a far country-第24节

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Before　the　meal　was　over　he　had　inspired　me　with　loyalty　and　pride；
enlisted　the　admiration　of　Jerry　and　Conybear　and　Johnnie　Laurens；　we
followed　him　into　the　smoking…room；　sitting　down　in　a　row　on　a　leather
lounge　behind　our　elders。

Here；　now　that　the　gentlemen　were　alone；　there　was　an　inspiring　largeness
in　their　talk　that　fired　the　imagination。　　The　subject　was　investments；
at　first　those　of　coal　and　iron　in　my　own　state；　for　Mr。　Watling；　it
appeared；　was　counsel　for　the　Boyne　Iron　Works。

〃It　will　pay　you　to　keep　an　eye　on　that　company；　Mr。　Kyme；〃　he　said；
knocking　the　ashes　from　his　cigar。　　〃Now　that　old　Mr。　Durrett's　gone〃

〃You　don't　mean　to　say　Nathaniel　Durrett's　dead！〃　said　Mr。　Kyme。

The　lawyer　nodded。

〃The　old　regime　passed　with　him。　　Adolf　Scherer　succeeds　him；　and　you　may
take　my　word　for　it；　he's　a　coming　man。　　Mr。　Durrett；　who　was　a　judge　of
men；　recognized　that。　　Scherer　was　an　emigrant；　he　had　ideas；　and　rose　to
be　a　foreman。　　For　the　last　few　years　Mr。　Durrett　threw　everything　on　his
shoulders。。。。〃

Little　by　little　the　scope　of　the　discussion　was　enlarged　until　it　ranged
over　a　continent；　touching　lightly　upon　lines　of　railroad；　built　or
projected；　across　the　great　west　our　pioneers　had　so　lately　succeeded　in
wresting　from　the　savages；　upon　mines　of　copper　and　gold　hidden　away
among　the　mountains；　and　millions　of　acres　of　forest　and　grazing　lands
which　a　complacent　government　would　relinquish　provided　certain
technicalities　were　met：　touching　lightly；　too；　very　lightly；upon
senators　and　congressmen　at　Washington。　　And　for　the　first　time　I　learned
that　not　the　least　of　the　functions　of　these　representatives　of　the
people　was　to　act　as　the　medium　between　capital　and　investment；　to
facilitate　the　handing　over　of　the　Republic's　resources　to　those　in　a
position　to　develop　them。　　The　emphasis　was　laid　on　development；　or
rather　on　the　resulting　prosperity　for　the　country：　that　was　the
justification；　and　it　was　taken　for　granted　as　supreme。　　Nor　was　it　new
to　me；　this　cult　of　prosperity。　　I　recalled　the　torch…light　processions
of　the　tariff　enthusiasts　of　my　childhood　days；　my　father's　championship
of　the　Republican　Party。　　He　had　not　idealized　politicians；　either。　　For
the　American；　politics　and　ethics　were　strangers。

Thus　I　listened　with　increasing　fascination　to　these　gentlemen　in　evening
clothes　calmly　treating　the　United　States　as　a　melon　patch　that　existed
largely　for　the　purpose　of　being　divided　up　amongst　a　limited　and　favored
number　of　persons。　　I　had　a　feeling　of　being　among　the　initiated。　　Where；
it　may　be　asked；　were　my　ideals？　　Let　it　not　be　supposed　that　I　believed
myself　to　have　lost　them。　　If　so；　the　impression　I　have　given　of　myself
has　been　wholly　inadequate。　　No；　they　had　been　transmuted；　that　is　all；
transmuted　by　the　alchemy　of　Weathersfield；　by　the　personality　of
Theodore　Watling　into　brighter　visions。　　My　eyes　rarely　left　his　face；　I
hung　on　his　talk；　which　was　interspersed　with　native　humour；　though　he
did　not　always　join　in　the　laughter；　sometimes　gazing　at　the　fire；　as
though　his　keen　mind　were　grappling　with　a　problem　suggested。　　I　noted
the　respect　in　which　his　opinions　were　held；　and　my　imagination　was　fired
by　an　impression　of　the　power　to　be　achieved　by　successful　men　of　his
profession；　by　the　evidence　of　their　indispensability　to　capital
itself。。。。　　At　last　when　the　gentlemen　rose　and　were　leaving　the　room；
Mr。　Watling　lingered；　with　his　hand　on　my　arm。

〃Of　course　you're　going　through　the　Law　School；　Hugh；〃　he　said。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　replied。

〃Good！〃　he　exclaimed　emphatically。　　〃The　law；　to…day；　is　more　of　a　career
than　ever；　especially　for　a　young　man　with　your　antecedents　and
advantages；　and　I　know　of　no　city　in　the　United　States　where　I　would
rather　start　practice；　if　I　were　a　young　man；　than　ours。　　In　the　next
twenty　years　we　shall　see　a　tremendous　growth。　　Of　course　you'll　be　going
into　your　father's　office。　　You　couldn't　do　better。　　But　I'll　keep　an　eye
on　you；　and　perhaps　I'll　be　able　to　help　you　a　little；　too。〃

I　thanked　him　gratefully。

A　famous　artist；　who　started　out　in　youth　to　embrace　a　military　career
and　who　failed　to　pass　an　examination　at　West　Point；　is　said　to　have
remarked　that　if　silicon　had　been　a　gas　he　would　have　been　a　soldier。　　I
am　afraid　I　may　have　given　the　impression　that　if　I　had　not　gone　to
Weathersfield　and　encountered　Mr。　Watling　I　might　not　have　been　a　lawyer。
This　impression　would　be　misleading。　　And　while　it　is　certain　that　I　have
not　exaggerated　the　intensity　of　the　spiritual　experience　I　went　through
at　Cambridge；　a　somewhat　belated　consideration　for　the　truth　compels　me
to　register　my　belief　that　the　mood　would　in　any　case　have　been
ephemeral。　　The　poison　generated　by　the　struggle　of　my　nature　with　its
environment　had　sunk　too　deep；　and　the　very　education　that　was　supposed
to　make　a　practical　man　of　me　had　turned　me　into　a　sentimentalist。　　I
became；　as　will　be　seen；　anything　but　a　practical　man　in　the　true　sense；
though　the　world　in　which　I　had　been　brought　up　and　continued　to　live
deemed　me　such。　　My　father　was　greatly　pleased　when　I　wrote　him　that　I
was　now　more　than　ever　convinced　of　the　wisdom　of　choosing　the　law　as　my
profession；　and　was　satisfied　that　I　had　come　to　my　senses　at　last。　　He
had　still　been　prepared　to　see　me　〃go　off　at　a　tangent；〃　as　he　expressed
it。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　powerful　effect　of　the　appeal　made　by
Weathersfield　and　Mr。　Watling　must　not　be　underestimated。　　Here　in　one
object　lesson　was　emphasized　a　host　of　suggestions　each　of　which　had　made
its　impression。　　And　when　I　returned　to　Cambridge　Alonzo　Cheyne　knew　that
he　had　lost　me。。。。

I　pass　over　the　rest　of　my　college　course；　and　the　years　I　spent　at　the
Harvard　Law　School；　where　were　instilled　into　me　without　difficulty　the
dictums　that　the　law　was　the　most　important　of　all　professions；　that
those　who　entered　it　were　a　priestly　class　set　aside　to　guard　from
profanation　that　Ark　of　the　Covenant；　the　Constitution　of　the　United
States。　　In　short；　I　was　taught　law　precisely　as　I　had　been　taught
religion；scriptural　infallibility　over　again；a　static　law　and　a
static　theology；a　set　of　concepts　that　were　supposed　to　be　equal　to　any
problems　civilization　would　have　to　meet　until　the　millennium。　　What　we
are　wont　to　call　wisdom　is　often　naively　innocent　of　impending　change。
It　has　no　barometric　properties。

I　shall　content　myself　with　relating　one　incident　only　of　this　period。
In　the　January　of　my　last　year　I　went　with　a　party　of　young　men　and　girls
to　stay　over　Sunday　at　Beverly　Farms；　where　Mrs。　Fremantlea　young
Boston　matron　had　opened　her　cottage　for　the　occasion。　　This　〃cottage；〃　a
roomy；　gabled　structure；　stood　on　a　cliff；　at　the　foot　of　which　roared
the　wintry　Atlantic；　while　we　danced　and　popped　corn　before　the　open
fires。　　During　the　daylight　hours　we　drove　about　the　country　in　sleighs；
or　made　ridiculous　attempts　to　walk　on　snow…shoes。

On　Sunday　afternoon；　left　temporarily　to　my　own　devices；　I　wandered　along
the　cliff；　crossing　into　the　adjoining　property。　　The　wind　had　fallen；
the　waves；　much　subdued；　broke　rhythmically　against　the　rocks；　during　the
night　a　new　mantle　of　snow　had　been　spread；　and　the　clouds　were　still　low
and　menacing。　　As　I　strolled　I　became　aware　of　a　motionless　figure　ahead
of　me；one　that　seemed　oddly　familiar；　the　set　of　the　shabby　overcoat　on
the　stooping　shoulders；　the　unconscious　pose　contributed　to　a　certain
sharpness　of　individuality；　in　the　act　of　challenging　my　memory；　I
halted。　　The　man　was　gazing　at　the　seascape；　and　his　very　absorption　gave
me　a　sudden　and　unfamiliar　thrill。　　The　word　absorption　precisely
expresses　my　meaning；　for　he　seemed　indeed　to　have　become　a　part　of　his
surroundings；an　harmonious　part。　　Presently　he　swung　about　and　looked
at　me　as　though　he　had　expected　to　find　me　thereand　greeted　me　by　name。

〃Krebs！〃　I　exclaimed。

He　smiled；　and　flung　out　his　arm；　indicating　the　scene。　　His　eyes　at　that
moment　seemed　to　reflect　the　sea；they　made　the　gaunt　face　suddenly
beautiful。

〃This　reminds　me　of　a　Japanese　print；〃　he　said。

The　words；　or　the　tone　in　which　he　spoke；　curiously　transformed　the
picture。　　It　was　as　if　I　now　beheld　it；　anew；　through　his　vision：　the
grey　water　stretching　eastward　to　melt　into　the　grey　sky；　the　massed；
black　trees　on　the　hillside；　powdered　with　white；　the　snow　in　rounded；
fantastic　patches　on　the　huge　boulders　at　the　foot　of　the　cliff。　　Krebs
did　not　seem　like　a　stranger；　but　like　one　whom　I　had　known　always；one
who　stood　in　a　peculiar　relationship　between　me　and　something　greater　I
could　not　define。　　The　impression　was　fleeting；　but　real。。。。　　I　remember
wondering　how　he　could　have　known　anything　about　Japanese　prints。

〃I　didn't　think　you　were　still　in　this　part　of　the　country；〃　I　remarked
awkwardly。

〃I'm　a　reporter　on　a　Boston　newspaper；　and　I've　been　sent　up　here　to
interview　old　Mr。　Dome；　who　lives　in　that　house；〃　and　he　pointed　to　a
roof　above　the　trees。　　〃There　is　a　rumour；　which　I　hope　to　verify；　that
he　has　just　given　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　to　the　University。〃

〃Andwon't　he　see　you？〃

〃At　present　he's　taking　a　nap；〃　said　Krebs。　　〃