第 3 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 02:16      字数:9322
  The driver of the auto sped his machine without a
  word。  He was masked beyond guess in the goggles
  and diabolic garb of the chauffeur。
  〃Much obliged; old man;〃 called  Hopkins; grate…
  fully。  〃I guess you've got sporting blood in you;
  all right; and don't admire the sight of two men
  trying to soak one。  Little more and I'd have been
  pinched。〃
  The chauffeur made no sign that he had heard。
  Hopkins shrugged a shoulder and chewed at his
  cigar; to which his teeth had clung grimly through…
  out the melee。
  Ten minutes and the auto turned into the open
  carriage entrance of a noble mansion of brown stone;
  and stood still。  The chauffeur leaped out; and said:
  〃Come quick。  The lady; she will explain。  It is
  the great honor you will have; monsieur。  Ah; that
  milady could call upon Armand to do this thing!
  But; no; I am only one chauffeur。〃
  With vehement gestures the chauffeur conducted
  Hopkins into the house。  He was ushered into a small
  but luxurious reception chamber。  A lady; young; and
  possessing the beauty of visions; rose from a chair。
  In her eyes smouldered a becoming anger。  Her high…
  arched; threadlike brows were ruffled into a delicious
  frown。
  〃Milady;〃 said the chauffeur; bowing low; 〃I have
  the honor to relate to you that I went to the house of
  Monsieur Long and found him to be not at home。  As
  I came back I see this gentleman in combat against
  bow you say … greatest odds。  He is fighting with
  five … ten … thirty men … gendarmes; aussi。  Yes;
  milady; he what you call 'swat' one … three … eight
  policemans。  If that Monsieur Long is out I say to
  myself this Gentleman be will serve milady so well; and
  I bring him here。〃
  〃Very well; Armand;〃 said the lady; 〃you may
  go。〃 She turned to Hopkins。
  〃I sent my chauffeur;〃 she said; 〃to bring my
  cousin; Walter Long。  There is a man in this house
  who has treated me with insult and abuse。  I have
  complained to my aunt; and she laughs at me。  Ar…
  mand says you are brave。  In these prosaic days men
  who are both brave and chivalrous are few。  May I
  count upon your assistance?〃
  John Hopkins thrust the remains of his cigar into
  his coat pocket。  He looked upon this winning
  creature and felt his first thrill of romance。  It was a
  knightly love; and contained no disloyalty to the flat
  with the flea…bitten terrier and the lady of his choice。
  He bad married her after a picnic of the Lady Label
  Stickers' Union; Lodge No。 2; on a dare and a bet of
  new hats and chowder all around with his friend; Billy
  McManus。  This angel who was begging him to
  come to her rescue was something too heavenly for
  chowder; and as for hats … golden; jewelled crowns
  for her!
  〃Say;〃 said John Hopkins; 〃just show me the guy
  that you've got the grouch at。  I've neglected my
  talents as a scrapper heretofore; but this is my busy
  night。〃
  〃He is in there;〃 said the lady; pointing to a
  closed door。  〃Come。  Are you sure that you do not
  falter or fear?〃
  〃Me?〃 said John Hopkins。  〃Just give me one of
  those roses in the bunch you are wearing; will you?〃
  The lady gave him a red; red rose。  John Hopkins
  kissed it; stuffed it into his vest pocket; opened the
  door and walked into the room。  It was a handsome
  library; softly but brightly lighted。  A young man
  was there; reading。
  〃Books on etiquette is what you want to study;〃
  said John Hopkins; abruptly。  〃Get up here; and I'll
  give you some lessors。  Be rude to a lady; will you?〃
  The young man looked mildly surprised。  Then he
  arose languidly; dextrously caught the arms of John
  Hopkins and conducted him irresistibly to the front
  door of the house。
  〃Beware; Ralph Branscombe;〃 cried the lady; who
  had followed; 〃what you do to the gallant man who
  has tried to protect me。〃
  The young man shoved John Hopkins gently out
  the door and then closed it。
  〃Bess;〃 he said calmly; 〃I wish you would quit
  reading historical novels。  How in the world did that
  fellow get in here?〃
  〃Armand brought him;〃 said the young lady。  〃I
  think you are awfully mean not to let me have that
  St。  Bernard。  I sent Armand for Walter。  I was so
  angry with you。〃
  〃Be sensible; Bess;〃 said the young man; taking
  her arm。  〃That dog isn't safe。  He has bitten two
  or three people around the kennels。  Come now; let's
  go tell auntie we are in good humor again。〃
  Arm in arm; they moved away。
  John Hopkins walked to his flat。  The janitor's
  five…year…old daughter was playing on the steps'
  Hopkins gave her a nice; red rose and walked up…
  stairs。
  Mrs。 Hopkins was philandering with curl…papers。
  〃Get your cigar?〃 she asked; disinterestedly。
  〃Sure;〃 said Hopkins; 〃and I knocked around a
  while outside。  It's a nice night。〃
  He sat upon the hornblende sofa; took out the
  stump of his cigar; lighted it; and gazed at the grace…
  ful figures in 〃The Storm〃 on the opposite wall。
  〃I was telling you;〃 said he; 〃about Mr。
  Whipple's suit。  It's a gray; with an invisible check;
  and it looks fine。〃
  A LICKPENNY LOVER
  There; were 3;000 girls in the Biggest Store。
  Masie was one of them。  She was eighteen and a
  selleslady in the gents' gloves。  Here she became
  versed in two varieties of human beings … the kind of
  gents who buy their gloves in department stores and
  the kind of women who buy gloves for unfortunate
  gents。  Besides this wide knowledge of the human
  species; Masie had acquired other information。  She
  had listened to the promulgated wisdom of the 2;999
  other girls and had stored it in a brain that was as
  secretive and wary as that of a Maltese cat。  Per…
  haps nature; foreseeing that she would lack wise
  counsellors; had mingled the saving ingredient of
  shrewdness along with her beauty; as she has endowed
  the silver fox of the priceless fur above the other
  animals with cunning。
  For Masie was beautiful。  She was a deep…tinted
  blonde; with the calm poise of a lady who cooks butter
  cakes in a window。  She stood behind her counter in
  the Biggest Store; and as you closed your band over
  the tape…line for your glove measure you thought
  of Hebe; and as you looked again you wondered how
  she had come by Minerva's eyes。
  When the floorwalker was not looking Masie
  chewed tutti frutti; when he was looking she gazed
  up as if at the clouds and smiled wistfully。
  That is the shopgirl smile; and I enjoin you to
  shun it unless you are well fortified with callosity of
  the heart; caramels and a congeniality for the capers
  of Cupid。  This smile belonged to Masie's recreation
  hours and not to the store; but the floorwalker must
  have his own。  He is the Shylock of the stores。
  When be comes nosing around the bridge of his nose
  is a toll…bridge。  It is goo…goo eyes or 〃git〃 when
  be looks toward a pretty girl。  Of course not all floor…
  walkers are thus。  Only a few days ago the papers
  printed news of one over eighty years of age。
  One day Irving Carter; painter; millionaire; trav…
  eller; poet; automobilist; happened  to enter the Big…
  gest Store。  It is due to him to add that his visit was
  not voluntary。  Filial duty took him by the collar and
  dragged him inside; while his mother philandered
  among the bronze and terra…cotta statuettes。
  Carter strolled across to the glove counter in order
  to shoot a few minutes on the wing。  His need for
  gloves was genuine; be had forgotten to bring a pair
  with him。  But his action hardly calls for apology; be…
  cause be had never heard of glove…counter flirtations。
  As he neared the vicinity of his fate be hesitated;
  suddenly conscious of this unknown phase of Cupid's
  less worthy profession。
  Three or four cheap fellows; sonorously garbed;
  were leaning over the counters; wrestling with the
  mediatorial hand…coverings; while giggling girls
  played vivacious seconds to their lead upon the
  strident string of coquetry。  Carter would have re…
  treated; but he had gone too far。  Masie confronted
  him behind her counter with a questioning look in
  eyes as coldly; beautifully; warmly blue as the glint
  of summer sunshine on an iceberg drifting in Southern
  seas。
  And then Irving Carter; painter; millionaire; etc。;
  felt a warm flush rise to his aristocratically pale face。
  But not from diffidence。  The blush was intellectual
  in origin。  He knew in a moment that he stood in the
  ranks of the ready…made youths who wooed the gig…
  gling girls at other counters。  Himself leaned against
  the oaken trysting place of a cockney Cupid with a
  desire in his heart for the favor of a glove salesgirl。
  He was no more than Bill and Jack and Mickey。
  And then be felt a sudden tolerance for them; and
  an elating; courageous contempt for the conventions
  upon which he had fed; and an unhesitating deter…
  mination to have this perfect creature for his own。
  When the gloves were paid for and wrapped t