the dwelling place of ligh-第60章

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things　were　constantly　happening；　the　tension　at　Headquarters　never
seemed　to　relax。　　Out　in　the　world　and　within　her　own　soul　were　strife
and　suffering；　and　sometimes　fear；　the　work　in　which　she　sought　to　lose
herself　no　longer　sufficed　to　keep　her　from　thinking；　and　the　spectacle
when　she　returned　homeof　her　mother's　increasing　apathy　grew　more　and
more　appalling。　　But　in　Dey　Street　she　gained　calmness；　was　able　to　renew
something　of　that　sense　of　proportion　the　lack　of　which；　in　the　chaos　in
which　she　was　engulfed；　often　brought　her　to　the　verge　of　madness。　　At
first　she　had　had　a　certain　hesitation　about　going　back；　and　on　the
occasion　of　her　second　visit　had　walked　twice　around　the　block　before
venturing　to　enter。　　She　had　no　claim　on　this　man。　　He　was　merely　a
chance　acquaintance；　a　strangerand　yet　he　seemed　nearer　to　her；　to
understand　her　better　than　any　one　else　she　knew　in　the　world。　　This　was
queer；　because　she　had　not　explained　herself；　nor　had　he　asked　her　for
any　confidences。　　She　would　have　liked　to　confide　in　himsome　things：　he
gave　her　the　impression　of　comprehending　life；　of　having；　as　his
specialty；　humanity　itself；　he　should；　she　reflected；　have　been　a
minister；　and　smiled　at　the　thought：　ministers；　at　any　rate；　ought　to　be
like　him；　and　then　one　might　embrace　Christianitythe　religion　of　her
forefathers　that　Rolfe　ridiculed。　　But　there　was　about　Insall　nothing　of
religion　as　she　had　grown　up　to　apprehend　the　term。

Now　that　she　had　taken　her　courage　in　her　hands　and　renewed　her　visits；
they　seemed　to　be　the　most　natural　proceedings　in　the　world。　　On　that
second　occasion；　when　she　had　opened　the　door　and　palpitatingly　climbed
to　the　loft；　the　second　batch　of　children　were　finishing　their　midday
meal；rather　more　joyously；　she　thought；　than　before；and　Insall
himself　was　stooping　over　a　small　boy　whom　he　had　taken　away　from　the
table。　　He　did　not　notice　her　at　once；　and　Janet　watched　them。　　The　child
had　a　cough；　his　extreme　thinness　was　emphasized　by　the　coat　he　wore；
several　sizes　too　large　for　him。

〃Yon　come　along　with　me；　Marcus；　I　guess　I　can　fit　you　out；〃　Insall　was
saying；　when　he　looked　up　and　saw　Janet。

〃Why；　if　it　isn't　Miss　Bumpus！　　I　thought　you'd　forgotten　us。〃

〃Oh　no；〃　she　protested。　　〃I　wanted　to　come。〃

〃Then　why　didn't　you？〃

〃Well；　I　have　come；〃　she　said；　with　a　little　sigh；　and　he　did　not　press
her　further。　　And　she　refrained　from　offering　any　conventional　excuse；
such　as　that　of　being　interested　in　the　children。　　She　had　come　to　see
him；　and　such　was　the　faith　with　which　he　inspired　hernow　that　she　was
once　more　in　his　presencethat　she　made　no　attempt　to　hide　the　fact。

〃You've　never　seen　my　clothing　store；　have　you？〃　he　asked。　　And　with　the
child's　hand　in　his　he　led　the　way　into　a　room　at　the　rear　of　the　loft。
A　kit　of　carpenter's　tools　was　on　the　floor；　and　one　wall　was　lined　with
box…like　compartments　made　of　new　wood；　each　with　its　label　in　neat
lettering　indicating　the　articles　contained　therein。　　〃Shoes？〃　he
repeated；　as　he　ran　his　eye　down　the　labels　and　suddenly　opened　a　drawer。
〃Here　we　are；　Marcus。　　Sit　down　there　on　the　bench；　and　take　off　the
shoes　you　have　on。〃

The　boy　had　one　of　those　long　faces　of　the　higher　Jewish　type；
intelligent；　wistful。　　He　seemed　dazed　by　Insall's　kindness。　　The　shoes
he　wore　were　those　of　an　adult；　but　cracked　and　split；　revealing　the
cotton　stocking　and　here　and　there　the　skin。　　His　little　blue　hands
fumbled　with　the　knotted　strings　that　served　for　facings　until　Insall；
producing　a　pocket　knife；　deftly　cut　the　strings。

〃Those　are　summer　shoes；　Marcuswell　ventilated。〃

〃They're　by　me　since　August；〃　said　the　boy。

〃And　now　the　stockings；〃　prompted　Insall。　　The　old　ones；　wet；
discoloured；　and　torn；　were　stripped　off；　and　thick；　woollen　ones
substituted。　　Insall；　casting　his　eye　over　the　open　drawer；　chose　a　pair
of　shoes　that　had　been　worn；　but　which　were　stout　and　serviceable；　and
taking　one　in　his　hand　knelt　down　before　the　child。　　〃Let's　see　how　good
a　guesser　I　am；〃　he　said；　loosening　the　strings　and　turning　back　the
tongue；　imitating　good…humouredly　the　deferential　manner　of　a　salesman　of
footwear　as　he　slipped　on　the　shoe。　　〃Why；　it　fits　as　if　it　were　made　for
you！　　Now　for　the　other　one。　　Yes；　your　feet　are　matesI　know　a　man　who
wears　a　whole　size　larger　on　his　left　foot。〃　　The　dazed　expression
remained　on　the　boy's　face。　　The　experience　was　beyond　him。　　〃That's
better；〃　said　Insall；　as　he　finished　the　lacing。　　〃Keep　out　of　the　snow；
Marcus；　all　you　can。　　Wet　feet　aren't　good　for　a　cough；　you　know。　　And
when　you　come　in　to　supper　a　nice　doctor　will　be　here；　and　we'll　see　if
we　can't　get　rid　of　the　cough。〃

The　boy　nodded。　　He　got　to　his　feet；　stared　down　at　the　shoes；　and　walked
slowly　toward　the　door；　where　he　turned。

〃Thank　you；　Mister　Insall；〃　he　said。

And　Insall；　still　sitting　on　his　heels；　waved　his　hand。

〃It　is　not　to　mention　it；〃　he　replied。　　〃Perhaps　you　may　have　a　clothing
store　of　your　own　some　daywho　knows！〃　　He　looked　up　at　Janet　amusedly
and　then；　with　a　spring；　stood　upright；　his　easy；　unconscious　pose
betokening　command　of　soul　and　body。　　〃I　ought　to　have　kept　a　store；〃　he
observed。　　〃I　missed　my　vocation。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　that　you　missed　a　great　many　vocations；〃　she　replied。
Commonplaces　alone　seemed　possible；　adequate。　　〃I　suppose　you　made　all
those　drawers　yourself。〃

He　bowed　in　acknowledgment　of　her　implied　tribute。　　With　his　fine　nose
and　keen　eyesset　at　a　slightly　downward　angle；　creased　at　the　corners
with　his　thick；　greying　hair；　despite　his　comparative　youth　he　had　the
look　one　associates　with　portraits　of　earlier；　patriarchal　Americans。。。。
These　calls　of　Janet's　were　never　of　long　duration。　　She　had　fallen　into
the　habit　of　taking　her　lunch　between　one　and　two；　and　usually　arrived
when　the　last　installment　of　youngsters　were　finishing　their　meal；
sometimes　they　were　filing　out；　stopping　to　form　a　group　around　Insall；
who　always　managed　to　say　something　amusingsomething　pertinent　and
good…naturedly　personal。　　For　he　knew　most　of　them　by　name；　and　had
acquired　a　knowledge　of　certain　individual　propensities　and
idiosyncrasies　that　delighted　their　companions。

〃What's　the　trouble；　Stepanswallowed　your　spoon？〃　　Stepan　was　known　to
be　greedy。　　Or　he　would　suddenly　seize　an　unusually　solemn　boy　from
behind　and　tickle　him　until　the　child　screamed　with　laughter。　　It　was；
indeed；　something　of　an　achievement　to　get　on　terms　of　confidence　with
these　alien　children　of　the　tenements　and　the　streets　who　from　their
earliest　years　had　been　forced　to　shift　for　themselves；　and　many　of　whom
had　acquired　a　precocious　suspicion　of　Greeks　bearing　gifts。　　Insall
himself　had　used　the　phrase；　and　explained　it　to　Janet。　　That　sense　of
caveat　donor　was　perhaps　their　most　pathetic　characteristic。　　But　he
broke　it　down；　broke　down；　too；　the　shyness　accompanying　it；　the　shyness
and　solemnity　emphasized　in　them　by　contact　with　hardship　and　poverty；
with　the　stark　side　of　life　they　faced　at　home。　　He　had　made　themMrs。
Maturin　once　illuminatingly　remarkedmore　like　children。　　Sometimes　he
went　to　see　their　parents；as　in　the　case　of　Marcusto　suggest　certain
hygienic　precautions　in　his　humorous　way；　and　his　accounts　of　these
visits；　too；　were　always　humorous。　　Yet　through　that　humour　ran　a　strain
of　pathos　that　clutcheddespite　her　smileat　Janet's　heartstrings。
This　gift　of　emphasizing　and　heightening　tragedy　while　apparently　dealing
in　comedy　she　never　ceased　to　wonder　at。　　She；　too；　knew　that　tragedy　of
the　tenements；　of　the　poor；　its　sordidness　and　cruelty。　　All　her　days　she
had　lived　precariously　near　it；　and　lately　she　had　visited　these　people；
had　been　torn　by　the　sight　of　what　they　endured。　　But　Insall's　jokes；
while　they　stripped　it　of　sentimentality　of　which　she　had　an　instinctive
dislikemade　it　for　her　even　more　poignant。　　One　would　have　thought；　to
have　such　an　insight　into　it；　that　he　too　must　have　lived　it；　must　have
been　brought　up　in　some　dirty　alley　of　a　street。　　That　gift；　of　course；
must　be　a　writer's　gift。

When　she　saw　the　waifs　trooping　after　him　down　the　stairs；　Mrs。　Maturin
called　him　the　Pied　Piper　of　Hampton。

As　time　went　on；　Janet　sometimes　wondered　over　the　quiet　manner　in　which
these　two　people；　Insall　and　Mrs。　Maturin；　took　her　visits　as　though　they
were　matters　of　course；　and　gave　her　their　friendship。　　There　was；
really；　no　obvious　excuse　for　her　coming；　not　even　that　of　the　waifs　for
foodand　yet　she　came　to　be　fed。　　The　sustenance　they　gave　her　would
have　been　hard　to　define；　it　flowed　not　so　much　from　what　they　said；　as
from　what　they　were；　it　was　in　the　atmosphere　surrounding　them。
Sometimes　she　looked　at　Mrs。　Maturin　to　ask　herself　what　this　lady　would
say　if　she　knew　her　history；　her　relationship　with　Ditmarwhich　had　been
her　real　reason　for　entering　the　ranks　of　the　strikers。　　And　was　it　fair
for　her；　Janet；　to　permit　Mrs。　Maturin　to　bestow　her　friendship　without
revealing　this？　　She　could　not　make　up　her　mind　as　to　what　this　lady
would　say。　　Janet　had　had　no　difficulty　in　placing　Ditmar；　not　much
trouble；　after　her　first　surprise　was　over；　in　classifying　Rolfe　and　the
itinerant　band　of　syndiealists　who　had　descended　upon　her　restricted
world。　　But　Insall　and　Mrs。　Maturin　were　not　to　be　ticketed。　　What
chiefly　surprised　her；　in　addition　to　their　kindliness；　to　their　taking
her　on　faith　without　the　formality　of　any　recommendation　or　introduction；
was　their　lack　of　intellectual　narrowness。　　She　did　not；　of　course；　so
express　it。　　But　she　sensed；　in　their　presence；　from　references　casually
let　fall　in　their　conversation；　a　wider　culture　of　which　they　were　in
possession；　a　culture　at　once　puzzling　and　exciting；　one　that　she
despaired　of　acquiring　for　herself。　　Though　it　came　from　reading；　it　did
not　seem　〃literary；〃　according　to　the　notion　she　had　conceived　of　the
term。　　Her　speculations　concerning　it　must　be　focussed　and　interpreted。
It　was　a　culture；　in　the　first　place；　not　harnessed　to　an　obvious　Cause：
something　like　that　struck　her。　　It　was　a　culture　that　contained
tolerance　and　charity；　that　did　not　label　a　portion　of　mankind　as　its
enemy；　but　seemed；　by　understanding　all；　to　forgive　all。　　It　had　no
prejudices；　nor　did　it　boast；　as　the　Syndicalists　boasted；　of　its　absence
of　convention。　　And　little　by　little　Janet　connected　it　with　Silliston。

〃It　must　be　wonderful　to　live　in　such　a　place　as　that；〃　she　exclaimed；
when　the　Academy　was　mentioned。　　On　this　occasion　Insall　had　left　for　a
moment；　and　she　was　in　the　little　room　he　called　his　〃store；〃　alone　with
Mrs。　Maturin；　helping　to　sort　out　a　batch　of　garments　just　received。

〃It　was　there　you　first　met　Brooks；　wasn't　it？〃　　She　always　spoke　of　him
as　Brooks。　　〃He　told　me　about　it；　how　you　walked　out　there　and　asked　him
about　a　place　to　lunch。〃　　Mrs。　Maturin　laughed。　　〃You　didn't　know　what　to
make　of　him；　did　you？〃

〃I　thought　he　was　a　carpenter！〃　said　Janet。　　〃II　never　should　have
taken　him　for　an　author。　　But　of　course　I　don't　know　any　other　authors。〃

〃Well；　he's　not　like　any　of　them；　he's　just　like　himself。　　You　can't　put
a　tag　on　people　who　are　really　big。〃

Janet　considered　this。　　〃I　neve