a far country-第29节

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for　the　coachman　on　his　own　recognizance；　one　of　many　signed　in　blank　and
left　there　by　the　justice　for　privileged　cases。　　The　coachman　was　hustled
out　by　a　back　door；　and　the　crowd　dispersed。

The　next　morning；　while　a　score　or　more　of　delinquents　sat　in　the　anxious
seats；　Justice　Garry　recognized　me　and　gave　me　precedence。　　And　Mr。
Weill；　with　a　sigh　of　relief；　paid　his　fine。

〃Mr。　Paret；　is　it？〃　　he　asked；　as　we　stood　together　for　a　moment　on　the
sidewalk　outside　the　court。　　〃You　have　managed　this　well。　　I　will
remember。〃

He　was　sued；　of　course。　　When　he　came　to　the　office　he　insisted　on
discussing　the　case　with　Mr。　Watling；　who　sent　for　me。

〃That　is　a　bright　young　man；〃　Mr。　Weill　declared；　shaking　my　hand。　　〃He
will　get　on。〃

〃Some　day；〃　said　Mr。　Watling；　〃he　may　save　you　a　lot　of　money；　Weill。〃

〃When　my　friend　Mr。　Watling　is　United　States　Senator；eh？〃

Mr。　Watling　laughed。　　〃Before　that；　I　hope。　　I　advise　you　to　compromise
this　suit；　Weill；〃　he　added。　　〃How　would　a　thousand　dollars　strike　you？
I've　had　Paret　look　up　the　case；　and　he　tells　me　the　little　girl　has　had
to　have　an　operation。〃

〃A　thousand　dollars！〃　cried　the　grocer。　　〃What　right　have　these　people　to
let　their　children　play　on　the　streets？　　It's　an　outrage。〃

〃Where　else　have　the　children　to　play？〃　Mr。　Watling　touched　his　arm。
〃Weill；〃　he　said　gently；　〃suppose　it　had　been　your　little　girl？〃　　The
grocer　pulled　out　his　handkerchief　and　mopped　his　bald　forehead。　　But　he
rallied　a　little。

〃You　fight　these　damage　cases　for　the　street　railroads　all　through　the
courts。〃

〃Yes；〃　Mr。　Watling　agreed；　〃but　there　a　principle　is　involved。　　If　the
railroads　once　got　into　the　way　of　paying　damages　for　every　careless
employee；　they　would　soon　be　bankrupt　through　blackmail。　　But　here　you
have　a　child　whose　father　is　a　poor　janitor　and　can't　afford　sickness。
And　your　coachman；　I　imagine；　will　be　more　particular　in　the　future。〃

In　the　end　Mr。　Weill　made　out　a　cheque　and　departed　in　a　good　humour；
convinced　that　he　was　well　out　of　the　matter。　　Here　was　one　of　many
instances　I　could　cite　of　Mr。　Watling's　tenderness　of　heart。　　I　felt；
moreover；　as　if　he　had　done　me　a　personal　favour；　since　it　was　I　who　had
recommended　the　compromise。　　For　I　had　been　to　the　hospital　and　had　seen
the　child　on　the　cot；a　dark　little　thing；　lying　still　in　her　pain；　with
the　bewildered　look　of　a　wounded　animal。。。。

Not　long　after　this　incident　of　Mr。　Weill's　damage　suit　I　obtained　a　more
or　less　definite　promotion　by　the　departure　of　Larry　Weed。　　He　had
suddenly　developed　a　weakness　of　the　lungs。　　Mr。　Watling　got　him　a　place
in　Denver；　and　paid　his　expenses　west。

The　first　six　or　seven　years　I　spent　in　the　office　of　Wading；　Fowndes　and
Ripon　were　of　importance　to　my　future　career；　but　there　is　little　to
relate　of　them。　　I　was　absorbed　not　only　in　learning　law；　but　in
acquiring　that　esoteric　knowledge　at　which　I　have　hintednot　to　be　had
from　my　seniors　and　which　I　was　convinced　was　indispensable　to　a
successful　and　lucrative　practice。　　My　former　comparison　of　the
organization　of　our　city　to　a　picture　puzzle　wherein　the　dominating
figures　become　visible　only　after　long　study　is　rather　inadequate。　　A
better　analogy　would　be　the　human　anatomy：　we　lawyers；　of　course；　were
the　brains；　the　financial　and　industrial　interests　the　body；　helpless
without　us；　the　City　Hall　politicians；　the　stomach　that　must　continually
be　fed。　　All　three；　law；　politics　and　business；　were　interdependent；
united　by　a　nervous　system　too　complex　to　be　developed　here。　　In　these
years；　though　I　worked　hard　and　often　late；　I　still　found　time　for
convivialities；　for　social　gaieties；　yet　little　by　little　without
realizing　the　fact；　I　was　losing　zest　for　the　companionship　of　my　former
intimates。　　My　mind　was　becoming　polarized　by　the　contemplation　of　one
object；　success；　and　to　it　human　ties　were　unconsciously　being
sacrificed。

Tom　Peters　began　to　feel　this；　even　at　a　time　when　I　believed　myself
still　to　be　genuinely　fond　of　him。　　Considering　our　respective
temperaments　in　youth；　it　is　curious　that　he　should　have　been　the　first
to　fall　in　love　and　marry。　　One　day　he　astonished　me　by　announcing　his
engagement　to　Susan　Blackwood。

〃That　ends　the　liquor；　Hughie；〃　he　told　me；　beamingly。　　〃I　promised　her
I'd　eliminate　it。〃

He　did　eliminate　it；　save　for　mild　relapses　on　festive　occasions。　　A　more
seemingly　incongruous　marriage　could　scarcely　be　imagined；　and　yet　it　was
a　success　from　the　start。　　From　a　slim；　silent；　self…willed　girl　Susan
had　grown　up　into　a　tall；　rather　rawboned　and　energetic　young　woman。　　She
was　what　we　called　in　those　days　〃intellectual；〃　and　had　gone　in　for
kindergartens；　and　after　her　marriage　she　turned　out　to　be　excessively
domestic；　practising　her　theories；　with　entire　success；　upon　a　family
that　showed　a　tendency　to　increase　at　an　alarming　rate。　　Tom；　needless　to
say；　did　not　become　intellectual。　　He　settled　downprematurely；　I
thoughtinto　what　is　known　as　a　family　man；　curiously　content　with　the
income　he　derived　from　the　commission　business　and　with　life　in　general；
and　he　developed　a　somewhat　critical　view　of　the　tendencies　of　the
civilization　by　which　he　was　surrounded。　　Susan　held　it　also；　but　she
said　less　about　it。　　In　the　comfortable　but　unpretentious　house　they
rented　on　Cedar　Street　we　had　many　discussions；　after　the　babies　had　been
put　to　bed　and　the　door　of　the　living…room　closed；　in　order　that　our
voices　might　not　reach　the　nursery。　　Perry　Blackwood；　now　Tom's　brother…
in…law；　was　often　there。　　He；　too；　had　lapsed　into　what　I　thought　was　an
odd　conservatism。　　Old　Josiah；　his　father；　being　dead；　he　occupied
himself　mainly　with　looking　after　certain　family　interests；　among　which
was　the　Boyne　Street　car　line。　　Among　〃business　men〃　he　was　already
getting　the　reputation　of　being　a　little　difficult　to　deal　with。　　I　was
often　the　subject　of　their　banter；　and　presently　I　began　to　suspect　that
they　regarded　my　career　and　beliefs　with　some　concern。　　This　gave　me　no
uneasiness；　though　at　limes　I　lost　my　temper。　　I　realized　their　affection
for　me；　but　privately　I　regarded　them　as　lacking　in　ambition；　in　force；
in　the　fighting　qualities　necessary　for　achievement　in　this　modern　age。
Perhaps；　unconsciously；　I　pitied　them　a　little。

〃How　is　Judah　B。　to…day；　Hughie？〃　Tom　would　inquire。　　〃I　hear　you've　put
him　up　for　the　Boyne　Club；　now　that　Mr。　Watling　has　got　him　out　of　that
libel　suit。〃

〃Carter　Ives　is　dead；〃　Perry　would　add；　sarcastically；　〃let　bygones　be
bygones。〃

It　was　well　known　that　Mr。　Tallant；　in　the　early　days　of　his　newspaper；
had　blackmailed　Mr。　Ives　out　of　some　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　And　that
this；　more　than　any　other　act；　stood　in　the　way；　with　certain
recalcitrant　gentlemen；　of　his　highest　ambition；　membership　in　the　Boyne。

〃The　trouble　with　you　fellows　is　that　you　refuse　to　deal　with　conditions
as　you　find　them；〃　I　retorted。　　〃We　didn't　make　them；　and　we　can't　change
them。　　Tallant's　a　factor　in　the　business　life　of　this　city；　and　he　has
to　be　counted　with。〃

Tom　would　shake　his　head　exasperatingly。

〃Why　don't　you　get　after　Ralph？〃　I　demanded。　　〃He　doesn't　antagonize
Tallant；　either。〃

〃Ralph's　hopeless；〃　said　Tom。　　〃He　was　born　a　pirate；　you　weren't；
Hughie。　　We　think　there's　a　chance　for　his　salvation；　don't　we；　Perry？〃

I　refused　to　accept　the　remark　as　flattering。

Another　object　of　their　assaults　was　Frederick　Grierson；　who　by　this　time
had　emerged　from　obscurity　as　a　small　dealer　in　real　estate　into　a
manipulator　of　blocks　and　corners。

〃I　suppose　you　think　it's　a　lawyer's　business　to　demand　an　ethical　bill
of　health　of　every　client；〃　I　said。　　〃I　won't　stand　up　for　all　of
Tallant's　career；　of　course；　but　Mr。　Wading　has　a　clear　right　to　take　his
cases。　　As　for　Grierson；　it　seems　to　me　that's　a　matter　of　giving　a　dog　a
bad　name。　　Just　because　his　people　weren't　known　here；　and　because　he　has
worked　up　from　small　beginnings。　　To　get　down　to　hard…pan；　you　fellows
don't　believe　in　democracy；in　giving　every　man　a　chance　to　show　what's
in　him。〃

〃Democracy　is　good！〃　exclaimed　Perry。　　〃If　the　kind　of　thing　we're　coming
to　is　democracy；　God　save　the　state！〃。。。

On　the　other　hand　I　found　myself　drawing　closer　to　Ralph　Hambleton；
sometimes　present　at　these　debates；　as　the　only　one　of　my　boyhood　friends
who　seemed　to　be　able　to　〃deal　with　conditions　as　he　found　them。〃
Indeed；　he　gave　one　the　impression　that；　if　he　had　had　the　making　of
them；　he　would　not　have　changed　them。

〃What　the　deuce　do　you　expect？〃　　I　once　heard　him　inquire　with　good…
natured　contempt。　　〃Business　isn't　charity；　it's　war。

〃There　are　certain　things；〃　maintained　Perry；　stoutly；　〃that　gentlemen
won't　do。〃

〃Gentlemen！〃　exclaimed　Ralph；　stretching　his　slim　six　feet　two：　We　were
sitting　in　the　Boyne　Club。　　〃It's　ungentlemanly　to　kill；　or　burn　a　town
or　sink　a　ship；　but　we　keep　armies　and　navies　for　the　purpose。　　For　a　man
with　a　good　mind；　Perry；　you　show　a　surprising　inability　to　think　things；
out　to　a　logical　conclusion。　　What　the　deuce　is　competition；　when　you
come　down　to　it？　　Christianity？　　Not　by　a　long　shot！　　If　our　nations　are
slaughtering　men　and　starving　popula