the conflict-第25节

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‘‘Davy；''　said　Victor　gently；　‘‘you're　at　the　parting　of　the　ways。　　The　time　for　honest　halfway　reformers　for　political　amateurs　has　passed。　　‘Under　which　king；　Bezonian？　　Speak　or　die！'that's　the　situation　today。''

And　Hull　knew　that　it　was　so。　　‘‘What　do　you　propose；　Dorn？''　he　said。　　‘‘I　want　to　do　what's　right　what's　best　for　the　people。''

‘‘Don't　worry　about　the　people；　Hull；''　said　Victor。

‘‘Upper　classes　come　and　pass；　but　the　people　remain　bigger　and　stronger　and　more　aggressive　with　every　century。　　And　they　dictate　language　and　art；　and　politics　and　religionwhat　we　shall　all　eat　and　wear　and　think　and　do。　　Only　what　they　approve；　only　that　yoke　even　which　they　themselves　accept；　has　any　chance　of　enduring。　　Don't　worry　about　the　people；　Davy。　　Worry　about　yourself。''

‘‘I　admit；''　said　Hull；　‘‘that　I　don't　like　a　lot　of　things　about　thethe　forces　I　find　I've　got　to　use　in　order　to　carry　through　my　plans。　　I　admit　that　even　the　sincere　young　fellows　I've　grouped　together　to　head　this　movement　are　narrowsuperciliousself…satisfied　that　they　irritate　me　and　are　not　trustworthy。　　But　I　feel　that；　if　I　once　get　the　office；　I'll　be　strong　enough　to　put　my　plans　through。''　　Nervously；　‘‘I'm　giving　you　my　full　confidenceas　I've　given　it　to　no　one　else。''

‘‘You've　told　me　nothing　I　didn't　know　already；''　said　Victor。

‘‘I've　got　to　choose　between　this　reform　party　and　your　party；''　continued　Hull。　　‘‘That　is；　I've　got　no　choice。　　For；　candidly；　I've　no　confidence　in　the　working　class。　　It's　too　ignorant　to　do　the　ruling。　　It's　too　credulous　to　build　onfor　its　credulity　makes　it　fickle。　　And　I　believe　in　the　better　class；　too。　　It　may　be　sordid　and　greedy　and　tyrannical；　but　by　appealing　to　its　good　instinctsand　to　its　fear　of　the　money　kings　and　the　monopolists；　something　good　can　be　got　through　it。''

‘‘If　you　want　to　get　office；''　said　Dorn；　‘‘you're　right。　　But　if　you　want　to　BE　somebody；　if　you　want　to　develop　yourself；　to　have　the　joy　of　being　utterly　unafraid　in　speech　and　in　actionwhy；　come　with　us。''

After　a　pause　Hull　said；　‘‘I'd　like　to　do　it。　　I'd　like　to　help　you。''

Victor　laid　his　hand　on　Davy's　arm。　　‘‘Get　it　straight；　Davy；''　he　said。　　‘‘You　can't　help　us。　　We　don't　need　you。　　It's　you　that　needs　us。　　We'll　make　an　honest　man　of　youinstead　of　a　trimming　politician；　trying　to　say　or　to　do　something　more　or　less　honest　once　in　a　while　and　winking　at　or　abetting　crookedness　most　of　the　time。''

‘‘I've　done　nothing；　and　I'll　do　nothing；　to　be　ashamed　of；''　protested　Hull。

‘‘You　are　not　ashamed　of　the　way　your　movement　is　financed？''

Davy　moved　uncomfortably。　　‘‘The　money's　ours　now；''　said　he。　　‘‘They　gave　it　unconditionally。''

But　he　could　not　meet　Victor's　eyes。　　Victor　said：　　‘‘They　paid　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　for　a　judgeship　and　for　a　blanket　mortgage　on　your　party。　　And　if　you　should　win；　you'd　find　you　could　do　little　showy　things　that　were　of　no　value；　but　nothing　that　would　seriously　disturb　a　single　leech　sucking　the　blood　of　this　community。''

‘‘I　don't　agree　with　you；''　said　Davy。　　He　roused　himself　into　angerhis　only　remaining　refuge。　　‘‘Your　prejudices　blind　you　to　all　the　meansthe　PRACTICAL　meansof　doing　good；　Dorn。　　I've　listened　patiently　to　you　because　I　respect　your　sincerity。　　But　I'm　not　going　to　waste　my　life　in　mere　criticism。　　I'm　going　to　DO　something。''

An　expression　of　profound　sadness　came　into　Victor's　face。　　‘‘Don't　decide　now；''　he　said。　　‘‘Think　it　over。　　Remember　what　I've　told　you　about　what　we'll　be　compelled　to　do　if　you　launch　this　party。''

Hull　was　tempted　to　burst　out　violently。　　Was　not　this　swollen…headed　upstart　trying　to　intimidate　him　by　threats？　　But　his　strong　instinct　for　prudence　persuaded　him　to　conceal　his　resentment。　　‘‘Why　the　devil　should　you　attack　US？''　he　demanded。

‘‘Surely　we're　nearer　your　kind　of　thing　than　the　old　partiesand　we；　too；　are　against　themtheir　rotten　machines。''

‘‘We　purpose　to　keep　the　issue　clear　in　this　town；''　replied　Victor。　　‘‘So；　we　can't　allow　a　party　to　grow　up　that　PRETENDS　to　be　just　as　good　as　ours　but　is　really　a　cover　behind　which　the　old　parties　we've　been　battering　to　pieces　can　reorganize。''

‘‘That　is；　you'll　tolerate　in　this　market　no　brand　of　honest　politics　but　your　own？''

‘‘If　you　wish　to　put　it　that　way；''　replied　Victor　coolly。

‘‘I　suppose　you'd　rather　see　Kelly　or　House　win？''

‘‘We'll　see　that　House　does　win；''　replied　Victor。　　‘‘When　we　have　shot　your　movement　full　of　holes　and　sunk　it；　House　will　put　up　a　straight　Democratic　ticket；　and　it　will　win。''

‘‘And　House　means　Kellyand　Kelly　means　corruption　rampant。''

‘‘And　corruption　rampant　means　further　and　much　needed　education　in　the　school　of　hard　experience　for　the　voters；''　said　Dorn。　　‘‘And　the　more　education；　the　larger　our　party　and　the　quicker　its　triumph。''

Hull　laughed　angrily。　　‘‘Talk　about　low　self…seeking！　　Talk　about　rotten　practical　politics！''

But　Dorn　held　his　good　humor　of　the　man　who　has　the　power　and　knows　it。　　‘‘Think　it　over；　Davy；''　counseled　he。　　‘‘You'll　see　you've　got　to　come　with　us　or　join　Kelly。　　For　your　own　sake　I'd　like　to　see　you　with　us。　　For　the　party's　sake　you'd　better　be　with　Kelly；　for　you're　not　really　a　workingman；　and　our　fellows　would　be　uneasy　about　you　for　a　long　time。　　You　see；　we've　had　experience　of　rich　young　men　whose　hearts　beat　for　the　wrongs　of　the　working　classand　that　experience　has　not　been　fortunate。''

‘‘Before　you　definitely　decide　to　break　with　the　decent　element　of　the　better　class；　Victor；　I　want　YOU　to　think　it　over；''　said　Davy。　　‘‘WeI；　myselfhave　befriended　you　more　than　once。　　But　for　a　few　of　us　who　still　have　hope　that　demagoguery　will　die　of　itself；　your　paper　would　have　been　suppressed　long　ago。''

Victor　laughed。　　‘‘I　wish　they　would　suppress　it；''　said　he。　　‘‘The　result　would　give　the　‘better　element'　in　this　town　a　very　bad　quarter　of　an　hour；　at　least。''　　He　rose。　　‘‘We've　both　said　all　we've　got　to　say　to　each　other。　　I　see　I've　done　no　good。　　I　feared　it　would　be　so。''　　He　was　looking　into　Hull's　eyesinto　his　very　soul。　　‘‘When　we　meet　again；　you　will　probably　be　my　open　and　bitter　enemy。　　It's　a　pity。　　It　makes　me　sad。　　Good…by；　anddo　think　it　over；　Davy。''

Dorn　moved　rapidly　away。　　Hull　looked　after　him　in　surprise。　　At　first　blush　he　was　astonished　that　Dorn　should　care　so　much　about　him　as　this　curious　interview　and　his　emotion　at　its　end　indicated。　　But　on　reflecting　his　astonishment　disappeared；　and　he　took　the　view　that　Dorn　was　simply　impressed　by　his　personality　and　by　his　abilitywas　perhaps　craftily　trying　to　disarm　him　and　to　destroy　his　political　movement　which　was　threatening　to　destroy　the　Workingmen's　League。　　‘‘A　very　shrewd　chap　is　Dorn；''　thought　Davywhy　do　we　always　generously　concede　at　least　acumen　to　those　we　suspect　of　having　a　good　opinion　of　us？‘‘A　VERY　shrewd　chap。　　It's　unfortunate　he's　cursed　with　that　miserable　envy　of　those　better　born　and　better　off　than　he　is。''

Davy　spent　the　early　evening　at　the　University　Club；　where　he　was　an　important　figure。　　Later　on　he　went　to　a　dance　at　Mrs。　Venable'sand　there　he　was　indeed　a　lion；　as　an　unmarried　man　with　money　cannot　but　be　in　a　company　of　ladiesfor　money　to　a　lady　is　what　soil　and　sun　and　rain　are　to　a　floweris　that　without　which　she　must　cease　to　exist。　　But　still　later；　when　he　was　alone　in　bedperhaps　with　the　supper　he　ate　at　Mrs。　Venable's　not　sitting　as　lightly　as　comfort　requiredthe　things　Victor　Dorn　had　said　came　trailing　drearily　through　his　mind。　　What　kind　of　an　article　would　Dorn　print？　　Those　facts　about　the　campaign　fund　certainly　would　look　badly　in　cold　typeespecially　if　Dorn　had　the　proofs。　　And　Hugo　Galland　　Beyond　question　the　mere　list　of　the　corporations　in　which　Hugo　was　director　or　large　stockholder　would　make　him　absurd　as　a　judge；　sitting　in　that　district。　　And　Hugo　the　son…in…law　of　the　most　offensive　capitalist　in　that　section　of　the　State！　　And　the　deal　with　House；　endorsed　by　Kellyhow　nasty　that　would　look；　IF　Victor　had　the　proofs。　　IF　Victor　had　the　proofs。　　But　had　he？

‘‘I　MUST　have　a　talk　with　Kelly；''　said　Davy；　aloud。

The　words　startled　himnot　his　voice　suddenly　sounding　in　the　profound　stillness　of　his　bedroom；　but　the　words　themselves。　　It　was　his　first　admission　to　himself　of　the　vicious　truth　he　had　known　from　the　outset　and　had　been　pretending　to　himself　that　he　did　not　knowthe　truth　that　his　reform　movement　was　a　fraud　contrived　by　Dick　Kelly　to　further　the　interests　of　the　company　of　financiers　and　the　gang　of　politico…　criminal　thugs　who　owned　the　party　machinery。　　It　is　a　nice　question　whether　a　man　is　ever　allowed　to　go　in　HONEST　self…deception　decisively　far　along　a　wrong　road。　　However　this　may　be；　certain　it　is　that　David　Hull；　reformer；　was　not　so　allowed。　　And　he　was　glad　of　the　darkness　that　hid　him　at　least　physically　from　himself　as　he　strove　to　convince　himself　that；　if　he　was　doing　wrong；　it　was　from　the　highest　motives　and　for　the　noblest　purposes　and　would　result　in　the　public　good　and　not　merely　in　fame　and　office　for　David　Hull。

The　struggle　ended　as　struggles　usually　end　in　the　famous　arena　of　moral　sham　battles　called　conscience；　and　toward　the　middle　of　the　following　morning　Dav