the dwelling place of ligh-第13节

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humour；　but　it　was　new　to　her　experience；　and　she　could　not　cope　with　it。

〃Only　to　buy　some　crackers；　or　a　sandwich；〃　she　replied；　and　blushed。

〃Oh；〃　he　said。　　〃Down　in　the　village；　on　the　corner　where　the　cars　stop；　is　a
restaurant。　　It's　not　as　good　as　the　Parker　House　in　Boston；　I　believe；　but
they　do　have　sandwiches；　yes；　and　coffee。　　At　least　they　call　it　coffee。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you；〃　she　said。

〃You'd　better　wait　till　you　try　it；〃　he　warned　her。

〃Oh；　I　don't　mind；　I　don't　want　much。〃　　And　she　was　impelled　to　add：　〃It's　such
a　beautiful　day。〃

〃It's　absurd　to　get　hungry　on　such　a　dayabsurd；〃　he　agreed。

〃Yes；　it　is；〃　she　laughed。　　〃I'm　not　really　hungry；　but　I　haven't　time　to　get
back　to　Hampton　for　dinner。〃　　Suddenly　she　grew　hot　at　the　thought　that　he
might　suspect　her　of　hinting。　　〃You　see；　I　live　in　Hampton；〃　she　went　on
hurriedly；　〃I'm　a　stenographer　there；　in　the　Chippering　Mill；　and　I　was　just
out　for　a　walk；　andI　came　farther　than　I　intended。〃　　She　had　made　it　worse。

But　he　said；　〃Oh；　you　came　from　Hampton！〃　with　an　intonation　of　surprise；　of
incredulity　even；　that　soothed　and　even　amused　while　it　did　not　deceive　her。
Not　that　the　superior　intelligence　of　which　she　had　begun　to　suspect　him　had
been　put　to　any　real　test　by　the　discovery　of　her　home；　and　she　was　quite　sure
her　modest　suit　of　blue　serge　and　her　2。99　pongee　blouse　proclaimed　her　as　a
working　girl　of　the　mill　city。　　〃I've　been　to　Hampton；〃　he　declared；　just　as
though　it　were　four　thousand　miles　away　instead　of　four。

〃But　I've　never　been　here　before；　to　Silliston；〃　she　responded　in　the　same
spirit：　and　she　added　wistfully；　〃it　must　be　nice　to　live　in　such　a　beautiful
place　as　this！〃

〃Yes；　it　is　nice；〃　he　agreed。　　〃We　have　our　troubles；　too；but　it's　nice。〃

She　ventured　a　second；　appraising　glance。　　His　head；　which　he　carried　a　little
flung　back；　his　voice；　his　easy　and　confident　bearingall　these　contradicted
the　saw　and　the　hammer；　the　flannel　shirt；　open　at　the　neck；　the　khaki　trousers
still　bearing　the　price　tag。　　And　curiosity　beginning　to　get　the　better　of　her；
she　was　emboldened　to　pay　a　compliment　to　the　fence。　　If　one　had　to　work；　it
must　be　a　pleasure　to　work　on　things　pleasing　to　the　eyesuch　was　her
inference。

〃Why；　I'm　glad　you　like　it；〃　he　said　heartily。　　〃I　was　just　hoping　some　one
would　come　along　here　and　admire　it。　　Nowwhat　colour　would　you　paint　it？〃

〃Are　you　a　painter；　too？〃

〃After　a　fashion。　　I'm　a　sort　of　man　of　all　workI　thought　of　painting　it
white；　with　the　pillars　green。〃

〃I　think　that　would　be　pretty；〃　she　answered；　judicially；　after　a　moment's
thought。　　〃What　else　can　you　do？〃

He　appeared　to　be　pondering　his　accomplishments。

〃Well；　I　can　doctor　trees；〃　he　said；　pointing　an　efficient　finger　at　the
magnificent　maple　sheltering；　like　a　guardian　deity；　the　old　farmhouse。　　〃I　put
in　those　patches。〃

〃They're　cement；〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　never　heard　of　putting　cement　in　trees。〃

〃They　don't　seem　to　mind。〃

〃Are　the　holes　very　deep？〃

〃Pretty　deep。〃

〃But　I　should　think　the　tree　would　be　dead。〃

〃Well；　you　see　the　life　of　a　tree　is　right　under　the　bark。　　If　you　can　keep　the
outer　covering　intact；　the　tree　will　live。〃

〃Why　did　you　let　the　holes　get　so　deep？〃

〃I've　just　come　here。　　The　house　was　like　the　tree　the　shingles　all　rotten；　but
the　beams　were　sound。　　Those　beams　were　hewn　out　of　the　forest　two　hundred　and
fifty　years　ago。〃

〃Gracious！〃　said　Janet。　　〃And　how　old　is　the　tree？〃

〃I　should　say　about　a　hundred。　　I　suppose　it　wouldn't　care　to　admit　it。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃　she　inquired。

〃Oh；　I'm　very　intimate　with　trees。　　I　find　out　their　secrets。〃

〃It's　your　house！〃　she　exclaimed；　somewhat　appalled　by　the　discovery。

〃Yesyes　it　is；〃　he　answered；　looking　around　at　it　and　then　in　an
indescribably　comical　manner　down　at　his　clothes。　　His　gesture；　his　expression
implied　that　her　mistake　was　a　most　natural　one。

〃Excuse　me；　I　thought〃　she　began；　blushing　hotly；　yet　wanting　to　laugh　again。

〃I　don't　blame　youwhy　shouldn't　you？〃　he　interrupted　her。　　〃I　haven't　got
used　to　it　yet；　and　there　is　something　amusing　aboutmy　owning　a　house。　　When
the　parlour's　finished　I'll　have　to　wear　a　stiff　collar；　I　suppose；　in　order　to
live　up　to　it。〃

Her　laughter　broke　forth；　and　she　tried　to　imagine　him　in　a　stiff　collar。。。。
But　she　was　more　perplexed　than　ever。　　She　stood　balancing　on　one　foot；　poised
for　departure。

〃I　ought　to　be　going；〃　she　said；　as　though　she　had　been　paying　him　a　formal
visit。

〃Don't　hurry；〃　he　protested　cordially。　　〃Why　hurry　back　to　Hampton？〃

〃I　never　want　to　go　back！〃　she　cried　with　a　vehemence　that　caused　him　to
contemplate　her　anew；　suddenly　revealing　the　intense；　passionate　quality　which
had　so　disturbed　Mr。　Ditmar。　　She　stood　transformed。　　〃I　hate　it！〃　she
declared。　　〃It's　so　ugly；　I　never　want　to　see　it　again。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　ugly；〃　he　confessed。　　〃Since　you　admit　it；　I　don't　mind　saying　so。
But　it's　interesting；　in　a　way。〃　　Though　his　humorous　moods　had　delighted　her；
she　felt　subtly　flattered　because　he　had　grown　more　serious。

〃It　is　interesting；〃　she　agreed。　　She　was　almost　impelled　to　tell　him　why；　in
her　excursions　to　the　various　quarters；　she　had　found　Hampton　interesting；　but
a　shyness　born　of　respect　for　the　store　of　knowledge　she　divined　in　him
restrained　her。　　She　was　curious　to　know　what　this　man　saw　in　Hampton。　　His
opinion　would　be　worth　something。　　Unlike　her　neighbours　in　Fillmore　Street；　he
was　not　what　her　sister　Lise　would　call　〃nutty〃；　he　had　an　air　of　fine　sanity；
of　freedom；　of　detachment；though　the　word　did　not　occur　to　her；　he　betrayed
no　bitter　sense　of　injustice；　and　his　beliefs　were　uncoloured　by　the　obsession
of　a　single　panacea。　　〃Why　do　you　think　it's　interesting？〃　she　demanded。

〃Well；　I'm　always　expecting　to　hear　that　it's　blown　up。　　It　reminds　me　of
nitro…glycerine；〃　he　added；　smiling。

She　repeated　the　word。

〃An　explosive；　you　knowthey　put　it　in　dynamite。　　They　say　a　man　once　made　it
by　accident；　and　locked　up　his　laboratory　and　ran　homeand　never　went　back。〃

〃I　know　what　you　mean！〃　she　cried；　her　eyes　alight　with　excitement。　　〃All　those
foreigners！　　I've　felt　it　that　something　would　happen；　some　day；　it　frightened
me；　and　yet　I　wished　that　something　would　happen。　　Only；　I　never　would　have
thought　ofnitro…glycerine。〃

She　was　unaware　of　the　added　interest　in　his　regard。　　But　he　answered　lightly
enough：

〃Oh；　not　only　the　foreigners。　　Human　chemicalsyou　can't　play　with　human
chemicals　any　more　than　you　can　play　with　real　onesyou've　got　to　know
something　about　chemistry。〃

This　remark　was　beyond　her　depth。

〃Who　is　playing　with　them？〃　she　asked。

〃Everybodyno　one　in　particular。　　Nobody　seems　to　know　much　about　them；　yet；〃
he　replied；　and　seemed　disinclined　to　pursue　the　subject。　　A　robin　with　a　worm
in　its　bill　was　hopping　across　the　grass；　he　whistled　softly；　the　bird　stopped；
cocking　its　head　and　regarding　them。　　Suddenly；　in　conflict　with　her　desire　to
remain　indefinitely　talking　with　this　strange　man；　Janet　felt　an　intense
impulse　to　leave。　　She　could　bear　the　conversation　no　longer；　she　might　burst
into　tearssuch　was　the　extraordinary　effect　he　had　produced　on　her。

〃I　must　go；I'm　ever　so　much　obliged　to　you；〃　she　said。

〃Drop　in　again；〃　he　said；　as　he　took　her　trembling　hand　。。。。　　When　she　had
walked　a　little　way　she　looked　back　over　her　shoulder　to　see　him　leaning　idly
against　the　post；　gazing　after　her；　and　waving　his　hammer　in　friendly　fashion。

For　a　while　her　feet　fairly　flew；　and　her　heart　beat　tumultuously；　keeping　time
with　her　racing　thoughts。　　She　walked　about　the　Common；　seeing　nothing；　paying
no　attention　to　the　passers…by；　who　glanced　at　her　curiously。　　But　at　length　as
she　grew　calmer　the　needs　of　a　youthful　and　vigorous　body　became　imperative；
and　realizing　suddenly　that　she　was　tired　and　hungry；　sought　and　found　the
little　restaurant　in　the　village　below。　　She　journeyed　back　to　Hampton
pondering　what　this　man　had　said　to　her；　speculating；　rather　breathlessly；
whether　he　had　been　impelled　to　conversation　by　a　natural　kindness　and
courtesy；　or　whether　he　really　had　discovered　something　in　her　worthy　of
addressing；　as　he　implied。　　Resentment　burned　in　her　breast；　she　became
suddenly　blinded　by　tears：　she　might　never　see　him　again；　and　if　only　she　were
〃educated〃　she　might　know　him；　become　his　friend。　　Even　in　this　desire　she　was
not　conventional；　and　in　the　few　moments　of　their　contact　he　had　developed
rather　than　transformed　what　she　meant　by　〃education。〃　　She　thought　of　it　not
as　knowledge　reeking　of　books　and　schools；　but　as　the　acquirement　of　the
freemasonry　which　he　so　evidently　possessed；　existence　on　terms　of
understanding；　confidence；　and　freedom　with　nature；　as　having　the　world　open　up
to　one　like　a　flower　filled　with　colour　and　life。　　She　thought　of　the　robin；　of
the　tree　whose　secrets　he　had　learned；　of　a　mental　range　including　even　that
medley　of　human　beings　amongst　whom　she　lived。　　And　the　fact　that　something　of
his　meaning　had　eluded　her　grasp　made　her　rebel　all　the　more　bitterly　against
the　lack　of　a　greater　knowledge　。。。。

Often　during　the　weeks　that　followed　he　dwelt