the cost-第21节

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pending　the　afternoon　with　father　and　mother。　　They　told　us　you　returned　this　morning。〃

〃I　supposed　you　were　in　the　East；〃　said　Scarboroughthe　first　words　he　had　spoken。

〃OhI'm　living　here　nowGladys　and　I。　　Father　says　you　never　go　anywhere；　but　I　hope　you'll　make　an　exception　for　us。〃

〃Thank　youI'll　be　glad　to　call。〃

〃Why　not　dine　with　usday　after　to…morrow　night？〃

〃I'd　like　thatcertainly；　I'll　come。〃

〃We　dine　at　half…past　eightat　least　we're　supposed　to。〃

Scarborough　lifted　his　hat。

The　carriage　drove　on。

〃Why；　he's　not　a　bit　as　I　expected；〃　Gladys　began　at　once。　　〃He's　much　younger。　　ISN'T　he　handsome！　　That's　the　way　a　MAN　ought　to　look。　　He's　not　married？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Pauline。

〃Why　did　you　look　so　queer　when　you　first　caught　sight　of　him？〃

〃Did　I？〃　Pauline　replied　tranquilly。　　〃Probably　it　was　because　he　very　suddenly　and　vividly　brought　Battle　Field　back　to　methat　was　the　happiest　time　of　my　life。　　But　I　was　too　young　or　too　foolish；　or　both；　to　know　it　till　long　afterward。　　At　seventeen　one　takes　happiness　for　granted。〃

〃Did　he　look　then　as　he　does　now？〃

〃Noand　yes；〃　said　Pauline。　　〃He　was　just　from　the　farm　and　dressed　badly　and　was　awkward　at　times。　　Butreally　he　was　the　same　person。　　I　guess　it　was　the　little　change　in　him　that　startled　me。〃　　And　she　became　absorbed　in　her　thoughts。

〃I　hope　you'll　send　him　in　to　dinner　with　me；〃　said　Gladys；　presently。

〃What　did　you　say？〃　asked　Pauline；　absently。

〃I　was　talking　of　Mr。　Scarborough。　　I　asked　if　you　wouldn't　send　him　in　to　dinner　with　meunless　you　want　to　discuss　old　times　with　him。〃

〃Yescertainlyif　you　wish。〃

And　Pauline　gave　Scarborough　to　Gladys　and　did　her　duty　as　hostess　by　taking　in　the　dullest　man　in　the　partyNewnham。　　While　Newnham　droned　and　prosed；　she　watched　Gladys　lay　herself　out　to　please　the　distinguished　Mr。　Scarborough；　successful　as　a　lawyer；　famous　as　an　orator；　deferred　to　because　of　his　influence　with　the　rank　and　file　of　his　party　in　the　middle　West。

Gladys　had　blue…black　hair　which　she　wore　pulled　out　into　a　sort　of　halo　about　her　small；　delicate　face。　　There　were　points　of　light　in　her　dark　irises；　giving　them　the　look　of　black　quartz　in　the　sunshine。　　She　was　not　tall；　but　her　figure　was　perfect；　and　she　had　her　dresses　fitted　immediately　to　it。　　Her　appeal　was　frankly　to　the　senses；　the　edge　taken　from　its　audacity　by　its　artistic　effectiveness　and　by　her　ingenuous；　almost　innocent；　expression。

Seeing　Pauline　looking　at　her；　she　tilted　her　head　to　a　graceful　angle　and　sent　a　radiant　glance　between　two　blossom…laden　branches　of　the　green　and　white　bush　that　towered　and　spread　in　the　center　of　the　table。　　〃Mr。　Scarborough　says；〃　she　called　out；　〃character　isn't　a　development；　it's　a　disclosure。　　He　thinks　one　is　born　a　certain　kind　of　person　and　that　one's　life　simply　either　gives　it　a　chance　to　show　or　fails　to　give　it　a　chance。　　He　says　the　boy　isn't　father　to　the　man；　but　the　miniature　of　the　man。　　What　do　you　think；　Pauline？〃

〃I　haven't　thought　of　it；〃　replied　Pauline。　　〃But　I'm　certain　it's　true。　　I　used　to　dispute　Mr。　Scarborough's　ideas　sometimes；　but　I　learned　better。〃

As　she　realized　the　implications　of　her　careless　remark；　their　eyes　met　squarely　for　the　first　time　since　Battle　Field。　　Both　hastily　glanced　away；　and　neither　looked　at　the　other　again。　　When　the　men　came　up　to　the　drawing…room　to　join　the　women；　Gladys　adroitly　intercepted　him。　　When　he　went　to　Pauline　to　take　leave；　their　manner　each　toward　the　other　was　formal；　strained　and　even　distant。


Dumont　came　again　just　after　the　November　election。　　It　had　been　an　unexpected　victory　for　the　party　which　Scarborough　advocated；　and　everywhere　the　talk　was　that　he　had　been　the　chief　factorhis　skill　in　defining　issues；　his　eloquence　in　presenting　them；　the　public　confidence　in　his　party　through　the　dominance　of　a　man　so　obviously　free　from　self…seeking　or　political　trickery　of　any　kind。　　Dumont；　to　whom　control　in　both　party　machines　and　in　the　state　government　was　a　business　necessity；　told　his　political　agent；　Merriweather；　that　they　had　〃let　Scarborough　go　about　far　enough；〃　unless　he　could　be　brought　into　their　camp。

〃I　can't　make　out　what　he's　looking　for；〃　said　Merriweather。　　〃One　thing's　certainhe'll　do　US　no　good。　　There's　no　way　we　can　get　our　hooks　in　him。　　He　don't　give　a　damn　for　money。　　And　as　for　powerhe　can　get　more　of　that　by　fighting　us　than　by　falling　in　line。　　We　ain't　exactly　popular。〃

This　seemed　to　Dumont　rank　ingratitude。　　Had　he　not　just　divided　a　million　dollars　among　charities　and　educational　institutions　in　the　districts　where　opposition　to　his　〃merger〃　was　strongest？

〃Well；　we'll　see；〃　he　said。　　〃If　he　isn't　careful　we'll　have　to　kill　him　off　in　convention　and　make　the　committees　stop　his　mouth。〃

〃The　trouble　is　he's　been　building　up　a　following　of　his　ownthe　sort　of　following　that　can't　be　honeyfugled；〃　replied　Merriweather。　　〃The　committees　are　afraid　of　him。〃　　Merriweather　always　took　the　gloomy　view　of　everything；　because　he　thus　discounted　his　failures　in　advance　and　doubled　the　effect　of　his　successes。

〃I'll　seeI'll　see；〃　said　Dumont；　impatiently。　　And　he　thought　he　was　beginning　to　〃see〃　when　Gladys　expanded　to　him　upon　the　subject　of　Scarboroughhis　good　looks；　his　wit；　his　〃distinction。〃

Scarborough　came　to　dinner　a　few　evenings　later　and　Dumont　was　particularly　cordial　to　him；　and　Gladys　made　the　most　of　the　opportunity　which　Pauline　again　gave　her。　　That　night；　when　the　others　had　left　or　had　gone　to　bed；　Gladys　followed　her　brother　into　the　smoke…room　adjoining　the　library。　　They　sat　in　silence　drinking　a　〃night…cap。〃　　In　the　dreaminess　of　her　eyes；　in　the　absent　smile　drifting　round　the　corners　of　her　full　red　lips；　Gladys　showed　that　her　thoughts　were　pleasant　and　sentimental。

〃What　do　you　think　of　Scarborough？〃　her　brother　asked　suddenly。

She　started　but　did　not　flushin　her　long　European　experience　she　had　gained　control　of　that　signal　of　surprise。　　〃How　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked。　　She　rarely　answered　a　question　immediately；　no　matter　how　simple　it　was；　but　usually　put　another　question　in　reply。　　Thus　she　insured　herself　time　to　think　if　time　should　be　necessary。

〃I　mean；　do　you　like　him？〃

〃Why；　certainly。　　But　I've　seen　him　only　a　few　times。〃

〃He's　an　uncommon　man；〃　continued　her　brother。　　〃He'd　make　a　mighty　satisfactory　husband　for　an　ambitious　woman；　especially　one　with　the　money　to　push　him　fast。〃

Gladys　slowly　lifted　and　slowly　lowered　her　smooth；　slender　shoulders。

〃That　sort　of　thing　doesn't　interest　a　woman　in　a　man；　unless　she's　married　to　him　and　has　got　over　thinking　more　about　him　than　about　herself。〃

〃It　ought　to；〃　replied　her　brother。　　〃A　clever　woman　can　always　slosh　round　in　sentimental　slop　with　her　head　above　it　and　cool。　　If　I　were　a　girl　I'd　make　a　dead　set　for　that　chap。〃

〃If　you　were　a　girl；〃　said　Gladys；　〃you'd　do　nothing　of　the　sort。　　You'd　compel　him　to　make　a　dead　set　for　you。〃　　And　as　she　put　down　her　glass　she　gave　his　hair　an　affectionate　pullwhich　was　her　way　of　thanking　him　for　saying　what　she　most　wished　to　hear　on　the　subject　she　most　wished　to　hear　about。



XIV。

STRAINING　AT　THE　ANCHORS。


Gladys　was　now　twenty…four　and　was　even　more　anxious　to　marry　than　is　the　average　unmarried　person。　　She　had　been　eleven　years　a　wanderer；　she　was　tired　of　it。　　She　had　no　home；　and　she　wanted　a　home。

Her　aunther　mother's　widowed　sisterhad　taken　her　abroad　when　she　was　thirteen。　　John　was　able　to　defy　or　to　deceive　their　mother。　　But　she　could　and　did　enforce　upon　Gladys　the　rigid　rules　which　her　fanatical　nature　had　evolveda　minute　and　crushing　tyranny。　　Therefore　Gladys　preferred　any　place　to　her　home。　　For　ten　years　she　had　been　roaming　western　Europe；　nominally　watched　by　her　lazy；　selfish；　and　physically　and　mentally　near…sighted　aunt。　　Actually　her　only　guardian　had　been　her　own　precocious；　curiously　prudent；　curiously　reckless　self。　　She　had　been　free　to　do　as　she　pleased；　and　she　had　pleased　to　do　very　free　indeed。　　She　had　learned　all　that　her　intense　and　catholic　curiosity　craved　to　know；　had　learned　it　of　masters　of　her　own　selectingthe　men　and　women　who　would　naturally　attract　a　lively　young　person；　eager　to　rejoice　in　an　escape　from　slavery。　　Her　eyes　had　peered　far　into　the　human　heart；　farthest　into　the　corrupted　human　heart；　yet；　with　her　innocence　she　had　not　lost　her　honesty　or　her　preference　for　the　things　she　had　been　brought　up　to　think　clean。

But　she　had　at　last　wearied　of　a　novelty　which　lay　only　in　changes　of　scene　and　of　names；　without　any　important　change　in　characters　or　plot。　　She　began　to　be　bored　with　the　game　of　baffling　the　hopes　inspired　by　her　beauty　and　encouraged　by　her　seeming　simplicity。　　And　when　her　mother　cameas　she　said　to　Pauline；　〃The　only　bearable　view　of　mother　is　a　distant　view。　　I　had　forgot　there　were　such　people　left　on　earthI　had　thought　they'd　all　gone　to　their　own　kind　of　heaven。〃　　So　she　fled　to　America；　to　her　brother　and　his　wife。

Dumont　stayed　eight　days　at　the　Eyrie　on　that　trip；　then　went　back　to　his　congenial　life　in　New　Yorkto　his　business　and　his　dissipation。　　He　tempered　his　indulgence　in　both　nowadays　with　some　exercisehis　stomach；　his