登陆注册
5406400000232

第232章

AT three that afternoon she stood in the vestibule of Brent's small house in Park Avenue overlooking the oblong of green between East Thirty-seventh Street and East Thirty-eighth.Amost reputable looking Englishman in evening dress opened the door; from her reading and her theater-going she knew that this was a butler.He bowed her in.The entire lower floor was given to an entrance hall, done in plain black walnut, almost lofty of ceiling, and with a grand stairway leading to the upper part of the house.There was a huge fireplace to the right; a mirror filled the entire back wall; a broad low seat ran all round the room.In one corner, an enormous urn of dark pottery; in another corner, a suit of armor, the helmet, the breastplate and the gauntlets set with gold of ancient lackluster.

The butler left her there and ascended the polished but dead-finished stairway noiselessly.Susan had never before been in so grand a room.The best private house she had ever seen was Wright's in Sutherland; and while everybody else in Sutherland thought it magnificent, she had felt that there was something wrong, what she had not known.The grandiose New York hotels and restaurants were more showy and more pretentious far than this interior of Brent's.But her unerring instinct of those born with good taste knew at first view of them that they were simply costly; there were beautiful things in them, fine carvings and paintings and tapestries, but personality was lacking.And without personality there can be no unity; without unity there can be no harmony--and without harmony, no beauty.

Looking round her now, she had her first deep draught of esthetic delight in interior decoration.She loved this quiet dignity, this large simplicity--nothing that obtruded, nothing that jarred, everything on the same scale of dark coloring and large size.She admired the way the mirror, without pretense of being anything but a mirror, enhanced the spaciousness of the room and doubled the pleasure it gave by offering another and different view of it.

Last of all Susan caught sight of herself--a slim, slightly stooped figure, its white dress and its big black hat with white trimmings making it stand out strongly against the rather somber background.In a curiously impersonal way her own sad, wistful face interested her.A human being's face is a summary of his career.No man can realize at a thought what he is, can epitomize in just proportion what has been made of him by experience of the multitude of moments of which life is composed.But in some moods and in some lights we do get such an all-comprehending view of ourselves in looking at our own faces.As she had instinctively felt, there was a world of meaning in the contrast between her pensive brow above melancholy eyes and the blood-red line of her rouged lips.

The butler descended."Mr.Brent is in his library, on the fourth floor," said he."Will you kindly step this way, ma'am?"Instead of indicating the stairway, he went to the panel next the chimney piece.She saw that it was a hidden door admitting to an elevator.She entered; the door closed; the elevator ascended rapidly.When it came to a stop the door opened and she was facing Brent.

"Thank you for coming," said he, with almost formal courtesy.

For all her sudden shyness, she cast a quick but seeing look round.It was an overcast day; the soft floods of liquid light--the beautiful light of her beloved City of the Sun--poured into the big room through an enormous window of clear glass which formed the entire north wall.Round the other walls from floor almost to lofty ceiling were books in solid rows; not books with ornamental bindings, but books for use, books that had been and were being used.By way of furniture there were an immense lounge, wide and long and deep, facing the left chimney piece, an immense table desk facing the north light, three great chairs with tall backs, one behind the table, one near the end of the table, the third in the corner farthest from the window; a grand piano, open, with music upon its rack, and a long carved seat at its keyboard.The huge window had a broad sill upon which was built a generous window garden fresh and lively with bright flowers.The woodwork, the ceiling, the furniture were of mahogany.The master of this splendid simplicity was dressed in a blue house suit of some summer material like linen.He was smoking a cigarette, and offered her one from the great carved wood box filled with them on the table desk.

"Thanks," said she.And when she had lighted it and was seated facing him as he sat at his desk, she felt almost at her ease.After all, while his gaze was penetrating, it was also understanding; we do not mind being unmasked if the unmasker at once hails us as brother.Brent's eyes seemed to say to her, "Human!--like me." She smoked and let her gaze wander from her books to window garden, from window garden to piano.

"You play?" said he.

"A very little.Enough for accompaniments to simple songs.""You sing?"

"Simple songs.I've had but a few lessons from a small-town teacher.""Let me hear."

She went to the piano, laid her cigarette in a tray ready beside the music rack.She gave him the "Gipsy Queen," which she liked because it expressed her own passion of revolt against restraints of every conventional kind and her love for the open air and open sky.He somehow took away all feeling of embarrassment; she felt so strongly that he understood and was big enough not to have it anywhere in him to laugh at anything sincere.When she finished she resumed her cigarette and returned to the chair near his.

"It's as I thought," said he."Your voice can be trained--to speak, I mean.I don't know as to its singing value....

Have you good health?"

"I never have even colds.Yes, I'm strong."

"You'll need it."

"I have needed it," said she.Into her face came the sad, bitter expression with its curious relief of a faint cynical smile.

同类推荐
  • 金台集

    金台集

    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。
  • 无形篇

    无形篇

    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。
  • 二刻拍案惊奇

    二刻拍案惊奇

    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。
  • 湘烟小录

    湘烟小录

    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。
  • 揵稚梵赞

    揵稚梵赞

    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
  • 吕祖师三尼医世说述

    吕祖师三尼医世说述

    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。
  • 帝王殇:天赐红颜

    帝王殇:天赐红颜

    她,是我的朋友!他,将是我的丈夫!婚礼!话说是最幸福的时刻,但在此刻,我却遭逢了友情的背叛。友情!话说是最珍贵的情感,但在今天,她却因爱情背叛了友情。难道友情与爱情就如鱼与熊掌,不可兼得?当我醒来后,看见的不是医院雪白的墙壁,而且蓝蓝的天空,枯黄的野草,一望无际的荒原。命运就如同脱离了轨迹,让我来到了一个奇异的空间,神奇的世界;也让我遇见了一个本不该相识的他。他有时霸道、冰冷、狂傲;有时却悲哀、寂寞、空虚……当一个心沉沦下去时,命运再次回归正轨,我才终于明白,我只不过是一个爱情的替身,他做的一切的一切都不是为了我,而是埋藏在他内心深处的另一个她。这难道只能说明这场穿越终究只是一场华丽的错爱么?随着命运的齿轮继续运转,当我们异世相隔,虽说伤心,但更多的却是绝望。不同于地区的不同,而此刻却是时空的不同,原本以为只要看着你也会是一种幸福,但是此刻连见你的机会也被剥夺……前尘事,今世了,一朝既离两空空往事葬,情难还,几度心殇透心肠
  • 哑巴新娘,总裁买定不离手

    哑巴新娘,总裁买定不离手

    家产被夺、爱人出国、还被逼嫁给一个傻子。夏雨萱从来没有想过自己会嫁给一个傻子,她恨,却毫无还手之力。新婚之夜——不说是傻子吗?傻子不傻,还对她强势攻夺,她退无可退,生无可恋。
  • 季忆往昔俞往前晨

    季忆往昔俞往前晨

    一次偶然相遇她成了他口中的老婆;发侓上的妻子。他们又擦出了什么样的火花呢…………
  • 猜凶(全集)

    猜凶(全集)

    本书推理严密,构架精巧,是侦探推理小说中难得的佳作。主人公西门通是探秘节目的主持人,因其俊美的外貌和优雅的举止成为女性追捧的“万人迷”。他拥有“招惹事件的体质”,凡是他出没的地方必会发生事件。因此,这位特立独行、腹黑毒舌的名侦探免不了要屡屡破案了。与他搭档的是他的“天敌”热血刑警白方。总是被他捉弄,也是他唯一信任和依靠的死党。这对搞笑冤家为我们带来的精彩故事,必会令你拍案叫绝。争夺财产的神秘受益人,心怀仇恨的复仇者,预谋杀夫的枕边人,死去十年却再次复生的童年玩伴,他们到底是事件的策划者还是被害人……阅读之前,没有真相。热血刑警联手腹黑名侦探,“天敌组合”为你揭开凶手的诡计。
  • 教你学帆船·帆板

    教你学帆船·帆板

    水上运动是集竞争性、观赏性和刺激性于一体的、富有现代文明特征的竞技体育项目。它是为了区别于陆上和空中体育项目,全部过程或主要过程都在水下、水面或水上进行的体育项目。
  • 世界最具幻想性的童话故事(2)

    世界最具幻想性的童话故事(2)

    我的课外第一本书——震撼心灵阅读之旅经典文库,《阅读文库》编委会编。通过各种形式的故事和语言,讲述我们在成长中需要的知识。
  • 桃源美利坚

    桃源美利坚

    你想佩戴沙图什吗?不用到青藏高原辛苦的偷猎了,因为我这里有啊,质量绝对上乘;你想吃人参肉吗,我这里完全可以满足你的需要,你想吃到美味而又纯天然的美食吗,请到我这里来。我是干什么的?我不过是一个地主而已。推荐新书《不务正业的厨子》,本书还会更新,绝对保证人品
  • 一剑化神

    一剑化神

    一心寄一剑,一剑结知交;一人夺天命,一命换众生!风云开榜,雷霆敕字,天榜异动,烽火四起,身负九幽冥煞的枯境少年,明心御剑,剑行九阳,于微末崛起,匡扶天下!书友群:555691395
  • 我的明星老师

    我的明星老师

    新书《我的夫人是凤凰》已肥,可宰。我最大的成就不是你们所说的娱乐圈第一人,也不是什么万民之师,更不是我的财富和地位,我最骄傲的成就是,我活成了自己想要的模样,而不只是活成他人想要的模样——夜光。(PS:上面是吹牛,其实这就是一本狗粮型的轻松日常文娱。书友群:661627555。)