“Hy,” said Peter, his color vivid, his eyes wild, “we can't let those brutes2 play with Sue; like that. We've got to save her.”
“If I could talk with her, Hy!... I know that game so well!”
“You could call her up—”
“Call her up nothing! I can't ask to see her and start cold.” He gestured vehemently4. “Look here, you're seeing Betty every day—you fix it.”
Hy mused5. “They're great hands to take tramps in the country, those two. Most every Sunday.... If I could arrange a little party of four.... See here! Betty's going to have dinner with me to-morrow night.”
“For God's sake, Hy, get me in on it!”
“Now you just wait! Sue'll be playing to-morrow night at the Crossroads, It's Saturday, you know.”
Peter's face fell.
“But it gives me the chance to talk it over with friend Betty and perhaps plan for Sunday. If Zanin'll just leave her alone that long.”
“It isn't as if I were thinking of myself, Hy...”
“Of course not, Pete.”
“The girl's in danger. We've got to save her.”
“What if she won't listen! She's high-strung.”
“Then,” said Peter, flaring6 up with a righteous passion that made him feel suddenly like the hero of his own new play—“then I'll go straight to Zanin and force him to declare himself! I will face him, as man to man!”
Thus the two Seventh-Story Men!
At moments, during the few weeks just past, thoughts of his anonymous7 letter had risen to disturb Peter; on each occasion, until to-night, to be instantly overwhelmed by the buoyant egotism that always justified8 Peter to himself. But the thoughts had been there. They had kept him from attempts to see Sue, had even restrained him from appearing where there was likelihood of her seeing him; and they had kept him excited about her. Now they rose again in unsuspected strength. Of course she would refuse to see him! He slept hardly at all that night. The next day he was unstrung. And Saturday night (or early Sunday morning) when Hy crept in, Peter, in pajamas9, all lights out, was sitting by the window nursing a headache, staring out with smarting eyeballs at the empty Square.
“Worm here?” asked Hy guardedly.
“Asleep.”
Hy lighted the gas; then looked closely at the wretched Peter.
“Look here, my son,” he said then, “you need sleep.”
“Sleep”—muttered Peter, “good God!”
“Yes, I know, but you've got a delicate job on your hands. It'll take expert handling. You've got to be fit.”
“Did you—did you see Sue?”
“No, only Betty. But they've been talking you over. Sue told Betty that you interest her.”
“Oh—she did! Say anything else?”
“More or less. Look here—has anything happened that I'm not in on? I mean between you and Sue.”
Peter shivered slightly. “How could anything happen? I haven't been seeing her.”
“Well—Sue says you're the strangest man she ever knew. She can't figure you out. Betty was wondering.”
“For Heaven's sake, don't laugh!”
“I was thinking of something else. Yes, I fixed11 it. But there's something up—a new deal. This here Silverstone saw Any Street last night and went dippy over Sue. Betty told me that much but says she can't tell me the rest because it's Sue's secret, not hers. Only it came out that Zanin has dropped the idea of bringing you into it. Silverstone bought supper for the girls and Zanin last night, and this afternoon he took Zanin out to his Long Beach house for the night, in a big car. And took his stenographer12 along. Everybody's mysterious and in a hurry. Oh, there's a hen on, all right!”
“So I'm out!” muttered Peter between set teeth. “But it's no mystery. Think I don't know Silverstone?”
“What'll he do?”
“Freeze out everybody and put Sue across himself. What's that guy's is his. Findings is keepings.”
“But will Sue let him freeze Zanin out?”
“That's a point.... But if she won't, he'll he wise in a minute. Trust Silverstone! He'll let Zanin think he's in, then.”
“Things look worse, I take it.”
“A lot.”
Hy was undressing. He sat now, caught by a sudden fragrant13 memory, holding a shoe in midair, and chuckled14 again.
“I did. Quit abusing me and you'll realize that I'm coming through with all you could ask. We leave at eleven, Hudson Tunnel, for the Jersey16 hills—we four. I bring the girls; you meet us at the Tunnel. Zanin is safe at Long Beach. We eat at a country road house. We walk miles in the open country. We drift home in the evening, God knows when!... Here I hand you, in one neat parcel, pleasant hillsides, purling brooks17, twelve mortal hours of the blessed damosel, and”—he caught up the evening paper—“'fair and warmer'—and perfect weather. And what do I get? Abuse. Nothing but abuse!”
With this, he deftly18 juggled19 his two shoes, caught both in a final flourish, looked across at the abject20 Peter and grinned.
“Shut up,” muttered Peter wearily.
“Very good, sir. And you go to bed. Your nerves are a mess.”
Into Peter's brain as he hurried toward the Tunnel Station, the next morning, darted21 an uninvited, startling thought.
Here was Zanin, idealist in the drama, prophet of the new Russianism, deserting the stage for the screen!
What was it the Worm had represented him as saying to Sue... that she would be enabled to express her ideals to millions where Isadora Duncan could reach only thousands?
Millions in place of thousands!
His imagination pounced22 on the thought. He stopped short on the street to consider it—until a small boy laughed; then he hurried on.
He looked with new eyes at the bill-boards he passed. Two-thirds of them flaunted23 moving-picture features.... He had been passing such posters for a year or more without once reading out of them a meaning personal to himself. He had been sticking blindly, doggedly24 to plays—ninety per cent, of which, of all plays, failed utterly25. It suddenly came home to him that the greatest dramatists, like the greatest actors and actresses, were working for the camera. All but himself, apparently26!... The theaters were fighting for the barest existence where they were not surrendering outright27. Why, he himself patronized movies more often than plays! Yet he had stupidly refused to catch the significance of it.... The Truffler would fail, of course; just as the two before it had failed. Still he had, until this actual minute, clung to it as his one hope.
Millions for thousands!
He was thinking now not of persons but of dollars.
Millions for thousands.
He paused at a news stand. Sprawled28 over it were specimens29 of the new sort of periodical, the moving-picture magazines. So the publishers, like the theatrical30 men, were being driven back by the invader31.
He bought the fattest, most brightly colored of these publications and turned the pages eagerly as he descended32 into the station.
He stood half-hidden behind a pillar, his eyes wandering from the magazine to the ticket gate where Hy and the two girls would appear, then back to the magazine. Those pages reeked33 of enthusiasm, fresh ideas, prosperity. They stirred new depths within his soul.
He saw his little party coming in through the gate.
The two girls wore sweaters. Their skirts were short, their tan shoes low and flat of heel.
They were attractive, each in her individual way; Sue less regular as to features, but brighter, slimmer, more alive. Betty's more luxurious34 figure was set off almost too well by the snug35 sweater. As she moved, swaying a little from the hips36, her eyelids37 drooping38 rather languidly, the color stirring faintly under her fair fine skin, she was, Peter decided39, unconscious neither of the sweater nor of the body within it.... Just before the train roared in, while Sue, all alertness, was looking out along the track, Peter saw Hy's hand brush Betty's. For an instant their fingers intertwined; then the hands drifted casually40 apart.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
pneumonia
|
|
| n.肺炎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
brutes
|
|
| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
squinted
|
|
| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
vehemently
|
|
| adv. 热烈地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
mused
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
flaring
|
|
| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
anonymous
|
|
| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
justified
|
|
| a.正当的，有理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
pajamas
|
|
| n.睡衣裤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
chuckle
|
|
| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
stenographer
|
|
| n.速记员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
fragrant
|
|
| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
growled
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
jersey
|
|
| n.运动衫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
brooks
|
|
| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
deftly
|
|
| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
juggled
|
|
| v.歪曲( juggle的过去式和过去分词 )；耍弄；有效地组织；尽力同时应付（两个或两个以上的重要工作或活动） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
abject
|
|
| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
pounced
|
|
| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
flaunted
|
|
| v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的过去式和过去分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
doggedly
|
|
| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
outright
|
|
| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
sprawled
|
|
| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
specimens
|
|
| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
theatrical
|
|
| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
invader
|
|
| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
reeked
|
|
| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的过去式和过去分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
luxurious
|
|
| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
snug
|
|
| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
hips
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
eyelids
|
|
| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
drooping
|
|
| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
casually
|
|
| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |