jg.thefirm-第3节

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He　was　their　man。
　　〃Would　you　like　to　e　visit　us？〃　asked　Oliver　Lambert。
　　〃When？〃　asked　Mitch；　dreaming　of　a　black　318i　with　a　sunroof。
　　The　ancient　Mazda　hatchback　with　three　hubcaps　and　a　badly　cracked　windshield　hung　in　the　gutter　with　its　front　wheels　sideways；　aiming　at　the　curb；　preventing　a　roll　down　the　hill。　Abby　grabbed　the　door　handle　on　the　inside；　yanked　twice　and　opened　the　door。　She　inserted　the　key；　pressed　the　clutch　and　turned　the　wheel。　The　Mazda　began　a　slow　roll。　As　it　gained　speed；　she　held　her　breath；　released　the　clutch　and　bit　her　lip　until　the　unmuffled　rotary　engine　began　whining。
　　With　three　job　offers　on　the　table；　a　new　car　was　four　months　away。　She　could　last。　For　three　years　they　had　endured　poverty　in　a　two…room　student　apartment　on　a　campus　covered　with　Porsches　and　little　Mercedes　convertibles。　For　the　most　part　they　had　ignored　the　snubs　from　the　classmates　and　coworkers　in　this　bastion　of　East　Coast　snobbery。　They　were　hillbillies　from　Kentucky；　with　few　friends。　But　they　had　endured　and　succeeded　quite　nicely　all　to　themselves。
　　She　preferred　Chicago　to　New　York；　even　for　a　lower　salary；　largely　because　it　was　farther　from　Boston　and　closer　to　Kentucky。　But　Mitch　remained　nonmittal；　characteristically　weighing　it　all　carefully　and　keeping　most　of　it　to　himself。　She　had　not　been　invited　to　visit　New　York　and　Chicago　with　her　husband。　And　she　was　tired　of　guessing。　She　wanted　an　answer。
　　She　parked　illegally　on　the　hill　nearest　the　apartment　and　walked　two　blocks。　Their　unit　was　one　of　thirty　in　a　two…story　red…brick　rectangle。　Abby　stood　outside　her　door　and　fumbled　through　the　purse　looking　for　keys。　Suddenly；　the　door　jerked　open。　He　grabbed　her；　yanked　her　inside　the　tiny　apartment；　threw　her　on　the　sofa　and　attacked　her　neck　with　his　lips。　She　yelled　and　giggled　as　arms　and　legs　thrashed　about。　They　kissed；　one　of　those　long；　wet；　ten…minute　embraces　with　groping　and　fondling　and　moaning；　the　kind　they　had　enjoyed　as　teenagers　when　kissing　was　fun　and　mysterious　and　the　ultimate。
　　〃My　goodness；〃　she　said　when　they　finished。　〃What's　the　occasion？〃
　　〃Do　you　smell　anything？〃　Mitch　asked。
　　She　looked　away　and　sniffed。　〃Well；　yes。　What　is　it？〃
　　〃Chicken　chow　mein　and　egg　foo　yung。　From　Wong　Boys。〃
　　〃Okay；　what's　the　occasion？〃
　　〃Plus　an　expensive　bottle　of　Chablis。　It's　even　got　a　cork。〃
　　〃What　have　you　done；　Mitch？〃
　　〃Follow　me。〃　On　the　small；　painted　kitchen　table；　among　the　legal　pads　and　casebooks；　sat　a　large　bottle　of　wine　and　a　sack　of　Chinese　food。　They　shoved　the　law　school　paraphernalia　aside　and　spread　the　food。　Mitch　opened　the　wine　and　filled　two　plastic　wineglasses。
　　〃I　had　a　great　interview　today；〃　he　said。
　　〃Who？〃
　　〃Remember　that　firm　in　Memphis　I　received　a　letter　from　last　month？〃
　　〃Yes。　You　weren't　too　impressed。〃
　　〃That's　the　one。　I'm　very　impressed。　It's　all　tax　work　and　the　money　looks　good。〃
　　〃How　good？〃
　　He　ceremoniously　dipped　chow　mein　from　the　container　onto　both　plates；　then　ripped　open　the　tiny　packages　of　soy　sauce。　She　waited　for　an　answer。　He　opened　another　container　and　began　dividing　the　egg　foo　yung。　He　sipped　his　wine　and　smacked　his　lips。
　　〃How　much？〃　she　repeated。
　　〃More　than　Chicago。　More　than　Wall　Street。〃
　　She　took　a　long；　deliberate　drink　of　wine　and　eyed　him　suspiciously。　Her　brown　eyes　narrowed　and　glowed。　The　eyebrows　lowered　and　the　forehead　wrinkled。　She　waited。
　　〃How　much？〃
　　〃Eighty　thousand；　first　year；　plus　bonuses。　Eighty…five；　second　year；　plus　bonuses。〃　He　said　this　nonchalantly　while　studying　the　celery　bits　in　the　chow　mein。
　　〃Eighty　thousand；〃　she　repeated。
　　〃Eighty　thousand；　babe。　Eighty　thousand　bucks　in　Memphis；　Tennessee；　is　about　the　same　as　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　bucks　in　New　York。〃
　　〃Who　wants　New　York？〃　she　asked。
　　〃Plus　a　low…interest　mortgage　loan。〃
　　That　word…mortgage…had　not　been　uttered　in　the　apartment　in　a　long　time。　In　fact；　she　could　not；　at　the　moment；　recall　the　last　discussion　about　a　home　or　anything　related　to　one。　For　months　now　it　had　been　accepted　that　they　would　rent　some　place　until　some　distant；　unimaginable　point　in　the　future　when　they　achieved　affluence　and　would　then　qualify　for　a　large　mortgage。
　　She　sat　her　glass　of　wine　on　the　table　and　said　matter…of…factly；　〃I　didn't　hear　that。〃
　　〃A　low…interest　mortgage　loan。　　loans　enough　money　to　buy　a　house。　It's　very　important　to　these　guys　that　their　associates　look　prosperous；　so　they　give　us　the　money　at　a　much　lower　rate。〃
　　〃You　mean　as　in　a　home；　with　grass　around　it　and　shrubs？〃
　　〃Yep。　Not　some　overpriced　apartment　in　Manhattan；　but　a　three…bedroom　house　in　the　suburbs　with　a　driveway　and　a　two…car　garage　where　we　can　park　the　BMW。〃
　　The　reaction　was　delayed　by　a　second　or　two；　but　she　finally　said；　〃BMW？　Whose　BMW？〃
　　〃Ours；　babe。　Our　BMW。　　leases　a　new　one　and　gives　us　the　keys。　It's　sort　of　like　a　signing　bonus　for　a　first…round　draft　pick。　It's　worth　another　five　thousand　a　year。　We　pick　the　color；　of　course。　I　think　black　would　be　nice。　What　do　you　think？〃
　　〃No　more　clunkers。　No　more　leftovers。　No　more　hand…me…downs；〃　she　said　as　she　slowly　shook　her　head。
　　He　crunched　on　a　mouthful　of　noodles　and　smiled　at　her。　She　was　dreaming；　he　could　tell；　probably　of　furniture；　and　wallpaper；　and　perhaps　a　pool　before　too　long。　And　babies；　little　dark…eyed　children　with　light　brown　hair。
　　〃And　there　are　some　other　benefits　to　be　discussed　later。〃
　　〃I　don't　understand；　Mitch。　Why　are　they　so　generous？〃
　　〃I　asked　that　question。　They're　very　selective；　and　they　take　a　lot　of　pride　in　paying　top　dollar。　They　go　for　the　best　and　don't　mind　shelling　out　the　bucks。　Their　turnover　rate　is　zero。　Plus；　I　think　it　costs　more　to　entice　the　top　people　to　Memphis。〃
　　〃It　would　be　closer　to　home；〃　she　said　without　looking　at　him。
　　〃I　don't　have　a　home。　It　would　be　closer　to　your　parents；　and　that　worries　me。〃
　　She　deflected　this；　as　she　did　most　of　his　ments　about　her　family。　〃You'd　be　closer　to　Ray。〃
　　He　nodded；　bit　into　an　egg　roll　and　imagined　her　parents'　first　visit；　that　sweet　moment　when　they　pulled　into　the　driveway　in　their　well…used　Cadillac　and　stared　in　shock　at　the　new　French　colonial　with　two　new　cars　in　the　garage。　They　would　burn　with　envy　and　wonder　how　the　poor　kid　with　no　family　and　no　status　could　afford　all　this　at　twenty…five　and　fresh　out　of　law　school。　They　would　force　painful　smiles　and　ment　on　how　nice　everything　was；　and　before　long　Mr。　Sutherland　would　break　down　and　ask　how　much　the　house　cost　and　Mitch　would　tell　him　to　mind　his　own　business；　and　it　would　drive　the　old　man　crazy。　They'd　leave　after　a　short　visit　and　return　to　Kentucky；　where　all　their　friends　would　hear　how　great　the　daughter　and　the　son…in…law　were　doing　down　in　Memphis。　Abby　would　be　sorry　they　couldn't　get　along　but　wouldn't　say　much。　From　the　start　they　had　treated　him　like　a　leper。　He　was　so　unworthy　they　had　boycotted　the　small　wedding。
　　〃Have　you　ever　been　to　Memphis？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Once　when　I　was　a　little　girl。　Some　kind　of　convention；　for　the　church。　All　I　remember　is　the　river。〃
　　〃They　want　us　to　visit。〃
　　〃Us！　You　mean　I'm　invited？〃
　　〃Yes。　They　insist　on　you　ing。〃
　　〃When？〃
　　〃Couple　of　weeks。　They'll　fly　us　down　Thursday　afternoon　for　the　weekend。〃
　　〃I　like　this　firm　already。〃
　　　
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　　THE　FIVE…STORY　building　had　been　built　a　hundred　years　earlier　by　a　cotton　merchant　and　his　sons　after　the　Reconstruction；　during　the　revival　of　cotton　trading　in　Memphis。　It　sat　in　the　middle　of　Cotton　Row　on　Front　Street　near　the　river。　Through　its　halls　and　doors　and　across　its　desks；　millions　of　bales　of　cotton　had　been　purchased　from　the　Mississippi　and　Arkansas　deltas　and　sold　around　the　world。　Deserted；　neglected；　then　renovated　time　and　again　since　the　first　war；　it　had　been　purchased　for　good　in　1951　by　an　aggressive　tax　lawyer　named　Anthony　Bendini。　He　renovated　it　yet　again　and　began　filling　it　with　lawyers。　He　renamed　it　the　Bendini　Building。
　　He　pampered　the　building；　indulged　it；　coddled　it；　each　year　adding　another　layer　of　luxury　to　his　landmark。　He　fortified　it；　sealing　doors　and　windows　and　hiring　armed　guards　to　protect　it　and　its　occupants。　He　added　elevators；　electronic　surveillance；　security　codes；　closed…circuit　television；　a　weight　room；　a　steam　room；　locker　rooms　and　a　partners'　dining　room　on　the　fifth　floor　with　a　captivating　view　of　the　river。
　　In　twenty　years　he　built　the　richest　law　firm　in　Memphis；　and；　indisputably；　the　quietest。　Secrecy　was　his　passion。　Every　associate　hired　by　　was　indoctrinated　in　the　evils　of　the　loose　tongue。　Everything　was　confidential。　Salaries；　perks；　advancement　and；　most　especially；　clients。　Divulging　firm　business；　the　young　associates　were　warned；　could　delay　the　awarding　of　the　holy　grail…a　partnership。　Nothing　left　the　fortress　on　Front　Street。　Wives　were　told　not　to　ask；　or　were　lied　to。　The　associates　were　expected　to　work　hard；　keep　quiet　and　spend　their　healthy　paychecks。　They　did；　without　exception。
　　With　forty…one　lawyers；　　was　the　fourth　largest　in　Memphis。　Its　members　did　not　advertise　or　seek　publ