To the woman it had been the revelation of a new heaven and a new earth. She had found herself, the real self, at whose first meeting in the kiss of a man she had trembled. She was no longer afraid. The elemental clear-eyed goddess had taken possession. She had claimed her own, the throne of a queen, and the man who had dreamed of kingship was her courtier.
She was smiling at him in conscious power, her violet eyes flashing with mystery and magic, the sunlight of Italy gleaming through her dark red hair, her full lips half parted with dreamy tenderness, and her sinuous2 body moving with indolent grace.
“To be your slave is crown enough for man,” he cried.
“And I am in heaven,” she answered, proudly.
“Only, thus, in perfect freedom,” he said, in rapture3, “is the fulness of life. Beauty and harmony and love are of God. Surely this is communion with Him—the joy of embraces, the touch of sunlight, the glory of form and colour, the magic of music, the poetry of love, the ecstacy of passion, the kiss of the senses—He is in all and over all.”
“Can such happiness be eternal?” she asked, under her breath.
He kissed her softly.
“If God be infinite.”
They reached New York the first week in November, and Gordon returned to his work with renewed zeal4.
The success of his movement was a source of continued surprise and fear to the more thoughtful students of social and religious life.
But Gordon had found on his return an increasing amount of friction5 between opposing groups in his church which was a source of intense surprise and annoyance6. Two factions7 had broken into an open quarrel in his absence. He found it necessary to devote a large part of his time to smoothing out these quarrels between men who had come together with the principles of unity8 and fellowship as the foundation of their association. He saw with disgust that he was gathering9 a crowd of cranks, conceited10 and stupid, vain and ambitious for fame and leadership. It was all he could do to prevent a battle of Kilkenny cats.
He discovered that many things glittered at a banquet to celebrate universal brotherhood11 which did not pan out pure gold in the experiment of life. He had heard at such a love feast an aristocratic poet extoll in harangue12 the unwashed Democracy, a Walking Delegate read a poem, a Jew quote the Koran with unction, a Mohammedan eulogise Monogamy, a Single-Taxer declare himself a Democrat13, a Socialist14 glorify15 Individualism, and an Anarchist16 express his love for Order.
But he found next day that as a rule the Egyptian resumed the use of garlic and the hog17 went back to his wallow.
He found to his chagrin18 that mental freedom could be made a cloak for the basest mental slavery, and that the most hide-bound dogmatist on earth is the modern crank who boasts his freedom from all dogmas. He found the Liberal to be the most illiberal19 and narrow man he had ever met.
The absurdity20 of allowing this mob of Kilkenny cats any authority in his church he saw at once. His dream of triumphant21 Democracy faded.
He seized the helm at once.
Without a moment’s hesitation22 he threw out twenty ringleaders of as many factions and restored order. Under such conditions he dared not even incorporate his society under the laws of the state as a religious body lest these incongruous elements control its property and wreck23 its work. He continued to expend24 the vast funds needed for his Temple in his wife’s name, leaving its legal ownership vested in her as before.
Within a few months the extraordinary beauty and vivacity25 of his wife made their house on Gramercy Park the rendezvous26 of a brilliant group of free-lances and Bohemians. Her mother and father had moved to a house on the opposite side of the park. Men and women of genius in the world of Art and Letters who cared nought27 for conventions had crowded her receptions. She was nattered with the pleasant fiction that she had restored the ancient Salon28 of France on a nobler basis.
The increase of her social duties required more and more of her time at the dressmaker’s, and left less and less for work in Gordon’s congregation.
At first he had watched this social success with surprise and pride, and then with an increasing sense of uneasiness for its significance in the development of her character.
The sight of half a dozen handsome men bending over her, enchanted29 by her beauty, and the ring of her laughter at their wit, irritated him. He had not been actor enough to conceal30 from her the gleam of, worry in his eyes and the accent of fret31 in his voice at these functions. She observed, too, that he attended them with regularity32, however important might be the work which called him outside.
He was anxious for her to cultivate a few of his intimate friends, but this crowd of strange men and women bored him.
He was especially anxious that she should meet Overman, and by her magnetism33 and beauty crush him into the acknowledgment of the sanity34 and right of his course.
But Overman had promised without coming.
Gordon was at his bank on Wall Street again urging him to call.
“It’s no use to talk, Frank,” he said, testily35. “All I ask of women is to be let alone.”
“But, you fool, I want you to meet my wife. She’s not a woman merely. She’s the wife of an old college chum, the better half by far.”
Overman pulled his moustache, a humorous twinkle in his eye.
“Well, how many halves are there to you? I’ve met the other half once before. This makes one and a half,” he said, peering at his friend with his single eye.
Gordon laughed.
“Yes, I am large.”
“I’ve my doubts whether you’re quite large enough for the job you’ve undertaken.”
“You’re a pessimist36.”
Overman’s face brightened and his mouth twisted.
“Yes, the more I see of men, the more stock I take in chickens. I’ve a rooster at home now that can whip anything that ever wore feathers, and he’s so ugly I love him like a brother.”
“Shut up about roosters,” Gordon growled37. “Will you come to see me and meet my wife?”
Overman turned his eye on his friend, frowning.
“Frank, I’m afraid of the atmosphere. There’s enough dynamite38 in ‘Freedom and Fellowship’ to blow up several houses. I don’t like to get mixed up with women in any sort of fellowship—to say nothing about freedom and fellowship.”
“Well, I’ve asked my wife to call by the bank here for me to-day and I’m going to introduce you.”
Overman did not hear this statement, for his head was turned to one side and he was peering out of his window on Broad Street with excited interest.
He sprang to his feet, suddenly exclaiming:
“Well, what the devil is the matter?”
“What is it?” Gordon asked, stepping to the window.
It had begun to snow on an inch of ice which was still clinging to the stone pavements. At the corner of Broad and Wall Streets the ground dips sharply, forming a difficult crossing.
Gordon saw his wife approaching the bank, laughing. She was dressed in a sealskin cloak which reached to the ground. Its great rolling collar of ermine covered her full breast and stretched upward almost to her hat, rearing its snowy background about her heavy auburn hair, which seemed about to fall and envelop39 her form. She wore an enormous hat of white fur bent40 in graceful41 curves.
She was close to the building now, and her blue eyes were dancing and her cheeks flushed with laughter. The perfect grace and rhythm of movement could be seen even through the heavy seal cloak, whose sheen changed with each touch of her figure.
“Look at the idiots!” cried Overman, excitedly. “So busy stretching their necks to see a woman, there’s five piled up on the ice. They’re ringing for the ambulance. She’s fractured one man’s skull42, broken another’s leg, and, by the pale-faced moon, I believe she’s killed one. And you’re after me to meet another woman—great Scott, look, she’s coming in here!”
“Well, she won’t hurt you.”
“I don’t know!”
Overman made a break to reach his inner office when Gordon seized his arm.
“Stop, you fool,” he thundered; “it’s my wife. She’s calling by for me, and you’re going to meet her, if I have to knock you down and sit on you.”
There was no help for it. He heard the rustle43 of the silk lining44 of her cloak and she was at the door.
She shook Overman’s hand heartily45, her violet eyes smiling in such a friendly candid46 way he was at once put at ease.
“I am so glad to see you,” she said, earnestly. “I’ve heard Frank speak of you so often and laugh over your college ups and downs. I feel I’ve known you all my life. And then he says you’re such a woman-hater—”
“He’s a grand liar47, Mrs. Gordon,” he interrupted, suddenly colouring. “I never said anything of the kind in my life. I’m a great admirer of the fair sex!”
“Then you must prove it by coming to dinner with us to-night and admiring me the whole evening.”
“Nothing could give me greater pleasure,” he answered, bowing his big neck with an ease and grace Gordon noted48 with amazement49.
When they left, Overman walked to the window and watched them thread their way through the crowd.
“Holy Moses and the angels—what a woman!” he said, softly whistling. “By the beard of the prophet, no wonder!”
Long after they disappeared he stood, looking without seeing, as if in a dream.
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1
subconscious
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| n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的) | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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7
factions
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| 组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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8
unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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9
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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12
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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democrat
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| n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员 | |
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socialist
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| n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的 | |
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15
glorify
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| vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化 | |
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anarchist
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| n.无政府主义者 | |
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17
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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18
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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19
illiberal
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| adj.气量狭小的，吝啬的 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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21
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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expend
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| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
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vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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27
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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29
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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30
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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31
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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32
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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33
magnetism
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| n.磁性，吸引力，磁学 | |
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34
sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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35
testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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36
pessimist
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| n.悲观者；悲观主义者；厌世 | |
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37
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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38
dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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39
envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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40
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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41
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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42
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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43
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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44
lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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46
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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47
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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48
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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49
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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