the titan-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　secretary。　　This　girl　had　blossomed　forth　into　something　exceptional；　as　American　children　of　foreign　parents　are　wont　to　do。　　You　would　have　scarcely　believed　that　she；　with　her　fine；　lithe　body；　her　good　taste　in　dress；　her　skill　in　stenography；　bookkeeping；　and　business　details；　could　be　the　daughter　of　a　struggling　Pole；　who　had　first　worked　in　the　Southwest　Chicago　Steel　Mills；　and　who　had　later　kept　a　fifth…rate　cigar；　news；　and　stationery　store　in　the　Polish　district；　the　merchandise　of　playing…cards　and　a　back　room　for　idling　and　casual　gaming　being　the　principal　reasons　for　its　existence。　　Antoinette；　whose　first　name　had　not　been　Antoinette　at　all；　but　Minka　（the　Antoinette　having　been　borrowed　by　her　from　an　article　in　one　of　the　Chicago　Sunday　papers）；　was　a　fine　dark；　brooding　girl；　ambitious　and　hopeful；　who　ten　days　after　she　had　accepted　her　new　place　was　admiring　Cowperwood　and　following　his　every　daring　movement　with　almost　excited　interest。　　To　be　the　wife　of　such　a　man；　she　thoughtto　even　command　his　interest；　let　alone　his　affection　must　be　wonderful。　　After　the　dull　world　she　had　knownit　seemed　dull　compared　to　the　upper；　rarefied　realms　which　she　was　beginning　to　glimpse　through　himand　after　the　average　men　in　the　real…estate　office　over　the　way　where　she　had　first　worked；　Cowperwood；　in　his　good　clothes；　his　remote　mood；　his　easy；　commanding　manner；　touched　the　most　ambitious　chords　of　her　being。　　One　day　she　saw　Aileen　sweep　in　from　her　carriage；　wearing　warm　brown　furs；　smart　polished　boots；　a　street…suit　of　corded　brown　wool；　and　a　fur　toque　sharpened　and　emphasized　by　a　long　dark…red　feather　which　shot　upward　like　a　dagger　or　a　quill　pen。　　Antoinette　hated　her。　　She　conceived　herself　to　be　better；　or　as　good　at　least。　　Why　was　life　divided　so　unfairly？　What　sort　of　a　man　was　Cowperwood；　anyhow？　One　night　after　she　had　written　out　a　discreet　but　truthful　history　of　himself　which　he　had　dictated　to　her；　and　which　she　had　sent　to　the　Chicago　newspapers　for　him　soon　after　the　opening　of　his　brokerage　office　in　Chicago；　she　went　home　and　dreamed　of　what　he　had　told　her；　only　altered；　of　course；　as　in　dreams。　　She　thought　that　Cowperwood　stood　beside　her　in　his　handsome　private　office　in　La　Salle　Street　and　asked　her：

〃Antoinette；　what　do　you　think　of　me？〃　Antoinette　was　nonplussed；　but　brave。　　In　her　dream　she　found　herself　intensely　interested　in　him。

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　what　to　think。　　I'm　so　sorry；〃　was　her　answer。　　Then　he　laid　his　hand　on　hers；　on　her　cheek；　and　she　awoke。　　She　began　thinking；　what　a　pity；　what　a　shame　that　such　a　man　should　ever　have　been　in　prison。　　He　was　so　handsome。　　He　had　been　married　twice。　　Perhaps　his　first　wife　was　very　homely　or　very　mean…spirited。　She　thought　of　this；　and　the　next　day　went　to　work　meditatively。　Cowperwood；　engrossed　in　his　own　plans；　was　not　thinking　of　her　at　present。　　He　was　thinking　of　the　next　moves　in　his　interesting　gas　war。　　And　Aileen；　seeing　her　one　day；　merely　considered　her　an　underling。　　The　woman　in　business　was　such　a　novelty　that　as　yet　she　was　declasse。　　Aileen　really　thought　nothing　of　Antoinette　at　all。

Somewhat　over　a　year　after　Cowperwood　had　become　intimate　with　Mrs。　Sohlberg　his　rather　practical　business　relations　with　Antoinette　Nowak　took　on　a　more　intimate　color。　　What　shall　we　say　of　this　that　he　had　already　wearied　of　Mrs。　Sohlberg？　Not　in　the　least。　He　was　desperately　fond　of　her。　　Or　that　he　despised　Aileen；　whom　he　was　thus　grossly　deceiving？　Not　at　all。　　She　was　to　him　at　times　as　attractive　as　everperhaps　more　so　for　the　reason　that　her　self…imagined　rights　were　being　thus　roughly　infringed　upon。　He　was　sorry　for　her；　but　inclined　to　justify　himself　on　the　ground　that　these　other　relationswith　possibly　the　exception　of　Mrs。　Sohlhergwere　not　enduring。　　If　it　had　been　possible　to　marry　Mrs。　Sohlberg　he　might　have　done　so；　and　he　did　speculate　at　times　as　to　whether　anything　would　ever　induce　Aileen　to　leave　him；　but　this　was　more　or　less　idle　speculation。　　He　rather　fancied　they　would　live　out　their　days　together；　seeing　that　he　was　able　thus　easily　to　deceive　her。　　But　as　for　a　girl　like　Antoinette　Nowak；　she　figured　in　that　braided　symphony　of　mere　sex　attraction　which　somehow　makes　up　that　geometric　formula　of　beauty　which　rules　the　world。　　She　was　charming　in　a　dark　way；　beautiful；　with　eyes　that　burned　with　an　unsatisfied　fire；　and　Cowperwood；　although　at　first　only　in　the　least　moved　by　her；　became　by　degrees　interested　in　her；　wondering　at　the　amazing；　transforming　power　of　the　American　atmosphere。

〃Are　your　parents　English；　Antoinette？〃　he　asked　her；　one　morning；　with　that　easy　familiarity　which　he　assumed　to　all　underlings　and　minor　intellectsan　air　that　could　not　be　resented　in　him；　and　which　was　usually　accepted　as　a　compliment。

Antoinette；　clean　and　fresh　in　a　white　shirtwaist；　a　black　walking…skirt；　a　ribbon　of　black　velvet　about　her　neck；　and　her　long；　black　hair　laid　in　a　heavy　braid　low　over　her　forehead　and　held　close　by　a　white　celluloid　comb；　looked　at　him　with　pleased　and　grateful　eyes。　　She　had　been　used　to　such　different　types　of　menthe　earnest；　fiery；　excitable；　sometimes　drunken　and　swearing　men　of　her　childhood；　always　striking；　marching；　praying　in　the　Catholic　churches；　and　then　the　men　of　the　business　world；　crazy　over　money；　and　with　no　understanding　of　anything　save　some　few　facts　about　Chicago　and　its　momentary　possibilities。　　In　Cowperwood's　office；　taking　his　letters　and　hearing　him　talk　in　his　quick；　genial　way　with　old　Laughlin；　Sippens；　and　others；　she　had　learned　more　of　life　than　she　had　ever　dreamed　existed。　　He　was　like　a　vast　open　window　out　of　which　she　was　looking　upon　an　almost　illimitable　landscape。

〃No；　sir；〃　she　replied；　dropping　her　slim；　firm；　white　hand；　holding　a　black　lead…pencil　restfully　on　her　notebook。　　She　smiled　quite　innocently　because　she　was　pleased。

〃I　thought　not；〃　he　said；　〃and　yet　you're　American　enough。〃

〃I　don't　know　how　it　is；〃　she　said；　quite　solemnly。　　〃I　have　a　brother　who　is　quite　as　American　as　I　am。　　We　don't　either　of　us　look　like　our　father　or　mother。〃

〃What　does　your　brother　do？〃　he　asked；　indifferently。

〃He's　one　of　the　weighers　at　Arneel　&　Co。　　He　expects　to　be　a　manager　sometime。〃　She　smiled。

Cowperwood　looked　at　her　speculatively；　and　after　a　momentary　return　glance　she　dropped　her　eyes。　　Slowly；　in　spite　of　herself；　a　telltale　flush　rose　and　mantled　her　brown　cheeks。　　　It　always　did　when　he　looked　at　her。

〃Take　this　letter　to　General　Van　Sickle；〃　he　began；　on　this　occasion　quite　helpfully；　and　in　a　few　minutes　she　had　recovered。　　She　could　not　be　near　Cowperwood　for　long　at　a　time；　however；　without　being　stirred　by　a　feeling　which　was　not　of　her　own　willing。　　He　fascinated　and　suffused　her　with　a　dull　fire。　　She　sometimes　wondered　whether　a　man　so　remarkable　would　ever　be　interested　in　a　girl　like　her。

The　end　of　this　essential　interest；　of　course；　was　the　eventual　assumption　of　Antoinette。　　One　might　go　through　all　the　dissolving　details　of　days　in　which　she　sat　taking　dictation；　receiving　instructions；　going　about　her　office　duties　in　a　state　of　apparently　chill；　practical；　commercial　single…mindedness；　but　it　would　be　to　no　purpose。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　without　in　any　way　affecting　the　preciseness　and　accuracy　of　her　labor；　her　thoughts　were　always　upon　the　man　in　the　inner　officethe　strange　master　who　was　then　seeing　his　men；　and　in　between；　so　it　seemed；　a　whole　world　of　individuals；　solemn　and　commercial；　who　came；　presented　their　cards；　talked　at　times　almost　interminably；　and　went　away。　　It　was　the　rare　individual；　however；　she　observed；　who　had　the　long　conversation　with　Cowperwood；　and　that　interested　her　the　more。　　His　instructions　to　her　were　always　of　the　briefest；　and　he　depended　on　her　native　intelligence　to　supply　much　that　he　scarcely　more　than　suggested。

〃You　understand；　do　you？〃　was　his　customary　phrase。

〃Yes；〃　she　would　reply。

She　felt　as　though　she　were　fifty　times　as　significant　here　as　she　had　ever　been　in　her　life　before。

The　office　was　clean；　hard；　bright；　like　Cowperwood　himself。　　The　morning　sun；　streaming　in　through　an　almost　solid　glass　east　front　shaded　by　pale…green　roller　curtains；　came　to　have　an　almost　romantic　atmosphere　for　her。　　Cowperwood's　private　office；　as　in　Philadelphia；　was　a　solid　cherry…wood　box　in　which　he　could　shut　himself　completelysight…proof；　sound…proof。　　When　the　door　was　closed　it　was　sacrosanct。　　He　made　it　a　rule；　sensibly；　to　keep　his　door　open　as　much　as　possible；　even　when　he　was　dictating；　sometimes　not。　　It　was　in　these　half…hours　of　dictationthe　door　open；　as　a　rule；　for　he　did　not　care　for　too　much　privacythat　he　and　Miss　Nowak　came　closest。　　After　months　and　months；　and　because　he　had　been　busy　with　the　other　woman　mentioned；　of　whom　she　knew　nothing；　she　came　to　enter　sometimes　with　a　sense　of　suffocation；　sometimes　of　maidenly　shame。　　It　would　never　have　occurred　to　her　to　admit　frankly　that　she　wanted　Cowperwood　to　make　love　to　her。　　　It　would　have　frightened　her　to　have　thought　of　herself　as　yielding　easily；　and　yet　there　was　not　a　detail　of　his　personality　that　was　not　now　burned　in　her　brain。　　His　light；　thick；　always　smoothly　parted　hair；　his　wide；　clear；　inscrutable　eyes；　his　carefully　manicured　hands；　so　full　and　firm；　his　fresh　clothing　of　delicate；　intricate　patternshow　these　fascinated　her！　He　seemed　always　remote　except　just　at　the　moment　of　doing　something；　when；　curiously　enough；　he　seemed　intensely　intimate　and　near。

One　day；　after　many　exchanges　of　glances　in　which　her　own　always　fell　sharplyin　the　midst　of　a　letterhe　arose　and　closed　the　half…open　door。　　She　did　not　think　so　much　of　that；　as　a　ruleit　had　happened　beforebut　now；　to…day；　because　of　a　studied　glance　he　had　given　her；　neither　tender　nor　smiling；　she　felt　as　though　something　unusual　were　about　to　happen。　　Her　own　body　was　going　hot　and　cold　by　turnsher　neck　and　hands。　　She　had　a　fine　figure；　finer　than　she　realized；　with　shapely　limbs　and　torso。　　Her　head　had　some　of　the　sharpness　of　the　old　Greek　coinage；　and　her　hair　was　plaited　as　in　ancient　cut　stone。　　Cowperwood　noted　it。　　He　came　back　and；　without　taking　his　seat；　bent　over　her　and　intimately　took　her　hand。

〃Antoinette；〃　he　said；　lifting　her　gently。

She　looked　up；　then　arosefor　he　slowly　drew　herbreathless；　the　color　gone；　much　of　the　capable　practicality　that　was　hers　completely　eliminated。　　She　felt　limp；　inert。　　She　pulled　at　her　hand　faintly；　and　then；　lifting　her　eyes；　was　fixed　by　that　hard；　insatiable　gaze　of　his。　　Her　head　swamher　eyes　were　filled　with　a　telltale　confusion。

〃Antoinette！〃

〃Yes；〃　she　murmured。

〃You　love　me；　don't　you？〃

She　tried　to　pull　herself　together；　to　inject　some　of　her　native　rigidity　of　soul　into　her　airthat　rigidity　which　she　always　imagined　would　never　desert　herbut　it　was　gone。　　There　came　instead　to　her　a　picture　of　the　far　Blue　Island　Avenue　neighborhood　from　which　she　emanatedits　low　brown　cottages；　and　then　this　smart；　hard　office　and　this　strong　man。　　He　came　out　of　such　a　marvelous　world；　apparently。　　A　strange　foaming　seemed　to　be　in　her　blood。　　　She　was　deliriously；　deliciously　numb　and　happy。

〃Antoinette！〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　what　I　think；〃　she　ga