread　the

popularity　of　the　penniless　hangs；　and　how　miserably　a　girl　like

Susy　was　the　sport　of　other　people's　moods　and　whims。　　It　was　a

part　of　his　difficulty　and　of　hers　that　to　get　what　they　liked

they　so　often　had　to　do　what　they　disliked。　　But　the　keeping　of

his　promise　was　a　greater　bore　than　he　had　expected。　　Susy

Branch　had　become　a　delightful　habit　in　a　life　where　most　of　the

fixed　things　were　dull；　and　her　disappearance　had　made　it

suddenly　clear　to　him　that　his　resources　were　growing　more　and

more　limited。　　Much　that　had　once　amused　him　hugely　now　amused

him　less；　or　not　at　all：　　a　good　part　of　his　world　of　wonder　had

shrunk　to　a　village　peep…show。　　And　the　things　which　had　kept

their　stimulating　powerdistant　journeys；　the　enjoyment　of　art；

the　contact　with　new　scenes　and　strange　societieswere　becoming

less　and　less　attainable。　　Lansing　had　never　had　more　than　a

pittance；　he　had　spent　rather　too　much　of　it　in　his　first　plunge

into　life；　and　the　best　he　could　look　forward　to　was　a　middle…

age　of　poorly…paid　hack…work；　mitigated　by　brief　and　frugal

holidays