part 6-第7节
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could make nothing of it。 Then the King sang to her； and
Archie began to remember where they were in the story。
She came to the front of the stage； lifted her eyes for the
first time； clasped her hands and began； 〃EINSAM IN TRUBEN
TAGEN。〃
Yes； it was exactly like buck…fever。 Her face was there；
toward the house now； before his eyes； and he positively
could not see it。 She was singing； at last； and he positively
could not hear her。 He was conscious of nothing but an
uncomfortable dread and a sense of crushing disappoint…
ment。 He had； after all； missed her。 Whatever was there；
she was not therefor him。
The King interrupted her。 She began again； 〃IN LICHTER
WAFFEN SCHEINE。〃 Archie did not know when his buck…
fever passed； but presently he found that he was sitting
quietly in a darkened house； not listening to but dreaming
upon a river of silver sound。 He felt apart from the others；
drifting alone on the melody； as if he had been alone with it
for a long while and had known it all before。 His power of
attention was not great just then； but in so far as it went
he seemed to be looking through an exalted calmness at a
beautiful woman from far away； from another sort of life
and feeling and understanding than his own； who had in her
face something he had known long ago； much brightened
and beautified。 As a lad he used to believe that the faces
of people who died were like that in the next world； the
same faces； but shining with the light of a new understand…
ing。 No； Ottenburg had not prepared him！
What he felt was admiration and estrangement。 The
homely reunion； that he had somehow expected； now
seemed foolish。 Instead of feeling proud that he knew her
better than all these people about him； he felt chagrined
at his own ingenuousness。 For he did not know her better。
This woman he had never known； she had somehow de…
voured his little friend； as the wolf ate up Red Ridinghood。
Beautiful； radiant； tender as she was； she chilled his old
affection； that sort of feeling was not appropriate。 She
seemed much； much farther away from him than she had
seemed all those years when she was in Germany。 The
ocean he could cross； but there was something here he
could not cross。 There was a moment； when she turned to
the King and smiled that rare； sunrise smile of her child…
hood； when he thought she was coming back to him。 After
the HERALD'S second call for her champion； when she knelt
in her impassioned prayer； there was again something
familiar； a kind of wild wonder that she had had the power
to call up long ago。 But she merely reminded him of Thea；
this was not the girl herself。
After the tenor came on； the doctor ceased trying to
make the woman before him fit into any of his cherished
recollections。 He took her； in so far as he could； for what
she was then and there。 When the knight raised the
kneeling girl and put his mailed hand on her hair； when she
lifted to him a face full of worship and passionate humility；
Archie gave up his last reservation。 He knew no more
about her than did the hundreds around him； who sat in
the shadow and looked on； as he looked； some with more
understanding； some with less。 He knew as much about
ORTRUDE or LOHENGRIN as he knew about ELSAmore； be…
cause she went further than they； she sustained the leg…
endary beauty of her conception more consistently。 Even
he could see that。 Attitudes； movements； her face； her
white arms and fingers； everything was suffused with a
rosy tenderness； a warm humility； a gracious and yet
to himwholly estranging beauty。
During the balcony singing in the second act the doctor's
thoughts were as far away from Moonstone as the singer's
doubtless were。 He had begun； indeed； to feel the exhila…
ration of getting free from personalities； of being released
from his own past as well as from Thea Kronborg's。 It was
very much； he told himself； like a military funeral； exalting
and impersonal。 Something old died in one； and out of it
something new was born。 During the duet with ORTRUDE；
and the splendors of the wedding processional； this new
feeling grew and grew。 At the end of the act there were
many curtain calls and ELSA acknowledged them； brilliant；
gracious； spirited； with her far…breaking smile； but on the
whole she was harder and more self…contained before the
curtain than she was in the scene behind it。 Archie did his
part in the applause that greeted her； but it was the new
and wonderful he applauded； not the old and dear。 His
personal； proprietary pride in her was frozen out。
He walked about the house during the ENTR'ACTE； and here
and there among the people in the foyer he caught the
name 〃Kronborg。〃 On the staircase； in front of the coffee…
room； a long…haired youth with a fat face was discoursing
to a group of old women about 〃die Kronborg。〃 Dr。 Archie
gathered that he had crossed on the boat with her。
After the performance was over； Archie took a taxi and
started for Riverside Drive。 He meant to see it through
to…night。 When he entered the reception hall of the hotel
before which he had strolled that morning； the hall porter
challenged him。 He said he was waiting for Miss Kronborg。
The porter looked at him suspiciously and asked whether
he had an appointment。 He answered brazenly that he
had。 He was not used to being questioned by hall boys。
Archie sat first in one tapestry chair and then in another；
keeping a sharp eye on the people who came in and went
up in the elevators。 He walked about and looked at his
watch。 An hour dragged by。 No one had come in from the
street now for about twenty minutes； when two women en…
tered； carrying a great many flowers and followed by a tall
young man in chauffeur's uniform。 Archie advanced to…
ward the taller of the two women； who was veiled and
carried her head very firmly。 He confronted her just as
she reached the elevator。 Although he did not stand di…
rectly in her way； something in his attitude compelled her
to stop。 She gave him a piercing； defiant glance through
the white scarf that covered her face。 Then she lifted her
hand and brushed the scarf back from her head。 There
was still black on her brows and lashes。 She was very pale
and her face was drawn and deeply lined。 She looked； the
doctor told himself with a sinking heart； forty years old。
Her suspicious； mystified stare cleared slowly。
〃Pardon me；〃 the doctor murmured； not knowing just
how to address her here before the porters； 〃I came up
from the opera。 I merely wanted to say good…night to
you。〃
Without speaking； still looking incredulous； she pushed
him into the elevator。 She kept her hand on his arm while
the cage shot up； and she looked away from him； frowning；
as if she were trying to remember or realize something。
When the cage stopped； she pushed him out of the elevator
through another door； which a maid opened； into a square
hall。 There she sank down on a chair and looked up at
him。
〃Why didn't you let me know？〃 she asked in a hoarse
voice。
Archie heard himself laughing the old； embarrassed
laugh that seldom happened to him now。 〃Oh； I wanted
to take my chance with you； like anybody else。 It's been
so long； now！〃
She took his hand through her thick glove and her head
dropped forward。 〃Yes； it has been long；〃 she said in the
same husky voice； 〃and so much has happened。〃
〃And you are so tired； and I am a clumsy old fellow to
break in on you to…night；〃 the doctor added sympathetic…
ally。 〃Forgive me； this time。〃 He bent over and put his
hand soothingly on her shoulder。 He felt a strong shudder
run through her from head to foot。
Still bundled in her fur coat as she was； she threw both
arms about him and hugged him。 〃Oh； Dr。 Archie；
DR。 ARCHIE；〃she shook him；〃don't let me go。 Hold
on； now you're here；〃 she laughed； breaking away from
him at the same moment and sliding out of her fur coat。
She left it for the maid to pick up and pushed the doctor
into the sitting…room； where she turned on the lights。 〃Let
me LOOK at
