the american claimant-第31节

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would　start　in　to　do　it；　too。〃

〃And　then？〃

〃He'd　wobble。〃

〃And　back　down？〃

〃Every　time。〃

〃Is　that　to　happen　with　all　myI　mean　would　that　happen　to　all　his　high
resolutions？〃

〃Oh　certainlycertainly。　　It's　the　Rossmore　of　it。〃

〃Then　this　creature　was　fortunate　to　die！　　Suppose；　for　argument's　sake；
that　I　was　a　Rossmore；　and〃

〃It　can't　be　done。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　it's　not　a　supposable　case。　　To　be　a　Rossmore　at　your　age；　you'd
have　to　be　a　fool；　and　you're　not　a　fool。　　And　you'd　have　to　be　a
Wobbler；　whereas　anybody　that　is　an　expert　in　reading　character　can　see
at　a　glance　that　when　you　set　your　foot　down　once；　it's　there　to　stay；
and　earthquake　can't　wobble　it。〃　　He　added　to　himself；　〃That's　enough　to
say　to　him；　but　it　isn't　half　strong　enough　for　the　facts。　　The　more
I　observe　him；　now；　the　more　remarkable　I　find　him。　　It　is　the　strongest
face　I　have　ever　examined。　　There　is　almost　superhuman　firmness　here；
immovable　purpose；　iron　steadfastness　of　will。　　A　most　extraordinary
young　man。〃

He　presently　said；　aloud：

〃Some　time　I　want　to　ask　your　advice　about　a　little　matter；　Mr。　　Tracy。
You　see；　I've　got　that　young　lord's　remaimsmy　goodness；　how　you　jump！〃

〃Oh；　it's　nothing；　pray　go　on。　　You've　got　his　remains？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Are　you　sure　they　are　his；　and　not　somebody　else's？〃

〃Oh；　perfectly　sure。　　Samples；　I　mean。　　Not　all　of　him。〃

〃Samples？〃

〃Yes…in　baskets。　　Some　time　you　will　be　going　home；　and　if　you　wouldn't
mind　taking　them　along〃

〃Who？　　I？〃

〃Yescertainly。　　I　don't　mean　now；　but　after　a　while；　afterbut　look
here；　would　you　like　to　see　them？〃

〃No！　　Most　certainly　not。　　I　don't　want　to　see　them。〃

〃O；　very　well。　　I　only　thoughthey；　where　are　you　going；　dear？〃

〃Out　to　dinner；　papa。〃

Tracy　was　aghast。　　The　colonel　said；　in　a　disappointed　voice：

〃Well；　I'm　sorry。　　Sho；　I　didn't　know　she　was　going　out；　Mr。　　Tracy。〃

Gwendolen's　face　began　to　take　on　a　sort　of　apprehensive　'What…have…I…
done　expression。'

〃Three　old　people　to　one　young　onewell；　it　isn't　a　good　team；　that's　a
fact。〃

Gwendolen's　face　betrayed　a　dawning　hopefulness　and　she　saidwith　a　tone
of　reluctance　which　hadn't　the　hall…mark　on　it：

〃If　you　prefer；　I　will　send　word　to　the　Thompsons　that　I〃

〃Oh；　is　it　the　Thompsons？　　That　simplifies　itsets　everything　right。
We　can　fix　it　without　spoiling　your　arrangements；　my　child。　　You've　got
your　heart　set　on〃

〃But　papa；　I'd　just　as　soon　go　there　some　other〃

〃NoI　won't　have　it。　　You　are　a　good　hard…working　darling　child；　and
your　father　is　not　the　man　to　disappoint　you　when　you〃

〃But　papa；　I〃

〃Go　along；　I　won't　hear　a　word。　　We'll　get　along；　dear。〃

Gwendolen　was　ready　to　cry　with　venation。　　But　there　was　nothing　to　do
but　start；　which　she　was　about　to　do　when　her　father　hit　upon　an　idea
which　filled　him　with　delight　because　it　so　deftly　covered　all　the
difficulties　of　the　situation　and　made　things　smooth　and　satisfactory：

〃I've　got　it；　my　love；　so　that　you　won't　be　robbed　of　your　holiday　and　at
the　same　time　we'll　be　pretty　satisfactorily　fixed　for　a　good　time　here。
You　send　Belle　Thompson　hereperfectly　beautiful　creature；　Tracy；
perfectly　beautiful；　I　want　you　to　see　that　girl；　why；　you'll　just　go
mad；　you'll　go　mad　inside　of　a　minute；　yes；　you　send　her　right　along；
Gwendolen；　and　tell　herwhy；　she's　gone！〃　　He　turned…she　was　already
passing　out'　at　the　gate。　　He　muttered；　〃I　wonder　what's　the　matter；　I
don't　know　what　her　mouth's　doing；　but　I　think　her　shoulders　are
swearing。　　Well；〃　said　Sellers　blithely　to　Tracy；　〃I　shall　miss　her
parents　always　miss　the　children　as　soon　as　they're　out　of　sight；　it's
only　a　natural　and　wisely　ordained　partialitybut　you'll　be　all　right；
because　Miss　Belle　will　supply　the　youthful　element　for　you　and　to　your
entire　content；　and　we　old　people　will　do　our　best；　too。　　We　shall　have　a
good　enough　time。　　And　you'll　have　a　chance　to　get　better　acquainted　with
Admiral　Hawkins。　　That's　a　rare　character；　Mr。　Tracyone　of　the　rarest
and　most　engaging　characters　the　world　has　produced。　　You'll　find　him
worth　studying。　　I've　studied　him　ever　since　he　was　a　child　and　have
always　found　him　developing。　　I　really　consider　that　one　of　the　main
things　that　has　enabled　me　to　master　the　difficult　science　of　character
reading　was　the　livid　interest　I　always　felt　in　that　boy　and　the　baffling
inscrutabilities　of　his　ways　and　inspirations。〃

Tracy　was　not　hearing　a　word。　　His　spirits　were　gone；　he　was　desolate。

〃Yes；　a　most　wonderful　character。　　Concealmentthat's　the　basis　of　it。
Always　the　first　thing　you　want　to　do　is　to　find　the　keystone　a　man's
character　is　built　onthen　you've　got　it。　　No　misleading　and　apparently
inconsistent　peculiarities　can　fool　you　then。　　What　do　you　read　on　the
Senator's　surface？　　Simplicity；　a　kind　of　rank　and　protuberant
simplicity；　whereas；　in　fact；　that's　one　of　the　deepest　minds　in　the
world。　　A　perfectly　honest　manan　absolutely　honest　and　honorable　man
and　yet　without　doubt　the　profoundest　master　of　dissimulation　the　world
has　ever　seen。〃

〃O；　it's　devilish！〃　　This　was　wrung　from　the　unlistening　Tracy　by　the
anguished　thought　of　what　might　have　been　if　only　the　dinner　arrangements
hadn't　got　mixed。

〃No；　I　shouldn't　call　it　that；〃　said　Sellers；　who　was　now　placidly
walking　up　and　down　the　room　with　his　hands　under　his　coat…tails　and
listening　to　himself　talk。　　〃　One　could　quite　properly　call　it　devilish
in　another　man；　but　not　in　the　Senator。　　Your　term　is　rightperfectly
rightI　grant　thatbut　the　application　is　wrong。　　It　makes　a　great
difference。　　Yes；　he　is　a　marvelous　character。　　I　do　not　suppose　that　any
other　statesman　ever　had　such　a　colossal　sense　of　humor；　combined　with
the　ability　to　totally　conceal　it。　　I　may　except　George　Washington　and
Cromwell；　and　perhaps　Robespierre；　but　I　draw　the　line　there。　　A　person
not　an　expert　might　be　in　Judge　Hawkins's　company　a　lifetime　and　never
find　out　he　had　any　more　sense　of　humor　than　a　cemetery。〃

A　deep…drawn　yard…long　sigh　from　the　distraught　and　dreaming　artist；
followed　by　a　murmured；　〃Miserable；　oh；　miserable！〃

〃Well；　no；　I　shouldn't　say　that　about　it；　quite。　　On　the　contrary；　I
admire　his　ability　to　conceal　his　humor　even　more　if　possible　than　I
admire　the　gift　itself；　stupendous　as　it　is。　　Another　thingGeneral
Hawkins　is　a　thinker；　a　keen；　logical；　exhaustive；　analytical　thinker
perhaps　the　ablest　of　modern　times。　　That　is；　of　course；　upon　themes
suited　to　his　size；　like　the　glacial　period；　and　the　correlation　of
forces；　and　the　evolution　of　the　Christian　from　the　caterpillarany　of
those　things；　give　him　a　subject　according　to　his　size；　and　just　stand
back　and　watch　him　think！　　Why　you　can　see　the　place　rock！　　Ah；　yes；　you
must　know　him；　you　must　get　on　the　inside　of　him。　　Perhaps　the　most
extraordinary　mind　since　Aristotle。〃

Dinner　was　kept　waiting　for　a　while　for　Miss　Thompson；　but　as　Gwendolen
had　not　delivered　the　invitation　to　her　the　waiting　did　no　good；　and　the
household　presently　went　to　the　meal　without　her。　　Poor　old　Sellers　tried
everything　his　hospitable　soul　could　devise　to　make　the　occasion　an
enjoyable　one　for　the　guest；　and　the　guest　tried　his　honest　best　to　be
cheery　and　chatty　and　happy　for　the　old　gentleman's　sake；　in　fact　all
hands　worked　hard　in　the　interest　of　a　mutual　good　time；　but　the　thing
was　a　failure　from　the　start；　Tracy's　heart　was　lead　in　his　bosom；　there
seemed　to　be　only　one　prominent　feature　in　the　landscape　and　that　was　a
vacant　chair；　he　couldn't　drag　his　mind　away　from　Gwendolen　and　his　hard
luck；　consequently　his　distractions　allowed　deadly　pauses　to　slip　in
every　now　and　then　when　it　was　his　turn　to　say　something；　and　of　course
this　disease　spread　to　the　rest　of　the　conversationwherefore；　instead
of　having　a　breezy　sail　in　sunny　waters；　as　anticipated；　everybody　was
bailing　out　and　praying　for　land。　　What　could　the　matter　be？　　Tracy　alone
could　have　told；　the　others　couldn't　even　invent　a　theory。

Meanwhile　they　were　having　a　similarly　dismal　time　at　the　Thompson　house；
in　fact　a　twin　experience。　　Gwendolen　was　ashamed　of　herself　for　allowing
her　disappointment　to　so　depress　her　spirits　and　make　her　so　strangely
and　profoundly　miserable；　but　feeling　ashamed　of　herself　didn't　improve
the　matter　any；　it　only　seemed　to　aggravate　the　suffering。　　She　explained
that　she　was　not　feeling　very　well；　and　everybody　could　see　that　this　was
true；　so　she　got　sincere　sympathy　and　commiseration；　but　that　didn't　help
the　case。　　Nothing　helps　that　kind　of　a　case。　　It　is　best　to　just　stand
off　and　let　it　fester。　　The　moment　the　dinner　was　over　the　girl　excused
herself；　and　she　hurried　home　feeling　unspeakably　grateful　to　get　away
from　that　house　and　that　intolerable　captivity　and　suffering。

Will　he　be　gone？　　The　thought　arose　in　her　brain；　but　took　effect　in　her
heels。　　She　slipped　into　the　house；　threw　off　her　things　and　made
straight　for　the　dining　room。　　She　stopped　and　listened。　　Her　father's
voicewith　no　life　in　it；　presently　her　mother'sno　life　in　that；
a　considerable　vacancy；　then　a　sterile　remark　from　Washington　Hawkins。
Another　silence；　then；　not　Tracy's　but　her　father's　voice　again。

〃He's