the fortunes of oliver horn-第61节

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ring　the　day　and　a　shelter　for　the　night；　had　hardly　been　conscious　of　what　they　wanted　until　the　club　had　extended　to　them　its　congenial　surroundings。

On　the　trio　of　painters　we　knew　best　in　the　old　days　these　privations　and　the　uncertainties　and　　disappointments　of　the　war　had　left　their　indelible　mark。　You　became　aware　of　this　when　you　saw　them　among　their　fellow…workers。　About　Fred's　temples　many　tell…tale　gray　hairs　were　mingled　with　the　brown；　and　about　his　mouth　and　eyes　were　deeper　lines　than　those　which　hard　work　alone　would　have　cut。　He　carried　a　hole；　too；　in　his　right　armor　did　until　the　army　surgeon　sewed　it　upyou　could　see　it　as　a　blue　scar　every　time　he　rolled　up　his　sleevea　slight　souvenir　　of　the　Battle　of　Five　Forks。　It　was　bored　out　by　a　bullet　from　the　hands　of　a　man　in　gray　when　Fred；　dropping　his　sketch…book；　had　bent　to　drag　a　wounded　soldier　from　under　an　overturned　caisson。　He　carried　no　scar；　however；　in　his　heart。　That　organ　beat　with　as　keen　a　sympathy　and　as　warm　a　spirit　of　camaraderie　as　it　did　when　it　first　opened　itself　to　Oliver's　miseries　in　Union　Square。

Jack　Bedford；　gaunt　and　strong　of　limb；　looking　a　foot　taller；　had　more　than　once　been　compelled　to　lay　down　his　painter's　palette　and　take　up　the　sign…　painter's　brush；　and　the　tell…tale　wrinkles　about　his　eyes　and　the　set　look　about　his　mouth　testified　but　too　plainly　to　the　keenness　of　his　sufferings。

And　Oliver

Ah！　what　of　Oliver；　and　of　the　changes　in　him　since　that　fatal　night　in　Kennedy　Square　when　he　had　been　driven　away　from　his　home　and　made　an　outcast　　because　he　had　been　brave　enough　to　defend　a　helpless　man？

You　can　see　at　a　glance；　as　you　watch　him　standing　by　the　big　easel；　his　coat　off；　to　give　his　arm　freer　play；　squeezing　the　tubes　of　color　on　his　palette；　that　he　is　not　the　boy　you　knew　some　years　ago。　He　is；　you　will　admit；　as　strong　and　alert…looking　as　he　was　that　morning　when　he　cleared　the　space　in　front　of　Margaret's　　brother　with　a　cart…rung。　You　will　concede；　too；　that　the　muscles　about　his　chest　and　throat　are　as　firmly　packed；　the　eyes　as　keen；　and　the　smile　as　winning；　but　you　will　acknowledge　that　the　boy　in　him　ends　there。　As　you　look　the　closer　you　will　note　that　the　line　of　the　jaw　is　more　cleanly　cut　than　in　his　younger　days；　that　the　ears　are　set　closer　to　the　finely　modelled　head；　that　the　nose　is　more　aquiline；　the　eyes　deeper；　and　that　the　overhanging　brow　is　wrinkled　with　one　or　more　tight　knots　that　care　has　tied；　and　which　only　loosen　when　his　face　breaks　into　one　of　his　old…time　smiles。　The　mustache　is　still　there　the　one　which　Sue　once　laughed　at；　but　it　has　lost　its　silky　curl　and　stands　straight　out　now　from　the　corners　of　his　mouth；　its　points　reaching　almost　to　the　line　of　his　ears。　There　is；　too；　beneath　it　a　small　imperial；　giving　to　his　face　the　debonair　look　of　a　　cavalier；　and　which　accentuates　more　than　any　other　one　thing　his　Southern　birth　and　training。　As　you　follow　the　subtle　outlines　of　his　body　you　find　too；　that　he　is　better　proportioned　than　he　was　in　his　early　manhood；　thinner　around　the　waist；　broader　across　the　shoulders；　pressed　into　a　closer　mold；　more　compact；　　more　determined…looking。　But　for　the　gleam　that　now　and　then　flashes　out　of　his　laughing　eyes　and　the　winning　smile　that　plays　about　his　mouth；　you　would；　perhaps；　think　that　the　years　of　hardship　through　which　he　has　passed　have　hardened　his　nature。　　But　you　would　be　wrong　about　the　hardening　process；　although　you　would　have　been　entirely　right　about　the　hardship。

They　had；　indeed；　been　years　of　intense　suffering；　full　of　privations；　self…denial；　and　disappointments；　not　only　in　his　New　York　home　but　in　Kennedy　Square；　whenever　at　long　intervals　he　had　gone　back　to　the　old　house　to　cheer　its　inmates　in　their　loneliness　a　loneliness　relieved　only　by　the　loyalty　of　old　Malachi　and　Hannah　and　the　affection　and　sympathy　of　their　immediate　relatives　and　of　such　close　friends　as　Amos　Cobb；　who　had　never　left　his　post；　Miss　　Clendenning；　Dr。　Wallace；　Nathan　and　some　others。　But　this　sympathy　had　not　always　been　extended　to　Olivernot；　by　his　old　schoolmates　and　chums　at　least。　Even　Sue　had　passed　him　in　the　street　with　a　cold　stare　and　not　a　few　of　the　other　girlsgirls　he　had　romped　with　many　a　night　through　the　cool　paths　of　Kennedy　Square；　had　drawn　their　skirts　aside　as　he　passed　lest　he　should　foul　them　with　his　touch。

But　his　courage　had　not　wavered　nor　had　his　strength　failed　him。　The　same　qualities　that　had　made　Richard　stick　to　the　motor　were　in　his　own　blood。　His　delicately　modelled　slender　fingers；　white　as　ivory；　and　as　sure　as　a　pair　of　callipers　so　like　his　father'sand　which　as　we　watch　him　work　so　deftly　arranging　the　colors　on　his　palette；　adjusting　the　oil…cup；　trying　the　points　of　the　brushes　on　his　thumb…nail；　gathering　them　in　a　sheaf　in　his　left　hand　as　they　answer　his　purpose；　had　served　him　in　more　ways　than　one　since　he　took　that　midnight　ride　back　from　his　old　home　in　Kennedy　Square。　These　same　hands　that　look　so　white　and　well…kept　as　he　stands　by　his　easel　in　the　full　glare　of　the　gas…jets；　had　been　his　sole　reliance　during　these　days　of　toil　and　suffering。　They　had　provided　all　the　bread　that　had　gone　into　his　mouth；　and　every　stitch　of　clothes　that　had　covered　his　back。　And　they　had　not　been　over…particular　as　to　how　they　had　accomplished　　it　nor　at　what　hours　or　places。　They　had　cleaned　lithographic　stones；　the　finger…nails　stained　for　weeks　with　colored　inks；　they　had　packed　hardware；　　they　had　driven　a　pen　far　into　the　night　on　space　work　for　the　daily　papers；　they　had　carried　a　dinner…pail　to　and　from　his　lodgings　to　the　factory　two　miles　away　where　he　had　workedvery　little　in　this　pail　some　of　the　time；　they　had　posted　ledgers；　　made　office…fires；　swept　out　storesanything　and　everything　that　his　will　compelled；　and　his　　necessities　made　imperative。　And　they　had　done　it　all　forcefully　and　willingly；　with　the　persistence　and　sureness　of　machines　accomplishing　a　certain　output　in　so　many　hours。　Joyfully　too；　sustained　and　encouraged　by　the　woman　he　loved　and　whose　heart　through　all　his　and　her　vicissitudes　was　still　his　own。

All　this　had　strengthened　him；　had　taught　him　that　any　kind　of　work；　no　matter　how　menial；　was　worthy　of　a　gentleman；　so　long　as　his　object　was　obtained　in　this　case　his　independence　and　his　livelihood。　It　had　been　a　bitter　experience　at　first；　especially　for　a　Southerner　brought　up　as　he　had　been；　but　he　had　mastered　it　at　last。　His　early　training　had　helped　him；　especially　that　part　which　he　owed　to　his　mother；　who　had　made　him　carry　the　market…basket　as　a　boy；　to　humble　a　foolish　and　hurtful　pride。　He　was　proud　enough　of　it　now。

But　never　through　all　these　privations　had　these　same　white　hands　and　this　tired　body　and　brain　been　so　occupied　that　they　could　not　find　time　during　some　one　of　the　hours　of　the　day　and　night　to　wield　the　brush；　no　matter　how　urgent　had　been　the　call　for　the　week's　boardwielding　it；　too；　so　lovingly　and　knowingly；　and　with　such　persistency；　that　to…night　although　still　poorhe　stood　recognized　as　a　rising　man　by　the　men　in　the　front　rank　of　the　painters　of　his　time。

And　with　his　mother's　consent；　too。　Not　that　he　had　asked　it　in　so　many　words　and　stood　hesitating；　fearing　to　take　the　divergent　path　until　he　could　take　her　willing　blessing　with　him。　He　had　made　his　decision　firmly　and　against　her　wishes。　She　had　kept　silent　at　first；　and　had　watched　his　progress　as　she　had　watched　his　baby　steps；　tearfullyprayerfully　at　timesstanding　ready　to　catch　him　if　he　fell。　But　that　was　over　now。　The　bigness　of　her　vision　covering　　margins　wide　enough　for　new　impressions；　impressions　　which　her　broad　mind；　great　enough　and　honest　enough　to　confess　its　mistakes；　always　welcomed　　and　understood；　had　long　since　made　clear　to　her　what　in　her　early　anxiety　she　had　ignored：　that　if　her　son　had　inherited　the　creative　and　imaginative　gifts　of　his　father　（those　gifts　which　she　so　little　understood）；　he　had　also　inherited　from　her　a　certain　spirit　of　determination；　together　　with　that　practical　turn　of　mind　which　had　given　the　men　of　her　own　family　their　eminence。　In　proof　of　this　she　could　not　but　see　that　the　instability　which　she　had　so　dreaded　in　his　earlier　years　had　given　way　to　a　certain　fixedness　of　purpose　and　firm　self…reliance。　The　thought　of　this　thrilled　her　as　nothing　else　in　his　whole　career　had　ever　done。　All　these　things　helped　reconcile　her　to　his　choice　of　a　profession。

Oliver；　now　thoroughly　warm　and　dry；　busied　himself　　getting　his　brushes　and　paints　together　and　scraping　off　one　of　Fred's　palettes。　Bianchi's　bald　head　and　fat；　red；　smooth…shaven　face　with　its　double　chintime　had　not　dealt　leniently　with　the　distinguished　lithographerhad　inspired　our　hero　to　attempt　　a　〃Franz　Hals　smear；〃　as　Waller　called　it；　and　the　Pole；　when　he　arrived；　was　to　sit　for　him　in　the　costume　of　an　old　Dutch　burgomaster；　the　big　white　ruff　furnishing　the　high　lights　in　the　canvas。

By　the　time　Oliver　had　arranged　his　palette　the　club　had　settled　itself　for　work；　the　smoke　from　the　pipes　floating　in　long　lines　toward　the　ceiling；　befogging　　the　big　white　albatross　that　hung　from　a　wire　in　the　skylight。　Munson；　who　had　rubbed　in　a　background　　of