a far country-第31节

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after　some　years；　when　he　suddenly　thrust　toward　me　a　big；　hairy　hand
that　held　the　document　he　was　examining。

〃Who　drew　this；　Mr。　Paret！〃　he　demanded。

Mr。　Ripon；　I　told　him。

The　Boyne　Works　were　buying　up　coal…mines；　and　this　was　a　contract
looking　to　the　purchase　of　one　in　Putman　County；　provided；　after　a
certain　period　of　working；　the　yield　and　quality　should　come　up　to
specifications。　　Mr。　Scherer　requested　me　to　read　one　of　the　sections；
which　puzzled　him。　　And　in　explaining　it　an　idea　flashed　over　me。

〃Do　you　mind　my　making　a　suggestion；　Mr。　Scherer？〃　I　ventured。

〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked　brusquely。

I　showed　him　how；　by　the　alteration　of　a　few　words；　the　difficulty　to
which　he　had　referred　could　not　only　be　eliminated；　but　that　certain
possible　penalties　might　be　evaded；　while　the　apparent　meaning　of　the
section　remained　unchanged。　　In　other　words；　it　gave　the　Boyne　Iron　Works
an　advantage　that　was　not　contemplated。　　He　seized　the　paper；　stared　at
what　I　had　written　in　pencil　on　the　margin；　and　then　stared　at　me。
Abruptly；　he　began　to　laugh。

〃Ask　Mr。　Wading　what　he　thinks　of　it？〃

〃I　intended　to；　provided　it　had　your　approval；　sir；〃　I　replied。

〃You　have　my　approval；　Mr。　Paret；〃　he　declared；　rather　cryptically；　and
with　the　slight　German　hardening　of　the　v's　into　which　he　relapsed　at
times。　　〃Bring　it　to　the　Works　this　afternoon。〃

Mr。　Wading　agreed　to　the　alteration。　　He　looked　at　me　amusedly。

〃Yes；　I　think　that's　an　improvement；　Hugh；〃　he　said。　　I　had　a　feeling
that　I　had　gained　ground；　and　from　this　time　on　I　thought　I　detected　a
change　in　his　attitude　toward　me；　there　could　be　no　doubt　about　the　new
attitude　of　Mr。　Scherer；　who　would　often　greet　me　now　with　a　smile　and　a
joke；　and　sometimes　went　so　far　as　to　ask　my　opinions。。。。　　Then；　about
six　months　later；　came　the　famous　Ribblevale　case　that　aroused　the　moral
indignation　of　so　many　persons；　among　whom　was　Perry　Blackwood。

〃You　know　as　well　as　I　do；　Hugh；　how　this　thing　is　being　manipulated；〃　he
declared　at　Tom's　one　Sunday　evening；　〃there　was　nothing　the　matter　with
the　Ribblevale　Steel　Companyit　was　as　right　as　rain　before　Leonard
Dickinson　and　Grierson　and　Scherer　and　that　crowd　you　train　with　began　to
talk　it　down　at　the　Club。　　Oh；　they're　very　compassionate。　　I've　heard
'em。　　Dickinson；　privately；　doesn't　think　much　of　Ribblevale　paper；　and
Pugh〃　（the　president　of　the　Ribblevale）　〃seems　worried　and　looks　badly。
It's　all　very　clever；　but　I'd　hate　to　tell　you　in　plain　words　what　I'd
call　it。〃

〃Go　ahead；〃　I　challenged　him　audaciously。　　〃You　haven't　any　proof　that
the　Ribblevale　wasn't　in　trouble。〃

〃I　heard　Mr。　Pugh　tell　my　father　the　other　day　it　was　a　dd　outrage。　　He
couldn't　catch　up　with　these　rumours；　and　some　of　his　stockholders　were
liquidating。〃

〃You；　don't　suppose　Pugh　would　want　to　admit　his　situation；　do　you？〃　I
asked。

〃Pugh's　a　straight　man；〃　retorted　Perry。　　〃That's　more　than　I　can　say　for
any　of　the　other　gang；　saving　your　presence。　　The　unpleasant　truth　is
that　Scherer　and　the　Boyne　people　want　the　Ribblevale；　and　you　ought　to
know　it　if　you　don't。〃　　He　looked　at　me　very　hard　through　the　glasses　he
had　lately　taken　to　wearing。　　Tom；　who　was　lounging　by　the　fire；　shifted
his　position　uneasily。　　I　smiled；　and　took　another　cigar。

〃I　believe　Ralph　is　right；　Perry；　when　he　calls　you　a　sentimentalist。
For　you　there's　a　tragedy　behind　every　ordinary　business　transaction。
The　Ribblevale　people　are　having　a　hard　time　to　keep　their　heads　above
water；　and　immediately　you　smell　conspiracy。　　Dickinson　and　Scherer　have
been　talking　it　down。　　How　about　it；　Tom？〃

But　Tom；　in　these　debates；　was　inclined　to　be　noncommittal；　although　it
was　clear　they　troubled　him。

〃Oh；　don't　ask　me；　Hughie；〃　he　said。

〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　cultivate　the　scientific　point　of　view；　and　look
with　impartial　interest　at　this　industrial　cannibalism；〃　returned　Perry；
sarcastically。　　〃Eat　or　be　eaten　that's　what　enlightened　self…interest
has　come　to。　　After　all；　Ralph　would　say；　it　is　nature；　the　insect　world
over　again；　the　victim　duped　and　crippled　before　he　is　devoured；　and　the
lawyerhow　shall　I　put　it？facilitating　the　processes　of　swallowing　and
digesting。。。。〃

There　was　no　use　arguing　with　Perry　when　he　was　in　this　vein。。。。

Since　I　am　not　writing　a　technical　treatise；　I　need　not　go　into　the
details　of　the　Ribblevale　suit。　　Since　it　to　say　that　the　affair；　after　a
while；　came　apparently　to　a　deadlock；　owing　to　the　impossibility　of
getting　certain　definite　information　from　the　Ribblevale　books；　which　had
been　taken　out　of　the　state。　　The　treasurer；　for　reasons　of　his　own；
remained　out　of　the　state　also；　the　ordinary　course　of　summoning　him
before　a　magistrate　in　another　state　had　naturally　been　resorted　to；　but
the　desired　evidence　was　not　forthcoming。

〃The　trouble　is；〃　Mr。　Wading　explained　to　Mr。　Scherer；　〃that　there　is　no
law　in　the　various　states　with　a　sufficient　penalty　attached　that　will
compel　the　witness　to　divulge　facts　he　wishes　to　conceal。〃

It　was　the　middle　of　a　February　afternoon；　and　they　were　seated　in　deep；
leather　chairs　in　one　corner　of　the　reading　room　of　the　Boyne　Club。　　They
had　the　place　to　themselves。　　Fowndes　was　there　also；　one　leg　twisted
around　the　other　in　familiar　fashion；　a　bored　look　on　his　long　and　sallow
face。　　Mr。　Wading　had　telephoned　to　the　office　for　me　to　bring　them　some
papers　bearing　on　the　case。

〃Sit　down；　Hugh；〃　he　said　kindly。

〃Now　we　have　present　a　genuine　legal　mind；〃　said　Mr。　Scherer；　in　the
playful　manner　he　had　adopted　of　late；　while　I　grinned　appreciatively　and
took　a　chair。　　Mr。　Watling　presently　suggested　kidnapping　the　Ribblevale
treasurer　until　he　should　promise　to　produce　the　books　as　the　only　way
out　of　what　seemed　an　impasse。　　But　Mr。　Scherer　brought　down　a　huge　fist
on　his　knee。

〃I　tell　you　it　is　no　joke；　Watling；　we've　got　to　win　that　suit；〃　he
asserted。

〃That's　all　very　well；〃　replied　Mr。　Watling。　　〃But　we're　a　respectable
firm；　you　know。　　We　haven't　had　to　resort　to　safe…blowing；　as　yet。〃

Mr。　Scherer　shrugged　his　shoulders；　as　much　as　to　say　it　were　a　matter　of
indifference　to　him　what　methods　were　resorted　to。　　Mr。　Watling's　eyes
met　mine；　his　glance　was　amused；　yet　I　thought　I　read　in　it　a　query　as　to
the　advisability；　in　my　presence；　of　going　too　deeply　into　the　question
of　ways　and　means。　　I　may　have　been　wrong。　　At　any　rate；　its　sudden
effect　was　to　embolden　me　to　give　voice　to　an　idea　that　had　begun　to
simmer　in　my　mind；　that　excited　me；　and　yet　I　had　feared　to　utter　it。
This　look　of　my　chief's；　and　the　lighter　tone　the　conversation　had　taken
decided　me。

〃Why　wouldn't　it　be　possible　to　draw　up　a　bill　to　fit　the　situation？〃　I
inquired。

Mr。　Wading　started。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　asked　quickly。

All　three　looked　at　me。　　I　felt　the　blood　come　into　my　face；　but　it　was
too　late　to　draw　back。

〃Wellthe　legislature　is　in　session。　　And　since；　as　Mr。　Watling　says；
there　is　no　sufficient　penalty　in　other　states　to　compel　the　witness　to
produce　the　information　desired；　why　not　draw　up　a　bill　andand　have　it
passed〃　I　paused　for　breath〃imposing　a　sufficient　penalty　on　home
corporations　in　the　event　of　such　evasions。　　The　Ribblevale　Steel　Company
is　a　home　corporation。〃

I　had　shot　my　bolt。。。。　　There　followed　what　was　for　me　an　anxious
silence；　while　the　three　of　them　continued　to　stare　at　me。　　Mr。　Watling
put　the　tips　of　his　fingers　together；　and　I　became　aware　that　he　was　not
offended；　that　he　was　thinking　rapidly。

〃By　George；　why　not；　Fowndes？〃　he　demanded。

〃Well；〃　said　Fowndes；　〃there's　an　element　of　risk　in　such　a　proceeding　I
need　not　dwell　upon。〃

〃Risk！〃　cried　the　senior　partner　vigorously。　　〃There's　risk　in
everything。　　They'll　howl；　of　course。　　But　they　howl　anyway；　and　nobody
ever　listens　to　them。　　They'll　say　it's　special　legislation；　and　the
Pilot　will　print　sensational　editorials　for　a　few　days。　　But　what　of　it？
All　of　that　has　happened　before。　　I　tell　you；　if　we　can't　see　those
books；　we'll　lose　the　suit。　　That's　in　black　and　white。　　And；　as　a　matter
of　justice；　we're　entitled　to　know　what　we　want　to　know。〃

〃There　might　be　two　opinions　as　to　that；〃　observed　Fowndes；　with　his
sardonic　smile。

Mr。　Watling　paid　no　attention　to　this　remark。　　He　was　already　deep　in
thought。　　It　was　characteristic　of　his　mind　to　leap　forward；　seize　a
suggestion　that　often　appeared　chimerical　to　a　man　like　Fowndes　and　turn
it　into　an　accomplished　Fact。　　〃I　believe　you've　hit　it；　Hugh；〃　he　said。
〃We　needn't　bother　about　the　powers　of　the　courts　in　other　states。　　We'll
put　into　this　bill　an　appeal　to　our　court　for　an　order　on　the　clerk　to
compel　the　witness　to　come　before　the　court　and　testify；　and　we'll
provide　for　a　special　commissioner　to　take　depositions　in　the　state　where
the　witness　is。　　If　the　officers　of　a　home　corporation　who　are　outside　of
the　state　refuse　to　testify；　the　penalty　will　be　that　the　ration　goes
into　the　hands　of　a　receiver。〃

Fowndes　whistled。

〃That's　going　some！〃　he　said。

〃Well；　we've　got　to　go　some。　　How　about　it；　Scherer？〃

Even　Mr。　Scherer's　brown　eyes　were　snapping。

〃We　have　got　to　win　that　suit；　Watling。〃

We　w