suites1 of rooms were permitted to receive guests in them. Reben was the first man that had come alone to Sheila’s rooms, and she felt that the elevator-boy was trying
What could she say to him? how rebuke3 an unexpressed comment? She hoped that Pennock would be there or would come along speedily to save the situation. She was angry
and discomfited4 as she unlocked her door, switched on the lights, and offered Reben a chair in her little parlor5.
Sheila saw that Reben’s eyes were eagerly searching the apartment for signs of a third person. She was tempted6 to go to Pennock’s room and call some message to her
imaginary presence. But she resented her own cowardice7 and her need of a duenna. She laid off her hat, seated herself with smiling hospitality, and waited for Reben to
say his say.
Then the business man of him began at the beginning as if he had much to say in a short time and did not want to lose the momentum10 of his emotion:
“Sheila, you’re a wonderful girl. If you weren’t I shouldn’t be taking you up from the army of actresses that are just as ambitious as you are. I’d be very blind
not to see what the whole public sees and not to feel what everybody feels.
“This cub11 Vickery felt your fascination12 when you were a child. He never forgot you. He’s trying to put something of you into his play. That other fellow he told you
“But the brighter the light, the firmer its standard must be. The farther your lantern shines, the bigger and stronger and taller a lighthouse it needs. You know
there’s such a thing as hiding a light under a bushel.
“Now, I’m already as big a manager as you’ll ever be a star. I can give you advantages nobody else can give you. I’ve given you some of them already. I can give
you more. In fact, nobody else can give you any, for I’ve got you under a contract that makes it possible for me to keep anybody else from exploiting you. But I’m
willing and anxious to do everything I can for you. The question is, what are you willing to do for me?”
Sheila knew what he meant, but she answered in a shy voice: “Why, I’ll do all I can—of course. I’ll work like a slave. I’ll try to make you all the money I’m
able to.”
“Money? Bagh!” he sneered15. “What’s money to me? I love it—as a game, yes. But I don’t mind losing it. You’ve known me to drop forty or fifty thousand at a throw
and not whimper, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll do all you can, you say. But will you? There’s something in life besides money, Sheila. There’s—there’s—” He tried to say “love,” but it was an
He sighed desperately18 and laughed with bitterness. “I knew you’d do nothing for me. You’d let me work for you, and make you famous and rich, and squander19 fortunes
on your glory, and you’d let me die of loneliness. You’d let me eat my heart out like a love-sick stage-door Johnny and you wouldn’t care. But I tell you, Sheila,
even a manager is a man, and I can’t live on business alone. I’ve got to have some woman’s companionship and tenderness and devotion.”
Sheila could not refrain from suggesting, “I thought Mrs. Rhys—”
“Mrs. Rhys!” he snarled20. “That worn-out, burned-out volcano? She’s an old woman. I want youth and beauty and—Oh, I want you, Sheila.”
“Oh, I know I’m not young or handsome, but I’ll surround you with youth. I’ll buy that play of your friend Vickery’s; I’ll get the biggest man in the country to
whip it into shape; I’ll give it the finest production ever a play had; I’ll make the critics swallow it; I’ll buy the ones that are for sale, and I’ll play on the
vanity of the others. If it fails, I’ll buy you another play and another till you hit the biggest success ever known. Then I’ll name a theater after you. I’ll
produce you in London, get you commanded to court. I’ll make you the greatest actress in the world. These young fellows may be pretty to play with, but what can they
do for you except ruin your career and interfere22 with your ambition and make a toy of you? I can give you wealth and fame and—immortality! And all I ask you to give
me is your—your”—now he said it—“your love.”
“You mean you won’t?” he roared.
“How can I?” she pleaded, still apologetic. “Love isn’t a thing you can just take and give to anybody you please, is it? I thought it was something that—that
takes you and gives you to anybody it pleases. Isn’t that it? I don’t know. I’m not sure I know what love is. But that’s what I’ve always understood.”
He grunted24 at the puerility25 of this, and said, brusquely, “Well, if you can’t give me love, then give me—you.”
“How do you mean—give you me?”
“Oh, you’re no child, Sheila,” he snarled. “Don’t play the ingenue with me. You know what I mean.”
Her voice grew years older as she answered, icily: “When you say I’m no child, it makes me think I understand what you mean. But I can’t believe that I do.”
“Why?”
“Well, you’ve known my father and mother so long and they like you so much, and—well—it doesn’t seem possible that you would mean me any harm.”
No amount of heroics could have shamed him like that. His eyes rolled like a cornered wolf’s. He shut them, and with one deep breath seemed to absolve26 himself and
purify his soul. He mumbled, “I—I want you to—to marry me, Sheila!”
Sheila seemed to breathe a less stifling27 air. She felt sorry for him now; but he asked a greater charity than she could grant. She answered: “Oh, I couldn’t marry
anybody; not now. I don’t want to marry—at all.” She sought for the least-insulting explanation. “It—it would hurt me professionally.”
His self-esteem blinded him to her tact28. He persisted: “We could be married secretly. No one needs to know.”
She protested, “You can’t keep such a thing secret.”
He retorted: “Of course you can. They never found out that Sonia Eccleston was married to her manager.”
“She never was!”
“I saw her with their child in Switzerland.”
“Then it was true! I’ve heard so many people say so. But I never could be sure.”
“It’s true. Our marriage could be kept just as secret as that.”
“Just about!” she laughed, with sudden triumph.
He was too earnest to realize that he had set a trap and stepped into it till he sprung it.
He was suddenly enraged29 at her and at himself. He would not accept so farcical a twist to his big scene. He broke out into a flame of wrathful desire, and rose
threateningly:
“Marriage or no marriage, Sheila, you’ve got to belong to me, or—or—”
“Or what?”
“Or you’ll never be a star. You’ll never play that play of Vickery’s or anybody else’s. You’ll play whatever part I select for you, as your contract says, or you
’ll play nothing at all.”
He only kindled31 Sheila’s tindery temper. She leaped to her feet and stormed up in his face: “Is this a proposal of marriage or a piece of blackmail32? I signed a
contract, you know, not a receipt for one slave. Marry you, Mr. Reben? Humph! Not if you were the last man on earth! Not if I had to black up and play old darky women.
”
The passion that overmastered him resolved to overmaster her.
“You can’t get away from me. I love you!”
He thrust his left arm back of her and enveloped33 her in a huge embrace, seizing her right arm in his hand. Sheila had been embraced by numerous men in her stage
career. She had stood with their arms about her at rehearsal34 and before the public. She had replied to their ardors according to the directions of the manuscript—with
At one of the rehearsals37 of “Uncle Dudley,” indeed, Reben himself, after complaining of Brereton’s manner of clasping Sheila, had climbed to the stage and
demonstrated how he wanted Sheila embraced. She had smiled at his awkwardness and thought nothing of it.
But that was play-acting, with people looking on. This was reality, in seclusion38. Intention is nearly everything. Then it was business. Now the touch of his hand upon
her elbow made her flesh creep; the big arm about her was as repulsive39 as a python’s coil. She fought away from him in a nausea40 of hatred41. While his muscles exerted
all their tyranny over her little body, his lips were pleading, maundering appeals for a little pity, a little love.
She fought him in silence, dreading42 the scandal of a scream. She wanted none of that publicity43. Her silence convinced him that her resistance was not sincere; he
thought it really the primeval instinct to put up an interesting struggle and sweeten the surrender.
With a chuckle44 of triumph he drew her to his breast and thrust his head forward toward the cheek dimly aglow45. But just as he would have kissed her she twisted in his
clutch and lurched aside, wrenched46 her right arm free, and bent47 it round her head to protect her precious flesh. Then as he thrust his head forward again in pursuit of
her, she swung her arm back with all her might and drove her elbow into his face.
Some Irish instinct of battle inspired her to swing from waist and shoulder and put her whole weight into the blow. Only his Reben luck saved him from having a
mouthful of loose teeth, a broken nose, or a squashed eye. As it was, the little bludgeon fell on his eminent48 cheek-bone with an impact that almost knocked him
senseless amid a shower of meteors.
Reben’s heartache was transferred to his head. His arms fell from her and romance departed in one enormously prosaic49 “Ouch!”
The victorious50 little cave-woman cowered51 aside and rubbed her bruised52 elbow, and pouted53, and felt ashamed of herself for a terrible brute54. Then, as the ancient Amazons
must undoubtedly55 have done after every battle, she began to cry.
Reben was too furious to weep. He nursed his splitting skull56 in his hands and thought of the Mosaic57 law “an eye for an eye.” He longed for surcease of pain so that
he might devise a perfect revenge against the little beast that had tried to murder him just because he paid her the supreme58 honor of loving her. He could not trust
himself to speak. He found his hat and went out, closing the door softly.
The elevator that took him down returned shortly with Pennock. She had seen Reben cross the hotel lobby, and she came in with a glare of horror. She sniffed59 audibly
the cigar-smoke in the precincts. Her wrath30 was so dire35 that she stared at Sheila weeping, and made no motion toward her till Sheila broke out in a clutter60 of sobs61:
“I—I—want some witch-hazel for my elbow. I think I b-b-broke it on old Reben’s j-j-jaw.”
Then the amazing Pennock caught her in her arms and laughed aloud. It was the first time Sheila had heard her laugh aloud. But when she looked up Pennock was weeping
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1
suites
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| n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓 | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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6
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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querying
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的现在分词 )；询问 | |
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9
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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cub
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| n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人 | |
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12
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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13
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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14
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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15
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
clench
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| vt.捏紧（拳头等），咬紧（牙齿等），紧紧握住 | |
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17
petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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squander
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| v.浪费，挥霍 | |
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20
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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21
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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22
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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23
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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25
puerility
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| n.幼稚，愚蠢；幼稚、愚蠢的行为、想法等 | |
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26
absolve
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| v.赦免，解除（责任等） | |
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stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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29
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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31
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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32
blackmail
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| n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓 | |
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33
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
rehearsal
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| n.排练，排演；练习 | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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36
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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37
rehearsals
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| n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复 | |
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38
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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40
nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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41
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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42
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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43
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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44
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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45
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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46
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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47
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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48
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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49
prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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50
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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51
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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52
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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53
pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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56
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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57
mosaic
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| n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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59
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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60
clutter
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| n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱 | |
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61
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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62
sluicing
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| v.冲洗( sluice的现在分词 )；（指水）喷涌而出；漂净；给…安装水闸 | |
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