the titan- 第24部分

〃Now；　you　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　quaintlyvery　captivatingly；　he　thought；　because　she　was　so　pretty〃at　one　time　I　thought　I　was　going　to　be　a　great　artist。　　Isn't　that　funny！　I　sent　my　father　one　of　my　drawings　inscribed　'to　whom　I　owe　it　all。'　You　would　have　to　see　the　drawing　to　see　how　funny　that　is。〃

She　laughed　softly。

Cowperwood　responded　with　a　refreshed　interest　in　life。　　Her　laugh　was　as　grateful　to　him　as　a　summer　wind。　　〃See；〃　he　said；　gently；　as　they　entered　the　room　aglow　with　the　soft　light　produced　by　guttered　jets；　〃here　is　a　Luini　bought　last　winter。〃　It　was　〃The　Mystic　Marriage　of　St。　Catharine。〃　He　paused　while　she　surveyed　the　rapt　expression　of　the　attenuated　saint。　　〃And　here；〃　he　went　on；　〃is　my　greatest　find　so　far。〃　They　were　before　the　crafty　countenance　of　Caesar　Borgia　painted　by　Pinturrichio。

〃What　a　strange　face！〃　commented　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　naively。　　〃I　didn't　know　any　one　had　ever　painted　him。　　He　looks　somewhat　like　an　artist　himself；　doesn't　he？〃　She　had　never　read　the　involved　and　quite　Satanic　history　of　this　man；　and　only　knew　the　rumor　of　his　crimes　and　machinations。

〃He　was；　in　his　way；〃　smiled　Cowperwood；　who　had　had　an　outline　of　his　life；　and　that　of　his　father；　Pope　Alexander　VI。；　furnished　him　at　the　time　of　the　purchase。　　Only　so　recently　had　his　interest　in　Caesar　Borgia　begun。　　Mrs。　Sohlberg　scarcely　gathered　the　sly　humor　of　it。

〃Oh　yes；　and　here　is　Mrs。　Cowperwood；〃　she　commented；　turning　to　the　painting　by　Van　Beers。　　〃It's　high　in　key；　isn't　it？〃　she　said；　loftily；　but　with　an　innocent　loftiness　that　appealed　to　him。　　He　liked　spirit　and　some　presumption　in　a　woman。　　〃What　brilliant　colors！　I　like　the　idea　of　the　garden　and　the　clouds。〃

She　stepped　back；　and　Cowperwood；　interested　only　in　her；　surveyed　the　line　of　her　back　and　the　profile　of　her　face。　　Such　co…ordinated　perfection　of　line　and　color！

〃Where　every　motion　weaves　and　sings；〃　he　might　have　commented。　　Instead　he　said：　〃That　was　in　Brussels。　　The　clouds　were　an　afterthought；　and　that　vase　on　the　wall；　too。〃

〃It's　very　good；　I　think；〃　commented　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　and　moved　away。

〃How　do　you　like　this　Israels？〃　he　asked。　　It　was　the　painting　called　〃The　Frugal　Meal。〃

〃I　like　it；〃　she　said；　〃and　also　your　Bastien　Le…Page；〃　referring　to　〃The　Forge。〃　〃But　I　think　your　old　masters　are　much　more　interesting。　　If　you　get　many　more　you　ought　to　put　them　together　in　a　room。　　Don't　you　think　so？　I　don't　care　for　your　Gerome　very　much。〃　She　had　a　cute　drawl　which　he　considered　infinitely　alluring。

〃Why　not？〃　asked　Cowperwood。

〃Oh；　it's　rather　artificial；　don't　you　think　so？　I　like　the　color；　but　the　women's　bodies　are　too　perfect；　I　should　say。　　It's　very　pretty；　though。〃

He　had　little　faith　in　the　ability　of　women　aside　from　their　value　as　objects　of　art；　and　yet　now　and　then；　as　in　this　instance；　they　revealed　a　sweet　insight　which　sharpened　his　own。　　Aileen；　he　reflected；　would　not　be　capable　of　making　a　remark　such　as　this。　　She　was　not　as　beautiful　now　as　this　womannot　as　alluringly　simple；　naive；　delicious；　nor　yet　as　wise。　　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　he　reflected　shrewdly；　had　a　kind　of　fool　for　a　husband。　　Would　she　take　an　interest　in　him；　Frank　Cowperwood？　Would　a　woman　like　this　surrender　on　any　basis　outside　of　divorce　and　marriage？　He　wondered。　On　her　part；　Mrs。　Sohlberg　was　thinking　what　a　forceful　man　Cowperwood　was；　and　how　close　he　had　stayed　by　her。　　She　felt　his　interest；　for　she　had　often　seen　these　symptoms　in　other　men　and　knew　what　they　meant。　　She　knew　the　pull　of　her　own　beauty；　and；　while　she　heightened　it　as　artfully　as　she　dared；　yet　she　kept　aloof；　too；　feeling　that　she　had　never　met　any　one　as　yet　for　whom　it　was　worth　while　to　be　different。　　But　Cowperwoodhe　needed　someone　more　soulful　than　Aileen；　she　thought。




Chapter　XV



A　New　Affection

The　growth　of　a　relationship　between　Cowperwood　and　Rita　Sohlberg　was　fostered　quite　accidentally　by　Aileen；　who　took　a　foolishly　sentimental　interest　in　Harold　which　yet　was　not　based　on　anything　of　real　meaning。　　She　liked　him　because　he　was　a　superlatively　gracious；　flattering；　emotional　man　where　womenpretty　womenwere　concerned。　　She　had　some　idea　she　could　send　him　pupils；　and；　anyhow；　it　was　nice　to　call　at　the　Sohlberg　studio。　　Her　social　life　was　dull　enough　as　it　was。　　So　she　went；　and　Cowperwood；　mindful　of　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　came　also。　　Shrewd　to　the　point　of　destruction；　he　encouraged　Aileen　in　her　interest　in　them。　　He　suggested　that　she　invite　them　to　dinner；　that　they　give　a　musical　at　which　Sohlberg　could　play　and　be　paid。　　There　were　boxes　at　the　theaters；　tickets　for　concerts　sent；　invitations　to　drive　Sundays　or　other　days。

The　very　chemistry　of　life　seems　to　play　into　the　hands　of　a　situation　of　this　kind。　　Once　Cowperwood　was　thinking　vividly；　forcefully；　of　her；　Rita　began　to　think　in　like　manner　of　him。　　Hourly　he　grew　more　attractive；　a　strange；　gripping　man。　　Beset　by　his　mood；　she　was　having　the　devil's　own　time　with　her　conscience。　Not　that　anything　had　been　said　as　yet；　but　he　was　investing　her；　gradually　beleaguering　her；　sealing　up；　apparently；　one　avenue　after　another　of　escape。　　One　Thursday　afternoon；　when　neither　Aileen　nor　he　could　attend　the　Sohlberg　tea；　Mrs。　Sohlberg　received　a　magnificent　bunch　of　Jacqueminot　roses。　　〃For　your　nooks　and　corners；〃　said　a　card。　　She　knew　well　enough　from　whom　it　came　and　what　it　was　worth。　　There　were　all　of　fifty　dollars　worth　of　roses。　It　gave　her　breath　of　a　world　of　money　that　she　had　never　known。　Daily　she　saw　the　name　of　his　banking　and　brokerage　firm　advertised　in　the　papers。　　Once　she　met　him　in　Merrill's　store　at　noon；　and　he　invited　her　to　lunch；　but　she　felt　obliged　to　decline。　　Always　he　looked　at　her　with　such　straight；　vigorous　eyes。　　To　think　that　her　beauty　had　done　or　was　doing　this！　Her　mind；　quite　beyond　herself；　ran　forward　to　an　hour　when　perhaps　this　eager；　magnetic　man　would　take　charge　of　her　in　a　way　never　dreamed　of　by　Harold。　But　she　went　on　practising；　shopping；　calling；　reading；　brooding　over　Harold's　inefficiency；　and　stopping　oddly　sometimes　to　think　the　etherealized　grip　of　Cowperwood　upon　her。　　Those　strong　hands　of　hishow　fine　they　wereand　those　large；　soft…hard；　incisive　eyes。　　The　puritanism　of　Wichita　（modified　sometime　since　by　the　art　life　of　Chicago；　such　as　it　was）　was　having　a　severe　struggle　with　the　manipulative　subtlety　of　the　agesrepresented　in　this　man。

〃You　know　you　are　very　elusive；〃　he　said　to　her　one　evening　at　the　theater　when　he　sat　behind　her　during　the　entr'acte；　and　Harold　and　Aileen　had　gone　to　walk　in　the　foyer。　　The　hubbub　of　conversation　drowned　the　sound　of　anything　that　might　be　said。　　Mrs。　Sohlberg　was　particularly　pleasing　in　a　lacy　evening　gown。

〃No；〃　she　replied；　amusedly；　flattered　by　his　attention　and　acutely　conscious　of　his　physical　nearness。　　By　degrees　she　had　been　yielding　herself　to　his　mood；　thrilling　at　his　every　word。　　〃It　seems　to　me　I　am　very　stable；〃　she　went　on。　　〃I'm　certainly　substantial　enough。〃

She　looked　at　her　full；　smooth　arm　lying　on　her　lap。

Cowperwood；　who　was　feeling　all　the　drag　of　her　substantiality；　but　in　addition　the　wonder　of　her　temperament；　which　was　so　much　richer　than　Aileen's；　was　deeply　moved。　　Those　little　blood　moods　that　no　words　ever　（or　rarely）　indicate　were　coming　to　him　from　herfaint　zephyr…like　emanations　of　emotions；　moods；　and　fancies　in　her　mind　which　allured　him。　　She　was　like　Aileen　in　animality；　but　better；　still　sweeter；　more　delicate；　much　richer　spiritually。　Or　was　he　just　tired　of　Aileen　for　the　present；　he　asked　himself　at　times。　　No；　no；　he　told　himself　that　could　not　be。　　Rita　Sohlberg　was　by　far　the　most　pleasing　woman　he　had　ever　known。

〃Yes；　but　elusive；　just　the　same；〃　he　went　on；　leaning　toward　her。　〃You　remind　me　of　something　that　I　can　find　no　word　fora　bit　of　color　or　a　perfume　or　tonea　flash　of　something。　　　I　follow　you　in　my　thoughts　all　the　time　now。　　Your　knowledge　of　art　interests　me。　　I　like　your　playingit　is　like　you。　　You　make　me　think　of　delightful　things　that　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　ordinary　run　of　my　life。　　Do　you　understand？〃

〃It　is　very　nice；〃　she　said；　〃if　I　do。〃　She　took　a　breath；　softly；　dramatically。　　〃You　make　me　think　vain　things；　you　know。〃　（Her　mouth　was　a　delicious　O。）　〃You　paint　a　pretty　picture。〃　She　was　warm；　flushed；　suffused　with　a　burst　of　her　own　temperament。

〃You　are　like　that；〃　he　went　on；　insistently。　　〃You　make　me　feel　like　that　all　the　time。　　You　know；〃　he　added；　leaning　over　her　chair；　〃I　sometimes　think　you　have　never　lived。　　There　is　so　much　that　would　complete　your　perfectness。　　I　should　like　to　send　you　abroad　or　take　youanyhow；　you　should　go。　　You　are　very　wonderful　to　me。　　Do　you　find　me　at　all　interesting　to　you？〃

〃Yes；　but〃she　paused〃you　know　I　am　afraid　of　all　this　and　of　you。〃　Her　mouth　had　that　same　delicious　formation　which　had　first　attracted　him。　　〃I　don't　think　we　had　better　talk　like　this；　do　you？　Harold　is　very　jealous；　or　would　be。　　What　do　you　suppose　Mrs。　Cowperwood　would　think？〃

〃I　know　very　well；　but　we　needn't　stop　to　consider　that　now；　need　we？　It　will　do　her　no　harm　to　let　me　talk　to　you。　　Life　is　between　individuals；　Rita。　　You　and　I　have　very　much　in　common。　　Don't　you　see　that？　You　are　infinitely　the　most　interesting　woman　I　have　ever　known。　　You　are　bringing　me　something　I　have　never　known。　　Don't　you　see　that？　I　want　you　to　tell　me　something　truly。　　Look　at　me。　　You　are　not　happy　as　you　are；　are　you？　Not　perfectly　happy？〃

〃No。〃　She　smoothed　her　fan　with　her　fingers。

〃Are　you　happy　at　all？〃

〃I　thought　I　was　once。　　I'm　not　any　more；　I　think。〃

〃It　is　so　plain　why；〃　he　commented。　　〃You　are　so　much　more　wonderful　than　your　place　gives　you　scope　for。　　You　are　an　individual；　not　an　acolyte　to　swing　a　censer　for　another。　　Mr。　Sohlberg　is　very　interesting；　but　you　can't　be　happy　that　way。　　It　surprises　me　you　haven't　seen　it。〃

〃Oh；〃　she　exclaimed；　with　a　touch　of　weariness；　〃but　perhaps　I　have。〃

He　looked　at　her　keenly；　and　she　thrilled。　　〃I　don't　think　we'd　better　talk　so　here；〃　she　replied。　　〃You'd　better　be〃

He　laid　his　hand　on　the　back　of　her　chair；　almost　touching　her　shoulder。

〃Rita；〃　he　said；　using　her　given　name　again；