part 6-第3章

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more　about　such　things。　　I'm　afraid　it　will　be　rather　wasted



on　me。　　I'm　no　judge　of　music。〃







　　　　　〃Never　mind　that。〃　　The　younger　man　pulled　himself



up　in　his　chair。　　〃She　gets　it　across　to　people　who　aren't



judges。　　That's　just　what　she　does。〃　　He　relapsed　into　his



former　lassitude。　　〃If　you　were　stone　deaf；　it　wouldn't　all



be　wasted。　　It's　a　great　deal　to　watch　her。　　Incidentally；



you　know；　she　is　very　beautiful。　　Photographs　give　you　no



idea。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　clasped　his　large　hands　under　his　chin。　　〃Oh；



I'm　counting　on　that。　　I　don't　suppose　her　voice　will　sound



natural　to　me。　　Probably　I　wouldn't　know　it。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　smiled。　　〃You'll　know　it；　if　you　ever　knew　it。



It's　the　same　voice；　only　more　so。　　You'll　know　it。〃



















　　　　　〃Did　you；　in　Germany　that　time；　when　you　wrote　me？



Seven　years　ago；　now。　　That　must　have　been　at　the　very



beginning。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　somewhere　near　the　beginning。　　She　sang　one　of



the　Rhine　daughters。〃　　Fred　paused　and　drew　himself　up



again。　　〃Sure；　I　knew　it　from　the　first　note。　　I'd　heard　a



good　many　young　voices　come　up　out　of　the　Rhine；　but；



by　gracious；　I　hadn't　heard　one　like　that！〃　　He　fumbled



for　another　cigarette。　　〃Mahler　was　conducting　that　night。



I　met　him　as　he　was　leaving　the　house　and　had　a　word　with



him。　　‘Interesting　voice　you　tried　out　this　evening；'　I



said。　　He　stopped　and　smiled。　　‘Miss　Kronborg；　you　mean？



Yes；　very。　　She　seems　to　sing　for　the　idea。　　Unusual　in　a



young　singer。'　　I'd　never　heard　him　admit　before　that　a



singer　could　have　an　idea。　　She　not　only　had　it；　but　she　got



it　across。　　The　Rhine　music；　that　I'd　known　since　I　was　a



boy；　was　fresh　to　me；　vocalized　for　the　first　time。　　You



realized　that　she　was　beginning　that　long　story；　adequately；



with　the　end　in　view。　　Every　phrase　she　sang　was　basic。



She　simply　WAS　the　idea　of　the　Rhine　music。〃　　Ottenburg



rose　and　stood　with　his　back　to　the　fire。　　〃And　at　the　end；



where　you　don't　see　the　maidens　at　all；　the　same　thing



again：　two　pretty　voices　AND　the　Rhine　voice。〃　　Fred



snapped　his　fingers　and　dropped　his　hand。







　　　　　The　doctor　looked　up　at　him　enviously。　　〃You　see；　all



that　would　be　lost　on　me；〃　he　said　modestly。　　〃I　don't



know　the　dream　nor　the　interpretation　thereof。　　I'm　out　of



it。　　It's　too　bad　that　so　few　of　her　old　friends　can　appreciate



her。〃







　　　　　〃Take　a　try　at　it；〃　Fred　encouraged　him。　　〃You'll　get



in　deeper　than　you　can　explain　to　yourself。　　People　with　no



personal　interest　do　that。〃







　　　　　〃I　suppose；〃　said　Archie　diffidently；　〃that　college　Ger…



man；　gone　to　seed；　wouldn't　help　me　out　much。　　I　used　to



be　able　to　make　my　German　patients　understand　me。〃







　　　　　〃Sure　it　would！〃　cried　Ottenburg　heartily。　　〃Don't　be















above　knowing　your　libretto。　　That's　all　very　well　for



musicians；　but　common　mortals　like　you　and　me　have　got



to　know　what　she's　singing　about。　　Get　out　your　dictionary



and　go　at　it　as　you　would　at　any　other　proposition。　　Her



diction　is　beautiful；　and　if　you　know　the　text　you'll　get　a



great　deal。　　So　long　as　you're　going　to　hear　her；　get　all



that's　coming　to　you。　　You　bet　in　Germany　people　know



their　librettos　by　heart！　　You　Americans　are　so　afraid　of



stooping　to　learn　anything。〃







　　　　　〃I　AM　a　little　ashamed；〃　Archie　admitted。　　〃I　guess



that's　the　way　we　mask　our　general　ignorance。　　However；



I'll　stoop　this　time；　I'm　more　ashamed　not　to　be　able　to



follow　her。　　The　papers　always　say　she's　such　a　fine　ac…



tress。〃　　He　took　up　the　tongs　and　began　to　rearrange　the



logs　that　had　burned　through　and　fallen　apart。　　〃I　suppose



she　has　changed　a　great　deal？〃　he　asked　absently。







　　　　　〃We've　all　changed；　my　dear　Archie；she　more　than



most　of　us。　　Yes；　and　no。　　She's　all　there；　only　there's　a



great　deal　more　of　her。　　I've　had　only　a　few　words　with　her



in　several　years。　　It's　better　not；　when　I'm　tied　up　this



way。　　The　laws　are　barbarous；　Archie。〃







　　　　　〃Your　wife　isstill　the　same？〃　the　doctor　asked



sympathetically。







　　　　　〃Absolutely。　　Hasn't　been　out　of　a　sanitarium　for　seven



years　now。　　No　prospect　of　her　ever　being　out；　and　as　long



as　she's　there　I'm　tied　hand　and　foot。　　What　does　society



get　out　of　such　a　state　of　things；　I'd　like　to　know；　except



a　tangle　of　irregularities？　　If　you　want　to　reform；　there's



an　opening　for　you！〃







　　　　　〃It's　bad；　oh；　very　bad；　I　agree　with　you！〃　　Dr。　Archie



shook　his　head。　　〃But　there　would　be　complications　under



another　system；　too。　　The　whole　question　of　a　young　man's



marrying　has　looked　pretty　grave　to　me　for　a　long　while。



How　have　they　the　courage　to　keep　on　doing　it？　　It　de…



presses　me　now　to　buy　wedding　presents。〃　　For　some　time



the　doctor　watched　his　guest；　who　was　sunk　in　bitter　reflec…















tions。　　〃Such　things　used　to　go　better　than　they　do　now；



I　believe。　　Seems　to　me　all　the　married　people　I　knew　when



I　was　a　boy　were　happy　enough。〃　　He　paused　again　and　bit



the　end　off　a　fresh　cigar。　　〃You　never　saw　Thea's　mother；



did　you；　Ottenburg？　　That's　a　pity。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　a



fine　woman。　　I've　always　been　afraid　Thea　made　a　mistake；



not　coming　home　when　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　ill；　no　matter



what　it　cost　her。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　moved　about　restlessly。　　〃She　couldn't；



Archie；　she　positively　couldn't。　　I　felt　you　never　under…



stood　that；　but　I　was　in　Dresden　at　the　time；　and　though



I　wasn't　seeing　much　of　her；　I　could　size　up　the　situation



for　myself。　　It　was　by　just　a　lucky　chance　that　she　got　to



sing　ELIZABETH　that　time　at　the　Dresden　Opera；　a　complica…



tion　of　circumstances。　　If　she'd　run　away；　for　any　reason；



she　might　have　waited　years　for　such　a　chance　to　come



again。　　She　gave　a　wonderful　performance　and　made　a



great　impression。　　They　offered　her　certain　terms；　she　had



to　take　them　and　follow　it　up　then　and　there。　　In　that　game



you　can't　lose　a　single　trick。　　She　was　ill　herself；　but　she



sang。　　Her　mother　was　ill；　and　she　sang。　　No；　you　mustn't



hold　that　against　her；　Archie。　　She　did　the　right　thing



there。〃　　Ottenburg　drew　out　his　watch。　　〃Hello！　　I　must　be



traveling。　　You　hear　from　her　regularly？〃







　　　　　〃More　or　less　regularly。　　She　was　never　much　of　a　letter…



writer。　　She　tells　me　about　her　engagements　and　contracts；



but　I　know　so　little　about　that　business　that　it　doesn't



mean　much　to　me　beyond　the　figures；　which　seem　very



impressive。　　We've　had　a　good　deal　of　business　correspond…



ence；　about　putting　up　a　stone　to　her　father　and　mother；



and；　lately；　about　her　youngest　brother；　Thor。　　He　is　with



me　now；　he　drives　my　car。　　To…day　he's　up　at　the　mine。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg；　who　had　picked　up　his　overcoat；　dropped　it。



〃Drives　your　car？〃　he　asked　incredulously。







　　　　　〃Yes。　　Thea　and　I　have　had　a　good　deal　of　bother　about



Thor。　　We　tried　a　business　college；　and　an　engineering















school；　but　it　was　no　good。　　Thor　was　born　a　chauffeur



before　there　were　cars　to　drive。　　He　was　never　good　for　any…



thing　else；　lay　around　home　and　collected　postage　stamps



and　took　bicycles　to　pieces；　waiting　for　the　automobile　to



be　invented。　　He's　just　as　much　a　part　of　a　car　as　the　steer…



ing…gear。　　I　can't　find　out　whether　he　likes　his　job　with　me　or



not；　or　whether　he　feels　any　curiosity　about　his　sister。　　You



can't　find　anything　out　from　a　Kronborg　nowadays。　　The



mother　was　different。〃







　　　　　Fred　plunged　into　his　coat。　　〃Well；　it's　a　queer　world；



Archie。　　But　you'll　think　better　of　it；　if　you　go　to　New



York。　　Wish　I　were　going　with　you。　　I'll　drop　in　on　you



in　the　morning　at　about　eleven。　　I　want　a　word　with　you



about　this　Interstate　Commerce　Bill。　　Good…night。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　saw　his　guest　to　the　motor　which　was　waiting



below；　and　then　went　back　to　his　library；　where　he　replen…



ished　the　fire　and　sat　down　for　a　long　smoke。　　A　man　of



Archie's　modest　and　rather　credulous　nature　develops　late；



and　makes　his　largest　gain　between　forty　and　fifty。　　At



thirty；　indeed；　as　we　have　seen；　Archie　was　a　soft…hearted



boy　under　a　manly　exterior；　still　whistling　to　keep　up　his



courage。　　Prosperity　and　large　responsibilitiesabove　all；



getting　free　of　poor　Mrs。　Archiehad　brought　out　a　good



deal　more　than　he　knew　was　in　him。　　He　was　thinking　to…



night　as　he　sat　before　the　fire；　in　the　comfort　he　liked　so



well；　that　but　for　lucky　chances；　and　lucky　holes　in　the



ground；　he　would　still　be　a　country　practitioner；　reading



his　old　books　by　his　office　lamp。　　And　yet；　he　was　not　so



fresh　and　energetic　as　he　ought　to　be。　　He　was　tired　of



business　and　of　politics。　　Worse　than　that；　he　was　tired　of



the　men　with　whom　he　had　to　do　and　of　the　women　who；



as　he　said；　had　been　kind　to　him。　　He　felt　as　if　he　were　still



hunting　for　something；　like　old　Jasper　Flight。　　He　knew



that　this　was　an　unbecoming　and　ungrateful　state　of　mind；



and　he　reproached　himself　for　it。　　But　he　could　not　help



wondering　why　it　was　that　life；　even　when　it　gave　so　much；















after　all　gave　so　little。　　What　was　it　that　he　had　expected



and　missed？　　Why　was　he；　more　than　he　was　anything　else；



disappointed？







　　　　　He　fell　to　looking　back　over　his　life　and　asking　himself



which　years　of　it　he　would　like　to　live　over　again；just



as　they　had　been；and　they　were　not　many。　　His　college



years　he　would　live　again；　gladly。　　After　them　there　was



nothing　he　would　care　to　repeat　until　he　came　to　Thea



Kronborg。　　There　had　been　something　stirring　about　those



years　in　Moonstone；　when　he　was　a　restless　young　man　on



the　verge　of　breaking　into　larger　enterprises；　and　when　she



was　a　restless　child　on　the　verge　of　growing　up　into　some…



thing　unknown。　　He　realized　now　that　she　had　counted　for



a　great　deal　more　to　him　than　he　knew　at　the　time。　　It　was



a　continuous　sort　of　relationship。　　He　was　always　on　the



lookout　for　her　as　he　went　about　the　town；　always　vaguely



expecting　her　as　he　sat　in　his　office　at　night。　　He　had　never



asked　himself　then　if　it　was　strange　that　he　should　find　a



child　of　twelve　the　most　interesting　and　companionable



person　in　Moonstone。　　It　had　seemed　a　pleasant；　natural



kind　of　solicitude。