the dwelling place of ligh-第4节

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window　of　the　store；　might　be　seen　a　perspiring　young　man　in　his　shirt　sleeves
chalking　up　baseball　scores　for　the　benefit　of　a　crowd　below。　　Then　came　the
funereal；　liver…coloured；　long…windowed　Hinckley　Block　（1872）；　and　on　the
corner　a　modern；　glorified　drugstore　thrusting　forth　plate　glass　baystwo　on
Faber　Street　and　three　on　Stanleyfilled　with　cameras　and　candy；　hot　water
bags；　throat　sprays；　catarrh　and　kidney　cures；　calendars；　fountain　pens；
stationery；　and　handy　alcohol　lamps。　　Flanking　the　sidewalks；　symbolizing　and
completing　the　heterogeneous　and　bewildering　effect　of　the　street　were　long
rows　of　heavy　hemlock　trunks；　unpainted　and　stripped　of　bark；　with　crosstrees
bearing　webs　of　wires。　　Trolley　cars　rattled　along；　banging　their　gongs；　trucks
rumbled　across　the　tracks；　automobiles　uttered　frenzied　screeches　behind
startled　pedestrians。　　Janet　was　always　galvanized　into　alertness　here；　Faber
Street　being　no　place　to　dream。　　By　night　an　endless　procession　moved　up　one
sidewalk　and　down　another；　staring　hypnotically　at　the　flash…in　and　flash…out
electric；　signs　that　kept　the　breakfast　foods　and　ales；　the　safety　razors；
soaps；　and　soups　incessantly　in　the　minds　of　a　fickle　public。

Two　blocks　from　Faber　Street　was　the　North　Canal；　with　a　granite…paved　roadway
between　it　and　the　monotonous　row　of　company　boarding　houses。　　Even　in　bright
weather　Janet　felt　a　sense　of　oppression　here；　on　dark；　misty　mornings　the
stern；　huge　battlements　of　the　mills　lining　the　farther　bank　were　menacing
indeed；　bristling　with　projections；　towers；　and　chimneys；　flanked　by　heavy
walls。　　Had　her　experience　included　Europe；　her　imagination　might　have　seized
the　medieval　parallel；the　arched　bridges　flung　at　intervals　across　the　water；
lacking　only　chains　to　raise　them　in　case　of　siege。　　The　place　was　always
ominously　suggestive　of　impending　strife。　　Janet's　soul　was　a　sensitive
instrument；　but　she　suffered　from　an　inability　to　find　parallels；　and　thus　to
translate　her　impressions　intellectually。　　Her　feeling　about　the　mills　was　that
they　were　at　once　fortress　and　prison；　and　she　a　slave　driven　thither　day　after
day　by　an　all…compelling　power；　as　much　a　slave　as　those　who　trooped　in　through
the　gates　in　the　winter　dawn；　and　wore　down；　four　times　a　day；　the　oak　treads
of　the　circular　tower　stairs。

The　sound　of　the　looms　was　like　heavy　rain　hissing　on　the　waters　of　the　canal。

The　administrative　offices　of　a　giant　mill　such　as　the　Chippering　in　Hampton
are　labyrinthine。　　Janet　did　not　enter　by　the　great　gates　her　father　kept；　but
walked　through　an　open　courtyard　into　a　vestibule　where；　day　and　night；　a
watchman　stood；　she　climbed　iron…shod　stairs；　passed　the　doorway　leading　to　the
paymaster's　suite；　to　catch　a　glimpse；　behind　the　grill；　of　numerous　young　men
settling　down　at　those　mysterious　and　complicated　machines　that　kept　so
unerring　a　record；　in　dollars　and　cents；　of　the　human　labour　of　the　operatives。
There　were　other　suites　for　the　superintendents；　for　the　purchasing　agent；　and
at　the　end　of　the　corridor；　on　the　south　side　of　the　mill；　she　entered　the
outer　of　the　two　rooms　reserved　for　Mr。　Claude　Ditmar；　the　Agent　and　general…
in…chief　himself　of　this　vast　establishment。　　In　this　outer　office；　behind　the
rail　that　ran　the　length　of　it；　Janet　worked；　from　the　window　where　her
typewriter　stood　was　a　sheer　drop　of　eighty　feet　or　so　to　the　river；　which　ran
here　swiftly　through　a　wide　canon　whose　sides　were　formed　by　miles　and　miles　of
mills；　built　on　buttressed　stone　walls　to　retain　the　banks。　　The　prison…like
buildings　on　the　farther　shore　were　also　of　colossal　size；　casting　their
shadows　far　out　into　the　waters；　while　in　the　distance；　up　and　down　the　stream；
could　be　seen　the　delicate　web　of　the　Stanley　and　Warren　Street　bridges；　with
trolley　cars　like　toys　gliding　over　them；　with　insect　pedestrians　creeping
along　the　footpaths。

Mr。　Ditmar's　immediate　staff　consisted　of　Mr。　Price；　an　elderly　bachelor　of
tried　efficiency　whose　peculiar　genius　lay　in　computation；　of　a　young　Mr。
Caldwell　who；　during　the　four　years　since　he　had　left　Harvard；　had　been
learning　the　textile　industry；　of　Miss　Ottway；　and　Janet。　　Miss　Ottway　was　the
agent's　private　stenographer；　a　strongly　built；　capable　woman　with　immense
reserves　seemingly　inexhaustible。　　She　had　a　deep；　masculine　voice；　not
unmusical；　the　hint　of　a　masculine　moustache；　a　masculine　manner　of　taking　to
any　job　that　came　to　hand。　　Nerves　were　things　unknown　to　her：　she　was　granite；
Janet　tempered　steel。　　Janet　was　the　second　stenographer；　and　performed；
besides；　any　odd　tasks　that　might　be　assigned。

There　were；　in　the　various　offices　of　the　superintendents；　the　paymaster　and
purchasing　agent；　other　young　women　stenographers　whose　companionship　Janet；
had　she　been　differently　organized；　might　have　found　congenial；　but　something
in　her　refused　to　dissolve　to　their　proffered　friendship。　　She　had　but　one
friend；if　Eda　Rawle；　who　worked　in　a　bank；　and　whom　she　had　met　at　a　lunch
counter　by　accident；　may　be　called　so。　　As　has　been　admirably　said　in　another
language；　one　kisses；　the　other　offers　a　cheek：　Janet　offered　the　cheek。　　All
unconsciously　she　sought　a　relationship　rarely　to　be　found　in　banks　and
business　offices；　would　yield　herself　to　none　other。　　The　young　women
stenographers　in　the　Chippering　Mill；　respectable；　industrious　girls；　were
attracted　by　a　certain　indefinable　quality；　but　finding　they　made　no　progress
in　their　advances；　presently　desisted　they　were　somewhat　afraid　of　her；　as　one
of　them　remarked；　〃You　always　knew　she　was　there。〃　　Miss　Lottie　Meyers；　who
worked　in　the　office　of　Mr。　Orcutt；　the　superintendent　across　the　hall；
experienced　a　brief　infatuation　that　turned　to　hate。　　She　chewed　gum
incessantly；　Janet　found　her　cheap　perfume　insupportable；　Miss　Meyers；　for　her
part；　declared　that　Janet　was　〃queer〃　and　〃stuck　up；〃　thought　herself　better
than　the　rest　of　them。　　Lottie　Meyers　was　the　leader　of　a　group　of　four　or　five
which　gathered　in　the　hallway　at　the　end　of　the　noon　hour　to　enter　animatedly
into　a　discussion　of　waists；　hats；　and　lingerie；　to　ogle　and　exchange
persiflages　with　the　young　men　of　the　paymaster's　corps；　to　giggle；　to　relate；
sotto　voce；　certain　stories　that　ended　invariably　in　hysterical　laughter。
Janet　detested　these　conversations。　　And　the　sex　question；　subtly　suggested　if
not　openly　dealt　with；　to　her　was　a　mystery　over　which　she　did　not　dare　to
ponder；　terrible；　yet　too　sacred　to　be　degraded。　　Her　feelings；　concealed　under
an　exterior　of　self…possession；　deceptive　to　the　casual　observer；　sometimes
became　molten；　and　she　was　frightened　by　a　passion　that　made　her　tremblea
passion　by　no　means　always　consciously　identified　with　men；　embodying　all　the
fierce　unexpressed　and　unsatisfied　desires　of　her　life。

These　emotions；　often　suggested　by　some　hint　of　beauty；　as　of　the　sun　glinting
on　the　river　on　a　bright　blue　day；　had　a　sudden　way　of　possessing　her；　and　the
longing　they　induced　was　pain。　　Longing　for　what？　　For　some　unimagined
existence　where　beauty　dwelt；　and　light；　where　the　ecstasy　induced　by　these　was
neither　moiled　nor　degraded；　where　shame；　as　now；　might　not　assail　her。　　Why
should　she　feel　her　body　hot　with　shame；　her　cheeks　afire？　　At　such　moments　she
would　turn　to　the　typewriter；　her　fingers　striking　the　keys　with　amazing
rapidity；　with　extraordinary　accuracy　and　force；force　vaguely　disturbing　to
Mr。　Claude　Ditmar　as　he　entered　the　office　one　morning　and　involuntarily　paused
to　watch　her。　　She　was　unaware　of　his　gaze；　but　her　colour　was　like　a　crimson
signal　that　flashed　to　him　and　was　gone。　　Why　had　he　never　noticed　her　before？
All　these　months；　for　more　than　a　year；　perhaps；she　had　been　in　his　office；
and　he　had　not　so　much　as　looked　at　her　twice。　　The　unguessed　answer　was　that
he　had　never　surprised　her　in　a　vivid　moment。　　He　had　a　flair　for　women；　though
he　had　never　encountered　any　possessing　the　higher　values；　and　it　was
characteristic　of　the　plane　of　his　mental　processes　that　this　one　should　remind
him　now　of　a　dark；　lithe　panther；　tensely　strung；　capable　of　fierceness。　　The
pain　of　having　her　scratch　him　would　be　delectable。

When　he　measured　her　it　was　to　discover　that　she　was　not　so　little；　and　the
shoulder…curve　of　her　uplifted　arms；　as　her　fingers　played　over　the　keys；
seemed　to　belie　that　apparent　slimness。　　And　had　he　not　been　unacquainted　with
the　subtleties　of　the　French　mind　and　language；　he
might　have　classed　her　as　a　fausse　maigre。　　Her　head　was　small；　her　hair　like　a
dark；　blurred　shadow　clinging　round　it。　He　wanted　to　examine　her　hair；　to　see
whether　it　would　not　betray；　at　closer　range；　an　imperceptible　wave；but　not
daring　to　linger　he　went　into　his　office；　closed　the　door；　and　sat　down　with　a
sensation　akin　to　weakness；　somewhat　appalled　by　his　discovery；　considerably
amazed　at　his　previous　stupidity。　　He　had　thought　of　Janetwhen　she　had
entered　his　mind　at　allas　unobtrusive；　demure；　now　he　recognized　this
demureness　as　repression。　　Her　qualities　needed　illumination；　and　he；　Claude
Ditmar；　had　seen　them　struck　with　fire。　　He　wondered　whether　any　other　man
had　been　as　fortunate。

Later　in　the　morning；　quite　cas