下载辰思小说免费APP
Itplacesmeinaridiculousposition。"Rogersurgedhisgrievancecalmly，almostimpersonally，makinghisappealtoLapham’ssenseofjustice。"ICAN’Tgobacktothosepartiesandtellthemyouwon’tseethem。
It’snoanswertomake。They’vegotarighttoknowwhyyouwon’tseethem。"
"Verywell，then！"criedLapham；"I’llcomeandTELL
themwhy。WhoshallIaskfor？WhenshallIbethere？"
"Ateighto’clock，please，"saidRogers，rising，withoutapparentalarmathisthreat，ifitwasathreat。
"Andaskforme；I’vetakenaroomatthehotelforthepresent。"
"Iwon’tkeepyoufiveminuteswhenIgetthere，"
saidLapham；buthedidnotcomeawaytillteno’clock。
Itappearedtohimasiftheverydevilwasinit。
TheEnglishmentreatedhisdownrightrefusaltosellasapieceofbluff，andtalkedonasthoughitweremerelytheopeningofthenegotiation。Whenhebecameplainwiththeminhisanger，andtoldthemwhyhewouldnotsell，theyseemedtohavebeenpreparedforthisasastrokeofbusiness，andwerereadytomeetit。
"Hasthisfellow，"hedemanded，twistinghisheadinthedirectionofRogers，butdisdainingtonoticehimotherwise，"beentellingyouthatit’spartofmygametosaythis？Well，sir，Icantellyou，onmyside，thatthereisn’taslipperierrascalunhunginAmericathanMiltonK。Rogers！"
TheEnglishmentreatedthisasapieceofgenuineAmericanhumour，andreturnedtothechargewithunabatedcourage。
Theyownednow，thatapersoninterestedwiththemhadbeenouttolookattheproperty，andthattheyweresatisfiedwiththeappearanceofthings。Theydevelopedfurtherthefactthattheywerenotactingsolely，orevenprincipally，intheirownbehalf，butweretheagentsofpeopleinEnglandwhohadprojectedthecolonisationofasortofcommunityonthespot，somewhataftertheplanofotherEnglishdreamers，andthattheyweresatisfied，fromacarefulinspection，thattheresourcesandfacilitieswerethosebestcalculatedtodeveloptheenergyandenterpriseoftheproposedcommunity。TheywerepreparedtomeetMr。Lapham——Colonel，theybeggedhispardon，attheinstanceofRogers——atanyreasonablefigure，andwerequitewillingtoassumetheriskshehadpointedout。Somethingintheeyesofthesemen，somethingthatlurkedataninfinitedepthbelowtheirspeech，andwasnotreallyintheireyeswhenLaphamlookedagain，hadflashedthroughhimasenseoftreacheryinthem。
HehadthoughtthemthedupesofRogers；butinthatbriefinstanthehadseenthem——orthoughthehadseenthem——hisaccomplices，readytobetraytheinterestsofwhichtheywentontospeakwithacertaincomfortablejocosity，andacertainincredulousslightofhisshowofintegrity。
ItwasadeepergamethanLaphamwasusedto，andhesatlookingwithasortofadmirationfromoneEnglishmantotheother，andthentoRogers，whomaintainedanexteriorofmodestneutrality，andwhoseairsaid，"Ihavebroughtyougentlementogetherasthefriendofallparties，andI
nowleaveyoutosettleitamongyourselves。Iasknothing，andexpectnothing，exceptthesmallsumwhichshallaccruetomeafterthedischargeofmyobligationstoColonelLapham。"
WhileRogers’spresenceexpressedthis，oneoftheEnglishmenwassaying，"Andifyouhaveanyscrupleinallowin’
ustoassumethisrisk，ColonelLapham，perhapsyoucanconsoleyourselfwiththefactthattheloss，ifthereistobeany，willfalluponpeoplewhoareabletobearit——uponanassociationofrichandcharitablepeople。
Butwe’requitesatisfiedtherewillbenoloss，"
headdedsavingly。"Allyouhavetodoistonameyourprice，andwewilldoourbesttomeetit。"
TherewasnothingintheEnglishman’ssophistryveryshockingtoLapham。Itaddresseditselfinhimtothateasy—going，notevillyintentioned，potentialimmoralitywhichregardscommonpropertyascommonprey，andgivesusthemostcorruptmunicipalgovernmentsunderthesun——whichmakesthepoorestvoter，whenhehastrickedintoplace，asunscrupulousinregardtoothers’moneyasanhereditaryprince。LaphammettheEnglishman’seye，andwithdifficultykepthimselffromwinking。
Thenhelookedaway，andtriedtofindoutwherehestood，orwhathewantedtodo。Hecouldhardlytell。
HehadexpectedtocomeintothatroomandunmaskRogers，andhaveitover。ButhehadunmaskedRogerswithoutanyeffectwhatever，andtheplayhadonlybegun。
Hehadawhimsicalandsarcasticsenseofitsbeingverydifferentfromtheplaysatthetheatre。Hecouldnotgetupandgoawayinsilentcontempt；hecouldnottelltheEnglishmenthathebelievedthemapairofscoundrelsandshouldhavenothingtodowiththem；
hecouldnolongertreatthemasinnocentdupes。
Heremainedbaffledandperplexed，andtheonewhohadnotspokenhithertoremarked——
"Ofcourseweshan’t’aggleaboutafewpound，moreorless。
IfColonelLapham’sfigureshouldbealittlelargerthanours，I’venodoubt’e’llnotbetoo’arduponusintheend。"
Laphamappreciatedalltheintentofthissubtlesuggestion，andunderstoodasplainlyasifithadbeensaidinsomanywords，thatiftheypaidhimalargerprice，itwastobeexpectedthatacertainportionofthepurchase—moneywastoreturntotheirownhands。Stillhecouldnotmove；
anditseemedtohimthathecouldnotspeak。
"Ringthatbell，Mr。Rogers，"saidtheEnglishmanwhohadlastspoken，glancingattheannunciatorbuttoninthewallnearRogers’shead，"and’aveupsomething’of，can’tyou？IshouldlikeTOwetmew’istle，asyousay’ere，andColonelLaphamseemstofinditratherdrywork。"
Laphamjumpedtohisfeet，andbuttonedhisovercoatabouthim。HerememberedwithterrorthedinneratCorey’swherehehaddisgracedandbetrayedhimself，andifhewentintothisthingatall，hewasgoingintoitsober。
"Ican’tstop，"hesaid，"Imustbegoing。"
"Butyouhaven’tgivenusanansweryet，Mr。Lapham，"
saidthefirstEnglishmanwithasuccessfulshowofdignifiedsurprise。
"TheonlyanswerIcangiveyounowis，NO，"saidLapham。
"Ifyouwantanother，youmustletmehavetimetothinkitover。"
"But’owmuchtime？"saidtheotherEnglishman。
"We’repressedfortimeourselves，andwehopedforananswer——’opedforahanswer，"hecorrectedhimself，"atonce。Thatwasourunderstandin’withMr。Rogers。"
"Ican’tletyouknowtillmorning，anyway，"saidLapham，andhewentout，ashiscustomoftenwas，withoutanypartingsalutation。HethoughtRogersmighttrytodetainhim；butRogershadremainedseatedwhentheothersgottotheirfeet，andpaidnoattentiontohisdeparture。
Hewalkedoutintothenightair，everypulsethrobbingwiththestrongtemptation。Heknewverywellthosemenwouldwait，andgladlywait，tillthemorning，andthatthewholeaffairwasinhishands。Itmadehimgroaninspirittothinkthatitwas。Ifhehadhopedthatsomechancemighttakethedecisionfromhim，therewasnosuchchance，inthepresentorfuture，thathecouldsee。Itwasforhimalonetocommitthisrascality——ifitwasarascality——ornot。
Hewalkedallthewayhome，lettingonecarafteranotherpasshimonthestreet，nowsoemptyofotherpassing，anditwasalmosteleveno’clockwhenhereachedhome。
Acarriagestoodbeforehishouse，andwhenhelethimselfinwithhiskey，heheardtalkinginthefamily—room。ItcameintohisheadthatIrenehadgotbackunexpectedly，andthatthesightofherwassomehowgoingtomakeitharderforhim；thenhethoughtitmightbeCorey，comeuponsomedesperatepretexttoseePenelope；
butwhenheopenedthedoorhesaw，withacertainabsenceofsurprise，thatitwasRogers。Hewasstandingwithhisbacktothefireplace，talkingtoMrs。Lapham，andhehadbeensheddingtears；drytearstheyseemed，andtheyhadleftasortofsandy，glisteningtraceonhischeeks。Apparentlyhewasnotashamedofthem，fortheexpressionwithwhichhemetLaphamwasthatofamanmakingadesperateappealinhisowncause，whichwasidenticalwiththatofhumanity，ifnotthatofjustice。
"Isomeexpected，"beganRogers，"tofindyouhere————"
"No，youdidn’t，"interruptedLapham；"youwantedtocomehereandmakeapoormouthtoMrs。LaphambeforeIgothome。"
"IknewthatMrs。Laphamwouldknowwhatwasgoingon，"
saidRogersmorecandidly，butnotmorevirtuously，forthathecouldnot，"andIwishedhertounderstandapointthatIhadn’tputtoyouatthehotel，andthatIwantyoushouldconsider。AndIwantyoush
