merton of the movies-第59节

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Truck　driver？　It　appeared　that　Miss　Montague　was　actually　applying　this　term　to　the　New　York　society　girl　who　in　private　life　was　burdened　with　an　ailing　family。　He　explained　now　that　Mr。　Baird　had　not　considered　her　ideal　for　the　part；　but　had　chosen　her　out　of　kindness。

Again　there　flickered　far　back　in　her　eyes　those　lights　that　baffled　him。　There　was　incredulity　in　her　look；　but　she　seemed　to　master　it。

〃But　I　think　it　was　wonderful　of　you；〃　he　continued；　〃to　write　that　beautiful　scene。　It's　a　strong　scene；　Sarah。　I　didn't　know　you　could　write；　too。　It's　as　good　as　anything　Tessie　Kearns　ever　did；　and　she's　written　a　lot　of　strong　scenes。〃

Miss　Montague　seemed　to　struggle　with　some　unidentified　emotion。　After　a　long；　puzzling　gaze　she　suddenly　said：　〃Merton　Gill；　you　come　right　here　with　all　that　make…up　on　and　give　mother　a　good　big　kiss！〃

Astonishingly　to　himself；　he　did　so　in　the　full　light　of　day　and　under　the　eyes　of　one　of　the　New　York　villains　who　had　been　pretending　that　he　walked　a　tight…rope　across　the　yard。　After　he　had　kissed　the　girl；　she　seized　him　by　both　arms　and　shook　him。　〃I'd　ought　to　have　been　using　my　own　face　in　that　scene；〃　she　said。　Then　she　patted　his　shoulder　and　told　him　that　he　was　a　good　boy。

The　pretending　tight…rope　walker　had　paused　to　applaud。　〃Your　act's　flopping；　Bo；〃　said　Miss　Montague。　〃Work　fast。〃　Then　she　again　addressed　the　good　boy：　〃Wait　till　you've　watched　that　scene　before　you　thank　me；〃　she　said　shortly。

〃But　it's　a　strong　scene；〃　he　insisted。

〃Yes；〃　she　agreed。　〃It's　strong。〃

He　told　her　of　the　other　instance　of　Baird's　kindness　of　heart。

〃You　know　I　was　a　little　afraid　of　playing　scenes　with　the　cross…　eyed　man；　but　Mr。　Baird　said　he　was　trying　so　hard　to　do　serious　work；　so　I　wouldn't　have　him　discharged。　But　shouldn't　you　think　he'd　save　up　and　have　his　eyes　straightened？　Does　he　get　a　very　small　salary？〃

The　girl　seemed　again　to　be　harassed　by　conflicting　emotions；　but　mastered　them　to　say；　〃I　don't　know　exactly　what　it　is；　but　I　guess　he　draws　down　about　twelve　fifty　a　week。〃

〃Only　twelve　dollars　and　fifty　cents　a　week！〃

〃Twelve　hundred　and　fifty；〃　said　the　girl　firmly。

〃Twelve　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　a　week！〃　This　was　monstrous；　incredible。　〃But　then　why　doesn't　he　have　his　eyes〃

Miss　Montague　drew　him　to　her　with　both　her　capable　arms。　〃My　boy；　my　boy！〃　she　murmured；　and　upon　his　painted　forehead　she　now　imprinted　a　kiss　of　deep　reverence。　〃Run　along　and　play；〃　she　ordered。　〃You're　getting　me　all　nervous。〃　Forthwith　she　moved　to　the　centre　of　the　yard　where　the　tight…rope　walker　still　endangered　his　life　above　the　heads　of　a　vast　audience。

She　joined　him。　She　became　a　performer　on　the　slack　wire。　With　a　parasol　to　balance　her；　she　ran　to　the　centre　of　an　imaginary　wire　that　swayed　perilously；　and　she　swung　there；　cunningly　maintaining　a　precarious　balance。　Then　she　sped　back　to　safety　at　the　wire's　end；　threw　down　her　parasol；　caught　the　handkerchief　thrown　to　her　by　the　first　performer；　and　daintily　touched　her　face　with　it；　breathing　deeply　the　while　and　bowing。

He　thought　Sarah　was　a　strange　child〃One　minute　one　thing　and　the　next　minute　something　else。〃




CHAPTER　XVII

MISS　MONTAGUE　USES　HER　OWN　FACE


Work　on　the　piece　dragged　slowly　to　an　end。　In　these　latter　days　the　earnest　young　leading　man　suffered　spells　of　concern　for　his　employer。　He　was　afraid　that　Mr。　Baird　in　his　effort　to　struggle　out　of　the　slough　of　low　comedy　was　not　going　to　be　wholly　successful。　He　had　begun　to　note　that　the　actors　employed　for　this　purpose　were　not　invariably　serious　even　when　the　cameras　turned。　Or；　if　serious；　they　seemed　perhaps　from　the　earnestness　of　their　striving　for　the　worth…while　drama；　to　be　a　shade　too　serious。　They　were　often；　he　felt；　over…emphatic　in　their　methods。　Still；　they　were；　he　was　certain；　good　actors。　One　could　always　tell　what　they　meant。

It　was　at　these　times　that　he　especially　wished　he　might　be　allowed　to　view　the　〃rushes。〃　He　not　only　wished　to　assure　himself　for　Baird's　sake　that　the　piece　would　be　acceptably　serious；　but　he　wished；　with　a　quite　seemly　curiosity；　to　view　his　own　acting　on　the　screen。　It　occurred　to　him　that　he　had　been　acting　a　long　time　without　a　glimpse　of　himself。　But　Baird　had　been　singularly　firm　in　this　matter；　and　the　Montague　girl　had　sided　with　him。　It　was　best；　they　said；　for　a　beginning　actor　not　to　see　himself　at　first。　It　might　affect　his　method　before　this　had　crystallized；　make　them　self…conscious；　artificial。

He　was　obliged　to　believe　that　these　well…wishers　of　his　knew　best。　He　must　not；　then；　trifle　with　a　screen　success　that　seemed　assured。　He　tried　to　be　content　with　this　decision。　But　always　the　misgivings　would　return。　He　would　not　be　really　content　until　he　had　watched　his　own　triumph。　Soon　this　would　be　so　securely　his　privilege　that　not　even　Baird　could　deny　it；　for　the　first　piece　in　which　he　had　worked　was　about　to　be　shown。　He　looked　forward　to　that。

It　was　toward　the　end　of　the　picture　that　his　intimacy　with　the　Montague　girl　grew　to　a　point　where；　returning　from　location　to　the　studio　late；　they　would　dine　together。　〃Hurry　and　get　ungreased；　Son；〃　she　would　say；　〃and　you　can　take　an　actress　out　to　dinner。〃　Sometimes　they　would　patronize　the　cafeteria　on　the　lot；　but　oftener；　in　a　spirit　of　adventure；　they　would　search　out　exotic　restaurants。　A　picture　might　follow；　after　which　by　street…car　he　would　escort　her　to　the　Montague　home　in　a　remote；　flat　region　of　palm…lined　avenues　sparsely　set　with　new　bungalows。

She　would　disquiet　him　at　these　times　by　insisting　that　she　pay　her　share　of　the　expense；　and　she　proved　to　have　no　mean　talent　for　petty　finance；　for　she　remembered　every　item　down　to　the　street…car　fares。　Even　to　Merton　Gill　she　seemed　very　much　a　child　once　she　stepped　from　the　domain　of　her　trade。　She　would　stare　into　shop　windows　wonderingly；　and　never　failed　to　evince　the　most　childish　delight　when　they　ventured　to　dine　at　an　establishment　other　than　a　cafeteria。

At　times　when　they　waited　for　a　car　after　these　dissipations　he　suffered　a　not　unpleasant　alarm　at　sight　of　a　large…worded　advertisement　along　the　back　of　a　bench　on　which　they　would　sit。　〃You　furnish　the　Girl；　We　furnish　the　House；〃　screamed　the　bench　to　him　above　the　name　of　an　enterprising　tradesman　that　came　in　time　to　bite　itself　deeply　into　his　memory。

Of　course　it　would　be　absurd；　but　stranger　things；　he　thought；　had　happened。　He　wondered　if　the　girl　was　as　afraid　of　him　as　of　other　men。　She　seemed　not　to　be；　but　you　couldn't　tell　much　about　her。　She　had　kissed　him　one　day　with　a　strange　warmth　of　manner；　but　it　had　been　quite　publicly　in　the　presence　of　other　people。　When　he　left　her　at　her　door　now　it　was　after　the　least　sentimental　of　partings；　perhaps　a　shake　of　her　hard　little　hand；　or　perhaps　only　a　〃S'long　see　you　at　the　show…shop！〃

It　was　on　one　of　these　nights　that　she　first　invited　him　to　dine　with　the　Montague　family。　〃I　tried　last　night　to　get　you　on　the　telephone；〃　she　explained；　〃but　they　kept　giving　me　someone　else；　or　maybe　I　called　wrong。　Ain't　these　six…figured　Los　Angeles　telephone　numbers　the　limit？　When　you　call　208972　or　something；　it　sounds　like　paging　a　box…car。　I　was　going　to　ask　you　over。　Ma　had　cooked　a　lovely　mess　of　corned　beef　and　cabbage。　Anyway；　you　come　eat　with　us　to…morrow　night；　will　you？　She'll　have　something　else　cooked　up　that　will　stick　to　the　merry　old　slats。　You　can　come　home　with　me　when　we　get　in　from　work。〃

So　it　was　that　on　the　following　night　he　enjoyed　a　home　evening　with　the　Montagues。　Mrs。　Montague　had　indeed　cooked　up　something　else；　and　had　done　it　well；　while　Mr。　Montague　offered　at　the　sideboard　a　choice　of　amateur　distillations　and　brews　which　he　warmly　recommended　to　the　guest。　While　the　guest　timidly　considered；　having　had　but　the　slightest　experience　with　intoxicants；　it　developed　that　the　confidence　placed　in　his　product　by　the　hospitable　old　craftsman　was　not　shared　by　his　daughter。

〃Keep　off　it；〃　she　warned；　and　then　to　her　father；　〃Say；　listen；　Pa；　have　a　heart；　that　boy's　got　to　work　to…morrow。〃　〃So　be　it；　my　child；〃　replied　Mr。　Montague　with　a　visible　stiffening　of　manner。　〃Sylvester　Montague　is　not　the　man　to　urge　strong　drink　upon　the　reluctant　or　the　over…cautious。　I　shall　drink　my　aperatif　alone。〃

〃Go　to　it；　old　Pippin；〃　rejoined　his　daughter　as　she　vanished　to　the　kitchen。

〃Still；　a　little　dish　of　liquor　at　this　hour；〃　continued　the　host　suggestively　when　they　were　alone。

〃Well〃Merton　wished　the　girl　had　stayed〃perhaps　just　a　few　drops。〃

〃Precisely；　my　boy；　precisely。　A　mere　dram。〃　He　poured　the　mere　dram　and　his　guest　drank。　It　was　a　colourless；　fiery　stuff　with　an　elusive　taste　of　metal。　Merton　contrived　an　expression　of　pleasure　under　the　searching　glance　of　his　host。　〃Ah；　I　knew　you　would　relish　it。　I　fancy　I　could　amaze　you　if　I　told　you　how　recently　it　was　made。　Now　here〃He　grasped　another　bottle　purposely〃is　something　a　full　ten　days　older。　It　has　developed　quite　a　bouquet。　Just　a　drop〃

The　guest　graciously　yet　firmly　waved　a　negation。

〃Thanks；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　want　to　enjoy　the　lastitit　has　so　much　flavour。〃

〃It　has；　it　has；　indeed。　I'll　not　urge　you；　of