太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > whirligigs >

第7节

whirligigs-第7节

小说: whirligigs 字数: 每页4000字

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!




C。 But he did not consider it good practice to volunteer

information。  〃I did not receive your card;〃 he continued;

by way of rebuke; 〃so I  〃



〃I know you didn't;〃 remarked the visitor; coolly;

〃And you won't just yet。  Light up?〃  He threw a leg

over an arm of his chair; and tossed a handful of rich…

hued cigars upon the table。  Lawyer Gooch knew the

brand。  He thawed just enough to accept the invitation

to smoke。



〃You are a divorce lawyer;〃 said the cardless visitor。

This time there was no interrogation in his voice。  Nor

did his words constitute a simple assertion。  They formed 

a charge  a denunciation  as one would say to a dog:

〃You are a dog。〃  Lawyer Gooch was silent under the

imputation。



〃You handle;〃 continued the visitor; 〃all the various

ramifications of busted…up connubiality。  You are a

surgeon; we might saw; who extracts Cupid's darts when

he shoots 'em into the wrong parties。  You furnish 

patent; incandescent lights for premises where the torch

of Hymen has burned so low you can't light a cigar at it。

Am I right; Mr。 Gooch?〃



〃I have undertaken cases;〃 said the lawyer; guardedly;

〃in the line to which your figurative speech seems to refer。

Do you wish to consult me professionally; Mr。  〃

The lawyer paused; with significance。



〃Not yet;〃 said the other; with an arch wave of his

cigar; 〃not just yet。  Let us approach the subject with

the caution that should have been used in the original

act that makes this pow…wow necessary。  There exists a

matrimonial jumble to be straightened out。  But before

I give you names I want your honest  well; anyhow;

your professional opinion on the merits of the mix…up。

I want you to size up the catastrophe  abstractly  you

understand?  I'm Mr。 Nobody; and I've got a story to tell

you。  Then you say what's what。  Do you get my wireless?〃



〃You want to state a hypothetical case?〃  suggested

Lawyer Gooch。



〃That's the word I was after。  'Apothecary' was the

best shot I could make at it in my mind。  The hypo…

thetical goes。  I'll state the case。  Suppose there's a

woman  a deuced fine…looking woman  who has run

away from her husband and home?  She's badly mashed

on another man who went to her town to work up some

real estate business。  Now; we may as well call this

woman's husband Thomas R。 Billings; for that's his

name。  I'm giving you straight tips on the cognomens。

The Lothario chap is Henry K。 Jessup。  The Billingses

lived in a little town called Susanville  a good many

miles from here。  Now; Jessup leaves Susanville two

weeks ago。  The next day Mrs。 Billings follows him。

She's dead gone on this man Jessup; you can bet your

law library on that。〃



Lawyer Gooch's client said this with such unctuous

satisfaction that even the callous lawyer experienced a

slight ripple of repulsion。  He now saw clearly in his

fatuous visitor the conceit of the lady…killer; the egoistic

complacency of the successful trifler。



〃Now;〃 continued the visitor; 〃suppose this Mrs。

Billings wasn't happy at home?  We'll say she and her

husband didn't gee worth a cent。  They've got incom…

patibility to burn。  The things she likes; Billings wouldn't

have as a gift with trading…stamps。  It's Tabby and

Rover with them all the time。  She's an educated woman

in science and culture; and she reads things out loud at

meetings。  Billings is not on。  He don't appreciate pro…

gress and obelisks and ethics; and things of that sort。  Old

Billings is simply a blink when it comes to such things。

The lady is out and out above his class。  Now; lawyer;

don't it look like a fair equalization of rights and wrongs

that a woman like that should be allowed to throw down

Billings and take the man that can appreciate her?



〃Incompatibility;〃 said Lawyer Gooch; 〃is undoubt…

edly the source of much marital discord and unhappiness。

Where it is positively proved; divorce would seem to be

the equitable remedy。  Are you  excuse me  is this

man Jessup one to whom the lady may safely trust

her future?〃



〃Oh; you can bet on Jessup;〃 said the client; with a

confident wag of his head。  〃Jessup's all right。  He'll

do the square thing。  Why; he left Susanville just to keep

pwple from talking about Mrs。 Billings。  But she fol…

lowed him up; and now; of course; he'll stick to her。

When she gets a divorce; all legal and proper; Jessup

the proper thing。〃



〃And now;〃 said Lawyer Gooch; 〃continuing the hypo…

if you prefer; and supposing that my services should

ired in the case; what  〃



The client rose impulsively to his feet。



〃Oh; dang the hypothetical business;〃 he exclaimed;

impatiently。  〃Let's let her drop; and get down to

straight talk。  You ought to know who I am by this time。

I want that woman to have her divorce。  I'll pay for

it。  The day you set Mrs。 Billings free I'll pay you five

hundred dollars。〃



Lawyer Gooch's client banged his fist upon the table

to punctuate his generosity。



〃If that is the case  〃 began the lawyer。



〃Lady to see you; sir;〃 bawled Archibald; bouncing

in from his anteroom。  He had orders to always announce

immediately any client that might come。  There was no

sense in turning business away。



Lawyer Gooch took client number one by the arm and

led him suavely into one of the adjoining rooms。  〃Favour

me by remaining here a few minutes; sir;〃 said he。  〃I

will return and resume our consultation with the least

possible delay。  I am rather expecting a visit from a

very wealthy old lady in connection with a will。  I will

not keep you waiting long。〃



The breezy gentleman seated himself with obliging

acquiescence; aud took up a magazine。  The lawyer

returned to the middle office; carefully closing behind

him the connecting door。



〃Show the lady in; Archibald;〃 he said to the office

boy; who was awaiting the order。



A tall lady; of commanding presence and sternly hand…

some; entered the room。  She wore robes  robes; not

clothes  ample and fluent。  In her eye could be per…

ceived the lambent flame of genius and soul。  In her

hand was a green bag of the capacity of a bushel; and an

umbrella that also seemed to wear a robe; ample and

fluent。  She accepted a chair。



〃Are you Mr。 Phineas C。 Gooch; the lawyer?〃  she

asked; in formal and unconciliatory tones。



〃I am;〃 answered Lawyer Gooch; without circum…

locution。  He never circumlocuted when dealing with

a woman。  Women circumlocute。  Time is wasted when

both sides in debate employ the same tactics。



〃As a lawyer; sir;〃 began the lady; 〃you may have

acquired some knowledge of the human heart。  Do you

believe that the pusillanimous and petty conventions of

our artificial social life should stand as an obstacle in

the way of a noble and affectionate heart when it finds its

true mate among the miserable and worthless wretches

in the world that are called men?〃



〃Madam;〃 said Lawyer Gooch; in the tone that he

used in curbing his female clients; 〃this is an office for

conducting the practice of law。  I am a lawyer; not a

philosopher; nor the editor of an 'Answers to the

Lovelorn' column of a newspaper。  I have other

clients waiting。  I will ask you kindly to come to the

point。〃



〃Well; you needn't get so stiff around the gills about

it;〃 said the lady; with a snap of her luminous eves and

a startling gyration of her umbrella。  〃Business is what

I've come for。  I want your opinion in the matter of a

suit for divorce; as the vulgar would call it; but which is

really only the readjustment of the false and ignoble con…

ditions that the short…sihhted laws of man have interposed

between a loving 〃



〃I beg your pardon; madam;〃 interrupted Lawyer

Gooch; with some impatience; 〃for reminding you again

that this is a law office。  Perhaps Mrs。 Wilcox  〃



〃Mrs。 Wilcox is all right;〃 cut in the lady; with a hint

of asperity。 〃And so are Tolstoi; and Mrs。 Gertrude

Atherton; and Omar Khayyam; and Mr。 Edward Bok。

I've read 'em all。  I would like to discuss with you the

divine right of the soul as opposed to the freedom…destroy…

ing restrictions of a bigoted and narrow…minded society。

But I will proceed to business。  I would prefer to lay

the matter before you in an impersonal way until vou

pass upon its merits。  That is to describe it as a sup…

posable instance; without  〃



〃You wish to state a hypothetical case?〃  said Lawyer

Gooch。



〃I was going to say that;〃 said the lady; sharply。

〃Now; suppose there is a woman who is all soul and

heart and aspirations for a complete existence。  This

woman has a husband who is far below her in intellect; in

taste  in everything。  Bah!  he is a brute。  He despises

literature。  He sneers at the lofty thoughts of the world's

great thinkers。  He thinks only of real estate and such

sordid things。  He is no mate for a woman with soul。

We will say that this unfortunate wife one day mee

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的