the pit-第43节

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〃To　sell　again。　　You　see；　I'm　one　of　those　who　believe　that　wheat　is　going　up。　　I　was　the　very　first　to　see　it；　I　guess；　way　back　last　April。　　Now　in　August　this　year；　while　we　were　up　at　the　lake；　I　bought　three　million　bushels。〃

〃Threemillionbushels！〃　she　murmured。　　〃Why；　what　do　you　do　with　it？　　Where　do　you　put　it？〃

He　tried　to　explain　that　he　had　merely　bought　the　right　to　call　for　the　grain　on　a　certain　date；　but　she　could　not　understand　this　very　clearly。

〃Never　mind；〃　she　told　him；　〃go　on。〃

〃Well；　then；　at　the　end　of　August　we　found　out　that　the　wet　weather　in　England　would　make　a　short　crop　there；　and　along　in　September　came　the　news　that　Siberia　would　not　raise　enough　to　supply　the　southern　provinces　of　Russia。　　That　left　only　the　United　States　and　the　Argentine　Republic　to　feed　pretty　much　the　whole　world。　Of　course　that　would　make　wheat　valuable。　　Seems　to　be　a　short…crop　year　everywhere。　　I　saw　that　wheat　would　go　higher　and　higher；　so　I　bought　another　million　bushels　in　October；　and　another　early　in　this　month。　That's　all。　　You　see；　I　figure　that　pretty　soon　those　people　over　in　England　and　Italy　and　Germanythe　people　that　eat　wheatwill　be　willing　to　pay　us　in　America　big　prices　for　it；　because　it's　so　hard　to　get。　They've　got　to　have　the　wheatit's　bread　'n'　butter　to　them。〃

〃Oh；　then　why　not　give　it　to　them？〃　she　cried。　　〃Give　it　to　those　poor　peopleyour　five　million　bushels。　Why；　that　would　be　a　godsend　to　them。〃

Jadwin　stared　a　moment。

〃Oh；　that　isn't　exactly　how　it　works　out；〃　he　said。

Before　he　could　say　more；　however；　the　maid　came　in　and　handed　to　Jadwin　three　despatches。

〃Now　those；〃　said　Laura；　when　the　servant　had　gone　out；　〃you　get　those　every　morning。　　Are　those　part　of　your　business？　　What　do　they　say？〃

〃I'll　read　them　to　you；〃　he　told　her　as　he　slit　the　first　envelopes。　　〃They　are　cablegrams　from　agents　of　mine　in　Europe。　　Gretry　arranged　to　have　them　sent　to　me。　　Here　now；　this　is　from　Odessa。　　It's　in　cipher；　but〃he　drew　a　narrow　memorandum…book　from　his　breast　pocket〃I'll　translate　it　for　you。〃

He　turned　the　pages　of　the　key　book　a　few　moments；　jotting　down　the　translation　on　the　back　of　an　envelope　with　the　gold　pencil　at　the　end　of　his　watch　chain。

〃Here's　how　it　reads；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃'Cash　wheat　advanced　one　cent　bushel　on　Liverpool　buying；　stock　light。　　Shipping　to　interior。　　European　price　not　attractive　to　sellers。〃

〃What　does　that　mean？〃　she　asked。

〃Well；　that　Russia　will　not　export　wheat；　that　she　has　no　more　than　enough　for　herself；　so　that　Western　Europe　will　have　to　look　to　us　for　her　wheat。〃

〃And　the　others？　　Read　those　to　me。〃

Again　Jadwin　translated。

〃This　is　from　Paris：

〃'Answer　on　one　million　bushels　wheat　in　your　market　stocks　lighter　than　expected；　and　being　cleared　up。'〃

〃Which　is　to　say？〃　she　queried。

〃They　want　to　know　how　much　I　would　ask　for　a　million　bushels。　　They　find　it　hard　to　get　the　stuff　over　therejust　as　I　said　they　would。〃

〃Will　you　sell　it　to　them？〃

〃Maybe。　　I'll　talk　to　Sam　about　it。〃

〃And　now　the　last　one。〃

〃It's　from　Liverpool；　and　Liverpool；　you　must　understand；　is　the　great　buyer　of　wheat。　　It's　a　tremendously　influential　place。〃

He　began　once　more　to　consult　the　key　book；　one　finger　following　the　successive　code　words　of　the　despatch。

Laura；　watching　him；　saw　his　eyes　suddenly　contract。　〃By　George；〃　he　muttered；　all　at　once；　〃by　George；　what's　this？〃

〃What　is　it？〃　she　demanded。　　〃Is　it　important？〃

But　all…absorbed；　Jadwin　neither　heard　nor　responded。　Three　times　he　verified　the　same　word。

〃Oh；　please　tell　me；〃　she　begged。

Jadwin　shook　his　head　impatiently　and　held　up　a　warning　hand。

〃Wait；　wait；〃　he　said。　　〃Wait　a　minute。〃

Word　for　word　he　wrote　out　the　translation　of　the　cablegram；　and　then　studied　it　intently。

〃That's　it；〃　he　said；　at　last。　　Then　he　got　to　his　feet。　　〃I　guess　I've　had　enough　breakfast；〃　he　declared。　　He　looked　at　his　watch；　touched　the　call　bell；　and　when　the　maid　appeared　said：

〃Tell　Jarvis　to　bring　the　buggy　around　right　away。〃

〃But；　dear；　what　is　it？〃　repeated　Laura。　　〃You　said　you　would　tell　me。　　You　see；〃　she　cried；　〃it's　just　as　I　said。　　You've　forgotten　my　very　existence。　　When　it's　a　question　of　wheat　I　count　for　nothing。　　And　just　now；　when　you　read　the　despatch　to　yourself；　you　were　all　different；　such　a　look　came　into　your　face；　so　cruelly　eager；　and　triumphant　and　keen〃

〃You'd　be　eager；　too；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃if　you　understood。　　Look；　read　it　for　yourself。〃

He　thrust　the　cable　into　her　hands。　　Over　each　code　word　he　had　written　its　translation；　and　his　wife　read：

〃Large　firms　here　short　and　in　embarrassing　position；　owing　to　curtailment　in　Argentine　shipments。　　Can　negotiate　for　five　million　wheat　if　price　satisfactory。〃

〃Well？〃　she　asked。

〃Well；　don't　you　see　what　that　means？　　It's　the　'European　demand'　at　last。　　They　must　have　wheat；　and　I've　got　it　to　give　'emwheat　that　I　bought。　　oh！　at　seventy　cents；　some　of　it；　and　they'll　pay　the　market　that　is；　eighty　cents；　for　it。　　Oh；　they'll　pay　more。　They'll　pay　eighty…two　if　I　want　'em　to。　　France　is　after　the　stuff；　too。　　Remember　that　cable　from　Paris　I　just　read。　　They'd　bid　against　each　other。　　Why；　if　I　pull　this　off；　if　this　goes　throughand；　by　George；〃　he　went　on；　speaking　as　much　to　himself　as　to　her；　new　phases　of　the　affair　presenting　themselves　to　him　at　every　moment；　〃by　George；　I　don't　have　to　throw　this　wheat　into　the　Pit　and　break　down　the　priceand　Gretry　has　understandings　with　the　railroads；　through　the　elevator　gang；　so　we　get　big　rebates。　　Why；　this　wheat　is　worth　eighty…two　cents　to　themand　then　there's　this　'curtailment　in　Argentine　shipments。'　That's　the　first　word　we've　had　about　small　crops　there。　　Holy　Moses；　if　the　Argentine　crop　is　off；　wheat　will　knock　the　roof　clean　off　the　Board　of　Trade！〃　　The　maid　reappeared　in　the　doorway。　　〃The　buggy？〃　queried　Jadwin。　　〃All　right。　　I'm　off；　Laura；　anduntil　it's　over　keep　quiet　about　all　this；　you　know。　　Ask　me　to　read　you　some　more　cables　some　day。　　It　brings　good　luck。〃

He　gathered　up　his　despatches　and　the　mail　and　was　gone。　　Laura；　left　alone；　sat　looking　out　of　the　window　a　long　moment。　　She　heard　the　front　door　close；　and　then　the　sound　of　the　horses'　hoofs　on　the　asphalt　by　the　carriage　porch。　　They　died　down；　ceased；　and　all　at　once　a　great　silence　seemed　to　settle　over　the　house。

Laura　sat　thinking。　　At　last　she　rose。

〃It　is　the　first　time；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃that　Curtis　ever　forgot　to　kiss　me　good…by。〃

The　day；　for　all　that　the　month　was　December；　was　fine。　The　sun　shone；　under　foot　the　ground　was　dry　and　hard。　The　snow　which　had　fallen　ten　days　before　was　practically　gone。　　In　fine；　it　was　a　perfect　day　for　riding。　　Laura　called　her　maid　and　got　into　her　habit。　The　groom　with　his　own　horse　and　〃Crusader〃　were　waiting　for　her　when　she　descended。

That　forenoon　Laura　rode　further　and　longer　than　usual。　Preoccupied　at　first；　her　mind　burdened　with　vague　anxieties；　she　nevertheless　could　not　fail　to　be　aroused　and　stimulated　by　the　sparkle　and　effervescence　of　the　perfect　morning；　and　the　cold；　pure　glitter　of　Lake　Michigan；　green　with　an　intense　mineral　hue；　dotted　with　whitecaps；　and　flashing　under　the　morning　sky。　　Lincoln　Park　was　deserted　and　still；　a　blue　haze　shrouded　the　distant　masses　of　leafless　trees；　where　the　gardeners　were　burning　the　heaps　of　leaves。　　Under　her　the　thoroughbred　moved　with　an　ease　and　a　freedom　that　were　superb；　throwing　back　one　sharp　ear　at　her　lightest　word；　his　rippling　mane　caressed　her　hand　and　forearm；　and　as　she　looked　down　upon　his　shoulder　she　could　see　the　long；　slender　muscles；　working　smoothly；　beneath　the　satin　sheen　of　the　skin。　　At　the　water　works　she　turned　into　the　long；　straight　road　that　leads　to　North　Lake；　and　touched　Crusader　with　the　crop；　checking　him　slightly　at　the　same　time。　　With　a　little　toss　of　his　head　he　broke　from　a　trot　into　a　canter；　and　then；　as　she　leaned　forward　in　the　saddle；　into　his　long；　even　gallop。　　There　was　no　one　to　see；　she　would　not　be　conspicuous；　so　Laura　gave　the　horse　his　head；　and　in　another　moment　he　was　carrying　her　with　a　swiftness　that　brought　the　water　to　her　eyes；　and　that　sent　her　hair　flying　from　her　face。　　She　had　him　completely　under　control。　　A　touch　upon　the　bit；　she　knew；　would　suffice　to　bring　him　to　a　stand…still。　She　knew　him　to　be　without　fear　and　without　nerves；　knew　that　his　every　instinct　made　for　her　safety；　and　that　this　morning's　gallop　was　as　much　a　pleasure　to　him　as　to　his　rider。　　Beneath　her　and　around　her　the　roadway　and　landscape　flew；　the　cold　air　sang　in　her　ears　and　whipped　a　faint　colour　to　her　pale　cheeks；　in　her　deep　brown　eyes　a　frosty　sparkle　came　and　went；　and　throughout　all　her　slender　figure　the　blood　raced　spanking　and　careering　in　a　full；　strong　tide　of　health　and　gaiety。

She　made　a　circle　around　North　Lake；　and　came　back　by　way　of　the　Linne　monument　and　the　Palm　House；　Crusader　ambling　quietly　by　now；　the　groom　trotting　stolidly　in　the　rear。　　Throughout　all　her　ride　she　had　seen　no　one　but　the　park　gardeners　and　the　single　grey…coated；　mounted　policeman　whom　she　met　each　time　she　rode；　and　who　always　touched　his　helmet　to　her　as　she　cantered　past。