part 6-第15节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
fire playing with his fans； amused him。 Mrs。 McGinnis
brought the tea and put it before the hearth： old teacups
that were velvety to the touch and a pot…bellied silver
cream pitcher of an Early Georgian pattern； which was
always brought； though Landry took rum。
Fred drank his tea walking about； examining Landry's
sumptuous writing…table in the alcove and the Boucher
drawing in red chalk over the mantel。 〃I don't see how
you can stand this place without a heroine。 It would give
me a raging thirst for gallantries。〃
Landry was helping himself to a second cup of tea。
〃Works quite the other way with me。 It consoles me for
the lack of her。 It's just feminine enough to be pleasant to
return to。 Not any more tea？ Then sit down and play for
me。 I'm always playing for other people； and I never have
a chance to sit here quietly and listen。〃
Ottenburg opened the piano and began softly to boom
forth the shadowy introduction to the opera they had just
heard。 〃Will that do？〃 he asked jokingly。 〃I can't seem
to get it out of my head。〃
〃Oh； excellently！ Thea told me it was quite wonderful；
the way you can do Wagner scores on the piano。 So few
people can give one any idea of the music。 Go ahead； as
long as you like。 I can smoke； too。〃 Landry flattened him…
self out on his cushions and abandoned himself to ease with
the circumstance of one who has never grown quite accus…
tomed to ease。
Ottenburg played on； as he happened to remember。 He
understood now why Thea wished him to hear her in
〃Rheingold。〃 It had been clear to him as soon as FRICKA
rose from sleep and looked out over the young world；
stretching one white arm toward the new Gotterburg
shining on the heights。 〃WOTAN！ GEMAHL！ ERWACHE！〃 She
was pure Scandinavian； this FRICKA： 〃Swedish summer〃！
he remembered old Mr。 Nathanmeyer's phrase。 She had
wished him to see her because she had a distinct kind of
loveliness for this part； a shining beauty like the light of
sunset on distant sails。 She seemed to take on the look
of immortal loveliness； the youth of the golden apples； the
shining body and the shining mind。 FRICKA had been a
jealous spouse to him for so long that he had forgot she
meant wisdom before she meant domestic order； and that；
in any event； she was always a goddess。 The FRICKA of
that afternoon was so clear and sunny； so nobly conceived；
that she made a whole atmosphere about herself and quite
redeemed from shabbiness the helplessness and unscrupu…
lousness of the gods。 Her reproaches to WOTAN were the
pleadings of a tempered mind； a consistent sense of beauty。
In the long silences of her part； her shining presence was a
visible complement to the discussion of the orchestra。 As
the themes which were to help in weaving the drama to its
end first came vaguely upon the ear； one saw their import
and tendency in the face of this clearest…visioned of the
gods。
In the scene between FRICKA and WOTAN； Ottenburg
stopped。 〃I can't seem to get the voices； in there。〃
Landry chuckled。 〃Don't try。 I know it well enough。
I expect I've been over that with her a thousand times。 I
was playing for her almost every day when she was first
working on it。 When she begins with a part she's hard to
work with： so slow you'd think she was stupid if you didn't
know her。 Of course she blames it all on her accompanist。
It goes on like that for weeks sometimes。 This did。 She
kept shaking her head and staring and looking gloomy。
All at once； she got her lineit usually comes suddenly；
after stretches of not getting anywhere at alland after
that it kept changing and clearing。 As she worked her voice
into it； it got more and more of that ‘gold' quality that
makes her FRICKA so different。〃
Fred began FRICKA'S first aria again。 〃It's certainly
different。 Curious how she does it。 Such a beautiful idea；
out of a part that's always been so ungrateful。 She's a
lovely thing； but she was never so beautiful as that； really。
Nobody is。〃 He repeated the loveliest phrase。 〃How does
she manage it； Landry？ You've worked with her。〃
Landry drew cherishingly on the last cigarette he meant
to permit himself before singing。 〃Oh； it's a question of a
big personalityand all that goes with it。 Brains； of
course。 Imagination； of course。 But the important thing
is that she was born full of color； with a rich personality。
That's a gift of the gods； like a fine nose。 You have it； or
you haven't。 Against it； intelligence and musicianship
and habits of industry don't count at all。 Singers are a
conventional race。 When Thea was studying in Berlin the
other girls were mortally afraid of her。 She has a pretty
rough hand with women； dull ones； and she could be rude；
too！ The girls used to call her DIE WOLFIN。〃
Fred thrust his hands into his pockets and leaned back
against the piano。 〃Of course； even a stupid woman
could get effects with such machinery： such a voice and
body and face。 But they couldn't possibly belong to a
stupid woman； could they？〃
Landry shook his head。 〃It's personality； that's as near
as you can come to it。 That's what constitutes real equip…
ment。 What she does is interesting because she does it。
Even the things she discards are suggestive。 I regret some
of them。 Her conceptions are colored in so many different
ways。 You've heard her ELIZABETH？ Wonderful； isn't it？
She was working on that part years ago when her mother
was ill。 I could see her anxiety and grief getting more
and more into the part。 The last act is heart…breaking。
It's as homely as a country prayer meeting： might be
any lonely woman getting ready to die。 It's full of the
thing every plain creature finds out for himself； but that
never gets written down。 It's unconscious memory； maybe；
inherited memory； like folk…music。 I call it personality。〃
Fred laughed； and turning to the piano began coaxing
the FRICKA music again。 〃Call it anything you like； my
boy。 I have a name for it myself； but I shan't tell you。〃
He looked over his shoulder at Landry； stretched out by
the fire。 〃You have a great time watching her； don't
you？〃
〃Oh； yes！〃 replied Landry simply。 〃I'm not interested
in much that goes on in New York。 Now； if you'll excuse
me； I'll have to dress。〃 He rose with a reluctant sigh。
〃Can I get you anything？ Some whiskey？〃
〃Thank you； no。 I'll amuse myself here。 I don't often
get a chance at a good piano when I'm away from home。
You haven't had this one long； have you？ Action's a bit
stiff。 I say；〃 he stopped Landry in the doorway； 〃has
Thea ever been down here？〃
Landry turned back。 〃Yes。 She came several times
when I had erysipelas。 I was a nice mess； with two
nurses。 She brought down some inside window…boxes；
planted with crocuses and things。 Very cheering； only I
couldn't see them or her。〃
〃Didn't she like your place？〃
〃She thought she did； but I fancy it was a good deal
cluttered up for her taste。 I could hear her pacing about
like something in a cage。 She pushed the piano back
against the wall and the chairs into corners； and she broke
my amber elephant。〃 Landry took a yellow object some
four inches high from one of his low bookcases。 〃You can
see where his leg is glued on；a souvenir。 Yes； he's
lemon amber； very fine。〃
Landry disappeared behind the curtains and in a moment
Fred heard the wheeze of an atomizer。 He put the amber
elephant on the piano beside him and seemed to get a great
deal of amusement out of the beast。
IX
WHEN Archie and Ottenburg dined with Thea on
Saturday evening； they were served downstairs in
the hotel dining…room； but they were to have their coffee
in her own apartment。 As they were going up in the ele…
vator after dinner； Fred turned suddenly to Thea。 〃And
why； please； did you break Landry's amber elephant？〃
She looked guilty and began to laugh。 〃Hasn't he got
over that ye
