the fortunes of oliver horn-第68章

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〃Where　did　you　get　it；　Freddie？〃　he　said；　putting　his　arms　around　the　shoulders　of　his　old　chum　and　dragging　him　toward　the　easel　for　a　closer　inspection　of　the　grain　of　the　canvas。

〃Snedecor's〃

〃Just　right；　old　man。　Much　obliged；〃　and　he　felt　the　grain　of　the　cloth　with　his　thumb。　〃Got　a　ruff？〃　and　he　glanced　about　him。　〃Oh；　yes；　I　see。　Thanks。〃

The　men；　now　that　Oliver　had　arrived；　drew　up　around　the　long　table。　Some　began　setting　their　palettes；　others　picked　out；　from　the　common　stock　before　them；　the　panels；　canvases；　china　plates；　or　sheets　of　paper；　which；　under　their　deft　touches；　were　so　soon　to　be　covered　with　dainty　bits　of　color。

It　was　in　many　ways　a　remarkable　club。　Most　of　its　members　had　already　achieved　the　highest　rank　in　their　several　professions　and　outside　the　walls　of　this　eyrie　were　known　as　earnest；　thoughtful　men；　envied　and　sought　after　by　those　who　respected　their　aims　and　successes。

Inside　these　cosey　rooms　all　restraint　was　laid　aside　and　each　man's　personality　and　temperament　expressed　itself　without　reserve。　Harry　Stedman；　who；　perhaps；　had　been　teaching　a　class　of　students　all　the　morning　in　the　new　building　of　the　National　Academy　of　Design；　each　one　of　whom　hung　upon　his　words　as　if　he　had　been　inspired；　could　be　found　here　a　few　hours　later　joining　in　a　chorus　with　a　voice　loud　enough　to　rattle　every　mug　on　the　table。

Waller；　who　doubtless　that　same　night；　had　been　the　bright　particular　star　at　some　smart　dinner　uptown；　　and　whose　red　ribbon　had　added　such　eclat　to　the　occasion；　and　whose　low　voice　and　quiet　manners　　and　correct；　conventional　speeches　had　so　charmed　and　captivated　the　lady　on　his　right；　would；　when　once　in　this　room；　sit　astride　some　chair；　a　pipe　in　one　hand；　a　mug　of　beer　in　the　other。　Here　he　would　discuss　with　Simmons　or　Jack　or　Oliver　his　preference　of　Chopin　over　Beethoven；　or　the　difference　　between　Parepa…Rosa　and　Jenny　Lind；　or　any　topic　which　had　risen　out　of　the　common　talk；　and　all　too　with　a　grotesqueness　of　speech　and　manner　that　would　have　frozen　his　hostess　of　the　dinner…table　dumb　with　astonishment　could　she　have　seen　him。

And　so　with　the　others。　Each　man　was　frankly　himself　and　in　undress　uniform　when　under　Fred's　skylight；　or　when　the　club　was　enjoying　any　one　of　its　various　festivals　and　functions。

Oliver's　election　into　the　organization　had；　therefore；　　been　to　him　one　of　the　greatest　honors　he　had　received　since　his　skill　as　a　painter　had　been　recognized　　by　his　fellowsan　honor　not　conferred　upon　him　because　he　had　been　one　of　the　earlier　members　of　the　old　Union　Square　organization；　many　of　whom　had　been　left　out；　but　entirely　because　he　was　not　only　the　best　of　fellows；　but　among　the　best　of　painters　　as　well。　An　honor　too；　which　brought　with　it　the　possibility　of　a　certain　satisfying　of　his　tastes。　Only　once　before　had　he　found　an　atmosphere　so　congenial　　and　that　was　when　the　big　hemlocks　that　he　loved　stood　firm　and　silent　about　himcompanions　in　a　wilderness　that　rested　him。

The　coming　together　of　such　a　body　of　men　representing；　　as　they　did；　the　choicest　the　city　afforded　in　art；　literature　and　music；　had　been　as　natural　and　unavoidable　as　the　concentration　of　a　mass　of　iron　filings　toward　a　magnet。　That　insatiable　hunger　of　the　Bohemian；　that　craving　of　the　craftsman　for　men　of　his　kind；　had　at　last　overpowered　　them；　and　the　meetings　in　Fred's　studio　were　the　inevitable　result。

Many　of　these　devotees　of　the　arts　had　landed　on　the　barren　shores　of　Americabarren　of　even　the　slightest　trace　of　that　life　they　had　learned　to　love　so　well　in　the　Quartier　Latin　in　Paris　and　in　the　Rathskellers　of　Munich　and　Dusseldorfand　had　wandered　about　in　the　uncongenial　atmosphere　of　the　commonplace　until　this　retreat　had　been　opened　to　them。　Some；　like　Fred　Stone　and　Jack　Bedford；　who　had　struggled　on　through　the　war；　too　much　occupied　　in　the　whirl　of　their　life　to　miss　at　the　time　the　associations　of　men　of　similar　tastes；　had　eagerly　grasped　the　opportunity　when　it　came；　and　others；　like　Oliver；　who　had　had　all　they　could　do　to　get　their　three　meals　during　the　day　and　a　shelter　for　the　night；　had　hardly　been　conscious　of　what　they　wanted　until　the　club　had　extended　to　them　its　congenial　surroundings。

On　the　trio　of　painters　we　knew　best　in　the　old　days　these　privations　and　the　uncertainties　and　　disappointments　of　the　war　had　left　their　indelible　mark。　You　became　aware　of　this　when　you　saw　them　among　their　fellow…workers。　About　Fred's　temples　many　tell…tale　gray　hairs　were　mingled　with　the　brown；　and　about　his　mouth　and　eyes　were　deeper　lines　than　those　which　hard　work　alone　would　have　cut。　He　carried　a　hole；　too；　in　his　right　armor　did　until　the　army　surgeon　sewed　it　upyou　could　see　it　as　a　blue　scar　every　time　he　rolled　up　his　sleevea　slight　souvenir　　of　the　Battle　of　Five　Forks。　It　was　bored　out　by　a　bullet　from　the　hands　of　a　man　in　gray　when　Fred；　dropping　his　sketch…book；　had　bent　to　drag　a　wounded　soldier　from　under　an　overturned　caisson。　He　carried　no　scar；　however；　in　his　heart。　That　organ　beat　with　as　keen　a　sympathy　and　as　warm　a　spirit　of　camaraderie　as　it　did　when　it　first　opened　itself　to　Oliver's　miseries　in　Union　Square。

Jack　Bedford；　gaunt　and　strong　of　limb；　looking　a　foot　taller；　had　more　than　once　been　compelled　to　lay　down　his　painter's　palette　and　take　up　the　sign…　painter's　brush；　and　the　tell…tale　wrinkles　about　his　eyes　and　the　set　look　about　his　mouth　testified　but　too　plainly　to　the　keenness　of　his　sufferings。

And　Oliver

Ah！　what　of　Oliver；　and　of　the　changes　in　him　since　that　fatal　night　in　Kennedy　Square　when　he　had　been　driven　away　from　his　home　and　made　an　outcast　　because　he　had　been　brave　enough　to　defend　a　helpless　man？

You　can　see　at　a　glance；　as　you　watch　him　standing　by　the　big　easel；　his　coat　off；　to　give　his　arm　freer　play；　squeezing　the　tubes　of　color　on　his　palette；　that　he　is　not　the　boy　you　knew　some　years　ago。　He　is；　you　will　admit；　as　strong　and　alert…looking　as　he　was　that　morning　when　he　cleared　the　space　in　front　of　Margaret's　　brother　with　a　cart…rung。　You　will　concede；　too；　that　the　muscles　about　his　chest　and　throat　are　as　firmly　packed；　the　eyes　as　keen；　and　the　smile　as　winning；　but　you　will　acknowledge　that　the　boy　in　him　ends　there。　As　you　look　the　closer　you　will　note　that　the　line　of　the　jaw　is　more　cleanly　cut　than　in　his　younger　days；　that　the　ears　are　set　closer　to　the　finely　modelled　head；　that　the　nose　is　more　aquiline；　the　eyes　deeper；　and　that　the　overhanging　brow　is　wrinkled　with　one　or　more　tight　knots　that　care　has　tied；　and　which　only　loosen　when　his　face　breaks　into　one　of　his　old…time　smiles。　The　mustache　is　still　there　the　one　which　Sue　once　laughed　at；　but　it　has　lost　its　silky　curl　and　stands　straight　out　now　from　the　corners　of　his　mouth；　its　points　reaching　almost　to　the　line　of　his　ears。　There　is；　too；　beneath　it　a　small　imperial；　giving　to　his　face　the　debonair　look　of　a　　cavalier；　and　which　accentuates　more　than　any　other　one　thing　his　Southern　birth　and　training。　As　you　follow　the　subtle　outlines　of　his　body　you　find　too；　that　he　is　better　proportioned　than　he　was　in　his　early　manhood；　thinner　around　the　waist；　broader　across　the　shoulders；　pressed　into　a　closer　mold；　more　compact；　　more　determined…looking。　But　for　the　gleam　that　now　and　then　flashes　out　of　his　laughing　eyes　and　the　winning　smile　that　plays　about　his　mouth；　you　would；　perhaps；　think　that　the　years　of　hardship　through　which　he　has　passed　have　hardened　his　nature。　　But　you　would　be　wrong　about　the　hardening　process；　although　you　would　have　been　entirely　right　about　the　hardship。

They　had；　indeed；　been　years　of　intense　suffering；　full　of　privations；　self…denial；　and　disappointments；　not　only　in　his　New　York　home　but　in　Kennedy　Square；　whenever　at　long　intervals　he　had　gone　back　to　the　old　house　to　cheer　its　inmates　in　their　loneliness　a　loneliness　relieved　only　by　the　loyalty　of　old　Malachi　and　Hannah　and　the　affection　and　sympathy　of　their　immediate　relatives　and　of　such　close　friends　as　Amos　Cobb；　who　had　never　left　his　post；　Miss　　Clendenning；　Dr。　Wallace；　Nathan　and　some　others。　But　this　sympathy　had　not　always　been　extended　to　Olivernot；　by　his　old　schoolmates　and　chums　at