a far country-第30节
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come down to it？ Christianity？ Not by a long shot！ If our nations are
slaughtering men and starving populations in other countries；are
carried on； in fact； for the sake of business； if our churches are filled
with business men and our sky pilots pray for the government； you can't
expect heathen individuals like me to do business on a Christian basis；
if there is such a thing。 You can make rules for croquet； but not for a
game that is based on the natural law of the survival of the fittest。
The darned fools in the legislatures try it occasionally； but we all know
it's a sop to the ‘common people。' Ask Hughie here if there ever was a
law put on the statute books that his friend Watling couldn't get
'round'？ Why； you've got competition even among the churches。 Yours；
where I believe you teach in the Sunday school； would go bankrupt if it
proclaimed real Christianity。 And you'll go bankrupt if you practise it；
Perry； my boy。 Some early； wide…awake； competitive； red…blooded bird
will relieve you of the Boyne Street car line。〃
It was one of this same new and 〃fittest〃 species who had already
relieved poor Mr。 McAlery Willett of his fortune。 Mr。 Willett was a
trusting soul who had never known how to take care of himself or his
money； people said； and now that he had lost it they blamed him。 Some
had been saved enough for him and Nancy to live on in the old house； with
careful economy。 It was Nancy who managed the economy； who accomplished
remarkable things with a sum they would have deemed poverty in former
days。 Her mother had died while I was at Cambridge。 Reverses did not
subdue Mr。 Willett's spirits； and the fascination modern 〃business〃 had
for him seemed to grow in proportion to the misfortunes it had caused
him。 He moved into a tiny office in the Durrett Building； where he
appeared every morning about half…past ten to occupy himself with heaven
knows what short cuts to wealth； with prospectuses of companies in Mexico
or Central America or some other distant place： once； I remember； it was
a tea； company in which he tried to interest his friends； to raise in the
South a product he maintained would surpass Orange Pekoe。 In the
afternoon between three and four he would turn up at the Boyne Club； as
well groomed； as spruce as ever； generally with a flower in his
buttonhole。 He never forgot that he was a gentleman； and he had a
gentleman's notions of the fitness of things； and it was against his
principles to use； a gentleman's club for the furtherance of his various
enterprises。
〃Drop into my office some day； Dickinson；〃 he would say。 〃I think I've
got something there that might interest you！〃
He reminded me； when I met him； that he had always predicted I would get
along in life。。。。
The portrait of Nancy at this period is not so easily drawn。 The decline
of the family fortunes seemed to have had as little effect upon her as
upon her father； although their characters differed sharply。 Something
of that spontaneity； of that love of life and joy in it she had possessed
in youth she must have inherited from McAlery Willett； but these
qualities had disappeared in her long before the coming of financial
reverses。 She was nearing thirty； and in spite of her beauty and the
rarer distinction that can best be described as breeding； she had never
married。 Men admired her； but from a distance； she kept them at arm's
length； they said： strangers who visited the city invariably picked her
out of an assembly and asked who she was； one man from New York who came
to visit Ralph and who had been madly in love with her； she had amazed
many people by refusing； spurning all he might have given her。 This
incident seemed a refutation of the charge that she was calculating。 As
might have been foretold； she had the social gift in a remarkable degree；
and in spite of the limitations of her purse the knack of dressing better
than other women； though at that time the organization of our social life
still remained comparatively simple； the custom of luxurious and
expensive entertainment not having yet set in。
The more I reflect upon those days； the more surprising does it seem that
I was not in love with her。 It may be that I was； unconsciously； for she
troubled my thoughts occasionally； and she represented all the qualities
I admired in her sex。 The situation that had existed at the time of our
first and only quarrel had been reversed； I was on the highroad to the
worldly success I had then resolved upon； Nancy was poor； and for that
reason； perhaps； prouder than ever。 If she was inaccessible to others；
she had the air of being peculiarly inaccessible to methe more so
because some of the superficial relics of our intimacy remained； or
rather had been restored。 Her very manner of camaraderie seemed
paradoxically to increase the distance between us。 It piqued me。 Had
she given me the least encouragement； I am sure I should have responded；
and I remember that I used occasionally to speculate as to whether she
still cared for me； and took this method of hiding her real feelings。
Yet； on the whole； I felt a certain complacency about it all； I knew that
suffering was disagreeable； I had learned how to avoid it； and I may have
had； deep within me； a feeling that I might marry her after all。
Meanwhile my life was full； and gave promise of becoming even fuller；
more absorbing and exciting in the immediate future。
One of the most fascinating figures； to me； of that Order being woven；
like a cloth of gold； out of our hitherto drab civilization；an Order
into which I was ready and eager to be initiated；was that of Adolf
Scherer； the giant German immigrant at the head of the Boyne Iron Works。
His life would easily lend itself to riotous romance。 In the old
country； in a valley below the castle perched on the rack above； he had
begun life by tending his father's geese。 What a contrast to 〃Steeltown〃
with its smells and sickening summer heat； to the shanty where Mrs。
Scherer took boarders and bent over the wash…tub！ She； too； was an
immigrant； but lived to hear her native Wagner from her own box at Covent
Garden； and he to explain； on the deck of an imperial yacht； to the man
who might have been his sovereign certain processes in the manufacture of
steel hitherto untried on that side of the Atlantic。 In comparison with
Adolf Scherer； citizen of a once despised democracy； the minor prince in
whose dominions he had once tended geese was of small account indeed！
The Adolf Scherer of that daythough it is not so long ago as time flies
was even more solid and impressive than the man he afterwards became；
when he reached the dizzier heights from which he delivered to an eager
press opinions on politics and war； eugenics and woman's suffrage and
other subjects that are the despair of specialists。 Had he stuck to
steel； he would have remained invulnerable。 But even then he was
beginning to abandon the field of production for that of exploitation：
figuratively speaking； he had taken to soap； which with the aid of water
may be blown into beautiful； iridescent bubbles to charm the eye。 Much
good soap； apparently； has gone that way； never to be recovered。
Everybody who was anybody began to blow bubbles about that time； and the
bigger the bubble the greater its attraction for investors of hard…earned
savings。 Outside of this love for financial iridescence； let it be
called； Mr。 Scherer seemed to care little then for glitter of any sort。
Shortly after his elevation to the presidency of the Boyne Iron Works he
had been elected a member of the Boyne Club；an honour of which； some
thought； he should have been more sensible； but generally； when in town；
he preferred to lunch at a little German restaurant annexed to a saloon；
where I used often to find him literally towering above the cloth；for
he was a giant with short legs；his napkin tucked into his shirt front；
engaged in lively conversation with the ministering Heinrich。 The chef
at the club； Mr。 Scherer insisted； could produce nothing equal to
Heinrich's sauer…kraut and sausage。 My earliest relationship with Mr。
Scherer was that of an errand boy； of bringing to him for his approval
papers which might not be intrusted to a common messenger。 His gruffness
and brevity disturbed me more than I cared to confess。 I was pretty sure
that he eyed me with the disposition of the self…made to believe that
college educations and good tailors were the heaviest handicaps with
which a young man could be burdened： and I suspected him of an inimical
attitude toward the older families of the city。 Certain men possessed
his confidence； and he had built； as it were； a stockade about them；
sternly keeping the rest of the world outside。 In Theodore Watling he
had a childlike faith。
Thus I studied him； with a deliberation which it is the purpose of these
chapters to confess； though he little knew that he was being made the
subject of analysis。 Nor did I ever venture to talk with him； but held
strictly to my role of errand boy；even after the conviction came over
me that he was no longer indifferent to my presence。 The day arrived；
after some years； when he suddenly thrust toward me a b
