按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
everything； it was like I'd found this preacher shooting hop or using a double in his pulpit stuff。〃
She was still again； looking back upon this tremendous episode。
〃Yes； that's about the way I felt；〃 he told her。 Already his affair with Mrs。 Rosenblatt seemed a thing of his childhood。 He was wondering； rather； if the preacher could have been the perfect creature the girl was now picturing him。 It would not have displeased him to learn that this refulgent being had actually used a double in his big scenes； or had been guilty of mere human behaviour at odd moments。 Probably； after all； he had been just a preacher。 〃Uncle Sylvester used to want me to be a preacher；〃 he said； with apparent irrelevance； 〃even if he was his own worst enemy。〃 He added presently； as the girl remained silent； 〃I always say my prayers at night。〃 He felt vaguely that this might raise him to the place of the other who had been adored。 He was wishing to be thought well of by this girl。
She was aroused from her musing by his confession。 〃You do？ Now ain't that just like you？ I'd have bet you did that。 Well； keep on； son。 It's good stuff。〃
Her serious mood seemed to pass。 She was presently exchanging tart repartee with the New York villains who had perched in a row on the fence to be funny about that longcontinued holding of hands in the motor car。 She was quite unembarrassed； however； as she dropped the hand with a final pat and vaulted to the ground over the side of the car。
〃Get busy； there！〃 she ordered。 〃Where's your understanderwhere's your top…mounter？〃 She became a circus ringmaster。 〃Three up and a roll for yours；〃 she commanded。 The three villains aligned themselves on the lawn。 One climbed to the shoulders of the other and a third found footing on the second。 They balanced there； presently to lean forward from the summit。 The girl played upon an imaginary snare drum with a guttural； throaty imitation of its roll； culminating in the 〃boom！〃 of a bass…drum as the tower toppled to earth。 Its units； completing their turn with somersaults； again stood in line； bowing and smirking their acknowledgments for imagined applause。
The girl； a moment later； was turning hand…springs。 Merton had never known that actors were so versatile。 It was an astounding profession； he thought； remembering his own registration card that he had filled out at the Holden office。 His age； height； weight； hair； eyes； and his chest and waist measures； these had been specified； and then he had been obliged to write the short 〃No〃 after ride； drive； swim； danceto write 〃No〃 after 〃Ride？〃 even in the artistically photographed presence of Buck Benson on horseback！
Yet in spite of these disabilities he was now a successful actor at an enormous salary。 Baird was already saying that he would soon have a contract for him to sign at a still larger figure。 Seemingly it was a profession in which you could rise even if you were not able to turn hand…springs or were more or less terrified by horses and deep water and dance music。
And the Montague girl； who； he now fervently hoped； would not be killed while doubling for Mrs。 Rosenblatt； was a puzzling creature。 He thought his hand must still be warm from her enfolding of it； even when work was resumed and he saw her； with sunbonnet pushed back； stand at the gate of the little farmhouse and behave in an utterly brazen manner toward one of the New York clubmen who was luring her up to the great city。 She； who had just confided to him that she was afraid of men； was now practically daring an undoubted scoundrel to lure her up to the great city and make a lady of her。 And she had been afraid of all but a clergyman and a stunt actor！ He wondered interestingly if she were afraid of Merton Gill。 She seemed not to be。
On another day of long waits they ate their lunch from the cafeteria box on the steps of the little home and discussed stage names。 〃I guess we better can that 'Clifford Armytage' stuff；〃 she told him as she seriously munched a sandwich。 〃We don't need it。 That's out。 Merton Gill is a lot better name。〃 She had used 〃we〃 quite as if it were a community name。
〃Well； if you think so〃 he began regretfully； for Clifford Armytage still seemed superior to the indistinction of Merton Gill。
〃Sure； it's a lot better；〃 she went on。 〃That 'Clifford Armytage' say； it reminds me of just another such feckless dub as you that acted with us one time when we all trouped in a rep show； playing East Lynne and such things。 He was just as wise as you are； and when he joined out at Kansas City they gave him a whole book of the piece instead of just his sides。 He was a quick study； at that； only he learned everybody's part as well as his own； and that slowed him。 They put him on in Waco； and the manager was laid up； so they told him that after the third act he was to go out and announce the bill for the next night； and he learned that speech； too。
〃He got on fine till the big scene in the third act。 Then he went bloody because that was as far as he'd learned； so he just left the scene cold and walked down to the foots and bowed and said； 'Ladies and gentlemen； we thank you for your attendance here this evening and to…morrow night we shall have the honour of presenting Lady Audley's Secret。'
〃With that he gave a cold look to the actors back of him that were gasping like fish； and walked off。 And he was like you in another way because his real name was Eddie Duffy； and the lovely stage name he'd picked out was Clyde Maltravers。〃
〃Well； Clifford Armytage is out； then；〃 Merton announced； feeling that he had now buried a part of his dead self in a grave where Beulah Baxter； the wonder…woman； already lay interred。 Still； he was conscious of a certain relief。 The stage name had been bothersome。
〃It ain't as if you had a name like mine；〃 the girl went on。 〃I simply had to have help。〃
He wondered what her own name was。 He had never heard her called anything but the absurd and undignified 〃Flips。〃 She caught the question he had looked。
〃Well； my honest…to…God name is Sarah Nevada Montague； Sarah for Ma and Nevada for Reno where Ma had to stop off for meshe was out of the company two weeksand if you ever tell a soul I'll have the law on you。 That was a fine way to abuse a helpless baby； wasn't it？〃
〃But Sarah is all right。 I like Sarah。〃
〃Do you； Kid？〃 She patted his hand。 〃All right； then； but it's only for your personal use。〃
〃Of course the Nevada〃 he hesitated。 〃It does sound kind of like a geography lesson or something。 But I think I'll call you Sarah； I mean when we're alone。〃 〃Well； that's more than Ma ever does； and you bet it'll never get into my press notices。 But go ahead if you want to。〃
〃I will； Sarah。 It sounds more like a true woman than 'Flips。'〃
〃Bless the child's heart；〃 she murmured； and reached across the lunch box to pat his hand again。
〃You're a great little patter； Sarah；〃 he observed with one of his infrequent attempts at humour。
On still another day； while they idled between scenes； she talked to him about salaries and contracts； again with her important air of mothering him。
〃After this picture；〃 she told him； 〃Jeff was going to sew you up with a long…time contract； probably at a hundred and fifty per。 But I've told him plain I won't stand for it。 No five…year contract； and not any contract at that figure。 Maybe three years at two hundred and fifty； I haven't decided yet。 I'll wait and see〃 she broke off to regard him with that old puzzling light far back in her eyes 〃wait and see how you get over in these two pieces。〃
〃But I know you'll go big； and so does Jeff。 We've caught you in the rushes enough to know that。 And Jeff's a good fellow； but naturally he'll get you for as little as he can。 He knows all about money even if he don't keep Yom Kippur。 So I'm watching over you； sonI'm your manager； see？ And I've told him so； plain。 He knows he'll have to give you just what you're worth。 Of course he's entitled to consideration for digging you up and developing you； but a three… year contract will pay him out for that。 Trust mother。〃
〃I do；〃 he told her。 〃I'd be helpless without you。 It kind of scares me to think of getting all that money。 I won't know what to do with it。〃
〃I will； you always listen to me； and you won't be camping on the lot any more。 And don't shoot dice with these rough…necks on the lot。〃 〃I won't；〃 he assured her。 〃I don't believe in gambling。〃 He wondered about Sarah's own salary； and was surprised to learn that it was now double his own。 It was surprising； because her acting seemed not so important to the piece as his。 〃It seems like a lot of money for what you have to do；〃 he said。
〃There；〃 she smiled warmly； 〃didn't I always say you were a natural… born trouper？ Well； it is a lot of money for me； but you see I've helped Jeff dope out both of these pieces。 I'm not so bad at gagsI mean the kind of stuff he needs in these serious dramas。 This big scene of yours； where you go off to the city and come back a wreck on Christmas nightthat's mine。 I doped it out after the piece was startedafter I'd had a good look at the truck driver that plays opposite you。〃
Truck driver？ It appeared that Miss Montague was actually applying this term to the New York society