the dwelling place of ligh-第47节

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which；　in　connection　with　the　thoughts　of　New　York　and　the　visible　rakish
image　of　the　lady　herself；　cause　involuntary　shudders　down　the　spine　of
the　reflecting　American　provincial。　　Some　such　responsive　quiver；　akin　to
disgust；　Janet　herself　experienced。

〃It's　the　very　last　scream；〃　Lise　was　saying。　　〃And　say；　if　I　owned　a
ball　dress　like　that　I'd　be　somebody's　Lulu　all　right！　　Can　I　have　the
pleasure　of　the　next　maxixe；　Miss　Bumpus？〃　　With　deft　and　rapid　fingers
she　lead　parted　her　hair　far　on　the　right　side　and　pulled　it　down　over
the　left　eyebrow；　twisted　it　over　her　ear　and　tightly　around　her　head；
inserting　here　and　there　a　hairpin；　seizing　the　hand　mirror　with　the
cracked　back；　and　holding　it　up　behind　her。　　Finally；　when　the　operation
was　finished　to

her　satisfaction　she　exclaimed；　evidently　to　the　paragon　in　the　picture；
〃I　get　you！〃　　Whereupon；　from　the　wardrobe；　she　produced　a　hat。　　〃You
sure　had　my　number　when　you　guessed　the　feathers　on　that　other　would　get
draggled；〃　she　observed　in　high　good　humour；　generously　ignoring　their
former　unpleasantness　on　the　subject。　　When　she　had　pinned　it　on　she　bent
mockingly　over　her　sister；　who　sat　on　the　bed。　　〃How　d'you　like　my　new
toque？　　Peekaboo！　　That's　the　way　the　guys　rubberneck　to　see　if　you're
good　lookin'。〃

Lise　was　exalted；　feverish；　apparently　possessed　by　some　high　secret；　her
eyes　shone；　and　when　she　crossed　the　room　she　whistled　bars　of　ragtime
and　executed　mincing　steps　of　the　maxixe。　　Fumbling　in　the　upper　drawer
for　a　pair　of　white　gloves　（also　new）；　she　knocked　off　the　corner　of　the
bureau　her　velvet　bag；　it　opened　as　it　struck　the　floor；　and　out　of　it
rolled　a　lilac　vanity　case　and　a　yellow　coin。　　Casting　a　suspicious；
lightning　glance　at　Janet；　she　snatched　up　the　vanity　case　and　covered
the　coin　with　her　foot。

〃Lock　the　doors！〃　she　cried；　with　an　hysteric　giggle。　　Then　removing　her
foot　she　picked　up　the　coin　surreptitiously。　　To　her　amazement　her　sister
made　no　comment；　did　not　seem　to　have　taken　in　the　significance　of　the
episode。　　Lise　had　expected　a　tempest　of　indignant；　searching　questions；
a　〃third　degree；〃　as　she　would　have　put　it。　　She　snapped　the　bag
together；　drew　on　her　gloves；　and；　when　she　was　ready　to　leave；　with
characteristic　audacity　crossed　the　room；　taking　her　sister's　face
between　her　hands　and　kissing　her。

〃Tell　me　your　troubles；　sweetheart！〃　she　saidand　did　not　wait　to　hear
them。

Janet　was　incapable　of　speechnor　could　she　have　brought　herself　to　ask
Lise　whether　or　not　the　money　had　been　earned　at　the　Bagatelle；　and
remained　miraculously　unspent。　　It　was　possible；　but　highly　incredible。
And　then；　the　vanity　case　and　the　new　hat　were　to　be　accounted　for！　　The
sight　of　the　gold　piece；　indeed；　had　suddenly　revived　in　Janet　the　queer
feeling　of　faintness；　almost　of　nausea　she　had　experienced　after　parting
with　Lottie　Myers。　　And　by　some　untoward　association　she　was　reminded　of
a　conversation　she　had　had　with　Ditmar　on　the　Saturday　afternoon
following　their　first　Sunday　excursion；　when；　on　opening　her　pay
envelope；　she　had　found　twenty　dollars。

〃Are　you　sure　I'm　worth　it？〃　she　had　demandedand　he　had　been　quite
sure。　　He　had　added　that　she　was　worth　more；　much　more；　but　that　he　could
not　give　her　as　yet；　without　the　risk　of　comment；　a　sum　commensurate　with
the　value　of　her　services。。。。　　But　now　she　asked　herself　again；　was　she
worth　it？　or　was　it　merelypart　of　her　price？　　Going　to　the　wardrobe　and
opening　a　drawer　at　the　bottom　she　searched　among　her　clothes　until　she
discovered　the　piece　of　tissue　paper　in　which　she　had　wrapped　the　rose
rescued　from　the　cluster　he　had　given　her。　　The　petals　were　dry；　yet　they
gave　forth；　still；　a　faint；　reminiscent　fragrance　as　she　pressed　them　to
her　face。　　Janet　wept。。。。

The　following　morning　as　she　was　kneeling　in　a　corner　of　the　room　by　the
letter　files；　one　of　which　she　had　placed　on　the　floor；　she　recognized
his　step　in　the　outer　office；　heard　him　pause　to　joke　with　young
Caldwell；　and　needed　not　the　visual　proofwhen　after　a　moment　he　halted
on　the　thresholdof　the　fact　that　his　usual；　buoyant　spirits　were
restored。　　He　held　a　cigar　in　his　hand；　and　in　his　eyes　was　the　eager
look　with　which　she　had　become　familiar；　which　indeed　she　had　learned　to
anticipate　as　they　swept　the　room　in　search　of　her。　　And　when　they　fell
on　her　he　closed　the　door　and　came　forward　impetuously。　　But　her
exclamation　caused　him　to　halt　in　bewilderment。

〃Don't　touch　me！〃　she　said。

And　he　stammered　out；　as　he　stood　over　her：

〃What's　the　matter？〃

〃Everything。　　You　don't　love　meI　was　a　fool　to　believe　you　did。〃

〃Don't　love　you！〃　he　repeated。　　〃My　God；　what's　the　trouble　now？　　What
have　I　done？〃

〃Oh；　it's　nothing　you've　done；　it's　what　you　haven't　done；　it's　what　you
can't　do。　　You　don't　really　care　for　meall　you　care　for　is　this　mill
when　anything　happens　here　you　don't　know　I'm　alive。〃

He　stared　at　her；　and　then　an　expression　of　comprehension；　of　intense
desire　grew　in　his　eyes；　and　his　laugh；　as　he　flung　his　cigar　out　of　the
open　window　and　bent　down　to　seize　her；　was　almost　brutal。　　She　fought
him；　she　tried　to　hurt　him；　and　suddenly；　convulsively　pressed　herself　to
him。

〃You　little　tigress！〃　he　said；　as　he　held　her。　　〃You　were　jealouswere
youjealous　of　the　mill？〃　　And　he　laughed　again。　　〃I'd　like　to　see　you
with　something　really　to　be　jealous　about。　　So　you　love　me　like　that；　do
you？〃

She　could　feel　his　heart　beating　against　her。

〃I　won't　be　neglected；〃　she　told　him　tensely。　　〃I　want　all　of　youif　I
can't　have　all　of　you；　I　don't　want　any。　　Do　you　understand？〃

〃Do　I　understand？　　Well；　I　guess　I　do。〃

〃You　didn't　yesterday；〃　she　reproached　him；　somewhat　dazed　by　the
swiftness　of　her　submission；　and　feeling　still　the　traces　of　a　lingering
resentment。　　She　had　not　intended　to　surrender。　　〃You　forgot　all　about
me；　you　didn't　know　I　was　here；　much　less　that　I　was　hurt。　　Oh；　I　was
hurt！　　And　youI　can　tell　at　once　when　anything's　wrong　with　youI　know
without　your　saying　it。〃

He　was　amazed；　he　might　indeed　have　been　troubled　and　even　alarmed　by
this　passion　he　had　aroused　had　his　own　passion　not　been　at　the　flood。
And　as　he　wiped　away　her　tears　with　his　handkerchief　he　could　scarcely
believe　his　senses　that　this　was　the　woman　whose　resistance　had　demanded
all　his　force　to　overcome。　　Indeed；　although　he　recognized　the　symptoms
she　betrayed　as　feminine；　as　having　been　registeredthough　feebly
compared　to　this！　by　incidents　in　his　past；　precisely　his　difficulty
seemed　to　be　in　identifying　this　complex　and　galvanic　being　as　a　woman；
not　as　something　almost　fearful　in　her　significance；　outside　the　bounds
of　experience。。。。

Presently　she　ceased　to　tremble；　and　he　drew　her　to　the　window。　　The　day
was　as　mild　as　autumn；　the　winter　sun　like　honey　in　its　mellowness；　a
soft　haze　blurred　the　outline　of　the　upper　bridge。

〃Only　two　more　days　until　Sunday；〃　he　whispered；　caressingly；
exultantly。。。。




CHAPTER　XII

It　had　been　a　strange　year　in　Hampton；　unfortunate　for　coal　merchants；
welcome　to　the　poor。　　But　Sunday　lacked　the　transforming　touch　of
sunshine。　　The　weather　was　damp　and　cold　as　Janet　set　out　from　Fillmore
Street。　　Ditmar；　she　knew；　would　be　waiting　for　her；　he　counted　on　her；
and　she　could　not　bear　to　disappoint　him；　to　disappoint　herself。　　And　all
the　doubts　and　fears　that　from　time　to　time　had　assailed　her　were
banished　by　this　impulse　to　go　to　him；　to　be　with　him。　　He　loved　her！
The　words；　as　she　sat　in　the　trolley　car；　ran　in　her　head　like　the　lilt
of　a　song。　　What　did　the　weather　matter？

When　she　alighted　at　the　lonely　cross…roads　snow　had　already　begun　to
fall。　　But　she　spied　the　automobile；　with　its　top　raised；　some　distance
down　the　lane；　and　in　a　moment　she　was　in　it；　beside　him；　wrapped　in　the
coat　she　had　now　come　to　regard　as　her　own。　　He　buttoned　down　the
curtains　and　took　her　in　his　arms。

〃What　shall　we　do　to…day；〃　she　asked；　〃if　it　snows？〃

〃Don't　let　that　worry　you；　sweetheart；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　the　chains　on；
I　can　get　through　anything　in　this　car。〃

He　was　in　high；　almost　turbulent　spirits　as　he　turned　the　car　and　drove
it　out　of　the　rutty　lane　into　the　state　road。　　The　snow　grew　thicker　and
thicker　still；　the　world　was　blotted　out　by　swiftly　whirling；　feathery
flakes　that　melted　on　the　windshield；　and　through　the　wet　glass　Janet
caught　distorted　glimpses　of　black　pines　and　cedars　beside　the　highway。

The　ground　was　spread　with　fleece。　　Occasionally；　and　with　startling
suddenness；　other　automobiles　shot　like　dark　phantoms　out　of　the
whiteness；　and　like　phantoms　disappeared。　　Presently；　through　the　veil；
she　recognized　Sillistona　very　different　Silliston　from　that　she　had
visited　on　the　fragrant　day　in　springtime；　when　the　green　on　the　common
had　been　embroidered　with　dandelions；　and　the　great　elms　whose　bare
branches　were　now　fantastically　traced　against　the　flowing　veil　of　white…
…heavy　with　leaf。　　Vignettes　emergedonly　to　fade！of　the　old…world
houses　whose　quaint　beauty　had　fascinated　and　moved　her。　　And　she　found
herself　wondering　what　had　become　of　the　strange　man　she　had　mistaken　for
a　carpenter。　　All　that　seemed　to　have　taken