the conflict-第21节

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‘‘That's　very　nice　of　you；　Miss　Hastings。　　But　I　can't　advise　youbeyond　saying　that　if　I　were　you；　I　shouldn't　meddle。''

Shethat　is；　her　vanitywas　cut　to　the　quick。　　‘‘Oh！''　said　she　with　irony；　‘‘I　fancied　you　wished　the　laboring　men　to　have　a　better　sort　of　life。''

‘‘Yes；''　said　he。　　‘‘But　I'm　not　in　favor　of　running　hysterically　about　with　a　foolish　little　atomizer　in　the　great　stable。　　You　are　talking　charity。　　I　am　working　for　justice。　　It　will　not　really　benefit　the　working　man　for　the　company；　at　the　urging　of　a　sweet　and　lovely　young　Lady　Bountiful；　to　deign　graciously　to　grant　a　little　less　slavery　to　them。　　In　fact；　a　well　fed；　well　cared　for　slave　is　worse　off　than　one　who's　badly　treated　worse　off　because　farther　from　his　freedom。　　The　only　things　that　do　our　class　any　good；　Miss　Hastings；　are　the　things　they　COMPELcompel　by　their　increased　intelligence　and　increased　unity　and　power。　　They　get　what　they　deserve。　　They　won't　deserve　more　until　they　compel　more。　　Gifts　won't　helpnot　even　gifts　from''　　His　intensely　blue　eyes　danced‘‘from　such　charming　white　hands　so　beautifully　manicured。''

She　rose　with　an　angry　toss　of　the　head。　　‘‘I　didn't　ask　you　here　to　annoy　me　with　impertinences　about　my　finger　nails。''

He　rose；　at　his　ease；　good…humored；　ready　to　go。　　‘‘Then　you　should　have　worn　gloves；''　said　he　carelessly；　‘‘for　I've　been　able　to　think　only　of　your　finger　nailsand　to　wonder　WHAT　can　be　done　with　hands　like　that。　　Thank　you　for　a　pleasant　talk。''　　He　bowed　and　smiled。　　‘‘Good…by。　　OhMiss　Gordon　sent　you　her　love。''

‘‘What　IS　the　matter；　Mr。　Dorn？''　cried　the　girl　desperately。　　‘‘I　want　your　friendshipyour　respect。　　CAN'T　I　get　it？　　Am　I　utterly　hopeless　in　your　eyes？''

A　curious　kind　of　color　rose　in　his　cheeks。　　His　eyes　regarded　her　with　a　mysterious　steadiness。　　‘‘You　want　neither　my　respect　nor　my　friendship；''　said　he。　　‘‘You　want　to　amuse　yourself。''　　He　pointed　at　her　hands。　　‘‘Those　nails　betray　you。''　　He　shrugged　his　shoulders；　laughed；　said　as　if　to　a　child：　　‘‘You　are　a　nice　girl；　Jane　Hastings。　　It's　a　pity　you　weren't　brought　up　to　be　of　some　use。　　But　you　weren'tand　it's　too　late。''

Her　eyes　flashed；　her　bosom　heaved。　　‘‘WHY　do　I　take　these　things　from　you？　　WHY　do　I　invite　them？''

‘‘Because　you　inherit　your　father's　magnificent　persistenceand　you've　set　your　heart　on　the　whim　of　making　a　fool　of　meand　you　hate　to　give　up。''

‘‘You　wrong　meindeed　you　do；''　cried　she。　　‘‘I　want　to　learnI　want　to　be　of　use　in　the　world。　　I　want　to　have　some　kind　of　a　real　life。''

‘‘Really？''　mocked　he　good…humoredly。

‘‘Really；''　said　she　with　all　her　power　of　sweet　earnestness。

‘‘Thencut　your　nails　and　go　to　work。　　And　when　you　have　become　a　genuine　laborer；　you'll　begin　to　try　to　improve　not　the　condition　of　others；　but　your　own。　　The　way　to　help　workers　is　to　abolish　the　idlers　who　hang　like　a　millstone　about　their　necks。　　You　can　help　only　by　abolishing　the　one　idler　under　your　control。''

She　stood　nearer　him；　very　near　him。　　She　threw　out　her　lovely　arms　in　a　gesture　of　humility。　　‘‘I　will　do　whatever　you　say；''　she　said。

They　looked　each　into　the　other's　eyes。　　The　color　fled　from　her　face；　the　blood　poured　into　hiswave　upon　wave；　until　he　was　like　a　man　who　has　been　set　on　fire　by　the　furious　heat　of　long　years　of　equatorial　sun。　　He　muttered；　wheeled　about　and　strode　away　in　resolute　and　relentless　flight。　　She　dropped　down　where　he　had　been　sitting　and　hid　her　face　in　her　perfumed　hands。

‘‘I　care　for　him；''　she　moaned；　‘‘and　he　saw　and　he　despises　me！　　How　COULD　Ihow　COULD　I！''

Nevertheless；　within　a　quarter　of　an　hour　she　was　in　her　dressing　room；　standing　at　the　table；　eyes　carefully　avoiding　her　mirrored　eyesas　she　cut　her　finger　nails。



IV


Jane　was　mistaken　in　her　guess　at　the　cause　of　Victor　Dorn's　agitation　and　abrupt　flight。　　If　he　had　any　sense　whatever　of　the　secret　she　had　betrayed　to　him　and　to　herself　at　the　same　instant　it　was　wholly　unconscious。　　He　had　become　panic…stricken　and　had　fled　because　he；　faced　with　her　exuberance　and　tempting　wealth　of　physical　charm；　had　become　suddenly　conscious　of　her　and　of　himself　in　a　way　as　new　to　him　as　if　he　had　been　fresh　from　a　monkery　where　no　woman　had　ever　been　seen。　　Thus　far　the　world　had　been　peopled　for　him　with　human　beings　without　any　reference　to　sex。　　The　phenomena　of　sex　had　not　interested　him　because　his　mind　had　been　entirely　taken　up　with　the　other　aspects　of　life；　and　he　had　not　yet　reached　the　stage　of　development　where　a　thinker　grasps　the　truth　that　all　questions　are　at　bottom　questions　of　the　sex　relation；　and　that；　therefore；　no　question　can　be　settled　right　until　the　sex　relations　are　settled　right。

Jane　Hastings　was　the　first　girl　he　had　met　in　his　whole　life　who　was　in　a　position　to　awaken　that　side　of　his　nature。　　And　when　his　brain　suddenly　filled　with　a　torrent　of　mad　longings　and　of　sensuous　appreciations　of　her　laces　and　silk；　of　her　perfume　and　smoothness　and　roundness；　of　the　ecstasy　that　would　come　from　contact　with　those　warm；　rosy　lipswhen　Victor　Dorn　found　himself　all　in　a　flash　eager　impetuosity　to　seize　this　woman　whom　he　did　not　approve　of；　whom　he　did　not　even　like；　he　felt　bowed　with　shame。　　He　would　not　have　believed　himself　capable　of　such　a　thing。　　He　fled。

He　fled；　but　she　pursued。　　And　when　he　sat　down　in　the　garden　behind　his　mother's　cottage；　to　work　at　a　table　where　bees　and　butterflies　had　been　his　only　disturbers；　there　was　this　SHE　before　himher　soft；　shining　gaze　fascinating　his　gaze；　her　useless　but　lovely　white　hands　extended　tantalizingly　toward　him。

As　he　continued　to　look　at　her；　his　disapproval　and　dislike　melted。　　‘‘I　was　brutally　harsh　to　her；''　he　thought　repentantly。

‘‘She　was　honestly　trying　to　do　the　decent　thing。　　How　was　she　to　know？　　And　wasn't　I　as　much　wrong　as　right　in　advising　her　not　to　help　the　men？''

Beyond　question；　it　was　theoretically　best　for　the　two　opposing　forces；　capital　and　labor；　to　fight　their　battle　to　its　inevitable　end　without　interference；　without　truce；　with　quarter　neither　given　nor　taken　on　either　side。　　But　practicallywasn't　there　something　to　be　said　for　such　humane　proposals　of　that　of　Jane　Hastings？　　They　would　put　off　the　day　of　right　conditions　rightly　and　therefore　permanently　foundedconditions　in　which　master　and　slave　or　serf　or　wage…taker　would　be　no　more；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　slaves　with　shorter　hours　of　toil　and　better　surroundings　could　be　enlightened　　more　easily。　　Perhaps。　　He　was　by　no　means　sure；　he　could　not　but　fear　that　anything　that　tended　to　make　the　slave　comfortable　in　his　degradation　must　of　necessity　weaken　his　aversion　to　degradation。　　Just　as　the　worst　kings　were　the　best　kings　because　they　hastened　the　fall　of　monarchy；　so　the　worst　capitalists；　the　most　rapacious；　the　most　rigid　enforcers　of　the　economic　laws　of　a　capitalistic　society　were　the　best　capitalists；　were　helping　to　hasten　the　day　when　men　would　work　for　what　they　earned　and　would　earn　what　they　worked　forwhen　every　man's　pay　envelope　would　contain　his　wages；　his　full　wages；　and　nothing　but　his　wages。

Still；　where　judgment　was　uncertain；　he　certainly　had　been　unjust　to　that　well　meaning　girl。　　And　was　she　really　so　worthless　as　he　had　on　first　sight　adjudged　her？　　There　might　be　exceptions　to　the　rule　that　a　parasite　born　and　bred　can　have　no　other　instructor　or　idea　but　those　of　parasitism。　　She　was　honest　and　earnest；　was　eager　to　learn　the　truth。　　She　might　be　put　to　some　use。　　At　any　rate　he　had　been　unworthy　of　his　own　ideals　when　he；　assuming　without　question　that　she　was　the　usual　capitalistic　snob　with　the　itch　for　gratifying　vanity　by　patronizing　the　‘‘poor　dear　lower　classes；''　had　been　almost　insultingly　curt　and　mocking。

‘‘What　was　the　matter　with　me？''　he　asked　himself。　　‘‘I　never　acted　in　that　way　before。''　　And　then　he　saw　that　his　brusqueness　had　been　the　cover　for　fear　of　of　herfear　of　the　allure　of　her　luxury　and　her　beauty。　　In　love　with　her？　　He　knew　that　he　was　not。　　No；　his　feeling　toward　her　was　merely　the　crudest　form　of　the　tribute　of　man　to　womanthough　apparently　woman　as　a　rule　preferred　this　form　to　any　other。

‘‘I　owe　her　an　apology；''　he　said　to　himself。　　And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　at　three　the　following　afternoon　he　was　once　more　facing　her　in　that　creeper…walled　seclusion　whose　soft　lights　were　almost　equal　to　light　of　gloaming　or　moon　or　stars　in　romantic　charm。

Said　healways　direct　and　simple；　whether　dealing　with　man　or　woman；　with　devious　person　or　straight：

‘‘I've　come　to　beg　your　pardon　for　what　I　said　yesterday。''

‘‘You　certainly　were　wild　and　strange；''　laughed　she。

‘‘I　was　supercilious；''　said　he。　　‘‘And　worse　than　that　there　is　not。　　However；　as　I　have　apologized；　and　you　have　accepted　my　apology；　we　need　waste　no　more　time　about　that。　　You　wished　to　persuade　your　father　to''

‘‘Just　a　moment！''　interrupted　she。　　‘‘I've　a　question　to　ask。　　WHY　did　you　treat　mewhy　have　you　been　treating　me　soso　harshly？''

‘‘Because　I　was　afraid　of　you；''　replied　he。　　‘‘I　did　not　realize　it；　but　that　was　the　reason。''

‘‘Afraid　of　ME；''　said　she。　　‘‘That's　very　flattering。''

‘‘No；''　said　he；　coloring。　　‘‘In　some　mysterious　way　I　had　been　betrayed　into　t