a far country-第76节

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〃What　do　you　mean　by　'too　much'？〃

〃When　it　ceases　to　be　real　to　a　man；　when　it　represents　more　than　his
need；　when　it　drives　him　and　he　becomes　a　slave　to　it。〃

Involuntarily　I　thought　of　my　new　house；not　a　soothing　reflection。

〃But　who　is　going　to　decree　how　much　property；　a　man　should　have？〃

〃Nobodyeverybody。　　That　will　gradually　tend　to　work　itself　out　as　we
become　more　sensible　and　better　educated；　and　understand　more　clearly
what　is　good　for　us。〃

I　retorted　with　the　stock；　common…sense　phrase。

〃If　we　had　a　division　to…morrow；　within　a　few　years　or　so　the　most
efficient　would　contrive　to　get　the　bulk　of　it　back　in　their　hands。〃

〃That's　so；〃　he　admitted。　　〃But　we're　not　going　to　have　a　division　to…
morrow。〃

〃Thank　God！〃　I　exclaimed。

He　regarded　me。

〃The　'efficient'　will　have　to　die　or　be　educated　first。　　That　will　take
time。〃

〃Educated！〃

〃Paret；　have　you　ever　read　any　serious　books　on　what　you　call　socialism？〃
he　asked。

I　threw　out　an　impatient　negative。　　I　was　going　on　to　protest　that　I　was
not　ignorant　of　the　doctrine。

〃Oh；　what　you　call　socialism　is　merely　what　you　believe　to　be　the　more　or
less　crude　and　utopian　propaganda　of　an　obscure　political　party。　　That
isn't　socialism。　　Nor　is　the　anomalistic　attempt　that　the　Christian
Socialists　make　to　unite　modern　socialistic　philosophy　with　Christian
orthodoxy；　socialism。〃

〃What　is　socialism；　then？〃　I　demanded；　somewhat　defiantly。

〃Let's　call　it　education；　science；〃　he　said　smilingly；　〃economics　and
government　based　on　human　needs　and　a　rational　view　of　religion。　　It　has
been　taught　in　German　universities；　and　it　will　be　taught　in　ours
whenever　we　shall　succeed　in　inducing　your　friends；　by　one　means　or
another；　not　to　continue　endowing　them。　　Socialism；　in　the　proper　sense；
is　merely　the　application　of　modern　science　to　government。〃

I　was　puzzled　and　angry。　　What　he　said　made　sense　somehow；　but　it　sounded
to　me　like　so　much　gibberish。

〃But　Germany　is　a　monarchy；〃　I　objected。

〃It　is　a　modern；　scientific　system　with　monarchy　as　its　superstructure。
It　is　anomalous；　but　frank。　　The　monarchy　is　there　for　all　men　to　see；
and　some　day　it　will　be　done　away　with。　　We　are　supposedly　a　democracy；
and　our　superstructure　is　plutocratic。　　Our　people　feel　the　burden；　but
they　have　not　yet　discovered　what　the　burden　is。〃

〃And　when　they　do？〃　I　asked；　a　little　defiantly。

〃When　they　do；〃　replied　Krebs；　〃they　will　set　about　making　the　plutocrats
happy。　　Now　plutocrats　are　discontented；　and　never　satisfied；　the　more
they　get；　the　more　they　want；　the　more　they　are　troubled　by　what　other
people　have。〃

I　smiled　in　spite　of　myself。

〃Your　interest　inin　plutocrats　is　charitable；　then？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　he　said；　〃my　interest　in　all　kinds　of　people　is　charitable。
However　improbable　it　may　seem；　I　have　no　reason　to　dislike　or　envy
people　who　have　more　than　they　know　what　to　do　with。〃　　And　the　worst　of
it　was　he　looked　it。　　He　managed　somehow　simply　by　sitting　there　with　his
strange　eyes　fixed　upon　mein　spite　of　his　ridiculous　philosophyto
belittle　my　ambitions；　to　make　of　small　worth　my　achievements；　to　bring
home　to　me　the　fact　that　in　spite　of　these　I　was　neither　contented　nor
happy　though　he　kept　his　humour　and　his　poise；　he　implied　an　experience
that　was　far　deeper；　more　tragic　and　more　significant　than　mine。　　I　was
goaded　into　making　an　injudicious　remark。

〃Well；　your　campaign　against　Ennerly　and　Jackson　fell　through；　didn't
it？〃　　Ennerly　and　Jackson　were　the　city　officials　who　had　been　tried。

〃It　wasn't　a　campaign　against　them；〃　he　answered。　　〃And　considering　the
subordinate　part　I　took　in　it；　it　could　scarcely　be　called　mine。〃

〃Greenhalge　turned　to　you　to　get　the　evidence。〃

〃Well；　I　got　it；〃　he　said。

〃What　became　of　it？〃

〃You　ought　to　know。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃Just　what　I　say；　Paret；〃　he　answered　slowly。　　〃You　ought　to　know；　if
anyone　knows。〃

I　considered　this　a　moment；　more　soberly。　　I　thought　I　might　have　counted
on　my　fingers　the　number　of　men　cognizant　of　my　connection　with　the　case。
I　decided　that　he　was　guessing。

〃I　think　you　should　explain　that；〃　I　told　him。

〃The　time　may　come；　when　you'll　have　to　explain　it。〃

〃Is　that　a　threat？〃　I　demanded。

〃A　threat？〃　he　repeated。　　〃Not　at　all。〃

〃But　you　are　accusing　me〃

〃Of　what？〃　he　interrupted　suddenly。

He　had　made　it　necessary　for　me　to　define　the　nature　of　his　charges。

〃Of　having　had　some　connection　with　the　affair　in　question。〃

〃Whatever　else　I　may　be；　I'm　not　a　fool；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃Neither　the
district　attorney's　office；　nor　young　Arbuthnot　had　brains　enough　to　get
them　out　of　that　scrape。　　Jason　didn't　have　influence　enough　with　the
judiciary；　and；　as　I　happen　to　know；　there　was　a　good　deal　of　money
spent。〃

〃You　may　be　called　upon　to　prove　it；〃　I　retorted；　rather　hotly。

〃So　I　may。〃

His　tone；　far　from　being　defiant；　had　in　it　a　note　of　sadness。　　I　looked
at　him。　　What　were　his　potentialities？　　Was　it　not　just　possible　that　I
should　have　to　revise　my　idea　of　him；　acknowledge　that　he　might　become
more　formidable　than　I　had　thought？

There　was　an　awkward　silence。

〃You　mustn't　imagine；　Paret；　that　I　have　any　personal　animus　against　you；
or　against　any　of　the　men　with　whom　you're　associated；〃　he　went　on；　after
a　moment。　　〃I'm　sorry　you're　on　that　side；　that's　all；I　told　you　so
once　before。　　I'm　not　calling　you　names；　I'm　not　talking　about　morality
and　immorality。　　Immorality；　when　you　come　down　to　it；　is　often　just　the
opposition　to　progress　that　comes　from　blindness。　　I　don't　make　the
mistake　of　blaming　a　few　individuals　for　the　evils　of　modern　industrial
society；　and　on　the　other　hand　you　mustn't　blame　individuals　for　the
discomforts　of　what　you　call　the　reform　movement；　for　that　movement　is
merely　a　symptoma　symptom　of　a　disease　due　to　a　change　in　the　structure
of　society。　　We'll　never　have　any　happiness　or　real　prosperity　until　we
cure　that　disease。　　I　was　inclined　to　blame　you　once；　at　the　capital　that
time；　because　it　seemed　to　me　that　a　man　with　all　the　advantages　you　have
had　and　a　mind　like　yours　didn't　have　much　excuse。　　But　I've　thought
about　it　since；　I　realize　now　that　I've　had　a　good　many　more　'advantages'
than　you；　and　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　don't　see　how　you　could　have　come
out　anywhere　else　than　where　you　are；all　your　surroundings　and　training
were　against　it。　　That　doesn't　mean　that　you　won't　grasp　the　situation
some　dayI　have　an　idea　you　will。　　It's　just　an　idea。　　The　man　who　ought
to　be　condemned　isn't　the　man　that　doesn't　understand　what's　going　on；
but　the　man　who　comes　to　understand　and　persists　in　opposing　it。〃　　He
rose　and　looked　down　at　me　with　the　queer；　disturbing　smile　I　remembered。
〃I　get　off　at　this　corner；〃　he　added；　rather　diffidently。　　〃I　hope　you'll
forgive　me　for　being　personal。　　I　didn't　mean　to　be；　but　you　rather
forced　it　on　me。〃

〃Oh；　that's　all　right；〃　I　replied。　　The　car　stopped；　and　he　hurried　off。
I　watched　his　tall　figure　as　it　disappeared　among　the　crowd　on　the
sidewalk。。。。

I　returned　to　my　office　in　one　of　those　moods　that　are　the　more
disagreeable　because　conflicting。　　To…day　in　particular　I　had　been
aroused　by　what　Tom　used　to　call　Krebs's　〃crust；〃　and　as　I　sat　at　my　desk
warm　waves　of　resentment　went　through　me　at　the　very　notion　of　his
telling　me　that　my　view　was　limited　and　that　therefore　my　professional
conduct　was　to　be　forgiven！　　It　was　he；　the　fanatic；　who　saw　things　in
the　larger　scale！　an　assumption　the　more　exasperating　because　at　the
moment　he　made　it　he　almost　convinced　me　that　he　did；　and　I　was　unable　to
achieve　for　him　the　measure　of　contempt　I　desired；　for　the　incident；　the
measure　of　ridicule　it　deserved。　　My　real　animus　was　due　to　the　fact　that
he　had　managed　to　shake　my　self…confidence；　to　take　the　flavour　out　of　my
achievements；a　flavour　that　was　in　the　course　of　an　hour　to　be
completely　restored　by　one　of　those　interesting　coincidences　occasionally
occurring　in　life。　　A　young　member　of　my　staff　entered　with　a　telegram；　I
tore　it　open；　and　sat　staring　at　it　a　moment　before　I　realized　that　it
brought　to　me　the　greatest　honour　of　my　career。

The　Banker…Personality　in　New　York　had　summoned　me　for　consultation。　　To
be　recognized　by　him　conferred　indeed　an　ennoblement；　the　Star　and
Garter；　so　to　speak；　of　the　only　great　realm　in　America；　that　of　high
finance；　and　the　yellow　piece　of　paper　I　held　in　my　hand　instantly　re…
magnetized　me；　renewed　my　energy；　and　I　hurried　home　to　pack　my　bag　in
order　to　catch　the　seven　o'clock　train。　　I　announced　the　news　to　Maude。

〃I　imagine　it's　because　he　knows　I　have　made　something　of　a　study　of　the
coal　roads　situation；〃　I　added。

〃I'm　glad；　Hugh；〃　she　said。　　〃I　suppose　it's　a　great　compliment。〃

Never　had　her　inadequacy　to　appreciate　my　career　been　more　apparent！　　I
looked　at　her　curiously；　to　realize　once　more　with　peculiar　sharpness　how
far　we　were　apart；　but　now　the　resolutions　I　had　madeand　never　carried
outon　that　first　Christmas　in　the　new　home　were　lacking。　　Indeed；　it
was　the　futility　of　such　resolutions　that　struck　me　at　this　moment。　　If
her　manner　had　been　merely　one　of　indifference；　it　would　in　a　way　have