The Green Door.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-06-18
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The Green Door.docx
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TheGreenDoor
TheGreenDoor
SupposeyoushouldbewalkingdownBroadwayafterdinner,withtenminutesallottedtotheconsummationofyourcigarwhileyouarechoosingbetweenadivertingtragedyandsomethingseriousinthewayofvaudeville.Suddenlyahandislaiduponyourarm.Youturntolookintothethrillingeyesofabeautifulwoman,wonderfulindiamondsandRussiansables.Shethrustshurriedlyintoyourhandanextremelyhotbutteredroll,flashesoutatinypairofscissors,snipsoffthesecondbuttonofyourovercoat,meaninglyejaculatestheoneword,"parallelogram!
"andswiftlyfliesdownacrossstreet,lookingbackfearfullyoverhershoulder.
Thatwouldbepureadventure.Wouldyouacceptit?
Notyou.Youwouldflushwithembarrassment;youwouldsheepishlydroptherollandcontinuedownBroadway,fumblingfeeblyforthemissingbutton.Thisyouwoulddounlessyouareoneoftheblessedfewinwhomthepurespiritofadventureisnotdead.
Trueadventurershaveneverbeenplentiful.Theywhoaresetdowninprintassuchhavebeenmostlybusinessmenwithnewlyinventedmethods.Theyhavebeenoutafterthethingstheywanted--goldenfleeces,holygrails,ladyloves,treasure,crownsandfame.Thetrueadventurergoesforthaimlessanduncalculatingtomeetandgreetunknownfate.AfineexamplewastheProdigalSon--whenhestartedbackhome.
Half-adventurers--braveandsplendidfigures--havebeennumerous.FromtheCrusadestothePalisadestheyhaveenrichedtheartsofhistoryandfictionandthetradeofhistoricalfiction.Buteachofthemhadaprizetowin,agoaltokick,anaxetogrind,aracetorun,anewthrustintiercetodeliver,anametocarve,acrowtopick--sotheywerenotfollowersoftrueadventure.
InthebigcitythetwinspiritsRomanceandAdventurearealwaysabroadseekingworthywooers.Asweroamthestreetstheyslylypeepatusandchallengeusintwentydifferentguises.Withoutknowingwhy,welookupsuddenlytoseeinawindowafacethatseemstobelongtoourgalleryofintimateportraits;inasleepingthoroughfarewehearacryofagonyandfearcomingfromanemptyandshutteredhouse;insteadofatourfamiliarcurb,acab-driverdepositsusbeforeastrangedoor,whichone,withasmile,opensforusandbidsusenter;aslipofpaper,writtenupon,fluttersdowntoourfeetfromthehighlatticesofChance;weexchangeglancesofinstantaneoushate,affectionandfearwithhurryingstrangersinthepassingcrowds;asuddendouseofrain--andourumbrellamaybeshelteringthedaughteroftheFullMoonandfirstcousinoftheSiderealSystem;ateverycornerhandkerchiefsdrop,fingersbeckon,eyesbesiege,andthelost,thelonely,therapturous,themysterious,theperilous,changingcluesofadventureareslippedintoourfingers.Butfewofusarewillingtoholdandfollowthem.Wearegrownstiffwiththeramrodofconventiondownourbacks.Wepasson;andsomedaywecome,attheendofaverydulllife,toreflectthatourromancehasbeenapallidthingofamarriageortwo,asatinrosettekeptinasafe-depositdrawer,andalifelongfeudwithasteamradiator.
RudolfSteinerwasatrueadventurer.Fewweretheeveningsonwhichhedidnotgoforthfromhishallbedchamberinsearchoftheunexpectedandtheegregious.Themostinterestingthinginlifeseemedtohimtobewhatmightliejustaroundthenextcorner.Sometimeshiswillingnesstotemptfateledhimintostrangepaths.Twicehehadspentthenightinastation-house;againandagainhehadfoundhimselfthedupeofingeniousandmercenarytricksters;hiswatchandmoneyhadbeenthepriceofoneflatteringallurement.Butwithundiminishedardourhepickedupeveryglovecastbeforehimintothemerrylistsofadventure.
OneeveningRudolfwasstrollingalongacrosstownstreetintheoldercentralpartofthecity.Twostreamsofpeoplefilledthesidewalks--thehome-hurrying,andthatrestlesscontingentthatabandonshomeforthespeciouswelcomeofthethousand-candle-powertabled'hote.
Theyoungadventurerwasofpleasingpresence,andmovedserenelyandwatchfully.Bydaylighthewasasalesmaninapianostore.Heworehistiedrawnthroughatopazringinsteadoffastenedwithastickpin;andoncehehadwrittentotheeditorofamagazinethat"Junie'sLoveTest"byMissLibbey,hadbeenthebookthathadmostinfluencedhislife.
Duringhiswalkaviolentchatteringofteethinaglasscaseonthesidewalkseemedatfirsttodrawhisattention(withaqualm),toarestaurantbeforewhichitwasset;butasecondglancerevealedtheelectriclettersofadentist'ssignhighabovethenextdoor.Agiantnegro,fantasticallydressedinaredembroideredcoat,yellowtrousersandamilitarycap,discreetlydistributedcardstothoseofthepassingcrowdwhoconsentedtotakethem.
ThismodeofdentisticadvertisingwasacommonsighttoRudolf.Usuallyhepassedthedispenserofthedentist'scardswithoutreducinghisstore;buttonighttheAfricanslippedoneintohishandsodeftlythatheretainedittheresmilingalittleatthesuccessfulfeat.
Whenhehadtravelledafewyardsfurtherheglancedatthecardindifferently.Surprised,heturneditoverandlookedagainwithinterest.Onesideofthecardwasblank;ontheotherwaswrittenininkthreewords,"TheGreenDoor."AndthenRudolfsaw,threestepsinfrontofhim,amanthrowdownthecardthenegrohadgivenhimashepassed.Rudolfpickeditup.Itwasprintedwiththedentist'snameandaddressandtheusualscheduleof"platework"and"bridgework"andspeciouspromisesof"painless"operations.
Theadventurouspianosalesmanhaltedatthecornerandconsidered.Thenhecrossedthestreet,walkeddownablock,recrossedandjoinedtheupwardcurrentofpeopleagain.Withoutseemingtonoticethenegroashepassedthesecondtime,hecarelesslytookthecardthatwashandedhim.Tenstepsawayheinspectedit.Inthesamehandwritingthatappearedonthefirstcard"TheGreenDoor"wasinscribeduponit.Threeorfourcardsweretossedtothepavementbypedestriansbothfollowingandleadinghim.Thesefellblanksideup.Rudolfturnedthemover.Everyoneboretheprintedlegendofthedental"parlours."
RarelydidthearchspriteAdventureneedtobeckontwicetoRudolfSteiner,histruefollower.Buttwiceithadbeendone,andthequestwason.
Rudolfwalkedslowlybacktowherethegiantnegrostoodbythecaseofrattlingteeth.Thistimeashepassedhereceivednocard.Inspiteofhisgaudyandridiculousgarb,theEthiopiandisplayedanaturalbarbaricdignityashestood,offeringthecardssuavelytosome,allowingotherstopassunmolested.Everyhalfminutehechantedaharsh,unintelligiblephraseakintothejabberofcarconductorsandgrandopera.Andnotonlydidhewithholdacardthistime,butitseemedtoRudolfthathereceivedfromtheshiningandmassiveblackcountenancealookofcold,almostcontemptuousdisdain.
Thelookstungtheadventurer.Hereadinitasilentaccusationthathehadbeenfoundwanting.Whateverthemysteriouswrittenwordsonthecardsmightmean,theblackhadselectedhimtwicefromthethrongfortheirrecipient;andnowseemedtohavecondemnedhimasdeficientinthewitandspirittoengagetheenigma.
Standingasidefromtherush,theyoungmanmadearapidestimateofthebuildinginwhichheconceivedthathisadventuremustlie.Fivestorieshighitrose.Asmallrestaurantoccupiedthebasement.
Thefirstfloor,nowclosed,seemedtohousemillineryorfurs.Thesecondfloor,bythewinkingelectricletters,wasthedentist's.Abovethisapolyglotbabelofsignsstruggledtoindicatetheabodesofpalmists,dressmakers,musiciansanddoctors.Stillhigherupdrapedcurtainsandmilkbottleswhiteonthewindowsillsproclaimedtheregionsofdomesticity.
AfterconcludinghissurveyRudolfwalkedbrisklyupthehighflightofstonestepsintothehouse.Uptwoflightsofthecarpetedstairwayhecontinued;andatitstoppaused.Thehallwaytherewasdimlylightedbytwopalejetsofgasone--fartohisright,theothernearer,tohisleft.Helookedtowardthenearerlightandsaw,withinitswanhalo,agreendoor.Foronemomenthehesitated;thenheseemedtoseethecontumelioussneeroftheAfricanjugglerofcards;andthenhewalkedstraighttothegreendoorandknockedagainstit.
Momentslikethosethatpassedbeforehisknockwasansweredmeasurethequickbreathoftrueadventure.Whatmightnotbebehindthosegreenpanels!
Gamestersatplay;cunningroguesbaitingtheirtrapswithsubtleskill;beautyinlovewithcourage,andthusplanningtobesoughtbyit;danger,death,love,disappointment,ridicule--anyofthesemightrespondtothattemerariousrap.
Afaintrustlewasheardinside,andthedoorslowlyopened.Agirlnotyettwentystoodthere,white-facedandtottering.Sheloosedtheknobandswayedweakly,gropingwithonehand.Rudolfcaughtherandlaidheronafadedcouchthatstoodagainstthewall.Heclosedthedoorandtookaswiftglancearoundtheroombythelightofaflickeringgasjet.Neat,butextremepovertywasthestorythatheread.
Thegirllaystill,asifinafaint.Rudolflookedaroundtheroomexcitedlyforabarrel.Peoplemustberolleduponabarrelwho--no,no;thatwasfordrownedpersons.Hebegantofanherwithhishat.Thatwassuccessful,forhestruckhernosewiththebrimofhisderbyandsheopenedhereyes.Andthentheyoungmansawthathers,indeed,wastheonemissingfacefromhisheart'sgalleryofintimateportraits.Thefrank,greyeyes,thelittlenose,turningpertlyoutward;thechestnuthair,curlinglikethetendrilsofapeavine,seemedtherightendandrewardofallhiswonderfuladventures.Butthefacewaswofull
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