下载辰思小说免费APP
recalledhowIhadout-manoeuvredhimandgonetocollege;IrememberedtheMarchdaysolongago,whenTomandIhadstoodonthecornerdebatinghowtodeceivehim,anditwasIwhohadsuggestedthenicedistinctionbetweenaboatandaraft.Well,myfather\'sillogicalattitudetowardsboyhoodnature,towardshumannature,hadforcedmeintothatlie,justasthesenselessattitudeofthepublicto-dayforcedbusinessintoapositionofhypocrisy.
"Well,that\'sclever,"hesaid,slowlyandperplexedly,whenIhadfinished."It\'sdamnedclever,butsomehowitlookstomeallwrong.I
can\'tpickittopieces."Hegotupratherheavily."I——IguessIoughttobegoing.Susandoesn\'tknowwhereIam."
Iwasexasperated.Itwasclear,thoughhedidnotsayso,thathethoughtmedishonest.Thepaininhiseyeshaddeepened.
"Ifyoufeelthatway——"Isaid.
"Oh,God,Idon\'tknowhowIfeel!"hecried."You\'retheoldestfriendIhave,Hugh,——Ican\'tforgetthat.We\'llsaynothingmoreaboutit."
HepickeduphishatandamomentlaterIheardthefrontdoorclosebehindhim.Istoodforawhilestock-still,andthenwentintothelivingroom,whereMaudewassewing.
"Why,where\'sTom?"sheinquired,lookingup.
"Oh,hewenthome.HesaidSusandidn\'tknowwherehewas."
"Howqueer!Hugh,wasthereanythingthematter?Isheintrouble?"sheaskedanxiously.
Istoodtoyingwithabook-mark,reflecting.Shemustinevitablycometosuspectthatsomethinghadhappened,anditwouldbeaswelltofortifyher.
"Thetroubleis,"Isaidafteramoment,"thatPerryandTomwouldliketorunmodernbusinessontheprincipleofacharitableinstitution.
Unfortunately,itisnotpractical.They\'reupsetbecauseIhavebeenretainedbyasyndicatewhoseobjectistodevelopsomelandoutbeyondMaplewoodAvenue.They\'veboughttheland,andweareaskingthecitytogiveusarighttobuildalineoutMaplewoodAvenue,whichistheobviouswaytogo.Perrysaysitwillspoiltheavenue.That\'snonsense,inthefirstplace.Theavenueiswide,andthetrackswillbeinagrassplotinthecentre.Forthesakeofkeepingtracksoffthatavenuehewoulddeprivepeopleofattractivehomesatasmallcost,ofthegoodairtheycangetbeyondtheheights;hewouldstuntthecity\'sdevelopment."
"Thatdoesseemalittleunreasonable,"Maudeadmitted."Isthatallheobjectsto?"
"No,hethinksitanoutragebecause,inordertogetthefranchise,wehavetodealwiththecitypoliticians.Well,itsohappens,andalwayshashappened,thatpoliticshavebeencontrolledbyleaders,whomPerrycalls`bosses,\'andtheyarenotparticularlyattractivemen.Youwouldn\'tcaretoassociatewiththem.Myfatheroncerefusedtobemayorofthecityforthisreason.Buttheyarenecessities.Ifthepeopledidn\'twantthem,they\'dtakeenoughinterestinelectionstothrowthemout.Butsincethepeopledowantthem,andtheyarethere,everytimeanewstreet-carlineorsomethingofthatsortneedstobebuilttheyhavetobeconsulted,because,withouttheirinfluencenothingcouldbedone.
Ontheotherhand,thesepoliticianscannotaffordtoignoremenoflocalimportancelikeLeonardDickinsonandAdolfSchererandMillerGorsewhorepresentfinancialsubstanceand\'responsibility.Ifanewstreet-
railroadistobebuilt,thesearethelogicalonestobuildit.YouhavejustthesamesituationinElkington,onasmallerscale.
Yourfamily,theHutchinses,ownthemillsandthestreet-railroads,andanynewenterprisethatpresentsitselfisdonewiththeirmoney,becausetheyarereliableandsound."
"Itisn\'tpleasanttothinkthattherearesuchpeopleasthepoliticians,isit?"saidMaude,slowly.
"Unquestionablynot,"Iagreed."Itisn\'tpleasanttothinkofsomeothercrudeforcesintheworld.Buttheyexist,andtheyhavetobedealtwith.SupposetheUnitedStatesshouldrefusetotradewithRussiabecause,fromourrepublicanpointofview,weregardedhergovernmentastyrannicalandoppressive?ortocooperatewithEnglandinsomeundertakingfortheworld\'sbenefitbecausewecontendedthatsheruledIndiawithanironhand?Insuchacase,ourPresidentandSenatewouldbescoundrelsformakingandratifyingatreaty.YetherearePerryandTom,andnodoubtSusanandLucia,accusingme,alifetimefriend,ofdishonestybecauseIhappentobecounselforasyndicatethatwishestobuildastreet-railroadfortheconvenienceofthepeopleofthecity."
"Oh,no,notofdishonesty!"sheexclaimed."Ican\'t——Iwon\'tbelievetheywoulddothat."
"Prettynearit,"Isaid."IfIlistenedtothem,Ishouldhavetogiveupthelawaltogether."
"Sometimes,"sheansweredinalowvoice,"sometimesIwishyouwould."
"Imighthaveexpectedthatyouwouldtaketheirpointofview."
AsIwasturningawayshegotupquicklyandputherhandonmyshoulder.
"Hugh,pleasedon\'tsaysuchthings——you\'venorighttosaythem."
"Andyou?"Iasked.
"Don\'tyousee,"shecontinuedpleadingly,"don\'tyouseethatwearegrowingapart?That\'stheonlyreasonIsaidwhatIdid.Itisn\'tthatIdon\'ttrustyou,thatIdon\'twantyoutohaveyourwork,thatIdemandallofyou.Iknowawomancan\'taskthat,——can\'thaveit.Butifyouwouldonlygiveme——givethechildrenjustalittle,ifIcouldfeelthatwemeantsomethingtoyouandthatthisotherwasn\'tgraduallybecomingeverything,wasn\'tabsorbingyoumoreandmore,killingthebestpartofyou.It\'spoisoningourmarriage,it\'spoisoningallyourrelationships."
InthatappealtherealMaude,theMaudeoftheearlydaysofourmarriageflashedforthagainsovividlythatIwastakenaback.I
understoodthatshehadhadherselfundercontrol,hadwornamask——amaskIhadforcedonher;andtherevelationofthecontinuedexistenceofthatotherMaudewasprofoundlydisturbing.Wasittrue,asshesaid,thatmyabsorptioninthegreatgameofmodernbusiness,inthemodernAmericanphilosophyitimpliedwaspoisoningmymarriage?orwasitthatmymarriagehadfailedtosatisfyandabsorbme?Iwastouched——butsentimentallytouched:Ifeltthatthiswasasituationthatoughttotouchme;Ididn\'twishtofaceit,asusual:Icouldn\'tacknowledgetomyselfthatanythingwasreallywrongIpattedherontheshoulder,I
bentoverandkissedher.
"Amaninmypositioncan\'taltogetherchoosejusthowbusyhewillbe,"
Isaidsmiling."MattersarethrustuponmewhichIhavetoaccept,andIcan\'thelpthinkingaboutsomeofthemwhenIcomehome.Butwe\'llgooffforarealvacationsoon,Maude,toEurope——andtakethechildren."
"Oh,Ihopeso,"shesaid.
Fromthistimeon,asmaybesupposed,ourintercoursewithboththeBlackwoodsbegantogrowlessfrequent,althoughMaudecontinuedtoseeagreatdealofLucia;andwhenwediddineintheircompany,ortheywithus,itwasquitenoticeablethattheirformerraillerywassuppressed.
EvenTomhadceasedtorefertomeastheyoungNapoleonoftheLaw:heclungtome,buthetookeptsilentonthesubjectofbusiness.Maudeofcoursemusthavenoticedthis,musthavesensedthechangeofatmosphere,haveknownthattheBlackwoods,atleast,weremaintainingappearancesforhersake.Shedidnotspeaktomeofthechange,norItoher;butwhenIthoughtofhersilence,itwastosuspectthatshewasweighingthequestionwhichhadleduptothedifferencebetweenPerryandme,andIhadasuspicionthatthefactthatIwasherhusbandwouldnotaffectherultimatedecision.Thisfacultyofhersofthinkingthingsoutinsteadofacceptingmyviewsanddecisionswas,asthesayinggoes,gettingalittle"onmynerves":thatshe
