下载辰思小说免费APP
"Whatbecameofit?"
"Yououghttoknow."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"JustwhatIsay,Paret,"heansweredslowly."Yououghttoknow,ifanyoneknows."
Iconsideredthisamoment,moresoberly.IthoughtImighthavecountedonmyfingersthenumberofmencognizantofmyconnectionwiththecase.
Idecidedthathewasguessing.
"Ithinkyoushouldexplainthat,"Itoldhim.
"Thetimemaycome,whenyou\'llhavetoexplainit."
"Isthatathreat?"Idemanded.
"Athreat?"herepeated."Notatall."
"Butyouareaccusingme——"
"Ofwhat?"heinterruptedsuddenly.
Hehadmadeitnecessaryformetodefinethenatureofhischarges.
"Ofhavinghadsomeconnectionwiththeaffairinquestion."
"WhateverelseImaybe,I\'mnotafool,"hesaidquietly."Neitherthedistrictattorney\'soffice,noryoungArbuthnothadbrainsenoughtogetthemoutofthatscrape.Jasondidn\'thaveinfluenceenoughwiththejudiciary,and,asIhappentoknow,therewasagooddealofmoneyspent."
"Youmaybecalledupontoproveit,"Iretorted,ratherhotly.
"SoImay."
Histone,farfrombeingdefiant,hadinitanoteofsadness.Ilookedathim.Whatwerehispotentialities?WasitnotjustpossiblethatI
shouldhavetorevisemyideaofhim,acknowledgethathemightbecomemoreformidablethanIhadthought?
Therewasanawkwardsilence.
"Youmustn\'timagine,Paret,thatIhaveanypersonalanimusagainstyou,oragainstanyofthemenwithwhomyou\'reassociated,"hewenton,afteramoment."I\'msorryyou\'reonthatside,that\'sall,——Itoldyousooncebefore.I\'mnotcallingyounames,I\'mnottalkingaboutmoralityandimmorality.Immorality,whenyoucomedowntoit,isoftenjusttheoppositiontoprogressthatcomesfromblindness.Idon\'tmakethemistakeofblamingafewindividualsfortheevilsofmodernindustrialsociety,andontheotherhandyoumustn\'tblameindividualsforthediscomfortsofwhatyoucallthereformmovement,forthatmovementismerelyasymptom——asymptomofadiseaseduetoachangeinthestructureofsociety.We\'llneverhaveanyhappinessorrealprosperityuntilwecurethatdisease.Iwasinclinedtoblameyouonce,atthecapitalthattime,becauseitseemedtomethatamanwithalltheadvantagesyouhavehadandamindlikeyoursdidn\'thavemuchexcuse.ButI\'vethoughtaboutitsince;IrealizenowthatI\'vehadagoodmanymore\'advantages\'
thanyou,andtotellyouthetruth,Idon\'tseehowyoucouldhavecomeoutanywhereelsethanwhereyouare,——allyoursurroundingsandtrainingwereagainstit.Thatdoesn\'tmeanthatyouwon\'tgraspthesituationsomeday——Ihaveanideayouwill.It\'sjustanidea.Themanwhooughttobecondemnedisn\'tthemanthatdoesn\'tunderstandwhat\'sgoingon,butthemanwhocomestounderstandandpersistsinopposingit."Heroseandlookeddownatmewiththequeer,disturbingsmileIremembered.
"Igetoffatthiscorner,"headded,ratherdiffidently."Ihopeyou\'llforgivemeforbeingpersonal.Ididn\'tmeantobe,butyouratherforceditonme."
"Oh,that\'sallright,"Ireplied.Thecarstopped,andhehurriedoff.
Iwatchedhistallfigureasitdisappearedamongthecrowdonthesidewalk
Ireturnedtomyofficeinoneofthosemoodsthatarethemoredisagreeablebecauseconflicting.To-dayinparticularIhadbeenarousedbywhatTomusedtocallKrebs\'s"crust,"andasIsatatmydeskwarmwavesofresentmentwentthroughmeattheverynotionofhistellingmethatmyviewwaslimitedandthatthereforemyprofessionalconductwastobeforgiven!Itwashe,thefanatic,whosawthingsinthelargerscale!anassumptionthemoreexasperatingbecauseatthemomenthemadeithealmostconvincedmethathedid,andIwasunabletoachieveforhimthemeasureofcontemptIdesired,fortheincident,themeasureofridiculeitdeserved.Myrealanimuswasduetothefactthathehadmanagedtoshakemyself-confidence,totaketheflavouroutofmyachievements,——aflavourthatwasinthecourseofanhourtobecompletelyrestoredbyoneofthoseinterestingcoincidencesoccasionallyoccurringinlife.Ayoungmemberofmystaffenteredwithatelegram;I
toreitopen,andsatstaringatitamomentbeforeIrealizedthatitbroughttomethegreatesthonourofmycareer.
TheBanker-PersonalityinNewYorkhadsummonedmeforconsultation.Toberecognizedbyhimconferredindeedanennoblement,theStarandGarter,sotospeak,oftheonlygreatrealminAmerica,thatofhighfinance;andtheyellowpieceofpaperIheldinmyhandinstantlyre-
magnetizedme,renewedmyenergy,andIhurriedhometopackmybaginordertocatchtheseveno\'clocktrain.IannouncedthenewstoMaude.
"Iimagineit\'sbecauseheknowsIhavemadesomethingofastudyofthecoalroadssituation,"Iadded.
"I\'mglad,Hugh,"shesaid."Isupposeit\'sagreatcompliment."
Neverhadherinadequacytoappreciatemycareerbeenmoreapparent!I
lookedathercuriously,torealizeoncemorewithpeculiarsharpnesshowfarwewereapart;butnowtheresolutionsIhadmade——andnevercarriedout——onthatfirstChristmasinthenewhomewerelacking.Indeed,itwasthefutilityofsuchresolutionsthatstruckmeatthismoment.Ifhermannerhadbeenmerelyoneofindifference,itwouldinawayhavebeeneasiertobear;shewassimplyincapableofgraspingthesignificanceoftheevent,themeaningtomeoftheyearsofunceasing,ambitiouseffortitcrowned.
"Yes,itissomethingofarecognition,"Ireplied."IsthereanythingI
cangetforyouinNewYork?Idon\'tknowhowlongIshallhavetostay——
I\'lltelegraphyouwhenI\'mgettingback."Ikissedherandhurriedouttotheautomobile.AsIdroveoffIsawherstillstandinginthedoorwaylookingaftermeInthestationIhadafewminutestotelephoneNancy.
"Ifyoudon\'tseemeforafewdaysit\'sbecauseI\'vegonetoNewYork,"
Iinformedher.
"Somethingimportant,I\'msure."
"Howdidyouguess?"Idemanded,andheardherlaugh.
"Comebacksoonandtellmeaboutit,"shesaid,andIwalked,exhilarated,tothetrainAsIspedthroughthenight,staringoutofthewindowintothedarkness,IreflectedonthemanIwasgoingtosee.Butatthattime,althoughherepresentedtomethequintessenceofachievementandpower,Ididnotbyanymeansgraspthemanysidedsignificanceofthephenomenonhepresented,thoughIwaskeenlyawareofhisinfluence,andthatmenspokeofhimwithbatedbreath.Presidentscameandwent,kingsandemperorshadresponsibilitiesandweresubjectdailytoannoyances,butthismanwasalawuntohimself.Hedidexactlywhathechose,andcompelledothermentodoit.Wherevercommercereigned,——andwherediditnot?——hewaskingandheadofitsHolyEmpire,PopeandEmperoratonce.Forhehadhiscodeofethics,hisreligion,andthosewhorebelled,whofailedtoconform,heexcommunicated;acodesomethinglikethemapofEurope,——apparentlyinconsistentinplaces.
WhatIdidnotthencomprehendwasthathewastheAmericanPrinciplepersonified,thesupremeindividualassertionoftheconvictionthatgovernmentshouldremainmodestlyinthebackgroundwhiletheefficientacquiredthesupremacythatwastheirsbynaturalright;norhadI
graspedatthattimethecrowningachievementofaunitythatfusedChristianitywiththoseacquisitivedispositionssaid
