the dwelling place of ligh-第10节

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was　as　though　the　conflicting　soul　of　the　city　and　her　own　soul　were　one。。。。




CHAPTER　III

Lise　was　the　only　member　of　the　Bumpus　family　who　did　not　find　uncongenial　such
distractions　and　companionships　as　were　offered　by　the　civilization　that
surrounded　them。　　The　Bagatelle　she　despised；　that　was　slaverybut　slavery　out
of　which　she　might　any　day　be　snatched；　like　Leila　Hawtrey；　by　a　prince
charming　who　had　made　a　success　in　life。　　Success　to　Lise　meant　money。
Although　what　some　sentimental　sociologists　might　call　a　victim　of　our
civilization；　Lise　would　not　have　changed　it；　since　it　produced　not　only　Lise
herself；　but　also　those　fabulous　financiers　with　yachts　and　motors　and　town　and
country　houses　she　read　about　in　the　supplements　of　the　Sunday　newspapers。　　It
contained　her　purgatory；　which　she　regarded　in　good　conventional　fashion　as　a
mere　temporary　place　of　detention；　and　likewise　the　heaven　toward　which　she
strained；　the　dwelling…place　of　light。　　In　short；　her　philosophy　was　that　of
the　modern；　orthodox　American；　tinged　by　a　somewhat　commercialized　Sunday
school　tradition　of　an　earlier　day；　and　highly　approved　by　the　censors　of　the
movies。　　The　peculiar　kind　of　abstinence　once　euphemistically　known　as
〃virtue；〃　particularly　if　it　were　combined　with　beauty；　never　failed　of　its
reward。　　Lise；　in　this　sense；　was　indeed　virtuous；　and　her　mirror　told　her　she
was　beautiful。　　Almost　anything　could　happen　to　such　a　lady：　any　day　she　might
be　carried　up　into　heaven　by　that　modern　chariot　of　fire；　the　motor　car；　driven
by　a　celestial　chauffeur。

One　man's　meat　being　another's　poison；　Lise　absorbed　from　the　movies　an　element
by　which　her　sister　Janet　was　repelled。　　A　popular　production　known　as　〃Leila
of　Hawtrey's〃　contained　her　creed；Hawtrey's　being　a　glittering　metropolitan
restaurant　where　men　of　the　world　are　wont　to　gather　and　discuss　the　stock
market；　and　Leila　a　beautiful；　blonde　and　orphaned　waitress　upon　whom　several
of　the　fashionable　frequenters　had　exercised　seductive　powers　in　vain。　　They
lay　in　wait　for　her　at　the　side　entrance；　followed　her；　while　one　dissipated
and　desperate　person；　married；　and　said　to　move　in　the　most　exclusive　circles；
sent　her　an　offer　of　a　yearly　income　in　five　figures；　the　note　being　reproduced
on　the　screen；　and　Leila　pictured　reading　it　in　her　frigid　hall…bedroom。　　There
are　complications；　she　is　in　debt；　and　the　proprietor　of　Hawtrey's　has
threatened　to　discharge　her　and　in　order　that　the　magnitude　of　the　temptation
may　be　most　effectively　realized　the　vision　appears　of　Leila　herself；　wrapped
in　furs；　stepping　out　of　a　limousine　and　into　an　elevator　lifting　her　to　an
apartment　containing　silk　curtains；　a　Canet　bed；　a　French　maid；　and　a
Pomeranian。　　Virtue　totters；　but　triumphs；　being　reinforced　by　two　more　visions
the　first　of　these　portrays　Leila；　prematurely　old；　dragging　herself　along
pavements　under　the　metallic　Broadway　lights　accosting　gentlemen　in　evening
dress；　and　the　second　reveals　her　in　the　country；　kneeling　beside　a　dying
mother's　bed；　giving　her　promise　to　remain　true　to　the　Christian　teachings　of
her　childhood。

And　virtue　is　rewarded；　lavishly；　as　virtue　should　be；　in　dollars　and　cents；　in
stocks　and　bonds；　in　pearls　and　diamonds。　　Popular　fancy　takes　kindly　to　rough
but　honest　westerners　who　have　begun　life　in　flannel　shirts；　who　have　struck
gold　and　come　to　New　York　with　a　fortune　but　despising　effeteness；　such　a　one；
tanned　by　the　mountain　sun；　embarrassed　in　raiment　supplied　by　a　Fifth　Avenue
tailor；　takes　a　table　one　evening　at　Hawtrey's　and　of　course　falls　desperately
in　love。　　He　means　marriage　from　the　first；　and　his　faith　in　Leila　is　great
enough　to　survive　what　appears　to　be　an　almost　total　eclipse　of　her　virtue。
Through　the　machinations　of　the　influential　villain；　and　lured　by　the　false
pretence　that　one　of　her　girl　friends　is　ill；　she　is　enticed　into　a　mysterious
house　of　a　sinister　elegance；　and　apparently　irretrievably　compromised。　　The
westerner　follows；　forces　his　way　through　the　portals；　engages　the　villain；　and
vanquishes　him。　　Leila　becomes　a　Bride。　　We　behold　her；　at　the　end；　mistress　of
one　of　those　magnificent　stone　mansions　with　grilled　vestibules　and　negro
butlers　into　whose　sacred　precincts　we　are　occasionally；　in　the　movies；
somewhat　breathlessly　ushereda　long　way　from　Hawtrey's　restaurant　and　a　hall…
bedroom。　　A　long　way；　too；　from　the　Bagatelle　and　Fillmore　Streetbut　to　Lise
a　way　not　impossible；　nor　even　improbable。

This　work　of　art；　conveying　the　moral　that　virtue　is　an　economic　asset；　made　a
great　impression　on　Lise。　　Good　Old　Testament　doctrine；　set　forth　in　the　Book
of　Job　itself。　　And　Leila；　pictured　as　holding　out　for　a　higher　price　and
getting　it；　encouraged　Lise　to　hold　out　also。　　Mr。　Wiley；　in　whose　company　she
had　seen　this　play；　and　whose　likeness　filled　the　plush　and　silver…plated　frame
on　her　bureau；　remained　ironically　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　he　had　paid　out
his　money　to　make　definite　an　ambition；　an　ideal　hitherto　nebulous　in　the　mind
of　the　lady　whom　he　adored。　　Nor　did　Lise　enlighten　him；　being　gifted　with　a
certain　inserutableness。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　it　had　never　been　her　intention
to　accept　him；　but　now　that　she　was　able　concretely　to　visualize　her　Lochinvar
of　the　future；　Mr。　Whey's　lack　of　qualifications　became　the　more　apparent。　　In
the　first　place；　he　had　been　born　in　Lowell　and　had　never　been　west　of
Worcester；　in　the　second；　his　salary　was　sixteen　dollars　a　week：　it　is　true　she
had　once　fancied　the　Scottish　terrier　style　of　hair…cut　abruptly　ending　in　the
rounded　line　of　the　shaven　neck；　but　Lochinvar　had　been　close…cropped。　　Mr。
Wiley；　close…cropped；　would　have　resembled　a　convict。

Mr。　Wiley　was　in　love；　there　could　be　no　doubt　about　that；　and　if　he　had　not
always　meant　marriage；　he　meant　it　now；　having　reached　a　state　where　no　folly
seems　preposterous。　　The　manner　of　their　meeting　had　had　just　the　adventurous
and　romantic　touch　that　Lise　liked；　one　of　her　favourite　amusements　in　the
intervals　between　〃steadies〃　being　to　walk　up　and　down　Faber　Street　of　an
evening　after　supper；　arm　in　arm　with　two　or　three　other　young　ladies；　all
chewing　gum；　wheeling　into　store　windows　and　wheeling　out　again；　pretending　the
utmost　indifference　to　melting　glances　cast　in　their　direction。　　An　exciting
sport；　though　incomprehensible　to　masculine　intelligence。　　It　was　a　principle
with　Lise　to　pay　no　attention　to　any　young　man　who　was　not　〃presented；〃　those
venturing　to　approach　her　with　the　ready　formula　〃Haven't　we　met　before？〃　being
instantly　congealed。　　She　was　strict　as　to　etiquette。　　But　Mr。　Wiley；　it
seemed；　could　claim　acquaintance　with　Miss　Schuler；　one　of　the　ladies　to　whose
arm　Lise's　was　linked；　and　he　had　the　further　advantage　of　appearing　in　a　large
and　seductive　touring　car；　painted　green；　with　an　eagle　poised　above　the　hood
and　its　name；　Wizard；　in　a　handwriting　rounded　and　bold；　written　in　nickel
across　the　radiator。　　He　greeted　Miss　Schuler　effusively；　but　his　eye　was　on
Lise　from　the　first；　and　it　was　she　he　took　with；　him　in　the　front　seat；
indifferent　to　the　giggling　behind。　　Ever　since　then　Lise　had　had　a　motor　at
her　disposal；　and　on　Sundays　they　took　long　〃joy　rides〃　beyond　the　borders　of
the　state。　　But　it　must　not　be　imagined　that　Mr。　Whey　was　the　proprietor　of　the
vehicle；　nor　was　he　a　chauffeur；her　American　pride　would　not　have　permitted
her　to　keep　company　with　a　chauffeur：　he　was　the　demonstrator　for　the　Wizard；
something　of　a　wizard　himself；　as　Lise　had　to　admit　when　they　whizzed　over　the
tarvia　of　the　Riverside　Boulevard　at　fifty　or　sixty　miles　an　hour　with　the
miner　cut　outa　favourite　diversion　of　Mr。　Whey's；　who　did　not　feel　he　was
going　unless　he　was　accompanied　by　a　noise　like　that　of　a　mitrailleuse　in
action。　　Lise；　experiencing　a　ravishing　terror；　hung　on　to　her　hat　with　one
hand　and　to　Mr。　Wiley　with　the　other；　her　code　permitting　this；　permitting　him
also；　occasionally；　when　they　found　themselves　in　tenebrous　portions　of
Slattery's　Riverside　Park；　to　put　his　arm　around　her　waist　and　kiss　her。　　So
much　did　Lise's　virtue　allow；　and　no　more；　the　result　being　that　he　existed　in
a　tantalizing　state　of　hope　and　excitement　most　detrimental　to　the　nerves。

He　never　lost；　however；in　public　at　least；　or　before　Lise's　family；the　fine
careless；　jaunty　air　of　the　demonstrator；　of　the　free…lance　for　whom　seventy
miles　an　hour　has　no　terrors；　the　automobile；　apparently；　like　the　ship；　sets　a
stamp　upon　its　votaries。　　No　Elizabethan　buccaneer　swooping　down　on　defenceless
coasts　ever　exceeded　in　audacity　Mr。　Wiley's　invasion　of　quiet　Fillmore　Street。
He　would　draw　up　with　an　ear…splitting　screaming　of　brakes　in　front　of　the
clay…yellow　house；　and　sometimes　the　muffler；　as　though　unable　to　repress　its
approval　of　the　performance；　would　let　out　a　belated　pop　that　never　failed　to
jar　the　innermost　being　of　Auermann；　who　had　been　shot　at；　or　rather　shot　past；
by　an　Italian；　and　knew　what　it　was。　　He　hated　automobiles；　he　hated　Mr。　Wiley。

〃Vat　you　do？〃　he　would　demand；　glaring。

And　Mr。　Wiley　would　laugh　insolently。

〃You　think　I　done　it；　do　you；　Dutchiehuh！〃

He　would　saunter　past；　up　the　s