the ways of men(人们的手段)-第15节
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〃Next morning the hotel proprietor appeared with my coffee； and after
hesitating a moment； remarked： ‘Well； we made a success of it last night。
It has been telegraphed to all the capitals of Europe！ I hope you will not
think a thousand francs too much； considering the advertisement！' In blank
amazement； I asked what he meant。 ‘I mean the triumphal progress；' he
answered。 ‘I thought you understood！ We always organize one for the
〃stars〃 who visit Venice。 The men who carried your chair last night were
the waiters from the hotels。 We hire them on account of their dress clothes'！
Think of the disillusion；〃 added Calve； laughing； 〃and my disgust； when I
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thought of myself naively throwing kisses and flowers to a group of Swiss
garcons at fifteen francs a head。 There was nothing to do； however； but
pay the bill and swallow my chagrin！〃
How many pretty women do you suppose would tell such a joke upon
themselves？ Another story she told us is characteristic of her peasant
neighbors。
〃When I came back here after my first season in St。 Petersburg and
London the CURE requested me to sing at our local fete。 I gladly
consented； and； standing by his side on the steps of the MAIRIE； gave the
great aria from the HUGUENOTS in my best manner。 To my astonishment
the performance was received in complete silence。 ‘Poor Calve；' I heard an
old friend of my mother's murmur。 ‘Her voice used to be so nice； and now
it's all gone！' Taking in the situation at a glance； I threw my voice well up
into my nose and started off on a well…known provincial song； in the shrill
falsetto of our peasant women。 The effect was instantaneous！ Long before
the end the performance was drowned in thunders of applause。 Which
proves that to be popular a singer must adapt herself to her audience。〃
Luncheon over； we repaired for cigarettes and coffee to an upper room；
where Calve was giving Dagnan…Bouveret some sittings for a portrait； and
lingered there until four o'clock； when our hostess left us for her siesta；
and a 〃break〃 took those who cared for the excursion across the valley to
inspect the ruins of a Roman bath。 A late dinner brought us together again
in a small dining room； the convalescents having eaten their simple meal
and disappeared an hour before。 During this time； another transformation
had taken place in our mercurial hostess！ It was the Calve of Paris； Calve
the witch； Calve the CAPITEUSE； who presided at the dainty； flower…
decked table and led the laughing conversation。
A few notes struck on a guitar by one of the party； as we sat an hour
later on the moonlit terrace； were enough to start off the versatile artist；
who was in her gayest humor。 She sang us stray bits of opera； alternating
her music with scenes burlesqued from recent plays。 No one escaped her
inimitable mimicry； not even the 〃divine Sarah；〃 Calve giving us an
unpayable impersonation of the elderly TRAGEDIENNE as Lorenzaccio；
the boy hero of Alfred de Musset's drama。 Burlesquing led to her dancing
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some Spanish steps with an abandon never attempted on the stage！ Which
in turn gave place to an imitation of an American whistling an air from
CARMEN； and some 〃coon songs〃 she had picked up during her stay at
New York。 They； again； were succeeded by a superb rendering of the
imprecation from Racine's CAMILLE； which made her audience realize
that in gaining a soprano the world has lost； perhaps； its greatest
TRAGEDIENNE。
At eleven o'clock the clatter of hoofs in the court warned us that the
pleasant evening had come to an end。 A journalist EN ROUTE for Paris
was soon installed with me in the little omnibus that was to take us to the
station； Calve herself lighting our cigars and providing the wraps that were
to keep out the cool night air。
As we passed under the low archway of the entrance amid a clamor of
〃adieu〃 and 〃au revoir；〃 the young Frenchman at my side pointed up to a
row of closed windows overhead。 〃Isn't it a lesson；〃 he said； 〃for all of us；
to think of the occupants of those little rooms； whom the generosity and
care of that gracious artist are leaning by such pleasant paths back to
health and courage for their toilsome lives？〃
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CHAPTER 11 … A Cry For Fresh
Air
〃ONCE upon a time；〃 reads the familiar nursery tale； while the fairies；
invited by a king and queen to the christening of their daughter； were
showering good gifts on the baby princess； a disgruntled old witch； whom
no one had thought of asking to the ceremony； appeared uninvited on the
scene and revenged herself by decreeing that the presents of the good
fairies； instead of proving beneficial； should bring only trouble and
embarrassment to the royal infant。
A telling analogy might be drawn between that unhappy princess over
whose fate so many youthful tears have been shed； and the condition of
our invention…ridden country； for we see every day how the good gifts of
those nineteenth century fairies； Science and Industry； instead of proving
blessings to mankind； are being turned by ignorance and stupidity into
veritable afflictions。
If a prophetic gentleman had told Louis Fourteenth's shivering
courtiers … whom an iron etiquette forced on winter mornings into the
（appropriately named） Galerie des Glaces； stamping their silk…clad feet
and blowing on their blue fingers； until the king should appear … that
within a century and a half one simple discovery would enable all classes
of people to keep their shops and dwellings at a summer temperature
through the severest winters； the half…frozen nobles would have flouted the
suggestion as an 〃iridescent dream；〃 a sort of too…good… to…be…true
prophecy。
What was to those noblemen an unheard…of luxury has become within
the last decade one of the primary necessities of our life。
The question arises now： Are we gainers by the change？ Has the
indiscriminate use of heat been of advantage； either mentally or physically；
to the nation？
The incubus of caloric that sits on our gasping country is particularly
painful at this season； when nature undertakes to do her own heating。
In other less…favored lands； the first spring days； the exquisite
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awakening of the world after a long winter； bring to the inhabitants a
sensation of joy and renewed vitality。 We； however； have discounted that
enjoyment。 Delicate gradations of temperature are lost on people who
have been stewing for six months in a mixture of steam and twice…
breathed air。
What pleasure can an early April day afford the man who has slept in
an over…heated flat and is hurrying to an office where eighty degrees is the
average all the year round？ Or the pale shop…girl； who complains if a
breath of morning air strays into the suburban train where she is seated？
As people who habitually use such 〃relishes〃 as Chutney and
Worcestershire are incapable of appreciating delicately prepared food； so
the 〃soft〃 mortals who have accustomed themselves to a perpetual August
are insensible to fine shadings of temperature。
The other day I went with a friend to inspect some rooms he had been
decorating in one of our public schools。 The morning had been frosty； but
by eleven o'clock the sun warmed the air uncomfortably。 On entering the
school we were met by a blast of heated air that was positively staggering。
In the recitation rooms； where； as in all New York schoolrooms； the
children were packed like dominoes in a box； the temperature could not
have been under eighty…five。
The pale； spectacled spinster in charge； to whom
