the american claimant-第34节

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that　you　have　renounced　your　title　and　your　father's　earldom。〃

〃Real　ones？　　Oh；　dear　nobut　I've　thrown　aside　our　sham　one　for　good。〃

This　answer　fell　just　at　the　right　time　and　just　in　the　right　place；　to
save　the　poor　unstable　young　man　from　changing　his　political　complexion
once　more。　　He　had　been　on　the　point　of　beginning　to　totter　again；　but
this　prop　shored　him　up　and　kept　him　from　floundering　back　into　democracy
and　re…renouncing　aristocracy。　　So　he　went　home　glad　that　he　had　asked
the　fortunate　question。　　The　girl　would　accept　a　little　thing　like　a
genuine　earldom；　she　was　merely　prejudiced　against　the　brummagem　article。
Yes；　he　could　have　his　girl　and　have　his　earldom；　too：　that　question　was
a　fortunate　stroke。

Sally　went　to　bed　happy；　too；　and　remained　happy；　deliriously　happy；　for
nearly　two　hours；　but　at　last；　just　as　she　was　sinking　into　a　contented
and　luxurious　unconsciousness；　the　shady　devil　who　lives　and　lurks　and
hides　and　watches　inside　of　human　beings　and　is　always　waiting　for　a
chance　to　do　the　proprietor　a　malicious　damage；　whispered　to　her　soul　and
said；　〃That　question　had　a　harmless　look；　but　what　was　back　of　it？　what
was　the　secret　motive　of　it？　what　suggested　it？〃

The　shady　devil　had　knifed　her；　and　could　retire；　now；　and　take　a　rest；
the　wound　would　attend　to　business　for　him。　　And　it　did。

Why　should　Howard　Tracy　ask　that　question？　　If　he　was　not　trying　to　marry
her　for　the　sake　of　her　rank；　what　should　suggest　that　question　to　him？
Didn't　he　plainly　look　gratified　when　she　said　her　objections　to
aristocracy　had　their　limitations？　　Ah；　he　is　after　that　earldom；　that
gilded　shamit　isn't　poor　me　he　wants。

So　she　argued；　in　anguish　and　tears。　　Then　she　argued　the　opposite
theory；　but　made　a　weak；　poor　business　of　it；　and　lost　the　case。　　She
kept　the　arguing　up；　one　side　and　then　the　other；　the　rest　of　the　night；
and　at　last　fell　asleep　at　dawn；　fell　in　the　fire　at　dawn；　one　may　say；
for　that　kind　of　sleep　resembles　fire；　and　one　comes　out　of　it　with　his
brain　baked　and　his　physical　forces　fried　out　of　him。




CHAPTER　XXIII。

Tracy　wrote　his　father　before　he　sought　his　bed。　　He　wrote　a　letter　which
he　believed　would　get　better　treatment　than　his　cablegram　received；　for
it　contained　what　ought　to　be　welcome　news；　namely；　that　he　had　tried
equality　and　working　for　a　living；　had　made　a　fight　which　he　could　find
no　reason　to　be　ashamed　of；　and　in　the　matter　of　earning　a　living　had
proved　that　he　was　able　to　do　it；　but　that　on　the　whole　he　had　arrived　at
the　conclusion　that　he　could　not　reform　the　world　single…handed；　and　was
willing　to　retire　from　the　conflict　with　the　fair　degree　of　honor　which
he　had　gained；　and　was　also　willing　to　return　home　and　resume　his
position　and　be　content　with　it　and　thankful　for　it　for　the　future；
leaving　further　experiment　of　a　missionary　sort　to　other　young　people
needing　the　chastening　and　quelling　persuasions　of　experience；　the　only
logic　sure　to　convince　a　diseased　imagination　and　restore　it　to　rugged
health。　　Then　he　approached　the　subject　of　marriage　with　the　daughter　of
the　American　Claimant　with　a　good　deal　of　caution　and　much　painstaking
art。　　He　said　praiseful　and　appreciative　things　about　the　girl；　but
didn't　dwell　upon　that　detail　or　make　it　prominent。　　The　thing　which　he
made　prominent　was　the　opportunity　now　so　happily　afforded；　to　reconcile
York　and　Lancaster；　graft　the　warring　roses　upon　one　stem；　and　end
forever　a　crying　injustice　which　had　already　lasted　far　too　long。　　One
could　infer　that　he　had　thought　this　thing　all　out　and　chosen　this　way　of
making　all　things　fair　and　right　because　it　was　sufficiently　fair　and
considerably　wiser　than　the　renunciation…scheme　which　he　had　brought　with
him　from　England。　　One　could　infer　that；　but　he　didn't　say　it。　　In　fact
the　more　he　read　his　letter　over；　the　more　he　got　to　inferring　it
himself。

When　the　old　earl　received　that　letter；　the　first　part　of　it　filled　him
with　a　grim　and　snarly　satisfaction；　but　the　rest　of　it　brought　a　snort
or　two　out　of　him　that　could　be　translated　differently。　　He　wasted　no　ink
in　this　emergency；　either　in　cablegrams　or　letters；　he　promptly　took　ship
for　America　to　look　into　the　matter　himself。　　He　had　staunchly　held　his
grip　all　this　long　time；　and　given　no　sign　of　the　hunger　at　his　heart　to
see　his　son；　hoping　for　the　cure　of　his　insane　dream；　and　resolute　that
the　process　should　go　through　all　the　necessary　stages　without　assuaging
telegrams　q　other　nonsense　from　home；　and　here　was　victory　at　last。
Victory；　but　stupidly　marred　by　this　idiotic　marriage　project。　　Yes；　he
would　step　over　and　take　a　hand　in　this　matter　himself。

During　the　first　ten　days　following　the　mailing　of　the　letter　Tracy's
spirits　had　no　idle　time；　they　were　always　climbing　up　into　the　clouds　or
sliding　down　into　the　earth　as　deep　as　the　law　of　gravitation　reached。
He　was　intensely　happy　or　intensely　miserable　by　turns；　according　to　Miss
Sally's　moods。　　He　never　could　tell　when　the　mood　was　going　to　change；
and　when　it　changed　he　couldn't　tell　what　it　was　that　had　changed　it。
Sometimes　she　was　so　in　love　with　him　that　her　love　was　tropical；　torrid；
and　she　could　find　no　language　fervent　enough　for　its　expression；　then
suddenly；　and　without　warning　or　any　apparent　reason；　the　weather　would
change；　and　the　victim　would　find　himself　adrift　among　the　icebergs　and
feeling　as　lonesome　and　friendless　as　the　north　pole。　　It　sometimes
seemed　to　him　that　a　man　might　better　be　dead　than　exposed　to　these
devastating　varieties　of　climate。

The　case　was　simple。　　Sally　wanted　to　believe　that　Tracy's　preference　was
disinterested；　so　she　was　always　applying　little　tests　of　one　sort　or
another；　hoping　and　expecting　that　they　would　bring　out　evidence　which
would　confirm　or　fortify　her　belief。　　Poor　Tracy　did　not　know　that　these
experiments　were　being　made　upon　him；　consequently　he　walked　promptly
into　all　the　traps　the　girl　set　for　him。　　These　traps　consisted　in
apparently　casual　references　to　social　distinction；　aristocratic　title
and　privilege；　and　such　things。　　Often　Tracy　responded　to　these
references　heedlessly　and　not　much　caring　what　he　said　provided　it　kept
the　talk　going　and　prolonged　the　seance。　　He　didn't　suspect　that　the　girl
was　watching　his　face　and　listening　for　his　words　as　one　who　watches　the
judge's　face　and　listens　for　the　words　which　will　restore　him　to　home　and
friends　and　freedom　or　shut　him　away　from　the　sun　and　human　companionship
forever。　　He　didn't　suspect　that　his　careless　words　were　being　weighed；
and　so　he　often　delivered　sentence　of　death　when　it　would　have　been　just
as　handy　and　all　the　same　to　him　to　pronounce　acquittal。　　Daily　he　broke
the　girl's　heart；　nightly　he　sent　her　to　the　rack　for　sleep。　　He　couldn't
understand　it。

Some　people　would　have　put　this　and　that　together　and　perceived　that　the
weather　never　changed　until　one　particular　subject　was　introduced；
and　that　then　it　always　changed。　　And　they　would　have　looked　further；
and　perceived　that　that　subject　was　always　introduced　by　the　one　party；
never　the　other。　　They　would　have　argued；　then；　that　this　was　done　for　a
purpose。　　If　they　could　not　find　out　what　that　purpose　was　in　any　simpler
or　easier　way；　they　would　ask。

But　Tracy　was　not　deep　enough　or　suspicious　enough　to　think　of　these
things。　　He　noticed　only　one　particular；　that　the　weather　was　always
sunny　when　a　visit　began。　　No　matter　how　much　it　might　cloud　up　later；
it　always　began　with　a　clear　sky。　　He　couldn't　explain　this　curious　fact
to　himself；　he　merely　knew　it　to　be　a　fact。　　The　truth　of　the　matter　was；
that　by　the　time　Tracy　had　been　out　of　Sally's　sight　six　hours　she　was　so
famishing　for　a　sight　of　him　that　her　doubts　and　suspicions　were　all
consumed　away　in　the　fire　of　that　longing；　and　so　always　she　came　into
his　presence　as　surprisingly　radiant　and　joyous　as　she　wasn't　when　she
went　out　of　it。

In　circumstances　like　these　a　growing　portrait　runs　a　good　many　risks。
The　portrait　of　Sellers；　by　Tracy；　was　fighting　along；　day　by　day；
through　this　mixed　weather；　and　daily　adding　to　itself　ineradicable　signs
of　the　checkered　life　it　was　leading。　　It　was　the　happiest　portrait；　in
spots；　that　was　ever　seen；　but　in　other　spots　a　damned　soul　looked　out
from　it；　a　soul　that　was　suffering　all　the　different　kinds　of　distress
there　are；　from　stomach　ache　to　rabies。　　But　Sellers　liked　it：　He　said　it
was　just　himself　all　overa　portrait　that　sweated　moods　from　every　pore；
and　no　two　moods　alike。　　He　said　he　had　as　many　different　kinds　of
emotions　in　him　as　a　jug。

It　was　a　kind　of　a　deadly　work　of　art；　maybe；　but　it　was　a　starchy
picture　for　show；　for　it　was　life　size；　full　length；　and　represented　the
American　earl　in　a　peer's　scarlet　robe；　with　the　three　ermine　bars
indicative　of　an　earl's　rank；　and　on　the　gray　head　an　earl's　coronet；
tilted　just　a　wee　bit　to　one　side　in　a　most　gallus　and　winsome　way。　　When
Sally's　weather　was　sunny　the　portrait　made　Tracy　chuckle；　but　when　her
weather　was　overcast　it　disordered　his　mind　and　stopped　the　circulation
of　his　blood。

Late　one　night　when　the　sweethearts　had　been　having　a　flawless　visit
together；　Sally'