the dust-第52节

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〃But　you　wouldn't　have　been　disturbing　me；〃　protested　she；　leaning　against　the　door　frame；　less　than　two　feet　away　and　directly　facing　him。

〃I'll　stay　on　here；〃　said　he。

She　gazed　at　him　with　great　puzzled　eyes。　　〃Aren't　you　glad　I'm　back？〃　she　asked。

〃Certainly；〃　said　he　with　a　polite　smile。　　〃But　I　must　get　some　sleep。〃　　And　he　moved　away。

〃You　must　let　me　tell　you　how　I　happened　to　go　and　why　I　came〃

〃Please；〃　he　interrupted；　looking　at　her　with　a　piercing　though　not　in　the　least　unfriendly　expression　that　made　her　grow　suddenly　pale　and　thoughtful。　　〃I　do　not　wish　to　hear　about　itnot　nownot　ever。　　Tetlow　told　me　all　that　it's　necessary　for　me　to　know。　You　have　come　to　stay；　I　assume？〃

〃Yesif〃her　lip　quivered〃if　you'll　let　me。〃

〃There　can　be　no　question　of　that；〃　said　he　with　the　same　polite　gravity　he　had　maintained　throughout。

〃You　want　me　to　leave　you　alone？〃

〃Please。　　I　need　sleep　badlyand　I've　only　three　hours。〃

〃You　areangry　with　me？〃

He　looked　placidly　into　her　lovely；　swimming　eyes。　〃Not　in　the　least。〃

〃But　how　can　you　help　being？　　I　acted　dreadfully。〃

He　smiled　gently。　　〃But　you　are　backand　the　incident　is　closed。〃

She　looked　down　at　the　carpet；　her　fingers　playing　with　her　braid；　twisting　and　untwisting　its　strands。　　He　stood　waiting　to　close　the　door。　　She　said；　without　lifting　her　eyessaid　in　a　quiet；　expressionless　way；　〃I　have　killed　your　love？〃

〃I'll　not　trouble　you　any　more；〃　evaded　he。　　And　he　laid　his　hand　significantly　upon　the　knob。

〃I　don't　understand；〃　she　murmured。　　Then；　with　a　quick　apologetic　glance　at　him；　〃But　I'm　very　inconsiderate。　　You　want　to　sleep。　　Good　night。〃

〃Good　night；〃　said　he；　beginning　to　close　the　door。

She　impulsively　stood　close　before　him；　lifted　her　small　white　face；　as　if　for　a　kiss。　　〃Do　you　forgive　me？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　was　foolish。　　I　didn't　understand　till　I　went　back。　　Thennothing　was　the　same。　　And　I　knew　I　wasn't　fitted　for　that　lifeand　didn't　really　care　for　himand〃

He　kissed　her　on　the　brow。　　〃Don't　agitate　yourself；〃　said　he。　　〃And　we　will　never　speak　of　this　again。〃

She　shrank　as　if　he　had　struck　her。　　Her　head　drooped；　and　her　shoulders。　　When　she　was　clear　of　the　door；　he　quietly　closed　it。



XIX


IT　was　not　many　minutes　after　ten　when　Tetlow　hurried　into　Norman's　office。　　〃Galloway's　coming　at　eleven！〃　said　he；　with　an　air　of　triumph。

〃So　you　mulled　over　what　I　said　and　decided　that　I　was　not　altogether　drunk？〃

〃I　wasn't　sure　of　that；〃　replied　Tetlow。　　〃But　I　was　afraid　you'd　be　offended　if　I　didn't　try　to　get　him。　He　gave　me　no　trouble　at　all。　　As　soon　as　I　told　him　you'd　be　glad　to　see　him　at　your　office；　he　astounded　me　by　saying　he'd　come。〃

〃He　and　I　have　had　dealings；〃　said　Norman。　〃He　understood　at　once。　　I　always　know　my　way　when　I'm　dealing　with　a　big　man。　　It's　only　the　little　people　that　are　muddled　and　complex。　　I　hope　you'll　not　forget　this　lesson；　Billy。〃

〃I　shan't；〃　promised　Tetlow。

〃We　are　to　be　partners；〃　pursued　Norman。　　〃We　shall　be　intimately　associated　for　years。　　You'll　save　me　a　vast　amount　of　time　and　energy　and　yourself　a　vast　amount　of　fuming　and　fretting；　if　you'll　simply　accept　what　I　say；　without　discussion。　　When　I　want　discussion　I'll　ask　your　advice。〃

〃I'm　afraid　you　don't　think　it's　worth　much；〃　said　Tetlow　humbly；　〃and　I　guess　it　isn't。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　invaluable；〃　declared　Norman　with　flattering　emphasis。　　〃Where　you　lack　and　I　excel　is　in　decision　and　action。　　I'll　often　get　you　to　tell　me　what　ought　to　be　done；　and　then　I'll　make　you　do　it　which　you'd　never　dare；　by　yourself。〃

At　eleven　sharp　Galloway　came；　looking　as　nearly　like　a　dangerous　old　eagle　as　a　human　being　well　could。　Rapacious；　merciless；　tyrannical；　a　famous　philanthropist。　Stingy　to　pettiness；　a　giver　away　of　millions。　Rigidly　honest；　yet　absolutely　unscrupulous；　faithful　to　the　last　letter　of　his　given　word；　yet　so　treacherous　where　his　sly　mind　could　nose　out　a　way　to　evade　the　spirit　of　his　agreements　that　his　name　was　a　synonym　for　unfaithfulness。　An　assiduous　and　groveling　snob；　yet　so　militantly　democratic　that；　unless　his　interest　compelled；　he　would　not　employ　any　member　of　the　〃best　families〃　in　any　important　capacity。　　He　seemed　a　bundle　of　contradictions。　　In　fact　he　was　profoundly　consistent。　That　is　to　say；　he　steadily　pursued　in　every　thought　and　act　the　gratification　of　his　two　passionswealth　and　power。　　He　lost　no　seen　opportunity；　however　shameful；　to　add　to　his　fortune　or　to　amuse　himself　with　the　human　race；　which　he　regarded　with　the　unpitying　contempt　characteristic　of　every　cold　nature　born　or　risen　to　success。

His　theory　of　lifeand　it　is　the　theory　that　explains　most　great　financial　successes；　however　they　may　pretend　or　believehis　theory　of　life　was　that　he　did　not　need　friends　because　the　friends　of　a　strong　man　weaken　and　rob　him；　but　that　he　did　need　enemies　because　he　could　grow　rich　and　powerful　destroying　and　despoiling　them。　　To　him　friends　suggested　the　birds　living　in　a　tree。　　They　might　make　the　tree　more　romantic　to　the　unthinking　observer；　but　they　in　fact　ate　its　budding　leaves　and　its　fruit　and　rotted　its　bough　joints　with　their　filthy　nests。

We　Americans　are　probably　nearest　to　children　of　any　race　in　civilization。　　The　peculiar　conditions　of　lifetheir　almost　Arcadian　simplicityup　to　a　generation　or　so　ago；　gave　us　a　false　training　in　the　study　of　human　nature。　　We　believe　what　the　good　preacher；　the　novelist　and　the　poet；　all　as　ignorant　of　life　as　nursery　books；　tell　us　about　the　human　heart。　　We　fancy　that　in　a　social　system　modeled　upon　the　cruel　and　immoral　system　of　Nature；　success　is　to　the　good　and　kind。　　Life　is　like　the　pious　story　in　the　Sunday…school　library；　evil　is　the　exception　and　to　practice　the　simple　virtues　is　to　tread　with　sure　step　the　highway　to　riches　and　fame。　　This　sort　of　ignorance　is　taught；　is　proclaimed；　is　apparently　accepted　throughout　the　world。　　Literature　and　the　drama；　representing　life　as　it　is　dreamed　by　humanity；　life　as　it　perhaps　may　be　some　day；　create　an　impression　which　defies　the　plain　daily　and　hourly　mockings　of　experience。　　Because　weak　and　petty　of…　fenders　are　often　punished；　the　universe　is　pictured　as　sternly　enforcing　the　criminal　codes　enacted　by　priests　or　lawyers。　　But；　while　all　the　world　half　inclines　to　this　agreeable　mendacity　about　life；　only　in　America　of　all　civilization　is　the　mendacity　accepted　as　gospel；　and　suspicion　about　it　frowned　upon　as　the　heresy　of　cynicism。　　So　the　Galloways　prosper　and　are　in　high　moral　repute。　　Some　day　we　shall　learn　that　a　social　system　which　is　merely　a　slavish　copy　of　Nature's　barbarous　and　wasteful　sway　of　the　survival　of　the　toughest　could　be　and　ought　to　be　improved　upon　by　the　intelligence　of　the　human　race。　　Some　day　we　shall　put　Nature　in　its　proper　place　as　kindergarten　teacher；　and　drop　it　from　godship　and　erect　enlightened　human　understanding　instead。　　But　that　is　a　long　way　off。　　Meanwhile　the　Galloways　will　reign；　and　will　assure　us　that　they　won　their　success　by　the　Decalogue　and　the　Golden　Rule　and　will　be　believed　by　all　who　seek　to　assure　for　themselves　in　advance　almost　certain　failure　at　material　success　in　the　arena　of　action。

But　they　will　not　be　believed　by　men　of　ambition；　pushing　resolutely　for　power　and　wealth。　　So　Frederick　Norman　knew　precisely　what　he　was　facing　when　Galloway's　tall　gaunt　figure　and　face　of　the　bird　of　prey　appeared　before　him。　　Galloway　had　triumphed　and　was　triumphing　not　through　obedience　to　the　Sunday　sermons　and　the　silly　novels；　poems；　plays；　and　the　nonsense　chattered　by　the　obscure　multitudes　whom　the　mighty　few　exploit；　but　through　obedience　to　the　conditions　imposed　by　our　social　system。　　If　he　raised　wages　a　little；　it　was　in　order　that　he　might　have　excuse　for　raising　prices　a　great　deal。　　If　he　gave　away　millions；　it　was　for　his　fame；　and　usually　to　quiet　the　scandal　over　some　particularly　wicked　wholesale　robbery。　No；　Galloway　was　not　a　witness　to　the　might　of　altruistic　virtue　as　a　means　to　triumph。　　Charity　and　all　the　other　forms　of　chicanery　by　which　the　many　are　defrauded　and　fooled　by　the　fewthose　〃virtues〃　he　understood　and　practiced。　　But　justicehumanity's　ages…long　dream　that　at　last　seems　to　glitter　as　a　hope　in　the　horizon　of　the　futurejusticenot　legal　justice；　nor　moral　justice；　but　human　justicethat　idea　would　have　seemed　to　him　ridiculous；　Utopian；　something　for　the　women　and　the　children　and　the　socialists。

Norman　understood　Galloway；　and　Galloway　understood　Norman。　　Galloway；　with　an　old　man's　garrulity　and　a　confirmed　moral　poseur's　eagerness　about　appearances；　began　to　unfold　his　virtuous　reasons　for　the　impending　break　with　Burroughsthe　industrial　and　financial　war　out　of　which　he　expected　to　come　doubly　rich　and　all　but　supreme。　　Midway　he　stopped。

〃You　are　not　listening；〃　said　he　sharply　to　the　young　man。

Their　eyes　met。　　Norman's　eyes　were　twinkling。　〃No；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　waiting。〃

There　was　the　suggestion　of　an　answering　gleam　of　sardonic　humor　in　Galloway's　cold　gray　eyes。　　〃Waiting　for　what？〃

〃For　you　to　finish　with　me　as　father　confessor；　to　begin　with　me　as　lawyer。　　Pray　don't　hurry。　　My　time　is　yours。〃　　This　with　a　fine　air　of　utmost　suavit