The purchasing of the clothes was a real joy. Next to buying pretty things for myself there is nothing I like better than choosing them for some one else. And when that some one else happens to be a fascinating little foreigner who coos over the silken stuffs in a delightful3 mixture of German and English; and especially when that some one else must be made to look so charming that she will astonish her oogly husband, then does the selecting of those pretty things cease to be a task, and become an art.
It was to be a complete surprise to Herr Nirlanger. He was to know nothing of it until everything was finished and Frau Nirlanger, dressed in the prettiest of the pretty Amerikanisch gowns, was ready to astound4 him when he should come home from the office of the vast plant where he solved engineering problems.
“From my own money I buy all this,” Frau Nirlanger confided5 to me, with a gay little laugh of excitement, as we started out. “From Vienna it comes. Always I have given it at once to my husband, as a wife should. Yesterday it came, but I said nothing, and when my husband said to me, 'Anna, did not the money come as usual to-day? It is time,' I told a little lie—but a little one, is it not? Very amusing it was. Almost I did laugh. Na, he will not be cross when he see how his wife like the Amerikanische ladies will look. He admires very much the ladies of Amerika. Many times he has said so.”
(“I'll wager6 he has—the great, ugly boor7!” I thought, in parenthesis8.) “We'll show him!” I said, aloud. “He won't know you. Such a lot of beautiful clothes as we can buy with all this money. Oh, dear Frau Nirlanger, it's going to be slathers of fun! I feel as excited about it as though it were a trousseau we were buying.”
“So it is,” she replied, a little shadow of sadness falling across the brightness of her face. “I had no proper clothes when we were married—but nothing! You know perhaps my story. In America, everyone knows everything. It is wonderful. When I ran away to marry Konrad Nirlanger I had only the dress which I wore; even that I borrowed from one of the upper servants, on a pretext9, so that no one should recognize me. Ach Gott! I need not have worried. So! You see, it will be after all a trousseau.”
Why, oh, why should a woman with her graceful10 carriage and pretty vivacity11 have been cursed with such an ill-assorted lot of features! Especially when certain boorish12 young husbands have expressed an admiration13 for pink-and-white effects in femininity.
“Never mind, Mr. Husband, I'll show yez!” I resolved as the elevator left us at the floor where waxen ladies in shining glass cases smiled amiably14 all the day.
There must be no violent pinks or blues15. Brown was too old. She was not young enough for black. Violet was too trying. And so the gowns began to strew16 tables and chairs and racks, and still I shook my head, and Frau Nirlanger looked despairing, and the be-puffed and real Irish-crocheted saleswoman began to develop a baleful gleam about the eyes.
And then we found it! It was a case of love at first sight. The unimaginative would have called it gray. The thoughtless would have pronounced it pink. It was neither, and both; a soft, rosily-gray mixture of the two, like the sky that one sometimes sees at winter twilight18, the pink of the sunset veiled by the gray of the snow clouds. It was of a supple19, shining cloth, simple in cut, graceful in lines.
“There! We've found it. Let's pray that it will not require too much altering.”
But when it had been slipped over her head we groaned20 at the inadequacy21 of her old-fashioned stays. There followed a flying visit to the department where hips22 were whisked out of sight in a jiffy, and where lines miraculously23 took the place of curves. Then came the gown once more, over the new stays this time. The effect was magical. The Irish-crocheted saleswoman and I clasped hands and fell back in attitudes of admiration. Frau Nirlanger turned this way and that before the long mirror and chattered24 like a pleased child. Her adjectives grew into words of six syllables25. She cooed over the soft-shining stuff in little broken exclamations26 in French and German.
Then came a straight and simple street suit of blue cloth, a lingerie gown of white, hats, shoes and even a couple of limp satin petticoats. The day was gone before we could finish.
I bullied27 them into promising28 the pinky-gray gown for the next afternoon.
“Sooch funs!” giggled29 Frau Nirlanger, “and how it makes one tired. So kind you were, to take this trouble for me. Me, I could never have warred with that Fraulein who served us—so haughty30 she was, nicht? But it is good again pretty clothes to have. Pretty gowns I lofe—you also, not?”
“Indeed I do lofe 'em. But my money comes to me in a yellow pay envelope, and it is spent before it reaches me, as a rule. It doesn't leave much of a margin31 for general recklessness.”
A tiny sigh came from Frau Nirlanger. “There will be little to give to Konrad this time. So much money they cost, those clothes! But Konrad, he will not care when he sees the so beautiful dresses, is it not so?”
“Care!” I cried with a great deal of bravado32, although a tiny inner voice spake in doubt. “Certainly not. How could he?”
Next day the boxes came, and we smuggled33 them into my room. The unwrapping of the tissue paper folds was a ceremony. We reveled in the very crackle of it. I had scuttled34 home from the office as early as decency35 would permit, in order to have plenty of time for the dressing36. It must be quite finished before Herr Nirlanger should arrive. Frau Nirlanger had purchased three tickets for the German theater, also as a surprise, and I was to accompany the happily surprised husband and the proud little wife of the new Amerikanische clothes.
I coaxed37 her to let me do things to her hair. Usually she wore a stiff and ugly coiffure that could only be described as a chignon. I do not recollect38 ever having seen a chignon, but I know that it must look like that. I was thankful for my Irish deftness39 of fingers as I stepped back to view the result of my labors40. The new arrangement of the hair gave her features a new softness and dignity.
We came to the lacing of the stays, with their exaggerated length. “Aber!” exclaimed Frau Nirlanger, not daring to laugh because of the strange snugness41. “Ach!” and again, “Aber to laugh it is!”
We had decided42 the prettiest of the new gowns must do honor to the occasion. “This shade is called ashes of roses,” I explained, as I slipped it over her head.
“Ashes of roses!” she echoed. “How pretty, yes? But a little sad too, is it not so? Like rosy43 hopes that have been withered44. Ach, what a foolish talk! So, now you will fasten it please. A real trick it is to button such a dress—so sly they are, those fastenings.”
When all the sly fastenings were secure I stood at gaze.
“Nose is shiny,” I announced, searching in a drawer for chamois and powder.
Frau Nirlanger raised an objecting hand. “But Konrad does not approve of such things. He has said so. He has—”
“You tell your Konrad that a chamois skin isn't half as objectionable as a shiny one. Come here and let me dust this over your nose and chin, while I breathe a prayer of thanks that I have no overzealous husband near to forbid me the use of a bit of powder. There! If I sez it mesilf as shouldn't, yez ar-r-re a credit t' me, me darlint.”
“You are satisfied. There is not one small thing awry45? Ach, how we shall laugh at Konrad's face.”
“Satisfied! I'd kiss you if I weren't afraid that I should muss you up. You're not the same woman. You look like a girl! And so pretty! Now skedaddle into your own rooms, but don't you dare to sit down for a moment. I'm going down to get Frau Knapf before your husband arrives.”
“But is there then time?” inquired Frau Nirlanger. “He should be here now.”
“I'll bring her up in a jiffy, just for one peep. She won't know you! Her face will be a treat! Don't touch your hair—it's quite perfect. And f'r Jawn's sake! Don't twist around to look at yourself in the back or something will burst, I know it will. I'll be back in a minute. Now run!”
The slender, graceful figure disappeared with a gay little laugh, and I flew downstairs for Frau Knapf. She was discovered with a spoon in one hand and a spluttering saucepan in the other. I detached her from them, clasped her big, capable red hands and dragged her up the stairs, explaining as I went.
“Now don't fuss about that supper! Let 'em wait. You must see her before Herr Nirlanger comes home. He's due any minute. She looks like a girl. So young! And actually pretty! And her figure—divine! Funny what a difference a decent pair of corsets, and a gown, and some puffs46 will make, h'm?”
Frau Knapf was panting as I pulled her after me in swift eagerness. Between puffs she brought out exclamations of surprise and unbelief such as: “Unmoglich! (Puff17! Puff!) Aber—wunderbar! (Puff! Puff!)”
We stopped before Frau Nirlanger's door. I struck a dramatic pose. “Prepare!” I cried grandly, and threw open the door with a bang.
Crouched47 against the wall at a far corner of the room was Frau Nirlanger. Her hands were clasped over her breast and her eyes were dilated48 as though she had been running. In the center of the room stood Konrad Nirlanger, and on his oogly face was the very oogliest look that I have ever seen on a man. He glanced at us as we stood transfixed in the doorway49, and laughed a short, sneering50 laugh that was like a stinging blow on the cheek.
“So!” he said; and I would not have believed that men really said “So!” in that way outside of a melodrama51. “So! You are in the little surprise, yes? You carry your meddling52 outside of your newspaper work, eh? I leave behind me an old wife in the morning and in the evening, presto53! I find a young bride. Wonderful!—but wonderful!” He laughed an unmusical and mirthless laugh.
“But—don't you like it?” I asked, like a simpleton.
Frau Nirlanger seemed to shrink before our very eyes, so that the pretty gown hung in limp folds about her.
I stared, fascinated, at Konrad Nirlanger's cruel face with its little eyes that were too close together and its chin that curved in below the mouth and out again so grotesquely54.
“Like it?” sneered55 Konrad Nirlanger. “For a young girl, yes. But how useless, this belated trousseau. What a waste of good money! For see, a young wife I do not want. Young women one can have in plenty, always. But I have an old woman married, and for an old woman the gowns need be few—eh, Frau Orme? And you too, Frau Knapf?”
Frau Knapf, crimson56 and staring, was dumb. There came a little shivering moan from the figure crouched in the corner, and Frau Nirlanger, her face queerly withered and ashen57, crumpled58 slowly in a little heap on the floor and buried her shamed head in her arms.
Konrad Nirlanger turned to his wife, the black look on his face growing blacker.
“Come, get up Anna,” he ordered, in German. “These heroics become not a woman of your years. And too, you must not ruin the so costly59 gown that will be returned to-morrow.”
Frau Nirlanger's white face was lifted from the shelter of her arms. The stricken look was still upon it, but there was no cowering60 in her attitude now. Slowly she rose to her feet. I had not realized that she was so tall.
“The gown does not go back,” she said.
“So?” he snarled61, with a savage62 note in his voice. “Now hear me. There shall be no more buying of gowns and fripperies. You hear? It is for the wife to come to the husband for the money; not for her to waste it wantonly on gowns, like a creature of the streets. You,” his voice was an insult, “you, with your wrinkles and your faded eyes in a gown of—” he turned inquiringly toward me—“How does one call it, that color, Frau Orme?”
There came a blur63 of tears to my eyes. “It is called ashes of roses,” I answered. “Ashes of roses.”
Konrad Nirlanger threw back his head and laughed a laugh as stinging as a whip-lash. “Ashes of roses! So? It is well named. For my dear wife it is poetically64 fit, is it not so? For see, her roses are but withered ashes, eh Anna?”
Deliberately65 and in silence Anna Nirlanger walked to the mirror and stood there, gazing at the woman in the glass. There was something dreadful and portentous66 about the calm and studied deliberation with which she critically viewed that reflection. She lifted her arms slowly and patted into place the locks that had become disarranged, turning her head from side to side to study the effect. Then she took from a drawer the bit of chamois skin that I had given her, and passed it lightly over her eyelids67 and cheeks, humming softly to herself the while. No music ever sounded so uncanny to my ears. The woman before the mirror looked at the woman in the mirror with a long, steady, measuring look. Then, slowly and deliberately, the long graceful folds of her lovely gown trailing behind her, she walked over to where her frowning husband stood. So might a queen have walked, head held high, gaze steady. She stopped within half a foot of him, her eyes level with his. For a long half-minute they stood thus, the faded blue eyes of the wife gazing into the sullen68 black eyes of the husband, and his were the first to drop, for all the noble blood in Anna Nirlanger's veins69, and all her long line of gently bred ancestors were coming to her aid in dealing70 with her middle-class husband.
“You forget,” she said, very slowly and distinctly. “If this were Austria, instead of Amerika, you would not forget. In Austria people of your class do not speak in this manner to those of my caste.”
“Unsinn!” laughed Konrad Nirlanger. “This is Amerika.”
“Yes,” said Anna Nirlanger, “this is Amerika. And in Amerika all things are different. I see now that my people knew of what they spoke71 when they called me mad to think of wedding a clod of the people, such as you.”
For a moment I thought that he was going to strike her. I think he would have, if she had flinched72. But she did not. Her head was held high, and her eyes did not waver.
“I married you for love. It is most comical, is it not? With you I thought I should find peace, and happiness and a re-birth of the intellect that was being smothered73 in the splendor74 and artificiality and the restrictions75 of my life there. Well, I was wrong. But wrong. Now hear me!” Her voice was tense with passion. “There will be gowns—as many and as rich as I choose. You have said many times that the ladies of Amerika you admire. And see! I shall be also one of those so-admired ladies. My money shall go for gowns! For hats! For trifles of lace and velvet76 and fur! You shall learn that it is not a peasant woman whom you have married. This is Amerika, the land of the free, my husband. And see! Who is more of Amerika than I? Who?”
She laughed a high little laugh and came over to me, taking my hands in her own.
“Dear girl, you must run quickly and dress. For this evening we go to the theater. Oh, but you must. There shall be no unpleasantness, that I promise. My husband accompanies us—with joy. Is it not so, Konrad? With joy? So!”
Wildly I longed to decline, but I dared not. So I only nodded, for fear of the great lump in my throat, and taking Frau Knapf's hand I turned and fled with her. Frau Knapf was muttering:
“Du Hund! Du unverschamter Hund du!” in good Billingsgate German, and wiping her eyes with her apron77. And I dressed with trembling fingers because I dared not otherwise face the brave little Austrian, the plucky78 little aborigine who, with the donning of the new Amerikanische gown had acquired some real Amerikanisch nerve.
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1
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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astound
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| v.使震惊，使大吃一惊 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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boor
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| n.举止粗野的人；乡下佬 | |
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parenthesis
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| n.圆括号，插入语，插曲，间歇，停歇 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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boorish
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| adj.粗野的，乡巴佬的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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blues
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| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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strew
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| vt.撒；使散落；撒在…上，散布于 | |
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puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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20
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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inadequacy
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| n.无法胜任，信心不足 | |
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hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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syllables
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| n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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26
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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39
deftness
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40
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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snugness
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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44
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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45
awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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46
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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47
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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50
sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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51
melodrama
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| n.音乐剧；情节剧 | |
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52
meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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53
presto
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| adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的 | |
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54
grotesquely
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| adv. 奇异地,荒诞地 | |
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55
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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57
ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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58
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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59
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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61
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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63
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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64
poetically
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| adv.有诗意地，用韵文 | |
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65
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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66
portentous
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| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
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67
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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68
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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69
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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70
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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71
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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72
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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74
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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76
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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