the game-第4节

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from　any　he　had　ever　known。　　She　was　not　as　other　girls。　　It　never

entered　his　head　that　she　was　of　the　same　clay　as　his　own　sisters；

or　anybody's　sister。　　She　was　more　than　mere　girl；　than　mere　woman。

She　waswell；　she　was　Genevieve；　a　being　of　a　class　by　herself；

nothing　less　than　a　miracle　of　creation。



And　for　her；　in　turn；　there　was　in　him　but　little　less　of　illusion。

Her　judgment　of　him　in　minor　things　might　be　critical　（while　his

judgment　of　her　was　sheer　worship；　and　had　in　it　nothing　critical　at

all）；　but　in　her　judgment　of　him　as　a　whole　she　forgot　the　sum　of

the　parts；　and　knew　him　only　as　a　creature　of　wonder；　who　gave

meaning　to　life；　and　for　whom　she　could　die　as　willingly　as　she

could　live。　　She　often　beguiled　her　waking　dreams　of　him　with

fancied　situations；　wherein；　dying　for　him；　she　at　last　adequately

expressed　the　love　she　felt　for　him；　and　which；　living；　she　knew　she

could　never　fully　express。



Their　love　was　all　fire　and　dew。　　The　physical　scarcely　entered　into

it；　for　such　seemed　profanation。　　The　ultimate　physical　facts　of

their　relation　were　something　which　they　never　considered。　　Yet　the

immediate　physical　facts　they　knew；　the　immediate　yearnings　and

raptures　of　the　fleshthe　touch　of　finger　tips　on　hand　or　arm；　the

momentary　pressure　of　a　hand…clasp；　the　rare　lip…caress　of　a　kiss；

the　tingling　thrill　of　her　hair　upon　his　cheek；　of　her　hand　lightly

thrusting　back　the　locks　from　above　his　eyes。　　All　this　they　knew；

but　also；　and　they　knew　not　why；　there　seemed　a　hint　of　sin　about

these　caresses　and　sweet　bodily　contacts。



There　were　times　when　she　felt　impelled　to　throw　her　arms　around　him

in　a　very　abandonment　of　love；　but　always　some　sanctity　restrained

her。　　At　such　moments　she　was　distinctly　and　unpleasantly　aware　of

some　unguessed　sin　that　lurked　within　her。　　It　was　wrong；

undoubtedly　wrong；　that　she　should　wish　to　caress　her　lover　in　so

unbecoming　a　fashion。　　No　self…respecting　girl　could　dream　of　doing

such　a　thing。　　It　was　unwomanly。　　Besides；　if　she　had　done　it；　what

would　he　have　thought　of　it？　　And　while　she　contemplated　so　horrible

a　catastrophe；　she　seemed　to　shrivel　and　wilt　in　a　furnace　of　secret

shame。



Nor　did　Joe　escape　the　prick　of　curious　desires；　chiefest　among

which；　perhaps；　was　the　desire　to　hurt　Genevieve。　　When；　after　long

and　tortuous　degrees；　he　had　achieved　the　bliss　of　putting　his　arm

round　her　waist；　he　felt　spasmodic　impulses　to　make　the　embrace

crushing；　till　she　should　cry　out　with　the　hurt。　　It　was　not　his

nature　to　wish　to　hurt　any　living　thing。　　Even　in　the　ring；　to　hurt

was　never　the　intention　of　any　blow　he　struck。　　In　such　case　he

played　the　Game；　and　the　goal　of　the　Game　was　to　down　an　antagonist

and　keep　that　antagonist　down　for　a　space　of　ten　seconds。　　So　he

never　struck　merely　to　hurt；　the　hurt　was　incidental　to　the　end；　and

the　end　was　quite　another　matter。　　And　yet　here；　with　this　girl　he

loved；　came　the　desire　to　hurt。　　Why；　when　with　thumb　and　forefinger

he　had　ringed　her　wrist；　he　should　desire　to　contract　that　ring　till

it　crushed；　was　beyond　him。　　He　could　not　understand；　and　felt　that

he　was　discovering　depths　of　brutality　in　his　nature　of　which　he　had

never　dreamed。



Once；　on　parting；　he　threw　his　arms　around　her　and　swiftly　drew　her

against　him。　　Her　gasping　cry　of　surprise　and　pain　brought　him　to

his　senses　and　left　him　there　very　much　embarrassed　and　still

trembling　with　a　vague　and　nameless　delight。　　And　she；　too；　was

trembling。　　In　the　hurt　itself；　which　was　the　essence　of　the

vigorous　embrace；　she　had　found　delight；　and　again　she　knew　sin；

though　she　knew　not　its　nature　nor　why　it　should　be　sin。



Came　the　day；　very　early　in　their　walking　out；　when　Silverstein

chanced　upon　Joe　in　his　store　and　stared　at　him　with　saucer…eyes。

Came　likewise　the　scene；　after　Joe　had　departed；　when　the　maternal

feelings　of　Mrs。　Silverstein　found　vent　in　a　diatribe　against　all

prize…fighters　and　against　Joe　Fleming　in　particular。　　Vainly　had

Silverstein　striven　to　stay　the　spouse's　wrath。　　There　was　need　for

her　wrath。　　All　the　maternal　feelings　were　hers　but　none　of　the

maternal　rights。



Genevieve　was　aware　only　of　the　diatribe；　she　knew　a　flood　of　abuse

was　pouring　from　the　lips　of　the　Jewess；　but　she　was　too　stunned　to

hear　the　details　of　the　abuse。　　Joe；　her　Joe；　was　Joe　Fleming　the

prize…fighter。　　It　was　abhorrent；　impossible；　too　grotesque　to　be

believable。　　Her　clear…eyed；　girl…cheeked　Joe　might　be　anything　but

a　prize…fighter。　　She　had　never　seen　one；　but　he　in　no　way　resembled

her　conception　of　what　a　prize…fighter　must　bethe　human　brute　with

tiger　eyes　and　a　streak　for　a　forehead。　　Of　course　she　had　heard　of

Joe　Flemingwho　in　West　Oakland　had　not？but　that　there　should　be

anything　more　than　a　coincidence　of　names　had　never　crossed　her

mind。



She　came　out　of　her　daze　to　hear　Mrs。　Silverstein's　hysterical

sneer；　〃keepin'　company　vit　a　bruiser。〃　　Next；　Silverstein　and　his

wife　fell　to　differing　on　〃noted〃　and　〃notorious〃　as　applicable　to

her　lover。



〃But　he　iss　a　good　boy；〃　Silverstein　was　contending。　　〃He　make　der

money；　an'　he　safe　der　money。〃



〃You　tell　me　dat！〃　Mrs。　Silverstein　screamed。　　〃Vat　you　know？　　You

know　too　much。　　You　spend　good　money　on　der　prize…fighters。　　How　you

know？　　Tell　me　dat！　　How　you　know？〃



〃I　know　vat　I　know；〃　Silverstein　held　on　sturdilya　thing　Genevieve

had　never　before　seen　him　do　when　his　wife　was　in　her　tantrums。

〃His　fader　die；　he　go　to　work　in　Hansen's　sail…loft。　　He　haf　six

brudders　an'　sisters　younger　as　he　iss。　　He　iss　der　liddle　fader。

He　vork　hard；　all　der　time。　　He　buy　der　pread　an'　der　meat；　an'　pay

der　rent。　　On　Saturday　night　he　bring　home　ten　dollar。　　Den　Hansen

gif　him　twelve　dollarvat　he　do？　　He　iss　der　liddle　fader；　he　bring

it　home　to　der　mudder。　　He　vork　all　der　time；　he　get　twenty　dollar

vat　he　do？　　He　bring　it　home。　　Der　liddle　brudders　an'　sisters　go　to

school；　vear　good　clothes；　haf　better　pread　an'　meat；　der　mudder　lif

fat；　dere　iss　joy　in　der　eye；　an'　she　iss　proud　of　her　good　boy　Joe。



〃But　he　haf　der　beautiful　bodyach；　Gott；　der　beautiful　body！

stronger　as　der　ox；　k…vicker　as　der　tiger…cat；　der　head　cooler　as

der　ice…box；　der　eyes　vat　see　eferytings；　k…vick；　just　like　dat。　　He

put　on　der　gloves　vit　der　boys　at　Hansen's　loft；　he　put　on　der

gloves　vit　de　boys　at　der　varehouse。　　He　go　before　der　club；　he

knock　out　der　Spider；　k…vick；　one　punch；　just　like　dat；　der　first

time。　　Der　purse　iss　five　dollarvat　he　do？　　He　bring　it　home　to

der　mudder。



〃He　go　many　times　before　der　clubs；　he　get　many　pursesten　dollar；

fifty　dollar；　one　hundred　dollar。　　Vat　he　do？　　Tell　me　dat！　　Quit

der　job　at　Hansen's？　　Haf　der　good　time　vit　der　boys？　　No；　no；　he

iss　der　good　boy。　　He　vork　efery　day。　　He　fight　at　night　before　der

clubs。　　He　say；　'Vat　for　I　pay　der　rent；　Silverstein？'to　me；

Silverstein；　he　say　dat。　　Nefer　mind　vat　I　say；　but　he　buy　der　good

house　for　der　mudder。　　All　der　time　he　vork　at　Hansen's　and　fight

before　der　clubs　to　pay　for　der　house。　　He　buy　der　piano　for　der

sisters；　der　carpets；　der　pictures　on　der　vall。　　An'　he　iss　all　der

time　straight。　　He　bet　on　himselfdat　iss　der　good　sign。　　Ven　der

man　bets　on　himself　dat　is　der　time　you　bet　too〃



Here　Mrs。　Silverstein　groaned　her　horror　of　gambling；　and　her

husband；　aware　that　his　eloquence　had　betrayed　him；　collapsed　into

voluble　assurances　that　he　was　ahead　of　the　game。　　〃An'　all　because

of　Joe　Fleming；〃　he　concluded。　　〃I　back　him　efery　time　to　vin。〃



But　Genevieve　and　Joe　were　preeminently　mated；　and　nothing；　not　even

this　terrible　discovery；　could　keep　them　apart。　　In　vain　Genevieve

tried　to　steel　herself　against　him；　but　she　fought　herself；　not　him。

To　her　surprise　she　discovered　a　thousand　excuses　for　him；　found　him

lovable　as　ever；　and　she　entered　into　his　life　to　be　his　destiny；

and　to　control　him　after　the　way　of　women。　　She　saw　his　future　and

hers　through　glowing　vistas　of　reform；　and　her　first　great　deed　was

when　she　wrung　from　him　his　promise　to　cease　fighting。



And　he；　after　the　way　of　men；　pursuing　the　dream　of　love　and

striving　for　possession　of　the　precious　and　deathless　object　of

desire；　had　yielded。　　And　yet；　in　the　very　moment　of　promising　her；

he　knew　vaguely；　deep　down；　that　he　could　never　abandon　the　Game；

that　somewhere；　sometime；　in　the　future；　he　must　go　back　to　it。　　And

he　had　had　a　swift　vision　of　his　mother　and　brothers　and　sisters；

their　multitudinous　wants；　the　house　with　its　painting　and

repairing；　its　street　assessments　and　taxes；　and　of　the　coming　of

children　to　him　and　Genevieve；　and　of　his　own　daily　wage　in　the

sail…making　loft。　　But　the　next　moment　the　vision　was　dismissed；　as

such　warnings　are　always　dismissed；　and　he　saw　before　him　only

Genevieve；　and　he　knew　only　his　hunger　for　her　and　the　call　of　his

being　to　her；　and　he　accepted　calmly　her　calm　assumption　of　his　life

and　act