the dwelling place of ligh-第39章

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on　the　thresholdof　the　fact　that　his　usual；　buoyant　spirits　were
restored。　　He　held　a　cigar　in　his　hand；　and　in　his　eyes　was　the　eager
look　with　which　she　had　become　familiar；　which　indeed　she　had　learned　to
anticipate　as　they　swept　the　room　in　search　of　her。　　And　when　they　fell
on　her　he　closed　the　door　and　came　forward　impetuously。　　But　her
exclamation　caused　him　to　halt　in　bewilderment。

〃Don't　touch　me！〃　she　said。

And　he　stammered　out；　as　he　stood　over　her：

〃What's　the　matter？〃

〃Everything。　　You　don't　love　meI　was　a　fool　to　believe　you　did。〃

〃Don't　love　you！〃　he　repeated。　　〃My　God；　what's　the　trouble　now？　　What
have　I　done？〃

〃Oh；　it's　nothing　you've　done；　it's　what　you　haven't　done；　it's　what　you
can't　do。　　You　don't　really　care　for　meall　you　care　for　is　this　mill
when　anything　happens　here　you　don't　know　I'm　alive。〃

He　stared　at　her；　and　then　an　expression　of　comprehension；　of　intense
desire　grew　in　his　eyes；　and　his　laugh；　as　he　flung　his　cigar　out　of　the
open　window　and　bent　down　to　seize　her；　was　almost　brutal。　　She　fought
him；　she　tried　to　hurt　him；　and　suddenly；　convulsively　pressed　herself　to
him。

〃You　little　tigress！〃　he　said；　as　he　held　her。　　〃You　were　jealouswere
youjealous　of　the　mill？〃　　And　he　laughed　again。　　〃I'd　like　to　see　you
with　something　really　to　be　jealous　about。　　So　you　love　me　like　that；　do
you？〃

She　could　feel　his　heart　beating　against　her。

〃I　won't　be　neglected；〃　she　told　him　tensely。　　〃I　want　all　of　youif　I
can't　have　all　of　you；　I　don't　want　any。　　Do　you　understand？〃

〃Do　I　understand？　　Well；　I　guess　I　do。〃

〃You　didn't　yesterday；〃　she　reproached　him；　somewhat　dazed　by　the
swiftness　of　her　submission；　and　feeling　still　the　traces　of　a　lingering
resentment。　　She　had　not　intended　to　surrender。　　〃You　forgot　all　about
me；　you　didn't　know　I　was　here；　much　less　that　I　was　hurt。　　Oh；　I　was
hurt！　　And　youI　can　tell　at　once　when　anything's　wrong　with　youI　know
without　your　saying　it。〃

He　was　amazed；　he　might　indeed　have　been　troubled　and　even　alarmed　by
this　passion　he　had　aroused　had　his　own　passion　not　been　at　the　flood。
And　as　he　wiped　away　her　tears　with　his　handkerchief　he　could　scarcely
believe　his　senses　that　this　was　the　woman　whose　resistance　had　demanded
all　his　force　to　overcome。　　Indeed；　although　he　recognized　the　symptoms
she　betrayed　as　feminine；　as　having　been　registeredthough　feebly
compared　to　this！　by　incidents　in　his　past；　precisely　his　difficulty
seemed　to　be　in　identifying　this　complex　and　galvanic　being　as　a　woman；
not　as　something　almost　fearful　in　her　significance；　outside　the　bounds
of　experience。。。。

Presently　she　ceased　to　tremble；　and　he　drew　her　to　the　window。　　The　day
was　as　mild　as　autumn；　the　winter　sun　like　honey　in　its　mellowness；　a
soft　haze　blurred　the　outline　of　the　upper　bridge。

〃Only　two　more　days　until　Sunday；〃　he　whispered；　caressingly；
exultantly。。。。




CHAPTER　XII

It　had　been　a　strange　year　in　Hampton；　unfortunate　for　coal　merchants；
welcome　to　the　poor。　　But　Sunday　lacked　the　transforming　touch　of
sunshine。　　The　weather　was　damp　and　cold　as　Janet　set　out　from　Fillmore
Street。　　Ditmar；　she　knew；　would　be　waiting　for　her；　he　counted　on　her；
and　she　could　not　bear　to　disappoint　him；　to　disappoint　herself。　　And　all
the　doubts　and　fears　that　from　time　to　time　had　assailed　her　were
banished　by　this　impulse　to　go　to　him；　to　be　with　him。　　He　loved　her！
The　words；　as　she　sat　in　the　trolley　car；　ran　in　her　head　like　the　lilt
of　a　song。　　What　did　the　weather　matter？

When　she　alighted　at　the　lonely　cross…roads　snow　had　already　begun　to
fall。　　But　she　spied　the　automobile；　with　its　top　raised；　some　distance
down　the　lane；　and　in　a　moment　she　was　in　it；　beside　him；　wrapped　in　the
coat　she　had　now　come　to　regard　as　her　own。　　He　buttoned　down　the
curtains　and　took　her　in　his　arms。

〃What　shall　we　do　to…day；〃　she　asked；　〃if　it　snows？〃

〃Don't　let　that　worry　you；　sweetheart；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　the　chains　on；
I　can　get　through　anything　in　this　car。〃

He　was　in　high；　almost　turbulent　spirits　as　he　turned　the　car　and　drove
it　out　of　the　rutty　lane　into　the　state　road。　　The　snow　grew　thicker　and
thicker　still；　the　world　was　blotted　out　by　swiftly　whirling；　feathery
flakes　that　melted　on　the　windshield；　and　through　the　wet　glass　Janet
caught　distorted　glimpses　of　black　pines　and　cedars　beside　the　highway。

The　ground　was　spread　with　fleece。　　Occasionally；　and　with　startling
suddenness；　other　automobiles　shot　like　dark　phantoms　out　of　the
whiteness；　and　like　phantoms　disappeared。　　Presently；　through　the　veil；
she　recognized　Sillistona　very　different　Silliston　from　that　she　had
visited　on　the　fragrant　day　in　springtime；　when　the　green　on　the　common
had　been　embroidered　with　dandelions；　and　the　great　elms　whose　bare
branches　were　now　fantastically　traced　against　the　flowing　veil　of　white…
…heavy　with　leaf。　　Vignettes　emergedonly　to　fade！of　the　old…world
houses　whose　quaint　beauty　had　fascinated　and　moved　her。　　And　she　found
herself　wondering　what　had　become　of　the　strange　man　she　had　mistaken　for
a　carpenter。　　All　that　seemed　to　have　taken　place　in　a　past　life。　　She
asked　Ditmar　where　he　was　going。

〃Boston；〃　he　told　her。　　〃There's　no　other　place　to　go。〃

〃But　you'll　never　get　back　if　it　goes　on　snowing　like　this。〃

〃Well；　the　trains　are　still　running；〃　he　assured　her；　with　a　quizzical
smile。　　〃How　about　it；　little　girl？〃　　It　was　a　term　of　endearment
derived；　undoubtedly；　from　a　theatrical　source；　in　which　he　sometimes
indulged。

She　did　not　answer。　　Surprisingly；　to…day；　she　did　not　care。　　All　she
could　think　of；　all　she　wanted　was　to　go　on　and　on　beside　him　with　the
world　shut　outon　and　on　forever。　　She　was　hiswhat　did　it　matter？
They　were　on　their　way　to　Boston！　　She　began；　dreamily；　to　think　about
Boston；　to　try　to　restore　it　in　her　imagination　to　the　exalted　place　it
had　held　before　she　met　Ditmar；　to　reconstruct　it　from　vague　memories　of
childhood　when；　in　two　of　the　family　peregrinations；　she　had　crossed　it。
Traces　remained　of　emotionally…toned　impressions　acquired　when　she　had
walked　about　the　city　holding　Edward's　handof　a　long　row　of　stately
houses　with　forbidding　fronts；　set　on　a　hillside；　of　a　wide；　tree…covered
space　where　children　were　playing。　　And　her　childish　verdict；　persisting
to…day；　was　one　of　inaccessibility；　impenetrability；　of　jealously　guarded
wealth　and　beauty。　　Those　houses；　and　the　treasures　she　was　convinced
they　must　contain；　were　not　for　her！　　Some　of　the　panes　of　glass　in　their
windows　were　purpleshe　remembered　a　little　thing　like　that；　and　asking
her　father　the　reason！　　He　hadn't　known。　　This　purple　quality　had　somehow
steeped　itself　into　her　memory　of　Boston；　and　even　now　the　colour　stood
for　the　word；　impenetrable。　　That　was　extraordinary。　　Even　now！　　Well；
they　were　going　to　Boston；　if　Ditmar　had　said　they　were　going　to　Bagdad
it　would　have　been　quite　as　credibleand　incredible。　　Wherever　they　were
going；　it　was　into　the　larger；　larger　life；　and　walls　were　to　crumble
before　them；　walls　through　which　they　would　pass；　even　as　they　rent　the
white　veil　of　the　storm；　into　regions　of　beauty。。。。

And　now　the　world　seemed　abandoned　to　them　alone；　so　empty；　so　still　were
the　white　villages　flitting　by；　so　empty；　so　still　the　great　parkway　of
the　Fells　stretching　away　and　away　like　an　enchanted　forest　under　the
snow；　like　the　domain　of　some　sleeping　king。　　And　the　flakes　melted
silently　into　the　black　waters。　　And　the　wide　avenue　to　which　they　came
led　to　a　sleeping　palace！　　No；　it　was　a　city；　Somerville；　Ditmar　told
her；　as　they　twisted　in　and　out　of　streets；　past　stores；　churches　and
fire…engine　houses；　breasted　the　heights；　descended　steeply　on　the　far
side　into　Cambridge；　and　crossed　the　long　bridge　over　the　Charles。　　And
here　at　last　was　BostonBeacon　Street；　the　heart　or　funnel　of　it；　as　one
chose。　　Ditmar；　removing　one　of　the　side　curtains　that　she　might　see；
with　just　a　hint　in　his　voice　of　a　reverence　she　was　too　excited　to
notice；　pointed　out　the　stern　and　respectable　facades　of　the　twin
Chippering　mansions　standing　side　by　side。　　Save　for　these　shrinesfor
such　in　some　sort　they　were　to　himthe　Back　Bay　in　his　eyes　was　nothing
more　than　a　collection　of　houses　inhabited　by　people　whom　money　and
social　position　made　unassailable。　　But　to…day　he；　too；　was　excited。
Never　had　he　been　more　keenly　aware　of　her　sensitiveness　to　experience；
and　he　to　whom　it　had　not　occurred　to　wonder　at　Boston　wondered　at　her；
who　seemed　able　to　summon　forth　a　presiding；　brooding　spirit　of　the　place
from　out　of　the　snow。　　Deep　in　her　eyes；　though　they　sparkled；　was　the
reflection　of　some　mystic　vision；　her　cheeks　were　flushed。　　And　in　her
delight；　vicariously　his　own；　he　rejoiced；　in　his　trembling　hope　of　more
delight　to　come；　which　this　mentorship　would　enhance；despite　the　fast
deepening　snow　he　drove　her　up　one　side　of　Commonwealth　Avenue　and　down
the　other；　encircling　the　Common　and　the　Public　Garden；　stopping　at　the
top　of　Park　Street　that　she　might　gaze　up　at　the　State　House；　whose
golden　dome；　seen　through　the　veil；　was　tinged　with　blue。　　Boston！　　Why
not　Russia？　　Janet　was　speechless　for　sheer　lack　of　words　to　describe
what　she　felt。。。。

At　length　he　brought　the　car　to　a　halt　opposite　an　imposing　doorway　in
front　of　which　a　glass　roof　extended　over　the　pavement；　and　Janet
demanded　where　they　were。

〃Well；　we've　got　to　eat；　haven't　we？〃　Ditmar　replied。　　She　noticed　that
he　was　shivering。

〃Are　you　cold？〃　she　inquired　with　concern。

〃I　guess　I　am；　a　little；〃　he　replied。　　〃I　don't　know　why　I　should　be；　in
a　fur　coat。　　But　I'll　be　warm　soon　enough；　now。〃

A　man　in　blue　livery　hurried　toward　them　across　the　sidewalk；　helping
them　to　alight。　　And　Ditmar；　after　driving　the　car　a　few　paces　beyond　the
entrance；　led　her　through　the　revolving　doors　into　a　long　corridor；　paved
with　marble　and　lighted　by　bulbs　glowing　from　the　ceiling；　where　benches
were　set　against　the　wall；　overspread　by　the　leaves　of　potted　plants　set
in　the　intervals　between　them。

〃Sit　down　a　moment；〃　he　said　to　her。　　〃I　must　telephone　to　have　somebody
take　that　car；　or　it'll　stay　there　the　rest　of　the　winter。〃

She　sat　down　on　one　of　the　benches。　　The　soft　light；　the　warmth；　the
exotic　odour　of　the　plants；　the　well…dressed　people　who　trod　softly　the
strip　of　carpet　set　on　the　marble　with　the　air　of　being　at　homeall
contributed　to　an　excitement；　intense　yet　benumbing。　　She　could　not
think。　　She　didn't　want　to　thinkonly　to　feel；　to　enjoy；　to　wring　the
utmost　flavour　of　enchantment　from　these　new　surroundings；　and　her　face
wore　the　expression　of　one　in　a　dream。　　Presently　she　saw　Ditmar
returning　followed　by　a　boy　in　a　blue　uniform。

〃All　right；〃　he　said。　　At　the　end　of　the　corridor　was　an　elevator　in
which　they　were　shot　to　one　of　the　upper　floors；　and　the　boy；　inserting　a
key　in　a　heavy　mahogany　door；　revealed　a　sitting…room。　　Between　its
windows　was　a　table　covered　with　a　long；　white　cloth　reaching　to　the
floor；　on　which；　amidst　the　silverware　and　glass；　was　set　a　tall　vase
filled　with　dusky　roses。　　Janet；　drawing　in　a　deep　breath　of　their
fragrance；　glanced　around　the　room。　　The　hangings；　the　wall…paper；　the
c