第36章

类别:其他 作者:Willa Cather字数:4066更新时间:19/01/07 15:03:41
WOISTDEINSCHWERT?\" Harsanyismiled,buthedidnotlookforthagainuntilSIEGLINDEreappeared。ShewentthroughthestoryofhershamefulbridalfeastandintotheWalhall’music,which shealwayssangsonobly,andtheentranceoftheone— eyedstranger:—— \"MIRALLEIN WECKTEDASAUGE。\" Mrs。Harsanyiglancedatherhusband,wonderingwhetherthesingeronthestagecouldnotfeelhiscommandingglance。OncametheCRESCENDO:—— \"WASJEICHVERLOR,WASJEICHBEWEINT WAR’MIRGEWONNEN。\" (AllthatIhavelost,AllthatIhavemourned,WouldIthenhavewon。) Harsanyitouchedhiswife’sarmsoftly。 Seatedinthemoonlight,theVOLSUNGpairbegantheirlovinginspectionofeachother’sbeauties,andthemusicbornofmurmuringsoundpassedintoherface,astheoldpoetsaid,——andintoherbodyaswell。Intoonelovelyattitudeafteranotherthemusicswepther,loveimpelledher。Andthevoicegaveoutallthatwasbestinit。Likethespring,indeed,itblossomedintomemoriesandprophe— cies,itrecountedanditforetold,asshesangthestoryofherfriendlesslife,andofhowthethingwhichwastrulyherself,\"brightastheday,rosetothesurface\"wheninthehostileworldsheforthefirsttimebeheldherFriend。 Ferventlysheroseintothehardierfeelingofactionanddaring,theprideinhero—strengthandhero—blood,untilinasplendidburst,tallandshininglikeaVictory,shechris— tenedhim:—— \"SIEGMUND—— SONENNICHDICH!\" Herimpatiencefortheswordswelledwithherantici— pationofhisact,andthrowingherarmsaboveherhead,shefairlytoreaswordoutoftheemptyairforhim,beforeNOTHUNGhadleftthetree。INHOCHSTERTRUNKENHEIT,in— deed,sheburstoutwiththeflamingcryoftheirkinship: \"IfyouareSIEGMUND,IamSIEGLINDE!\"Laughing,sing— ing,bounding,exulting,——withtheirpassionandtheirsword,——theVOLSUNGSranoutintothespringnight。 Asthecurtainfell,Harsanyiturnedtohiswife。\"Atlast,\"hesighed,\"somebodywithENOUGH!Enoughvoiceandtalentandbeauty,enoughphysicalpower。Andsuchanoble,noblestyle!\" \"Icanscarcelybelieveit,Andor。Icanseehernow,thatclumsygirl,hunchedupoveryourpiano。Icanseehershoul— ders。Shealwaysseemedtolaborsowithherback。AndI shallneverforgetthatnightwhenyoufoundhervoice。\" Theaudiencekeptupitsclamoruntil,aftermanyre— appearanceswiththetenor,Kronborgcamebeforethecur— tainalone。Thehousemetherwitharoar,agreetingthatwasalmostsavageinitsfierceness。Thesinger’seyes,sweepingthehouse,restedforamomentonHarsanyi,andshewavedherlongsleevetowardhisbox。 \"SheOUGHTtobepleasedthatyouarehere,\"saidMrs。 Harsanyi。\"Iwonderifsheknowshowmuchsheowestoyou。\" \"Sheowesmenothing,\"repliedherhusbandquickly。 \"Shepaidherway。Shealwaysgavesomethingback,eventhen。\" \"Irememberyousaidoncethatshewoulddonothingcommon,\"saidMrs。Harsanyithoughtfully。 \"Justso。Shemightfail,die,getlostinthepack。Butifsheachieved,itwouldbenothingcommon。Therearepeoplewhomonecantrustforthat。Thereisonewayinwhichtheywillneverfail。\"Harsanyiretiredintohisownreflections。 AfterthesecondactFredOttenburgbroughtArchietotheHarsanyis’boxandintroducedhimasanoldfriendofMissKronborg。Theheadofamusicalpublishinghousejoinedthem,bringingwithhimajournalistandthepresi— dentofaGermansingingsociety。Theconversationwas chieflyaboutthenewSIEGLINDE。Mrs。Harsanyiwasgra— ciousandenthusiastic,herhusbandnervousanduncom— municative。Hesmiledmechanically,andpolitelyan— sweredquestionsaddressedtohim。\"Yes,quiteso。\"\"Oh,certainly。\"Everyone,ofcourse,saidveryusualthingswithgreatconviction。Mrs。Harsanyiwasusedtohearingandutteringthecommonplaceswhichsuchoccasionsde— manded。Whenherhusbandwithdrewintotheshadow,shecoveredhisretreatbyhersympathyandcordiality。 InreplytoadirectquestionfromOttenburg,Harsanyisaid,flinching,\"ISOLDE?Yes,whynot?Shewillsingallthegreatroles,Ishouldthink。\" Thechorusdirectorsaidsomethingabout\"dramatictemperament。\"Thejournalistinsistedthatitwas\"ex— plosiveforce,\"\"projectingpower。\" OttenburgturnedtoHarsanyi。\"Whatisit,Mr。Har— sanyi?MissKronborgsaysifthereisanythinginher,youarethemanwhocansaywhatitis。\" Thejournalistscentedcopyandwaseager。\"Yes,Har— sanyi。Youknowallabouther。What’shersecret?\" Harsanyirumpledhishairirritablyandshruggedhisshoulders。\"Hersecret?Itiseveryartist’ssecret,\"——hewavedhishand,——\"passion。Thatisall。Itisanopensecret,andperfectlysafe。Likeheroism,itisinimitableincheapmaterials。\" Thelightswentout。FredandArchielefttheboxasthesecondactcameon。 Artisticgrowthis,morethanitisanythingelse,arefiningofthesenseoftruthfulness。Thestupidbelievethattobetruthfuliseasy;onlytheartist,thegreatartist,knowshowdifficultitis。ThatafternoonnothingnewcametoTheaKronborg,noenlightenment,noinspiration。Shemerelycameintofullpossessionofthingsshehadbeenrefiningandperfectingforsolong。Herinhibitionschancedtobefewerthanusual,and,withinherself,sheenteredintotheinheritancethatsheherselfhadlaidup,intothe fullnessofthefaithshehadkeptbeforesheknewitsnameoritsmeaning。 Oftenwhenshesang,thebestshehadwasunavailable; shecouldnotbreakthroughtoit,andeverysortofdis— tractionandmischancecamebetweenitandher。Butthisafternoontheclosedroadsopened,thegatesdropped。 Whatshehadsooftentriedtoreach,layunderherhand。 Shehadonlytotouchanideatomakeitlive。 Whileshewasonthestageshewasconsciousthateverymovementwastherightmovement,thatherbodywasabsolutelytheinstrumentofheridea。Notfornothinghadshekeptitsoseverely,keptitfilledwithsuchenergyandfire。Allthatdeep—rootedvitalityfloweredinhervoice,herface,inherveryfinger—tips。Shefeltlikeatreeburstingintobloom。Andhervoicewasasflexibleasherbody;equaltoanydemand,capableofeveryNUANCE。 Withthesenseofitsperfectcompanionship,itsentiretrustworthiness,shehadbeenabletothrowherselfintothedramaticexigenciesofthepart,everythinginheratitsbestandeverythingworkingtogether。 Thethirdactcameon,andtheafternoonslippedby。 TheaKronborg’sfriends,oldandnew,seatedaboutthehouseondifferentfloorsandlevels,enjoyedhertriumphaccordingtotheirnatures。Therewasonethere,whomnobodyknew,whoperhapsgotgreaterpleasureoutofthatafternoonthanHarsanyihimself。Upinthetopgal— leryagray—hairedlittleMexican,witheredandbrightasastringofpeppersbesidea’dobedoor,keptprayingandcursingunderhisbreath,beatingonthebrassrailingandshouting\"Bravo!Bravo!\"untilhewasrepressedbyhisneighbors。 HehappenedtobetherebecauseaMexicanbandwastobeafeatureofBarnumandBailey’scircusthatyear。 OneofthemanagersoftheshowhadtraveledabouttheSouthwest,signingupalotofMexicanmusiciansatlowwages,andhadbroughtthemtoNewYork。Amongthem wasSpanishJohnny。AfterMrs。Tellamantezdied,Johnnyabandonedhistradeandwentoutwithhismandolintopickupalivingforone。Hisirregularitieshadbecomehisregularmodeoflife。 WhenTheaKronborgcameoutofthestageentranceonFortiethStreet,theskywasstillflamingwiththelastraysofthesunthatwassinkingoffbehindtheNorthRiver。Alittlecrowdofpeoplewaslingeringaboutthedoor——musiciansfromtheorchestrawhowerewaitingfortheircomrades,curiousyoungmen,andsomepoorlydressedgirlswhowerehopingtogetaglimpseofthesinger。Shebowedgraciouslytothegroup,throughherveil,butshedidnotlooktotherightorleftasshecrossedthesidewalktohercab。Hadsheliftedhereyesaninstantandglancedoutthroughherwhitescarf,shemusthaveseentheonlymaninthecrowdwhohadremovedhishatwhensheemerged,andwhostoodwithitcrushedupinhishand。Andshewouldhaveknownhim,changedashewas。Hislustrousblackhairwasfullofgray,andhisfacewasagooddealwornbytheEXTASI,sothatitseemedtohaveshrunkawayfromhisshiningeyesandteethandleftthemtooprominent。Butshewouldhaveknownhim。 Shepassedsonearthathecouldhavetouchedher,andhedidnotputonhishatuntilhertaxihadsnortedaway。 ThenhewalkeddownBroadwaywithhishandsinhisovercoatpockets,wearingasmilewhichembracedallthestreamoflifethatpassedhimandthelightedtowersthatroseintothelimpidblueoftheeveningsky。Ifthesinger,goinghomeexhaustedinhercab,waswonderingwhatwasthegoodofitall,thatsmile,couldshehaveseenit,wouldhaveansweredher。Itistheonlycommensurateanswer。 HerewemustleaveTheaKronborg。Fromthistimeonthestoryofherlifeisthestoryofherachievement。 Thegrowthofanartistisanintellectualandspiritual developmentwhichcanscarcelybefollowedinapersonalnarrative。Thisstoryattemptstodealonlywiththesim— pleandconcretebeginningswhichcolorandaccentanartist’swork,andtogivesomeaccountofhowaMoon— stonegirlfoundherwayoutofavague,easy—goingworldintoalifeofdisciplinedendeavor。Anyaccountoftheloyaltyofyoungheartstosomeexaltedideal,andthepassionwithwhichtheystrive,willalways,insomeofus,rekindlegenerousemotions。 EndofPartVI