the dwelling place of ligh-第25节

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she　stood　still；　then　closed　the　door　softly。

〃Lise；〃　she　said。

〃What？〃

Janet　sat　down　on　the　bed；　putting　out　her　hand。　　Unconsciously　she　began　to
stroke　Lise's　hand；　and　presently　it　turned　and　tightened　on　her　own。

〃Lise；〃　she　said；　〃I　understand　why　you〃　she　could　not　bring　herself　to
pronounce　the　words　〃got　drunk；〃〃I　understand　why　you　did　it。　　I　oughtn't　to
have　talked　to　you　that　way。　　But　it　was　terrible　to　wake　up　and　see　you。〃

For　awhile　Lise　did　not　reply。　　Then　she　raised　herself；　feeling　her　hair　with
an　involuntary　gesture；　regarding　her　sister　with　a　bewildered　look；　her　face
puckered。　　Her　eyes　burned；　and　under　them　were　black　shadows。

〃How　do　you　meanyou　understand？〃　　she　asked　slowly。　　〃You　never　hit　the
booze。〃

Even　Lise's　language；　which　ordinarily　offended　her；　failed　to　change　her
sudden　impassioned　and　repentant　mood。　　She　was　astonished　at　herself　for　this
sudden　softening；　since　she　did　not　really　love　Lise；　and　all　day　she　had　hated
her；　wished　never　to　see　her　again。

〃No；　but　I　can　understand　how　it　would　be　to　want　to；〃　Janet　said。　　〃Lise；　I
guess　we're　searchingboth　of　us　for　something　we'll　never　find。〃

Lise　stared　at　her　with　a　contracted；　puzzled　expression；　as　of　a　person
awaking　from　sleep；　all　of　whose　faculties　are　being　strained　toward
comprehension。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　demanded。　　〃You　and　me？　　You're　all　rightyou've　got
no　kick　coming。〃

〃Life　is　hard；　it's　hard　on　girls　like　uswe　want　things　we　can't　have。〃
Janet　was　at　a　loss　to　express　herself。


〃Well；　it　ain't　any　pipe　dream；〃　Lise　agreed。　　Her　glance　turned　involuntarily
toward　the　picture　of　the　Olympian　dinner　party　pinned　on　the　wall。　　〃Swells
have　a　good　time；〃　she　added。

〃Maybe　they　pay　for　it；　too；〃　said　Janet。

〃I　wouldn't　holler　about　payingit's　paying　and　not　getting　the　goods；〃
declared　Lise。

〃You'll　pay；　and　you　won't　get　it。　　That　kind　of　life　ishell；〃　Janet　cried。

Self…centered　as　Lise　was；　absorbed　in　her　own　trouble　and　present　physical
discomfort；　this　unaccustomed　word　from　her　sister　and　the　vehemence　with　which
it　was　spoken　surprised　and　frightened　her；　brought　home　to　her　some　hint　of
the　terror　in　Janet's　soul。

〃Me　for　the　water　wagon；〃　she　said。

Janet　was　not　convinced。　　She　had　hoped　to　discover　the　identity　of　the　man　who
had　taken　Lise　to　Gruber's；　but　she　did　not　attempt　to　continue　the
conversation。　　She　rose　and　took　off　her　hat。

〃Why　don't　you　go　to　bed？〃　　she　asked。　　〃I'll　tell　mother　you　have　a　headache
and　bring　in　your　supper。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　care　if　I　do；〃　replied　Lise；　gratefully。

Perhaps　the　most　disconcerting　characteristic　of　that　complex　affair；　the　human
organism；　is　the　lack　of　continuity　of　its　moods。　　The　soul；　so　called；　is　as
sensitive　to　physical　conditions　as　a　barometer：　affected　by　lack　of　sleep；　by
smells　and　sounds；　by　food；　by　the　weatherwhether　a　day　be　sapphire　or
obsidian。　　And　the　resolutions　arising　from　one　mood　are　thwarted　by　the
actions　of　the　next。　　Janet　had　observed　this　phenomenon；　and　sometimes；　when
it　troubled　her；　she　thought　herself　the　most　inconsistent　and　vacillating　of
creatures。　　She　had　resolved；　far　instance；　before　she　fell　asleep；　to　leave
the　Chippering　Mill；　to　banish　Ditmar　from　her　life；　to　get　a　position　in　Boston；
whence　she　could　send　some　of　her　wages　home：　and　in　the　morning；　as　she　made　her
way　to　the　office；　the　determination　gave　her　a　sense　of　peace　and　unity。　　But　the
northwest　wind　was　blowing。　　It　had　chased　away　the　mist　and　the　clouds；　the　smoke
from　Canada。　　The　sun　shone　with　a　high　brilliancy；　the　elms　of　the　Common　cast
sharp；　black　shadow…patterns　on　the　pavements；　and　when　she　reached　the　office
and　looked　out　of　his　window　she　saw　the　blue　river　covered　with　quicksilver
waves　chasing　one　another　across　the　current。　　Ditmar　had　not　yet　returned　to
Hampton。　　About　ten　o'clock；　as　she　was　copying　out　some　figures　for　Mr。　Price；
young　Mr。　Caldwell　approached　her。　　He　had　a　Boston　newspaper　in　his　hand。

〃Have　you　seen　this　article　about　Mr。　Ditmar？〃　he　asked。

〃About　Mr。　Ditmar？　　No。〃

〃It's　quite　a　send…off　for　the　Colonel；〃　said　Caldwell；　who　was　wont　at　times
to　use　the　title　facetiously。　　〃Listen；　‘One　of　the　most　notable　figures　in　the
Textile　industry　of　the　United　States；　Claude　Ditmar；　Agent　of　the　Chippering
Mill。'〃　Caldwell　spread　out　the　page　and　pointed　to　a　picture。　　〃There　he　is；
as　large　as　life。〃

A　little　larger　than　life；　Janet　thought。　　Ditmar　was　one　of　those　men　who；　as
the　expression　goes；　〃take〃　well；　a　valuable　asset　in　semi…public　careers；　and
as　he　stood　in　the　sunlight　on　the　steps　of　the　building　where　they　had　〃snap…
shotted〃　him　he　appeared　even　more　massive；　forceful；　and　preponderant　than　she
had　known　him。　　Beholding　him　thus　set　forth　and　praised　in　a　public　print；　he
seemed　suddenly　to　have　been　distantly　removed　from　her；　to　have　reacquired　at
a　bound　the　dizzy　importance　he　had　possessed　for　her　before　she　became　his
stenographer。　　She　found　it　impossible　to　realize　that　this　was　the　Ditmar　who
had　pursued　and　desired　her；　at　times　supplicating；　apologetic；　abject；　and
again　revealed　by　the　light　in　his　eyes　and　the　trembling　of　his　hand　as　the
sinister　and　ruthless　predatory　male　from　whomsince　the　revelation　in　her
sister　Lise　she　had　determined　to　flee；　and　whom　she　had　persuaded　herself　she
despised。　　He　was　a　bigger　man　than　she　had　thought；　and　as　she　read　rapidly
down　the　column　the　fascination　that　crept　over　her　was　mingled　with
disquieting　doubt　of　her　own　powers：　it　was　now　difficult　to　believe　she　had
dominated　or　could　ever　dominate　this　self…sufficient；　successful　person；　the
list　of　whose　achievements　and　qualities　was　so　alluringly　set　forth　by　an
interviewer　who　himself　had　fallen　a　victim。

The　article　carried　the　implication　that　the　modern；　practical；　American
business　man　was　the　highest　type　as　yet　evolved　by　civilization：　and　Ditmar；
referred　to　as　〃a　wizard　of　the　textile　industry；〃　was　emphatically　one　who　had
earned　the　gratitude　of　the　grand　old　Commonwealth。　　By　the　efforts　of　such
sons　she　continued　to　maintain　her　commanding　position　among　her　sister　states。
Prominent　among　the　qualities　contributing　to　his　success　was　openmindedness；
〃a　willingness　to　be　shown；〃　to　scrap　machinery　when　his　competitors　still
clung　to　older　methods。　　The　Chippering　Mill　had　never　had　a　serious　strike；
indication　of　an　ability　to　deal　with　labour；　and　Mr。　Ditmar's　views　on　labour
followed：　if　his　people　had　a　grievance；　let　them　come　to　him；　and　settle　it
between　them。　　No　unions。　　He　had　consistently　refused　to　recognize　them。
There　was　mention　of　the　Bradlaugh　order　as　being　the　largest　commission　ever
given　to　a　single　mill；　a　reference　to　the　excitement　and　speculation　it　had
aroused　in　trade　circles。　　Claude　Ditmar's　ability　to　put　it　through　was
unquestioned；　one　had　only　to　look　at　him；tenacity；　forcefulness；
executiveness　were　written　all　over　him。。。。　　In　addition；　the　article　contained
much　material　of　an　autobiographical　nature　that　mustJanet　thoughthave　been
supplied　by　Ditmar　himself；　whose　modesty　had　evidently　shrunk　from　the　cruder
self…eulogy　of　an　interview。　　But　she　recognized　several　characteristic
phrases。

Caldwell；　watching　her　as　she　read；　was　suddenly　fascinated。　　During　a　trip
abroad；　while　still　an　undergraduate；　he　had　once　seen　the　face　of　an　actress；
a　really　good　Parisian　actress；　light　up　in　that　way；　and　it　had　revealed　to
him；　in　a　flash；　the　meaning　of　enthusiasm。　　Now　Janet　became　vivid　for　him。
There　must　be　something　unusual　in　a　person　whose　feelings　could　be　so　intense；
whose　emotions　rang　so　true。　　He　was　not　unsophisticated。　　He　had　sometimes
wondered　why　Ditmar　had　promoted　her；　though　acknowledging　her　ability。　　He
admired　Ditmar；　but　had　no　illusions　about　him。　　Harvard；　and　birth　in　a　social
stratum　where　emphasis　is　superfluous；　enabled　him　to　smile　at　the　reporter's
exuberance；　and　he　was　the　more　drawn　toward　her　to　see　on　Janet's　flushed　face
the　hint　of　a　smile　as　she　looked　up　at　him　when　she　had　finished。

〃The　Colonel　hypnotized　that　reporter；〃　he　said；　as　he　took　the　paper；　and　her
laugh；　despite　its　little　tremor；　betrayed　in　her　an　unsuspected；　humorous
sense　of　proportion。　　〃Well；　I'll　take　off　my　hat　to　him；〃　Caldwell　went　on。
〃He　is　a　wonder；　he's　got　the　mill　right　up　to　capacity　in　a　week。　　He's　agreed
to　deliver　those　goods　to　the　Bradlaughs　by　the　first　of　April；　you　know；　and
Holster；　of　the　Clarendon；　swears　it　can't　be　done；　he　says　Ditmar's　crazy。
Well；　I　stand　to　lose　twenty…five　dollars　on　him。〃

This　loyalty　pleased　Janet；　it　had　the　strange　effect　of　reviving　loyalty　in
her。　　She　liked　this　evidence　of　Dick　Caldwell's　confidence。　　He　was　a　self…
contained　and　industrious　young　man；　with　crisp　curly　hair；　cordial　and
friendly　yet　never　intimate　with　the　other　employer；　liked　by　thembut　it　was
tacitly　understood　his　footing　differed　from　theirs。　　He　was　a　cousin　of　the
Chipperings；　and　destined　for　rapid　promotion。　　He　went　away　every　Saturday；　it
was　known　that　he　spent　Sundays　and　holidays　in　delightful　places；　to　return
reddened　and　tanned；　and