children of the whirlwind-第37节

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She　felt　that　in　some　strange　way　she　had　been　caught　in　a　trap。　Yes；　what　they　had　worked　for；　they　had　won！　And　yet；　in　this　moment　of　winning；　as　elements　of　her　vast　dizziness；　Maggie　felt　sick　and　ashamedfelt　a　frenzied　desire　to　run　away　from　the　whole　affair。　For　Maggie；　cynical；　all…confident；　and　eighteen；　was　proving　really　a　very　poor　adventuress。

〃Please；　Maggie〃his　imploring　voice　broke　in　upon　her〃won't　you　answer　me？　You　like　me；　don't　you？you'll　marry　me；　won't　you？〃

〃I　like　you；　Dick；〃　she　choked　outand　it　was　some　slight　comfort　to　her　to　be　telling　this　much　of　the　truthbutbut　I　can't　marry　you。〃

〃Maggie！〃　It　was　a　cry　of　surprised　pain；　and　the　pain　in　his　voice　shot　acutely　into　her。　〃From　the　way　you　acted　toward　meI　thoughtI　hoped〃　He　sharply　halted　the　accusation　which　had　risen　to　his　lips。　〃I'm　not　going　to　take　that　answer　as　final；　Maggie；〃　he　said　doggedly。　〃I'm　going　to　give　you　more　time　to　think　it　overmore　time　for　me　to　try。　Then　I'll　ask　you　again。〃

That　which　prompted　Maggie's　response　was　a　mixture　of　impulses：　the　desire；　and　this　offered　opportunity；　to　escape；　and　a　faint　reassertion　of　the　momentum　of　her　purpose。　For　with　one　such　as　Maggie；　the　set　purposes　may　be　seemingly　overwhelmed；　but　death　comes　hard。

〃All　right；〃　she　breathed　rapidly。　〃Only　please　get　me　back　as　quickly　as　you　can。　I'm　to　have　dinner　with　mymy　cousin；　and　I'll　be　very　late。〃

Dick　drove　her　into　the　city　in　almost　unbroken　silence　and　left　her　at　the　great　doors　of　the　Grantham；　abustle　with　a　dozen　lackeys　in　purple　livery。　She　stood　a　moment　and　watched　him　drive　away。　He　really　was　a　nice　boyDick。

As　she　shot　up　the　elevator；　she　thought　of　a　hitherto　forgotten　element　of　that　afternoon's　bewildering　situation。　Barney　Palmer！　And　Barney　was；　she　knew；　now　up　in　her　sitting…room；　impatiently　waiting　for　her　report　of　what　he　had　good　reason　to　believe　would　prove　a　successful　experience。　If　she　told　the　truththat　Dick　had　proposed；　just　as　they　had　planned　for　him　to　doand　she　had　refused　himwhy；　Barney！

She　seemed　caught　on　every　side！

Maggie　got　into　her　suite　by　way　of　her　bedroom。　She　wanted　time　to　gather　her　wits　for　meeting　Barney。　When　Miss　Grierson　told　her　that　her　cousin　was　still　waiting　to　take　her　to　dinner；　she　requested　her　companion　to　inform　Barney　that　she　would　be　in　as　soon　as　she　had　dressed。　She　wasted　all　the　time　she　legitimately　could　in　changing　into　a　dinner…gown；　and　when　at　length　she　stepped　into　her　sitting…　room　she　was　to　Barney's　eye　the　same　cool　Maggie　as　always。

Barney　rose　as　she　entered。　He　was　in　smart　dinner　jacket；　these　days　Barney　was　wearing　the　smartest　of　everything　that　money　could　secure。　There　was　a　shadow　of　impatience　on　his　face；　but　it　was　instantly　dissipated　by　Maggie's　self…composed；　direct…eyed　beauty。

〃How'd　you　come　out　with　Miss　Sherwood？〃　he　whispered　eagerly。

〃Well　enough　for　her　to　kiss　me　good…bye；　and　beg　me　to　come　again。〃

〃I've　got　to　hand　it　to　you；　Maggie！　You're　sure　some　swell　actress　you've　sure　got　class！〃　His　dark　eyes　gleamed　on　her　with　half　a　dozen　pleasures：　admiration　of　what　she　was　in　herselfadmiration　of　what　she　had　just　achievedanticipation　of　results；　many　results　anticipation　of　what　she　was　later　to　mean　to　him　in　a　personal　way。　〃If　you　can　put　it　over　on　a　swell　like　Miss　Sherwood；　you　can　put　it　over　on　any　one！〃　He　exulted。　〃As　soon　as　we　clean　up　this　job　in　hand；　we'll　move　on　to　one　big　thing　after　another！〃

And　then　out　came　the　question　Maggie　had　been　bracing　herself　for：　〃How　about　Dick　Sherwood？　Did　he　finally　come　across　with　that　proposal？〃

〃No；〃　Maggie　answered　steadily。

〃No？　Why　not？〃　exclaimed　Barney　sharply。　〃I　thought　that　was　all　that　was　holding　him　backwaiting　for　his　sister　to　look　you　over　and　give　you　her　O。K。？〃

Maggie　had　decided　that　her　air　of　cool；　indifferent　certainty　was　the　best　manner　to　use　in　this　situation　with　Barney。　So　she　shrugged　her　white　shoulders。

〃How　can　I　tell　what　makes　a　man　do　something；　and　what　makes　him　not　do　it？〃

〃But　did　he　seem　any　less　interested　in　you　than　before？〃　Barney　pursued。

〃No；〃　replied　Maggie。

〃Then　maybe　he's　just　waiting　to　get　up　his　nerve。　He'll　ask　you；　all　right；　nothing　there　for　us　to　worry　about。　Come　on；　let's　have　dinner。　I'm　starved。〃

On　the　roof　of　the　Grantham　they　were　excellently　served；　for　Barney　knew　how　to　order　a　dinner；　and　he　knew　the　art；　which　is　an　alchemistic　mixture　of　suave　diplomacy　and　the　insinuated　power　and　purpose　of　murder；　of　handling　head…waiters　and　their　sub…autocrats。　Having　no　other　business　in　hand；　Barney　devoted　himself　to　that　business　which　ran　like　a　core　through　all　his　businessespaying　court　to　Maggie。　And　when　Barney　wished　to　be　a　courtier；　there　were　few　of　his　class　who　could　give　a　better　superficial　interpretation　of　the　role；　and　in　this　particular　instance　he　was　at　the　advantage　of　being　in　earnest。　He　forced　the　most　expensive　tidbits　announced　by　the　dinner　card　upon　Maggie；　he　gallantly　and　very　gracefully　put　on　and　removed；　as　required　by　circumstances；　the　green　cobweb　of　a　scarf　Maggie　had　brought　to　the　roof　as　protection　against　the　elements；　and　when　he　took　the　dancing…floor　with　her；　he　swung　her　about　and　hopped　up　and　down　and　stepped　in　and　out　with　all　the　skill　of　a　master　of　the　modern　perversion　of　dancing。　Barney　was　really　good　enough　to　have　been　a　professional　dancer　had　his　desires　not　led　him　toward　what　seemed　to　him　a　more　exciting　and　more　profitable　career。

Maggie；　not　to　rouse　Barney's　suspicions；　played　her　role　as　well　as　he　did　his　own。　And　most　of　the　other　diners；　a　fraction　of　the　changing　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　people　from　the　South　and　West　who　choose　New　York　as　the　best　of　all　summer　resorts；　gazed　upon　this　handsome　couple　with　their　intricate　steps　which　were　timed　with　such　effortless　and　enviable　accuracy；　and　excitedly　believed　that　they　were　beholding　two　distinguished　specimens　of　what　their　home　papers　persisted　in　calling　New　York's　Four　Hundred。

Maggie　got　back　to　her　room　with　the　feeling　that　she　had　staved　off　Barney　and　her　numerous　other　dilemmas　for　the　immediate　present。　Her　chief　thought　in　the　many　events　of　the　day　had　been　only　to　escape　her　dangers　and　difficulties　for　the　moment；　all　the　time　she　had　known　that　her　real　thinking；　her　real　decisions；　were　for　a　later　time　when　she　was　not　so　driven　by　the　press　of　unexpected　circumstances。　That　less　stressful　time　was　now　beginning。

What　was　she　to　do　next？　What　were　to　be　her　final　decisions？　And　what；　in　all　this　strange　ferment；　was　likely　to　germinate　as　possible　forces　against　her？

She　mulled　these　things　over　for　several　days；　during　which　Dick　came　to　see　her　twice；　and　twice　proposed；　and　was　twice　put　off。　She　had　quiet　now；　and　was　most　of　the　time　alone；　but　that　clarity　which　she　had　expected；　that　quickness　and　surety　of　purpose　which　she　had　always　believed　to　be　unfailingly　hers；　refused　to　come。

She　tried　to　have　it　otherwise；　but　the　outstanding　figure　in　her　meditations　was　Larry。　Larry；　who　had　not　exposed　her　at　the　Sherwoods'；　and　whose　influence　had　caused　Hunt　also　not　to　expose　herLarry；　who　without　deception　was　on　a　familiar　footing　at　the　Sherwoods'　where　she　had　been　received　only　through　trickeryLarry；　a　fugitive　in　danger　from　so　many　enemies；　perhaps　after　all　undeserved　enemiesLarry；　who　looked　to　be　making　good　on　his　boast　to　achieve　success　through　honestyLarry；　who　had　again　told　her　that　he　loved　her。　She　liked　Dick　Sherwoodshe　really　did。　But　Larrythat　was　something　different。

And　thus　she　thought　on；　drawn　this　way　and　that；　and　unable　to　reach　a　decision。　But　with　most　people；　when　in　a　state　of　acute　mental　turmoil；　that　which　has　been　most　definite　in　the　past；　instinct；　habit　of　mind；　purpose；　tradition；　becomes　at　least　temporarily　the　dominant　factor　through　the　mere　circumstance　that　it　has　existed　powerfully　before；　through　its　comparative　stability；　through　its　semi…permanence。　And　so　with　Maggie。　She　had　for　that　one　afternoon　almost　been　won　over　against　herself　by　the　workings　of　Larry's　secret　diplomacy。　Then　had　come　the　natural　reaction。　And　now　in　her　turmoil；　in　so　far　as　she　had　any　decision；　it　was　instinctively　to　go　right　ahead　in　the　direction　in　which　she　had　been　going。

But　on　the　sixth　day　of　her　uncertainty；　just　after　Dick　had　called　on　her　and　she　had　provisionally　accepted　an　invitation　to　Cedar　Crest　for　the　following　afternoon；　a　danger　which　she　had　half　seen　from　the　start　burst　upon　her　without　a　moment's　warning。　It　came　into　her　sitting…room；　just　before　her　dinner　hour；　in　the　dual　form　of　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie。　The　faces　of　both　were　lowering。

〃Get　rid　of　that　boob　chaperon　of　yours！〃　gritted　Barney。　〃We're　going　to　have　some　real　talk！〃

Maggie　stepped　to　the　connecting　door；　sent　Miss　Grierson　on　an　inconsequential　errand；　and　returned。

〃You're　looking　as　pleasant　as　if　you　were　sitting　for　a　new　photograph；　Barney。　What　gives　you　that　sweet　expression？〃

〃You'll　cut　out　your　comic…supplement　stuff　in　just　one　second；〃　Barney　warned　her。　〃We　both　saw　young　Sherwood　awhile　ago　as　he　was　leaving　the　Grantham；　and　he