the cost-第18节

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publishing　house　at　ten　thousand　a　year　and　a　commission。　　He　instantly　rejected　it。　　He　had　already　arranged　to　spend　a　year　with　one　of　the　best　law　firms　in　Indianapolis　before　opening　an　office　in　Saint　X；　the　largest　town　in　the　congressional　district　in　which　his　farm　lay。

〃But　there's　no　hurry　about　deciding；〃　said　Mills。　　〃Remember　we'll　make　you　rich　in　a　few　years。〃

〃My　road　happens　not　to　lie　in　that　direction；〃　replied　Scarborough；　carelessly。　　〃I've　no　desire　to　be　rich。　　It's　too　easy；　if　one　will　consent　to　give　money…making　his　exclusive　attention。〃

Mills　looked　amusedhad　he　not　known　Scarborough's　ability；　he　would　have　felt　derisive。

〃Money's　power；〃　said　he。　　〃And　there　are　only　two　ambitions　for　a　wide…awake　manmoney　and　power。〃

〃Money　can't　buy　the　kind　of　power　I'd　care　for；〃　answered　Scarborough。　　〃If　I　were　to　seek　power；　it'd　be　the　power　that　comes　through　ability　to　persuade。〃

〃Money　talks；〃　said　Mills；　laughing。

〃Money　bellows；〃　retorted　Scarborough；；　〃and　bribes　and　browbeats；　bully　and　coward　that　it　is。　　But　it　never　persuades。〃

〃I'll　admit　it's　a　coward。〃　　　　　　‘

‘And　I　hope　I　can　always　frighten　enough　of　it　into　my　service　to　satisfy　my　needs。　　But　I'm　not　spending　my　life　in　its　serviceno；　thank　you！〃



XII。

AFTER　EIGHT　YEARS。


While　Scarborough　was　serving　his　clerkship　at　Indianapolis；　Dumont　was　engaging　in　ever　larger　and　more　daring　speculations　with　New　York　as　his　base。　　Thus　it　came　about　that　when　Scarborough　established　himself　at　Saint　X；　Dumont　and　Pauline　were　living　in　New　York；　in　a　big　house　in　East　Sixty…first　Street。

And　Pauline　had　welcomed　the　change。　　In　Saint　X　she　was　constantly　on　guard；　always　afraid　her　father　and　mother　would　see　below　that　smiling　surface　of　her　domestic　life　which　made　them　happy。　　In　New　York　she　was　free　from　the　crushing　sense　of　peril　and　restraint；　as　their　delusions　about　her　were　secure。　　There；　after　she　and　he　found　their　living　basis　of　〃let　alone；〃　they　got　on　smoothly；　rarely　meeting　except　in　the　presence　of　servants　or　guests；　never　inquiring　either　into　the　other's　life；　carrying　on　all　negotiations　about　money　and　other　household　matters　through　their　secretaries。　He　thought　her　cold　by　naturetherefore　absolutely　to　be　trusted。　And　what　other　man　with　the　pomp　and　circumstance　of　a　great　and　growing　fortune　to　maintain　had　so　admirable　an　instrument？　　〃An　ideal　wife；〃　he　often　said　to　himself。　　And　he　was　not　the　man　to　speculate　as　to　what　was　going　on　in　her　head。　　He　had　no　interest　in　what　others　thought；　how　they　were　filling　the　places　he　had　assigned　themthat　was　his　only　concern。

In　one　of　those　days　of　pause　which　come　now　and　then　in　the　busiest　lives　she　chanced　upon　his　letters　from　Europe　in　her　winter　at　Battle　Field。　　She　took　one　of　them　from　its　envelope　and　began　to　readcarelessly；　with　a　languid　curiosity　to　measure　thus　exactly　the　change　in　herself。　　But　soon　she　was　absorbed；　her　mind　groping　through　letter　after　letter　for　the　clue　to　a　mystery。　　The　Dumont　she　now　knew　stood　out　so　plainly　in　those　letters　that　she　could　not　understand　how　she；　inexperienced　and　infatuated　though　she　then　was；　had　failed　to　see　the　perfect　full…length　portrait。　　How　had　she　read　romance　and　high…mindedness　and　intellect　into　the　personality　so　frankly　flaunting　itself　in　all　its　narrow　sordidness；　in　all　its　poverty　of　real　thought　and　real　feeling？

And　there　was　Hampden　Scarborough　to　contrast　him　with。　With　this　thought　the　truth　suddenly　stared　at　her；　made　her　drop　the　letter　and　visibly　shrink。　　It　was　just　because　Scarborough　was　there　that　she　had　been　tricked。　　The　slight　surface　resemblance　between　the　two　men；　hardly　more　than　the　〃favor〃　found　in　all　men　of　the　family　of　strong　and　tenacious　will；　had　led　her　on　to　deck　the　absent　Dumont　with　the　manhood　of　the　present　Scarborough。　　She　had　read　Scarborough　into　Dumont's　letters。　　Yes；　andthe　answers　she　addressed　and　mailed　to　Dumont　had　really　been　written　to　Scarborough。

She　tossed　the　letters　back　into　the　box　from　which　they　had　reappeared　after　four　long　years。　　She　seated　herself　on　the　white　bear…skin　before　the　open　fire；　and　with　hands　clasped　round　her　knees　she　rocked　herself　slowly　to　and　fro　like　one　trying　to　ease　an　intolerable　pain。

Until　custom　dulled　the　edge　of　that　pain；　the　days　and　the　nights　were　the　cruelest　in　her　apprenticeship　up　to　that　time。

When　her　boy；　Gardiner；　was　five　years　old；　she　got　her　father　and　mother　to　keep　him　at　Saint　X　with　them。

〃New　York's　no　place；　I　think；　to　bring　up　and　educate　a　boy　in　the　right　way；〃　she　explained。　　And　it　was　the　truth；　though　not　the　whole　truth。　　The　concealed　part　was　that　she　would　have　made　an　open　break　with　her　husband　had　there　been　no　other　way　of　safeguarding　their　all…seeing；　all…noting　boy　from　his　example。

Before　Gardiner　went　to　live　with　his　grandparents　she　stayed　in　the　East；　making　six　or　eight　brief　visits　〃home〃　each　year。　　When　he　went　she　resolved　to　divide　her　year　between　her　pleasure　as　a　mother　and　her　obligation　to　her　son's　father；　to　her　parents'　son…in…lawher　devotions　at　the　shrine　of　Appearances。

It　was　in　the　fall　of　the　year　she　was　twenty…fiveeight　years　and　a　half　after　she　left　Battle　Fieldthat　Hampden　Scarborough　reappeared　upon　the　surface　of　her　life。

On　a　September　afternoon　in　that　year　Olivia；　descending　from　the　train　at　Saint　X；　was　almost　as　much　embarrassed　as　pleased　by　her　changed　young　cousin　rushing　at　her　with　great　energy〃Dear；　dear　Olivia！　　And　hardly　any　differenthow's　the　baby？　　Nonot　Fred；　but　Fred　Junior；　I　mean。　　In　some　ways　you　positively　look　younger。　　You　know；　you　were　SO　serious　at　college！〃

〃But　youI　don't　quite　understand　how　any　one　can　be　so　changed；　yetrecognizable。　　I　guess　it's　the　plumage。　　You're　in　a　new　editionan　edition　deluxe。〃

Pauline's　dressmakers　were　bringing　out　the　full　value　of　her　height　and　slender；　graceful　strength。　　Her　eyes；　full　of　the　same　old　frankness　and　courage；　now　had　experience　in　them；　too。　　She　was　wearing　her　hair　so　that　it　fell　from　her　brow　in　two　sweeping　curves　reflecting　the　light　in　sparkles　and　flashes。　　Her　manner　was　still　simple　and　genuinethe　simplicity　and　genuineness　of　knowledge　now；　not　of　innocence。　　Extremes　meetbut　they　remain　extremes。　　Her　〃plumage〃　was　a　fashionable　dress　of　pale　blue　cloth；　a　big　beplumed　hat　to　match；　a　chiffon　parasol　like　an　azure　cloud；　at　her　throat　a　sapphire　pendant；　about　her　neck　and　swinging　far　below　her　waist　a　chain　of　sapphires。

〃And　the　plumage　just　suits　her；〃　thought　Olivia。　　For　it　seemed　to　her　that　her　cousin　had　more　than　ever　the　quality　she　most　admiredthe　quality　of　individuality；　of　distinction。　　Even　in　her　way　of　looking　clean　and　fresh　she　was　different；　as　if　those　prime　feminine　essentials　were　in　her　not　matters　of　frequent　reacquirement　but　inherent　and　inalienable；　like　her　brilliance　of　eyes　and　smoothness　of　skin。

Olivia　felt　a　slight　tugging　at　the　bag　she　was　carrying。　　She　lookedan　English　groom　in　spotless　summer　livery　was　touching　his　hat　in　respectful　appeal　to　her　to　let　go。　　〃Give　Albert　your　checks；　too；〃　said　Pauline；　putting　her　arm　around　her　cousin's　waist　to　escort　her　down　the　platform。　　At　the　entrance；　with　a　group　of　station　loungers　gaping　at　it；　was　a　phaeton…victoria　lined　with　some　cream…colored　stuff　like　silk；　the　horses　and　liveried　coachman　rigid。　　〃She's　giving　Saint　X　a　good　deal　to　talk　about；〃　thought　Olivia。

〃Home；　please；　by　the　long　road；〃　said　Pauline　to　the　groom；　and　he　sprang　to　the　box　beside　the　coachman；　and　they　were　instantly　in　rapid　motion。　　〃That'll　let　us　have　twenty　minutes　more　together；〃　she　went　on　to　Olivia。　　〃There　are　several　people　stopping　at　the　house。〃

The　way　led　through　Munroe　Avenue；　the　main　street　of　Saint　X。　　Olivia　was　astonished　at　the　changesthe　town　of　nine　years　before　spread　and　remade　into　an　energetic　city　of　twenty…five　thousand。

〃Fred　told　me　I'd　hardly　recognize　it；〃　said　she；　〃but　I　didn't　expect　this。　　It's　another　proof　how　far…sighted　Hampden　Scarborough　is。　　Everybody　advised　him　against　coming　here；　but　he　would　come。　　And　the　town　has　grown；　and　at　the　same　time　he's　had　a　clear　field　to　make　a　big　reputation　as　a　lawyer　in　a　few　years；　not　to　speak　of　the　power　he's　got　in　politics。〃

〃But　wouldn't　he　have　won　no　matter　where　he　was？〃　suggested　Pauline。；

〃Sooner　or　laterbut　not　so　soon；〃　replied　Olivia。

〃Noa　tree　doesn't　have　to　grow　so　tall　among　a　lot　of　bushes　before　it's　noticed　as　it　does　in　a　forest。〃

〃And　you've　never　seen　him　since　Battle　Field？〃　　As　Olivia　put　this　question　she　watched　her　cousin　narrowly　without　seeming　to　do　so。

〃But；〃　replied　Paulineand　Olivia　thought　that　both　her　face　and　her　tone　were　a　shade　off　the　easy　and　the　natural〃since　he　came　I've　been　living　in　New　York　and　haven't　stayed　here　longer　than　a　few　days　until　this　summer。　　And　he's　been　in　Europe　since　April。　　No；〃　she　went　on；　〃I've　not　seen　a　soul　from　Battle　Field。　　It's　been　like　a　painting；　finished　and　hanging　on　the　wall　one　looks　toward　oftenest；　and　influencing　one's　life　every　day。〃

They　talked　on　of　Battle　Field；　of　the　boys　and　girls　they　had　k