Americans -- Austria -- Fiction; Love stories; Vienna (Austria) -- Fiction; Violinists -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
Le Grande placed her flowers on the grave. They almost covered it, quite
eclipsed Harmony's.
“I come here every morning,” she said simply.
She had a cab waiting, and offered to drive Harmony back to the city.
Her quiet almost irritated Harmony, until she had looked once into the
woman's eyes. After that she knew. It was on the drive back, with the
little darky on the box beside the driver, that Harmony got her answer.
Le Grande put a hand over Harmony's.
“I tried to tell you before how good I know you were to him.”
“We loved him.”
“And I resented it. But Dr. Byrne was right--I was not a fit person
to--to have him.”
“It was not that--not only that--”
“Did he ever ask for me? But of course not.”
“No, he had no remembrance.”
Silence for a moment. The loose windows of the cab clattered.
“I loved him very much when he came,” said Le Grande, “although I did
not want him. I had been told I could have a career on the stage. Ah,
my dear, I chose the career--and look at me! What have I? A grave in
the cemetery back there, and on it roses sent me by a man I loathe! If I
could live it over again!”
The answer was very close now:--
“Would you stay at home?”
“Who knows, I being I? And my husband did not love me. It was the boy
always. There is only one thing worth while--the love of a good man. I
have lived, lived hard. And I know.”
“But supposing that one has real ability--I mean some achievement
already, and a promise--”
Le Grande turned and looked at Harmony shrewdly.
“I see. You are a musician, I believe?”
“Yes.”
“And--it is Dr. Byrne?”
“Yes.”
Le Grande bent forward earnestly.
“My child,” she said, “if one man in all the world looked at me as your
doctor looks at you, I--I would be a better woman.”
“And my music?”
“Play for your children, as you played for my little boy.”
Peter was packing: wrapping medical books in old coats, putting clean
collars next to boots, folding pajamas and such-like negligible garments
with great care and putting in his dresscoat in a roll. His pipes took
time, and the wooden sentry he packed with great care and a bit of
healthy emotion. Once or twice he came across trifles of Harmony's, and
he put them carefully aside--the sweater coat, a folded handkerchief,
a bow she had worn at her throat. The bow brought back the night before
and that reckless kiss on her white throat. Well for Peter to get away
if he is to keep his resolution, when the sight of a ribbon bow can
bring that look of suffering into his eyes.
The Portier below was polishing floors, right foot, left foot, any foot
at all. And as he polished he sang in a throaty tenor.
“Kennst du das Land wo die Citronen bluhen,” he sang at the top of his
voice, and coughed, a bit of floor wax having got into the air. The
antlers of the deer from the wild-game shop hung now in his bedroom.
When the wildgame seller came over for coffee there would be a
discussion probably. But were not the antlers of all deer similar?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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