the pit-第3节

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ssler　and　set　him　right　again；　and　his　agitation　was　not　allayed　when　Laura；　in　frigid　tones；　declared：

〃It　seems　to　me　that　something　might　be　done。〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　he　replied　helplessly。　　〃I　guess　there's　nothing　to　be　done　but　just　wait。　　They　are　sure　to　be　along。〃

In　the　background；　Page　and　Mrs。　Wessels　had　watched　the　interview；　and　had　guessed　that　Laura　was　none　too　gracious。　　Always　anxious　that　her　sister　should　make　a　good　impression；　the　little　girl　was　now　in　great　distress。

〃Laura　is　putting　on　her　'grand　manner；'〃　she　lamented。　〃I　just　know　how　she's　talking。　　The　man　will　hate　the　very　sound　of　her　name　all　the　rest　of　his　life。〃　　Then　all　at　once　she　uttered　a　joyful　exclamation：　〃At　last；　at　last；〃　she　cried；　〃and　about　time；　too！〃

The　Cresslers　and　the　rest　of　the　partytwo　young　men　had　appeared；　and　Page　and　her　aunt　came　up　just　in　time　to　hear　Mrs。　Cresslera　fine　old　lady；　in　a　wonderful　ermine…trimmed　cape；　whose　hair　was　powdered　exclaim　at　the　top　of　her　voice；　as　if　the　mere　declaration　of　fact　was　final；　absolutely　the　last　word　upon　the　subject；　〃The　bridge　was　turned！〃

The　Cresslers　lived　on　the　North　Side。　　The　incident　seemed　to　be　closed　with　the　abruptness　of　a　slammed　door。

Page　and　Aunt　Wess'　were　introduced　to　Jadwin；　who　was　particular　to　announce　that　he　remembered　the　young　girl　perfectly。　　The　two　young　men　were　already　acquainted　with　the　Dearborn　sisters　and　Mrs。　Wessels。　Page　and　Laura　knew　one　of　them　well　enough　to　address　him　familiarly　by　his　Christian　name。

This　was　Landry　Court；　a　young　fellow　just　turned　twenty…three；　who　was　〃connected　with〃　the　staff　of　the　great　brokerage　firm　of　Gretry；　Converse　and　Co。　　He　was　astonishingly　good…looking；　small…made；　wiry；　alert；　nervous；　debonair；　with　blond　hair　and　dark　eyes　that　snapped　like　a　terrier's。　　He　made　friends　almost　at　first　sight；　and　was　one　of　those　fortunate　few　who　were　favoured　equally　of　men　and　women。　　The　healthiness　of　his　eye　and　skin　persuaded　to　a　belief　in　the　healthiness　of　his　mind；　and；　in　fact；　Landry　was　as　clean　without　as　within。　　He　was　frank；　open…　hearted；　full　of　fine　sentiments　and　exaltations　and　enthusiasms。　　Until　he　was　eighteen　he　had　cherished　an　ambition　to　become　the　President　of　the　United　States。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said　to　Laura；　〃the　bridge　was　turned。　It　was　an　imposition。　　We　had　to　wait　while　they　let　three　tows　through。　　I　think　two　at　a　time　is　as　much　as　is　legal。　　And　we　had　to　wait　for　three。　　Yes；　sir；　three；　think　of　that！　I　shall　look　into　that　to…morrow。　Yes；　sir；　don't　you　be　afraid　of　that。　　I'll　look　into　it。〃　　He　nodded　his　head　with　profound　seriousness。

〃Well；〃　announced　Mr。　Cressler；　marshalling　the　party；　〃shall　we　go　in？　　I'm　afraid；　Laura；　we've　missed　the　overture。〃

Smiling；　she　shrugged　her　shoulders；　while　they　moved　to　the　wicket；　as　if　to　say　that　it　could　not　be　helped　now。

Cressler；　tall；　lean；　bearded；　and　stoop…shouldered；　belonging　to　the　same　physical　type　that　includes　Lincolnthe　type　of　the　Middle　Westwas　almost　a　second　father　to　the　parentless　Dearborn　girls。　　In　Massachusetts；　thirty　years　before　this　time；　he　had　been　a　farmer；　and　the　miller　Dearborn　used　to　grind　his　grain　regularly。　　The　two　had　been　boys　together；　and　had　always　remained　fast　friends；　almost　brothers。　Then；　in　the　years　just　before　the　War；　had　come　the　great　movement　westward；　and　Cressler　had　been　one　of　those　to　leave　an　〃abandoned〃　New　England　farm　behind　him；　and　with　his　family　emigrate　toward　the　Mississippi。　　He　had　come　to　Sangamon　County　in　Illinois。　　For　a　time　he　tried　wheat…raising；　until　the　War；　which　skied　the　prices　of　all　food…stuffs；　had　made　himfor　those　daysa　rich　man。　　Giving　up　farming；　he　came　to　live　in　Chicago；　bought　a　seat　on　the　Board　of　Trade；　and　in　a　few　years　was　a　millionaire。　　At　the　time　of　the　Turco…Russian　War　he　and　two　Milwaukee　men　had　succeeded　in　cornering　all　the　visible　supply　of　spring　wheat。　　At　the　end　of　the　thirtieth　day　of　the　corner　the　clique　figured　out　its　profits　at　close　upon　a　million；　a　week　later　it　looked　like　a　million　and　a　half。　　Then　the　three　lost　their　heads；　they　held　the　corner　just　a　fraction　of　a　month　too　long；　and　when　the　time　came　that　the　three　were　forced　to　take　profits；　they　found　that　they　were　unable　to　close　out　their　immense　holdings　without　breaking　the　price。　　In　two　days　wheat　that　they　had　held　at　a　dollar　and　ten　cents　collapsed　to　sixty。　The　two　Milwaukee　men　were　ruined；　and　two…thirds　of　Cressler's　immense　fortune　vanished　like　a　whiff　of　smoke。

But　he　had　learned　his　lesson。　　Never　since　then　had　he　speculated。　　Though　keeping　his　seat　on　the　Board；　he　had　confined　himself　to　commission　trading；　uninfluenced　by　fluctuations　in　the　market。　　And　he　was　never　wearied　of　protesting　against　the　evil　and　the　danger　of　trading　in　margins。　　Speculation　he　abhorred　as　the　small…pox；　believing　it　to　be　impossible　to　corner　grain　by　any　means　or　under　any　circumstances。　He　was　accustomed　to　say：　〃It　can't　be　done；　first；　for　the　reason　that　there　is　a　great　harvest　of　wheat　somewhere　in　the　world　for　every　month　in　the　year；　and；　second；　because　the　smart　man　who　runs　the　corner　has　every　other　smart　man　in　the　world　against　him。　And；　besides；　it's　wrong；　the　world's　food　should　not　be　at　the　mercy　of　the　Chicago　wheat　pit。〃

As　the　party　filed　in　through　the　wicket；　the　other　young　man　who　had　come　with　Landry　Court　managed　to　place　himself　next　to　Laura。　　Meeting　her　eyes；　he　murmured：

〃Ah；　you　did　not　wear　them　after　all。　　My　poor　little　flowers。〃

But　she　showed　him　a　single　American　Beauty；　pinned　to　the　shoulder　of　her　gown　beneath　her　cape。

〃Yes；　Mr。　Corthell；〃　she　answered；　〃one。　　I　tried　to　select　the　prettiest；　and　I　think　I　succeededdon't　you？　　It　was　hard　to　choose。〃

〃Since　you　have　worn　it；　it　_is_　the　prettiest；〃　he　answered。

He　was　a　slightly　built　man　of　about　twenty…eight　or　thirty；　dark；　wearing　a　small；　pointed　beard；　and　a　mustache　that　he　brushed　away　from　his　lips　like　a　Frenchman。　　By　profession　he　was　an　artist；　devoting　himself　more　especially　to　the　designing　of　stained　windows。　　In　this；　his　talent　was　indisputable。　　But　he　was　by　no　means　dependent　upon　his　profession　for　a　living；　his　parentslong　since　deadhaving　left　him　to　the　enjoyment　of　a　very　considerable　fortune。　　He　had　a　beautiful　studio　in　the　Fine　Arts　Building；　where　he　held　receptions　once　every　two　months；　or　whenever　he　had　a　fine　piece　of　glass　to　expose。　　He　had　travelled；　read；　studied；　occasionally　written；　and　in　matters　pertaining　to　the　colouring　and　fusing　of　glass　was　cited　as　an　authority。　　He　was　one　of　the　directors　of　the　new　Art　Gallery　that　had　taken　the　place　of　the　old　Exposition　Building　on　the　Lake　Front。

Laura　had　known　him　for　some　little　time。　　On　the　occasion　of　her　two　previous　visits　to　Page　he　had　found　means　to　see　her　two　or　three　times　each　week。　Once；　even；　he　had　asked　her　to　marry　him；　but　she；　deep　in　her　studies　at　the　time；　consumed　with　vague　ambitions　to　be　a　great　actress　of　Shakespearian　roles；　had　told　him　she　could　care　for　nothing　but　her　art。　He　had　smiled　and　said　that　he　could　wait；　and；　strangely　enough；　their　relations　had　resumed　again　upon　the　former　footing。　　Even　after　she　had　gone　away　they　had　corresponded　regularly；　and　he　had　made　and　sent　her　a　tiny　windowa　veritable　jewelillustrative　of　a　scene　from　〃Twelfth　Night。〃

In　the　foyer；　as　the　gentlemen　were　checking　their　coats；　Laura　overheard　Jadwin　say　to　Mr。　Cressler：

〃Well；　how　about　Helmick？〃

The　other　made　an　impatient　movement　of　his　shoulders。

〃Ask　me；　what　was　the　fool　thinking　ofa　corner！　Pshaw！〃

There　were　one　or　two　other　men　about；　making　their　overcoats　and　opera　hats　into　neat　bundles　preparatory　to　checking　them；　and　instantly　there　was　a　flash　of　a　half…dozen　eyes　in　the　direction　of　the　two　men。　Evidently　the　collapse　of　the　Helmick　deal　was　in　the　air。　　All　the　city　seemed　interested。

But　from　behind　the　heavy　curtains　that　draped　the　entrance　to　the　theatre　proper；　came　a　muffled　burst　of　music；　followed　by　a　long　salvo　of　applause。　　Laura's　cheeks　flamed　with　impatience；　she　hurried　after　Mrs。　Cressler；　Corthell　drew　the　curtains　for　her　to　pass；　and　she　entered。

Inside　it　was　dark；　and　a　prolonged　puff　of　hot　air；　thick　with　the　mingled　odours　of　flowers；　perfume；　upholstery；　and　gas；　enveloped　her　upon　the　instant。　It　was　the　unmistakable；　unforgetable；　entrancing　aroma　of　the　theatre；　that　she　had　known　only　too　seldom；　but　that　in　a　second　set　her　heart　galloping。

Every　available　space　seemed　to　be　occupied。　　Men；　even　women；　were　standing　up；　compacted　into　a　suffocating　pressure；　and　for　the　moment　everybody　was　applauding　vigorously。　　On　all　sides　Laura　heard：

〃Bravo！〃

〃Good；　good！〃

〃Very　well　done！〃

〃Encore！　Encore！〃

Between　the　peoples'　heads　and　below　the　low　dip　of　the　overhanging　balconya　brilliant　glare　in　the　surrounding　darknessshe　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　stage。　　It　was　set　for　a　garden；　at　the　back　and　in　the　distance　a　chateau；　on　the　left　a　bower；　and　on　the　right　a　pavilion。　　Before　the　footlights；　a　famous　contralto；　dressed　as　a　boy；　was　bowing　to　the　audience；　her　arms　full　of　flowe