the fortune hunter(闯世界的人)-第12章
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She shook her head slowly。 ‘‘Your voice don't feel like it；'' she said。
‘‘What is it？ What are you going to say？''
He sighed and looked away from her with an irritated expression。
‘‘Little stupid！'' he mutteredshe didn't appreciate him and he was a fool
to expect it。 But ‘‘art for art's sake''； and he went on in tones of gentle
melancholy。 ‘‘I love you； but fate has again caught me up。 I am being
whirled away。 I stretch out my arms to youin vain。 Do you
understand？'' It exasperated him for her to be so stillwhy didn't she
weep？
She shook her head and replied quietly：
‘‘Nowhat is it？ Don't you love me any more？''
‘‘Love has nothing to do with it；'' he said； as gently as he could in the
irritating circumstances。 ‘‘My mysterious destiny has''
‘‘You said that before；'' she interrupted。 ‘‘What is it？ Can't you tell
me so that I can understand？''
‘‘You never loved me！'' he cried bitterly。
‘‘You know that isn't so；'' she answered。 ‘‘Won't you tell me； Carl？''
‘‘A specter has risen from my pastI must leave youI may never
return''
She gave a low； wailing cryit seemed like an echo of the music。
Then she began to sobnot loudly； but in a subdued； despairing way。 She
was not conscious of her grief； but only of his wordsof the dream
vanished； the hopes shattered。
‘‘Never？'' she said brokenly。
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‘‘Never！'' he replied in a hoarse whisper。
Mr。 Feuerstein looked down at Hilda's quivering shoulders with
satisfaction。 ‘‘I thought I could make even her feel；'' he said to himself
complacently。 Then to her in the hoarse undertone： ‘‘And my heart is
breaking。''
She straightened and her tears seemed to dry with the flash of her eyes。
‘‘Don't say thatyou mustn't！'' She blazed out before his astonished eyes；
a woman electric with disdain and anger。 ‘‘It's false false！ I hate you…
…hate youyou never caredyou've made a fool of me''
‘‘Hilda！'' He felt at home now and his voice became pleading and
anguished。 ‘‘You； too； desert me！ Ah； God； whenever was there man
so wretched as I？'' He buried his face in his hands。
‘‘Oh； you put it on well；'' she scoffed。 ‘‘But I know what it all
means。''
Mr。 Feuerstein rose wearily。 ‘‘Farewell；'' he said in a broken voice。
‘‘At least I am glad you will be spared the suffering that is blasting my life。
Thank God； she did not love me！''
The physical fact of his rising to go struck her courage full in the face。
‘‘Nono；'' she urged hurriedly； ‘‘not yet not just yetwait a few
minutes more''
‘‘NoI must gofarewell！'' And he seated himself beside her； put his
arm around her。
She lay still in his arms for a moment； then murmured： ‘‘Say it isn't
so； Carldear！''
‘‘I would say there is hope； heart's darling；'' he whispered； ‘‘but I have
no right to blast your young life。 And I may never return。''
She started up； her face glowing。
‘‘Then you WILL return？''
‘‘It may be that I can；'' he answered。 ‘‘But''
‘‘Then I'll waitgladly。 No matter how long it is； I'll wait。 Why
didn't you say at first； ‘Hilda； something I can't tell you about has
happened。 I must go away。 When I can； I'll come。' That would have
been enough； because II love you！''
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‘‘What have I done to deserve such love as this！'' he exclaimed； and
for an instant he almost forgot himself in her beauty and sweetness and
sincerity。
‘‘Will it be long？'' she asked after a while。
‘‘I hope not； bride of my soul。 But I can notdare not say。''
‘‘Wherever you go； and no matter what happens； dear；'' she said softly；
‘‘you'll always know that I'm loving you； won't you？'' And she looked at
him with great； luminous； honest eyes。
He began to be uncomfortable。 Her complete trust was producing
an effect even upon his nature。 The good that evil can never kill out of a
man was rousing what was very like a sense of shame。 ‘‘I must go now；''
he said with real gentleness in his voice and a look at her that had real
longing in it。 He went on： ‘‘I shall come as soon as the shadow passes…
…I shall come soon； Herzallerliebste！''
She was cheerful to the last。 But after he had left she sat motionless；
except for an occasional shiver。 From the music… stand came a
Waldteufel waltz； with its ecstatic throb and its long； dreamy swing； its
mingling of joy with foreboding of sadness。 The tears streamed down
her cheeks。 ‘‘He's gone；'' she said miserably。 She rose and went
through the crowd； stumbling against people； making the homeward
journey by instinct alone。 She seemed to be walking in her sleep。 She
entered the shopit was crowded with customers； and her father； her
mother and August were bustling about behind the counters。 ‘‘Here； tie
this up；'' said her father； thrusting into her hands a sheet of wrapping paper
on which were piled a chicken； some sausages； a bottle of olives and a can
of cherries。 She laid the paper on the counter and went on through the
parlor and up the stairs to her plain； neat； little bedroom。 She threw
herself on the bed； face downward。 She fell at once into a deep sleep。
When she awoke it was beginning to dawn。 She remembered and began
to moan。 ‘‘He's gone！ He's gone！ He's gone！'' she repeated over and
over again。 And she lay there； sobbing and calling to him。
When she faced the family there were black circles around her eyes。
They were the eyes of a woman grown； and they looked out upon the
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world with sorrow in them for the first time。
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CHAPTER VII
LOVE IN SEVERAL ASPECTS
It was not long before the community was talking of the change in
Hilda； the abrupt change to a gentle； serious； silent woman； the sparkle
gone from her eyes； pathos there in its stead。 But not even her own
family knew her secret。
‘‘When is Mr。 Feuerstein coming again？'' asked her father when a
week had passed。
‘‘I don't know just when。 Soon；'' answered Hilda； in a tone which
made it impossible for such a man as he to inquire further。
Sophie brought all her cunning to bear in her effort to get at the facts。
But Hilda evaded her hints and avoided her traps。 After much thinking
she decided that Mr。 Feuerstein had probably gone for good； that Hilda
was hoping when there was nothing to hope for； and that her own affairs
were suffering from the cessation of action。 She was in the mood to
entertain the basest suggestions her craft could put forward for making
marriage between Hilda and Otto impossible。 But she had not yet
reached the stage at which overt acts are deliberately planned upon the
surface of the mind。
One of her girl friends ran in to gossip with her late in the afternoon of
the eighth day after Mr。 Feuerstein's ‘‘parting scene'' in Tompkins Square。
The talk soon drifted to Hilda； whom the other girl did not like。
‘‘I wonder what's become of that lover of hersthat tall fellow from up
town？'' asked Miss Hunneker。
‘‘I don't know；'' replied Sophie in a strained； nervous manner。 ‘‘I
always hated to see Hilda go with him。 No good ever comes of that
sort of thing。''
‘‘I supposed she was going to marry him。''
Sophie became very uneasy indeed。 ‘‘It don't often turn out that
way；'' she said in a voice that was evidently concealing something
apparently an ugly rent in the character of her friend。
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Walpurga Hunneker opened her eyes wide。 ‘‘You don't mean'' she
exclaimed。 And； as Sophie looked still more confused；
‘‘Well； I THOUGHT so！ Gracious！ Her pride must have had a fall。
No wonder she looks so disturbed。''
‘‘Poor Hilda！'' said Sophie mournfully。 Then she looked at Walpurga
in a frightened way as if she had been betrayed into saying too much。
Walpurga spent a busy evening among her confidantes； with the result
that the next day the neighborhood was agitated by gossipinsinuations
that grew bolder and bolder； that had sprung from nowhere； but pointed to
Hilda's sad face as proof of their truth。 And on the third day they had
reached Otto's mother。 Not a detail was lackingeven the scene between
Hilda and her father was one of the several startling climaxes of the tale。
Mrs。 Heilig had been bitterly resentful of Hilda's treatment of her son； and
she accepted the storyit was in such perfect harmony with her
expectations from the moment she heard of Mr。 Feuerstein。 In the
evening； when he came home from the shop； she told him。
‘‘There isn't a word of truth in it； mother；'' he said。 ‘‘I don't care who
told you； it's a lie。''
‘‘Your love makes you blind；'' answered the mother。 ‘‘But I can see
that her vanity has led her just where vanity always leads to destruction。''
‘‘Who told you？'' he
