吴文智主编提示您:看后求收藏(宜小说jmvip3.com),接着再看更方便。
"shesaidjoyfully,
"ifyou&aos;llblowmetoaailofsuds.I&aos;dhavesoketoyousooner,butthecowaswatching.
"
WiththeyoungwomanlayingtheclingingivytohisoakSoaywalkedasttheolicemanovercomewithgloom.Heseemeddoomedtoliberty.
Atthenextcornerheshookoffhiscomanionandran.Hehaltedinthedistrictwherebynightarefoundthelighteststreets,hearts,vowsandlibrettos.Womeninfursandmeningreatcoatsmovedgailyinthewintryair.AsuddenfearseizedSoaythatsomedreadfulenchantmenthadrenderedhimimmunetoarrest.Thethoughtbroughtalittleofanicuonit,andwhenhecameuonanotherolicemanlounginggrandlyinfrontofatranslendenttheatrehecaughtattheimmediatestrawof
"disorderlyconduct.
"
OnthesidewalkSoaybegantoyelldrunkengibberishatthetoofhisharshvoice.Hedanced,howled,raved,andotherwisedisturbedthewelkin.
Theolicemantwirledhisclub,turnedhisbacktoSoayandremarkedtoacitizen:
"‘TisoneofthemYaleladscelebratin’thegooseeggtheygivetotheHartfordCollege.Noisy;butnoharm.We&aos;veinstructionstolavethembe.
"
Disconsolate,Soayceasedhisunavailingracket.Wouldneveraolicemanlayhandsonhim?InhisfancytheIslandseemedanunattainableArcadia.Hebuttonedhisthincoatagainstthechillingwind.
Inacigarstorehesawawell-dressedmanlightingacigarataswinginglight.Hissilkumbrellahehadsetbythedooronentering.Soaysteedinside,securedtheumbrellaandsaunteredoffwithitslowly.Themanatthecigarlightfollowedhastily.
"Myumbrella,
"hesaidsternly.
"Oh,isit?
"sneeredSoay,addinginsulttoetitlarceny.
"Well,whydon&aos;tyoucallaoliceman?Itookit.Yourumbrella!Whydon&aos;tyoucallaco?Therestandsoneonthecorner.
"Theumbrellaownerslowedhisstes.Soaydidlikewise,witharesentimentthatluckwouldrunagainsthim.Theolicemanlookedatthetwocuriously.
"Ofcourse,
"saidtheumbrellaman-
"thatis-well,youknowhowthesemistakesoccur-I-ifit&aos;syourumbrellaIhoeyou&aos;llexcuseme-Iickedituthismorninginarestaurant-Ifyourecogniseitasyours,why-Ihoeyou&aos;ll-
"
"Ofcourseit&aos;smine,
"saidSoayviciously.
Theex-umbrellamanretreated.Theolicemanhurriedtoassistatallblondeinanoeracloakacrossthestreetinfrontofastreetcarthatwasaroachingtwoblocksaway.
Soaywalkedeastwardthroughastreetdamagedbyimrovements.Hehurledtheumbrellawrathfullyintoanexcavation.Hemutteredagainstthemenwhowearhelmetsandcarryclubs.Becausehewantedtofallintotheirclutches,theyseemedtoregardhimasakingwhocoulddonowrong.
AtlengthSoayreachedoneoftheavenuestotheeastwheretheglitterandturmoilwasbutfaint.HesethisfacedownthistowardMadisonSquare,forthehominginstinctsurvivesevenwhenthehomeisaarkbench.
ButonanunusuallyquietcornerSoaycametoastandstill.Herewasanoldchurch,quaintandramblingandgabled.Throughoneviolet-stainedwindowasoftlightglowed,where,nodoubt,theorganistloiteredoverthekeys,makingsureofhismasteryofthecomingSabbathanthem.FortheredriftedouttoSoay&aos;searssweetmusicthatcaughtandheldhimtransfixedagainsttheconvolutionsoftheironfence.
Themoonwasabove,lustrousandserene;vehiclesandedestrainswerefew;sarrowstwitteredsleeilyintheeaves-foralittlewhilethescenemighthavebeenacountrychurchyard.AndtheanthemthattheorganistlayedcementedSoaytotheironfence,forhehadknownitwellinthedayswhenhislifecontainedsuchthingsasmothersandrosesandambitionsandfriendsandimmaculatethoughtsandcollars.
TheconjunctionofSoay&aos;srecetivestateofmindandtheinfluencesabouttheoldchurchwroughtasuddenandwonderfulchangeinhissoul.Heviewedwithswifthorrortheitintowhichhehadtumbled,thedegradeddays,unworthydesires,deadhoes,wreckedfacultiesandbasemotivesthatmadeuhisexistence.
Andalsoinamomenthisheartresondedthrillinglytothisnovelmood.Aninstantaneousandstrongimulsemovedhimtobattlewithhisdeseratefate.Hewouldullhimselfoutofthemire;hewouldmakeamanofhimselfagain;hewouldconquertheevilthathadtakenossessionofhim.Therewastime;hewascomarativelyyoungyet;hewouldresurrecthisoldeagerambitionsandursuethemwithoutfaltering.Thosesolemnbutsweetorgannoteshadsetuarevolutioninhim.To-morrowhewouldgointotheroaringdowntowndistrictandfindwork.Afurimorterhadonceofferedhimalaceasdriver.Hewouldfindhimto-morrowandaskfortheosition.Hewouldbesomebodyintheworld.Hewould-Soayfeltahandlaidonhisarm.Helookedquicklyroundintothebroadfaceofaoliceman.
"Whatareyoudoin&aos;here?
"askedtheofficer.
"Nothing&aos;,
"saidSoay.
"Thencomealong,
"saidtheoliceman.
"ThreemonthsontheIsland,
"saidtheMagistrateinthePoliceCourtthenextmorning.