世外桃源的过客 Transients in Arcadia

Transients in Arcadia by O Henry

        There is a certain hotel on broadway that is very pleasant in the summer. Not many people have heardabout it. It is wide and cool. Its rooms have walls of dark wood. Thereare green trees around it, and soft winds. It has all the pleasures ofmountain living, and none of the pains. You will eat better fish thanyou could catch for yourself in streams in the hills. You will have better meat than a hunter brings home from the forest.

        A few have discovered this cool spot in the hot summer of NewYork. You will see these few guests, eating dinner in the hotel restaurant. They are happy to be there, and happy to know that they are veryfew. They feel especially wise because they have found this delightfulplace.

        More waiters than necessary are always near. They bring what iswanted before anyone asks for it.

        The pleasing distant noise of Broadway sounds like running waterin a forest. At every strange footstep, the guests turn quickly and look.They are afraid that the restless pleasure-seekers will find their hoteland destroy its pleasant quiet.

        And so these few live during the hot season. They enjoy thedelights of mountain and seashore. All is brought to them in theirBroadway hotel.

        This summer a lady came to the hotel giving this name: “MadameHéloise D’Arcy Beaumont.”

        The name was like a name in the story of a great romance. AndMadame Beaumont was the kind of lady the Hotel Lotus loved. Shewas beautiful and her manner was very fine. Everyone wished to serveher. The other guests believed that as a guest she was perfection.

This perfect guest did not often leave the hotel. In this, she waslike the other guests of the Hotel Lotus. To enjoy that hotel, one need-ed to forget the city. New York might have been miles away. At nightsometimes one might go out. But during the hot day one remained inthe cool shade of the Lotus.

        Madame was alone in the Hotel Lotus. She was alone as a queen isalone, because of her high position. She rose from bed late in the morning. She was then a sweet, soft person who seemed to shine quietly.

        But at dinner she was different. She would wear a beautiful dress.I cannot find words fine enough to tell about it. Always there were redflowers at her shoulder. When the head waiter saw a dress like this, hemet it at the door. You thought of Paris when you saw it, and of thetheater and of old romances.

        A story about Madame Beaumont was told among the guests inthe Hotel Lotus. It was said that she was a woman who had traveled allover the world. It was said that she knew the most important peopleeverywhere. It was said that in her white hands she held the future ofcertain nations.

        It was no surprise, they said, that such a lady should choose the Hotel Lotus. It was the most desirable and the most restful place inAmerica during the heat of summer.

        On the third day of Madame Beaumont’s stay in the hotel, ayoung man entered as a guest. His clothes were quiet but good. His facewas pleasant. His expression was that of a man who had traveled andcould understand the world. He said that he would remain three orfour days. He asked about the sailing of certain ships. He seemed tolike this hotel the best of all he had known.

        The young man put his name on the list of hotel guests: HaroldFarrington. It was a name with a fine sound. And the young manbelonged perfectly in the quiet life of the Lotus. In one day he becamelike all the other guests. Like them he had his table and his waiter. Healso had the same fear that the wrong people might suddenly discoverthis hotel and destroy its peace.

        After dinner on the next day, Madame Beaumont dropped some-thing as she passed Harold Farrington’s table. He picked it up and, fol-lowing her, returned it. He spoke only a few quiet words as he did this,and she was pleased by his good manners. She knew that he was agentleman.

        Guests of the Lotus seemed to understand each other very easily.Perhaps it was the result of having discovered this Broadway hotel.Guests felt sure that only especially fine people would enjoy the cooldelights of the Lotus. Now, very quickly, a sudden friendship grewbetween Farrington and Madame Beaumont. They stood and talked fora few moments.

“I have seen too much of the usual summer hotels,” said MadameBeaumont, with a small but sweet smile. “Why go to the mountains orthe seashore? We cannot escape noise and dust there. The people whomake noise and dust follow us there.”

        “Even on the ocean,” said Farrington, sadly, “those same peopleare all around us. What shall we do when they discover the Lotus?”

        “I hope they don’t discover the Lotus this week,” said Madame.“I know only one other place I like as well. It is the beautiful home ofa prince in the mountains in Europe.”

        “The best people,” said Farrington, “are seeking for the quietplaces, like this one, where they can escape the crowds.”

        “I promise myself three more days of this delightful rest,” saidMadame Beaumont. “The next day my ship sails.”

        Harold Farrington’s eyes showed that he was sorry. “I too mustleave then,” he said. “But I am not sailing for Europe.”

        “We cannot stay here forever, though it is so delightful,” saidMadame Beaumont. “I like it better than my usual life, which is too fullof people. I shall never forget my week in the Hotel Lotus.”

        “Nor shall I,” said Farrington in a low voice. “And I shall neverlike the ship that carries you away.”

        On their last evening the two sat together at a little table. Awaiter brought them something cool to eat.

        Madame Beaumont was wearing the same beautiful dress. Sheseemed thoughtful.

        When she had finished eating, she took out a dollar.

        “Mr. Farrington,” she said, with the smile that everyone in theLotus loved, “I want to tell you something. I’m going to leave earlytomorrow morning because I must go back to work. I work sellingwomen’s clothes at Casey’s shop. That dollar is all the money I have. Iwon’t have more until I get paid at the end of the week. You’re a realgentleman and you’ve been good to me. I wanted to tell you before Iwent.

        “For a year I’ve been planning to come here. Each week I put asidea little of my pay, so that I would have enough money. I wanted to liveone week like a rich lady. I wanted to get up in the morning when Iwished. I wanted to be served by waiters. I wanted to have the best ofeverything. Now I’ve done it, and I’ve been happier than I ever wasbefore. And now I’m going back to work.

        “I wanted to tell you about it, Mr. Farrington, because I—I thoughtyou liked me, and I—I liked you. This week I’ve told you many thingsthat weren’t true. I told you things I’ve read about. They never happened to me. I’ve been living in a story. It wasn’t real. I wanted you tothink I was a great lady.

        “This dress I’m wearing—it’s the only pretty dress I own. I haven’tpaid for it yet. I’m paying for it a little at a time.

        “The price was seventy-five dollars. It was made for me at O’Dowdand Levinsky’s shop. I paid ten dollars first, and now I have to pay adollar a week until it’s all paid.

        “And that’s all I have to say, Mr. Farrington, except that my nameis Mamie Siviter, and not Madame Beaumont. Thank you for listeningto me. This dollar is the dollar I’m going to pay for my dress tomorrow.And now I’ll go up to my room.”

        As Harold Farrington listened, his face had not changed. Whenshe had finished, he took out a small book and began to write in it. Thenhe pulled out the small page with his writing on it, and gave it to her.And he took the dollar from her hand.

        “I go to work too, tomorrow morning,” he said. “And I decided tobegin now. That paper says you’ve paid your dollar for this week. I’vebeen working for O’Dowd and Levinsky for three years. Strange, isn’tit? We both had the same idea. I always wanted to stay at a good hotel.I get twenty dollars a week. Like you, I put aside a little money at a time,until I had enough. Listen, Mamie. Will you go to the pleasure park onConey Island with me on pay day?”

        The girl who had been Madame Héloise D’Arcy Beaumont smiled.

        “I’d love to go, Mr. Farrington. Coney will be all right, althoughwe did live here with rich people for a week.”

        They could hear the night noises of the hot city. Inside the HotelLotus it was cool. The waiter stood near, ready to get anything theyasked for.

        Madame Beaumont started up to her room for the last time.

        And he said, “Forget that ‘Harold Farrington,’ will you? McManusis the name—James McManus. Some call me Jimmy.”

        “Good night, Jimmy,” said Madame.