the voice of the city(城市之声)-第25章
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his kith and kin。
He stopped short and wavered for a moment； be… ing unarmed and
sharply surprised。 But the keen mountaineer's eye of Sam Folwell had
picked him out。
There was a sudden spring； a ripple in the stream of passersby and the
sound of Sam's voice crying：
〃Howdy； Cal！ I'm durned glad to see ye。〃
And in the angles of Broadway； Fifth Avenue and Twenty…third Street
the Cumberland feudists shook hands。
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ROSES； RUSES AND ROMANCE
Ravenel Ravenel； the traveller； artist and poet； threw his magazine
to the floor。 Sammy Brown； broker's clerk； who sat by the window；
jumped。
〃What is it； Ravvy？〃 he asked。 〃The critics been hammering your
stock down？〃
〃Romance is dead；〃 said Ravenel； lightly。 When Ravenel spoke lightly
be was generally serious。 He picked up the magazine and fluttered its
leaves。
〃Even a Philistine； like you； Sammy；〃 said Rave… nel； seriously （a tone
that insured him to be speak… ing lightly）； 〃ought to understand。 Now； here
is a magazine that once printed Poe and Lowell and Whitman and Bret
Harte and Du Maurier and Lanier and well； that gives you the idea。 The
current number has this literary feast to set before you： an article on the
stokers and coal bunkers of battleships； an expose of the methods
employed in making liver… wurst； a continued story of a Standard
Preferred International Baking Powder deal in Wall Street； a 'poem' on the
bear that the President missed； an… other 'story' by a young woman who
spent a week as a spy making overalls on the East Side； another 'fiction'
story that reeks of the 'garage' and a cer… tain make of automobile。 Of
course； the title contains the words 'Cupid' and 'Chauffeur' an article on
naval strategy； illustrated with cuts of the Spanish Armada； and the new
Staten Island ferry…boats； an… other story of a political boss who won the
love of a Fifth Avenue belle by blackening her eye and refusing to vote for
an iniquitous ordinance （it doesn't say whether it was in the Street…
Cleaning Department or Congress）； and nineteen pages by the editors
brag… ging about the circulation。 The whole thing； Sammy； is an obituary
on Romance。〃
Sammy Brown sat comfortably in the leather arm… chair by the open
window。 His suit was a vehement brown with visible checks； beautifully
matched in shade by the ends of four cigars that his vest pocket poorly
concealed。 Light tan were his shoes； gray his socks； sky…blue his apparent
linen； snowy and high and adamantine his collar； against which a black
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but… terfly had alighted and spread his wings。 Sammy's face least
important was round and pleasant and pinkish； and in his eyes you saw
no haven for fleeing Romance。
That window of Ravenel's apartment opened upon an old garden full
of ancient trees and shrubbery。 The apartment…house towered above one
side of it； a high brick wall fended it from the street； oppo… site Ravenel's
window an old； old mansion stood； half… hidden in the shade of the
summer foliage。 The house was a castle besieged。 The city howled and
roared and shrieked and beat upon its double doors； and shook white；
fluttering checks above the wall； offering terms of surrender。 The gray dust
settled upon the trees； the siege was pressed hotter； but the draw… bridge
was not lowered。 No further will the language of chivalry serve。 Inside
lived an old gentleman who loved his home and did not wish to sell it。
That is all the romance of the besieged castle。
Three or four times every week came Sammy Brown to Ravenel's
apartment。 He belonged to the poet's club； for the former Browns had been
con… spicuous； though Sammy bad been vulgarized by Business。 He had
no tears for departed Romance。 The song of the ticker was the one that
reached his heart； and when it came to matters equine and batting scores
he was something of a pink edition。 He loved to sit in the leather armchair
by Ravenel's window。 And Ravenel didn't mind particularly。 Sammy
seemed to enjoy his talk； and then the broker's clerk was such a perfect
embodiment of modernity and the day's sordid practicality that Ravenel
rather liked to use him as a scapegoat。
〃I'll tell you what's the matter with you；〃 said Sammy； with the
shrewdness that business had taught him。 〃The magazine has turned down
some of your poetry stunts。 That's why you are sore at it。〃
〃That would be a good guess in Wall Street or in a campaign for the
presidency of a woman's club；〃 said Ravenel； quietly。 〃Now； there is a
poem … if you will allow me to call it that … of my own in this number of
the magazine。〃
〃Read it to me；〃 said Sammy； watching a cloud of pipe…smoke be had
just blown out the window。
Ravenel was no greater than Achilles。 No one is。 There is bound to be
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a spot。 The Somebody…or…Other must take bold of us somewhere when she
dips us in the Something…or…Other that makes us invulnerable。 He read
aloud this verse in the magazine：
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THE FOUR ROSES
'One rose I twined within your hair
（White rose； that spake of worth）；
And one you placed upon your breast
（Red rose； love's seal of birth）。
You plucked another from its stem
（Tea rose； that means for aye）；
And one you gave that bore for me
The thorns of memory。〃
〃That's a crackerjack；〃 said Sammy； admiringly。
There are five more verses；〃 said Ravenel； pa… tiently sardonic。 〃One
naturally pauses at the end of each。 Of course 〃
〃Oh； let's have the rest； old man；〃 shouted Sammy； contritely； 〃 I didn't
mean to cut you off。 I'm not much of a poetry expert； you know。 I never
saw a poem that didn't look like it ought to have terminal facilities at the
end of every verse。 Reel off the rest of it。〃
Ravenel sighed； and laid the magazine down。 〃All right；〃 said Sammy；
cheerfully； 〃we'll have it next time。 I'll be off now。 Got a date at five
o'clock。〃
He took a last look at the shaded green garden and left； whistling in an
off key an untuneful air from a roofless farce comedy。
The next afternoon Ravenel； while polishing a ragged line of a new
sonnet； reclined by the window overlooking the besieged garden of the
unmercenary baron。 Suddenly he sat up； spilling two rhymes and a
syllable or two。；
Through the trees one window of the old mansion could be seen
clearly。 In its window； draped in flow… ing white； leaned the angel of all
his dreams of ro… mance and poesy。 Young； fresh as a drop of dew；
graceful as a spray of clematis； conferring upon the garde
