the cost-第37节

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Gladys　lifted　a　fold　of　her　cape　and　drew　it　about　her　as　if　she　were　cold。　　But　he　noted　that　it　hid　her　face　from　him。

〃You　wantyou　needa　home？　　So　do　I；〃　he　went　on　tranquilly。　　〃You　are　tired　of　wandering？　　So　am　I。　　You　are　bored　with　parade　and　paradepeople？　　So　am　I。　　You　wish　freedom；　not　bondage；　when　you　marry？　　I　refuse　to　be　bound；　and　I　don't　wish　to　bind　any　one。　　We　have　the　same　friends；　the　same　tastes；　have　had　pretty　much　the　same　experiences。　　You　don't　want　to　be　married　for　your　money。　　I'm　not　likely　to　be　suspected　of　doing　that　sort　of　thing。〃

〃Some　one　has　said　that　rich　men　marry　more　often　for　money　than　poor　men；〃　interrupted　Gladys。　　And　then　she　colored　as　she　recalled　who　had　said　it。

Langdon　noted　her　color　as　he　noted　every　point　in　any　game　he　was　playing；　he　shrewdly　guessed　its　origin。　　〃When　Scarborough　told　you　that；〃　he　replied　calmly；　〃he　told　you　a　great　truth。　　But　please　remember；　I　merely　said　I　shouldn't　be　SUSPECTED　of　marrying　you　for　money。　　I　didn't　say　I　wasn't　guilty。〃

〃Is　your　list　of　reasons　complete？〃

〃Two　more　the　clinchers。　　You　are　disappointed　in　loveso　am　I。　　You　need　consolationso　do　I。　　When　one　can't　have　the　best　one　takes　the　best　one　can　get；　if　one　is　sensible。　　It　has　been　known　to　turn　out　not　so　badly。〃

They　once　more　lay　back　watching　the　clouds。　　An　hour　passed　without　either's　speaking。　　The　deck…steward　brought　them　tea　and　biscuits　which　he　declined　and　she　accepted。　　She　tried　the　big；　hard；　tasteless　disk　between　her　strong　white　teeth；　then　said　with　a　sly　smile：　　〃You　pried　into　my　secret　a　few　minutes　ago。　　I'm　going　to　pry　into　yours。　　Who　was　she？〃

〃As　the　lady　would　have　none　of　me；　there's　no　harm　in　confessing；〃　replied　Langdon；　carelessly。　　〃She　wasand　isand〃　he　looked　at　her〃ever　shall　be；　world　without　endGladys　Dumont。〃

Gladys　gasped　and　glanced　at　him　with　swift　suspicion　that　he　was　jesting。　　He　returned　her　glance　in　a　calm；　matter…of…fact　way。　　She　leaned　back　in　her　chair　and　they　watched　the　slippery　rail　slide　up　and　down　against　the　background　of　chilly；　rainy　sea　and　sky。

〃Are　you　asleep？〃　he　asked　after　a　long　silence。

〃No；〃　she　replied。　　〃I　was　thinking。〃

〃Of　myproposition？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Doesn't　it　grow　on　you？〃

〃Yes。〃

He　shifted　himself　to　a　sitting　position　with　much　deliberateness。　　He　put　his　hand　in　among　her　rugs　and　wraps　until　it　touched　hers。　　〃It　may　turn　out　better　than　you　anticipate；〃　he　said；　a　little　sentiment　in　his　eyes　and　smile；　a　little　raillery　in　his　voice。

〃I　doubt　if　it　will；〃　she　answered；　without　looking　at　him　directly。　　〃ForIanticipate　a　great　deal。〃



XXIV。

DUMONT　BETRAYS　DUMONT。


Fanshaw　versus　Fanshaw　was　heard　privately　by　a　referee；　and　before　Mrs。　Fanshaw's　lawyers　had　a　chance　to　ask　that　the　referee's　report　be　sealed　from　publicity；　the　judge　of　his　own　motion　ordered　it。　　At　the　political　club　to　which　he　belonged；　he　had　received　an　intimation　from　the　local　〃boss〃　that　if　Dumont's　name　were　anywhere　printed　in　connection　with　the　case　he　would　be　held　responsible。　　Thus　it　came　to　pass　that　on　the　morning　of　the　filing　of　the　decree　the　newspapers　were　grumbling　over　their　inability　to　give　the　eagerly…awaited　details　of　the　great　scandal。　　And　Herron　was　Catonizing　against　〃judicial　corruption。〃

But　Dumont　was　overswift　in　congratulating　himself　on　his　escape　and　in　preening　himself　on　his　power。

For　several　days　the　popular　newspapers　were　alone　in　denouncing　the　judge　for　favoritism　and　in　pointing　out　that　the　judiciary　were　〃becoming　subservient　to　the　rich　and　the　powerful　in　their　rearrangements　of　their　domestic　relationsa　long　first　step　toward　complete　subservience。〃　　Herron　happened　to　have　among　his　intimates　the　editor　of　an　eminently　respectable　newspaper　that　prides　itself　upon　never　publishing　private　scandals。　　He　impressed　his　friend　with　his　own　strong　views　as　to　the　gravity　of　this　growing　discrimination　between　masses　and　classes；　and　the　organ　of　independent　conservatism　was　presently　lifting　up　its　solemn　voice　in　a　stentorian　jeremiad。

Without　this　reinforcement　the　〃yellows〃　might　have　shrieked　in　vain。　　It　was　assumed　that　baffled　sensationalism　was　by　far　a　stronger　motive　with　them　than　justice；　and　the　public　was　amused　rather　than　aroused　by　their　protests。　　But　now　soberer　dailies　and　weeklies　took　up　the　case　and　the　discussion　spread　to　other　cities；　to　the　whole　country。　　By　his　audacity；　by　his　arrogant　frankness　he　had　latterly　treated　public　opinion　with　scantiest　courtesyby　his　purchase　of　campaign　committees；　and　legislatures；　and　courts；　Dumont　had　made　himself　in　the　public　mind　an　embodiment　of　the　〃mighty　and　menacing　plutocracy〃　of　which　the　campaign　orators　talked　so　much。　　And　the　various　phases　of　the　scandal　gave　the　press　a　multitude　of　texts　for　satirical；　or　pessimistic；　or　fiery　discourses　upon　the　public　and　private　rottenness　of　〃plutocrats。〃

But　Dumont's　name　was　never　directly　mentioned。　　Every　one　knew　who　was　meant；　no　newspaper　dared　to　couple　him　in　plain　language　with　the　scandal。　　The　nearest　approach　to　it　was　where　one　New　York　newspaper　published；　without　comment；　in　the　center　of　a　long　news　article　on　the　case；　two　photographs　of　Dumont　side　by　sideone　taken　when　he　first　came　to　New　York；　clear…cut；　handsome；　courageous；　apparently　a　type　of　progressive　young　manhood；　the　other；　taken　within　the　year；　gross；　lowering；　tyrannical；　obviously　a　type　of　indulged；　self…indulgent　despot。

Herron　had　forced　Fanshaw　to　abandon　the　idea　of　suing　Dumont　for　a　money　consolation。　　He　had　been　deeply　impressed　by　his　wife's　warnings　against　Fanshaw〃a　lump　of　soot；　and　sure　to　smutch　you　if　you　go　near　him。〃　　He　was　reluctant　to　have　Fanshaw　give　up　the　part　of　the　plan　which　insured　the　public　damnation　of　Dumont；　but　there　was　no　other　prudent　course。　　He　assured　himself　that　he　knew　Fanshaw　to　be　an　upright　man；　but　he　did　not　go　to　so　perilous　a　length　in　self…deception　as　to　fancy　he　could　convince　cynical　and　incredulous　New　York。　　It　was　too　eager　to　find　excuses　for　successful　and　admired　men　like　Dumont；　too　ready　to　laugh　at　and　despise　underdogs　like　Fanshaw。　　Herron　never　admitted　it　to　himself；　but　in　fact　it　was　he　who　put　it　into　Fanshaw's　resourceless　mind　to　compass　the　revenge　of　publicity　in　another　way。

Fanshaw　was　denouncing　the　judge　for　sealing　the　divorce　testimony；　and　the　newspapers　for　being　so　timid　about　libel　laws　and　contempt　of　court。

〃If　a　newspaper　should　publish　the　testimony；〃　said　Herron；　〃Judge　Glassford　would　never　dare　bring　the　editor　before　him　for　contempt。　　His　record's　too　bad。　　I　happen　to　know　he　was　in　the　News…Record　office　no　longer　ago　than　last　month；　begging　for　the　suppression　of　an　article　that　might　have　caused　his　impeachment；　if　published。　　So　there's　one　paper　that　wouldn't　be　afraid　of　him。〃

〃Then　why　does　it　shield　the　scoundrel？〃

〃Perhaps；〃　replied　Herron；　his　hand　on　the　door　of　his　office　law…library；　〃it　hasn't　been　able　to　get　hold　of　a　copy　of　the　testimony。〃　　And　having　thus　dropped　the　seed　on　good　soil；　he　left。

Fanshaw　waited　several　weeks；　waited　until　certain　other　plans　of　his　and　Herron's　were　perfected。　　Then　he　suddenly　deluged　the　sinking　flames　of　the　divorce　discussion　with　a　huge　outpouring　of　oil。　　Indirectly　and　with　great　secrecy　he　sent　a　complete　copy　of　the　testimony　to　the　newspaper　Herron　had　mentioned；　the　most　sensational；　and　one　of　the　most　widely　circulated　in　New　York。

The　next　morning　Dumont　had　to　ring　three　times　for　his　secretary。　　When　Culver　finally　appeared　he　had　in　his　trembling　right　hand　a　copy　of　the　News…Record。　　His　face　suggested　that　he　was　its　owner；　publisher　and　responsible　editor；　and　that　he　expected　then　and　there　to　be　tortured　to　death　for　the　two　illustrated　pages　of　the　〃Great　Fanshaw…Dumont　Divorce！　　All　the　Testimony！　　Shocking　Revelations！〃

〃I　thought　it　necessary　for　you　to　know　this　without　delay；　sir；〃　he　said　in　a　shaky　voice；　as　he　held　out　the　newspaper　to　his　master。

Dumont　grew　sickly　yellow　with　the　first　glance　at　those　head…lines。　　He　had　long　been　used　to　seeing　extensive　and　highly　unflattering　accounts　of　himself　and　his　doings　in　print；　but　theretofore　every　open　attack　had　been　on　some　public　matter　where　a　newspaper　〃pounding〃　might　be　attributed　to　politics　or　stock…jobbery。　　Hereit　was　a　verbatim　official　report；　and　of　a　private　scandal；　more　dangerous　to　his　financial　standing　than　the　fiercest　assault　upon　his　honesty　as　a　financier；　for　it　tore　away　the　foundation　of　reputationprivate　character。　　A　faithful　transcript　throughout；　it　portrayed　him　as　a　bag　of　slimy　gold　and　gilded　slime。　　He　hated　his　own　face　staring　out　at　him　from　a　three…column　cut　in　the　center　of　the　first　pageits　heavy　jaw；　its　cynical　mouth；　its　impudent　eyes。　　〃Do　I　look　like　THAT？〃　he　thought。　　He　was　like　one　who；　walking　along　the　streets；　catches　sight　of　his　own　image　in　a　show…window　mirror　and　before　he　recognizes　it；　sees　himself　as　others　see　him。　　He　flushed　to　his　temples　at　the　contrast　with　the　smaller　cut　beside　itthe　face　of　Pauline；　high　and　fine　icily　beautiful　as　always　in　her　New　York　days　when　her　features　were　in　r