登陆注册
5170900000058

第58章

"I don't know much about 'em myself," hazarded Jadwin, looking at the pictures, "but Laura can tell you.We bought most of 'em while we were abroad, year before last.Laura says this is the best." He indicated a large "Bougereau" that represented a group of nymphs bathing in a woodland pool.

"H'm!" said the broker, "you wouldn't want some of your Sunday-school superintendents to see this now.This is what the boys down on the Board would call a bar-room picture."But Jadwin did not laugh.

"It never struck me in just that way," he said, gravely.

"It's a fine piece of work, though," Gretry hastened to add."Fine, great colouring.""I like this one pretty well," continued Jadwin, moving to a canvas by Detaille.It was one of the inevitable studies of a cuirassier; in this case a trumpeter, one arm high in the air, the hand clutching the trumpet, the horse, foam-flecked, at a furious gallop.In the rear, through clouds of dust, the rest of the squadron was indicated by a few points of colour.

"Yes, that's pretty neat," concurred Gretry."He's sure got a gait on.Lord, what a lot of accoutrements those French fellows stick on.Now our boys would chuck about three-fourths of that truck before going into action....Queer way these artists work," he went on, peering close to the canvas."Look at it close up and it's just a lot of little daubs, but you get off a distance"--he drew back, cocking his head to one side--"and you see now.Hey--see how the thing bunches up.

Pretty neat, isn't it?" He turned from the picture and rolled his eyes about the room.

"Well, well," he murmured."This certainly is the real thing, J.I suppose, now, it all represents a pretty big pot of money.""I'm not quite used to it yet myself," said Jadwin."Iwas in here last Sunday, thinking it all over, the new house, and the money and all.And it struck me as kind of queer the way things have turned out for me....

Sam, do you know, I can remember the time, up there in Ottawa County, Michigan, on my old dad's farm, when Iused to have to get up before day-break to tend the stock, and my sister and I used to run out quick into the stable and stand in the warm cow fodder in the stalls to warm our bare feet.

She up and died when she was about eighteen--galloping consumption.Yes, sir.By George, how I loved that little sister of mine! _You_ remember her, Sam.

Remember how you used to come out from Grand Rapids every now and then to go squirrel shooting with me?""Sure, sure.Oh, I haven't forgot."

"Well, I was wishing the other day that I could bring Sadie down here, and--oh, I don't know--give her a good time.She never had a good time when she was alive.

Work, work, work; morning, noon, and night.I'd like to have made it up to her.I believe in making people happy, Sam.That's the way I take my fun.But it's too late to do it now for my little sister.""Well," hazarded Gretry, "you got a good wife in yonder to----"Jadwin interrupted him.He half turned away, thrusting his hands suddenly into his pockets.Partly to himself, partly to his friend he murmured:

"You bet I have, you bet I have.Sam," he exclaimed, then turned away again."...Oh, well, never mind,"he murmured.

Gretry, embarrassed, constrained, put his chin in the air, shutting his eyes in a knowing fashion.

"I understand," he answered."I understand, J.""Say, look at this organ here," said Jadwin briskly.

"Here's the thing I like to play with."

They crossed to the other side of the room.

"Oh, you've got one of those attachment things,"observed the broker.

"Listen now," said Jadwin.He took a perforated roll from the case near at hand and adjusted it, Gretry looking on with the solemn interest that all American business men have in mechanical inventions.Jadwin sat down before it, pulled out a stop or two, and placed his feet on the pedals.A vast preliminary roaring breath soughed through the pipes, with a vibratory rush of power.Then there came a canorous snarl of bass, and then, abruptly, with resistless charm, and with full-bodied, satisfying amplitude of volume the opening movement of the overture of "Carmen.""Great, great!" shouted Gretry, his voice raised to make himself heard."That's immense."The great-lunged harmony was filling the entire gallery, clear cut, each note clearly, sharply treated with a precision that, if mechanical, was yet effective.Jadwin, his eyes now on the stops, now on the sliding strip of paper, played on.Through the sonorous clamour of the pipes Gretry could hear him speaking, but he caught only a word or two.

"Toreador...horse power...Madame Calve...

electric motor...fine song...storage battery."The "movement thinned out, and dwindled to a strain of delicate lightness, sustained by the smallest pipes and developing a new motive; this was twice repeated, and then ran down to a series of chords and bars that prepared for and prefigured some great effect close at hand.There was a short pause, then with the sudden releasing of a tremendous rush of sound, back surged the melody, with redoubled volume and power, to the original movement.

"That's bully, bully!" shouted Gretry, clapping his hands, and his eye, caught by a movement on the other side of the room, he turned about to see Laura Jadwin standing between the opened curtains at the entrance.

Seen thus unexpectedly, the broker was again overwhelmed with a sense of the beauty of Jadwin's wife.Laura was in evening dress of black lace; her arms and neck were bare.Her black hair was piled high upon her head, a single American Beauty rose nodded against her bare shoulder.She was even yet slim and very tall, her face pale with that unusual paleness of hers that was yet a colour.Around her slender neck was a marvellous collar of pearls many strands deep, set off and held in place by diamond clasps.

With Laura came Mrs.Gretry and Page.The broker's wife was a vivacious, small, rather pretty blonde woman, a little angular, a little faded.She was garrulous, witty, slangy.She wore turquoises in her ears morning, noon, and night.

同类推荐
  • 岕茶汇抄

    岕茶汇抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诊余举隅录

    诊余举隅录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东海若解

    东海若解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上说利益蚕王妙经

    太上说利益蚕王妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 淮南鸿烈解

    淮南鸿烈解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 医女春秋

    医女春秋

    她——连翘,名字也是一味药名。职业:高级营养师背景:自幼丧父丧母,爷爷乃中医界泰斗。性格:独立、果决、坚强、淡漠因为死神的一个疏忽,她——穿了。只想安安稳稳继续生活,却卷入残忍血腥的历史洪荒;只想平平淡淡过完此生,奈何惊世容颜引得杀伐纷起;只想无声无息不留痕迹,岂料骇世医术更惹杀机无数…他——格萨国的储君,冷酷无情的血太子,强奸过她,伤害过她,却无可救药地爱上她:“我为王,你为妃,我为帝,你为后!”他——梁国的逍遥王爷,亦正亦邪,谈笑风生间视人名如草芥,利用她,出卖她,却终于后悔:“早知今日,我绝不会把你送给任何人!”他——番国的王子,种了她一箭,一箭穿心,也穿情:“你只能属于我。”他——梁国的国君,阴险狡诈,心如蛇蝎,亦不知不觉为她所惑:“上天入地,你别想离开朕!”这是个怎样的世界黄沙、戈壁…刀光、剑影…飞雪…亦飞血…她是医?是神?是妃?是后?乱了,一切都乱了,乱了一切…这个地址是好姐妹切小颖为我做的mv,呵呵,大家有空可以去看看哈!(小颖,好爱你哈!来跟我大么么一下!恩哪!!)o(∩_∩)o.大家见好就收哦!小狐狸给十八建了个群,群号:57869715敲门砖:十八禾雨或者作品中的任何一个人名撒花撒花~~~~谢谢小狐狸给十八建的这个群,粉高兴滴说!偶很懒的,所以以后要辛苦小狐狸帮偶管理群了!(鞠躬萨~~)
  • 冤家的鞋子

    冤家的鞋子

    少女开杏和往常一样,与女伴们一起,坐在高高的谷草堆旁纳鞋底。女伴们一边飞针走线,一边又说又笑。只有开杏不言不语,低头纳鞋。她将又细又白的麻线在黄蜡上拉过,以便麻线在穿引的过程中更顺溜一些,然后一针一线在鞋底上穿去穿来。那银白色、又细又长的钢针可不是万能的,它要将麻绳牵过厚厚的、白白的千层布,还得需要略粗略长的锥子的引导,需要厚厚的铜顶针的暗劲。这种毛布底鞋子,做工很复杂,需要时间、精力,还需要眼到手到。而这样的手艺,开杏和小伙伴早已炉火纯青,驾轻就熟,她们在农忙的时候,和家里人一样下田劳动,农闲的时候,就让妈给她们准备了各种颜色、各种质地的布料,做出各种各样的布鞋。
  • 复兴之路

    复兴之路

    二十五年前,临近高考的几个学子因酒后冲突导致命案发生,人生轨迹因此而改变。二十五年后再次相会,前程、财富、亲情、友情、爱情,炙烤出人性的黑暗与光明。日出日落,天道永恒。QQ群136803444
  • 杀圣

    杀圣

    在一个五行灵力盛行的世界,他灵根陨灭,却开创了一个杀道神话。没有灵根,他以功法凝聚后天灵根;没有名分,他以计败强敌再做世子;没有荣耀,他以血肉铸帝国杀戮剑;没有信仰,他以杀止杀让众生颤抖;没有柔情,他以杀为守万死而不惧。开脉,灵旋,灵丸,灵山,灵海,灵虚,六大境界,他以杀止杀,鬼挡杀鬼,魔挡屠魔,终于以杀证道,强行杀入渴求两世的圣道境界,成就杀圣威名。
  • 爱是寂寞撒的谎

    爱是寂寞撒的谎

    本书讲述的是一个80后男孩的社会成长史,重墨浓彩勾画了他的官场生涯以及和四个女人的情感纠葛,这是作家殷谦继《无处释放的青春》后的又一部展现80后生活现状的力作。故事以公幸海与小芳、芬兰、羽婷、蓓儿四个少女的情爱故事为主线,赤裸裸地描绘了处在矛盾旋涡中迷茫的的寻求出路的社会青年的画面。
  • 寂寞深处的风景

    寂寞深处的风景

    西海固永远是一块出产优秀诗人的沃野,这其中的奥秘大概与地气、方言、接受力等诸多现象有关。特别是文化的冲突更容易在一个诗人的笔下产生灵性,更容易在灵魂的层面上叩问自我。
  • 最强三界神话

    最强三界神话

    【推荐新书:都市之逆天武神】曾与盘古把酒言欢,与女娲在夕阳下奔跑,与夸父共饮长江水,孙悟空尊他为凡帝,玉帝对他敬畏三分,佛祖为他马首是瞻,他是仙界的神话,是仙界的传奇。他叫杨凡,一个豪气纵横的男人。(不一样的长生流,不一样的仙界聊天群,不一样的无敌流……)(最强三界神话扣扣群:553746382)
  • 日事日清工作法2.0

    日事日清工作法2.0

    今天,你日事日清了吗?日事日清代表的是一种认真负责的工作态度,高效执行、完美复命;日事日清代表的是一种科学的工作方法,智慧做事;日事日清强调的是完美的工作结果,贡献结果、创造佳绩。
  • 贞观长歌:大唐未央传

    贞观长歌:大唐未央传

    一个阴谋让她们穿越到战乱的隋末,见证唐朝建立,认证贞观之治。也是那个阴谋让慕容未央知道一直以来所谓的好姐妹只不过是口蜜腹剑,重遇后接踵而来的危险和阴谋,却不知道陷害自己的原来就是一同穿越过来的好闺蜜,“只不过是换了一个模样,你便不认识我吗?”她将利剑刺进慕容未央胸膛时眼神狰狞。到底是什么样的怨恨让她一步一步逼害?什么样的男人让曾经友好的姐妹二人反目成仇?深宫之内,哪些阴谋祸害能被识破?谁能辅助君主一统天下?即使如此,万千沧桑过后,青史上又能将谁留名?
  • 柳芒的潇洒末日

    柳芒的潇洒末日

    出于某种爱好,一个地下拳手去搬砖了,本以为可以一边搬砖一边调戏美女包工头的,没想到病毒爆发了。但这并不影响他手牵活泼傻少女,肩扛性感美少妇。吃的是变异兽肉,喝的是鬼脸花液,生活乐无边。