the consul-第3节

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〃What　would　become　of　Mr。　Marshall？〃　she　asked。　The　senator　smiled
tolerantly。

〃I　don't　know　that　I　was　thinking　of　Mr。　Marshall；〃　he　said。　〃I
can't　recall　anything　he　has　done　for　this　administration。　You　see；
Miss　Cairns；〃　he　explained；　in　the　tone　of　one　addressing　a　small
child；　〃Marshall　has　been　abroad　now　for　forty　years；　at　the
expense　of　the　taxpayers。　Some　of　us　think　men　who　have　lived　that
long　on　their　fellow…countrymen　had　better　come　home　and　get　to
work。〃

Livingstone　nodded　solemnly　in　assent。　He　did　not　wish　a　post
abroad　at　the　expense　of　the　taxpayers。　He　was　willing　to　pay　for
it。　And　then；　with　〃ex…Minister〃　on　his　visiting　cards；　and　a　sense
of　duty　well　performed；　for　the　rest　of　his　life　he　could　join　the
other　expatriates　in　Paris。

Just　before　dinner；　the　cruiser　RALEIGH　having　discovered　the
whereabouts　of　the　SERAPIS　by　wireless；　entered　the　harbor；　and
Admiral　Hardy　came　to　the　yacht　to　call　upon　the　senator；　in　whose
behalf　he　had　been　scouring　the　Caribbean　Seas。　Having　paid　his
respects　to　that　personage；　the　admiral　fell　boisterously　upon
Marshall。

The　two　old　gentlemen　were　friends　of　many　years。　They　had　met；
officially　and　unofficially；　in　many　strange　parts　of　the　world。　To
each　the　chance　reunion　was　a　piece　of　tremendous　good　fortune。　And
throughout　dinner　the　guests　of　Livingstone；　already　bored　with
each　other；　found　in　them　and　their　talk　of　former　days　new　and
delightful　entertainment。　So　much　so　that　when；　Marshall　having
assured　them　that　the　local　quarantine　regulations　did　not　extend
to　a　yacht；　the　men　departed　for　Las　Bocas；　the　women　insisted　that
he　and　admiral　remain　behind。

It　was　for　Marshall　a　wondrous　evening。　To　foregather　with　his　old
friend　whom　he　had　known　since　Hardy　was　a　mad　midshipman；　to　sit
at　the　feet　of　his　own　charming　countrywomen；　to　listen　to　their
soft；　modulated　laughter；　to　note　how　quickly　they　saw　that　to　him
the　evening　was　a　great　event；　and　with　what　tact　each　contributed
to　make　it　the　more　memorable；　all　served　to　wipe　out　the　months　of
bitter　loneliness；　the　stigma　of　failure；　the　sense　of　undeserved
neglect。　In　the　moonlight；　on　the　cool　quarter…　deck；　they　sat；　in
a　half…circle；　each　of　the　two　friends　telling　tales　out　of　school；
tales　of　which　the　other　was　the　hero　or　the　victim；　〃inside〃
stories　of　great　occasions；　ceremonies；　bombardments；　unrecorded
〃shirt…sleeve〃　diplomacy。

Hardy　had　helped　to　open　the　Suez　Canal。　Marshall　had　assisted　the
Queen　of　Madagascar　to　escape　from　the　French　invaders。　On　the
Barbary　Coast　Hardy　had　chased　pirates。　In　Edinburgh　Marshall　had
played　chess　with　Carlyle。　He　had　seen　Paris　in　mourning　in　the
days　of　the　siege；　Paris　in　terror　in　the　days　of　the　Commune；　he
had　known　Garibaldi；　Gambetta；　the　younger　Dumas；　the　creator　of
Pickwick。

〃Do　you　remember　that　time　in　Tangier；〃　the　admiral　urged；　when　I
was　a　midshipman；　and　got　into　the　bashaw's　harem？〃

〃Do　you　remember　how　I　got　you　out？　Marshall　replied　grimly。

〃And；〃　demanded　Hardy；　〃do　you　remember　when　Adelina　Patti　paid　a
visit　to　the　KEARSARGE　at　Marseilles　in　'65George　Dewey　was　our
second　officerand　you　were　bowing　and　backing　away　from　her；　and
you　backed　into　an　open　hatch；　and　she　said　'my　French　isn't　up　to
it'　what　was　it　she　said？〃

〃I　didn't　hear　it；〃　said　Marshall；　〃I　was　too　far　down　the　hatch。〃

〃Do　you　mean　the　old　KEARSARGE？〃　asked　Mrs。　Cairns。　〃Were　you　in
the　service　then；　Mr。　Marshall？　〃

With　loyal　pride　in　his　friend；　the　admiral　answered　for　him：

〃He　was　our　consul…general　at　Marseilles！〃

There　was　an　uncomfortable　moment。　Even　those　denied　imagination
could　not　escape　the　contrast；　could　see　in　their　mind's　eye　the
great　harbor　of　Marseilles；　crowded　with　the　shipping　of　the　world；
surrounding　it　the　beautiful　city；　the　rival　of　Paris　to　the　north；
and　on　the　battleship　the　young　consul…general　making　his　bow　to
the　young　Empress　of　Song。　And　now；　before　their　actual　eyes；　they
saw　the　village　of　Porto　Banos；　a　black　streak　in　the　night；　a　row
of　mud　shacks；　at　the　end　of　the　wharf　a　single　lantern　yellow　in
the　clear　moonlight。

Later　in　the　evening　Miss　Cairns　led　the　admiral　to　one　side。

〃Admiral；〃　she　began　eagerly；　〃tell　me　about　your　friend。　Why　is　he
here？　Why　don't　they　give　him　a　place　worthy　of　him？　I've　seen　many
of　our　representatives　abroad；　and　I　know　we　cannot　afford　to　waste
men　like　that。〃　The　girl　exclaimed　indignantly：　〃　He's　one　of　the
most　interesting　men　I've　ever　met！　He's　lived　everywhere；　known
every　one。　He's　a　distinguished　man；　a　cultivated　man；　even　I　can
see　he　knows　his　work；　that　he's　a　diplomat；　born；　trained；　that
he's〃　The　admiral　interrupted　with　a　growl。

〃You　don't　have　to　tell　ME　about　Henry；〃　he　protested。　〃I've　known
Henry　twenty…five　years。　If　Henry　got　his　deserts；〃　he　exclaimed
hotly；　〃he　wouldn't　be　a　consul　on　this　coral　reef；　he'd　be　a
minister　in　Europe。　Look　at　me！　We're　the　same　age。　We　started
together。　When　Lincoln　sent　him　to　Morocco　as　consul；　he　signed　my
commission　as　a　midshipman。　Now　I'm　an　admiral。　Henry　has　twice　my
brains　and　he's　been　a　consul…　general；　and　he's　HERE；　back　at　the
foot　of　the　ladder！〃

〃Why？〃　demanded　the　girl。

〃Because　the　navy　is　a　service　and　the　consular　service　isn't　a
service。　Men　like　Senator　Hanley　use　it　to　pay　their　debts。　While
Henry's　been　serving　his　country　abroad；　he's　lost　his　friends；
lost　his　'pull。'　Those　politicians　up　at　Washington　have　no　use　for
him。　They　don't　consider　that　a　consul　like　Henry　can　make　a
million　dollars　for　his　countrymen。　He　can　keep　them　from　shipping
goods　where　there's　no　market；　show　them　where　there　is　a　market。〃
The　admiral　snorted　contemptuously。　〃You　don't　have　to　tell　ME　the
value　of　a　good　consul。　But　those　politicians　don't　consider　that。
They　only　see　that　he　has　a　job　worth　a　few　hundred　dollars；　and
they　want　it；　and　if　he　hasn't　other　politicians　to　protect　him；
they'll　take　it。〃　The　girl　raised　her　head。

〃Why　don't　you　speak　to　the　senator？〃　she　asked。　〃Tell　him　you've
known　him　for　years；　that〃

〃Glad　to　do　it！〃　exclaimed　the　admiral　heartily。　〃　It　won't　be　the
first　time。　But　Henry　mustn't　know。　He's　too　confoundedly　touchy。
He　hates　the　IDEA　of　influence；　hates　men　like　Hanley；　who　abuse
it。　If　he　thought　anything　was　given　to　him　except　on　his　merits；
he　wouldn't　take　it。〃

〃Then　we　won't　tell　him；　〃　said　the　girl。　For　a　moment　she
hesitated。

〃If　I　spoke　to　Mr。　Hanley；〃　she　asked；　〃told　him　what　I　learned
to…night　of　Mr。　Marshall；　〃would　it　have　any　effect？〃

〃Don't　know　how　it　will　affect　Hanley；　said　the　sailor；　〃but　if　you
asked　me　to　make　anybody　a　consul…general；　I'd　make　him　an
ambassador。〃

Later　in　the　evening　Hanley　and　Livingstone　were　seated　alone　on
deck。　The　visit　to　Las　Bocas　had　not　proved　amusing；　but；　much　to
Livingstone's　relief；　his　honored　guest　was　now　in　good…humor。　He
took　his　cigar　from　his　lips；　only　to　sip　at　a　long　cool　drink。　He
was　in　a　mood　flatteringly　confidential　and　communicative。

〃People　have　the　strangest　idea　of　what　I　can　do　for　them；〃　he
laughed。　It　was　his　pose　to　pretend　he　was　without　authority。　〃They
believe　I've　only　to　wave　a　wand；　and　get　them　anything　they　want。
I　thought　I'd　be　safe　from　them　on　board　a　yacht。〃

Livingstone；　in　ignorance　of　what　was　coming；　squirmed
apprehensively。

〃But　it　seems；〃　the　senator　went　on；　〃　I'm　at　the　mercy　of　a
conspiracy。　The　women　folk　want　me　to　do　something　for　this　fellow
Marshall。　If　they　had　their　way；　they'd　send　him　to　the　Court　of
St。　James。　And　old　Hardy；　too；　tackled　me　about　him。　So　did　Miss
Cairns。

And　then　Marshall　himself　got　me　behind　the　wheel…house；　and　I
thought　he　was　going　to　tell　me　how　good　he　was；　too　I　But　he
didn't。〃

As　though　the　joke　were　on　himself；　the　senator　laughed
appreciatively。

〃Told　me；　instead；　that　Hardy　ought　to　be　a　vice…admiral。〃

Livingstone；　also；　laughed；　with　the　satisfied　air　of　one　who
cannot　be　tricked。

〃They　fixed　it　up　between　them；〃　he　explained；　〃　each　was　to　put　in
a　good　word　for　the　other。〃　He　nodded　eagerly。　〃That's　what　I
think。〃

There　were　moments　during　the　cruise　when　Senator　Hanley　would　have
found　relief　in　dropping　his　host　overboard。　With　mock　deference；
the　older　man　inclined　his　head。

〃That's　what　you　think；　is　it？〃　he　asked。　〃Livingstone；〃　he　added；
〃you　certainly　are　a　great　judge　of　men！〃

The　next　morning；　old　man　Marshall　woke　with　a　lightness　at　his
heart　that　had　been　long　absent。　For　a　moment；　conscious　only　that
he　was　happy；　he　lay　between　sleep　and　waking；　frowning　up　at　his
canopy　of　mosquito　net；　trying　to　realize　what　change　had　come　to
him。　Then　he　remembered。　His　old　friend　had　returned。　New　friends
had　come　into　his　life　and　welcomed　him　kindly。　He　was　no　longer
lonely。　As　eager　as　a　boy；　he　ran　to　the　window。　He　had　not　been
dreaming。　In　the　harbor　lay　the　pretty　yacht；　the　stately；
white…hulled　war…　ship。　The　flag　that　drooped　from　the　stern　of
each　caused　his　throat　to　tighten；　brought　warm　tears　to　his　eyes；
fresh　resolve　to　his　discouraged；　troubled　spirit。　When　he　knelt
beside　his　bed；　his　heart　poured　out　his　thanks　in　gra