第 30 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-27 02:16      字数:9321
  tozoa; the bread of Gaul; compounded after the for…
  mula of the recipe for the eternal bills; was there set
  forth to the hand and tooth of a long…suffering city;
  while the gods lay beside their nectar and home…made
  biscuits and smiled; and the dentists leaped for joy
  in their gold…leafy dens。
  The eye of Binkley fixed a young man at his table
  with the Bobemian gleam; which is a compound of
  the look of the Basilisk; the shine of a bubble of
  Wurzburger; the inspiration of genius and the plead…
  ing of a panhandler。
  The young man sprang to his feet。  〃Hello; Bink;
  old boy!  be shouted。 〃Don't tell me you were go…
  ing to pass our table。  Join us  unless you've an…
  other crowd on hand。〃
  〃Don't mind; old chap;〃 said Binkley; of the fish…
  stall。  〃You know how I like to butt up against the
  fine arts。  Mr。 Vandyke  Mr。 Madder  er
  Miss Martin; one of the elect also in art  er  〃
  The introduction went around。  There were also
  Miss Elise and Miss 'Toinette。  Perhaps they were
  models; for they chattered of the St。 Regis decora…
  tions and Henry James  and they did it not badly。
  Medora sat in transport。  Music  wild; intoxi…
  eating music made by troubadours direct from a rear
  basement room in Elysium  set her thoughts to
  dancing。  Here was a world never before penetrated
  by her warmest imagination or any of the lines con…
  trolled by Harriman。  With the Green Mountains'
  external calm upon her she sat; her soul flaming in
  her with the fire of Andalusia。  The tables were filled
  with Bohemia。  The room was full of the fragrance
  of flowers  both mille and cauli。  Questions and
  corks popped; laughter and silver rang; champagne
  flashed in the pail; wit flashed in the pan。
  Vandyke ruffled his long; black locks; disarranged
  his careless tie and leaned over to Madder。
  〃Say; Maddy;〃 he whispered; feelingly; 〃some…
  times I'm tempted to pay this Philistine his ten dol…
  lars and get rid of him。〃
  Madder ruffled his long; sandy locks and disar…
  ranged his careless tie。
  〃Don't think of it; Vandy;〃 he replied。  〃We are
  short; and Art is long。〃
  Medora ate strange viands and drank elderberry
  wine that they poured in her glass。  It was just the
  color of that in the Vermont home。  The waiter
  poured something in another glass that seemed to
  be boiling; but when she tasted it it was not hot。
  She had never felt so light…hearted before。  She
  thought lovingly of the Green Mountain farm and its
  fauna。  She leaned; smiling; to Miss Elise。
  〃If I were at home;〃 she said; beamingly; 〃I
  could show you the cutest little calf! 〃
  〃Nothing for you in the White Lane;〃 said Miss
  Elise。  〃Why don't you pad?
  The orchestra played a wailing waltz that Medora
  had learned from the hand…organs。  She followed
  the air with nodding head in a sweet soprano hum。
  Madder looked across the table at her; and wondered
  in what strange waters Binkley had caught her in
  his seine。  She smiled at him; and they raised glasses
  and drank of the wine that boiled when it was cold。
  Binkley had abandoned art and was prating of the
  unusual spring catch of shad。  Miss Elise arranged
  the palette…and…maul…stick tie pin of Mr。 Vandyke。
  A Philistine at some distant table was maundering
  volubly either about Jerome or Gerome。  A famous
  actress was discoursing excitably about monogrammed
  hosiery。  A hose clerk from a department store was
  loudly proclaiming his opinions of the drama。  A
  writer was abusing Dickens。  A magazine editor and
  a photographer were drinking a dry brand at a re…
  served table。  A 36…25…42 young lady was saying to
  an eminent sculptor: 〃Fudge for your Prax Italys!
  Bring one of your Venus Anno Dominis down to
  Cohen's and see bow quick she'd be turned down for
  a cloak model。  Back to the quarries with your
  Greeks and Dagos!〃
  Thus went Bohemia。
  At eleven Mr。 Binkley took Medora to the board…
  ing…bouse and left her; with a society bow; at the foot
  of the hall stairs。  She went up to her room and lit
  the gas。
  And then; as suddenly as the dreadful genie arose
  in vapor from the copper vase of the fisherman;
  arose in that room the formidable shape of the New
  England Conscience。  The terrible thing that
  Medora had done was revealed to her in its full
  enormity。  She had sat in the presence of the un…
  godly and looked upon the wine both when it was red
  and effervescent。
  At midnight she wrote this letter:
  〃Mr。 BERLAH HOSKINS; Harmony; Vermont。
  〃Dear Sir: Henceforth; consider me as dead to
  you forever。  I have loved you too well to blight your
  career by bringing into it my guilty and sin…stained
  life。  I have succumbed to the insidious wiles of this
  wicked world and have been drawn into the vortex of
  Bohemia。  There is scarcely any depth of glittering
  iniquity that I have not sounded。  It is hopeless to
  combat my decision。  There is no rising from the
  depths to which I have sunk。  Endeavor to forget
  me。 I am lost forever in the fair but brutal maze of
  awful Bohemia。  Farewell。
  〃ONCE YOUR MEDORA。〃
  On the next day Medora formed her resolutions。
  Beelzebub; flung from heaven; was no more cast down。
  Between her and the apple blossoms of Harmony
  there was a fixed gulf。  Flaming cherubim warded
  her from the gates of her lost paradise。  In one
  evening; by the aid of Binkley and Mumm; Bohemia
  had gathered her into its awful midst。
  There remained to her but one thing  a life of
  brilliant; but irremediable error。  Vermont was a
  shrine that she never would dare to approach again。
  But she would not sink  there were great and com…
  pelling ones in history upon whom she would model
  her meteoric career  Camille; Lola Montez; Royal
  Mary; Zaza  such a name as one of these would that
  of Medora Martin be to future generations
  For two days Medora kept her room。  On the
  third she opened a magazine at the portrait of the
  King of Belgium; and laughed sardonically。  If that
  far…famed breaker of women's hearts should cross her
  path; he would have to bow before her cold and im…
  perious beauty。  She would not spare the old or
  the young。  All America  all Europe should do
  homage to her sinister; but compelling charm。
  As yet she could not bear to think of the life she
  had once desired  a peaceful one in the shadow of
  the Green Mountains with Beriah at her side; and
  orders for expensive oil paintings coming in by each
  mail from New York。  Her one fatal misstep had
  shattered that dream。
  On the fourth day Medora powdered her face and
  rouged her lips。  Once she had seen Carter in
  〃Zaza。〃  She stood before the mirror in a reckless
  attitude and cried: 〃Zut! zut!〃  She rhymed it
  with 〃nut;〃 but with the lawless word Harmony
  seemed to pass away forever。  The Vortex had her。
  She belonged to Bohemia for evermore。  And never
  would Beriah
  The door opened and Beriah walked in。
  〃'Dory;〃 said he; 〃what's all that chalk and pink
  stuff on your face; honey?
  Medora extended an arm。
  〃Too late;〃 she said; solemnly。  The die is cast。
  I belong in another world。  Curse me if you will
  it is your right。 Go; and leave me in the path I
  have chosen。  Bid them all at home never to men…
  tion my name again。  And sometimes; Beriah; pray
  for me when I am revelling in the gaudy; but hol…
  low; pleasures of Bohemia。〃
  〃Get a towel; 'Dory;〃 said Beriah;  〃and wipe
  that paint off your face。  I came as soon as I got
  your letter。  Them pictures of yours ain't amount…
  ing to anything。  I've got tickets for both of us
  back on the evening train。  Hurry and get your
  things in your trunk。〃
  〃Fate was too strong for me; Beriah。  Go while
  I am strong to bear it。〃
  〃How do you fold this easel; 'Dory?  now begin
  to pack; so we have time to eat before train time。
  The maples is all out in full…grown leaves; 'Dory
  you just ought to see 'em!
  〃Not this early; Beriah?
  〃You ought to see 'em; 'Dory; they're like an
  ocean of green in the morning sunlight。〃
  〃Oh; Beriah!〃
  On the train she said to him suddenly:
  〃I wonder why you came when you got my let…
  ter。〃
  〃Oh; shucks! 〃 said Beriah。  〃Did you think you
  could fool me?  How could you be run away to that
  Bohemia country like you said when your letter was
  postmarked New York as plain as day?〃
  A PHILISTINE IN BOHEMIA
  George Washington; with his right arm up…
  raised; sits his iron horse at the lower corner of
  Union Square; forever signaling the Broadway cars
  to stop as they round the curve into Fourteenth
  Street。  But the cars buzz on; heedless; as they do at
  the beck of a private citizen; and the great General
  must feel; unless his nerves are iron; that rapid tran…
  sit gloria mundi。
  Should the General raise his left hand as he has
  raised his right it would point to a quarter of the
  city that forms a haven for the oppressed and