「Tellmeassoonasyouhavefinished,」saidJohnsy,closinghereyes,andlyingwhiteandstillasfallenstatue,「becauseIwanttoseethelastonefall.I』mtiredofwaiting.I』mtiredofthinking.Iwanttoturnloosemyholdoneverything,andgosailingdown,down,justlikeoneofthosepoor,tiredleaves.」
「Trytosleep,」saidSue.「ImustcallBehrmanuptobemymodelfortheoldhermitminer.I』llnotbegoneaminute.Don』ttrytomove『tilIcomeback.」
OldBehrmanwasapainterwholivedonthegroundfloorbeneaththem.HewaspastsixtyandhadaMichaelAngelo』sMosesbeardcurlingdownfromtheheadofasatyralongwiththebodyofanimp.Behrmanwasafailureinart.FortyyearshehadwieldedthebrushwithoutgettingnearenoughtotouchthehemofhisMistress』srobe.Hehadbeenalwaysabouttopaintamasterpiece,buthadneveryetbegunit.Forseveralyearshehadpaintednothingexceptnowandthenadaubinthelineofcommerceoradvertising.Heearnedalittlebyservingasamodeltothoseyoungartistsinthecolonywhocouldnotpaythepriceofaprofessional.Hedrankgintoexcess,andstilltalkedofhiscomingmasterpiece.Fortheresthewasafiercelittleoldman,whoscoffedterriblyatsoftnessinanyone,andwhoregardedhimselfasespecialmastiff-in-waitingtoprotectthetwoyoungartistsinthestudioabove.
SuefoundBehrmansmellingstronglyofjuniperberriesinhisdimlylighteddenbelow.Inonecornerwasablankcanvasonaneaselthathadbeenwaitingtherefortwenty-fiveyearstoreceivethefirstlineofthemasterpiece.ShetoldhimofJohnsy』sfancy,andhowshefearedshewould,indeed,lightandfragileasaleafherself,floataway,whenherslightholdupontheworldgrewweaker.
OldBehrman,withhisredeyesplainlystreaming,shoutedhiscontemptandderisionforsuchidioticimaginings.
「Vass!」hecried.「Isderepeopleindeworldmitderfoolishnesstodiebecauseleafsdeydropofffromaconfoundedvine?Ihafnotheardofsuchathing.No,Iwillnotboseasamodelforyourfoolhermit-dunderhead.Whydoyouallowdotsillyideatocomeintobrainofher?Ach,dotpoorlittleMissJohnsy.」
「Sheisveryillandweak,」saidSue,「andthefeverhaslefthermindmorbidandfullofstrangefancies.Verywell,Mr.Behrman,ifyoudonotcaretoposeforme,youneedn』t.ButIthinkyouareahorridold…oldflibbertigibbet.」
「Youarejustlikeawoman!」yelledBehrman.「WhosaidIwillnottobeyourmodel?Goon.Icomemeetyou.ForhalfanhourIhavebeentryingtosaydotIamreadytobeyourmodel.God!ThisisnotanyreasoninwhichoneasgoodasMissJohnsyshallliesick.SomedayIwillpaintamasterpiece,andweshallallgoaway.God!Yes.」
Johnsywassleepingwhentheywentupstairs.Suepulledtheshadedowntothewindow-sill,andmotionedBehrmanintotheotherroom.Intheretheypeeredoutthewindowfearfullyattheivyvine.Thentheylookedateachotherforamomentwithoutspeaking.Apersistent,coldrainwasfalling,mingledwithsnow.Behrman,inhisoldblueshirt,tookhisseatasthehermitmineronanupturnedkettleforarock.
WhenSueawokefromanhour』ssleepthenextmorningshefoundJohnsywithdull,wide-openeyesstaringatthedrawngreenshade.
「Pullitup;Iwanttosee,」sheordered,inawhisper.
WearilySueobeyed.
But,lo!Afterthebeatingrainandfiercegustsofwindthathadenduredthroughthelivelongnight,thereyetstoodoutagainstthebrickwalloneivyleaf.Itwasthelastoneonthevine.Stilldarkgreennearitsstem,withitsserratededgestintedwiththeyellowofdissolutionanddecay,ithungbravelyfromthebranchsometwentyfeetabovetheground.
「Itisthelastone,」saidJohnsy.「Ithoughtitwouldsurelyfallduringthenight.Iheardthewind.Itwillfalltoday,andIshalldieatthesametime.」
「Dear,dear!」saidSue,leaningherwornfacedowntothepillow,「thinkofme,ifyouwon』tthinkofyourself.WhatwouldIdo?」
ButJohnsydidnotanswer.Thelonesomethinginthewholeworldisasoulwhenitismakingreadytogoonitsmysterious,farjourney.Thefancyseemedtopossesshermorestronglyasonebyonethetiesthatboundhertofriendshipandtoearthwereloosed.
Thedayworeaway,andeventhroughthetwilighttheycouldseetheloneivyleafclingingtoitsstemagainstthewall.Andthen,withthecomingofthenightthenorthwindwasagainloosed,whiletherainstillbeatagainstthewindowsandpattereddownfromthelowDutcheaves.
WhenitwaslightenoughJohnsy,themerciless,commandedthattheshadeberaised.
Theivyleafwasstillthere.
Johnsylayforalongtimelookingatit.AndthenshecalledtoSue,whowasstirringherchickenbrothoverthegasstove.
「I』vebeenabadgirl,Sudie,」saidJohnsy.「SomethinghasmadethatlastleafstaytheretoshowmehowwickedIwas.Itisasintowanttodie.Youmaybringamealittlebrothnow,andsomemilkwithalittleportinit,and…no;bringmeahand-mirrorfirst,andthenpacksomepillowsaboutme,andIwillsitupandwatchyoucook.」
Andhourlatershesaid:「Sudie,somedayIhopetopainttheBayofNaples.」
Thedoctorcameintheafternoon,andSuehadanexcusetogointothehallwayasheleft.
「Evenchances,」saidthedoctor,takingSue』sthin,shakinghandinhis.「Withgoodnursingyou』llwin.」AndnowImustseeanothercaseIhavedownstairs.Behrman,hisnameis—somekindofanartist,Ibelieve.Pneumonia,too.Heisanold,weakman,andtheattackisacute.Thereisnohopeforhim;buthegoestothehospitaltodaytobemademorecomfortable.」
ThenextdaythedoctorsaidtoSue:「She』soutofdanger.Youwon.Nutritionandcarenow—that』sall.」
AndthatafternoonSuecametothebedwhereJohnsylay,contentedlyknittingaveryblueandveryuselesswoolenshoulderscarf,andputonearmaroundher,pillowsandall.