the dust-第1节

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The　Dust

by　David　Graham　Phillips






The　Grain　of　Dust




A　NOVEL
BY
DAVID　GRAHAM　PHILLIPS






THE　GRAIN　OF　DUST



　I


INTO　the　offices　of　Lockyer；　Sanders；　Benchley；　Lockyer　&　Norman；　corporation　lawyers；　there　drifted　on　a　December　afternoon　a　girl　in　search　of　work　at　stenography　and　typewriting。　　The　firm　was　about　the　most　important　and　most　famousradical　orators　often　said　infamousin　New　York。　　The　girl　seemed；　at　a　glance；　about　as　unimportant　and　obscure　an　atom　as　the　city　hid　in　its　vast　ferment。　　She　was　blondetawny　hair；　fair　skin；　blue　eyes。　　Aside　from　this　hardly　conclusive　mark　of　identity　there　was　nothing　positive；　nothing　definite；　about　her。　　She　was　neither　tall　nor　short；　neither　fat　nor　thin；　neither　grave　nor　gay。　　She　gave　the　impression　of　a　young　person　of　the　feminine　genderthat；　and　nothing　more。　　She　was　plainly　dressed；　like　thousands　of　other　girls；　in　darkish　blue　jacket　and　skirt　and　white　shirt　waist。　　Her　boots　and　gloves　were　neat；　her　hair　simply　and　well　arranged。　Perhaps　in　these　respectsin　neatness　and　tasteshe　did　excel　the　average；　which　is　depressingly　low。　　But　in　a　city　where　more　or　less　strikingly　pretty　women；　bent　upon　being　seen；　are　as　plentiful　as　the　blackberries　of　Kentucky's　Julyin　New　York　no　one　would　have　given　her　a　second　look；　this　quiet　young　woman　screened　in　an　atmosphere　of　self…effacement。

She　applied　to　the　head　clerk。　　It　so　happened　that　need　for　another　typewriter　had　just　arisen。　　She　got　a　trial；　showed　enough　skill　to　warrant　the　modest　wage　of　ten　dollars　a　week；　she　became　part　of　the　office　force　of　twenty　or　twenty…five　young　men　and　women　similarly　employed。　　As　her　lack　of　skill　was　compensated　by　industry　and　regularity；　she　would　have　a　job　so　long　as　business　did　not　slacken。　　When　it　did；　she　would　be　among　the　first　to　be　let　go。　　She　shrank　into　her　obscure　niche　in　the　great　firm；　came　and　went　in　mouse…　like　fashion；　said　little；　obtruded　herself　never；　was　all　but　forgotten。

Nothing　could　have　been　more　commonplace；　more　trivial　than　the　whole　incident。　　The　name　of　the　girl　was　HallowellMiss　Hallowell。　　On　the　chief　clerk's　pay　roll　appeared　the　additional　information　that　her　first　name　was　Dorothea。　　The　head　office　boy；　in　one　of　his　occasional　spells　of　〃freshness；〃　addressed　her　as　Miss　Dottie。　　She　looked　at　him　with　a　puzzled　expression；　it　presently　changed　to　a　slight；　sweet　smile；　and　she　went　about　her　business。　　There　was　no　rebuke　in　her　manner；　she　was　far　too　self…effacing　for　anything　so　positive　as　the　mildest　rebuke。　　But　the　head　office　boy　blushed　awkwardlywhy　he　did　not　know　and　could　not　discover；　though　he　often　cogitated　upon　it。　She　remained　Miss　Hallowell。

Opposites　suggest　each　other。　　The　dimmest　personality　in　those　offices　was　the　girl　whose　name　imaged　to　everyone　little　more　than　a　pencil；　notebook；　and　typewriting　machine。　　The　vividest　personality　was　Frederick　Norman。　　In　the　list　of　names　upon　the　outer　doors　of　the　firm's　vast　labyrinthine　suite；　on　the　seventeenth　floor　of　the　Syndicate　Building；　his　name　came　lastand；　in　the　newest　lettering；　suggesting　recentness　of　partnership。　　In　age　he　was　the　youngest　of　the　partners。　Lockyer　was　archaic；　Sanders　an　antique；　Benchley；　actually　only　about　fifty…five；　had　the　air　of　one　born　in　the　grandfather　class。　　Lockyer　the　son　dyed　his　hair　and　affected　jauntiness；　but　was　in　fact　not　many　years　younger　than　Benchley　and　had　the　stiffening　jerky　legs　of　one　paying　for　a　lively　youth。　　Norman　was　thirty…sevenat　the　age　the　Greeks　extolled　as　divine　because　it　means　all　the　best　of　youth　combined　with　all　the　best　of　manhood。　　Some　people　thought　Norman　younger；　almost　boyish。　　Those　knew　him　uptown　only；　where　he　hid　the　man　of　affairs　beneath　the　man　of　the　world…that…amuses…itself。　　Some　people　thought　he　looked；　and　was；　older　than　the　age　with　which　the　biographical　notices　credited　him。　　They　knew　him　down　town　onlywhere　he　dominated　by　sheer　force　of　intellect　and　will。

As　has　been　said；　the　firm　ranked　among　the　greatest　in　New　York。　　It　was　a　trusted　counselor　in　large　affairscommercial；　financial；　politicalin　all　parts　of　America；　in　all　parts　of　the　globe；　for　many　of　its　clients　were　international　traffickers。　　Yet　this　young　man；　this　youngest　and　most　recent　of　the　partners；　had　within　the　month　forced　a　reorganization　of　the　firmor；　rather；　of　its　profitson　a　basis　that　gave　him　no　less　than　one　half　of　the　whole。

His　demand　threw　his　four　associates　into　paroxysms　of　rage　and　fearthe　fear　serving　as　a　wholesome　antidote　to　the　rage。

It　certainly　was　infuriating　that　a　youth；　admitted　to　partnership　barely　three　years　ago；　should　thus　maltreat　his　associates。　　Ingrate　was　precisely　the　epithet　for　him。　　At　least；　so　they　honestly　thought；　after　the　quaint　human　fashion；　for；　because　they　had　given　him　the　partnership；　they　looked　on　themselves　as　his　benefactors；　and　neglected　as　unimportant　detail　the　sole　and　entirely　selfish　reason　for　their　graciousness。　　But　enraged　though　these　worthy　gentlemen　were；　and　eagerly　though　they　longed　to　treat　the　〃conceited　and　grasping　upstart〃　as　he　richly　deserved；　they　accepted　his　ultimatum。　　Even　the　venerable　and　veneerated　Lockyerthan　whom　a　more　convinced　self…　deceiver　on　the　subject　of　his　own　virtues　never　wore　white　whiskers；　black　garments；　and　the　other　badges　of　eminent　respectabilityeven　old　Joseph　Lockyer　could　not　twist　the　acceptance　into　another　manifestation　of　the　benevolence　of　himself　and　his　associates。　They　had　to　stare　the　grimacing　truth　straight　in　the　face；　they　were　yielding　because　they　dared　not　refuse。　To　refuse　would　mean　the　departure　of　Norman　with　the　firm's　most　profitable　business。　　It　costs　heavily　to　live　in　New　York；　the　families　of　successful　men　are　extravagant；　so　conduct　unbecoming　a　gentleman　may　not　there　be　resented　if　to　resent　is　to　cut　down　one's　income。　　The　time　was；　as　the　dignified　and　nicely　honorable　Sanders　observed；　when　these　and　many　similar　low　standards　did　not　prevail　in　the　legal　profession。　But　such　is　the　frailty　of　human　natureor　so　savage　the　pressure　of　the　need　of　the　material　necessities　of　civilized　life；　let　a　profession　become　profitable　or　develop　possibilities　of　profiteven　the　profession　of　statesman；　even　that　of　lawyeror　doctoror　priest　or　wifeand　straightway　it　begins　to　tumble　down　toward　the　brawl　and　stew　of　the　market　place。

In　a　last　effort　to　rouse　the　gentleman　in　Norman　or　to　shame　him　into　pretense　of　gentlemanliness；　Lockyer　expostulated　with　him　like　a　prophet　priest　in　full　panoply　of　saintly　virtue。　　And　Lockyer　was　passing　good　at　that　exalted　gesture。　　He　was　a　Websterian　figure；　with　the　venality　of　the　great　Daniel　in　all　its　pompous　dignity　modernizedand　correspondingly　expanded。　　He　abounded　in　those　idealist　sonorosities　that　are　the　stock…in…trade　of　all　solemn　old…fashioned　frauds。　The　young　man　listened　with　his　wonted　attentive　courtesy　until　the　dolorous　appeal　disguised　as　fatherly　counsel　came　to　an　end。　　Then　in　his　blue…gray　eyes　appeared　the　gleam　that　revealed　the　tenacity　and　the　penetration　of　his　mind。　　He　said：

〃Mr。　Lockyer；　you　have　been　absent　six　years　except　an　occasional　two　or　three　weeksabsent　as　American　Ambassador　to　France。　　You　have　done　nothing　for　the　firm　in　that　time。　　Yet　you　have　not　scorned　to　take　profits　you　did　not　earn。　　Why　should　I　scorn　to　take　profits　I　do　earn？〃

Mr。　Lockyer　shook　his　picturesque　head　in　sad　remonstrance　at　this　vulgar；　coarse；　but　latterly　frequent　retort　of　insurgent　democracy　upon　indignant　aristocracy。　But　he　answered　nothing。

〃Also；〃　proceeded　the　graceless　youth　in　the　clear　and　concise　way　that　won　the　instant　attention　of　juries　and　Judges；　〃also；　our　profession　is　no　longer　a　profession　but　a　business。〃　　His　humorous　eyes　twinkled　merrily。　〃It　divides　into　two　partsteaching　capitalists　how　to　loot　without　being　caught；　and　teaching　them　how　to　get　off　if　by　chance　they　have　been　caught。　There　are　other　branches　of　the　profession；　but　they're　not　lucrative；　so　we　do　not　practice　them。　　Do　I　make　myself　clear？〃

Mr。　Lockyer　again　shook　his　head　and　sighed。

〃I　am　not　an　Utopian；〃　continued　young　Norman。　〃Law　and　custom　permitnot　to　say　sanctifyour　sort　of　business。　　SoI　do　my　best。　　But　I　shall　not　conceal　from　you　that　it's　distasteful　to　me。　　I　wish　to　get　out　of　it。　　I　shall　get　out　as　soon　as　I've　made　enough　capital　to　assure　me　the　income　I　have　and　need。　　Naturally；　I　wish　to　gather　in　the　necessary　amount　as　speedily　as　possible。〃

〃Fred；　my　boy；　I　regret　that　you　take　such　low　views　of　our　noble　profession。〃

〃Yesas　a　profession　it　is　noble。　　But　not　as　a　practice。　　MY　regret　is　that　it　invites　and　compels　such　low　views。〃

〃You　will　look　at　these　things　moremore　mellowly　when　you　are　older。〃

〃I　doubt　if　I'll　ever　rise　very　high　in　the　art　of　self…deception；〃　replied　Norman。　　〃If　I'd　had　any　bent　that　way　I'd　not　have　got　so　far　so　quickly。〃

It　was　a　boastful　remarkof　a　kind　he；　and　other　similar　young　men；　have　the　habit　of　making。　　But　from　him　it　did　not　sound　boastfulsimply　a　frank　and　timely　expression　of　an　indisputable　truth；　which　indeed　it　was。　　On