the pit-第37节

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ke　to　have　made　it　up　to　her。　　I　believe　in　making　people　happy；　Sam。　　That's　the　way　I　take　my　fun。　　But　it's　too　late　to　do　it　now　for　my　little　sister。〃

〃Well；〃　hazarded　Gretry；　〃you　got　a　good　wife　in　yonder　to〃

Jadwin　interrupted　him。　　He　half　turned　away；　thrusting　his　hands　suddenly　into　his　pockets。　　Partly　to　himself；　partly　to　his　friend　he　murmured：

〃You　bet　I　have；　you　bet　I　have。　　Sam；〃　he　exclaimed；　then　turned　away　again。　　〃。。。　　Oh；　well；　never　mind；〃　he　murmured。

Gretry；　embarrassed；　constrained；　put　his　chin　in　the　air；　shutting　his　eyes　in　a　knowing　fashion。

〃I　understand；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　understand；　J。〃

〃Say；　look　at　this　organ　here；〃　said　Jadwin　briskly。　〃Here's　the　thing　I　like　to　play　with。〃

They　crossed　to　the　other　side　of　the　room。

〃Oh；　you've　got　one　of　those　attachment　things；〃　observed　the　broker。

〃Listen　now；〃　said　Jadwin。　　He　took　a　perforated　roll　from　the　case　near　at　hand　and　adjusted　it；　Gretry　looking　on　with　the　solemn　interest　that　all　American　business　men　have　in　mechanical　inventions。　　Jadwin　sat　down　before　it；　pulled　out　a　stop　or　two；　and　placed　his　feet　on　the　pedals。　　A　vast　preliminary　roaring　breath　soughed　through　the　pipes；　with　a　vibratory　rush　of　power。　　Then　there　came　a　canorous　snarl　of　bass；　and　then；　abruptly；　with　resistless　charm；　and　with　full…bodied；　satisfying　amplitude　of　volume　the　opening　movement　of　the　overture　of　〃Carmen。〃

〃Great；　great！〃　shouted　Gretry；　his　voice　raised　to　make　himself　heard。　　〃That's　immense。〃

The　great…lunged　harmony　was　filling　the　entire　gallery；　clear　cut；　each　note　clearly；　sharply　treated　with　a　precision　that；　if　mechanical；　was　yet　effective。　　Jadwin；　his　eyes　now　on　the　stops；　now　on　the　sliding　strip　of　paper；　played　on。　　Through　the　sonorous　clamour　of　the　pipes　Gretry　could　hear　him　speaking；　but　he　caught　only　a　word　or　two。

〃Toreador　。。。　　horse　power　。。。　　Madame　Calve　。。。　electric　motor　。。。　　fine　song　。。。　　storage　battery。〃

The　〃movement　　thinned　out；　and　dwindled　to　a　strain　of　delicate　lightness；　sustained　by　the　smallest　pipes　and　developing　a　new　motive；　this　was　twice　repeated；　and　then　ran　down　to　a　series　of　chords　and　bars　that　prepared　for　and　prefigured　some　great　effect　close　at　hand。　　There　was　a　short　pause；　then　with　the　sudden　releasing　of　a　tremendous　rush　of　sound；　back　surged　the　melody；　with　redoubled　volume　and　power；　to　the　original　movement。

〃That's　bully；　bully！〃　shouted　Gretry；　clapping　his　hands；　and　his　eye；　caught　by　a　movement　on　the　other　side　of　the　room；　he　turned　about　to　see　Laura　Jadwin　standing　between　the　opened　curtains　at　the　entrance。

Seen　thus　unexpectedly；　the　broker　was　again　overwhelmed　with　a　sense　of　the　beauty　of　Jadwin's　wife。　　Laura　was　in　evening　dress　of　black　lace；　her　arms　and　neck　were　bare。　　Her　black　hair　was　piled　high　upon　her　head；　a　single　American　Beauty　rose　nodded　against　her　bare　shoulder。　　She　was　even　yet　slim　and　very　tall；　her　face　pale　with　that　unusual　paleness　of　hers　that　was　yet　a　colour。　　Around　her　slender　neck　was　a　marvellous　collar　of　pearls　many　strands　deep；　set　off　and　held　in　place　by　diamond　clasps。

With　Laura　came　Mrs。　Gretry　and　Page。　　The　broker's　wife　was　a　vivacious；　small；　rather　pretty　blonde　woman；　a　little　angular；　a　little　faded。　　She　was　garrulous；　witty；　slangy。　　She　wore　turquoises　in　her　ears　morning；　noon；　and　night。

But　three　years　had　made　a　vast　difference　in　Page　Dearborn。　　All　at　once　she　was　a　young　woman。　　Her　straight；　hard；　little　figure　had　developed；　her　arms　were　rounded；　her　eyes　were　calmer。　　She　had　grown　taller；　broader。　　Her　former　exquisite　beauty　was　perhaps　not　quite　so　delicate；　so　fine；　so　virginal；　so　charmingly　angular　and　boyish。　　There　was　infinitely　more　of　the　woman　in　it；　and　perhaps　because　of　this　she　looked　more　like　Laura　than　at　any　time　of　her　life　before。　　But　even　yet　her　expression　was　one　of　gravity；　of　seriousness。　　There　was　always　a　certain　aloofness　about　Page。　　She　looked　out　at　the　world　solemnly；　and　as　if　separated　from　its　lighter　side。　Things　humorous　interested　her　only　as　inexplicable　vagaries　of　the　human　animal。

〃We　heard　the　organ；〃　said　Laura；　〃so　we　came　in。　　I　wanted　Mrs。　Gretry　to　listen　to　it。〃



The　three　years　that　had　just　passed　had　been　the　most　important　years　of　Laura　Jadwin's　life。　　Since　her　marriage　she　had　grown　intellectually　and　morally　with　amazing　rapidity。　　Indeed；　so　swift　had　been　the　change；　that　it　was　not　so　much　a　growth　as　a　transformation。　　She　was　no　longer　the　same　half…　formed；　impulsive　girl　who　had　found　a　delight　in　the　addresses　of　her　three　lovers；　and　who　had　sat　on　the　floor　in　the　old　home　on　State　Street　and　allowed　Landry　Court　to　hold　her　hand。　　She　looked　back　upon　the　Miss　Dearborn　of　those　days　as　though　she　were　another　person。　　How　she　had　grown　since　then！　How　she　had　changed！　How　different；　how　infinitely　more　serious　and　sweet　her　life　since　then　had　become！

A　great　fact　had　entered　her　world；　a　great　new　element；　that　dwarfed　all　other　thoughts；　all　other　considerations。　　This　was　her　love　for　her　husband。　　It　was　as　though　until　the　time　of　her　marriage　she　had　walked　in　darkness；　a　darkness　that　she　fancied　was　day；　walked　perversely；　carelessly；　and　with　a　frivolity　that　was　almost　wicked。　　Then；　suddenly；　she　had　seen　a　great　light。　　Love　had　entered　her　world。　In　her　new　heaven　a　new　light　was　fixed；　and　all　other　things　were　seen　only　because　of　this　light；　all　other　things　were　touched　by　it；　tempered　by　it；　warmed　and　vivified　by　it。

It　had　seemed　to　date　from　a　certain　evening　at　their　country　house　at　Geneva　Lake　in　Wisconsin；　where　she　had　spent　her　honeymoon　with　her　husband。　　They　had　been　married　about　ten　days。　　It　was　a　July　evening；　and　they　were　quite　alone　on　board　the　little　steam　yacht　the　〃Thetis。〃　　She　remembered　it　all　very　plainly。　It　had　been　so　warm　that　she　had　not　changed　her　dress　after　dinnershe　recalled　that　it　was　of　Honiton　lace　over　old…rose　silk；　and　that　Curtis　had　said　it　was　the　prettiest　he　had　ever　seen。　　It　was　an　hour　before　midnight；　and　the　lake　was　so　still　as　to　appear　veritably　solid。　　The　moon　was　reflected　upon　the　surface　with　never　a　ripple　to　blur　its　image。　　The　sky　was　grey　with　starlight；　and　only　a　vague　bar　of　black　between　the　star　shimmer　and　the　pale　shield　of　the　water　marked　the　shore　line。　　Never　since　that　night　could　she　hear　the　call　of　whip…poor…wills　or　the　piping　of　night　frogs　that　the　scene　did　not　come　back　to　her。　　The　little　〃Thetis〃　had　throbbed　and　panted　steadily。　　At　the　door　of　the　engine　room；　the　engineerthe　grey　MacKenny；　his　back　discreetly　turnedsat　smoking　a　pipe　and　taking　the　air。　　From　time　to　time　he　would　swing　himself　into　the　engine　room；　and　the　clink　and　scrape　of　his　shovel　made　itself　heard　as　he　stoked　the　fire　vigorously。

Stretched　out　in　a　long　wicker　deck　chair；　hatless；　a　drab　coat　thrown　around　her　shoulders；　Laura　had　sat　near　her　husband；　who　had　placed　himself　upon　a　camp　stool；　where　he　could　reach　the　wheel　with　one　hand。

〃Well；〃　he　had　said　at　last；　〃are　you　glad　you　married　me；　Miss　Dearborn？〃　And　she　had　caught　him　about　the　neck　and　drawn　his　face　down　to　hers；　and　her　head　thrown　back；　their　lips　all　but　touching；　had　whispered　over　and　over　again：

〃I　love　youlove　youlove　you！〃

That　night　was　final。　　The　marriage　ceremony；　even　that　moment　in　her　room；　when　her　husband　had　taken　her　in　his　arms　and　she　had　felt　the　first　stirring　of　love　in　her　heart；　all　the　first　week　of　their　married　life　had　been　for　Laura　a　whirl；　a　blur。　　She　had　not　been　able　to　find　herself。　　Her　affection　for　her　husband　came　and　went　capriciously。　　There　were　moments　when　she　believed　herself　to　be　really　unhappy。　　Then；　all　at　once；　she　seemed　to　awake。　　Not　the　ceremony　at　St。　James；　Church；　but　that　awakening　had　been　her　marriage。　　Now　it　was　irrevocable；　she　was　her　husband's；　she　belonged　to　him　indissolubly；　forever　and　forever；　and　the　surrender　was　a　glory。　　Laura　in　that　moment　knew　that　love；　the　supreme　triumph　of　a　woman's　life；　was　less　a　victory　than　a　capitulation。

Since　then　her　happiness　had　been　perfect。　　Literally　and　truly　there　was　not　a　cloud；　not　a　mote　in　her　sunshine。　　She　had　everythingthe　love　of　her　husband；　great　wealth；　extraordinary　beauty；　perfect　health；　an　untroubled　mind；　friends；　positioneverything。　　God　had　been　good　to　her；　beyond　all　dreams　and　all　deserving。　　For　her　had　been　reserved　all　the　prizes；　all　the　guerdons；　for　her　who　had　done　nothing　to　merit　them。

Her　husband　she　knew　was　no　less　happy。　　In　those　first　three　years　after　their　marriage；　life　was　one　unending　pageant；　and　their　happiness　became　for　them　some　marvellous；　bewildering　thing；　dazzling；　resplendent；　a　strange；　glittering；　jewelled　Wonder…worker　that　suddenly　had　been　put　into　their　hands。

As　one　of　the　first　results　of　this　awakening；　Laura　reproached　herself　with　having　done　but　little　for　Page。　　She　told　herself　that　she　had　not　been　a　good　sister；　that　often　she　had　been　unjust；　quick　tempered；　and　had　made　the　little　girl　to　suffer　because　of　her　caprices。　　She　had　not　sympathised　sufficiently　with　her　small　troublesso　she　made　herself　believeand　had