the dust-第27节

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d　thick　the　seeds　of　desire　for　more　luxurious　comfort；　of　need　for　it；　that　could　never　be　uprooted。

Norman　came　over　almost　every　evening。　　He　got　a　new　and　youthful　and　youth…restoring　kind　of　pleasure　out　of　this　process　of　expansion。　　He　liked　to　hear　each　trifling　detail；　and　he　was　always　making　suggestions　that　bore　immediate　fruit　in　further　expenditure。　When　he　again　brought　up　the　subject　of　a　larger　house；　she　listened　with　only　the　faintest　protests。　　Her　ideas　of　such　a　short　time　before　seemed　small；　laughably　small　now。　　〃Father　was　worrying　only　this　morning　because　he　is　so　cramped；〃　she　admitted。

〃We　must　remedy　that　at　once；〃　said　Norman。

And　on　the　following　Sunday　he　and　she　went　house　hunting。　　They　found　a　satisfactory　placepeculiarly　satisfactory　to　Norman　because　it　was　near　the　Hudson　tunnel；　and　so　only　a　few　minutes　from　his　office。　　To　Dorothy　it　loomed　a　mansion；　almost　a　palace。　　In　fact　it　was　a　modestly　roomy　old…fashioned　brick　house；　with　a　brick　stable　at　the　side　that；　with　a　little　changing；　would　make　an　admirable　laboratory。

〃You　haven't　the　timeor　the　experienceto　fit　this　place　up；〃　said　Norman。　　〃I'll　attend　to　itthat　is；　I'll　have　it　attended　to。〃　　Seeing　her　uneasy　expression；　he　added：　　〃I　can　get　much　better　terms。　　They'd　certainly　overcharge　you。　　There's　no　sense　in　wasting　moneyis　there？〃

〃No；〃　she　admitted；　convinced。

He　gave　the　order　to　a　firm　of　decorators。　　It　was　a　moderate　order；　considering　the　amount　of　work　that　had　to　be　done。　　But　if　the　girl　had　seen　the　estimates　Norman　indorsed；　she　would　have　been　terrified。　　However；　he　saw　to　it　that　she　did　not　see　them；　and　she；　ignorant　of　values；　believed　him　when　he　told　her　the　general　account　of　the　corporation　must　be　charged　with　two　thousand　dollars。

Her　alarm　took　him　by　surprise。　　The　sum　seemed　small　to　himand　it　was　only　about　one　fifth　what　the　alterations　and　improvements　had　cost。　　Cried　she；　〃Why；　that's　more　than　our　whole　income　for　a　year　has　been！〃

〃You　are　forgetting　these　improvements　add　to　the　value　of　the　property。　　I've　bought　it。〃

That　quieted　her。　　〃You　are　sure　you　didn't　pay　those　decorators　and　furnishers　too　much？〃　said　she。

〃You　don't　like　their　work？〃　inquired　he；　chagrined。

〃Oh；　yesyes；　indeed；〃　she　assured　him。　　〃I　like　plain；　solid…looking　things。　　Buttwo　thousand　dollars　is　a　lot　of　money。〃

Norman　regretted　that；　as　his　whole　object　had　been　to　please　her；　he　had　not　ordered　the　more　showy　cheaper　stuff　but　had　insisted　upon　the　simplest；　plainest…　looking　appointments　throughout。　　Even　her　bedroom　furniture；　even　her　dressing　table　set；　was　of　the　kind　that　suggests　cost　only　to　the　experienced；　carefully　and　well　educated　in　values　and　in　taste。

〃But　I'm　sure　it　isn't　fair　to　charge　ALL　these　things　to　the　company；〃　she　protested。　　〃I　can't　allow　it。　　Not　the　things　for　my　personal　use。〃

〃You　ARE　a　fierce　watchdog　of　a　treasurer；〃　said　Norman；　laughing　at　her　but　noting　and　respecting　the　fine　instinct　of　good　breeding　shown　in　her　absence　of　greediness；　of　desire　to　get　all　she　could。　　〃But　I'm　letting　the　firm　of　decorators　take　over　what　you　leave　　behind　in　the　old　house。　　I'll　see　what　they'll　allow　for　it。　　Maybe　that　will　cover　the　expense　you　object　to。〃

This　contented　her。　　Nor　was　she　in　the　least　suspicious　when　he　announced　that　the　decorators　had　made　such　a　liberal　allowance　that　the　deficit　was　but　three　hundred　dollars。　　〃Those　chaps；〃　he　explained；　〃have　a　wide　margin　of　profit。　　Besides；　they're　eager　to　get　more　and　bigger　work　from　me。〃

A　few　weeks；　and　he　was　enjoying　the　sight　of　her　ensconced　with　her　father　in　luxurious　comfortwith　two　servants；　with　a　well…run　house；　with　pleasant　gardens；　with　all　that　is　at　the　command　of　an　income　of　six　thousand　a　year　in　a　comparatively　inexpensive　city。　Only　occasionallyand　then　not　deeplywas　he　troubled　by　the　reflection　that　he　was　still　far　from　his　goal　and　had　made　apparently　absurdly　little　progress　toward　it　through　all　this　maneuvering。　　The　truth　was；　he　preferred　to　linger　when　lingering　gave　him　so　many　new　kinds　of　pleasure。　　Of　those　in　the　large　and　motley　company　that　sit　down　to　the　banquet　of　the　senses；　the　most　are　crude；　if　not　coarse；　gluttons。　　They　eat　fast　and　furiously；　having　a　raw　appetite。　　Now　and　then　there　is　one　who　has　some　idea　of　the　art　of　enjoymentthe　art　of　prolonging　and　varying　both　the　joys　of　anticipation　and　the　joys　of　realization。

He　turned　his　attention　to　tempting　her　to　extravagance　in　dress。　　Rut　his　success　there　was　not　all　he　could　have　wished。　　She　wore　better　clothesmuch　better。　　She　no　longer　looked　the　poor　working　girl；　struggling　desperately　to　be　neat　and　clean。　　She　had　almost　immediately　taken　on　the　air　of　the　comfortable　classes。　Rut　everything　she　got　for　herself　was　inexpensive。　and　she　made　dresses　for　herself；　and　trimmed　all　her　hats。　　With　the　hats　Norman　found　no　fault。　　There　her　good　taste　produced　about　as　satisfactory　results　as　could　have　been　got　at　the　fashionable　millinersmore　satisfactory　than　are　got　by　the　women　who　go　there；　with　no　taste　of　their　own　beyond　a　hazy　idea　that　they　want　〃something　like　what　Mrs。　So…and…So　is　wearing。〃　But　homemade　dresses　were　a　different　matter。

Norman　longed　to　have　her　in　toilettes　that　would　bring　out　the　full　beauty　of　her　marvelous　figure。　　He；　after　the　manner　of　the　more　intelligent　and　worldly…　wise　New　York　men；　had　some　knowledge　of　women's　clothes。　　His　sister　knew　how　to　dress；　Josephine　knew　how；　though　her　taste　was　somewhat　too　sober　to　suit　Normanat　least　to　suit　him　in　Dorothy。　　He　thought　out　and　suggested　dresses　to　Dorothy；　and　told　her　where　to　get　them。　　Dorothy　tried　to　carry　out　at　home　such　of　his　suggestions　as　pleased　herfor；　like　all　women；　she　believed　she　knew　how　to　dress　herself。　　Her　handiwork　was　creditable。　　It　would　have　contented　a　less　exacting　and　less　trained　taste　than　Norman's。　　It　would　have　contented　him　had　he　not　been　infatuated　with　her　beauty　of　face　and　form。　　As　it　was；　the　improvement　in　her　appearance　only　served　to　intensify　his　agitation。　　He　now　saw　in　her　not　only　all　that　had　first　conquered　him；　but　also　those　unsuspected　beauties　and　gracesand　possibilities　of　beauty　and　grace　yet　more　entrancing；　were　she　but　dressed　properly。

〃You　don't　begin　to　appreciate　how　beautiful　you　are；〃　said　he。　　It　had　ever　been　one　of　his　rules　in　dealing　with　women　to　feed　their　physical　vanity　sparingly　and　cautiously；　lest　it　should　blaze　up　into　one　of　those　consuming　flames　that　produce　a　very　frenzy　of　conceit。　　But　this　rule；　like　all　the　others；　had　gone　by　the　board。　　He　could　not　conceal　his　infatuation　from　her；　not　even　when　he　saw　that　it　was　turning　her　head　and　making　his　task　harder　and　harder。　　〃If　you　would　only　go　over　to　New　York　to　several　dressmakers　whose　names　I'll　give　you；　I　know　you'd　get　clothes　from　them　that　you　could　touch　up　into　something　uncommon。〃

〃I　can't　afford　it；〃　said　she。　　〃What　I　have　is　good　enoughand　costs　more　than　I've　the　right　to　pay。〃　And　her　tone　silenced　him；　it　was　the　tone　of　finality；　and　he　had　discovered　that　she　had　a　will。


Never　before　had　Frederick　Norman　let　any　important　thing　drift。　　And　when　he　started　in　with　Dorothy　he　had　no　idea　of　changing　that　fixed　policy。　　He　would　have　scoffed　if　anyone　had　foretold　to　him　that　he　would　permit　the　days　and　the　weeks　to　go　by　with　nothing　definite　accomplished　toward　any　definite　purpose。　　Yet　that　was　what　occurred。　　Every　time　he　came　he　had　in　mind　a　fixed　resolve　to　make　distinct　progress　with　the　girl。　　Every　time　he　left　he　had　a　furious　quarrel　with　himself　for　his　weakness。　　〃She　is　making　a　fool　of　me；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃She　MUST　be　laughing　at　me。〃　　But　he　returned　only　to　repeat　his　folly；　to　add　one　more　to　the　lengthening；　mocking　series　of　lost　opportunities。

The　truth　lay　deeper　than　he　saw。　　He　recognized　only　his　own　weakness　of　the　infatuated　lover's　fatuous　timidity。　　He　did　not　realize　how　potent　her　charm　for　him　was；　how　completely　content　she　made　him　when　he　was　with　her；　just　from　the　fact　that　they　were　together。　　After　a　time　an　unsatisfied　passion　often　thus　diffuses　itself；　ceases　to　be　a　narrow　torrent；　becomes　a　broad　river　whose　resistless　force　is　hidden　beneath　an　appearance　of　sparkling　calm。　　Her　ingenuousness　amused　him；　her　developing　taste　and　imagination　interested　him；　her　freshness；　her　freedom　from　any　sense　of　his　importance　in　the　world　fascinated　him；　and　there　was　a　keener　pleasure　than　he　dreamed　in　the　novel　sensation　of　breathing　the　perfume　of　what　he；　the　one　time　cynic；　would　have　staked　his　life　on　being　unsullied　purity。　　Their　relations　were　to　him　a　delightful　variation　upon　the　intimacy　of　master　and　pupil。　　Either　he　was　listening　to　her　or　was　answering　her　questions　and　the　time　flew。　　And　there　never　was　a　moment　when　he　could　have　introduced　the　subject　that　most　concerned　him　when　he　was　not　with　her。　　To　have　introduced　it　would　have　been　rudely　to　break　the　charm　of　a　happy　afternoon　or　evening。

Was　she　leading　him　on　and　on　nowhere　deliberately？　Or　was　it　the　sweet　and　innocent　simplicity　it　seemed？　He　could　not　tell。　　He　would　have　broke