the glimpses of the moon-第20部分

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remaining　survivors　of　the　Venetian　group；　had　dispersed　in　the

direction　of　the　Engadine　or　Biarritz；　and　now　she　could　at

least　collect　her　wits；　take　stock　of　herself；　and　prepare　the

countenance　with　which　she　was　to　face　the　next　stage　in　her

career。　　Thank　God　it　was　raining　at　Versailles！



The　door　opened；　she　heard　voices　in　the　drawing…room；　and　a

slender　languishing　figure　appeared　on　the　threshold。



〃Darling！〃　　Violet　Melrose　cried　in　an　embrace；　drawing　her　into

the　dusky　perfumed　room。



〃But　I　thought　you　were　in　China！〃　　Susy　stammered。



〃In　China　。。。　in　China；〃　Mrs。　Melrose　stared　with　dreamy　eyes；

and　Susy　remembered　her　drifting　disorganised　life；　a　life　more

planless；　more　inexplicable　than　that　of　any　of　the　other

ephemeral　beings　blown　about　upon　the　same　winds　of　pleasure。



〃Well；　Madam；　I　thought　so　myself　till　I　got　a　wire　from　Mrs。

Melrose　last　evening；〃　remarked　the　perfect　house…keeper；

following　with　Susy's　handbag。



Mrs。　Melrose　clutched　her　cavernous　temples　in　her　attenuated

hands。　　〃Of　course；　of　course！　　I　had　meant　to　go　to　Chinano；

India　。。。。　　But　I've　discovered　a　genius　。。。　and　Genius；　you

know　。。。。〃　　Unable　to　complete　her　thought；　she　sank　down　upon　a

pillowy　divan；　stretched　out　an　arm；　cried：　　〃Fulmer！　Fulmer！〃

and；　while　Susy　Lansing　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room　with

widening　eyes；　a　man　emerged　from　the　more　deeply　cushioned　and

scented　twilight　of　some　inner　apartment；　and　she　saw　with

surprise　Nat　Fulmer；　the　good　Nat　Fulmer　of　the　New　Hampshire

bungalow　and　the　ubiquitous　progeny；　standing　before　her　in

lordly　ease；　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　a　cigarette　between　his

lips；　his　feet　solidly　planted　in　the　insidious　depths　of　one　of

Violet　Melrose's　white　leopard　skins。



〃Susy！〃　he　shouted　with　open　arms；　and　Mrs。　Melrose　murmured：

〃You　didn't　know；　then？　　You　hadn't　heard　of　his　masterpieces？〃



In　spite　of　herself；　Susy　burst　into　a　laugh。　　〃Is　Nat　your

genius？〃



Mrs。　Melrose　looked　at　her　reproachfully。



Fulmer　laughed。　　〃No；　I'm　Grace's。　　But　Mrs。　Melrose　has　been

our　Providence；　and　。。。。〃



〃Providence？〃　his　hostess　interrupted。　　〃Don't　talk　as　if　you

were　at　a　prayer…meeting！　　He　had　an　exhibition　in　New　York　。。。

it　was　the　most　fabulous　success。　　He's　come　abroad　to　make

studies　for　the　decoration　of　my　music…room　in　New　York。　　Ursula

Gillow　has　given　him　her　garden…house　at　Roslyn　to　do。　　And　Mrs。

Bockheimer's　ball…roomoh；　Fulmer；　where　are　the　cartoons？〃

She　sprang　up；　tossed　about　some　fashion…papers　heaped　on　a

lacquer　table；　and　sank　back　exhausted　by　the　effort。　　〃I'd　got

as　far　as　Brindisi。　　I've　travelled　day　and　night　to　be　here　to

meet　him；〃　she　declared。　　〃But；　you　darling；〃　and　she　held　out　a

caressing　hand　to　Susy；　〃I'm　forgetting　to　ask　if　you've　had

tea？〃



An　hour　later；　over　the　tea…table；　Susy　already　felt　herself

mysteriously　reabsorbed　into　what　had　so　long　been　her　native

element。　　Ellie　Vanderlyn　had　brought　a　breath　of　it　to　Venice；

but　Susy　was　then　nourished　on　another　air；　the　air　of　Nick's

presence　and　personality；　now　that　she　was　abandoned；　left　again

to　her　own　devices；　she　felt　herself　suddenly　at　the　mercy　of

the　influences　from　which　she　thought　she　had　escaped。



In　the　queer　social　whirligig　from　which　she　had　so　lately　fled；

it　seemed　natural　enough　that　a　shake　of　the　box　should　have

tossed　Nat　Fulmer　into　celebrity；　and　sent　Violet　Melrose

chasing　back　from　the　ends　of　the　earth　to　bask　in　his　success。

Susy　knew　that　Mrs。　Melrose　belonged　to　the　class　of　moral

parasites；　for　in　that　strange　world　the　parts　were　sometimes

reversed；　and　the　wealthy　preyed　upon　the　pauper。　　Wherever

there　was　a　reputation　to　batten　on；　there　poor　Violet　appeared；

a　harmless　vampire　in　pearls　who　sought　only　to　feed　on　the

notoriety　which　all　her　millions　could　not　create　for　her。　　Any

one　less　versed　than　Susy　in　the　shallow　mysteries　of　her　little

world　would　have　seen　in　Violet　Melrose　a　baleful　enchantress；

in　Nat　Fulmer　her　helpless　victim。　　Susy　knew　better。　　Violet；

poor　Violet；　was　not　even　that。　　The　insignificant　Ellie

Vanderlyn；　with　her　brief　trivial　passions；　her　artless　mixture

of　amorous　and　social　interests；　was　a　woman　with　a　purpose；　a

creature　who　fulfilled　herself；　but　Violet　was　only　a　drifting

interrogation。



And　what　of　Fulmer？　　Mustering　with　new　eyes　his　short　sturdily…

built　figure；　his　nondescript　bearded　face；　and　the　eyes　that

dreamed　and　wandered；　and　then　suddenly　sank　into　you　like

claws；　Susy　seemed　to　have　found　the　key　to　all　his　years　of

dogged　toil；　his　indifference　to　neglect；　indifference　to

poverty；　indifference　to　the　needs　of　his　growing　family　。。。。

Yes：　　for　the　first　time　she　saw　that　he　looked　commonplace

enough　to　be　a　geniuswas　a　genius；　perhaps；　even　though　it　was

Violet　Melrose　who　affirmed　it！　　Susy　looked　steadily　at　Fulmer；

their　eyes　met；　and　he　smiled　at　her　faintly　through　his　beard。



〃Yes；　I　did　discover　himI　did；〃　Mrs。　Melrose　was　insisting；

from　the　depths　of　the　black　velvet　divan　in　which　she　lay　sunk

like　a　wan　Nereid　in　a　midnight　sea。　　〃You　mustn't　believe　a

word　that　Ursula　Gillow　tells　you　about　having　pounced　on　his

'Spring　Snow　Storm'　in　a　dark　corner　of　the　American　Artists'

exhibitionskied；　if　you　please！　　They　skied　him　less　than　a

year　ago！　　And　naturally　Ursula　never　in　her　life　looked　higher

than　the　first　line　at　a　picture…show。　　And　now　she　actually

pretends　。。。　oh；　for　pity's　sake　don't　say　it　doesn't　matter；

Fulmer！　　Your　saying　that　just　encourages　her；　and　makes　people

think　she　did。　　When；　in　reality；　any　one　who　saw　me　at　the

exhibition　on　varnishing…day　。。。。　　Who？　　Well；　Eddy

Breckenridge；　for　instance。　　He　was　in　Egypt；　you　say？　　Perhaps

he　was！　　As　if　one　could　remember　the　people　about　one；　when

suddenly　one　comes　upon　a　great　work　of　art；　as　St。　Paul　did

didn't　he？and　the　scales　fell　from　his　eyes。　　Well　。。。　that's

exactly　what　happened　to　me　that　day　。。。　and　Ursula；　everybody

knows；　was　　down　at　Roslyn　at　the　time；　and　didn't　come　up　for

the　opening　of　the　exhibition　at　all。　　And　Fulmer　sits　there　and

laughs；　and　says　it　doesn't　matter；　and　that　he'll　paint　another

picture　any　day　for　me　to　discover！〃



Susy　had　rung　the　door…bell　with　a　hand　trembling　with

eagernesseagerness　to　be　alone；　to　be　quiet；　to　stare　her

situation　in　the　face；　and　collect　herself　before　she　came　out

again　among　her　kind。　　She　had　stood　on　the　door…step；　cowering

among　her　bags；　counting　the　instants　till　a　step　sounded　and

the　door…knob　turned；　letting　her　in　from　the　searching　glare　of

the　outer　world　。。。。　　And　now　she　had　sat　for　an　hour　in

Violet's　drawing…room；　in　the　very　house　where　her　honey…moon

might　have　been　spent；　and　no　one　had　asked　her　where　she　had

come　from；　or　why　she　was　alone；　or　what　was　the　key　to　the

tragedy　written　on　her　shrinking　face　。。。。



That　was　the　way　of　the　world　they　lived　in。　　Nobody　questioned；

nobody　wondered　any　more…because　nobody　had　time　to　remember。

The　old　risk　of　prying　curiosity；　of　malicious　gossip；　was

virtually　over：　　one　was　left　with　one's　drama；　one's　disaster；

on　one's　hands；　because　there　was　nobody　to　stop　and　notice　the

little　shrouded　object　one　was　carrying。　　As　Susy　watched　the

two　people　before　her；　each　so　frankly　unaffected　by　her

presence；　Violet　Melrose　so　engrossed　in　her　feverish　pursuit　of

notoriety；　Fulmer　so　plunged　in　the　golden　sea　of　his　success；

she　felt　like　a　ghost　making　inaudible　and　imperceptible　appeals

to　the　grosser　senses　of　the　living。



〃If　I　wanted　to　be　alone；〃　she　thought；　〃I'm　alone　enough；　in

all　conscience。〃　　There　was　a　deathly　chill　in　such　security。

She　turned　to　Fulmer。



〃And　Grace？〃



He　beamed　back　without　sign　of　embarrassment。　　〃Oh；　she's　here；

naturallywe're　in　Paris；　kids　and　all。　　In　a　pension；　where　we

can　polish　up　the　lingo。　　But　I　hardly　ever　lay　eyes　on　her；

because　she's　as　deep　in　music　as　I　am　in　paint；　it　was　as　big　a

chance　for　her　as　for　me；　you　see；　and　she's　making　the　most　of

it；　fiddling　and　listening　to　the　fiddlers。　　Well；　it's　a

considerable　change　from　New　Hampshire。〃　　He　looked　at　her

dreamily；　as　if　making　an　intense　effort　to　detach　himself　from

his　dream；　and　situate　her　in　the　fading　past。　　〃Remember　the

bungalow？　　And　Nickah；　how's　Nick？〃　he　brought　out

triumphantly。



〃Oh；　yesdarling　Nick？〃　　Mrs。　Melrose　chimed　in；　and　Susy；　her

head　erect；　her　cheeks　aflame；　declared　with　resonance：　　〃Most

awfully　wellsplendidly！〃



〃He's　not　here；　though？〃　from　Fulmer。



〃No。　　He's　off　travellingcruising。〃



Mrs。　Melrose's　attention　was　faintly　roused。　　〃With　anybody

interesting？〃



〃No；　you　wouldn't　know　them。　　People　we　met　。。。。〃　　She　did　not

have　to　continue；　for　her　hostess's　gaze　had　again　strayed。



〃And　you've　come　for　your　clothes；　I　suppose；　darling？　　Don't

listen　to　people　who　say　that　skirts　are　to　be　wider。　　I've

discovered　a　new　womana　Geniusand　she　absolutely　swathes

you。。。。　Her　name's　my　secret；　but　we'll　go　to　her　together。〃



Susy　rose　from　her　engulphing　armchair。　　〃Do　you　mind　if　I　go　up

to　my　room？　　I'm　rather　tiredcoming　straight　through。〃



〃Of　course；　dear。　I　think　there　are　some　people　coming　to

dinner　。。。　Mrs。　Match　will　tell　you。　　She　has　such　a　memory　。。。。

Fulmer；　where　on　earth　are　those　cartoons　of　the　music…room？〃



Their　voices　pursued　Susy　upstairs；　as；　in　Mrs。　Match's

perpendicular　wake；　she　mounted　to　the　white…panelled　room　with

its　gay　linen　hangings　and　the　low　bed　heaped　with　more

cushions。



〃If　we'd　come　here；〃　she　thought；　〃everything　might　have　been

different。〃　　And　she　shuddered　at　the　sumptuous　memories　of　the

Palazzo　Vanderlyn；　and　the　great　painted　bedroom　where　she　had

met　her　doom。



Mrs。　Match；　hoping　she　would　find　everything；　and　mentioning

that　dinner　was　not　till　nine；　shut　her　so