whirligigs-第42节

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set　up　his　translated　pride　and　glory；　where；　also；　the

arrogant　don　had　swaggered；　and　dreamed　of　gold　and

grants　and　ladies'　gloves。　　Every　flagstone　has　its　grooves

worn　by　footsteps　going　royally　to　the　wooing　and　the

fighting。　　Every　house　has　a　princely　heartbreak；　each

doorway　its　untold　tale　of　gallant　promise　and　slow　decay。



By　night　the　Rue　Chartres　is　now　but　a　murky　fissure；

from　which　the　groping　wayfarer　sees；　flung　against　the

sky；　the　tangled　filigree　of　Moorish　iron　balconies。　　Ths

old　houses　of　monsieur　stand　yet；　indomitable　against　the

century；　but　their　essence　is　gone。　　The　street　is　one　of

ghosts　to　whosoever　can　see　them。



A　faint　heartbeat　of　the　street's　ancient　glory　still　sur…

vives　in　a　corner　occupied　by　the　Caf？Carabine　d'Or。

Once　men　gathered　there　to　plot　against　kings；　and　to

warn　presidents。　　They　do　so　yet；　but　they　are　not　the

same　kind　of　men。　　A　brass　button　will　scatter　these；

those　would　have　set　their　faces　against　an　army。　　Above

the　door　hangs　the　sign　board；　upon　which　has　been

depicted　a　vast　animal　of　unfamiliar　species。　　In　the　act

of　firing　upon　this　monster　is　represented　an　unobtrusive

human　levelling　an　obtrusive　gun；　once　the　colour　of

bright　gold。　　Now　the　legend　above　the　picture　is　faded

beyond　conjecture；　the　gun's　relation　to　the　title　is　a

matter　of　faith；　the　menaced　animal；　wearied　of　the　long

aim　of　the　hunter；　has　resolved　itself　into　a　shapeless　blot。



The　place　is　known　as　〃Antonio's；〃　as　the　name；　white

upon　the　red…lit　transparency；　and　gilt　upon　the　windows；

attests。　　There　is　a　promise　in　〃Antonio〃；　a　justifiable

expectancy　of　savoury　things　in　oil　and　pepper　and　wine；

and　perhaps　an　angel's　whisper　of　garlic。　　But　the　rest

of　the　name　is　〃O'Riley。〃　　Antonio　O'Riley！



The　Carabine　d'Or　is　an　ignominious　ghost　of　the　Rue

Chartres。　　The　caf？where　Bienville　and　Conti　dined；

where　a　prince　has　broken　bread；　is　become　a　〃family

ristaurant。〃



Its　customers　are　working　men　and　women；　almost　to

a　unit。　　Occasionally　you　will　see　chorus　girls　from　the

cheaper　theatres；　and　men　who　follow　avocations　sub…

ject　to　quick　vicissitudes；　but　at　Antonio's　　name　rich

in　Bohemian　promise；　but　tame　in　fulfillment　　manners

debonair　and　gay　are　toned　down　to　the　〃family〃　stand…

ard。　　Should　you　light　a　cigarette；　mine　host　will　touch

you　on　the　〃arrum〃　and　remind　you　that　the　proprieties

are　menaced。　　〃Antonio〃　entices　and　beguiles　from　fiery

legend　without；　but　〃O'Riley〃　teaches　decorum　within。



It　was　at　this　restaurant　that　Lorison　first　saw　the　girl。

A　flashy　fellow　with　a　predatory　eye　had　followed　her　in；

and　had　advanced　to　take　the　other　chair　at　the　little　table

where　she　stopped；　but　Lorison　slipped　into　the　seat　before

him。　　Their　acquaintance　began；　and　grew；　and　how　for

two　months　they　had　sat　at　the　same　table　each　evening；

not　meeting　by　appointment；　but　as　if　by　a　series　of

fortuitous　and　happy　accidents。　　After　dining；　they

would　take　a　walk　together　in　one　of　the　little　city　parks；

or　among　the　panoramic　markets　where　exhibits　a　con…

tinuous　vaudeville　of　sights　and　sounds。　　Always　at　eight

o'clock　their　steps　led　them　to　a　certain　street　corner；

where　she　prettily　but　firmly　bade　him　good　night　and

left　him。　　〃I　do　not　live　far　from　here；〃　she　frequently

said；　〃and　you　must　let　me　go　the　rest　of　the　way　alone。〃



But　now　Lorison　had　discovered　that　he　wanted　to　go

the　rest　of　the　way　with　her；　or　happiness　would　depart；

leaving；　him　on　a　very　lonely　corner　of　life。　　And　at　the

same　time　that　he　made　the　discovery；　the　secret　of　his

banishment　from　the　society　of　the　good　laid　its　finger

in　his　face　and　told　him　it　must　not　be。



Man　is　too　thoroughly　an　egoist　not　to　be　also　an　egotist；

if　he　love；　the　object　shall　know　it。　　During　a　lifetime　he

may　conceal　it　through　stress　of　expediency　and　honour；

but　it　shall　bubble　from　his　dying　lips；　though　it　disrupt

a　neighbourhood。　　It　is　known；　however；　that　most　men

do　not　wait　so　long　to　disclose　their　passion。　　In　the　case

of　Lorison；　his　particular　ethics　positively　forbade　him

to　declare　his　sentiments；　but　he　must　needs　dally　with

the　subject；　and　woo　by　innuendo　at　least。



On　this　night；　after　the　usual　meal　at　the　Carabine

d'Or；　he　strolled　with　his　companion　down　the　dim　old

street　toward　the　river



The　Rue　Chartres　perishes　in　the　old　Place　d'Armes。

The　ancient　Cabildo；　where　Spanish　justice　fell　like　hail；

faces　it；　and　the　Cathedral；　another　provincial　ghost；

overlooks　it。　　Its　centre　is　a　little；　iron…railed　park　of

flowers　and　immaculate　gravelled　walks；　where　citizens

take　the　air　of　evenings。　　Pedestalled　high　above　it；　the

general　sits　his　cavorting　steed；　with　his　face　turned

stonily　down　the　river　toward　English　Turn；　whence

come　no　more　Britons　to　bombard　his　cotton　bales。



Often　the　two　sat　in　this　square；　but　to…night　Lorison

guided　her　past　the　stone…stepped　gate；　and　still　riverward。

As　they　walked；　he　smiled　to　himself　to　think　that　all

he　knew　of　her　　except　that　be　loved　her　　was　her

name；　Norah　Greenway；　and　that　she　lived　with　her

brother。　　They　had　talked　about　everything　except

themselves。　　Perhaps　her　reticence　had　been　caused　by　his。



They　came；　at　length；　upon　the　levee；　and　sat　upon　a

great；　prostrate　beam。　　The　air　was　pungent　with　the

dust　of　commerce。　　The　great　river　slipped　yellowly

past。　　Across　it　Algiers　lay；　a　longitudinous　black　bulk

against　a　vibrant　electric　haze　sprinkled　with　exact　stars。



The　girl　was　young　and　of　the　piquant　order。　　A　certain

bright　melancholy　pervaded　her；　she　possessed　an

untarnished；　pale　prettiness　doomed　to　please。　　Her

voice；　when　she　spoke；　dwarfed　her　theme。　　It　was　the

voice　capable　of　investing　little　subjects　with　a　large

interest。　　She　sat　at　ease；　bestowing　her　skirts　with　the

little　womanly　touch；　serene　as　if　the　begrimed　pier　were

a　summer　garden。　　Lorison　poked　the　rotting　boards

with　his　cane。



He　began　by　telling　her　that　he　was　in　love　with　some

one　to　whom　he　durst　not　speak　of　it。　　〃And　why　not？〃

she　asked；　accepting　swiftly　his　fatuous　presentation　of

a　third　person　of　straw。　　〃My　place　in　the　world；〃　he

answered；　〃is　none　to　ask　a　woman　to　share。　　I　am　an

outcast　from　honest　people；　I　am　wrongly　accused　of

one　crime；　and　am；　I　believe；　guilty　of　another。〃



Thence　he　plunged　into　the　story　of　his　abdication　from

society。　　The　story；　pruned　of　his　moral　philosophy；

deserves　no　more　than　the　slightest　touch。　　It　is　no　new

tale；　that　of　the　gambler's　declension。　　During　one

night's　sitting　he　lost；　and　then　had　imperilled　a　certain

amount　of　his　employer's　money；　which；　by　accident；　he

carried　with　him。　　He　continued　to　lose；　to　the　last　wager；

and　then　began　to　gain；　leaving　the　game　winner　to　a

somewhat　formidable　sum。　　The　same　night　his

employer's　safe　was　robbed。　　A　search　was　had；　the

winnings　of　Lorison　were　found　in　his　room；　their　total

forming　an　accusative　nearness　to　the　sum　purloined。

He　was　taken；　tried　and；　through　incomplete　evidence；

released；　smutched　with　the　sinister　devoirs　of　a　dis…

agreeing　jury。



〃It　is　not　in　the　unjust　accusation；〃　he　said　to　the　girl；

〃that　my　burden　lies；　but　in　the　knowledge　that　from　the

moment　I　staked　the　first　dollar　of　the　firm's　money　I

was　a　criminal　　no　matter　whether　I　lost　or　won。　　You

see　why　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　speak　of　love　to　her。〃



〃It　is　a　sad　thing；〃　said　Norah；　after　a　little　pause。

〃to　think　what　very　good　people　there　are　in　the　world。〃



〃Good？〃　　said　Lorison。



〃I　was　thinking　of　this　superior　person　whom　you

say　you　love。　　She　must　be　a　very　poor　sort　of　creature。〃



〃I　do　not　understand。〃



〃Nearly；〃　she　continued；　〃as　poor　a　sort　of　creature

as　yourself。〃



〃You　do　not　understand；〃　　　　　　　　said　Lorison；　removing　his

hat　and　sweeping　back　his　fine；　light　hair。　　〃Suppose

she　loved　me　in　return；　and　were　willing　to　marry　me。

Think；　if　you　can；　what　would　follow。　　Never　a　day

Would　pass　but　she　would　be　reminded　of　her　sacrifice。

I　would　read　a　condescension　in　her　smile；　a　pity　even　in

her　affection；　that　would　madden　me。　　No。　　The　thing

would　stand　between　us　forever。　　Only　equals　should

mate。　　I　could　never　ask　her　to　come　down　upon　my

lower　plane。〃



An　arc　light　faintly　shone　upon　Lorison's　face。　　An

illumination　from　within　also　pervaded　it。　　The　girl

saw　the　rapt；　ascetic　look；　it　was　the　face　either　of　Sir

Galahad　or　Sir　Fool。



〃Quite　starlike；〃　she　said；　〃is　this　unapproachable

angel。　　Really　too　high　to　be　grasped。〃



〃By　me；　yes。〃



She　faced　him　suddenly。　　〃My　dear　friend；　would　you

prefer　your　star　fallen？〃　　Lorison　made　a　wide　gesture。



〃You　push　me　to　the　bald　fact；〃　he　declared；　〃you

are　not　in　sympathy　with　my　argument。　　But　I　will

answer　you　so。　　If　I　could　reach　my　particular　star；　to

drag　it