a far country-第28节

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imagined　that　it　had　something　to　say　in　government。　　Miller　Gorse　was
one　of　these　rulers　behind　the　screen；　and　Adolf　Scherer；　of　the　Boyne
Iron　Works；　another；　there　was　Leonard　Dickinson　of　the　Corn　National
Bank；　Frederick　Grierson；　becoming　wealthy　in　city　real　estate；　Judah　B。
Tallant；　who；　though　outlawed　socially；　was　deferred　to　as　the　owner　of
the　Morning　Era；　and　even　Ralph　Hambleton；　rapidly　superseding　the
elderly　and　conservative　Mr。　Lord；　who　had　hitherto　managed　the　great
Hambleton　estate。　　Ralph　seemed　to　have　become；　in　a　somewhat　gnostic
manner；　a　full…fledged　financier。　　Not　having　studied　law；　he　had　been
home　for　four　years　when　I　became　a　legal　fledgling；　and　during　the　early
days　of　my　apprenticeship　I　was　beholden　to　him　for　many　〃eye　openers〃
concerning　the　conduct　of　great　affairs。　　I　remember　him　sauntering　into
my　room　one　morning　when　Larry　Weed　had　gone　out　on　an　errand。

〃Hello；　Hughie；〃　he　said；　with　his　air　of　having　nothing　to　do。
〃Grinding　it　out？　　Where's　Watling？〃

〃Isn't　he　in　his　office？〃

〃No。〃

〃Well；　what　can　we　do　for　you？〃　I　asked。

Ralph　grinned。

〃Perhaps　I'll　tell　you　when　you're　a　little　older。　　You're　too　young。〃
And　he　sank　down　into　Larry　Weed's　chair；　his　long　legs　protruding　on　the
other　side　of　the　table。　　〃It's　a　matter　of　taxes。　　Some　time　ago　I　found
out　that　Dickinson　and　Tallant　and　others　I　could　mention　were　paying　a
good　deal　less　on　their　city　property　than　we　are。　　We　don't　propose　to
do　it　any　morethat's　all。〃

〃How　can　Mr。　Watling　help　you？〃　I　inquired。

〃Well；　I　don't　mind　giving　you　a　few　tips　about　your　profession；　Hughie。
I'm　going　to　get　Watling　to　fix　it　up　with　the　City　Hall　gang。　　Old　Lord
doesn't　like　it；　I'll　admit；　and　when　I　told　him　we　had　been　contributing
to　the　city　long　enough；　that　I　proposed　swinging　into　line　with　other
property　holders；　he　began　to　blubber　about　disgrace　and　what　my
grandfather　would　say　if　he　were　alive。　　Well；　he　isn't　alive。　　A　good
deal　of　water　has　flowed　under　the　bridges　since　his　day。　　It's　a　mere
matter　of　business；　of　getting　your　respectable　firm　to　retain　a　City
Hall　attorney　to　fix　it　up　with　the　assessor。〃

〃How　about　the　penitentiary？〃　I　ventured；　not　too　seriously。

〃I　shan't　go　to　the　penitentiary；　neither　will　Watling。　　What　I　do　is　to
pay　a　lawyer's　fee。　　There　isn't　anything　criminal　in　that；　is　there？〃

For　some　time　after　Ralph　had　departed　I　sat　reflecting　upon　this　new
knowledge；　and　there　came　into　my　mind　the　bitterness　of　Cousin　Robert
Breck　against　this　City　Hall　gang；　and　his　remarks　about　lawyers。　　I
recalled　the　tone　in　which　he　had　referred　to　Mr。　Watling。　　But　Ralph's
philosophy　easily　triumphed。　　Why　not　be　practical；　and　become　master　of
a　situation　which　one　had　not　made；　and　could　not　alter；　instead　of　being
overwhelmed　by　it？　　Needless　to　say；　I　did　not　mention　the　conversation
to　Mr。　Watling；　nor　did　he　dwindle　in　my　estimation。　　These　necessary
transactions　did　not　interfere　in　any　way　with　his　personal
relationships；　and　his　days　were　filled　with　kindnesses。　　And　was　not　Mr。
Ripon；　the　junior　partner；　one　of　the　evangelical　lights　of　the
community；　conducting　advanced　Bible　classes　every　week　in　the　Church　of
the　Redemption？。。。　　The　unfolding　of　mysteries　kept　me　alert。　　And　I
understood　that；　if　I　was　to　succeed；　certain　esoteric　knowledge　must　be
acquired；　as　it　were；　unofficially。　　I　kept　my　eyes　and　ears　open；　and
applied　myself；　with　all　industry；　to　the　routine　tasks　with　which　every
young　man　in　a　large　legal　firm　is　familiar。　　I　recall　distinctly　my
pride　when；　the　Board　of　Aldermen　having　passed　an　ordinance　lowering　the
water　rates；　I　was　intrusted　with　the　responsibility　of　going　before　the
court　in　behalf　of　Mr。　Ogilvy's　water　company；　obtaining　a　temporary
restricting　order　preventing　the　ordinance　from　going　at　once　into
effect。　　Here　was　an　affair　in　point。　　Were　it　not　for　lawyers　of　the
calibre　of　Watling；　Fowndes　and　Ripon；　hard…earned　private　property　would
soon　be　confiscated　by　the　rapacious　horde。　　Once　in　a　while　I　was　made
aware　that　Mr。　Watling　had　his　eye　on　me。

〃Well；　Hugh；〃　he　would　say；　〃how　are　you　getting　along？　　That's　right；
stick　to　it；　and　after　a　while　we'll　hand　the　drudgery　over　to　somebody
else。〃

He　possessed　the　supreme　quality　of　a　leader　of　men　in　that　he　took　pains
to　inform　himself　concerning　the　work　of　the　least　of　his　subordinates；
and　he　had　the　gift　of　putting　fire　into　a　young　man　by　a　word　or　a　touch
of　the　hand　on　the　shoulder。　　It　was　not　difficult　for　me；　therefore；　to
comprehend　Larry　Weed's　hero…worship；　the　loyalty　of　other　members　of　the
firm　or　of　those　occupants　of　the　office　whom　I　have　not　mentioned。　　My
first　impression　of　him；　which　I　had　got　at　Jerry　Kyme's；　deepened　as
time　went　on；　and　I　readily　shared　the　belief　of　those　around　me　that　his
legal　talents　easily　surpassed　those　of　any　of　his　contemporaries。　　I　can
recall；　at　this　time；　several　noted　cases　in　the　city　when　I　sat　in　court
listening　to　his　arguments　with　thrills　of　pride。　　He　made　us　all　feel
no　matter　how　humble　may　have　been　our　contributions　to　the　preparation
that　we　had　a　share　in　his　triumphs。　　We　remembered　his　manner　with
judges　and　juries；　and　strove　to　emulate　it。　　He　spoke　as　if　there　could
be　no　question　as　to　his　being　right　as　to　the　law　and　the　facts；　and
yet；　in　some　subtle　way　that　bated　analysis；　managed　not　to　antagonize
the　court。　　Victory　was　in　the　air　in　that　office。　　I　do　not　mean　to　say
there　were　not　defeats；　but　frequently　these　defeats；　by　resourcefulness；
by　a　never…say…die　spirit；　by　a　consummate　knowledge；　not　only　of　the
law；　but　of　other　things　at　which　I　have　hinted；　were　turned　into
ultimate　victories。　　We　fought　cases　from　one　court　to　another；　until　our
opponents　were　worn　out　or　the　decision　was　reversed。　　We　won；　and　that
spirit　of　winning　got　into　the　blood。　　What　was　most　impressed　on　me　in
those　early　years；　I　think；　was　the　discovery　that　there　was　always　a
pathif　one　were　clever　enough　to　find　itfrom　one　terrace　to　the　next
higher。　　Staying　power　was　the　most　prized　of　all　the　virtues。　　One　could
always；　by　adroitness；　compel　a　legal　opponent　to　fight　the　matter　out
all　over　again　on　new　ground；　or　at　least　on　ground　partially　new。　　If
the　Court　of　Appeals　should　fail　one；　there　was　the　Supreme　Court；　there
was　the　opportunity；　also；　to　shift　from　the　state　to　the　federal　courts；
and　likewise　the　much…prized　device　known　as　a　change　of　venue；　when　a
judge　was　supposed　to　be　〃prejudiced。〃




IX。

As　my　apprenticeship　advanced　I　grew　more　and　more　to　the　inhabitants　of
our　city　into　two　kinds；　the　who　were　served；　and　the　inefficient；　who
were　separate　efficient；　neglected；　but　the　mental　process　of　which　the
classification　was　the　result　was　not　so　deliberate　as　may　be　supposed。
Sometimes；　when　an　important　client　would　get　into　trouble；　the　affair
took　me　into　the　police　court；　where　I　saw　the　riff…raff　of　the　city
penned　up；　waiting　to　have　justice　doled　out　to　them：　weary　women　who　had
spent　the　night　in　cells；　indifferent　now　as　to　the　front　they　presented
to　the　world；　the　finery　rued　that　they　had　tended　so　carefully　to　catch
the　eyes　of　men　on　the　darkened　streets；　brazen　young　girls；　who　blazed
forth　defiance　to　all　order；　derelict　men；　sodden　and　hopeless；　with
scrubby　beards；　shifty　looking　burglars　and　pickpockets。　　All　these　I
beheld；　at　first　with　twinges　of　pity；　later　to　mass　them　with　the　ugly
and　inevitable　with　whom　society　had　to　deal　somehow。　　Lawyers；　after
all；　must　be　practical　men。　　I　came　to　know　the　justices　of　these　police
courts；　as　well　as　other　judges。　　And　underlying　my　acquaintance　with　all
of　them　was　the　knowledgethough　not　on　the　threshold　of　my
consciousnessthat　they　depended　for　their　living；　every　man　of　them；
those　who　were　appointed　and　those　who　were　elected；　upon　a　political
organization　which　derived　its　sustenance　from　the　element　whence　came
our　clients。　　Thus　by　degrees　the　sense　of　belonging　to　a　special
priesthood　had　grown　on　me。

I　recall　an　experience　with　that　same　Mr。　Nathan。　　Weill；　the　wholesale
grocer　of　whose　commerce　with　the　City　Hall　my　Cousin　Robert　Breck　had　so
bitterly　complained。　　Late　one　afternoon　Mr。　Weill's　carriage　ran　over　a
child　on　its　way　up…town　through　one　of　the　poorer　districts。　　The
parents；　naturally；　were　frantic；　and　the　coachman　was　arrested。　　This
was　late　in　the　afternoon；　and　I　was　alone　in　the　office　when　the
telephone　rang。　　Hurrying　to　the　police　station；　I　found　Mr。　Weill　in　a
state　of　excitement　and　abject　fear；　for　an　ugly　crowd　had　gathered
outside。

〃Could　not　Mr。　Watling　or　Mr。　Fowndes　come？〃　demanded　the　grocer。

With　an　inner　contempt　for　the　layman's　state　of　mind　on　such　occasions　I
assured　him　of　my　competency　to　handle　the　case。　　He　was　impressed；　I
think；　by　the　sergeant's　deference；　who　knew　what　it　meant　to　have　such
an　office　as　ours　interfere　with　the　affair。　　I　called　up　the　prosecuting
attorney；　who　sent　to　Monahan's　saloon；　close　by；　and　procured　a　release
for　the　coachman　on　his　own　recognizance；　one　of　many　signed　in　blank　and
left　there　by　the　justice　for　p