part 6-第4节
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marrying has looked pretty grave to me for a long while。
How have they the courage to keep on doing it？ It de…
presses me now to buy wedding presents。〃 For some time
the doctor watched his guest； who was sunk in bitter reflec…
tions。 〃Such things used to go better than they do now；
I believe。 Seems to me all the married people I knew when
I was a boy were happy enough。〃 He paused again and bit
the end off a fresh cigar。 〃You never saw Thea's mother；
did you； Ottenburg？ That's a pity。 Mrs。 Kronborg was a
fine woman。 I've always been afraid Thea made a mistake；
not coming home when Mrs。 Kronborg was ill； no matter
what it cost her。〃
Ottenburg moved about restlessly。 〃She couldn't；
Archie； she positively couldn't。 I felt you never under…
stood that； but I was in Dresden at the time； and though
I wasn't seeing much of her； I could size up the situation
for myself。 It was by just a lucky chance that she got to
sing ELIZABETH that time at the Dresden Opera； a complica…
tion of circumstances。 If she'd run away； for any reason；
she might have waited years for such a chance to come
again。 She gave a wonderful performance and made a
great impression。 They offered her certain terms； she had
to take them and follow it up then and there。 In that game
you can't lose a single trick。 She was ill herself； but she
sang。 Her mother was ill； and she sang。 No； you mustn't
hold that against her； Archie。 She did the right thing
there。〃 Ottenburg drew out his watch。 〃Hello！ I must be
traveling。 You hear from her regularly？〃
〃More or less regularly。 She was never much of a letter…
writer。 She tells me about her engagements and contracts；
but I know so little about that business that it doesn't
mean much to me beyond the figures； which seem very
impressive。 We've had a good deal of business correspond…
ence； about putting up a stone to her father and mother；
and； lately； about her youngest brother； Thor。 He is with
me now； he drives my car。 To…day he's up at the mine。〃
Ottenburg； who had picked up his overcoat； dropped it。
〃Drives your car？〃 he asked incredulously。
〃Yes。 Thea and I have had a good deal of bother about
Thor。 We tried a business college； and an engineering
school； but it was no good。 Thor was born a chauffeur
before there were cars to drive。 He was never good for any…
thing else； lay around home and collected postage stamps
and took bicycles to pieces； waiting for the automobile to
be invented。 He's just as much a part of a car as the steer…
ing…gear。 I can't find out whether he likes his job with me or
not； or whether he feels any curiosity about his sister。 You
can't find anything out from a Kronborg nowadays。 The
mother was different。〃
Fred plunged into his coat。 〃Well； it's a queer world；
Archie。 But you'll think better of it； if you go to New
York。 Wish I were going with you。 I'll drop in on you
in the morning at about eleven。 I want a word with you
about this Interstate Commerce Bill。 Good…night。〃
Dr。 Archie saw his guest to the motor which was waiting
below； and then went back to his library； where he replen…
ished the fire and sat down for a long smoke。 A man of
Archie's modest and rather credulous nature develops late；
and makes his largest gain between forty and fifty。 At
thirty； indeed； as we have seen； Archie was a soft…hearted
boy under a manly exterior； still whistling to keep up his
courage。 Prosperity and large responsibilitiesabove all；
getting free of poor Mrs。 Archiehad brought out a good
deal more than he knew was in him。 He was thinking to…
night as he sat before the fire； in the comfort he liked so
well； that but for lucky chances； and lucky holes in the
ground； he would still be a country practitioner； reading
his old books by his office lamp。 And yet； he was not so
fresh and energetic as he ought to be。 He was tired of
business and of politics。 Worse than that； he was tired of
the men with whom he had to do and of the women who；
as he said； had been kind to him。 He felt as if he were still
hunting for something； like old Jasper Flight。 He knew
that this was an unbecoming and ungrateful state of mind；
and he reproached himself for it。 But he could not help
wondering why it was that life； even when it gave so much；
after all gave so little。 What was it that he had expected
and missed？ Why was he； more than he was anything else；
disappointed？
He fell to looking back over his life and asking himself
which years of it he would like to live over again；just
as they had been；and they were not many。 His college
years he would live again； gladly。 After them there was
nothing he would care to repeat until he came to Thea
Kronborg。 There had been something stirring about those
years in Moonstone； when he was a restless young man on
the verge of breaking into larger enterprises； and when she
was a restless child on the verge of growing up into some…
thing unknown。 He realized now that she had counted for
a great deal more to him than he knew at the time。 It was
a continuous sort of relationship。 He was always on the
lookout for her as he went about the town； always vaguely
expecting her as he sat in his office at night。 He had never
asked himself then if it was strange that he should find a
child of twelve the most interesting and companionable
person in Moonstone。 It had seemed a pleasant； natural
kind of solicitude。 He explained it then by the fact that
he had no children of his own。 But now； as he looked back
at those years； the other interests were faded and inani…
mate。 The thought of them was heavy。 But wherever his
life had touched Thea Kronborg's； there was still a little
warmth left； a little sparkle。 Their friendship seemed to
run over those discontented years like a leafy pattern； still
bright and fresh when the other patterns had faded into
the dull background。 Their walks and drives and confi…
dences； the night they watched the rabbit in the moon…
light；why were these things stirring to remember？
Whenever he thought of them； they were distinctly dif…
ferent from the other memories of his life； always seemed
humorous； gay； with a little thrill of anticipation and mys…
tery about them。 They came nearer to being tender secrets
than any others he possessed。 Nearer than anything else
they corresponded to what he had hoped to find in the
world； and had not found。 It came over him now that the
unexpected favors of fortune； no matter how dazzling； do
not mean very much to us。 They may excite or divert us
for a time； but when we look back； the only things we cher…
ish are those which in some way met our original want； the
desire which formed in us in early youth； undirected； and
of its own accord。
III
FOR the first four years after Thea went to Germany
things went on as usual with the Kronborg family。
Mrs。 Kronborg's land in Nebraska increased in value and
brought her in a good rental。 The family drifted into an
easier way of living； half without realizing it； as families
will。 Then Mr。 Kronborg； who had never been ill； died sud…
denly of cancer of the liver； and after his death Mrs。
Kronborg went； as her neighbors said； into a decline。
Hearing discouraging reports of her from the physician
who had taken over his practice； Dr。 Archie went up from
Denver to see her。 He found her in bed； in the room where
he had more than once attended her； a handsome woman
of sixty with a body still firm and white； her hair； faded
now to a very pale primrose； in two thick braids down her
back； her eyes clear and calm。 When the doctor arrived；
she was sitting up in her bed； knitting。 He felt at once how
glad she was to see him； but he soon gathered that she had
made no determination to get well。 She told him； indeed；
that she could not very well get along without Mr。 Kron…
borg。 The doctor looked at her with astonishment。 Was
it possible that she could miss the foolish old man so much？
He reminded her of her children。
〃Yes；〃 she replied； 〃the children are a
