the pit-第64节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　see　that　this　market　is　a　regular　tornado？〃

〃I　see　that　the　farmers　all　over　the　country　are　planting　wheat　as　they've　never　planted　it　before。　Great　Scott；　J。；　you're　fighting　against　the　earth　itself。〃

〃Well；　we'll　fight　it；　then。　　I'll　stop　those　hayseeds。　What　do　I　own　all　these　newspapers　and　trade　journals　for？　　We'll　begin　sending　out　reports　to…morrow　that'll　discourage　any　big　wheat　planting。〃

〃And　then；　too；〃　went　on　Gretry；　〃here's　another　point。　Do　you　know；　you　ought　to　be　in　bed　this　very　minute。　You　haven't　got　any　nerves　left　at　all。　　You　acknowledge　yourself　that　you　don't　sleep　any　more。　And；　good　Lord；　the　moment　any　one　of　us　contradicts　you；　or　opposes　you；　you　go　off　the　handle　to　beat　the　Dutch。　　I　know　it's　a　strain；　old　man；　but　you　want　to　keep　yourself　in　hand　if　you　go　on　with　this　thing。　　If　you　should　break　down　nowwell；　I　don't　like　to　think　of　what　would　happen。　　You　ought　to　see　a　doctor。〃

〃Oh…h；　fiddlesticks；〃　exclaimed　Jadwin；　〃I'm　all　right。　I　don't　need　a　doctor；　haven't　time　to　see　one　anyhow。　Don't　you　bother　about　me。　　I'm　all　right。〃

Was　he？　　That　same　night；　the　first　he　had　spent　under　his　own　roof　for　four　days；　Jadwin　lay　awake　till　the　clocks　struck　four；　asking　himself　the　same　question。　No；　he　was　not　all　right。　　Something　was　very　wrong　with　him；　and　whatever　it　might　be；　it　was　growing　worse。　　The　sensation　of　the　iron　clamp　about　his　head　was　almost　permanent　by　now；　and　just　the　walk　between　his　room　at　the　Grand　Pacific　and　Gretry's　office　left　him　panting　and　exhausted。　　Then　had　come　vertigoes　and　strange；　inexplicable　qualms；　as　if　he　were　in　an　elevator　that　sank　under　him　with　terrifying　rapidity。

Going　to　and　fro　in　La　Salle　Street；　or　sitting　in　Gretry's　office；　where　the　roar　of　the　Pit　dinned　forever　in　his　ears；　he　could　forget　these　strange　symptoms。　　It　was　the　night　he　dreadedthe　long　hours　he　must　spend　alone。　　The　instant　the　strain　was　relaxed；　the　gallop　of　hoofs；　or　as　the　beat　of　ungovernable　torrents　began　in　his　brain。　　Always　the　beat　dropped　to　the　same　cadence；　always　the　pulse　spelled　out　the　same　words：

〃Wheat…wheat…wheat；　wheat…wheat…wheat。〃

And　of　late；　during　the　long　and　still　watches　of　the　night；　while　he　stared　at　the　ceiling；　or　counted　the　hours　that　must　pass　before　his　next　dose　of　bromide　of　potassium；　a　new　turn　had　been　given　to　the　screw。

This　was　a　sensation；　the　like　of　which　he　found　it　difficult　to　describe。　　But　it　seemed　to　be　a　slow；　tense　crisping　of　every　tiniest　nerve　in　his　body。　　It　would　begin　as　he　lay　in　bedcounting　interminably　to　get　himself　to　sleepbetween　his　knees　and　ankles；　and　thence　slowly　spread　to　every　part　of　him；　creeping　upward；　from　loin　to　shoulder；　in　a　gradual　wave　of　torture　that　was　not　pain；　yet　infinitely　worse。　　A　dry；　pringling　aura　as　of　billions　of　minute　electric　shocks　crept　upward　over　his　flesh；　till　it　reached　his　head；　where　it　seemed　to　culminate　in　a　white　flash；　which　he　felt　rather　than　saw。

His　body　felt　strange　and　unfamiliar　to　him。　　It　seemed　to　have　no　weight；　and　at　times　his　hands　would　appear　to　swell　swiftly　to　the　size　of　mammoth　boxing…gloves；　so　that　he　must　rub　them　together　to　feel　that　they　were　his　own。

He　put　off　consulting　a　doctor　from　day　to　day；　alleging　that　he　had　not　the　time。　　But　the　real　reason；　though　he　never　admitted　it；　was　the　fear　that　the　doctor　might　tell　him　what　he　guessed　to　be　the　truth。

Were　his　wits　leaving　him？　　The　horror　of　the　question　smote　through　him　like　the　drive　of　a　javelin。　　What　was　to　happen？　　What　nameless　calamity　impended？

〃Wheat…wheat…wheat；　wheat…wheat…wheat。〃

His　watch　under　his　pillow　took　up　the　refrain。　　How　to　grasp　the　morrow's　business；　how　control　the　sluice　gates　of　that　torrent　he　had　unchained；　with　this　unspeakable　crumbling　and　disintegrating　of　his　faculties　going　on？

Jaded；　feeble；　he　rose　to　meet　another　day。　　He　drove　down　town；　trying　not　to　hear　the　beat　of　his　horses'　hoofs。　　Dizzy　and　stupefied；　he　gained　Gretry's　office；　and　alone　with　his　terrors　sat　in　the　chair　before　his　desk；　waiting；　waiting。

Then　far　away　the　great　gong　struck。　　Just　over　his　head；　penetrating　wood　and　iron；　he　heard　the　mighty　throe　of　the　Pit　once　more　beginning；　moving。　　And　then；　once　again；　the　limp　and　ravelled　fibres　of　being　grew　tight　with　a　wrench。　　Under　the　stimulus　of　the　roar　of　the　maelstrom；　the　flagging；　wavering　brain　righted　itself　once　more；　andhow；　he　himself　could　not　saythe　business　of　the　day　was　despatched；　the　battle　was　once　more　urged。　　Often　he　acted　upon　what　he　knew　to　be　blind；　unreasoned　instinct。　　Judgment；　clear　reasoning；　at　times；　he　felt；　forsook　him。　Decisions　that　involved　what　seemed　to　be　the　very　stronghold　of　his　situation；　had　to　be　taken　without　a

moment's　warning。　　He　decided　for　or　against　without　knowing　why。　　Under　his　feet　fissures　opened。　　He　must　take　the　leap　without　seeing　the　other　edge。　　Somehow　he　always　landed　upon　his　feet；　somehow　his　great；　cumbersome　engine；　lurching；　swaying；　in　spite　of　loosened　joints；　always　kept　the　track。

Luck；　his　golden　goddess；　the　genius　of　glittering　wings；　was　with　him　yet。　　Sorely　tried；　flouted　even　she　yet　remained　faithful；　lending　a　helping　hand　to　lost　and　wandering　judgment。

So　the　month　of　May　drew　to　its　close。　　Between　the　twenty…fifth　and　the　thirtieth　Jadwin　covered　his　July　shortage；　despite　Gretry's　protests　and　warnings。　　To　him　they　seemed　idle　enough。　　He　was　too　rich；　too　strong　now　to　fear　any　issue。　　Daily　the　profits　of　the　corner　increased。　　The　unfortunate　shorts　were　wrung　dry　and　drier。　　In　Gretry's　office　they　heard　their　sentences；　and　as　time　went　on；　and　Jadwin　beheld　more　and　more　of　these　broken　speculators；　a　vast　contempt　for　human　nature　grew　within　him。

Some　few　of　his　beaten　enemies　were　resolute　enough；　accepting　defeat　with　grim　carelessness；　or　with　sphinx…like　indifference；　or　even　with　airy　jocularity。　But　for　the　most　part　their　alert；　eager　deference；　their　tame　subservience；　the　abject　humility　and　debasement　of　their　bent　shoulders　drove　Jadwin　to　the　verge　of　self…control。　　He　grew　to　detest　the　business；　he　regretted　even　the　defiant　brutality　of　Scannel；　a　rascal；　but　none　the　less　keeping　his　head　high。　　The　more　the　fellows　cringed　to　him；　the　tighter　he　wrenched　the　screw。　　In　a　few　cases　he　found　a　pleasure　in　relenting　entirely；　selling　his　wheat　to　the　unfortunates　at　a　price　that　left　them　without　loss；　but　in　the　end　the　business　hardened　his　heart　to　any　distress　his　mercilessness　might　entail。　　He　took　his　profits　as　a　Bourbon　took　his　taxes；　as　if　by　right　of　birth。　　Somewhere；　in　a　long…forgotten　history　of　his　brief　school　days；　he　had　come　across　a　phrase　that　he　remembered　now；　by　some　devious　and　distant　process　of　association；　and　when　he　heard　of　the　calamities　that　his　campaign　had　wrought；　of　the　shipwrecked　fortunes　and　careers　that　were　sucked　down　by　the　Pit；　he　found　it　possible　to　say；　with　a　short　laugh；　and　a　lift　of　one　shoulder：

_〃Vae　victis。〃_

His　wife　he　saw　but　seldom。　　Occasionally　they　breakfasted　together；　more　often　they　met　at　dinner。　But　that　was　all。　　Jadwin's　life　by　now　had　come　to　be　so　irregular；　and　his　few　hours　of　sleep　so　precious　and　so　easily　disturbed；　that　he　had　long　since　occupied　a　separate　apartment。

What　Laura's　life　was　at　this　time　he　no　longer　knew。　She　never　spoke　of　it　to　him；　never　nowadays　complained　of　loneliness。　　When　he　saw　her　she　appeared　to　be　cheerful。　　But　this　very　cheerfulness　made　him　uneasy；　and　at　times；　through　the　murk　of　the　chaff　of　wheat；　through　the　bellow　of　the　Pit；　and　the　crash　of　collapsing　fortunes　there　reached　him　a　suspicion　that　all　was　not　well　with　Laura。

Once　he　had　made　an　abortive　attempt　to　break　from　the　turmoil　of　La　Salle　Street　and　the　Board　of　Trade；　and；　for　a　time　at　least；　to　get　back　to　the　old　life　they　both　had　lovedto　get　back；　in　a　word；　to　her。　　But　the　consequences　had　been　all　but　disastrous。　　Now　he　could　not　keep　away。

〃Corner　wheat！〃　he　had　exclaimed　to　her；　the　following　day。　　〃Corner　wheat！　It's　the　wheat　that　has　cornered　me。　　It's　like　holding　a　wolf　by　the　ears；　bad　to　hold　on；　but　worse　to　let　go。〃

But　absorbed；　blinded；　deafened　by　the　whirl　of　things；　Curtis　Jadwin　could　not　see　how　perilously　well　grounded　had　been　his　faint　suspicion　as　to　Laura's　distress。

On　the　day　after　her　evening　with　her　husband　in　the　art　gallery；　the　evening　when　Gretry　had　broken　in　upon　them　like　a　courier　from　the　front；　Laura　had　risen　from　her　bed　to　look　out　upon　a　world　suddenly　empty。

Corthell　she　had　sent　from　her　forever。　　Jadwin　was　once　more　snatched　from　her　side。　　Where；　now；　was　she　to　turn？　　Jadwin　had　urged　her　to　go　to　the　countryto　their　place　at　Geneva　Lakebut　she　refused。　　She　saw　the　change　that　had　of　late　come　over　her　husband；　saw　his　lean　face；　the　hot；　tired　eyes；　the　trembling　fingers　and　nervous　gestures。　　Vaguely　she　imagined　approaching　disaster。　　If　anything　happened　to　Curtis；　her　place　was　at　his　side。

During　the　days　that　Jadwin　and　Crookes　were　at　grapples　Laura　found　means　to　occupy　her　mind　with　all　manner　of　small　activities。　　She　overhauled　her　wardrobe；　planned　her　summer　gown