the price she paid-第3节

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Said　Mildred　to　her　brother：　　‘‘How　muchJUST　how　much　is　there？''

‘‘I　can't　say　exactly；''　replied　her　brother；　who　had　not　yet　solved　to　his　satisfaction　the　moral　problem　of　how　much　of　the　estate　he　ought　to　allow　his　mother　and　sister　and　how　much　he　ought　to　claim　for　himself　in　such　a　way　that　the　claim　could　not　be　disputed。

Mildred　looked　fixedly　at　him。　　He　showed　his　uneasiness　not　by　glancing　away；　but　by　the　appearance　of　a　certain　hard　defiance　in　his　eyes。　　Said　she：

‘‘What　is　the　very　most　we　can　hope　for？''

A　silence。　　Her　mother　broke　it。　　‘‘Mildred；　how　CAN　you　talk　of　those　thingsalready？''

‘‘I　don't　know；''　replied　Mildred。　　‘‘Perhaps　because　it's　got　to　be　done。''

This　seemed　to　them　alland　to　herselfa　lame　excuse　for　such　apparent　hardness　of　heart。　　Her　father　had　always　been　SENDER…HEARTEDHAD　NEVER　SPOKEN　OF　MONEY；　OR　ENCOURAGED　HIS　FAMILY　IN　SPEAKING　OF　IT。

A　LONG　AND　PAINFUL　SILENCE。　　THEN；　THE　WIDOW　ABRUPTLY：

‘‘YOU'RE　SURE；　Frank；　there's　NO　insurance？''

‘‘Father　always　said　that　you　disliked　the　idea；''　replied　her　son；　‘‘that　you　thought　insurance　looked　like　your　calculating　on　his　death。''

Under　her　husband's　adroit　prompting　Mrs。　Gower　had　discovered　such　a　view　of　insurance　in　her　brain。　She　now　recalled　expressing　itand　regretted。　　But　she　was　silenced。　　She　tried　to　take　her　mind　of　the　sub…　ject　of　money。　　But；　like　Mildred；　she　could　not。　　The　thought　of　imminent　poverty　was　nagging　at　them　like　toothache。　　‘‘There'll　be　enough　for　a　year　or　so？''　she　said；　timidly　interrogative。

‘‘I　hope　so；''　said　Frank。

Mildred　was　eying　him　fixedly　again。　　Said　she：　‘‘Have　you　found　anything　at　all？''

‘‘He　had　about　eight　thousand　dollars　in　bank；''　said　Frank。　　‘‘But　most　of　it　will　go　for　the　pressing　debts。''

‘‘But　how　did　HE　expect　to　live？''　urged　Mildred。

‘‘Yes；　there　must　have　been　SOMETHING；''　said　her　mother。

‘‘Of　course；　there's　his　share　of　the　unsettled　and　unfinished　business　of　the　firm；''　admitted　Frank。

‘‘How　much　will　that　be？''　persisted　Mildred。

‘‘I　can't　tell；　offhand；''　said　Frank；　with　virtuous　reproach。　　‘‘My　mind's　been　onother　things。''

Henry　Gower's　widow　was　not　without　her　share　of　instinctive　shrewdness。　　Neither　had　she；　unobservant　though　she　was；　been　within　sight　of　her　son's　character　for　twenty…eight　years　without　having　unconfessed；　unformed　misgivings　concerning　it。　‘‘You　mustn't　bother　about　these　things　now；　Frank　dear；''　said　she。　　‘‘I'll　get　my　brother　to　look　into　it。''

‘‘That　won't　be　necessary；''　hastily　said　Frank。　　‘‘I　don't　want　any　rival　lawyer　peeping　into　our　firm's　affairs。''

‘‘My　brother　Wharton　is　the　soul　of　honor；''　said　Mrs。　Gower；　the　elder；　with　dignity。　　‘‘You　are　too　young　to　take　all　the　responsibility　of　settling　the　estate。　　Yes；　I'll　send　for　Wharton　to…morrow。''

‘‘It'll　look　as　though　you　didn't　trust　me；''　said　Frank　sourly。

‘‘We　mustn't　do　anything　to　start　the　gossips　in　this　town；''　said　his　wife；　assisting。

‘‘Then　send　for　him　yourself；　Frank；''　said　Mildred；　‘‘and　give　him　charge　of　the　whole　matter。''

Frank　eyed　her　furiously。　　‘‘How　ashamed　father　would　be！''　exclaimed　he。

But　this　solemn　invoking　of　the　dead　man's　spirit　was　uneffectual。　　The　specter　of　poverty　was　too　insistent；　too　terrible。　　Said　the　widow：

‘‘I'm　sure；　in　the　circumstances；　my　dear　dead　husband　would　want　me　to　get　help　from　someone　older　and　more　experienced。''

And　Frank；　guilty　of　conscience　and　an　expert　in　the　ways　of　conventional　and　highly　moral　rascality；　ceased　to　resist。　　His　wife；　scenting　danger　to　their　getting　the　share　that　‘‘rightfully　belongs　to　the　son；　especially　when　he　has　been　the　brains　of　the　firm　for　several　years；''　made　angry　and　indiscreet　battle　for　no　outside　interference。　　The　longer　she　talked　the　firmer　the　widow　and　the　daughter　became；　not　only　because　she　clarified　suspicions　that　had　been　too　hazy　to　take　form；　but　also　because　they　disliked　her　intensely。　The　following　day　Wharton　Conover　became　unofficial　administrator。　　He　had　no　difficulty　in　baffling　Frank　Gower's　half…hearted　and　clumsy　efforts　to　hide　two　large　fees　due　the　dead　man's　estate。　　He　discovered　clear　assets　amounting　in　all　to　sixty…　three　thousand　dollars；　most　of　it　available　within　a　few　months。

‘‘As　you　have　the　good…will　of　the　firm　and　as　your　mother　and　sister　have　only　what　can　be　realized　in　cash；''　said　he　to　Frank；　‘‘no　doubt　you　won't　insist　on　your　third。''

‘‘I've　got　to　consider　my　wife；''　said　Frank。　　‘‘I　can't　do　as　I'd　like。''

‘‘You　are　going　to　insist　on　your　third？''　said　Conover；　with　an　accent　that　made　Frank　quiver。

‘‘I　can't　do　otherwise；''　said　he　in　a　dogged；　shamed　way。

‘‘Um；''　said　Conover。　　‘‘Then；　on　behalf　of　my　sister　and　her　daughter　I'll　have　to　insist　on　a　more　detailed　accounting　than　you　have　been　willing　to　give　and　on　the　production　of　that　small　book　bound　in　red　leather　which　disappeared　from　my　brother…in…law's　desk　the　afternoon　of　his　death。''

A　wave　of　rage　and　fear　surged　up　within　Frank　Gower　and　crashed　against　the　seat　of　his　life。　　For　days　thereafter　he　was　from　time　to　time　seized　with　violent　spasms　of　trembling；　years　afterward　he　was　attributing　premature　weaknesses　of　old　age　to　the　effects　of　that　moment　of　horror。　　His　uncle's　words　came　as　a　sudden；　high　shot　climax　to　weeks　of　exasperating　peeping　and　prying　and　questioning；　of　sneer　and　insinuation。　　Conover　had　been　only　moderately　successful　at　the　law；　had　lost　clients　to　Frank's　father；　had　been　beaten　when　they　were　on　opposite　sides。　　He　hated　the　father　with　the　secret；　hypocritical　hatred　of　the　highly　moral　and　religious　man。　　He　de…　spised　the　son。　　It　is　not　often　that　a　Christian　gentleman　has　such　an　opportunity　to　combine　justice　and　revenge；　to　feed　to　bursting　an　ancient　grudge；　the　while　conscious　that　he　is　but　doing　his　duty。

Said　Frank；　when　he　was　able　to　speak：　　‘‘You　have　been　listening　to　the　lies　of　some　treacherous　clerk　here。''

‘‘Don't　destroy　that　little　book；''　proceeded　Conover　tranquilly。　　‘‘We　can　prove　that　you　took　it。''

Young　Gower　rose。　　‘‘I　must　decline　to　have　anything　further　to　say　to　you；　sir；''　said　he。　　‘‘You　will　leave　this　office；　and　you　will　not　be　admitted　here　again　unless　you　come　with　proper　papers　as　administrator。''

Conover　smiled　with　cold　satisfaction　and　departed。　There　followed　a　series　of　quarrelsbetween　Frank　and　his　sister；　between　Frank　and　his　mother；　between　Frank's　wife　and　his　mother；　between　Mildred　and　her　mother；　between　the　mother　and　Conover。　　Mrs。　Gower　was　suspicious　of　her　son；　but　she　knew　her　brother　for　a　pinchpenny；　exacting　the　last　drop　of　what　he　regarded　as　his　own。　　And　she　discovered　that；　if　she　authorized　him　to　act　as　administrator　for　her；　he　could　and　beyond　question　wouldtake　a　large　share　of　the　estate。　　The　upshot　was　that　Frank　paid　over　to　his　mother　and　sister　forty…seven　thousand　dollars；　and　his　mother　and　her　brother　stopped　speaking　to　each　other。

‘‘I　see　that　you　have　turned　over　all　your　money　to　mother；''　said　Frank　to　Mildred　a　few　days　after　the　settlement。

‘‘Of　course；''　said　Mildred。　　She　was　in　a　mood　of　high　scorn　for　sordidnessa　mood　induced　by　the　spectacle　of　the　shameful　manners　of　Conover；　Frank；　and　his　wife。

‘‘Do　you　think　that's　wise？''　suggested　Frank。

‘‘I　think　it's　decent；''　said　Mildred。

‘‘Well；　I　hope　you'll　not　live　to　regret　it；''　said　her　brother。

Neither　Mrs。　Gower　nor　her　daughter　had　ever　had　any　experience　in　the　care　of　money。　　To　both　forty…　seven　thousand　dollars　seemed　a　fortuneforty…seven　thousand　dollars　in　cash　in　the　bank；　ready　to　issue　forth　and　do　their　bidding　at　the　mere　writing　of　a　few　figures　and　a　signature　on　a　piece　of　paper。　　In　a　sense　they　knew　that　for　many　years　the　family's　annual　expenses　had　ranged　between　forty　and　fifty　thousand；　but　in　the　sense　of　actuality　they　knew　nothing　about　ita　state　of　affairs　common　enough　in　families　where　the　man　is　in　absolute　control　and　spends　all　he　makes。　　Money　always　had　been　forthcomcoming；｛sic｝　therefore　money　always　would　be　forthcoming。

The　mourning　and　the　loss　of　the　person　who　had　filled　and　employed　their　lives　caused　the　widow　and　the　daughter　to　live　very　quietly　during　the　succeeding　year。　　They　spent　only　half　of　their　capital。　　For　reasons　of　selfish　and　far…sighted　prudence　which　need　no　detailing　Frank　moved　away　to　New　York　within　six　months　of　his　father's　death　and　reduced　communication　between　himself　and　wife　and　his　mother　and　sister　to　a　frigid　and　rapidly　congealing　minimum。　He　calculated　that　by　the　time　their　capital　was　con…　sumed　they　would　have　left　no　feeling　of　claim　upon　him　or　he　feeling　of　duty　toward　them。

It　was　not　until　eighteen　months　after　her　father's　death；　when　the　total　capital　was　sunk　to　less　than　fifteen　thousand　dollars；　that　Mildred　awakened　to　the　truth　of　their　plight。　　A　few　months　at　most；　and　they　would　have　to　give　up　that　beautiful　house　which　had　been　her　home　all　her　life。　　She　tried　to　grasp　the　meaning　of　the　facts　as　her　intelligence　presented　them　to　her；　but　she　could　not。　　She　had　no　practical　training　whatever。　　She　had　been　brought　up　as　a　rich　man's　child；　to　be　marri