第4章

Aftercastinguponhimlooksofunseeingcoldnessforadozentimes，oneafternoonshesuddenlythawedandpoureddownuponhimasmilethatputtoshamethesweetsuponhiscart。 \"Candyman，\"shesaid，cooingly，whileSidoniefollowedherimpulsivedive，brushingtheheavyauburnhair，\"don’tyouthinkIambeautiful？ Thecandymanlaughedharshly，andlookedup，withhisthinjawset，whilehewipedhisforeheadwithared—and—bluehandkerchief\"Yer’dmakeadandymagazinecover，\"hesaid，grudgingly。\"Beautifulornotisforthemthatcares。It’snotmyline。Ifyerlookin’forbou— quetsapplyelsewherebetweennineandtwelve。I thinkwe’llhaverain。\" Truly，fascinatingacandymanislikekillingrab— bitsinadeepsnow;butthehunter’sbloodiswidelydiffused。MademoiselletuggedagreatcoilofhairfromSidonie’sbandsandletitfalloutthewindow。 \"Candyman，haveyouasweetheartanywherewithhairaslongandsoftasthat？Andwithanarmsoround？\"SheflexedanarmlikeGalatea’safterthemiracleacrossthewindow—sill。 Thecandymancackledshrillyashearrangedastockofbutter—scotchthathadtumbleddown。 \"Smokeup！\"saidhe，vulgarly。\"Nothin’doin’ inthecomplimentaryline。I’mtoowisetobebam— boozledbyaswitchofhairandanewlymassagedarm。Oh，Iguessyou’llmakegoodinthecalcium，allright，withplentyofpowderandpaintonandtheorchestraplaying\"UndertheOldAppleTree。\" Butdon’tputonyourhatandchasedownstairstoflytotheLittleChurchAroundtheCornerwithme。 I’vebeenupagainstperoxideandmake—upboxesbe— fore。Say，alljokingaside——don’tyouthinkwe’llhaverain？\" \"Candyman，\"saidMademoisellesoftly，withherlipscurvingandherchindimpling，\"don’tyouthinkI’mpretty？\" Thecandymangrinned。 \"Savin’money，ain’tyer？\"saidbe，\"bybein’yerownpressagent。Ismoke，butIhaven’tseenyermugonanyofthefive—centcigarboxes。It’dtakeanewbrandofwomantogetmegoin’，anyway。I know’emfromsidecombstoshoelaces。Gimmeagoodday’ssalesandsteak—and—onionsatsevenandapipeandanevenin’paperbackthereinthecourt，andI’llnottroubleLillianRussellherselftowinkatme，ifyouplease。\" Mademoisellepouted。 \"Candyman，\"shesaid，softlyanddeeply，\"yetyoushallsaythatIambeautiful。Allmensaysoandsoshallyou。\" Thecandymanlaughedandpulledouthispipe。 \"Well，\"saidbe，\"Imustbegoin’in。Thereisastoryintheevenin’paperthatIamreadin’。Menaredivin’intheseasforatreasure，andpiratesarewatchin’themfrombehindareef。Andthereain’tawomanonlandorwaterorintheair。Good— evenin’。\"Andhetrundledhispushcartdownthealleyandbacktothemustycourtwherehelived。 Incrediblytohimwhohasnotlearnedwoman，Mademoisellesatatthewindoweachdayandspreadhernetsfortheignominiousgame。Onceshekeptagrandcavalierwaitinginherreceptionchamberforhalfanhourwhileshebatteredinvainthecandyman’stoughphilosophy。Hisroughlaughchafedhervanitytoitscore。Dailyhesatonhiscartinthebreezeofthealleywhileherhairwasbeingministeredto，anddailytheshaftsofherbeautyreboundedfromhisdullbosompointlessandineffectual。Un— worthypiquebrightenedhereyes。Pride—hurtshegloweduponhiminawaythatwouldhavesentherhigheradorersintoanegoisticparadise。Thecandyman’shardeyeslookeduponherwithahalf—con— cealedderisionthaturgedhertotheuseofthesharp— estarrowinherbeauty’squiver。 Oneafternoonsheleanedfaroverthesill，andshedidnotchallengeandtormenthimasusual。 \"Candyman，\"saidshe，\"standupandlookintomyeyes。\" Hestoodupandlookedintohereyes，withhisharshlaughlikethesawingofwood。Hetookouthispipe，fumbledwithit，andputitbackintobigpocketwithatremblingband。 \"Thatwilldo，\"saidMademoiselle，withaslowsmile。\"Imustgonowtomymasseuse。Good— evening。\" Thenexteveningatseventhecandymancameandrestedhiscartunderthewindow。Butwasitthecandyman？Hisclotheswereabrightnewcheck。 Hisnecktiewasaflamingred，adornedbyaglit— teringhorseshoepin，almostlife—size。Hisshoeswerepolished;thetanofhischeekshadpaled——hishandshadbeenwashed。Thewindowwasempty，andhewaitedunderitwithhisnoseupward，likeahoundhopingforabone。 Mademoisellecame，withSidoniecarryingherloadofhair。Shelookedatthecandymanandsmiledaslowsmilethatfadedawayintoennui。Instantlysheknewthatthegamewasbagged;andsoquicklysheweariedofthechase。ShebegantotalktoSidonie。 \"Beenafineday，\"saidthecandyman，hollowly。 \"FirsttimeinamonthI’vefeltfirst—class。HititupdownoldMadison，holleringoutlikeIuseter。 Thinkit’llrainto—morrow？\" Mademoisellelaidtworoundarmsonthecushiononthewindow—sill，andadimpledchinuponthem。 \"Candyman，\"saidshe，softly，\"doyounotloveme？\" Thecandymanstoodupandleanedagainstthebrickwall。 \"Lady，\"saidbe，chokingly，\"I’vegot$800savedup。DidIsayyouwasn’tbeautiful？Takeiteverybitofitandbuyacollarforyourdogwithit。\" AsoundasofahundredsilverybellstinkledintheroomofMademoiselle。Thelaughterfilledthealleyandtrickledbackintothecourt，asstrangeathingtoenterthereassunlightitself。Mademoisellewasamused。Sidonie，awiseecho，addedasepulchralbutfaithfulcontralto。Thelaughterofthetwoseemedatlasttopenetratethecandyman。Hefumbledwithhishorseshoepin。AtlengthMademoiselle，ex— hausted，turnedherflushed，beautifulfacetothewin— dow。 \"Candyman，\"saidshe，\"goaway。WhenI laughSidoniepullsmyhair。Icanbutlaughwhileyouremainthere。\" \"HereisanoteforMademoiselle，\"saidFe1ice，comingtothewindowintheroom。 \"Thereisnojustice，\"saidthecandyman，lift— ingthehandleofhiscartandmovingaway。 Threeyardshemoved，andstopped。LoudshriekaftershriekcamefromthewindowofMademoiselle。 Quicklyheranback。Heheardabodythumpinguponthefloorandasoundasthoughheelsbeatalter— natelyuponit。 \"Whatisit？\"becalled。 Sidonie’ssevereheadcameintothewindow。 \"Mademoiselleisovercomebybadnews，\"shesaid。 \"Onewhomshelovedwithallhersoulhasgone—— youmayhavebeardofhim——heisMonsieurIves。 Hesailsacrosstheoceanto—morrow。Oh，youmen！\" SQUARINGTHECIRCLE Atthehazardofwearyingyouthistaleofvehe— mentemotionsmustbeprefacedbyadiscourseongeometry。 Naturemovesincircles;Artinstraightlines。 Thenaturalisrounded;theartificialismadeupofangles。Amanlostinthesnowwanders，inspiteofhimself，inperfectcircles;thecityman’sfeet，denaturalizedbyrectangularstreetsandfloors，carryhimeverawayfromhimself。 Theroundeyesofchildhoodtypifyinnocence; thenarrowedlineoftheflirt’sopticprovesthein— vasionofart。Thehorizontalmouthisthemarkofdeterminedcunning;whohasnotreadNature’smostspontaneouslyricinlipsroundedforthecandidkiss？ BeautyisNatureinperfection;circularityisitschiefattribute。Beholdthefullmoon，theenchant— inggolfball，thedomesofsplendidtemples，thehuckleberrypie，theweddingring，thecircusring，theringforthewaiter，andthe\"round\"ofdrinks。 Ontheotherhand，straightlinesshowthatNa— turehasbeendeflected。ImagineVenus’sgirdletransformedintoa\"straightfront\"！ Whenwebegintomoveinstraightlinesandturnsharpcornersournaturesbegintochange。TheconsequenceisthatNature，beingmoreadaptivethanArt，triestoconformtoitssternerregulations。Theresultisoftenarathercuriousproduct——forin— stance：Aprizechrysanthemum，woodalcoholwhis— key，aRepublicanMissouri，caulifloweraugratin，andaNewYorker，Natureislostquickestinabigcity。Thecauseisgeometrical，notmoral。Thestraightlinesofitsstreetsandarchitecture，therectangularityofitslawsandsocialcustoms，theundeviatingpavements，thehard，severe，depressing，uncompromisingrulesofallitsways——evenofitsrecreationandsports—— coldlyexhibitasneeringdefianceofthecurvedlineofNature。 Wherefore，itmaybesaidthatthebigcityhasdemonstratedtheproblemofsquaringthecircle。 Anditmaybeaddedthatthismathematicalintro— ductionprecedesanaccountofthefateofaKentuckyfeudthatwasimportedtothecitythathasahabitofmakingitsimportationsconformtoitsangles。 ThefeudbeganintheCumberlandMountainsbe— tweentheFolwellandtheHarknessfamilies。Thefirstvictimofthehomespunvendettawasa’possumdogbelongingtoBillHarkness。TheHarknessfamilyevenedupthisdirelossbylayingoutthechiefoftheFolwellclan。TheFolwellswerepromptatrepartee。TheyoileduptheirsquirrelriflesandmadeitfeasibleforBillHarknesstofollowhisdogtoalandwherethe’possumscomedownwhentreedwithoutthestrokeofanax。 Thefeudflourishedforfortyyears。Harknesseswereshotattheplough，throughtheirlamp—litcabinwindows，comingfromcamp—meeting，asleep，induello，soberandotherwise，singlyandinfamilygroups，preparedandunprepared。Folwellshadthebranchesoftheirfamilytreeloppedoffinsimilarways，asthetraditionsoftheircountryprescribedandauthorized。 Byandbythepruningleftbutasinglememberofeachfamily。AndthenCalHarkness，probablyreasoningthatfurtherpursuanceofthecontroversywouldgiveatoodecidedpersonalflavortothefeud，suddenlydisappearedfromtherelievedCumberlands，baulkingtheavenginghandofSam，theultimateop— posingFolwell。 AyearafterwardSamFolwelllearnedthathishereditary，unsuppressedenemywaslivinginNewYorkCity。Samturnedoverthebigironwash—potintheyard，scrapedoffsomeofthesoot，whichhemixedwithlardandshinedhisbootswiththecom— pound。Heputonhisstoreclothesofbutternutdyedblack，awhiteshirtandcollar，andpackedacarpet—sackwithSpartanlingerie。Hetookhissquirrelriflefromitshooks，butputitbackagainwithasigh。HoweverethicalandplausiblethehabitmightbeintheCumberlands，perhapsNewYorkwouldnotswallowhisposeofhuntingsquirrelsamongtheskyscrapersalongBroadway。AnancientbutreliableColt’srevolverthatheresurrectedfromabureaudrawerseemedtoproclaimitselfthepinkofweaponsformetropolitanadventureandvengeance。 Thisandahunting—knifeinaleathersheath，Sampackedinthecarpet—sack。Ashestarted，Muleback，forthelowlandrailroadstationthelastFolwellturnedinhissaddleandlookedgrimlyatthelittleclusterofwhite—pineslabsintheclumpofcedarsthatmarkedtheFolwellburying—ground。 SamFolwellarrivedinNewYorkinthenight。 Stillmovingandlivinginthefreecirclesofnature，hedidnotperceivetheformidable，pitiless，restless，fierceanglesofthegreatcitywaitinginthedarktocloseabouttherotundityofhisheartandbrainandmouldhimtotheformofitsmillionsofre—shapedvictims。Acabbypickedhimoutofthewhirl，asSamhimselfhadoftenpickedanutfromabedofwind—tossedautumnleaves，andwhiskedhimawaytoahotelcommensuratetohisbootsandcarpet— sack。 OnthenextmorningthelastoftheFolwellsmadehissortieintothecitythatshelteredthelastHark— ness。TheColtwasthrustbeneathhiscoatandse— curedbyanarrowleatherbelt;thehunting—knifehungbetweenhisshoulder—blades，withthehaftaninchbelowhiscoatcollar。Heknewthismuch—— thatCalHarknessdroveanexpresswagonsome— whereinthattown，andthathe，SamFolwell，hadcometokillhim。Andashesteppedupontheside— walktheredcameintohiseyeandthefeud—hateintohisheart。 Theclamorofthecentralavenuesdrewhimthith— erward。HehadhalfexpectedtoseeCalcomingdownthestreetinhisshirt—sleeves，withajugandawhipinhishand，justashewouldhaveseenhiminFrankfortorLaurelCity。ButanhourwentbyandCaldidnotappear。Perhapshewaswaitinginambush，toshoothimfromadoororawindow。Samkeptasharpeyeondoorsandwindowsforawhile。 Aboutnoonthecitytiredofplayingwithitsmouseandsuddenlysqueezedhimwithitsstraightlines。 SamFolwellstoodwheretwogreat，rectangulararteriesofthecitycross。Helookedfourways，andsawtheworldburledfromitsorbitandreducedbyspiritlevelandtapetoanedgedandcorneredplane。Alllifemovedontracks，ingrooves，accord— ingtosystem，withinboundaries，byrote。Therootoflifewasthecuberoot;themeasureofexistencewassquaremeasure。Peoplestreamedbyinstraightrows;thehorribledinandcrashstupefiedhim。 Samleanedagainstthesharpcornerofastonebuilding。Thosefacespassedhimbythousands，andnoneofthemwereturnedtowardhim。Asuddenfool— ishfearthathehaddiedandwasaspirit，andthattheycouldnotseehim，seizedhim。Andthenthecitysmotehimwithloneliness。 Afatmandroppedoutofthestreamandstoodafewfeetdistant，waitingforhiscar。Samcrepttohissideandshoutedabovethetumultintohisear： \"TheRankinses’hogsweighedmore’nournawholepassel，butthemastintharneighborhoodwasafinechancebetterthanwhatitwasdown——\" Thefatmanmovedawayunostentatiously，andboughtroastedchestnutstocoverhisalarm。 Samfelttheneedofadropofmountaindew。 Acrossthestreetmenpassedinandoutthroughswingingdoors。Briefglimpsescouldbehadofaglisteningbaranditsbedeckings。Thefeudistcrossedandessayedtoenter。AgainhadArteliminatedthefamiliarcircle。Sam’shandfoundnodoor—knob— itslid，invain，overarectangularbrassplateandpolishedoakwithnothingevensolargeasapin’sheaduponwhichhisfingersmightclose。 Abashed，reddened，heartbroken，hewalkedawayfromthebootlessdoorandsatuponastep。Alocustclubtickledhimintheribs。 \"Takeawalkforyourself，\"saidthepoliceman。 You’vebeenloafingaroundherelongenough。\" AtthenextcornerashrillwhistlesoundedinSam’sear。Hewheeledaroundandsawablack—browedvil— lainscowlingathimoverpeanutsheapedonasteam— ingmachine。Hestartedacrossthestreet。Anim— menseengine，runningwithoutmules，withthevoiceofabullandthesmellofasmokylamp，whizzedpast，grazinghisknee。Acab—driverbumpedhimwithahubandexplainedtohimthatkindwordswerein— ventedtobeusedonotheroccasions。Amotormanclangedhisbellwildlyand，foronceinhislife，cor— roboratedacab—driver。Alargeladyinachangeablesilkwaistduganelbowintohisback，andanewsypensivelypeltedhimwithbananarinds，murmuring，\"Ihatestodoit——butifanybodyseenmeletitpass！\" CalHarkness，hisday’sworkoverandhisexpresswagonstabled，turnedthesharpedgeofthebuild— ingthat，bythecheekofarchitects，ismodelleduponasafetyrazor。Outofthemassofhurryingpeoplehiseyepickedup，threeyardsaway，thesurvivingbloodyandimplacablefoeofhiskithandkin。 Hestoppedshortandwaveredforamoment，be— ingunarmedandsharplysurprised。Butthekeenmountaineer’seyeofSamFolwellhadpickedhimout。 Therewasasuddenspring，arippleinthestreamofpassersbyandthesoundofSam’svoicecrying： \"Howdy，Cal！I’mdurnedgladtoseeye。\" AndintheanglesofBroadway，FifthAvenueandTwenty—thirdStreettheCumberlandfeudistsshookhands。 ROSES，RUSESANDROMANCE Ravenel——Ravenel，thetraveller，artistandpoet，threwhismagazinetothefloor。SammyBrown，broker’sclerk，whosatbythewindow，jumped。 \"Whatisit，Ravvy？\"heasked。\"Thecriticsbeenhammeringyourstockdown？\" \"Romanceisdead，\"saidRavenel，lightly。WhenRavenelspokelightlybewasgenerallyserious。Hepickedupthemagazineandfluttereditsleaves。 \"EvenaPhilistine，likeyou，Sammy，\"saidRave— nel，seriously（atonethatinsuredhimtobespeak— inglightly），\"oughttounderstand。Now，hereisamagazinethatonceprintedPoeandLowellandWhitmanandBretHarteandDuMaurierandLanierand——well，thatgivesyoutheidea。Thecurrentnumberhasthisliteraryfeasttosetbeforeyou：anarticleonthestokersandcoalbunkersofbattleships，anexposeofthemethodsemployedinmakingliver— wurst，acontinuedstoryofaStandardPreferredInternationalBakingPowderdealinWallStreet，a’poem’onthebearthatthePresidentmissed，an— other’story’byayoungwomanwhospentaweekasaspymakingoverallsontheEastSide，another’fiction’storythatreeksofthe’garage’andacer— tainmakeofautomobile。Ofcourse，thetitlecontainsthewords’Cupid’and’Chauffeur’——anarticleonnavalstrategy，illustratedwithcutsoftheSpanishArmada，andthenewStatenIslandferry—boats;an— otherstoryofapoliticalbosswhowontheloveofaFifthAvenuebellebyblackeninghereyeandrefusingtovoteforaniniquitousordinance（itdoesn’tsaywhetheritwasintheStreet—CleaningDepartmentorCongress），andnineteenpagesbytheeditorsbrag— gingaboutthecirculation。Thewholething，Sammy，isanobituaryonRomance。\" SammyBrownsatcomfortablyintheleatherarm— chairbytheopenwindow。Hissuitwasavehementbrownwithvisiblechecks，beautifullymatchedinshadebytheendsoffourcigarsthathisvestpocketpoorlyconcealed。Lighttanwerehisshoes，grayhissocks，sky—bluehisapparentlinen，snowyandhighandadamantinehiscollar，againstwhichablackbut— terflyhadalightedandspreadhiswings。Sammy’sface——leastimportant——wasroundandpleasantandpinkish，andinhiseyesyousawnohavenforfleeingRomance。 ThatwindowofRavenel’sapartmentopeneduponanoldgardenfullofancienttreesandshrubbery。 Theapartment—housetoweredaboveonesideofit; ahighbrickwallfendeditfromthestreet;oppo— siteRavenel’swindowanold，oldmansionstood，half— hiddenintheshadeofthesummerfoliage。Thehousewasacastlebesieged。Thecityhowledandroaredandshriekedandbeatuponitsdoubledoors，andshookwhite，flutteringchecksabovethewall，offeringtermsofsurrender。Thegraydustsettleduponthetrees;thesiegewaspressedhotter，butthedraw— bridgewasnotlowered。Nofurtherwillthelanguageofchivalryserve。Insidelivedanoldgentlemanwholovedhishomeanddidnotwishtosellit。Thatisalltheromanceofthebesiegedcastle。 ThreeorfourtimeseveryweekcameSammyBrowntoRavenel’sapartment。Hebelongedtothepoet’sclub，fortheformerBrownshadbeencon— spicuous，thoughSammybadbeenvulgarizedbyBusiness。HehadnotearsfordepartedRomance。 Thesongofthetickerwastheonethatreachedhisheart，andwhenitcametomattersequineandbattingscoreshewassomethingofapinkedition。 HelovedtositintheleatherarmchairbyRavenel’swindow。AndRaveneldidn’tmindparticularly。 Sammyseemedtoenjoyhistalk;andthenthebroker’sclerkwassuchaperfectembodimentofmodernityandtheday’ssordidpracticalitythatRavenelratherlikedtousehimasascapegoat。 \"I’lltellyouwhat’sthematterwithyou，\"saidSammy，withtheshrewdnessthatbusinesshadtaughthim。\"Themagazinehasturneddownsomeofyourpoetrystunts。That’swhyyouaresoreatit。\" \"ThatwouldbeagoodguessinWallStreetorinacampaignforthepresidencyofawoman’sclub，\" saidRavenel，quietly。\"Now，thereisapoem—ifyouwillallowmetocallitthat—ofmyowninthisnumberofthemagazine。\" \"Readittome，\"saidSammy，watchingacloudofpipe—smokebehadjustblownoutthewindow。 RavenelwasnogreaterthanAchilles。Nooneis。 Thereisboundtobeaspot。TheSomebody—or—OthermusttakeboldofussomewherewhenshedipsusintheSomething—or—Otherthatmakesusinvulnerable。 Hereadaloudthisverseinthemagazine： THEFOURROSES ’OneroseItwinedwithinyourhair—— （Whiterose，thatspakeofworth）; Andoneyouplaceduponyourbreast—— （Redrose，love’ssealofbirth）。 Youpluckedanotherfromitsstem—— （Tearose，thatmeansforaye）; Andoneyougave——thatboreformeThethornsofmemory。\" \"That’sacrackerjack，\"saidSammy，admiringly。 Therearefivemoreverses，\"saidRavenel，pa— tientlysardonic。\"Onenaturallypausesattheendofeach。Ofcourse——\" \"Oh，let’shavetherest，oldman，\"shoutedSammy，contritely，\"Ididn’tmeantocutyouoff。I’mnotmuchofapoetryexpert，youknow。Ineversawapoemthatdidn’tlooklikeitoughttohaveterminalfacilitiesattheendofeveryverse。Reelofftherestofit。\" Ravenelsighed，andlaidthemagazinedown。\"Allright，\"saidSammy，cheerfully，\"we’llhaveitnexttime。I’llbeoffnow。Gotadateatfiveo’clock。\" Hetookalastlookattheshadedgreengardenandleft，whistlinginanoffkeyanuntunefulairfromarooflessfarcecomedy。 ThenextafternoonRavenel，whilepolishingaraggedlineofanewsonnet，reclinedbythewindowoverlookingthebesiegedgardenoftheunmercenarybaron。Suddenlyhesatup，spillingtworhymesandasyllableortwo。，Throughthetreesonewindowoftheoldmansioncouldbeseenclearly。Initswindow，drapedinflow— ingwhite，leanedtheangelofallhisdreamsofro— manceandpoesy。Young，freshasadropofdew，gracefulasasprayofclematis，conferringuponthegardenhemmedinbytheroaringtraffictheairofaprincess’sbower，beautifulasanyflowersungbypoet——thusRavenelsawherforthefirsttime。 Shelingeredforawhile，andthendisappearedwithin，leavingafewnotesofabirdlikerippleofsongtoreachhisentrancedearsthroughtherattleofcabsandthesnarlingoftheelectriccars。 Thus，asiftochallengethepoet’sflauntatro— manceandtopunishhimforhisrecreancytotheundyingspiritofyouthandbeauty，thisvisionbaddawneduponhimwithathrillingandaccusivepower。 AndsometabolicwasthepowerthatinaninstanttheatomsofRavenel’sentireworldwereredistrib— uted。Theladendraysthatpassedthehouseinwhichshelivedrumbledadeepdouble—basstothetuneoflove。Thenewsboys’shoutswerethenotesofsingingbirds;thatgardenwasthepleasanceoftheCapulets; thejanitorwasanogre;himselfaknight，readywithsword，lanceorlute。 Thusdoesromanceshowherselfamidforestsofbrickandstonewhenshegetslostinthecity，andtherehastobesentoutageneralalarmtofindheragain。 AtfourintheafternoonRavenellookedoutacrossthegarden。Inthewindowofhishopesweresetfoursmallvases，eachcontainingagreat，full—blownrose—redandwhite。And，ashegazed，sheleanedabovethem，shamingthemwithherlovelinessandseemingtodirecthereyespensivelytowardhisownwindow。Andthen，asthoughshehadcaughthisrespectfulbutardentregard，shemeltedaway，leavingthefragrantemblemsonthewindow—sill。 \"Yes，emblems！——hewouldbeunworthyifbehadnotunderstood。Shehadreadhispoem，\"TheFourRoses\";ithadreachedherheart;andthiswasitsromanticanswer。OfcourseshemustknowthatRavenel，thepoet，livedthereacrosshergarden。Hispicture，too，shemusthaveseeninthemagazines。 Thedelicate，tender，modest，flatteringmessagecouldnotbeignored。 Ravenelnoticedbesidetherosesasmallflowering— potcontainingaplant。Withoutshamebebroughthisopera—glassesandemployedthemfromthecoverofhiswindow—curtain。Anutmeggeranium！ Withthetruepoeticinstinctbedraggedabookofuselessinformationfromhisshelves，andtoreopentheleavesat\"TheLanguageofFlowers。\" \"Geranium，Nutmeg—Iexpectameeting。\" So！Romanceneverdoesthingsbyhalves。Ifshecomesbacktoyoushebringsgiftsandherknitting，andwillsitinyourchimney—cornerifyouwilllether。 AndnowRavenelsmiled。Theloversmileswhenbethinkshehaswon。Thewomanwholovesceasestosmilewithvictory。Heendsabattle;shebeginshers。Whataprettyideatosetthefourrosesinherwindowforhimtosee！Shemusthaveasweet，poeticsoul。Andnowtocontrivethemeeting。 AwhistlingandslammingofdoorspreludedthecomingofSammyBrown。 Ravenelsmiledagain。EvenSammyBrownwasshoneuponbythefar—flungraysoftherenaissance。 Sammy，withhisultraclothes，hishorseshoepin，hisplumpface，histriteslang，hisuncomprehendingadmirationofRavenel——thebroker’sclerkmadeanexcellentfoiltothenew，brightunseenvisitortothepoet’ssombreapartment。 Sammywenttohisoldseatbythewindow，andlookedoutoverthedustygreenfoliageinthegarden。Thenhelookedathiswatch，androsehastily。 \"Bygrabs！\"heexclaimed。\"Twentyafterfour！ Ican’tstay，oldman;I’vegotadateat4：30。\" \"Whydidyoucome，then？\"askedRavenel，withsarcasticjocularity，\"ifyouhadanengagementatthattime。Ithoughtyoubusinessmenkeptbetteraccountofyourminutesandsecondsthanthat。\" Sammyhesitatedinthedoorwayandturnedpinker。 \"Factis，Ravvy，\"beexplained，astoacustomerwhosemarginisexhausted，\"Ididn’tknowIhadittillIcame。I’lltellyou，oldman—there’sadandygirlinthatoldhousenextdoorthatI’mdeadgoneon。Iputitstraight——we’reengaged。Theoldmansays’nit’butthatdon’tgo。Hekeepsherprettyclose。IcanseeEdith’swindowfromyourshere。Shegivesmeatipwhenshe’sgoingshopping，andImeether。It’s4：30to—day。MaybeIoughttohaveexplainedsooner，butIknowit’sallrightwithyou——solong。\" \"Howdoyougetyour’tip，’asyoucallit？\"askedRavenel，losingalittlespontaneityfromhissmile。 \"Roses，\"saidSammy，briefly。Fourof’emto— day。Meansfouro’clockatthecornerofBroadwayandTwenty—third。\" \"Butthegeranium？\"persistedRavenel，clutch— ingattheendofflyingRomance’strailingrobe。 \"Meanshalf—past5，\"shoutedSammyfromthehall。 \"Seeyouto—morrow。\" THECITYOFDREADFULNIGHT \"Duringtherecentwarmed—overspell，\"saidmyfriendCarney，driverofexpresswagonNo。8，606，\"agoodmanyopportunitieswashadofobservinghumannaturethroughpeekaboowaists。 \"TheParkCommissionerandtheCommissionerofPolisandtheForestryCommissiongetstogetherandagreestoletthepeoplesleepintheparksuntiltheWeatherBureaugetsthethermometerdownagaintoalivingbasis。Sotheydrawsupopen—airresolu— tionsandhasthem0。K。’dbytheSecretaryofAgri— culture，Mr。ComstockandtheVillageImprovementMosquitoExterminatingSocietyofSouthOrange，N。J。 \"Whentheproclamationwasmadeopeninguptothepeoplebyspecialgrantthepublicparksthatbe— longto’em，therewasageneralexodusintoCentralParkbythecommunitiesexistingalongitsborders。 Intenminutesaftersundownyou’dhavethoughtthattherewasanundressrehearsalofapotatofamineinIrelandandaKishineffmassacre。Theycomebyfamilies，gangs，clambakesocieties，clans，clubsandtribesfromallsidestoenjoyacoolsleeponthegrass。Themthatdidn’thaveoilstovesbroughtalongplentyofblankets，soasnottobeupsetwiththecoldanddiscomfortsofsleepingoutdoors。Bybuildingfiresoftheshadetreesandhuddlingtogetherinthebridlepaths，andburrowingunderthegrasswherethegroundwassoftenough，thelikesof5，000 headofpeoplesuccessfullybattledagainstthenightairinCentralParkalone。 \"YeknowIliveintheelegantfurnishedapart— menthousecalledtheBeershebaFlats，overagainsttheelevatedportionoftheNewYorkCentralRail— road。 \"Whentheordercometotheflatsthatallhandsmustturnoutandsleepinthepark，accordingtotheinstructionsoftheconsultingcommitteeoftheCityClubandtheMurphyDraying，ReturfingandSod— dingCompany，therewasalookofacoupleoffiresandanevictionallovertheplace。 \"Thetenantsbegantopackupfeatherbeds，rub— berboots，stringsofgarlic，hot—waterbags，porta— blecanoesandscuttlesofcoaltotakealongforthesakeofcomfort。ThesidewalklookedlikeaRussiancampinOyama’slineofmareb。TherewaswaitingandlamentingupanddownstairsfromDannyGeog— hegan’sflatonthetopfloortotheapartmentsofMissisGoldsteinupskionthefirst。 \"’Forwhy，\"saysDanny，comingdownandraginginhisblueyarnsockstothejanitor，’shouldIbeturnedoutofmecomfortableapartmentstolayinthedirtygrasslikearabbit？’TislikeJerometostiruptroublewidsmallmatterslikethisinsteadof——\" \"’Whist！’saysOfficerReaganonthesidewalk，rappingwithhisclub。’’TisnotJerome。’TisbyorderofthePolisCommissioner。Turnouteveryoneofyezandhikeyerselvestothepark。’ \"Now，’twasapeacefulandhappyhomethatallofushadinthemsameBeershebaFlats。TheO’DowdsandtheSteinowitzesandtheCallahansandtheCohensandtheSpizzinellisandtheMcManusesandtheSpiegelmayersandtheJoneses——allnationsofus，welivedlikeonebigfamilytogether。AndwhenthehotnightscomealongwekeptalineofchildrenreachingfromthefrontdoortoKelly’sonthecornerpassingalongthecansofbeerfromonetoanotherwithoutthetroubleofrunningafterit。Andwithnomoreclothingonthanisprovidedforinthestatutes，sittinginallthewindies，withacoolgrowlerineveryone，andyourfeetoutintheair，andtheRosensteingirlssingingonthefire—escapeofthesixthfloor，andPatsyRourke’sflutegoingintheeighth，andtheladiescallingeachothersynonymsoutthewin— dies，andnowandthenabreezesailinginoverMisterDepew’sCentral——ItellyoutheBeershebaFlatswasasummerresortthatmadetheCatskillslooklikeaboleintheground。Withhispersonfullofbeerandhisfeetoutthewindyandhisoldwomanfryingporkchopsoveracharcoalfurnaceandthechildrendancingincottonslipsonthesidewalkaroundtheorgan—grinderandtherentpaidforaweek——whatdoesamanwantbetteronahotnightthanthat？ Andthencomesthisrulingofthepolisdrivingpeopleouto’theircomfortablehomestosleepinparks—— ’twasforalltheworldlikeaukaseofthemRus— sians——’twillbeheardfromagainatnextelectiontime。 \"Well，then，OfficerReagandrivesthewholelotofustotheparkandturnsusinbythenearestgate。’Tisdarkunderthetrees，andallthechildrensetsuptohowlingthattheywanttogohome。 \"’Ye’llpassthenightinthisstretchofwoodsandscenery，’saysOfficerReagan。’’TwillbefineandimprisonmentforinsooltingtheParkCommis— sionerandtheChiefoftheWeatherBureauifyere— fuse。I’minchargeofthirtyacresbetweenhereandtheAgyptianMonument，andIadviseyetogivenotrouble。’Tissleepingonthegrassyezallhavebeencondemnedtobytheauthorities。Yez’llbepermittedtoleaveinthemorning，butyemustretoornbenight。 Meorderswassilentonthesubjectofbail，butI’11 findoutif’tisrequiredandthere’llbebondsmenatthegate。’ \"Therebeingnolightsexceptalongtheautomo— biledrives，us179tenantsoftheBeershebaFlatspreparedtospendthenightasbestwecouldintheragingforest。Themthatbroughtblanketsandkin— dlingwoodwasbestoff。Theygotfiresstartedandwrappedtheblanketsroundtheirheadsandlaiddown，cursing，inthegrass。Therewasnothingtosee，nothingtodrink，nothingtodo。Inthedarkwehadnowayoftellingfriendorfoeexceptbyfeelingthenosesof’em。Ibroughtalongmelastwinterovercoat，metoothbrush，somequininepillsandtheredquiltoffthebedinmeflat。ThreetimesduringthenightsomebodyrolledonmequiltandstuckhiskneesagainsttheAdam’sappleofme。AndthreetimesIjudgedhischaracterbyrunningmehandoverhisface，andthreetimesIroseupandkickedthein— truderdownthehilltothegravellywalkbelow。AndthensomeonewithaflavorofKelly’swhiskeysnug— gleduptome，andIfoundhisnoseturneduptherightway，andIsays：’Isthatyou，then，Patsey？ andhesays，’Itis，Carney。Howlongdoyouthinkit’lllast？’ \"’I’mnoweather—prophet，’saysI，’butiftheybringoutastronganti—Tammanyticketnextfallitoughttogetushomeintimetosleeponabedonceortwicebeforetheylineusupatthepolls。’ \"A—playingofmyfluteintotheairshaft，IsaysPatseyRourke，’anda—perspiringinmeownwindytothejoyfulnoiseofthepassingtrainsandthesmellofliverandonionsanda—readingofthelatestmur— derinthesmokeofthecookingiswellenoughforme，’sayshe。’Whatisthisherdingusingrassfor，nottomentionthecrawlingthingswithlegsthatwalkupthetrousersofus，andtheJerseysnipesthatpeckatus，masqueradingunderthenameanddenom— inationofmosquitoes。WhatisitallforCarney，andtherintgoingonjustthesameoverattheflats？’ \"TisthegreatannualMunicipalFreeNightOutingLawnParty，’saysI，’givenbythepolis，HettyGreenandtheDrugTrust。Duringtheheatedseasontheyholdaweekofitintheprincipalparks。 ’Tisaschemetoreachthatportionofthepeoplethat’snotworthtakinguptoNorthBeachforafishfry。’ \"’Ican’tsleepontheground，’saysPatsey，’widanybenefit。Ihavethehayfeverandtherheuma— tism，andmecarisfullofants。’ \"Well，thenightgoeson，andtheex—tenantsoftheFlatsgroansandstumblesaroundinthedark，tryingtofindrestandrecreationintheforest。Thechildrenisscreamingwiththecoldness，andthejan— itormakeshotteafor’emandkeepsthefiresgoingwiththesignboardsthatpointtotheTavernandtheCasino。Thetenantstrytolaydownonthegrassbyfamiliesinthedark，butyou’reluckyifyoucansleepnexttoamanfromthesamefloororbelievinginthesamereligion。NowandthenaMurpby，acci— dental，rollsoveronthegrassofaRosenstein，oraCohentriestocrawlundertheO’Gradybush，andthenthere’safeelingofnosesandsomebodyisrolleddownthehilltothedrivewayandstaysthere。Thereissomehair—pullingamongthewomenfolks，andeverybodyspanksthenearesthowlingkidtohimbythesenseoffeelingonly，regardlessofitsparentageandownership。’Tishardtokeepupthesocialdis— tinctionsinthedarkthatflourishbydaylightintheBeershebaFlats。Mrs。Rafferty，thatdespisestheasphaltthataDagotreadson，wakesupinthemorn— ingwithherfeetinthebosomofAntonioSpizzinelli。 AndMikeO’Dowd，thatalwaysthrewpeddlersdown— stairsasfastashecameupon’em，hastounwindoldIsaacstein’swhiskersfromaroundhisneck，andwakeupthewholegangatdaylight。Buthereandtheresomefewgotacquaintedandoverlookedthediscom— fortsoftheelements。Therewasfiveengagementstobemarriedannouncedattheflatsthenextmorning。 AboutmidnightIgetsupandwringsthedewoutofmyhair，andgoestothesideofthedrivewayandsitsdown。AtonesideoftheparkIcouldseethelightsinthestreetsandhouses;andIwasthinkinghowhappythemfolkswaswhocouldchasetheduckandsmoketheirpipesattheirwindows，andkeepcoolandpleasantlikenatureintendedfor’emto。 Justthenanautomobilestopsbyme，andafine— looking，well—dressedmanstepsout。 ’Meman，’sayshe，’canyoutellmewhyallthesepeoplearelyingaroundonthegrassinthepark？ Ithoughtitwasagainsttherules。’ \"’’Twasanordinance，’saysI，’justpassedbythePolisDepartmentandratifiedbytheTurfCut— ters’Association，providingthatallpersonsnotcar— ryingalicensenumberontheirrearaxlesshallkeepinthepublicparksuntilfurthernotice。Fortu— nately，theorderscomesthisyearduringaspelloffineweather，andthemortality，exceptonthebordersofthelakeandalongtheautomobiledrives，willnotbeanygreaterthanusual。’ \"’Whoarethesepeopleonthesideofthebill？’ askstheman。 \"’Sure，’saysI，’noneothersthanthetenantsoftheBeershebaFlats——afinehomeforanyman，especiallyonhotnights。Maydaylightcomesoon！’ \"’Theycomeherebenight，’saysbe，’andbreatheinthepureairandthefragranceoftheflowersandtrees。Theydothat，’saysbe，’comingeverynightfromtheburningbeatofdwellingsofbrickandstone。’ \"’Andwood，’saysI。’Andmarbleandplasterandiron。’ \"’Thematterwillbeattendedtoatonce，’saystheman，puttinguphisbook。 \"’AreyetheParkCommissioner？’Iasks。 \"’IowntheBeershebaFlats，’sayshe。’Godblessthegrassandthetreesthatgiveextrabenefitstoaman’stenants。Therentsshallberaisedfifteenpercent。to—morrow。Good—night，’sayshe。\" THEEASTEROFTHESOUL Itishardlylikelythatagoddessmaydie。ThenEastre，theoldSaxongoddessofspring，mustbelaughinginhermuslinsleeveatpeoplewhobelievethatEaster，hernamesake，existsonlyalongcertainstripsofFifthAvenuepavementafterchurchservice。 Aye！Itbelongstotheworld。TheptarmiganinChilkootPassdiscardshiswinterwhitefeathersforbrown;thePatagonianBeauBrummelloilshischi— gnonandclubshimanothersweethearttodragtohisskull—strewnflat。AnddowninChrystieStreet—— Mr。\"Tiger\"McQuirkarosewithafeelingofdisquietthatbedidnotunderstand。Withaprac— tisedfootberolledthreeofhisyoungerbrotherslikelogsoutofhiswayastheylaysleepingonthefloor。 Beforeafoot—squarelookingglasshungbythewin— dowhestoodandshavedhimself。Ifthatmayseemtoyouatasktooslighttobethusimpressivelychron— icled，Ibearwithyou;youdonotknowoftheareastobeaccomplishedintraversingthecheekandchinofMr。McQuirk。 McQuirk，senior，hadgonetoworklongbefore。 Thebigsonofthehousewasidle。Hewasamarble— cutter，andthemarble—cutterswereoutonastrike。 \"Whatailsye？\"askedhismother，lookingathimcuriously;\"areyenotfeelingwellthemorning，maybenow？\" \"He’sthinkingalongofAnnieMariaDoyle，im— pudentlyexplainedyoungerbrotherTim，tenyearsold。\" \"Tiger\"reachedoverthehandofachampionandsweptthesmallMcQuirkfromhischair。 \"Ifeelfine，\"saidhe，\"beyondatouchoftheI—don’t—know—wbat—you—call—its。Ifeelliketherewasgoingtobeearthquakesormusicoratrifleofchillsandfeverormaybeapicnic。Idon’tknowhowI feel。Ifeellikeknockingthefaceoffapoliceman，orelsemaybelikeplayingConeyIslandstraightacrosstheboardfrompop—corntotheelephantboudabs。\" \"It’sthespringinyerbones，\"saidMrs。McQuirk。 \"It’sthesaprisin’。TimewaswhenIcouldn’tkeepmefeetstillnormeheadcoolwhentheearthwormsbegantocrawloutinthedewofthemornin’。’Tisabitofteawilldoyegood，madefrompipsissewaandgentianbarkatthedruggist’s。\" \"Backup！\"saidMr。McQuirk，impatiently。 \"There’snospringinsightThere’ssnowyetontheshedinDonovan’sbackyard。AndyesterdaytheyputsopencarsontheSixthAvenuelines，andthejanitorshavequitorderingcoal。Andthatmeanssixweeksmoreofwinter，byallthesignsthatbe。\" AfterbreakfastMr。McQuirkspentfifteenminutesbeforethecorrugatedmirror，subjugatinghishairandarranginghisgreen—and—purpleascotwithitsamethysttombstonepin—eloquentofhischosencalling。 Sincethestrikehadbeencalleditwasthispar— ticularstriker’shabittohiehimselfeachmorningtothecornersaloonofFlahertyBrothers，andthereestablishhimselfuponthesidewalk，withonefootrestingonthebootblack’sstand，observingthepanoramaofthestreetuntilthepaceoftimebroughttwelveo’clockandthedinnerhour。AndMr。 \"Tiger\"McQuirk，withhisathleticseventyinches，welltrainedinsportandbattle;hissmooth，pale，solid，amiableface——bluewheretherazorhadtrav— elled;hiscarefullyconsideredclothesandairofcapa— bility，washimselfaspectaclenotdispleasingtotheeye。 ButonthismorningMr。McQuirkdidnothastenimmediatelytohispostofleisureandobservation。 Somethingunusualthathecouldnotquitegraspwasintheair。Somethingdisturbedhisthoughts，ruffledhissenses，madehimatoncelanguid，irritable，elated，dissastisfiedandsportive。Hewasnodiagnostician，andhedidnotknowthatLentwasbreakingupphysiologicallyinhissystem。 Mrs。McQuirkhadspokenofspring。ScepticallyTigerlookedabouthimforsigns。Fewtheywere。Theorgan—grinderswereatwork;buttheywerealwaysprecociousharbingers。Itwasnearenoughspringforthemtogopenny—huntingwhentheskatingballdroppedatthepark。Inthemilliners’ windowsEasterhats，grave，gayandjubilant，blos— somed。Thereweregreenpatchesamongtheside— walkdebrisofthegrocers。Onathird—storywindow— sillthefirstelbowcushionoftheseason——oldgoldstripesonacrimsonground——supportedthekimo— noedarmsofapensivebrunette。ThewindblewcoldfromtheEastRiver，butthesparrowswerefly— ingtotheeaveswithstraws。Asecond—handstore，combiningforesightwithfaith，hadsetoutanice— chestandbaseballgoods。 Andthen\"Tiger’s\"eye，discreditingthesesigns，fellupononethatboreabudofpromise。Fromabright，newlithographtheheadofCapricornuscon— frontedhim，betokeningtheforwardandheadybrew。 Mr。McQuirkenteredthesaloonandcalledforhisglassofbock。Hethrewhisnickelonthebar，raisedtheglass，setitdownwithouttastingitandstrolledtowardthedoor。 \"Wot’sthematter，LordBolinbroke？\"inquiredthesarcasticbartender;wantachinyvaseoragold—linedepergnetodrinkitoutof——hey？\" \"Say，\"saidMr。McQuirk，wheelingandshootingoutahorizontalhandandaforty—five—degreechin，\"youknowyourplaceonlywhenitcomesforgivin’ titles。I’vechangedmemindaboutdrinkin——see？ Yougotyourmoney，ain’tyou？Waittillyougetstungbeforeyougetthedrooptoyourlip，willyou？\" ThusMr。Quirkaddedmutabilityofdesirestothestrangehumorsthathadtakenpossessionofhim。 Leavingthesaloon，hewalkedawaytwentystepsandleanedintheopendoorwayofLutz，thebarber。 HeandLutzwerefriends，maskingtheirsentimentsbehindabuseandbludgeonsofrepartee。 \"Irishloafer，\"roaredLutz，\"howdoyoudo？ So，notyethafderbolicemansordercatcherofdogsdonedeirduty！\" \"Hello，Dutch，\"saidMr。McQuirk。\"Can’tgetyourmindoffoffrankfurters，canyou？\" \"Bah！\"exclaimedtheGerman，comingandlean— inginthedoor。\"Ihafasoulabovefrankfurtersto—day。Dereisspringtimeinderair。Icanfeelitcominginoferdermudofderstreetsanddasiceinderriver。Soonwillderebebienicsinderislands，mitkegsofbeerunderdertrees。\" \"Say，\"saidMr。McQuirk，settinghisbatononeside，\"iseverybodykiddin’meaboutgentleSpring？ Thereain’tanymorespringintheairthanthereisinahorsehairsofainaSecondAvenuefurnishedroom。Formethewinterunderwearyetandthebuckwheatcakes。\" \"Youhafnoboetry，\"saidLutz。True，itisyedtcold，undindercitywehafnotmanyofdersigns;butderearedreekindsofbeobledotshouldalwaysfeelder’approachofspringfirst——deyareboets，loversandpoorvidows。\" Mr。McQuirkwentonhisway，stillpossessedbythestrangeperturbationthathedidnotunderstand。 Somethingwaslackingtohiscomfort，anditmadehimhalfangrybecausebedidnotknowwhatitwas。 Twoblocksawayhecameuponafoe，oneConover，whomhewasboundinhonortoengageincombat。 Mr。McQuirkmadetheattackwiththecharac— teristicsuddennessandfiercenessthathadgainedforhimtheendearingsobriquetof\"Tiger。\"Thede— fenceofMr。Conoverwassopromptandadmirablethattheconflictwasprotracteduntiltheonlookersun— selfishlygavethewarningcryof\"Cheeseit——thecop！\"Theprincipalsescapedeasilybyrunningthroughthenearestopendoorsintothecommuni— catingbackyardsattherearofthehouses。 Mr。McQuirkemergedintoanotherstreet。Hestoodbyalamp—postforafewminutesengagedinthoughtandthenheturnedandplungedintoasmallnotionandnewsshop。Ared—hairedyoungwoman，eatinggum—drops，cameandlookedfreezinglyathimacrosstheice—boundsteppesofthecounter。 \"Say，lady，\"hesaid，\"haveyougotasongbookwiththisinit。Let’sseebowitleadsoff—— \"Whenthespringtimecomeswellwanderinthedale，love，Andwhisperofthosedaysofyore——\" \"I’mhavingafriend，\"explainedMr。McQuirk，\"laidupwithabrokenleg，andhesentmeafterit。He’sadevilforsongsandpoetrywhenhecan’tgetouttodrink。\" \"Wehavenot，\"repliedtheyoungwoman，withun— concealedcontempt。\"Butthereisanewsongoutthatbeginsthisway： \"’Letussittogetherintheoldarmchair; Andwhilethefirelightflickerswe’llbecomfortablethere。’\" TherewillbenoprofitinfollowingMr。\"Tiger\" McQuirkthroughhisfurthervagariesofthatdayuntilhecomestostandknockingatthedoorofAnnieMariaDoyle。ThegoddessEastre，itseems，hadguidedhisfootstepsarightatlast。 \"Isthatyounow，JimmyMcQuirk？\"shecried，smilingthroughtheopeneddoor（AnnieMariahadneveracceptedthe\"Tiger\"）。\"Well，whatever！\"