the dwelling place of ligh-第7章

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Eda；　of　course；　was　the　aggressor；　she　was　irresistibly　drawn；　she　would　not　be
repulsed。　　A　stenographer　in　the　Wessex　National　Bank；　she　boarded　with　a　Welsh
family　in　Spruce　Street；　matter…of…fact；　plodding；　commonplace；　resemblingas
Janet　thoughta　horse；　possessing；　indeed　many　of　the　noble　qualities　of　that
animal；　she　might　have　been　thought　the　last　person　in　the　world　to　discern　and
appreciate　in　Janet　the　hidden　elements　of　a　mysterious　fire。　　In　appearance
Miss　Rawle　was　of　a　type　not　infrequent　in　Anglo…Saxon　lands；　strikingly
blonde；　with　high　malar　bones；　white　eyelashes；　and　eyes　of　a　metallic　blue；
cheeks　of　an　amazing　elasticity　that　worked　rather　painfully　as　she　talked　or
smiled；　drawing　back　inadequate　lips；　revealing　long；　white　teeth　and　vivid
gums。　　It　was　the　craving　in　her　for　romance　Janet　assuaged；　Eda's　was　the　love
content　to　pour　out；　that　demands　little。　　She　was　capable　of　immolation。
Janet　was　by　no　means　ungrateful　for　the　warmth　of　such　affection；　though　in
moments　conscious　of　a　certain　perplexity　and　sadness　because　she　was　able　to
give　such　a　meagre　return　for　the　wealth　of　its　offering。

In　other　moments；　when　the　world　seemed　all　disorder　and　chaos；as　Mr。　Shivers
described　it；or　when　she　felt　within　her；　like　demons；　those　inexpressible
longings　and　desires；　leaping　and　straining；　pulling　her；　almost　irresistibly；
she　knew　not　whither；　Eda　shone　forth　like　a　light　in　the　darkness；　like　the
beacon　of　a　refuge　and　a　shelter。　　Eda　had　faith　in　her；　even　when　Janet　had
lost　faith　in　herself：　she　went　to　Eda　in　the　same　spirit　that　Marguerite　went
to　church；　though　she；　Janet；　more　resembled　Faust；　beingsave　in　these　hours
of　lowered　vitalityof　the　forth…faring　kind　。。。。　　Unable　to　confess　the　need
that　drove　her；　she　arrived　in　Eda's　little　bedroom　to　be　taken　into　Eda's
arms。　　Janet　was　immeasurably　the　stronger　of　the　two；　but　Eda　possessed　the
masculine　trait　of　protectiveness；　the　universe　never　bothered　her；　she　was　one
of　those　personscalled　fortunateto　whom　the　orthodox　Christian　virtues　come
as　naturally　as　sun　or　air。　　Passion；　when　sanctified　by　matrimony；　was　her
ideal；　and　now　it　was　always　in　terms　of　Janet　she　dreamed　of　it；　having　read
about　it　in　volumes　her　friend　would　not　touch；　and　never
having　experienced　deeply　its　discomforts。　　Sanctified　or　unsanctified；　Janet
regarded　it　with　terror；　and　whenever　Eda　innocently　broached　the　subject　she
recoiled。　　Once　Eda　exclaimed：

〃When　you　do　fall　in　love；　Janet；　you　must　tell　me　all　about　it；　every　word！〃

Janet　blushed　hotly；　and　was　silent。　　In　Eda's　mind　such　an　affair　was　a　kind
of　glorified　fireworks　ending　in　a　cluster　of　stars；　in　Janet's　a　volcanic
eruption　to　turn　the　world　red。　　Such　was　the　difference　between　them。

Their　dissipations　together　consisted　of　〃sundaes〃　at　a　drug…store；　or
sometimes　of　movie　shows　at　the　Star　or　the　Alhambra。　　Stereotyped　on　Eda's
face　during　the　legitimately　tender　passages　of　these　dramas　was　an　expression
of　rapture；　a　smile　made　peculiarly　infatuate　by　that　vertical　line　in　her
cheeks；　that　inadequacy　of　lip　and　preponderance　of　white　teeth　and　red　gums。
It　irritated；　almost　infuriated　Janet；　to　whom　it　appeared　as　the　logical
reflection　of　what　was　passing　on　the　screen；　she　averted　her　glance　from　both；
staring　into　her　lap；　filled　with　shame　that　the　relation　between　the　sexes
should　be　thus　exposed　to　public　gaze；　parodied；　sentimentalized；　degraded。。。。
There　were；　however；　marvels　to　stir　her；　strange　landscapes；　cities；　seas；　and
ships；once　a　fire　in　the　forest　of　a　western　reserve　with　gigantic　tongues　of
orange　flame　leaping　from　tree　to　tree。　　The　movies　brought　the　world　to
Hampton；　the　great　world　into　which　she　longed　to　fare；　brought　the　world　to
her！　　Remote　mountain　hamlets　from　Japan；　minarets　and　muezzins　from　the
Orient；　pyramids　from　Egypt；　domes　from　Moscow　resembling　gilded　beets　turned
upside　down；　grey　houses　of　parliament　by　the　Thames；　the　Tower　of　London；　the
Palaces　of　Potsdam；　the　Tai　Mahal。　　Strange　lands　indeed；　and　stranger　peoples！
booted　Russians　in　blouses；　naked　Equatorial　savages　tattooed　and　amazingly
adorned；　soldiers　and　sailors；　presidents；　princes　and　emperors　brought　into
such　startling　proximity　one　could　easily　imagine　one's　self　exchanging　the
time　of　day！　　Incredible　to　Janet　how　the　audiences；　how　even　Eda　accepted　with
American　complacency　what　were　to　her　never…ending　miracles；　the　yearning　to
see　more；　to　know　more；　became　acute；　like　a　pain；　but　even　as　she　sought　to
devour　these　scenes；　to　drink　in　every　detail；　with　tantalizing　swiftness　they
were　whisked　away。　　They　were　peepholes　in　the　walls　of　her　prison；　and　at
night　she　often　charmed　herself　to　sleep　with　remembered　visions　of　wide；
empty；　treeshaded　terraces　reserved　for　kings。

But　Eda；　however　complacent　her　interest　in　the　scenes　themselves；　was　thrilled
to　the　marrow　by　their　effect　on　Janet；　who　was　her　medium。　　Emerging　from　the
vestibule　of　the　theatre；　Janet　seemed　not　to　see　the　slushy　street；　her　eyes
shone　with　a　silver　light　like　that　of　a　mountain　lake　in　a　stormy　sunset。　　And
they　walked　in　silence　until　Janet　would　exclaim：

〃Oh　Eda；　wouldn't　you　love　to　travel！〃

Thus　Eda　Rawle　was　brought　in　contact　with　values　she　herself　was　powerless　to
detect；　and　which　did　not　become　values　until　they　had　passed　through　Janet。
One　〃educative〃　reel　they　had　seen　had　begun　with　scenes　in　a　lumber　camp　high
in　the　mountains　of　Galicia；　where　grow　forests　of　the　priceless　pine　that
becomes；　after　years　of　drying　and　seasoning；　the　sounding　board　of　the
Stradivarius　and　the　harp。　　Even　then　it　must　respond　to　a　Player。　　Eda；　though
failing　to　apply　this　poetic　parallel；　when　alone　in　her　little　room　in　the
Welsh　boarding…house　often　indulged　in　an　ecstasy　of　speculation　as　to　that
man；　hidden　in　the　mists　of　the　future；　whose　destiny　it　would　be　to　awaken　her
friend。　　Hampton　did　not　contain　him；of　this　she　was　sure；　and　in　her　efforts
to　visualize　him　she　had　recourse　to　the　movies；　seeking　him　amongst　that
brilliant　company　of　personages　who　stood　so　haughtily　or　walked　so
indifferently　across　the　ephemeral　brightness　of　the　screen。

By　virtue　of　these　marvels　of　the　movies　Hampton　ugly　and　sordid　Hampton！　
actually　began　for　Janet　to　take　on　a　romantic　tinge。　　Were　not　the　strange
peoples　of　the　earth　flocking　to　Hampton？　　She　saw　them　arriving
at　the　station；　straight　from　Ellis　Island；　bewildered；　ticketed　like　dumb
animals；　the　women　draped　in　the　soft；　exotic　colours　many　of　them　were
presently　to　exchange　for　the　cheap　and　gaudy　apparel　of　Faber　Street。　　She
sought　to　summon　up　in　her　mind　the　glimpses　she　had　had　of　the　wonderful　lands
from　which　they　had　come；　to　imagine　their　lives　in　that　earlier　environment。
Sometimes　she　wandered；　alone　or　with　Eda；　through　the　various　quarters　of　the
city。　　Each　quarter　had　a　flavour　of　its　own；　a　synthetic　flavour　belonging
neither　to　the　old　nor　to　the　new；　yet　partaking　of　both：　a　difference　in
atmosphere　to　which　Janet　was　keenly　sensitive。　　In　the　German　quarter；　to　the
north；　one　felt　a　sort　of　ornamental　bleaknessif　the　expression　may　be
permitted：　the　tenements　here　were　clean　and　not　too　crowded；　the　scroll…work
on　their　superimposed　porches；　like　that　decorating　the　Turnverein　and　the　stem
Lutheran　Church；　was　eloquent　of　a　Teutonic　inheritance：　The　Belgians　were　to
the　west；　beyond　the　base…ball　park　and　the　car　barns；　their　grey　houses
scattered　among　new　streets　beside　the　scarred　and　frowning　face　of　Torrey's
hill。　　Almost　under　the　hill　itself；　which　threatened　to　roll　down　on　it；　and
facing　a　bottomless；　muddy　street；　was　the　quaint　little　building　giving　the
note　of　foreign　thrift；　of　socialism　and　shrewdness；　of　joie　de　vivre　to　the
settlement；　the　FrancoBelgian　co…operative　store；　with　its　salle　de　reunion
above　and　a　stage　for　amateur　theatricals。　　Standing　in　the　mud　outside；　Janet
would　gaze　through　the　tiny　windows　in　the　stucco　wall　at　the　baskets　prepared
for　each　household　laid　in　neat　rows　beside　the　counter；　at　the　old　man　with
the　watery　blue　eyes　and　lacing　of　red　in　his　withered　cheeks　who　spoke　no
English；　whose　duty　it　was　to　distribute　the　baskets　to　the　women　and　children
as　they　called。

Turning　eastward　again；　one　came　to　Dey　Street；　in　the　heart　of　Hampton；　where
Hibernian　Hall　stood　alone　and　grim；　sole　testimony　of　the　departed　Hibernian
glories　of　a　district　where　the　present　Irish　rulers　of　the　city　had　once　lived
and　gossiped　and　fought　in　the　days　when　the　mill　bells　had　roused　the
boarding…house　keepers　at　half　past　four　of　a　winter　morning。　　Beside　the　hall
was　a　corner　lot；　heaped　high　with　hills　of　ashes　and　rubbish　like　the
vomitings　of　some　filthy　volcano；　the　unsightliness　of　which　was　half　concealed
by　huge　signs　announcing　the　merits　of　chewing　gums；　tobaccos；　and　cereals。
But　why　had　the　departure　of　the　Irish；　the　coming　of　the　Syrians　made　Dey
Street　dark；　narrow；　mysterious；　oriental？　changed　the　very　aspect　of　its
architecture？　　Was　it　the　coffee…houses？　　One　of　these；　in　front　of　which　Janet
liked　to　linger；　was　set　weirdly　into　an　old　New　England　cottage；　and　had；
apparently；　fathomless　depths。　　In　summer　the　whole　front　of　it　lay　open　to　the
street；　and　here　all　day　long；　beside　the　table　where　the　charcoal　squares　were
set　to　dry；　could　be　seen　saffron…coloured　Armenians　absorbed　in　a　Turkish　game
played　on　a　backgammon　board；　their　gentleness　and　that　of　the　loiterers
looking　on　in　strange　contrast　with　their　hawk…like　profiles　and　burning　eyes。
Behind　this　group；　in　the　half　light　of　the　middle　interior；　could　be　discerned
an　American　soda…water　fountain　of　a　bygone　fashion；　on　its　marble　counter
oddly　shaped　bottles　containing　rose　and　violet　syrups；　there　was　a　bottle…
shaped　stove；　and　on　the　walls；　in　gilt　frames；　pictures　evidently　dating　from
the　period　in　American　art　that　flourished　when　Franklin　Pierce　was　President；
and　there　was　an　array　of　marble　topped　tables　extending　far　back　into　the
shadows。　　Behind　the　fountain　was　a　sort　of　cupboardsuggestive　of　the　Arabian
Nights；　which　Janet　had　never　readfrom　which；　occasionally；　the　fat
proprietor　emerged　bearing　Turkish　coffee　or　long　Turkish　pipes。

When　not　thus　occupied　the　proprietor　carried　a　baby。　　The　street　swarmed　with
babies；　and　mothers　nursed　them　on　the　door…steps。　　And　in　this　teeming；
prolific　street　one　could　scarcely　move　without　stepping　on　a　fat；　almond　eyed
child；　though　some；　indeed；　were　wheeled；　wheeled　in　all　sorts　of　queer
contrivances　by　one　another；　by　fathers　with　ragged　black　moustaches　and　eagle
noses　who；　to　the　despair　of　mill　superintendents；　had　decided　in　the　morning
that　three　days'　wages　would　since　to　support　their　families　for　the　week　。。。。
In　the　midst　of　the　throng　might　be　seen　occasionally　the　stout　and　comfortable
and　not　too　immaculate　figure　of　a　shovel　bearded　Syrian　priest；　in　a　frock
coat　and　square…topped　〃Derby〃　hat；　sailing　along　serenely；　heedless　of　the
children　who　scattered　out　of　his　path。

Nearby　was　the　quarter　of　the　Canadian　French；　scarcely　now　to　be　called
foreigners；　though　still　somewhat　reminiscent　of　the