the cost-第5节

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discussion　began　hotand　they　poured　ale　on　it。

〃He's　a　tyrant！〃　shouted　Zachariah　Scarborough；　bringing　his　huge　fist　down　on　the　table　and　upsetting　a　mug。　　〃He　has　set　up　for　king。　　Down　with　all　kings；　say　I！　　His　head　must　come　off！〃

At　this　knives　were　drawn；　and　when　Zachariah　Scarborough　staggered　into　the　darkness　of　filthy　Fleet　Street　with　a　cut　down　his　cheek　from　temple　to　jaw…bone；　his　knife　was　dripping　the　life　of　a　cousin　of　Ireton's。

He　fled　to　the　Virginia　plantations　and　drifted　thence　to　North　Carolina。

His　great…grandson；　Gaston　Scarborough；　was　one　of　Marion's　men　in　his　boyhooda　fierce　spirit　made　arrogant　by　isolated　freedom；　where　every　man　of　character　owned　his　land　and　could　conceive　of　no　superior　between　him　and　Almighty　God。　　One　autumn　day　in　1794　Gaston　was　out　shooting　with　his　youngest　brother；　John；　their　father's　favorite。　　Gaston's　gun　was　caught　by　a　creeper；　was　torn　from　him；　and　his　hand；　reaching　for　it；　exploded　the　charge　into　his　brother's　neck。　　His　brother　fell　backward　into　the　swamp　and　disappeared。

Gaston　plunged　into　the　wildernessto　Tennessee；　to　Kentucky；　to　Indiana。


〃And　it's　my　turn；〃　said　Hampden　Scarborough　as　he　ended　a　brief　recital　of　the　ancestral　murders　which　Pauline　had　drawn　from　himthey　were　out　for　a　walk　together。

〃Your　turn？〃　she　inquired。

〃YesI'm　the　great…grandsonthe　only　one。　　It's　always　a　great…grandson。〃

〃You　DO　look　dangerous；〃　said　Pauline；　and　the　smile　and　the　glance　she　sent　with　the　words　might　have　been　misunderstood　by　a　young　man　entertaining　the　ideas　which　were　then　filling　that　young　man's　brain。

Again；　he　told　her　how　he　had　been　sent　to　collegeshe　was　always　leading　him　to　talk　of　himself；　and　her　imagination　more　than　supplied　that　which　his　unaffected　modesty；　sometimes　deliberately；　more　often　unconsciously；　kept　out　of　his　stories。

Ever　since　he　could　remember；　his　strongest　passion　had　been　for　books；　for　reading。　　Before　he　was　born　the　wilderness　was　subdued　and　the　cruel　toil　of　his　parents'　early　life　was　mitigated　by　the　growth　of　towns；　the　spread　of　civilization。　　There　was　a　chance　for　some　leisure；　for　the　higher　gratification　of　the　intense　American　passion　for　education。　　A　small　library　had　sprung　up　in　one　corner　of　the　general　room　of　the　old　farm…housefrom　the　seeds　of　a　Bible；　an　almanac；　Milton's　Paradise　Lost；　Baxter's　Saint's　Rest　and　a　Government　report　on　cattle。　　But　the　art　collection　had　stood　still　for　yearsa　facsimile　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　another　of　the　Emancipation　Proclamation；　pictures　of　Washington；　Lincoln　and　Napoleon；　the　last　held　in　that　household　second　only　to　Washington　in　all　history　as　a　〃leveler。〃

The　only　daughter；　Arabella；　had　been　sent　to　boarding…school　in　Cincinnati。　　She　married　a　rich　man；　lived　in　the　city　and；　under　the　inspiration　of　English　novels　and　the　tutelage　of　a　woman　friend　who　visited　in　New　York　and　often　went　abroad；　was　developing　ideas　of　family　and　class　and　rank。　　She　talked　feelingly　of　the　〃lower　classes〃　and　of　the　duty　of　the　〃upper　class〃　toward　them。　　Her　〃goings…on〃　created　an　acid　prejudice　against　higher　education　in　her　father's　mind。　　As　she　was　unfolding　to　him　a　plan　for　sending　Hampden　to　Harvard　he　interrupted　with；　〃No　MORE　idiots　in　my　family　at　my　expense；〃　and　started　out　to　feed　the　pigs。　　The　best　terms　Hampden's　mother　could　make　were　that　he　should　not　be　disinherited　and　cast　off　if　he　went　to　Battle　Field　and　paid　his　own　way。

He　did　not　tell　Pauline　all　of　this；　nor　did　he　repeat　to　her　the　conversation　between　himself　and　his　father　a　few　days　before　he　left　home。

〃Is　'Bella　going　to　pay　your　way　through？〃　asked　his　father；　looking　at　him　severelybut　he　looked　severely　at　every　one　except　Hampden's　gentle…voiced　mother。

〃No；　sir。〃　　The　son's　voice　was　clear。

〃Is　your　mother？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Have　you　got　money　put　by？〃

〃Four　hundred　dollars。〃

〃Is　that　enough？〃

〃It'll　give　me　time　for　a　long　look　around。〃

The　old　man　drew　a　big；　rusty　pocketbook　from　the　inside　pocket　of　the　old…fashioned；　flowered…velvet　waistcoat　he　wore　even　when　he　fed　the　pigs。　　He　counted　out　upon　his　knee　ten　one…hundred…dollar　bills。　　He　held　them　toward　his　son。　　〃That'll　have　to　do　you；〃　he　said。　　〃That's　all　you'll　get。〃

〃No；　thank　you；〃　replied　Hampden。　　〃I　wish　no　favors　from　anybody。〃

〃You've　earned　it　over　and　above　your　keep；〃　retorted　his　father。　　〃It　belongs　to　you。〃

〃If　I　need　it　I'll　send　for　it；〃　said　Hampden；　that　being　the　easiest　way　quickly　to　end　the　matter。

But　he　did　tell　Pauline　that　he　purposed　to　pay　his　own　way　through　college。

〃My　father　has　a　notion；〃　said　he；　〃that　the　things　one　works　for　and　earns　are　the　only　things　worth　having。　　And　I　think　one　can't　begin　to　act　on　that　notion　too　early。　　If　one　is　trying　to　get　an　education；　why　not　an　all…round　education；　instead　of　only　lessons　out　of　books？〃

From　that　moment　Pauline　ceased　to　regard　dress　or　any　other　external　feature　as　a　factor　in　her　estimate　of　Hampden　Scarborough。

〃But　your　plan　might　make　a　man　too　late　in　getting　a　startsome　men；　at　least；〃　she　suggested。

〃A　startfor　what？〃　he　asked。

〃For　fame　or　fortune　or　success　of　any　kind。〃

Scarborough's　eyes；　fixed　on　the　distance；　had　a　curious　look　in　themhe　was　again　exactly　like　that　first　view　she　had　had　of　him。

〃But　suppose　one　isn't　after　any　of　those　things；〃　he　said。　　〃Suppose　he　thinks　of　life　as　simply　an　opportunity　for　self…development。　　He　starts　at　it　when　he's　born；　and　the　more　of　it　he　does　the　more　he　has　to　do。　　Andhe　can't　possibly　fail；　and　every　moment　is　a　triumphand〃　　He　came　back　from　his　excursion　and　smiled　apologetically　at　her。

But　she　was　evidently　interested。

〃Don't　you　think　a　man　ought　to　have　ambition？〃　she　asked。　　She　was　thinking　of　her　lover　　and　his　audacious　schemes　for　making　himself　powerful。

〃Oha　man　is　what　he　is。　　Ambition　means　so　many　different　things。〃

〃But　shouldn't　you　like　to　be　rich　and　famous　andall　that？〃

〃It　depends〃　　Scarborough　felt　that　if　he　said　what　was　in　his　mind　it　might　sound　like　cant。　　So　he　changed　the　subject。　　〃Just　now　my　ambition　is　to　get　off　that　zoology　condition。〃



IV。

A　DUMONT　TRIUMPH。


But　in　the　first　week　of　her　second　month　Pauline's　interest　in　her　surroundings　vanished。　　She　was　corresponding　with　Jennie　Atwater　and　Jennie　began　to　write　of　Dumonthe　had　returned　to　Saint　X；　Caroline　Sylvester；　of　Cleveland；　was　visiting　his　mother；　it　was　all　but　certain　that　Jack　and　Caroline　would　marry。　　〃Her　people　want　it；〃　Jennie　went　onshe　pretended　to　believe　that　Jack　and　Pauline　had　given　each　the　other　up〃and　Jack's　father　is　determined　on　it。　　They're　together　morning；　noon　and　evening。　　She's　really　very　swell；　though　_I_　don't　think　she's　such　a　raving　beauty。〃　　Following　this　came　the　Saint　X　News…Bulletin　with　a　broad　hint　that　the　engagement　was　about　to　be　announced。

〃It's　ridiculously　false；〃　said　Pauline　to　herself；　but　she　tossed　for　hours　each　night；　trying　to　soothe　the　sick　pain　in　her　heart。　　And　while　she　scouted　the　possibility　of　losing　him；　she　was　for　the　first　time　entertaining　ita　cloud　in　the　great　horizon　of　her　faith　in　the　future；　a　small　cloud；　but　black　and　bold　against　the　blue。　　And　she　had　no　suspicion　that　he　had　returned　from　Chicago　deliberately　to　raise　that　cloud。

A　few　days　later　another　letter　from　Jennie；　full　of　gossip　about　Jack　and　Caroline；　a　News…Bulletin　with　a　long　article　about　Caroline；　ending　with　an　even　broader　hint　of　her　approaching　marriageand　Dumont　sent　Pauline　a　note　from　the　hotel　in　Villeneuve；　five　miles　from　Battle　Field：　　〃I　must　see　you。　　Do　not　deny　me。　　It　means　everything　to　both　of　uswhat　I　want　to　say　to　you。〃　　And　he　asked　her　to　meet　him　in　the　little　park　in　Battle　Field　on　the　bank　of　the　river　where　no　one　but　the　factory　hands　and　their　families　ever　went；　and　they　only　in　the　evenings。　　The　hour　he　fixed　was　ten　the　next　morning；　and　she　〃cut〃　ancient　history　and　was　there。　　As　he　advanced　to　meet　her　she　thought　she　had　never　before　appreciated　how　handsome　he　was；　how　distinguished…lookingperfectly　her　ideal　of　what　a　man　should　be；　especially　in　that　important；　and　at　Battle　Field　neglected；　matter；　dress。

She　was　without　practice　in　indirection；　but　she　successfully　hid　her　jealousy　and　her　fears；　though　his　manner　was　making　their　taunts　and　threats　desperately　real。　　He　seemed　depressed　and　gloomy；　he　would　not　look　at　her；　he　shook　hands　with　her　almost　coldly；　though　they　had　not　seen　each　other　for　weeks；　had　not　talked　together　for　months。　　She　felt　faint；　and　her　thoughts　were　like　flocks　of　circling；　croaking　crows。

〃Polly；〃　he　began；　when　they　were　in　the　secluded　corner　of　the　park；　〃father　wants　me　to　get　married。　　He's　in　a　rage　at　your　father　for　treating　me　so　harshly。　　He　wants　me　to　marry　a　girl　who's　visiting　us。　　He's　always　at　me　about　it；　making　all　sorts　of　promises　and　threats。　　Her　father's　in　the　same　business　that　we　are；　and〃

He　glanced　at　her　to　note　the　effect　of　his　words。　　She　had　drawn　her　tall　figure　to　its　full　height；　and　her　cheeks　were　flushed　and　her　eyes　curiously　bright。　　He　had　stabbed　straight　and　dee