part 6-第7章

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Archie　again。　　〃You　haven't　been　here。　　You've　only　an…



nounced　yourself；　and　told　me　you　are　coming　to…morrow。



You　haven't　seen　me；　either。　　This　is　not　I。　　But　I'll　be



here　waiting　for　you　to…morrow；　my　whole　works！　　Good…



night；　till　then。〃　　She　patted　him　absently　on　the　sleeve



and　gave　him　a　little　shove　toward　the　door。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V











　　　　　WHEN　Archie　got　back　to　his　hotel　at　two　o'clock　in



the　morning；　he　found　Fred　Ottenburg's　card　under



his　door；　with　a　message　scribbled　across　the　top：　〃When



you　come　in；　please　call　up　room　811；　this　hotel。〃　　A　mo…



ment　later　Fred's　voice　reached　him　over　the　telephone。







　　　　　〃That　you；　Archie？　　Won't　you　come　up？　　I'm　having



some　supper　and　I'd　like　company。　　Late？　　What　does　that



matter？　　I　won't　keep　you　long。〃







　　　　　Archie　dropped　his　overcoat　and　set　out　for　room　811。



He　found　Ottenburg　in　the　act　of　touching　a　match　to　a



chafing…dish；　at　a　table　laid　for　two　in　his　sitting…room。



〃I'm　catering　here；〃　he　announced　cheerfully。　　〃I　let　the



waiter　off　at　midnight；　after　he'd　set　me　up。　　You'll　have



to　account　for　yourself；　Archie。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　laughed；　pointing　to　three　wine…coolers　under



the　table。　　〃Are　you　expecting　guests？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　two。〃　　Ottenburg　held　up　two　fingers；〃you；



and　my　higher　self。　　He's　a　thirsty　boy；　and　I　don't　invite



him　often。　　He　has　been　known　to　give　me　a　headache。



Now；　where　have　you　been；　Archie；　until　this　shocking



hour？〃







　　　　　〃Bah；　you've　been　banting！〃　the　doctor　exclaimed；



pulling　out　his　white　gloves　as　he　searched　for　his　handker…



chief　and　throwing　them　into　a　chair。　　Ottenburg　was　in



evening　clothes　and　very　pointed　dress　shoes。　　His　white



waistcoat；　upon　which　the　doctor　had　fixed　a　challenging



eye；　went　down　straight　from　the　top　button；　and　he　wore



a　camelia。　　He　was　conspicuously　brushed　and　trimmed



and　polished。　　His　smoothly　controlled　excitement　was



wholly　different　from　his　usual　easy　cordiality；　though　he



had　his　face；　as　well　as　his　figure；　well　in　hand。　　On　the















serving…table　there　was　an　empty　champagne　pint　and　a



glass。　　He　had　been　having　a　little　starter；　the　doctor　told



himself；　and　would　probably　be　running　on　high　gear　before



he　got　through。　　There　was　even　now　an　air　of　speed　about



him。







　　　　　〃Been；　Freddy？〃the　doctor　at　last　took　up　his　ques…



tion。　　〃I　expect　I've　been　exactly　where　you　have。　　Why



didn't　you　tell　me　you　were　coming　on？〃







　　　　　〃I　wasn't；　Archie。〃　　Fred　lifted　the　cover　of　the　chafing…



dish　and　stirred　the　contents。　　He　stood　behind　the　table；



holding　the　lid　with　his　handkerchief。　　〃I　had　never　thought



of　such　a　thing。　　But　Landry；　a　young　chap　who　plays　her



accompaniments　and　who　keeps　an　eye　out　for　me；　tele…



graphed　me　that　Madame　Rheinecker　had　gone　to　Atlantic



City　with　a　bad　throat；　and　Thea　might　have　a　chance　to



sing　ELSA。　　She　has　sung　it　only　twice　here　before；　and　I



missed　it　in　Dresden。　　So　I　came　on。　　I　got　in　at　four　this



afternoon　and　saw　you　registered；　but　I　thought　I　would



n't　butt　in。　　How　lucky　you　got　here　just　when　she　was



coming　on　for　this。　　You　couldn't　have　hit　a　better　time。〃



Ottenburg　stirred　the　contents　of　the　dish　faster　and　put



in　more　sherry。　　〃And　where　have　you　been　since　twelve



o'clock；　may　I　ask？〃







　　　　　Archie　looked　rather　self…conscious；　as　he　sat　down　on　a



fragile　gilt　chair　that　rocked　under　him；　and　stretched　out



his　long　legs。　　〃Well；　if　you'll　believe　me；　I　had　the　bru…



tality　to　go　to　see　her。　　I　wanted　to　identify　her。　　Couldn't



wait。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　placed　the　cover　quickly　on　the　chafing…dish



and　took　a　step　backward。　　〃You　did；　old　sport？　　My　word！



None　but　the　brave　deserve　the　fair。　　Well；〃he　stooped



to　turn　the　wine；〃and　how　was　she？〃







　　　　　〃She　seemed　rather　dazed；　and　pretty　well　used　up。　　She



seemed　disappointed　in　herself；　and　said　she　hadn't　done



herself　justice　in　the　balcony　scene。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　if　she　didn't；　she's　not　the　first。　　Beastly　stuff　to















sing　right　in　there；　lies　just　on　the　‘break'　in　the　voice。〃



Fred　pulled　a　bottle　out　of　the　ice　and　drew　the　cork。



Lifting　his　glass　he　looked　meaningly　at　Archie。　　〃You



know　who；　doctor。　　Here　goes！〃　　He　drank　off　his　glass



with　a　sigh　of　satisfaction。　　After　he　had　turned　the　lamp



low　under　the　chafing…dish；　he　remained　standing；　looking



pensively　down　at　the　food　on　the　table。　　〃Well；　she



rather　pulled　it　off！　　As　a　backer；　you're　a　winner；　Archie。



I　congratulate　you。〃　　Fred　poured　himself　another　glass。



〃Now　you　must　eat　something；　and　so　must　I。　　Here；　get



off　that　bird　cage　and　find　a　steady　chair。　　This　stuff　ought



to　be　rather　good；　head　waiter's　suggestion。　　Smells　all



right。〃　　He　bent　over　the　chafing…dish　and　began　to　serve



the　contents。　　〃Perfectly　innocuous：　mushrooms　and　truf…



fles　and　a　little　crab…meat。　　And　now；　on　the　level；　Archie；



how　did　it　hit　you？〃







　　　　　Archie　turned　a　frank　smile　to　his　friend　and　shook　his



head。　　〃It　was　all　miles　beyond　me；　of　course；　but　it　gave



me　a　pulse。　　The　general　excitement　got　hold　of　me；　I　sup…



pose。　　I　like　your　wine；　Freddy。〃　　He　put　down　his　glass。



〃It　goes　to　the　spot　to…night。　　She　WAS　all　right；　then？



You　weren't　disappointed？〃







　　　　　〃Disappointed？　　My　dear　Archie；　that's　the　high　voice



we　dream　of；　so　pure　and　yet　so　virile　and　human。　　That



combination　hardly　ever　happens　with　sopranos。〃　　Otten…



burg　sat　down　and　turned　to　the　doctor；　speaking　calmly



and　trying　to　dispel　his　friend's　manifest　bewilderment。



〃You　see；　Archie；　there's　the　voice　itself；　so　beautiful　and



individual；　and　then　there's　something　else；　the　thing　in　it



which　responds　to　every　shade　of　thought　and　feeling；



spontaneously；　almost　unconsciously。　　That　color　has　to



be　born　in　a　singer；　it　can't　be　acquired；　lots　of　beautiful



voices　haven't　a　vestige　of　it。　　It's　almost　like　another



giftthe　rarest　of　all。　　The　voice　simply　is　the　mind　and



is　the　heart。　　It　can't　go　wrong　in　interpretation；　because　it



has　in　it　the　thing　that　makes　all　interpretation。　　That's















why　you　feel　so　sure　of　her。　　After　you've　listened　to　her



for　an　hour　or　so；　you　aren't　afraid　of　anything。　　All　the



little　dreads　you　have　with　other　artists　vanish。　　You　lean



back　and　you　say　to　yourself；　‘No；　THAT　voice　will　never　be…



tray。'　　TREULICH　GEFUHRT；　TREULICH　BEWACHT。〃







　　　　　Archie　looked　envyingly　at　Fred's　excited；　triumphant



face。　　How　satisfactory　it　must　be；　he　thought；　to　really



know　what　she　was　doing　and　not　to　have　to　take　it　on



hearsay。　　He　took　up　his　glass　with　a　sigh。　　〃I　seem　to



need　a　good　deal　of　cooling　off　to…night。　　I'd　just　as　lief



forget　the　Reform　Party　for　once。







　　　　　〃Yes；　Fred；〃　he　went　on　seriously；　〃I　thought　it



sounded　very　beautiful；　and　I　thought　she　was　very



beautiful；　too。　　I　never　imagined　she　could　be　as　beautiful



as　that。〃







　　　　　〃Wasn't　she？　　Every　attitude　a　picture；　and　always　the



right　kind　of　picture；　full　of　that　legendary；　supernatural



thing　she　gets　into　it。　　I　never　heard　the　prayer　sung　like



that　before。　　That　look　that　came　in　her　eyes；　it　went　right



out　through　the　back　of　the　roof。　　Of　course；　you　get　an



ELSA　who　can　look　through　walls　like　that；　and　visions　and



Grail…knights　happen　naturally。　　She　becomes　an　abbess；



that　girl；　after　LOHENGRIN　leaves　her。　　She's　made　to　live



with　ideas　and　enthusiasms；　not　with　a　husband。〃　　Fred



folded　his　arms；　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　began　to



sing　softly：











　　　　　　　　　　











　　　　　〃Doesn't　she　die；　then；　at　the　end？〃　the　doctor　asked



guardedly。







　　　　　Fred　smiled；　reaching　under　the　table。　　〃Some　ELSAS　do；



she　didn't。　　She　left　me　with　the　distinct　impression　that



she　was　just　beginning。　　Now；　doctor；　here's　a　cold　one。〃



He　twirled　a　napkin　smoothly　about　the　green　glass；　the



cork　gave　and　slipped　out　with　a　soft　explosion。　　〃And　now



we　must　have　another　toast。　　It's　up　to　you；　this　time。〃



















　　　　　The　doctor　watched　the　agitation　in　his　glass。　　〃The



same；〃　he　said　without　lifting　his　eyes。　　〃That's　good



enough。　　I　can't　raise　you。〃







　　　　　Fred　leaned　forward；　and　looked　sharply　into　his　face。



〃That's　the　point；　how　COULD　you　raise　me？　　Once　again！〃







　　　　　〃Once　again；　and　always　the　same！〃　　The　doctor　put



down　his　glass。　　〃This　doesn't　seem　to　produce　any　symp…



toms　in　me　to…night。〃　　He　lit　a　cigar。　　〃Seriously；　Freddy；



I　wish　I　knew　more　about　what　she's　driving　at。　　It　makes



me　jealous；　when　you　are　so　in　it　and　I'm　not。〃







　　　　　〃In　it？〃　　Fred　started　up。　　〃My　God；　haven't　you　seen



her　this　blessed　night？when　she'd　have　kicked　any



other　man　down　the　elevator　shaft；　if　I　know　her。　　Leave



me　something；　at　least　what　I　can　pay　my　five　bucks　for。〃







　　　　　〃Seems　to　me　you　get　a　good　deal　for　your　five　bucks；〃



said　Archie　ruefully。　　〃And　that；　after　all；　is　what　she　cares



about；what　people　get。〃







　　　　　Fred　lit　a　cigarette；　took　a　puff　or　two；　and　then　threw　it



away。　　He　was　lounging　back　in　his　chair；　and　his　face　was



pale　and　drawn　hard　by　that　mood　of　intense　concentration



which　lurks　under　the　sunny　shallows　of　the　vineyard。　　In



his　voice　there　was　a　longer　perspective　than　usual；　a　slight



remoteness。　　〃You　see；　Archie；　it's　all　very　simple；　a　natu…



ral　development。　　It's　exactly　what　Mahler　said　back　there



in　the　beginning；　when　she　sang　WOGLINDE。　　It's　the　idea；



the　basic　idea；　pulsing　behind　every　bar　she　sings。　　She



simplifies　a　character　down　to　the　musical　idea　it's　built　on；



and　makes　everything　conform　to　that。　　The　people　who



chatter　about　her　being　a　great　actress　don't　seem　to　get



the　notion　of　where　SHE　gets　the　notion。　　It　all　goes　back　to



her　original　endowment；　her　tremendous　musical　talent。



Instead　of　inventing　a　lot　of　business　and　expedients　to



suggest　character；　she　knows　the　thing　at　the　root；　and　lets



the　musical　pattern　take　care