children of the whirlwind-第21节

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nd　placed　Larry　almost　on　the　footing　of　a　chum；　and　the　whimsically　smiling　Miss　Sherwood　treated　Larry　exactly　as　she　might　have　treated　any　well…bred　gentleman　and　in　every　detail　made　good　on　her　promise　to　give　him　a　chance。　In　fact；　in　all　his　life　Larry　had　never　lived　so　well。

As　for　Miss　Sherwood's　aunt；　a　sister　of　Miss　Sherwood's　mother　and　a　figure　of　pale；　absent…minded　dignity；　she　kept　very　much　to　her　own　sitting…room。　She　was　a　recent　convert　to　the　younger　English　novelists；　and　was　forced　to　her　seclusion　by　the　amazing　fecundity　with　which　they　kept　repopulating　her　reading…table。　Larry　she　accepted　with　a　hazy；　preoccupied　politeness；　eager　always　to　get　back　to　the　more　substantial　characters　of　her　latest　fiction。

Of　course　Miss　Sherwood　did　not　make　of　Larry　a　complete　confidant。　For　all　her　smiling；　easy　frankness；　he　knew　that　there　were　many　doors　of　her　being　which　she　never　unlocked　for　him。　What　he　saw　was　so　interesting　that　he　could　not　help　being　interested　about　the　rest。　Of　course　many　details　were　open　to　him。　She　was　an　excellent　sportswoman；　a　rare　dancer；　there　were　many　men　interested　in　her；　she　dined　out　almost　every　other　evening　at　some　social　affair　blooming　belatedly　in　May　（most　of　her　friends　were　already　settled　in　their　country　homes；　and　she　was　still　in　town　only　because　her　place　on　Long　Island　was　in　disorder　due　to　a　two　months'　delay　in　the　completion　of　alterations　caused　by　labor　difficulties）；　she　had　made　a　study　of　beetles；　she　had　a　tiny　vivarium　in　the　apartment　and　here　she　would　sit　studying　her　pets　with　an　interest　and　patience　not　unlike　that　of　old　Fabre　upon　his　stony　farm。　Also；　as　Larry　learned　from　her　accounts；　there　was　a　day　nursery　on　the　East　Side　whose　lack　of　a　deficit　was　due　to　her。

All　in　all　she　was　a　healthy；　normal；　intelligent；　unself…sacrificing　woman　who　belonged　distinctly　to　her　own　day；　who　gave　a　great　deal　to　life；　and　who　took　a　great　deal　from　life。

Often　Larry　wished　she　would　speak　of　Hunt。　He　was　curious　about　Hunt；　of　whom　he　thought　daily；　and　such　talk　might　yield　him　information　about　the　blustering；　big…hearted　painter　who　was　gypsying　it　down　at　the　Duchess's。　But　as　the　days　passed　she　never　mentioned　Hunt　again；　not　even　to　ask　where　he　was　or　what　he　was　doing。　She　was　adhering　very　strictly　to　the　remark　she　had　made　the　night　Larry　came　here：　〃I　don't　want　to　know　until　he　wants　me　to　know。〃　And　so　Hunt　remained　the　same　incomplete　picture　to　Larry；　the　painter　was　indubitably　at　home　in　such　surroundings　as　these；　and　he　was　at　home　as　a　roistering；　hard…working　vagabond　at　the　Duchess'sbut　all　the　vast　spaces　between　were　utterly　blank；　except　for　the　sketchy　remarks　Hunt　had　made　concerning　himself。

Larry　had　guessed　that　hurt　pride　was　the　reason　for　Hunt's　vanishment　from　the　world　which　had　known　him。　But　he　knew　hurt　pride　was　not　Miss　Sherwood's　motive　for　making　no　inquiries。　Anger？　No。　Jealousy？　No。　Some　insult　offered　her？　No。　Larry　went　through　the　category　of　ordinary　motives；　of　possible　happenings；　but　he　could　find　none　which　would　reconcile　her　very　keen　and　kindly　feeling　for　Hunt　with　her　abstinence　from　all　inquiries。

From　his　first　day　in　his　sanctuary　Larry　spent　long　hours　every　day　over　the　accounts　and　documents　Miss　Sherwood　had　put　in　his　hands。　They　were　indeed　a　tangle。　Originally　the　Sherwood　estate　had　consisted　of　solid　real…estate　holdings。　But　now　that　Larry　had　before　him　the　records　of　holdings　and　of　various　dealings　he　learned　that　the　character　of　the　Sherwood　fortune　had　altered　greatly。　Miss　Sherwood's　father　had　neglected　the　care　of　this　sober　business　in　favor　of　speculative　investment　and　even　outright　gambling　in　stocks；　and　Dick；　possessing　this　strain　of　his　father；　and　lacking　his　father's　experience；　had　and　was　speculating　even　more　wildly。

Larry　had　followed　the　market　since　he　had　been　in　a　broker's　office　almost　ten　years　earlier；　so　he　knew　what　stock　values　had　been　and　had　some　idea　of　what　they　were　now。　The　records；　and　some　of　the　stock　Larry　found　in　the　safe；　recalled　the　reputation　of　the　elder　Sherwood。　He　had　been　known　as　a　spirited；　daring　man　who　would　buy　anything　or　sell　anything；　he　had　been　several　times　victimized　by　sharp　traders；　some　of　these　out…and…out　confidence　men。　Studying　these　old　records　Larry　remembered　that　the　elder　Sherwood　a　dozen　years　before　had　lost　a　hundred　thousand　in　a　mining　deal　which　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle　had　helped　manipulate。

Larry　found　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　thousands　of　stock　in　the　safe　that　were　just　so　much　waste　paper；　and　he　found　records　of　other　hundreds　of　thousands　in　safety　deposit　vaults　that　had　no　greater　value。　The　real　estate；　the　more　solid　and　to　the　male　Sherwoods　the　less　interesting　part　of　the　fortune；　had　long　been　in　the　care　of　agents；　and　since　Larry　was　prohibited　from　going　out　and　studying　the　condition　and　true　value　of　these　holdings；　he　had　to　depend　upon　the　book　valuations　and　the　agents'　reports　and　letters。　Upon　the　basis　of　these　valuations　he　estimated　that　some　holdings　were　returning　a　loss；　some　a　bare　one　and　a　half　per　cent；　and　some　running　as　high　as　fifteen　per　cent。　Larry　found　many　complaints　from　tenants；　some　threatening　letters　from　the　Building　Department　for　failure　to　make　ordered　alterations　to　comply　with　new　building　laws；　and　some　rather　perfunctory　letters　of　advice　and　recommendation　from　the　agents　themselves。

From　Miss　Sherwood　Larry　learned　that　the　agents　were　old　men；　friends　of　her　father　since　youth；　that　they　had　both　made　comfortable　fortunes　which　they　had　no　incentive　to　increase。　Larry　judged　that　there　was　no　dishonesty　on　the　part　of　the　agents；　only　laxity；　and　an　easy　adherence　to　the　methods　of　their　earlier　years　when　there　had　not　been　so　much　competition　nor　so　many　building　laws。　All　the　same　Larry　judged　that　the　real…estate　holdings　were　in　a　bad　way。

Larry　liked　the　days　and　days　of　this　work；　although　the　farther　he　went　the　worse　did　the　tangle　seem。　It　was　the　kind　of　work　for　which　his　faculties　fitted　him；　and　this　was　his　first　chance　to　use　his　faculties　upon　large　affairs　in　an　honest　way。　Thus　far　his　work　was　all　diagnostic；　cure；　construction；　would　not　come　until　laterand　perhaps　Miss　Sherwood　would　not　trust　him　with　such　affairs。　This　investigation；　this　checking　up；　involved　no　risk　on　her　part　as　she　had　frankly　told　him。　The　other　would：　it　would　mean　at　least　partial　control　of　property；　the　handling　of　funds。

Miss　Sherwood　had　many　sessions　with　him；　she　was　interested；　but　she　confessed　herself　helpless　in　this　compilation　and　diagnosis　of　so　many　facts　and　figures。　Dick　was　prompt　enough　to　report　his　stock　transactions；　and　he　was　eager　enough　to　discuss　the　probable　fluctuation　of　this　or　that　stock；　but　when　asked　to　go　over　what　Larry　had　done；　he　refused　flatly　and　good…humoredly　to　〃sit　in　any　such　slow；　dead　game。〃

〃If　my　Solomon…headed　sister　is　satisfied　with　what　you're　doing；　Captain　Nemo；　that's　good　enough　for　me；〃　he　would　say。　〃So　forget　that　stuff　till　I'm　out　of　sight。　Open　up；　Captainwhat　do　you　think　copper　is　going　to　do？〃

〃I　wish　you　could　be　put　on　an　operating…table　and　have　your　speculative　streak　knifed　out　of　you；　Dick。　That　oil　stock　you　bought　the　other　daywhy；　a　blind　man　could　have　seen　it　was　wild…cat。　And　you　were　wiped　out。〃

〃Oh；　the　best　of　'em　get　aboard　a　bad　deal　now　and　then。〃

〃I　know。　But　I've　been　tabulating　all　your　deals　to　date；　and　on　the　total　you're　away　behind。　Better　leave　the　market　absolutely　alone；　Dick；　and　quit　taking　those　big　chances。〃

〃You've　got　to　take　some　big　chances；　Captain　Nemo〃Dick　had　clung　to　the　title　he　had　lightly　conferred　on　Larry　the　morning　he　had　come　in　to　apologize〃or　else　you'll　never　make　any　big　winnings。　Besides；　I　want　a　run　for　my　money。　Just　getting　money　isn't　enough。　I　want　a　little　pep　in　mine。〃

Larry　saw　that　these　talks　on　the　unwisdom　of　speculation　he　was　giving　Dick　were　not　in　themselves　enough　to　affect　a　change　in　Dick。　Mere　words　were　colorless　and　negative；　something　positive　would　be　required。

Larry　hesitated　before　he　ventured　upon　another　matter　he　had　long　considered。　〃Excuse　my　saying　it；　Dick。　But　a　man　who's　trying　to　do　as　much　in　a　business　way　as　you　are；　particularly　since　it's　plain　speculation；　can't　afford　to　go　to　after…theater　shows　three　times　a　week　and　to　late　suppers　the　other　four　nights。　Two　and　three　o'clock　is　no　bedtime　hour　for　a　business　man。　And　that　boot…legged　booze　you　drink　when　you're　out　doesn't　help　you　any。　I　know　you　think　I'm　talking　like　a　fossilized　grand…auntbut　all　the　same；　it's　the　straight　stuff　I'm　handing　you。〃

〃Of　course　it's　straight　stuffand　you're　perfectly　all　right；　Captain　Nemo。〃　With　a　good…natured　smile　Dick　clapped　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃But　I'm　all　right；　too；　and　nothing　and　nobody　is　going　to　hurt　me。　Got　to　have　a　little　fun；　haven't　I？　As　for　the　booze；　I'm　merely　making　hay　while　the　sun　shines。　Soon　there'll　be　no　sunI　mean　no　booze。〃

Larry　dropped　the　subject。　In　his　old　unprincipled；　days　his　practice　had　been　much　what　he　had　suggested　to　Dick；　as　little　drink　as　possible；　and　as　few　late　nights　as　possible。