第25章

Where’syourship？DoyouthinkI’mgoingtoletyoucomehereandeatyourwifeoutofhouseandhome，andthengivemoneytokeeptheconcerngoing？"

"JusttheverywordsIsaidwhenhefirstshowedhisfacehere，yist’day。Didn’tI，Z’rilla？"saidthewoman，eagerlyjoiningintherebukeofherlatebooncompanion。

"Yougotnobusinesshere，Hen，s’dI。Youcan’tcomeheretoliveonmeandZ’rilla，s’dI。Youwanttogobacktoyourship，s’dI。That’swhatIsaid。"

Thesailormumbled，withasmileoftipsyamiabilityforLapham，somethingaboutthecrewbeingdischarged。

"Yes，"thewomanbrokein，"that’salwaysthewaywiththesecoasters。Whydon’tyougooffonsomethemlongv’y’ges？s’dI。It’sprettyhardwhenMr。WemmelstandsreadytomarryZ’rillaandprovideacomfortablehomeforusboth——Ihain’tgotagreatmanyyearsmoretolive，andISHOULDliketogetsomesatisfactionoutof’em，andnotbebeholdenanddependentallmydays，——tohaveHen，here，blockin’theway。Itellhimthere’dbemoremoneyforhimintheend；buthecan’tseemtomakeuphismindtoit。"

"Well，now，lookhere，"saidLapham。"Idon’tcareanythingaboutallthat。It’syourownbusiness，andI’mnotgoingtomeddlewithit。Butit’smybusinesswholivesoffme；

andsoItellyouallthree，I’mwillingtotakecareofZerrilla，andI’mwillingtotakecareofhermother————"

"Iguessifithadn’tbeenforthatchild’sfather，"

themotherinterpolated，"youwouldn’tbeenheretotellthetale，ColonelLapham。"

"Iknowallaboutthat，"saidLapham。"ButI’lltellyouwhat，Mr。Dewey，I’mnotgoingtosupportYOU。"

"Idon’tseewhatHen’sdone，"saidtheoldwomanimpartially。

"Hehasn’tdoneanything，andI’mgoingtostopit。

He’sgottogetaship，andhe’sgottogetoutofthis。

AndZerrillaneedn’tcomebacktoworktillhedoes。

I’mdonewithyouall。"

"Well，Ivow，"saidthemother，"ifIeverheardanythinglikeit！Didn’tthatchild’sfatherlaydownhislifeforyou？Hain’tyousaidityourselfahundredtimes？

Anddon’tsheworkforhermoney，andslaveforitmornin’，noon，andnight？Youtalkasifwewasbeholdentoyoufortheverybreadinourmouths。Iguessifithadn’tbeenforJim，youwouldn’tbeenherecrowin’

overus。"

"YoumindwhatIsay。Imeanbusinessthistime，"

saidLapham，turningtothedoor。

Thewomanroseandfollowedhim，withherbottleinherhand。

"Say，Colonel！whatshouldyouadviseZ’rillatodoaboutMr。Wemmel？Itellherthereain’tanyusegoin’tothetroubletogitadivorcewithoutshe’ssureabouthim。

Don’tyouthinkwe’doughttogithimtosignapaper，orsomething，thathe’llmarryherifshegitsit？Idon’tliketohavethingsgoingatlooseendsthewaytheyare。

Itain’tsense。Itain’tright。"

Laphammadenoanswertothemotheranxiousforherchild’sfuture，andconcernedforthemoralquestionsinvolved。

Hewentoutanddownthestairs，andonthepavementatthelowerdoorhealmoststruckagainstRogers，whohadabaginhishand，andseemedtobehurryingtowardsoneofthedepots。Hehaltedalittle，asiftospeaktoLapham；butLaphamturnedhisbackabruptlyuponhim，andtooktheotherdirection。

Thedaysweregoingbyinamonotonyofadversitytohim，fromwhichhecouldnolongerescape，evenathome。

Heattemptedonceortwicetotalkofhistroublestohiswife，butsherepulsedhimsharply；sheseemedtodespiseandhatehim；buthesethimselfdoggedlytomakeaconfessiontoher，andhestoppedheronenight，asshecameintotheroomwherehesat——hastilyuponsomeerrandthatwastotakeherdirectlyawayagain。

"Persis，there’ssomethingI’vegottotellyou。"

Shestoodstill，asiffixedagainstherwill，tolisten。

"Iguessyouknowsomethingaboutitalready，andIguessitsetyouagainstme。"

"Oh，Iguessnot，ColonelLapham。Yougoyourway，andIgomine。That’sall。"

Shewaitedforhimtospeak，listeningwithacold，hardsmileonherface。

"Idon’tsayittomakefavourwithyou，becauseIdon’twantyoutospareme，andIdon’taskyou；butIgotintoitthroughMiltonK。Rogers。"

"Oh！"saidMrs。Laphamcontemptuously。

"IalwaysfeltthewayIsaidaboutit——thatitwa’n’tanybetterthangambling，andIsaysonow。It’slikebettingontheturnofacard；andIgiveyoumywordofhonour，Persis，thatIneverwasinitatalltillthatscoundrelbegantoloadmeupwiththosewild—catsecuritiesofhis。

ThenitseemedtomeasifIoughttotrytodosomethingtogetsomewhereeven。Iknowit’snoexcuse；butwatchingthemarkettoseewhattheinfernalthingswereworthfromdaytoday，andseeingitgoup，andseeingitgodown，wastoomuchforme；and，tomakealongstoryshort，Ibegantobuyandsellonamargin——justwhatItoldyouIneverwoulddo。Iseemedtomakesomething——I

didmakesomething；andI’dhavestopped，Idobelieve，ifIcouldhavereachedthefigureI’dsetinmyownmindtostartwith；butIcouldn’tfetchit。Ibegantolose，andthenIbegantothrowgoodmoneyafterbad，justasIalwaysdidwitheverythingthatRogersevercamewithinamileof。Well，what’stheuse？Ilostthemoneythatwouldhavecarriedmeoutofthis，andIshouldn’thavehadtoshutdowntheWorks，orsellthehouse，or————"

Laphamstopped。Hiswife，whoatfirsthadlistenedwithmystification，andthendawningincredulity，changingintoalookofreliefthatwasalmosttriumph，lapsedagainintoseverity。"SilasLapham，ifyouwastodiethenextminute，isthiswhatyoustartedtotellme？"

"Why，ofcourseitis。WhatdidyousupposeIstartedtotellyou？"

"And——lookmeintheeyes！——youhaven’tgotanythingelseonyourmindnow？"

"No！There’stroubleenough，theLordknows；

butthere’snothingelsetotellyou。IsupposePengaveyouahintaboutit。Idroppedsomethingtoher。

I’vebeenfeelingbadaboutit，Persis，agoodwhile，butIhain’thadthehearttospeakofit。Ican’texpectyoutosayyoulikeit。I’vebeenafool，I’llallow，andI’vebeensomethingworse，ifyouchoosetosayso；

butthat’sall。Ihaven’thurtanybodybutmyself——andyouandthechildren。"

Mrs。Laphamroseandsaid，withherfacefromhim，assheturnedtowardsthedoor，"It’sallright，Silas。

Ishan’teverbringitupagainstyou。"

Shefledoutoftheroom，butallthateveningshewasverysweetwithhim，andseemedtowishinalltacitwaystoatoneforherpastunkindness。

Shemadehimtalkofhisbusiness，andhetoldherofCorey’soffer，andwhathehaddoneaboutit。

Shedidnotseemtocareforhispartinit，however；

atwhichLaphamwassilentlydisappointedalittle，forhewouldhavelikedhertopraisehim。

"HediditonaccountofPen！"

"Well，hedidn’tinsistuponit，anyway，"saidLapham，whomusthaveobscurelyexpectedthatCoreywouldrecognisehisownmagnanimitybyrepeatinghisoffer。

Ifthedoubtthatfollowsaself—devotedaction——thequestionwhetheritwasnotafterallaneedlessfolly——ismixed，asitwasinLapham’scase，withthevaguebeliefthatwemighthavedoneourselvesagoodturnwithoutgreatriskofhurtinganyoneelsebybeingalittlelessunselfish，itbecomesaregretthatishardtobear。SinceCoreyspoketohim，somethingshadhappenedthatgaveLaphamhopeagain。

"I’mgoingtotellheraboutit，"saidhiswife，andsheshowedherselfimpatienttomakeupforthetimeshehadlost。"Whydidn’tyoutellmebefore，Silas？"

"Ididn’tknowwewereonspeakingtermsbefore，"

saidLaphamsadly。

"Yes，that’strue，"sheadmitted，withaconsciousflush。

"Ihopehewon’tthinkPen’sknownaboutitallthiswhile。"

XXIV。

THATeveningJamesBellinghamcametoseeCoreyafterdinner，andwenttofindhiminhisownroom。

"I’vecomeattheinstanceofColonelLapham，"saidtheuncle。

"Hewasatmyofficeto—day，andIhadalongtalkwithhim。

Didyouknowthathewasindifficulties？"

"Ifanciedthathewasinsomesortoftrouble。

AndIhadthebook—keeper’sconjectures——hedoesn’treallyknowmuchaboutit。"

"Well，hethinksittime——onallaccounts——thatyoushouldknowhowhestands，andwhyhedeclinedthatpropositionofyours。Imustsayhehasbehavedverywell——likeagentleman。"

"