whirligigs-第8节

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

We　will　say　that　this　unfortunate　wife　one　day　meets

with　her　ideal　…a　man　with　brain　and　heart　and　force。

She　loves　him。　　Although　this　man　feels　the　thrill　of　a

new…found　affinity　he　is　too　noble；　too　honourable　to

declare　himself。　　He　flies　from　the　presence　of　his

beloved。　　She　flies　after　him；　trampling；　with　superb

indifference；　upon　the　fetters　with　which　an　unenlightened

social　system　would　bind　her。　　Now；　what　will　a　divorce

cost？　　Eliza　Ann　Timmins；　the　poetess　of　Sycamore　Gap；

got　one　for　three　hundred　and　forty　dollars。　　Can　I　

I　mean　can　this　lady　I　speak　of　get　one　that　cheap？〃



〃Madam；〃　said　Lawyer　Gooch；　〃your　last　two　or

three　sentences　delight　me　with　their　intelligence　and

clearness。　　Can　we　not　now　abandon　the　hypothetical

and　come　down　to　names　and　business？〃



〃I　should　say　so；〃　exclaimed　the　lady；　adopting　the

practical　with　admirable　readiness。　　〃Thomas　R。　Bil…

lings　is　the　name　of　the　low　brute　who　stands　between

the　happiness　of　his　legal　　his　legal；　but　not　his　spiri…

tual　　wife　and　Henry　K。　Jessup；　the　noble　man　whom

nature　intended　for　her　mate。　　I；〃　concluded　the　client；

with　an　air　of　dramatic　revelation；　〃am　Mrs。　Billings！〃



〃Gentlemen　to　see　you；　sir；〃　shouted　Archibald；　invad…

ing　the　room　almost　at　a　handspring。　　Lawyer　Gooch

arose　from　his　chair。



〃Mrs。　Billings；〃　he　said　courteously；　〃allow　me　to

conduct　you　into　the　adjoining　office　apartment　for　a　few

minutes。　　I　am　expecting　a　very　wealthy　old　gentleman

on　busines　connected　with　a　will。　　In　a　very　short　while

I　will　join　you；　and　continue　our　consultation。〃



With　his　accustomed　chivalrous　manner；　Lawyer

Gooch　ushered　his　soulful　client　into　the　remaining

unoccupied　room；　and　came　out；　closing　the　door　with

circumspection。



The　next　visitor　introduced　by　Archibald　was　a　thin；

nervous；　irritable…looking　man　of　middle　age；　with　a

worried　and　apprehensive　expression　of　countenance。

He　carried　in　one　hand　a　small　satchel；　which　he　set　down

upon　the　floor　beside　the　chair　which　the　lawyer　placed

for　him。　　His　clothing　was　of　good　quality；　but　it　was　worn

without　regard　to　neatness　or　style；　and　appeared　to　be

covered　with　the　dust　of　travel。



〃You　make　a　specialty　of　divorce　cases；〃　he　said；　in；

an　agitated　but　business…like　tone。



〃I　may　say；〃　began　Lawyer　Gooch；　〃that　my　prac…

tice　has　not　altogether　avoided　　〃



〃I　know　you　do；〃　interrupted　client　number　three。

〃You　needn't　tell　me。　　I've　heard　all　about　you。　　I　have

a　case　to　lay　before　you　without　necessarily　disclosing

any　connection　that　I　might　have　with　it　　that　is　　〃



〃You　wish；〃　said　Lawyer　Gooch；　〃to　state　a　hvpo…

thetical　case。



〃You　may　call　it　that。　　I　am　a　plain　man　of　business。

I　will　be　as　brief　as　possible。　　We　will　first　take　up

hypothetical　woman。　　We　will　say　she　is　married　uncon…

genially。　　In　many　ways　she　is　a　superior　woman。　　Phys…

ically　she　is　considered　to　be　handsome。　　She　is　devoted

to　what　she　calls　literature　　poetry　and　prose；　and

such　stuff。　　Her　husband　is　a　plain　man　in　the　business

walks　of　life。　　Their　home　has　not　been　happy；　although

the　husband　has　tried　to　make　it　so。　　Some　time　ago　a

man　　a　stranger　　came　to　the　peaceful　town　in　which

they　lived　and　engaged　in　some　real　estate　operations。

This　woman　met　him；　and　became　unaccountably　infatu…

ated　with　him。　　Her　attentions　became　so　open　that　the

man　felt　the　community　to　be　no　safe　place　for　him；　so

he　left　it。　　She　abandoned　husband　and　home；　and

followed　him。　　She　forsook…　her　home；　where　she　was

provided　with　every　comfort；　to　follow　this　man　who　had

inspired　her　with　such　a　strange　affection。　　Is　there　any…

thing　more　to　be　deplored；〃　concluded　the　client；　in　a

trembling　voice；　〃than　the　wrecking　of　a　home　by　a

woman's　uncalculating　folly？〃



Lawyer　Gooch　delivered　the　cautious　opinion　that　there

was　not。



〃This　man　she　has　gone　to　join；〃　resumed　the　visitor；

〃is　not　the　man　to　make　her　happy。　　It　is　a　wild　and

foolish　self…deception　that　makes　her　think　he　will。　　Her

husband；　in　spite　of　their　many　disagreements；　is　the　only

one　capable　of　dealing　with　her　sensitive　and　peculiar

nature。　　But　this　she　does　not　realize　now。〃



〃Would　you　consider　a　divorce　the　logical　cure　in　the

case　you　present？〃　　asked　Lawyer　Gooch；　who　felt　that

the　conversation　was　wandering　too　far　from　the　field　of

business。



〃A　divorce！〃　　exclaimed　the　client；　feelingly　…　almost

tearfully。　　〃No；　no…not　that。　　I　have　read；　Mr。　Gooch；

of　many　instances　where　your　sympathy　and　kindly　inter…

est　led　you　to　act　as　a　mediator　between　estranged　hus…

band　and　wife；　and　brought　them　together　again。　　Let　us

drop　the　hypothetical　case　　I　need　conceal　no　longer

that　it　is　I　who　am　the　sufferer　in　this　sad　affair　　the

names　you　shall　have　　Thomas　R。　Billings　and　wife　

and　Henry　K。　Jessup；　the　man　with　whom　she　is

infatuated。〃



Client　number　three　laid　his　hand　upon　Mr。　Gooch's

arm。　　Deep　emotion　was　written　upon　his　careworn

face。　　〃For　Heaven's　sake〃；　he　said　fervently；　〃help

me　in　this　hour　of　trouble。　　Seek；　out　Mrs。　Billings；　and

persuade　her　to　abandon　this　distressing　pursuit　of　her

lamentable　folly。　　Tell　her；　Mr。　Gooch；　that　her　husband

is　willing　to　receive　her　back　to　his　heart　and　home　

promise　her　anything　that　will　induce　her　to　return。　　I

have　heard　of　your　success　in　these　matters。　　Mrs。　Bil…

lings　cannot　be　very　far　away。　　I　am　worn　out　with　travel

and　weariness。　　Twice　during　the　pursuit　I　saw　her；

but　various　circumstances　prevented　our　having　an　inter…

view。　　Will　you　undertake　this　mission　for　me；　Mr。

Gooch；　and　earn　my　everlasting　gratitude？〃



〃It　is　true；〃　said　Lawver　Gooch；　frowning　slightly　at

the　other's　last　words；　but　immediately　calling　up　an

expression　of　virtuous　benevolence；　〃that　on　a　number

of　occasions　I　have　been　successful　in　persuading　couples

who　sought　the　severing　of　their　matrimonial　bonds　to

think　better　of　their　rash　intentions　and　return　to　their

homes　reconciled。　　But　I　assure　you　that　the　work　is

often　exceedingly　difficult。　　The　amount　of　argument；

perseverance；　and；　if　I　may　be　allowed　to　say　it；　eloquence

that　it　requires　would　astonish　you。　　But　this　is　a　case

in　which　my　sympathies　would　be　wholly　enlisted。　　I

feel　deeply　for　you　sir；　and　I　would　be　most　happy　to　see

husband　and　wife　reunited。　　But　my　time；〃　concluded

the　lawyer；　looking　at　his　watch　as　if　suddenly　reminded

of　the　fact；　〃is　valuable。〃



〃I　am　aware　of　that；〃　said　the　client；　〃and　if　you

will　take　the　case　and　persuade　Mrs。　Billings　to　return

home　and　leave　the　man　alone　that　she　is　following　

on　that　day　I　will　pay　you　the　sum　of　one　thousand

dollars。　　I　have　made　a　little　money　in　real　estate　during

the　recent　boom　in　Susanville；　and　I　will　not　begrudge

that　amount。〃



〃Retain　your　seat　for　a　few　moments；　please；〃　said


Lawyer　Gooch；　arising；　and　again　consulting　his　watch。

〃I　have　another　client　waiting　in　an　adjoining　room　whom

I　had　very　nearly　forgotten。　　I　will　return　in　the　briefest

possible　space。〃



The　situation　was　now　one　that　fully　satisfied　Lawyer

Gooch's　love　of　intricacy　and　complication。　　He　revelled

in　cases　that　presented　such　subtle　problems　and　possi…

bilities。　　It　pleased　him　to　think　that　he　was　master　of　the

happiness　and　fate　of　the　three　individuals　who　sat；　uncon…

cious　of　one　another's　presence；　within　his　reach。　　His

old　figure　of　the　ship　glided　into　his　mind。　　But　now　the

figure　failed；　for　to　have　filled　every　compartment　of　an

actual　vessel　would　have　been　to　endanger　her　safety；

with　his　compartments　full；　his　ship　of　affairs

could　but　sail　on　to　the　advantageous　port　of　a　fine；　fat

fee。　　The　thing　for　him　to　do；　of　course；　was　to　wring

the　best　bargain　he　could　from　some　one　of　his　anxious

cargo。



First　he　called　to　the　office　boy：　〃Lock　the　outer

door；　Archibald；　and　admit　no　one。〃　　Then　he　moved；

with　long；　silent　strides　into　the　room　in　which　client

number　one　waited。　　That　gentleman　sat；　patiently

scanning　the　pictures　in　the　magazine；　with　a　cigar　in　his

mouth　and　his　feet　upon　a　table。



〃Well；〃　he　remarked；　cheerfully；　as　the　lawyer　entered；

〃have　you　made　up　your　mind？　　Does　five　hundred

dollars　go　for　getting　the　fair　lady　a　divorce？〃



〃You　mean　that　as　a　retainer？〃　　asked　Lawyer　Gooch；

softly　interrogative。



〃Hey？　　No；　for　the　whole　job。　　It's　enough；　ain't

it？〃



〃My　fee；〃　said　Lawyer　Gooch；　〃would　be　one　thousand

five　hundred　dollars。　　Five　hundred　dollars　down；　and

the　remainder　upon　issuance　of　the　divorce。〃



A　loud　whistle　came　from　client　number　one。　　His

feet　descended　to　the　floor。



〃Guess　we　can't　close　the　deal；〃　he　said；　arising；　〃I

cleaned　up　five　hunderd　dollars　in　a　little　real　estate

dicker　down　in　Susanville。　　I'd　do　anything　I　could　to

fr