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！
children I summon you！
〃You shall be blind slaves of Mine； blind to everything but Me； you Master and
Driver！ For your reward you shall gaze only upon my ugliness。 You shall give
your toil and your lives； you shall go mad for love and worship of my
ugliness！ You shall perish still worshipping Me； and your children shall
perish knowing no other god！〃
And then； as Bibbs closed the window down tight； he heard his father's voice
booming in the next room； he could not distinguish the words； but the tone was
exultantand there came the THUMP！ THUMP！ of the maimed hand。 Bibbs guessed
that Sheridan was bragging of the city and of Bigness to some visitor from
out…of…town。
And he thought how truly Sheridan was the high priest of Bigness。 But with
the old； old thought again；； 〃What for？〃 Bibbs caught a glimmer of far； faint
light。 He saw that Sheridan had all his life struggled and conquered； and
must all his life go on struggling and inevitably conquering； as part of a
vast impulse not his own。 Sheridan served blindlybut was the impulse blind？
Bibbs asked himself if it was not he who had been in the greater hurry； after
all。 The kiln must be fired before the vase is glazed； and the Acropolis was
not crowned with marble in a day。
Then the voice came to him again； but there was a strain in it as of some hugh
music struggling to be born of the turmoil。 〃Ugly I am；〃 it seemed to say to
him； 〃but never forget that I AM a god！〃 And the voice grew in sonorousness
and in dignity。 〃The highest should serve； but so long as you worship me for
my own sake I will not serve you。 It is man who makes me ugly； by his worship
of me。 If man would let me serve him； I should be beautiful！〃
Looking once more from the window； Bibbs sculptured for himselfin the vague
contortions of the smoke and fog above the roofsa giganitc figure with feet
pedestaled upon the great buildings and shoulders disappearing in the clouds；
a colossus of steel and wholly blackened with soot。 But Bibbs carried his
fancy furtherfor there was still a little poet lingering in the back of his
headand he thought that up over the clouds； unseen from below； the giant
labored with his hands in the clean sunshine； and Bibbs had a glimpse of what
he made thereperhaps for a fellowship of the children of the children that
were children nowa noble and joyous city； unbelievably white〃
It was the telephone that called him from his vision。 It rang fiercely。
He lifted the thing from his desk and answeredand as the small voice inside
it spoke he dropped the receiver with a crash。 He trembled violently as he
picked it up； but he told himself he was wronghe had been mistakenyet it
was a startlingly beautiful voice； startlingly kind； too； and ineffably like
the one he hungered most to hear。
〃Who？〃 he said； his own voice shakinglike his hand。
〃Mary。〃
He responded with two hushed and incredulous words： 〃IS IT？〃
There was a little thrill of pathetic half…laughter in the instrument。
〃BibbsI wanted tojust to see if you〃
〃YesMary？〃
〃I was looking when you were so nearly run over。 I saw it； Bibbs。 They said
you hadn't been hurt； they thought； but I wanted to know for myself。〃
〃No； no； I wasn't hurt at allMary。 It was father who came nearer it。 He
saved me。〃
〃Yes； I saw； but you had fallen。 I couldn't get through the crowd until you
had gone。 And I wanted to KNOW。〃
〃Marywould youhave minded？〃 he said。
There was a long interval before she answered。
〃Yes。〃
〃Then why〃
〃Yes； Bibbs？〃
〃I don't know what to say；〃 he cried。 〃It's so wonderful to hear your voice
againI'm shaking； MaryII don't knowI don't know anything except that I
AM talking to you！ It IS youMary？〃
〃Yes； Bibbs！〃
〃MaryI've seen you from my window at homeonly five times since I since
then。 You lookedoh； how can I tell you？ It was like a man chained in a
cave catching a glimpse of the blue sky； Mary。 Mary； won't youlet me see
you againnear？ I think I could make you really forgive meyou'd have to〃
〃I DIDthen。〃
〃Nonot reallyor you wouldn't have said you couldn't see me any more。〃
〃That wasn't the reason。〃 The voice was very low。
〃Mary；〃 he said； even more tremulously than before； 〃I can'tyou COULDN'T
mean it was becauseyou can't mean it was because you care？〃
There was no answer。
〃Mary？〃 he called； huskily。 〃If you mean THATyou'd let me see you
wouldn't you？〃
And now the voice was so low he could not be sure it spoke at all； but if it
did； the words were； 〃Yes； Bibbsdear。〃
But the voice was not in the instrumentit was so gentle and so light； so
almost nothing； it seemed to be made of airand it came from the air。
Slowly and incredulously he turnedand glory fell upon his shining eyes。 The
door of his father's room had opened。
Mary stood upon the threshold。
THE END