pgw.piccadillyjim-第27节

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　〃I　must　be　going。〃
　〃We　shall　meet　at　Philippi。〃
　He　saw　her　to　the　door；　and　stood　at　the　top　of　the　steps　watching　her　trim　figure　vanish　into　the　dusk。　She　passed　from　his　sight。　Jimmy　drew　a　deep　breath；　and；　thinking　hard；　went　down　the　passage　to　fortify　himself　with　supper。
　
　CHAPTER　XII
　JIMMY　CATCHES　THE　BOSS'S　EYE
　
　WHEN　Jimmy　arrived　at　Mr。　Pett's　office　on　Pine　Street　at　ten…thirty　the　next　morninghis　expressed　intention　of　getting　up　early　enough　to　be　there　by　nine　having　proved　an　empty　boasthe　was　in　a　high　state　of　preparedness。　He　had　made　ready　for　what　might　be　a　trying　interview　by　substituting　a　bination　of　well…chosen　dishes　at　an　expensive　hotel　for　the　less　imaginative　boarding…house　breakfast　with　which　he　had　of　late　been　insulting　his　interior。　His　suit　was　pressed；　his　shoes　gleamed　brightly；　and　his　chin　was　smoothly　shaven。　These　things；　bined　with　the　perfection　of　the　morning　and　that　vague　exhilaration　which　a　fine　day　in　down…town　New　York　brings　to　the　man　who　has　not　got　to　work；　increased　his　natural　optimism。　Something　seemed　to　tell　him　that　all　would　he　well。　He　would　have　been　the　last　person　to　deny　that　his　position　was　a　little　plicatedhe　had　to　use　a　pencil　and　a　sheet　of　paper　to　show　himself　just　where　he　stoodbut　what　of　that？　A　few　plications　in　life　are　an　excellent　tonic　for　the　brain。　It　was　with　a　sunny　geniality　which　startled　that　unaccustomed　stripling　considerablyand　indeed　caused　him　to　swallow　his　chewing　gumthat　he　handed　in　his　card　to　Mr。　Pett's　watchfully　waiting　office…boy。
　〃This　to　the　boss；　my　open…faced　lad！〃　he　said。　〃Get　swiftly　off　the　mark。〃
　The　boy　departed　dumbly。
　From　where　he　stood；　outside　the　barrier　which　separated　visitors　to　the　office　from　the　workers　within；　Jimmy　could　see　a　vista　of　efficient…looking　young　men　with　paper　protectors　round　their　cuffs　working　away　at　mysterious　jobs　which　seemed　to　involve　the　use　of　a　great　deal　of　paper。　One　in　particular　was　so　surrounded　by　it　that　he　had　the　appearance　of　a　bather　in　surf。　Jimmy　eyed　these　toilers　with　a　fortable　and　kindly　eye。　All　this　industry　made　him　feel　happy。　He　liked　to　think　of　this　sort　of　thing　going　on　all　round　him。
　The　office…boy　returned。　〃This　way；　please。〃
　The　respectfulness　of　the　lad's　manner　had　increased　noticeably。　Mr。　Pett's　reception　of　the　visitor's　name　had　impressed　him。　It　was　an　odd　fact　that　the　financier；　a　cipher　in　his　own　home；　could　impress　all　sorts　of　people　at　the　office。
　To　Mr。　Pett；　the　announcement　that　Mr。　James　Crocker　was　waiting　to　see　him　had　e　like　the　announcement　of　a　miracle。　Not　a　day　had　passed　since　their　return　to　America　without　lamentations　from　Mrs。　Pett　on　the　subject　of　their　failure　to　secure　the　young　man's　person。　The　occasion　of　Mrs。　Pett's　reading　of　the　article　in　the　Sunday　Chronicle　descriptive　of　the　Lord　Percy　Whipple　affair　had　been　unique　in　the　little　man's　domestic　history。　For　the　first　time　since　he　had　known　her　the　indomitable　woman　had　pletely　broken　down。　Of　all　sad　words　of　tongue　or　pen　the　saddest　are　these　〃It　might　have　been！〃　and　the　thought　that；　if　she　had　only　happened　to　know　it；　she　had　had　in　her　hands　during　that　interview　with　her　sister　in　London　a　weapon　which　would　have　turned　defeat　into　triumph　was　more　than　even　Mrs。　Pett's　strong　spirit　could　endure。　When　she　looked　back　on　that　scene　and　recalled　the　airy　way　in　which　Mrs。　Crocker　had　spoken　of　her　step…son's　〃best　friend；　Lord　Percy　Whipple〃　and　realised　that　at　that　very　moment　Lord　Percy　had　been　recovering　in　bed　from　the　effects　of　his　first　meeting　with　Jimmy　Crocker；　the　iron　entered　into　her　soul　and　she　refused　to　be　forted。　In　the　first　instant　of　realisation　she　thought　of　six　separate　and　distinct　things　she　could　have　said　to　her　sister；　each　more　crushing　than　the　lastthings　which　now　she　would　never　be　able　to　say。
　And　now；　suddenly　and　unaccountably；　the　means　was　at　hand　for　restoring　her　to　her　tranquil　self…esteem。　Jimmy　Crocker；　despite　what　his　stepmother　had　said；　probably　in　active　defiance　of　her　mands；　had　e　to　America　after　all。　Mr。　Pett's　first　thought　was　that　his　wife　would；　as　he　expressed　it　to　himself；　be　〃tickled　to　death　about　this。〃　Scarcely　waiting　for　the　office…boy　to　retire；　he　leaped　towards　Jimmy　like　a　gambolling　lamb　and　slapped　him　on　the　back　with　every　evidence　of　joy　and　friendliness。
　〃My　dear　boy！〃　he　cried。　〃My　dear　boy！　I'm　delighted　to　see　you！〃
　Jimmy　was　surprised；　relieved；　and　pleased。　He　had　not　expected　this　warmth。　A　civil　coldness　had　been　the　best　he　had　looked　for。　He　had　been　given　to　understand　that　in　the　Pett　home　he　was　regarded　as　the　black　sheep：　and；　while　one　may　admit　a　black　sheep　into　the　fold；　it　does　not　follow　that　one　must　of　necessity　fawn　upon　him。
　〃You're　very　kind；〃　he　said；　rather　startled。
　They　inspected　each　other　for　a　brief　moment。　Mr。　Pett　was　thinking　that　Jimmy　was　a　great　improvement　on　the　picture　his　imagination　had　drawn　of　him。　He　had　looked　for　something　tougher；　something　flashy　and　bloated。　Jimmy；　for　his　part；　had　taken　an　instant　liking　to　the　financier。　He；　too；　had　been　misled　by　imagination。　He　had　always　supposed　that　these　millionaires　down　Wall　Street　way　were　keen；　aggressive　fellows；　with　gimlet　eyes　and　sharp　tongues。　On　the　boat　he　had　only　seen　Mr。　Pett　from　afar；　and　had　had　no　means　of　estimating　his　character。　He　found　him　an　agreeable　little　man。
　〃We　had　given　up　all　hope　of　your　ing；〃　said　Mr。　Pett。
　A　little　manly　penitence　seemed　to　Jimmy　to　be　in　order。
　〃I　never　expected　you　would　receive　me　like　this。　I　thought　I　must　have　made　myself　rather　unpopular。〃
　Mr。　Pett　buried　the　past　with　a　gesture。　　〃When　did　you　land？〃　he　asked。
　〃This　morning。　On　the　Caronia　。　。　。〃
　〃Good　passage？〃
　〃Excellent。〃
　There　was　a　silence。　It　seemed　to　Jimmy　that　Mr。　Pett　was　looking　at　him　rather　more　closely　than　was　necessary　for　the　actual　enjoyment　of　his　style　of　beauty。　He　was　just　about　to　throw　out　some　light　remark　about　the　health　of　Mrs。　Pett　or　something　about　porpoises　on　the　voyage　to　add　local　colour　and　verisimilitude；　when　his　heart　missed　a　beat；　as　he　perceived　that　he　had　made　a　blunder。　Like　many　other　amateur　plotters；　Ann　and　he　had　made　the　mistake　of　being　too　elaborate。　It　had　struck　them　as　an　ingenious　idea　for　Jimmy　to　pretend　that　he　has　arrived　that　morning；　and　superficially　it　was　a　good　idea：　but　he　now　remembered　for　the　first　time　that；　if　he　had　seen　Mr。　Pett　on　the　Atlantic；　the　probability　was　that　Mr。　Pett　had　seen　him。　The　next　moment　the　other　had　confirmed　this　suspicion。
　〃I've　an　idea　I've　seen　you　before。　Can't　think　where。〃
　〃Everybody　well　at　home？〃　said　Jimmy。
　〃I'm　sure　of　it。〃
　〃I'm　looking　forward　to　seeing　them　all。〃
　〃I've　seen　you　some　place。〃
　〃I'm　often　there。〃
　〃Eh？〃
　Mr。　Pett　seemed　to　be　turning　this　remark　over　in　his　mind　a　trifle　suspiciously。　Jimmy　changed　the　subject。
　〃To　a　young　man　like　myself；〃　he　said；　〃with　life　opening　out　before　him；　there　is　something　singularly　stimulating　in　the　sight　of　a　modern　office。　How　busy　those　fellows　seem！〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Pett。　〃Yes。〃　He　was　glad　that　this　conversational　note　had　been　struck。　He　was　anxious　to　discuss　the　future　with　this　young　man。
　〃Everybody　works　but　father！〃　said　Jimmy。
　Mr。　Pett　started。
　〃Eh？〃
　〃Nothing。〃
　Mr。　Pett　was　vaguely　ruffled。　He　suspected　insult；　but　could　not　pin　it　down。　He　abandoned　his　cheeriness；　however；　and　became　the　man　of　business。
　〃I　hope　you　intend　to　settle　down；　now　that　you　are　here；　and　work　hard；〃　he　said　in　the　voice　which　he　vainly　tried　to　use　on　Ogden　at　home。
　〃Work！〃　said　Jimmy　blankly。
　〃I　shall　be　able　to　make　a　place　for　you　in　my　office。　That　was　my　promise　to　your　step…mother；　and　I　shall　fulfil　it。〃
　〃But　wait　a　minute！　I　don't　get　this！　Do　you　mean　to　put　me　to　work？〃
　〃Of　course。　I　take　it　that　that　was　why　you　came　over　here；　because　you　realised　how　you　were　wasting　your　life　and　wanted　a　chance　of　making　good　in　my　office。〃
　A　hot　denial　trembled　on　Jimmy's　tongue。　Never　had　he　been　so　misjudged。　And　then　the　thought　of　Ann　checked　him。　He　must　do　nothing　that　would　interfere　with　Ann's　plans。　Whatever　the　cost；　he　must　conciliate　this　little　man。　For　a　moment　he　mused　sentimentally　on　Ann。　He　hoped　she　would　understand　what　he　was　going　through　for　her　sake。　To　a　man　with　his　ingrained　distaste　for　work　in　any　shape　the　sight　of　those　wage…slaves　outside　there　in　the　outer　office　had；　as　he　had　told　Mr。　Pett；　been　stimulating：　but　only　because　it　filled　him　with　a　sort　of　spiritual　uplift　to　think　that　he　had　not　got　to　do　that　sort　of　thing。　Consider　them　in　the　light　of　fellow…workers；　and　the　spectacle　ceased　to　stimulate　and　became　nauseating。　And　for　her　sake　he　was　about　to　bee　one　of　them！　Had　any　knight　of　old　ever　done　anything　as　big　as　that　for　his　lady？　He　very　much　doubted　it。
　〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃Count　me　in。　I　take　it　that　I　shall　have　a　job　like　one　of　those　out　there？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Not　presuming　to　dictate；　I　suggest　that　you　give　me　something　that　will　take　some　of　the　work　off　that　fellow　who's　swimming　in　paper。　Only　the　tip　of　his　nose　was　above　the　sur