第 33 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 02:16      字数:9320
  〃Oh; I suppose;〃 said Vuyning; with a laugh;
  〃that my ancestors picked up the knack while they
  were peddling clothes from house to house a couple
  of hundred years ago。  I'm told they did that。〃
  〃And mine;〃 said Emerson; cheerfully; 〃were
  making their visits at night; I guess; and didn't have
  a chance to catch on to the correct styles。〃
  〃I tell you what;〃 said Vuyning; whose ennui had
  taken wings; 〃I'll take you to my tailor。  He'll
  eliminate the mark of the beast from your exterior。
  That is; if you care to go any further in the way of
  expense。〃
  〃Play 'em to the ceiling;〃 said Emerson; with a
  boyish smile of joy。  〃I've got a roll as big around
  as a barrel of black…eyed peas and as loose as the
  wrapper of a two…for…fiver。  I don't mind telling you
  that I was not touring among the Antipodes when
  the burglar…proof safe of the Farmers' National Bank
  of Butterville; Ia。; flew open some moonless nights
  ago to the tune of 16;000。〃
  〃Aren't you afraid;〃 asked Vuyning; 〃that I'll
  call a cop and hand you over?〃
  〃You tell me;〃 said Emerson; coolly; 〃why I
  didn't keep them。〃
  He laid Vuyning's pocketbook and watch  the
  Vuyning 100…year…old family watch on the table。
  〃Man;〃 said Vuyning; revelling; 〃did you ever
  hear the tale Kirk tells about the six…pound trout
  and the old fisherman?〃
  〃Seems not;〃 said Emerson; politely。  〃I'd
  like to。〃
  〃But you won't;〃 said Vuyning。  〃I've heard it
  scores of times。  That's why I won't tell you。  I was
  just thinking how much better this is than a club。
  Now; shall we go to my tailor?〃
  〃Boys; and elderly gents;〃 said Vuyning; five days
  later at his club; standing up against the window
  where his coterie was gathered; and keeping out the
  breeze; 〃a friend of mine from the West will dine
  at our table this evening。〃
  〃Will he ask if we have heard the latest from
  Denver?〃  said a member; squirming in his chair。
  〃Will he mention the new twenty…three…story Ma…
  sonic Temple; in Quincy; Ill。?〃 inquired another;
  dropping his nose…glasses。
  〃Will he spring one of those Western Mississippi
  River catfish stories; in which they use yearling
  calves for bait?〃 demanded Kirk; fiercely。
  〃Be comforted;〃 said Vuyning。  〃He has none of
  the little vices。  He is a burglar and safe…blower;
  and a pal of mine。〃
  〃Oh; Mary Ann!〃 said they。  〃Must you always
  adorn every statement with your alleged humor?〃
  It came to pass that at eight in the evening a calm;
  smooth; brilliant; affable man sat at Vuyning's right
  hand during dinner。  And when the ones who pass
  their lives in city streets spoke of skyscrapers or of
  the little Czar on his far; frozen throne; or of insig…
  nificant fish from inconsequential streams; this big;
  deep…chested man; faultlessly clothed; and eyed like
  an Emperor; disposed of their Lilliputian chatter
  with a wink of his eyelash。
  And then he painted for them with hard; broad
  strokes a marvellous lingual panorama of the West。
  He stacked snow…topped mountains on the table;
  freezing the hot dishes of the waiting diners。  With
  a wave of his hand he swept the clubhouse into a
  pine…crowned gorge; turning the waiters into a grim
  posse; and each listener into a blood…stained fugitive;
  climbing with torn fingers upon the ensanguined
  rocks。  He touched the table and spake; and the five
  panted as they gazed on barren lava beds; and each
  man took his tongue between his teeth and felt his
  mouth bake at the tale of a land empty of water and
  food。  As simply as Homer sang; while he dug a tine
  of his fork leisurely into the tablecloth; he opened a
  new world to their view; as does one who tells a child
  of the Looking…Glass Country。
  As one of his listeners might have spoken of tea
  too strong at a Madison Square 〃afternoon;〃 so he
  depicted the ravages of redeye in a border town
  when the caballeros of the lariat and 〃forty…five〃
  reduced ennui to a minimum。
  And then; with a sweep of his white; unringed
  hands; be dismissed Melpomene; and forthwith Diana
  and Amaryllis footed it before the mind's eyes of
  the clubmen。
  The savannas of the continent spread before them。
  The wind; humming through a hundred leagues of
  sage brush and mesquite; closed their ears to the
  city's staccato noises。  He told them of camps; of
  ranches marooned in a sea of fragrant prairie blos…
  soms; of gallops in the stilly night that Apollo would
  have forsaken his daytime steeds to enjoy; he read
  them the great; rough epic of the cattle and the hills
  that have not been spoiled by the band of man; the
  mason。  His words were a telescope to the city men;
  whose eyes had looked upon Youngstown; O。; and
  whose tongues had called it 〃West。〃
  In fact; Emerson had them 〃going。〃
  The next morning at ten he met Vuyning; by ap…
  pointment; at a Forty…second Street cafe。
  Emerson was to leave for the West that day。  He
  wore a suit of dark cheviot that looked to have been
  draped upon him by an ancient Grecian tailor who
  was a few thousand years ahead of the styles。
  〃Mr。 Vuyning;〃 said he; with the clear; ingenuous
  smile of the successful 〃crook;〃  it's up to me to
  go the limit for you any time I can do so。  You're
  the real thing; and if I can ever return the favor; you
  bet your life I'll do it。〃
  〃What was that cow…puncher's name?〃 asked
  Vuyning; 〃who used to catch a mustang by the nose
  and mane; and throw him till he put the bridle on?〃
  〃Bates;〃 said Emerson。
  〃Thanks;〃 said Vuyning。  〃I thought it was
  Yates。  Oh; about that toggery business  I'd for…
  gotten that。〃
  〃I've been looking for some guy to put me on the
  right track for years;〃 said Emerson。  〃You're the
  goods; duty free; and half…way to the warehouse in a
  red wagon。〃
  〃Bacon; toasted on a green willow switch over red
  coals; ought to put broiled lobsters out of business;〃
  said Vuyning。  〃And you say a horse at the end of a
  thirty…foot rope can't pull a ten…inch stake out of wet
  prairie?  Well; good…bye; old man; if you must
  be off。〃
  At one o'clock Vuyning had luncheon with Miss
  Allison by previous arrangement。
  For thirty minutes be babbled to her; unaccount…
  ably; of ranches; horses; cations; cyclones; round…ups;
  Rocky Mountains and beans and bacon。  She looked
  at him with wondering and half…terrified eyes。
  〃I was going to propose again to…day;〃 said Vuy…
  ning; cheerily; but I won't。 I've worried you often
  enough。  You know dad has a ranch in Colorado。
  What's the good of staying here?  Jumping jon…
  quils! but it's great out there。  I'm going to start
  next Tuesday。〃
  〃No; you won't;〃 said Miss Allison。
  〃What?〃 said Vuyning。
  〃Not alone;〃 said Miss Allison; dropping a tear
  upon her salad。  〃What do you think?〃
  〃Betty!〃 exclaimed Vuyning; 〃what do you
  mean?
  〃I'll go too;〃 said Miss Allison; forcibly。
  Vuyning filled her glass with Apollinaris。
  〃Here's to Rowdy the Dude!〃  he gave  a toast
  mysterious。
  〃Don't know him;〃 said Miss Allison;  〃but if
  he's your friend; Jimmy  here goes!〃
  THE MEMENTO
  Miss Lynnette D'Armande turned her
  back on Broadway。  This was but tit for tat; be…
  cause Broadway had often done the same thing to
  Miss D'Armande。  Still; the 〃tats〃 seemed to have
  it; for the ex…leading lady of the 〃Reaping the
  Whirlwind〃 company had everything to ask of
  Broadway; while there was no vice…versa。
  So Miss Lynnette D'Armande turned the back of
  her chair to her window that overlooked Broadway;
  and sat down to stitch in time the lisle…thread heel
  of a black silk stocking。  The tumult and glitter of
  the roaring Broadway beneath her window had no
  charm for her; what she greatly desired was the
  stifling air of a dressing…room on that fairyland
  street and the roar of an audience gathered in that
  capricious quarter。  In the meantime; those stock…
  ings must not be neglected。  Silk does wear out so;
  but  after all; isn't it just the only goods there is?
  The Hotel Thalia looks on Broadway as Marathon
  looks on the sea。  It stands like a gloomy cliff above
  the whirlpool where the tides of two great thorough…
  fares clash。  Here the player…bands gather at the end
  of their wanderings; to loosen the buskin and dust the
  sock。  Thick in the streets around it are booking…
  offices; theatres; agents; schools; and the lobster…pal…
  aces to which those thorny paths lead。
  Wandering through the eccentric halls of the dim
  and fusty Thalia; you seem to have found yourself
  in some great ark or caravan about to sail; or fly; or
  roll away on wheels。  About the house lingers a sense
  of unrest; of expectation; of transientness; even of
  anxiety and apprehension。  The halls are a labyrinth。
  Without a guide; you wander like a lost soul in a
  Sam Loyd puzzle。
  Turning any corner; a dressing…sack or a cul…de…sac
  may bring you up short。  You meet