the fortune hunter(闯世界的人)-第8章
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shockingly betrayed him。 Ganser had begun as a teamster for a brewery
and had grown rapidly rich late in life。 He happened to be elected
president of a big Verein and so had got the notion that he was a person of
importance and attainments beyond his fellows。 Too coarse and narrow
and ignorant to appreciate the elevated ideals of democracy； he reverted to
the European vulgarities of rank and show。 He decided that he owed it to
himself and his family to live in the estate of ‘‘high folks。'' He bought a
house in what was for him an ultra…fashionable quarter； and called for bids
to furnish it in the latest style。 The results were even more regardless of
taste than of expensecarpets that fought with curtains； pictures that
quarreled with their frames and with the walls； upholstery so bellicose that
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it seemed perilous to sit upon。
But Feuerstein was as impressed as the Gansers had been the first time
they beheld the gorgeousness of their palace。 He looked about with a
proprietary sense ‘‘I'll marry this little idiot；'' he said to himself。
‘‘Maybe my nest won't be downy； and maybe I won't lie at my ease in it！''
He met Mrs。 Ganser and had the opportunity to see just what Lena
would look and be twenty years thence。 Mrs。 Ganser moved with great
reluctance and difficulty。 She did not speak unless forced and then her
voice seemed to have felt its way up feebly through a long and painfully
narrow passage； emerging thin； low and fainting。 When she sator；
rather； AS she sat； for she was always sittingher mountain of soft flesh
seemed to be slowly collapsing upon and around the chair like a lump of
dough on a mold。 Her only interest in life was disclosed when she was
settled and settling at the luncheon table。 She used her knife more than
her fork and her fingers more than either。 Feuerstein left soon after
luncheon； lingering only long enough to give Lena a theatrical embrace。
‘‘Well； I'll not spend much time with those women； once I'm married；'' he
reflected as he went down the steps； and he thought of Hilda and sighed。
The next day but one he met Lena in the edge of the park and； after
gloomy silence； shot with strange piercing looks that made her feel as if
she were the heroine of a book； he burst forth with a demand for
immediate marriage。
‘‘Forty…eight hours of torment！'' he cried。 ‘‘I shall not leave you
again until you are securely mine。''
He proceeded to drop vague； adroit hints of the perils that beset a
fascinating actor's life； of the women that had come and gone in his life。
And Lena； all a…tremble with jealous anxiety； was in the parlor of a
Lutheran parsonage； with the minister reading out of the black book；
before she was quite aware that she and her cyclonic adorer were not still
promenading near the green…house in the park。 ‘‘Now；'' said Feuerstein
briskly； as they were once more in the open air； ‘‘we'll go to your father。''
‘‘Goodness gracious； no；'' protested Lena。 ‘‘You don't know him
he'll be crazy just crazy！ We must wait till he finds out about youthen
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he'll be very proud。 He wanted a son…in…law of high social standinga
gentleman。''
‘‘We will go home； I tell you；'' replied Feuerstein firmlyhis tone was
now the tone of the master。 All the sentiment was out of it and all the
hardness in it。
Lena felt the change without understanding it。 ‘‘I bet you； pa'll make
you wish you'd taken my advice；'' she said sullenly。
But Feuerstein led her home。 They went up stairs where Mrs。 Ganser
was seated； looking stupidly at a new bonnet as she turned it slowly round
on one of her cushion…like hands。 Feuerstein went to her and kissed her
on the hang of her cheek。 ‘‘Mother！'' he said in a deep； moving voice。
Mrs。 Ganser blinked and looked helplessly at Lena。
‘‘I'm married； ma；'' explained Lena。
‘‘It's Mr。 Feuerstein。'' And she gave her silly laugh。
Mrs。 Ganser grew slowly pale。 ‘‘Your father；'' she at last succeeded
in articulating。 ‘‘Ach！'' She lifted her arm； thick as a piano leg； and
resumed the study of her new bonnet。
‘‘Won't you welcome me； mother？'' asked Feuerstein； his tone and
attitude dignified appeal。
Mrs。 Ganser shook her huge head vaguely。 ‘‘See Peter；'' was all she
said。
They went down stairs and waited； Lena silent； Feuerstein pacing the
room and rehearsing； now aloud； now to himself； the scene he would enact
with his father…in…law。 Peter was in a frightful humor that evening。 His
only boy； who spent his mornings in sleep； his afternoons in speeding
horses and his evenings in carousal； had come down upon him for ten
thousand dollars to settle a gambling debt。 Peter was willing that his son
should be a gentleman and should conduct himself like one。 But he had
worked too hard for his money not to wince as a plain man at what he
endured and even courted as a seeker after position for the house of
Ganser。 He had hoped to be free to vent his ill…humor at home。 He was
therefore irritated by the discovery that an outsider was there to check him。
As he came in he gave Feuerstein a look which said plainly：
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‘‘And who are you； and how long are you going to intrude yourself？''
But Feuerstein； absorbed in the role he had so carefully thought out；
did not note his unconscious father…in…law's face。 He extended both his
hands and advanced grandly upon fat； round Peter。 ‘‘My father！'' he
exclaimed in his classic German。 ‘‘Forgive my unseemly haste in
plucking without your permission the beautiful flower I found within
reach。''
Peter stepped back and gave a hoarse grunt of astonishment。 His red
face became redder as he glared； first at Feuerstein； then at Lena。 ‘‘What
lunatic is this you've got here； daughter？'' he demanded。
‘‘My father！'' repeated Feuerstein； drawing Lena to him。
Ganser's mouth opened and shut slowly several times and his
whiskers bristled。 ‘‘Is this fellow telling the truth？'' he asked Lena in a
tone that made her shiver and shrink away from her husband。
She began to cry。 ‘‘He made me do it； pa；'' she whined。 ‘‘II''
‘‘Go to your mother；'' shouted Ganser； pointing his pudgy finger
tremulously toward the door。 ‘‘Move！''
Lena； drying her eyes with her sleeve； fled。 Feuerstein became a
sickly white。 When she had disappeared； Ganser looked at him with
cruel little eyes that sparkled。 Feuerstein quailed。 It was full half a
minute before Ganser spoke。 Then he went up to Feuerstein； stood on
tiptoe and； waving his arms frantically above his head； yelled into his face
‘‘Rindsvieh！'' as contemptuous an insult as one German can fling at
another。
‘‘She is my lawful wife；'' said Feuerstein with an attempt at his pose。
‘‘Get the house ausquick！aus！ gleich！Lump！I call the police！''
‘‘I demand my wife！'' exclaimed Feuerstein。
Ganser ran to the front door and opened it。 ‘‘Out！'' he shrieked。 ‘‘If
you don't； I have you taken in when the police come the block down。
This is my house！ Rindsvieh！''
Feuerstein caught up his soft hat from the hall table and hurried out。
As he passed； Ganser tried to kick him but failed ludicrously because his
short； thick leg would not reach。 At the bottom of the steps Feuerstein
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turned and waved his fists wildly。 Ganser waved his fists at Feuerstein
and； shaking his head so violently that his hanging cheeks flapped back
and forth； bellowed：
‘‘Rindsvieh！ Dreck！''
Then he rushed in and slammed the door。
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CHAPTER V
A SENSITIVE SOUL SEEKS SALVE
As Mr。 Feuerstein left Hilda on the previous Sunday night he promised
to meet her in Tompkins Square the next eveningat the band concert。
She walked up and down with Sophie； her spirits gradually sinking after
half…past eight and a feeling of impending misfortune settling in close。
She was not conscious of the music； though the second part of the program
contained the selections from Wagner which she loved best。 She
feverishly searched the crowd and the half…darkness beyond。 She
imagined that every approaching tall man was her lover。 With the
frankness to which she had been bred she made no concealment of her
heart…sick anxiety。
‘‘He may have to be at the theater；'' said Sophie； herself extremely
uneasy。 Partly through shrewdness； partly through her natural suspicion of
strangers； she felt that Mr。 Feuerstein； upon whom she was building； was
not a rock。
‘‘No；'' replied Hilda。 ‘‘He told me he wouldn't be at the theater； but
would surely come here。'' The fact that her lover had said so settled it to
her mind。
They did not leave the Square until ten o'clock； when it was almost
deserted and most of its throngs of an hour before were in bed sleeping
soundly in the content that comes from a life of labor。
