children of the whirlwind-第44节

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had　brought。

This　was；　of　course；　such　a　truth　as　could　be　safely　communicated　only　by　word　of　mouth。　The　Duchess　realized　that　Larry　no　longer　dared　come　to　her；　and　that　therefore　she　must　manage　somehow　to　get　to　him。　And　get　to　him　without　betraying　his　whereabouts。

There　was　little　chance　that　the　police　would　search　her　place　or　greatly　bother　her。　To　the　police　mind；　now　that　Larry　was　aware　he　was　known　to　be　in　New　York；　the　pawnshop　would　obviously　be　the　last　place　in　which　he　would　seek　refuge　or　through　which　he　would　have　dealings。　Nevertheless；　the　Duchess　deemed　it　wise　to　lose　no　moment　and　to　neglect　no　possible　caution。　Therefore；　while　Barney　was　still　with　Chief　Barlow　and　before　the　general　order　regarding　Larry　had　more　than　reached　the　various　police　stations；　the　Duchess；　in　cape；　hat；　and　veil；　was　out　of　her　house。　A　block　up　the　street　lived　the　owner　of　two　or　three　taxicabs；　concerning　whom　the　Duchess；　who　was　almost　omniscient　in　her　own　world；　knew　much　that　the　said　owner　ardently　desired　should　be　known　no　further。　A　few　sentences　with　this　gentleman；　and　fifteen　minutes　later；　huddled　back　in　the　darkened　corner　of　a　taxicab；　she　rolled　over　the　Queensboro　Bridge　out　upon　Long　Island　on　her　mission　of　releasing　a　fact　whose　effect　she　could　not　foresee。



An　hour　and　a　half　after　that　Larry　was　leading　her　to　a　bench　in　the　scented　darkness　of　the　Sherwoods'　lawn。　She　had　telephoned　〃Mr。　Brandon〃　from　a　drug…store　booth　in　Flushing；　and　Larry　had　been　waiting　for　her　near　the　entrance　to　Cedar　Crest。

〃What　brought　you　out　here　like　this；　grandmother？〃　Larry　whispered　in　amazement　as　he　sat　down　beside　her。

〃To　tell　you　that　the　police　are　after　you；〃　she　whispered　back。

〃I　knew　that　already。〃

〃Yes；　I　knew　that　you　would。〃

〃But　how　did　you　find　out？〃

〃Maggie　told　me。〃

〃Maggie！　〃

〃She　came　down　to　see　me；　told　me　what　had　just　happened　at　her　place；　told　me　about　Barney　hurrying　away　to　slip　the　news　to　that　Gavegan；　and　begged　me　to　warn　you　at　once。　She　was　terribly　nervous　and　wrought　up。〃

〃Maggie　did　that！〃　he　breathed。　His　heart　leaped　at　her　unexpected　concern　for　him。　〃Maggie　did　that！〃　And　then：　〃There　wasn't　any　need；　she　should　have　known　that　I　would　know。〃

〃It　was　rather　foolish　in　a　waybut　Maggie　was　too　excited　to　use　cool　reason。〃

His　grandmother　did　not　speak　for　a　moment。　〃Her　losing　her　head　and　coming　shows　that　she　cares　for　you；　Larry。〃

He　could　make　no　response。　This　was　indeed　the　clearest　evidence　Maggie　had　yet　given　that　possibly　she　might　care。

〃Maggie　may　have　lost　her　head　in　her　excitement；〃　he　managed　to　say；　〃but；　grandmother；　there　was　no　reason　for　you　to　lose　your　head　so　far　as　to　come　away　out　here　to　tell　me　about　the　police。〃

〃I　didn't　come　away　out　here　to　tell　you　about　the　police；〃　she　replied。　〃I　came　to　tell　you　something　else。〃

〃Yes？〃

〃You're　sure　you　really　care　for　Maggie？〃

〃I　told　you　that　when　I　was　down　to　see　you　this　evening。〃

Though　the　Duchess　had　decided；　the　desire　to　protect　Larry　remained　tenaciously　in　her　and　made　it　hard　for　her　jealous　love　to　take　a　risk。　〃You're　sure　she　might　turn　out　all　rightthat　is；　under　better　influences？〃

〃I'm　sure；　grandmother。〃　He　recalled　how　a　few　hours　earlier　at　the　Grantham　the　demand　of　Old　Jimmie　that　she　remain　with　him　had　seemed　the　force　that　had　controlled　her　decision。　〃There　would　be　no　doubt　of　it　if　it　were　not　for　Old　Jimmie；　and　the　people　he's　kept　her　among；　and　the　ideas　he's　been　feeding　her　since　she　was　a　baby。　I　don't　think　she　has　any　love　for　her　father；　but　they　say　blood　is　mighty　thick　and　I　guess　with　her　it's　just　the　usual　instinct　of　a　child　to　stand　with　her　father　and　do　what　he　says。　Yes；　if　she　were　not　held　back　and　held　down　by　having　Old　Jimmie　for　a　father；　I'm　sure　she'd　be　all　right。〃

The　Duchess　felt　that　the　moment　had　now　arrived　for　her　to　unloose　her　secret。　But　despite　her　fixed　purpose　to　tell；　her　words　had　to　be　forced　out；　and　were　halting；　bald。

〃Jimmie　Carlisleis　not　her　father。〃

〃What's　that？〃　exclaimed　Larry。

〃Not　so　loud。　I　said　Jimmie　Carlisle　is　not　her　father。〃

〃Grandmother！〃

〃Her　father　is　Joe　Ellison。〃

〃Grandmother！〃　He　caught　her　hands。　〃Whywhy〃　But　for　a　moment　his　utter　dumbfoundment　paralyzed　his　speech。　〃You'reyou're　sure　of　that？〃　he　finally　got　out。

〃Yes。〃　She　went　on　and　told　of　how　her　suspicion　had　been　aroused；　of　her　interview　with　Joe　Ellison　which　had　transmuted　suspicion　into　certainty；　of　her　theory　of　the　motives　which　had　actuated　Jimmie　Carlisle　in　so　perverting　the　directions　of　the　man　who　had　held　Jimmie　as　his　most　trusted　friend。

Larry　was　fairly　stunned　by　this　recital　of　what　had　been　done。　And　he　was　further　stunned　as　he　realized　the　fullness　of　what　now　seemed　to　be　the　circumstances。

〃God；　think　of　it！〃　he　breathed。　〃Maggie　trying　to　be　a　great　adventuress　because　she　was　brought　up　that　way；　because　she　thinks　her　father　wants　her　to　be　thatand　having　never　a　guess　of　the　truth！　And　Joe　Ellison　believing　that　his　daughter　is　a　nice；　simple　girl；　happily　ignorant　of　the　life　he　tried　to　shield　her　fromand　having　never　a　guess　of　the　truth！　What　a　situation！　And　if　they　should　ever　find　out〃

He　broke　off；　appalled　by　the　power　and　magnitude　of　what　he　vaguely　saw。　Presently　he　said　in　a　numbed；　awed　voice：

〃They　should　know　the　truth。　But　how　are　they　to　find　out？〃

〃I'm　leaving　all　that　to　you；　Larry。　Maggie　and　Joe　Ellison　are　your　affair。　It's　up　to　you　to　decide　what　you　think　best　to　do。〃

Larry　was　silent　for　several　moments。　〃You've　known　this　for　some　time；　grandmother？〃

〃For　several　weeks。〃

〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　before？〃

〃I　was　afraid　it　might　somehow　bring　you　closer　to　Maggie；　and　I　didn't　want　that；〃　she　answered　honestly。　〃Now　I　think　a　little　better　of　Maggie。　And　you've　proved　to　me　I　can　trust　a　great　deal　more　to　your　judgment。　Yes；　I　guess　that's　the　chief　reason　I've　come　out　here　to　tell　you　this：　you've　proved　to　me　I've　got　to　respect　your　judgment。　And　so　whatever　you　may　doabout　Maggie　or　anything　else　will　be　all　right　with　me。〃

She　did　not　wait　for　a　response；　but　stood　up。　Her　voice　which　had　been　shot　through　with　emotion　these　last　few　minutes　was　now　that　flat；　mechanical　monotone　to　which　the　habitants　of　her　little　street　were　accustomed。

〃I　must　be　getting　back　to　the　city。　Good…night。〃

He　started　to　accompany　her　to　her　car；　but　she　forbade　him；　saying　that　it　would　not　help　matters　to　have　him　seen　and　possibly　recognized　by　the　taxicab　driver；　and　so　she　went　out　of　the　grounds　alone。　Within　another　hour　and　a　half　she　was　set　down　unobserved　in　a　dim　side　street　in　Brooklyn。　Thence　she　made　her　way　on　foot　to　the　Subway　and　rode　home。　If　the　police　had　noticed　her　absence　and　should　question　her；　she　could　refuse　to　answer；　or　say　that　she　had　been　visiting　late　with　a　friend　in　Brooklyn。

Larry　sat　long　out　in　the　night　after　his　grandmother　had　left　him。　What　should　he　do　with　this　amazing　information　placed　at　his　disposal？　Tell　Joe　Ellison？　Or　tell　Maggie？　Or　tell　both？　Or　himself　try　to　meet　Jimmie　Carlisle　and　pay　that　traitor　to　Joe　Ellison　and　that　malformer　of　Maggie　the　coin　he　had　earned？

But　for　hours　the　situation　itself　was　still　too　bewildering　in　its　many　phases　for　Larry　to　give　concentrated　thought　to　what　should　be　its　attempted　solution。　Not　until　dawn　was　beginning　to　awaken　dully；　as　with　a　protracted　yawn；　out　of　the　shadowy　Sound；　was　he　able　really　to　hold　his　mind　with　clearness　upon　the　problem　of　what　use　he　should　make　of　these　facts　of　which　he　had　been　appointed　guardian。　He　decided　against　telling　Joe　Ellisonat　least　he　would　not　tell　him　yet。　He　recalled　the　rumors　of　Joe　Ellison's　repressed　volcano　of　a　temper；　if　Joe　Ellison　should　learn　how　he　had　been　defrauded；　all　the　man's　vital　forces　would　be　instantly　transformed　into　destructive；　vengeful　rage　that　would　spare　no　one　and　count　no　cost。　The　result　would　doubtless　be　tragedy；　with　no　one　greatly　served；　and　with　Joe　very　likely　back　in　prison。　If　he　himself　should　go　out　to　give　Old　Jimmie　his　deserts；　his　action　would　be　just　good　powder　wastedit　likewise　would　serve　no　constructive　purpose。　Larry　realized　that　it　is　only　human　nature　for　a　wronged　man　to　wish　for　and　attempt　revenge；　but　that　in　the　economy　of　life　revenge　has　no　value；　serves　no　purpose；　that　it　usually　only　makes　a　bad　situation　worse。

A　tremendous　wrong　had　been　done　here；　a　wrong　which　showed　a　malignant；　cunning；　patient　mind。　But　as　Larry　finally　saw　the　matter；　the　point　for　first　consideration　was　not　the　valueless　satisfaction　of　making　the　guilty　man　suffer；　but　was　to　try　to　restore　to　the　victims　some　part　of　those　precious　things　of　which　they　had　been　unconsciously　robbed。

And　then　Larry　had　what　seemed　to　him　an　inspiration：　his　inspiration　being　only　a　sane　thought；　and　what　the　Duchess；　though　she　had　not　pointed　the　way　to　him；　had　thought　he　would　do。　Maggie　was　the　important　person　in　this　situation！Maggie　whose　life　was　just　beginning；　and　whose　nature　he　still　believed　to　be　plastic！　Not　Joe　Ellison　or　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle；　who　had　almost　lived　out　their　lives　and　whose　na