the cost-第9节

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orgive　Scarborough；　forgive　him　generously；　but　not　without　making　him　realize　that　it　was　an　act　of　generosity。　　As　Scarborough　talked　he　was　first　irritated；　then；　and　suddenly；　convinced　that　he　was　himself　in　the　wrongin　the　wrong　throughout。

〃Don't　say　another　word；　Scarborough；〃　he　replied；　impulsively　laying　his　hand　on　the　arm　of　his　friendhow　powerful　it　felt　through　the　sleeve！　　〃I've　been　spoiled　by　always　having　my　own　way　and　by　people　letting　me　rule　them。　　You　gave　me　my　first　lesson　in　defeat。　　AndI　needed　it　badly。　　As　for　your　not　telling　me；　you'd　have　ruined　your　scheme　if　you　had。　　Besides；　looking　back；　I　see　that　you　did　warn　me。　　I　know　now　what　you　meant　by　always　jumping　on　the　fraternities　and　the　combinations。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Scarborough；　simply。　　〃When　I　saw　you　leaving　the　society　hall　I　feared　I'd　lost　a　friend。　　Instead；　I've　found　what　a　friend　　I　have。〃　　Then　after　a　brief　silence　he　continued：　　〃This　little　incident　up　there　to…nightthis　little　revolution　I　took　part　inhas　meant　a　good　deal　to　me。　　It　was　the　first　chance　I'd　had　to　carry　out　the　ideas　I've　thought　over　and　thought　over　down　there　on　the　farm　while　I　was　working　in　the　fields　or　lying　in　the　hay；　staring　up　at　the　sky。　　And　I　don't　suppose　in　all　the　future　I'll　ever　have　a　greater　temptation　to　be　false　to　myself　than　I　had　in　the　dread　that's　been　haunting　methe　dread　of　losing　your　friendshipand　the　friendship　ofofsome　others　who　might　see　it　as　I　was　afraid　you　would。　　There　may　be　lessons　in　this　incident　for　you；　Fred。　　But　the　greatest　lesson　of　all　is　the　one　you've　taught　meNEVER　to　be　afraid　to　go　forward　when　the　Finger　points。〃

Pierson　and　Olivia　walked　to　chapel　together　the　next　morning；　and　he　told　her　the　story　of　the　defeat；　putting　himself　in　a　worse　light　than　he　deserved。　　But　Olivia；　who　never　lost　a　chance　to　attack　him　for　his　shortcomings；　now；　to　his　amazement；　burst　out　against　Scarborough。

〃It　was　contemptible；〃　she　said　hotly。　　〃It　was　treachery！　　It　was　a　piece　of　cold…blooded　ambition。　　He'd　sacrifice　anything；　any　one；　to　ambition。　　I　shall　never　like　him　again。〃

Pierson　was　puzzledbeing　in　love　with　her；　he　had　been　deceived　by　her　pretense　that　she　had　a　poor　opinion　of　him；　and　he　did　not　appreciate　that　her　sense　of　justice　was　now　clouded　by　resentment　for　his　sake。　　At　dinner；　when　the　four　were　together；　she　attacked　Scarborough。　　Though　she　did　not　confess　it；　he　forced　her　to　see　that　at　least　his　motives　were　not　those　she　had　been　attributing　to　him。　　When　he　and　Pauline　were　aloneOlivia　and　Pierson　had　to　hurry　away　to　a　lecture　he　said：　　〃What　do　YOU　think；　Miss　Gardiner？　　Youdid　youdo　youagree　with　your　cousin？

〃I？〃　Pauline　dropped　her　eyes。　　〃Oh；　I〃

She　hesitated　so　long　that　he　said：　　〃Go　ontell　me　just　what　you　think。　　I'd　rather　know　than　suspect。〃

〃I　think　you　did　right。　　ButI　don't　see　how　you　had　the　courage　to　do　it。〃

〃That　is；　you　think　I　did　rightbut　the　sort　of　right　that's　worse　than　wrong。〃

〃Nono！〃　she　protested；　putting　a　good　deal　of　feeling　into　her　voice　in　the　effort　to　reassure　him。　　〃I'd　have　been　ashamed　of　you　if　you　hadn't　done　it。　　Andoh；　I　despise　weakness　in　a　man　most　of　all！　　And　I　like　to　think　that　if　everybody　in　college　had　denounced　you；　you'd　have　gone　straight　on。　　Andyou　WOULD！〃

Within　a　week　after　this　they　were　calling　each　the　other　by　their　first　names。


For　the　Christmas　holidays　she　went　with　her　mother　from　Battle　Field　direct　to　Chicago；　to　her　father's　sisters　Mrs。　HaydenColonel　Gardiner　had　been　called　south　on　business。　　When　she　came　back　she　and　Scarborough　took　up　their　friendship　where　they　had　left　it。　　They　read　the　same　books；　had　similar　tastes；　disagreed　sympathetically；　agreed　with　enthusiasm。　　She　saw　a　great　deal　of　several　other　men　in　her　class；　enough　not　to　make　her　preference　for　him　significant　to　the　collegeor　to　herself。　　They　went　for　moonlight　straw…rides；　on　moonlight　and　starlight　skating　and　ice…boat　parties；　for　long　walks　over　the　hillsall　invariably　with　others；　but　they　were　often　practically　alone。　　He　rapidly　dropped　his　rural　manners　and　mannerismsFred　Pierson's　tailor　in　Indianapolis　made　the　most　radical　of　the　surface　changes　in　him。

Late　in　February　his　cousin；　the　superintendent　of　the　farm；　telegraphed　him　to　come　home。　　He　found　his　mother　illplainly　dying。　　And　his　fatherBladen　Scarborough's　boast　had　been　that　he　never　took　a　〃dose　of　drugs〃　in　his　life；　and　for　at　least　seventy　of　his　seventy…nine　years　he　had　been　〃on　the　jump〃　daily　from　long　before　dawn　until　long　after　sundown。　　Now　he　was　content　to　sit　in　his　arm…chair　and；　with　no　more　vigorous　protest　than　a　frown　and　a　growl；　to　swallow　the　despised　drugs。

Each　day　he　made　them　carry　him　in　his　great　chair　into　HER　bedroom。　　And　there　he　sat　all　day　long；　his　shaggy　brows　down；　his　gaze　rarely　wandering　from　the　little　ridge　her　small　body　made　in　the　high　white　bed；　and　in　his　stern　eyes　there　was　a　look　of　stoic　anguish。　　Each　night；　as　they　were　carrying　him　to　his　own　room；　they　took　him　near　the　bed；　and　he　leaned　forward；　and　the　voice　that　in　all　their　years　had　never　been　anything　but　gentle　for　her　said：　　〃Good　night；　Sallie。〃　　And　the　small　form　would　move　slightly；　there　would　be　a　feeble　turning　of　the　head；　a　wan　smile　on　the　little　old　face；　a　soft　〃Good　night；　Bladen。〃

It　was　on　Hampden's　ninth　day　at　home　that　the　old　man　said　〃Good　night；　Sallie；〃　and　there　was　no　answernot　even　a　stir。　　They　did　not　offer　to　carry　him　in　the　next　morning；　nor　did　he　turn　his　face　from　the　wall。　　She　died　that　day；　he　three　days　laterhe　had　refused　food　and　medicine；　he　had　not　shed　a　tear　or　made　a　sound。

Thus　the　journey　side　by　side　for　fifty…one　years　was　a　journey　no　longer。　　They　were　asleep　side　by　side　on　the　hillside　for　ever。

Hampden　stayed　at　home　only　one　day　after　the　funeral。　　He　came　back　to　Battle　Field　apparently　unchanged。　　He　was　not　in　black；　for　Bladen　Scarborough　abhorred　mourning　as　he　abhorred　all　outward　symbols　of　the　things　of　the　heart。　　But　after　a　week　he　told　Pauline　about　it；　and　as　he　talked　she　sobbed；　though　his　voice　did　not　break　nor　his　eyes　dim。

〃He's　like　his　father；〃　she　thought。


When　Olivia　believed　that　Dumont　was　safely　forgotten　she　teased　her〃Your　adoring　and　adored　Scarborough。〃

Pauline　was　amused　by　this。　　With　his　unfailing　instinct；　Scarborough　had　feltand　had　never　permitted　himself　to　forgetthat　there　was　some　sort　of　wall　round　her　for　him。　　It　was　in　perfect　good　faith　that　she　answered　Olivia：　　〃You　don't　understand　him。　　He's　a　queer　mansometimes　I　wonder　myself　that　he　doesn't　get　just　a　little　sentimental。　　I　suppose　I'd　find　him　exasperatingif　I　weren't　otherwise　engaged。〃

Olivia　tried　not　to　show　irritation　at　this　reference　to　Dumont。　　〃I　think　you're　mistaken　about　which　of　you　is　queer；〃　she　said。　　〃You　are　the　onenot　he。〃

〃I？〃　　Pauline　laughedshe　was　thinking　of　her　charm　against　any　love　but　one　man's；　the　wedding　ring　she　always　wore　at　her　neck。　　〃Why；　I　COULDN'T　fall　in　love　with　HIM。〃

〃The　woman　who　gets　him　will　do　mighty　well　for　herselfin　every　way；〃　said　Olivia。

〃Indeed　she　will。　　ButI'd　as　soon　think　of　falling　in　love　with　a　tree　or　a　mountain。〃

She　liked　her　phrase；　it　seemed　to　her　exactly　to　define　her　feeling　for　Scarborough。　　She　liked　it　so　well　that　she　repeated　it　to　herself　reassuringly　many　times　in　the　next　few　weeks。



VII。

PAULINE　AWAKENS。


In　the　last　week　of　March　came　a　succession　of　warm　rains。　　The　leaves　burst　from　their　impatient　hiding　just　within　the　cracks　in　the　gray　bark。　　And　on　Monday　the　unclouded　sun　was　irradiating　a　pale　green　world　from　a　pale　blue　sky。　　The　four　windows　of　Pauline　and　Olivia's　sitting…room　were　up；　a　warm；　scented　wind　was　blowing　this　way　and　that　the　strays　of　Pauline's　red…brown　hair　as　she　sat　at　the　table；　her　eyes　on　a　book；　her　thoughts　on　a　letterDumont's　first　letter　on　landing　in　America。　　A　knock；　and　she　frowned　slightly。

〃Come！〃　she　cried；　her　expression　slowly　veering　toward　welcome。

The　door　swung　back　and　in　came　Scarborough。　　Not　the　awkward　youth　of　last　October；　but　still　unable　wholly　to　conceal　how　much　at　a　disadvantage　he　felt　before　the　woman　he　particularly　wished　to　please。

〃YesI'm　ten　minutes　early；〃　he　said；　apology　in　his　tone　for　his　instinct　told　him　that　he　was　interrupting；　and　he　had　too　little　vanity　to　see　that　the　interruption　was　agreeable。　　〃But　I　thought　you'd　be　only　reading　a　novel。〃

For　answer　she　held　up　the　book　which　lay　before　hera　solemn　volume　in　light　brown　calf。

〃Analytical　geometry；〃　he　said；　〃and　on　the　first　day　of　the　finest　spring　the　world　ever　saw！〃　　He　was　at　the　window；　looking　out　longinglysunshine；　and　soft　air　washed　clean　by　the　rains；　the　new…born　leaves　and　buds；　the　pioneer　birds　and　flowers。　　〃Let's　go　for　a　walk。　　We　can　do　the　Vergil　to…night。〃

〃YOUtalking　of　neglecting　WORK！〃　　Her　smile　seemed　to　him　to　sparkle　as　much　in　the　waves　of　her　hair　as　in　her　even　white　teeth　and　gold…brown　eyes。　　〃So　you're　human；　just　like　the　rest　of　us。〃

〃Human！〃　　He　glanced　at　her　and　instantly　glanced　away。

〃Do　leave　that　window；〃　she　begged。　　〃We　must　get