pgw.psmith,journalist-第12章

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　Mr。　Parker　shook　his　head。
　〃I　fear　that　is　not　feasible。　The　expense　of　reconstructing　the　houses　makes　that　impossible。〃
　〃Then　there's　no　use　in　talking；〃　said　Billy。　〃The　articles　will　go　on。〃
　Mr。　Parker　coughed。　A　tentative　cough；　suggesting　that　the　situation　was　now　about　to　enter　upon　a　more　delicate　phase。　Billy　and　Psmith　waited　for　him　to　begin。　From　their　point　of　view　the　discussion　was　over。　If　it　was　to　be　reopened　on　fresh　lines；　it　was　for　their　visitor　to　effect　that　reopening。
　〃Now；　I'm　going　to　be　frank；　gentlemen；〃　said　he；　as　who　should　say；　〃We　are　all　friends　here。　Let　us　be　hearty。〃　〃I'm　going　to　put　my　cards　on　the　table；　and　see　if　we　can't　fix　something　up。　Now；　see　here：　We　don't　want　unpleasantness。　You　aren't　in　this　business　for　your　healths；　eh？　You've　got　your　living　to　make；　just　like　everybody　else；　I　guess。　Well；　see　here。　This　is　how　it　stands。　To　a　certain　extant；　I　don't　mind　admitting；　seeing　that　we're　being　frank　with　one　another；　you　two　gentlemen　have　got　usthat's　to　say；　my　employerin　a　cleft　stick。　Frankly；　those　articles　are　beginning　to　attract　attention；　and　if　they　go　on　there's　going　to　be　a　lot　of　inconvenience　for　my　employer。　That's　clear；　I　reckon。　Well；　now；　here's　a　square　proposition。　How　much　do　you　want　to　stop　those　articles？　That's　straight。　I've　been　frank　with　you；　and　I　want　you　to　be　frank　with　me。　What's　your　figure？　Name　it；　and；　if　it's　not　too　high；　I　guess　we　needn't　quarrel。〃
　He　looked　expectantly　at　Billy。　Billy's　eyes　were　bulging。　He　struggled　for　speech；　He　had　got　as　far　as　〃Say！〃　when　Psmith　interrupted　him。　Psmith；　gazing　sadly　at　Mr。　Parker　through　his　monocle；　spoke　quietly；　with　the　restrained　dignity　of　some　old　Roman　senator　dealing　with　the　enemies　of　the　Republic。
　〃rade　Parker；〃　he　said；　〃I　fear　that　you　have　allowed　constant　munication　with　the　conscienceless　mercialism　of　this　worldly　city　to　undermine　your　moral　sense。　It　is　useless　to　dangle　rich　bribes　before　our　eyes。　Cosy　Moments　cannot　be　muzzled。　You　doubtless　mean　well；　according　to　yourif　I　may　say　sosomewhat　murky　lights；　but　we　are　not　for　sale；　except　at　ten　cents　weekly。　From　the　hills　of　Maine　to　the　Everglades　of　Florida；　from　Sandy　Hook　to　San　Francisco；　from　Portland；　Oregon；　to　Melonsquashville；　Tennessee；　one　sentence　is　in　every　man's　mouth。　And　what　is　that　sentence？　I　give　you　three　guesses。　You　give　it　up？　It　is　this：　'Cosy　Moments　cannot　be　muzzled！'〃
　Mr。　Parker　rose。
　〃There's　nothing　more　to　be　done　then；〃　he　said。
　〃Nothing；〃　agreed　Psmith；　〃except　to　make　a　noise　like　a　hoop　and　roll　away。〃
　〃And　do　it　quick；〃　yelled　Billy；　exploding　like　a　fire…cracker。
　Psmith　bowed。
　〃Speed；〃　he　admitted；　〃would　be　no　bad　thing。　Franklyif　I　may　borrow　the　expressionyour　square　proposition　has　wounded　us。　I　am　a　man　of　powerful　self…restraint；　one　of　those　strong；　silent　men；　and　I　can　curb　my　emotions。　But　I　fear　that　rade　Windsor's　generous　temperament　may　at　any　moment　prompt　him　to　start　throwing　ink…pots。　And　in　Wyoming　his　deadly　aim　with　the　ink…pot　won　him　among　the　admiring　cowboys　the　sobriquet　of　Crack…Shot　Cuthbert。　As　man　to　man；　rade　Parker；　I　should　advise　you　to　bound　swiftly　away。〃
　〃I'm　going；〃　said　Mr。　Parker；　picking　up　his　hat。　〃And　I'll　give　you　a　piece　of　advice；　too。　Those　articles　are　going　to　be　stopped；　and　if　you've　any　sense　between　you；　you'll　stop　them　yourselves　before　you　get　hurt。　That's　all　I've　got　to　say；　and　that　goes。〃
　He　went　out；　closing　the　door　behind　him　with　a　bang　that　added　emphasis　to　his　words。
　〃To　men　of　nicely　poised　nervous　organisation　such　as　ourselves；　rade　Windsor；〃　said　Psmith；　smoothing　his　waistcoat　thoughtfully；　〃these　scenes　are　acutely　painful。　We　wince　before　them。　Our　ganglions　quiver　like　cinematographs。　Gradually　recovering　mand　of　ourselves；　we　review　the　situation。　Did　our　visitor's　final　remarks　convey　anything　definite　to　you？　Were　they　the　mere　casual　badinage　of　a　parting　guest；　or　was　there　something　solid　behind　them？〃
　Billy　Windsor　was　looking　serious。
　〃I　guess　he　meant　it　all　right。　He's　evidently　working　for　somebody　pretty　big；　and　that　sort　of　man　would　have　a　pull　with　all　kinds　of　Thugs。　We　shall　have　to　watch　out。　Now　that　they　find　we　can't　be　bought；　they'll　try　the　other　way。　They　mean　business　sure　enough。　But；　by　George；　let　'em！　We're　up　against　a　big　thing；　and　I'm　going　to　see　it　through　if　they　put　every　gang　in　New　York　on　to　us。〃
　〃Precisely；　rade　Windsor。　Cosy　Moments；　as　I　have　had　occasion　to　observe　before；　cannot　be　muzzled。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　said　Billy　Windsor。　〃And；〃　he　added；　with　the　contented　look　the　Far　West　editor　must　have　worn　as　the　bullet　came　through　the　window；　〃we　must　have　got　them　scared；　or　they　wouldn't　have　shown　their　hand　that　way。　I　guess　we're　making　a　hit。　Cosy　Moments　is　going　some　now。〃
　
　CHAPTER　XI
　THE　MAN　AT　THE　ASTOR
　
　THE　duties　of　Master　Pugsy　Maloney　at　the　offices　of　Cosy　Moments　were　not　heavy；　and　he　was　accustomed　to　occupy　his　large　store　of　leisure　by　reading　narratives　dealing　with　life　in　the　prairies；　which　he　acquired　at　a　neighbouring　shop　at　cut　rates　in　consideration　of　their　being　shop…soiled。　It　was　while　he　was　engrossed　in　one　of　these；　on　the　morning　following　the　visit　of　Mr。　Parker；　that　the　seedy…looking　man　made　his　appearance。　He　walked　in　from　the　street；　and　stood　before　Master　Maloney。
　〃Hey；　kid；〃　he　said。
　Pugsy　looked　up　with　some　hauteur。　He　resented　being　addressed　as　〃kid〃　by　perfect　strangers。
　〃Editor　in；　Tommy？〃　inquired　the　man。
　Pugsy　by　this　time　had　taken　a　thorough　dislike　to　him。　To　be　called　〃kid〃　was　bad。　The　subtle　insult　of　〃Tommy〃　was　still　worse。
　〃Nope；〃　he　said　curtly；　fixing　his　eyes　again　on　his　book。　A　movement　on　the　part　of　the　visitor　attracted　his　attention。　The　seedy　man　was　making　for　the　door　of　the　inner　room。　Pugsy　instantly　ceased　to　be　the　student　and　became　the　man　of　action。　He　sprang　from　his　seat　and　wriggled　in　between　the　man　and　the　door。
　〃Youse　can't　butt　in　dere；〃　he　said　authoritatively。　〃Chase　yerseif。〃
　The　man　eyed　him　with　displeasure。
　〃Fresh　kid！〃　he　observed　disapprovingly。
　〃Fade　away；〃　urged　Master　Maloney。
　The　visitor's　reply　was　to　extend　a　hand　and　grasp　Pugsy's　left　ear　between　a　long　finger　and　thumb。　Since　time　began；　small　boys　in　every　country　have　had　but　one　answer　for　this　action。　Pugsy　made　it。　He　emitted　a　piercing　squeal　in　which　pain；　fear；　and　resentment　strove　for　supremacy。
　The　noise　penetrated　into　the　editorial　sanctum；　losing　only　a　small　part　of　its　strength　on　the　way。　Psmith；　who　was　at　work　on　a　review　of　a　book　of　poetry；　looked　up　with　patient　sadness。
　〃If　rade　Maloney；〃　he　said；　〃is　going　to　take　to　singing　as　well　as　whistling；　I　fear　this　journal　must　put　up　its　shutters。　Concentrated　thought　will　be　out　of　the　question。〃
　A　second　squeal　rent　the　air。　Billy　Windsor　jumped　up。
　〃Somebody　must　be　hurting　the　kid；〃　he　exclaimed。
　He　hurried　to　the　door　and　flung　it　open。　Psmith　followed　at　a　more　leisurely　pace。　The　seedy　man；　caught　in　the　act；　released　Master　Maloney；　who　stood　rubbing　his　ear　with　resentment　written　on　every　feature。
　On　such　occasions　as　this　Billy　was　a　man　of　few　words。　He　made　a　dive　for　the　seedy　man；　but　the　latter；　who　during　the　preceding　moment　had　been　eyeing　the　two　editors　as　if　he　were　mitting　their　appearance　to　memory；　sprang　back；　and　was　off　down　the　stairs　with　the　agility　of　a　Marathon　runner。
　〃He　blows　in；〃　said　Master　Maloney；　aggrieved；　〃and　asks　is　de　editor　dere。　I　tells　him　no；　'cos　youse　said　youse　wasn't；　and　he　nips　me　by　the　ear　when　I　gets　busy　to　stop　him　gettin'　t'roo。〃
　〃rade　Maloney；〃　said　Psmith；　〃you　are　a　martyr。　What　would　Horatius　have　done　if　somebody　had　nipped　him　by　the　ear　when　he　was　holding　the　bridge？　The　story　does　not　consider　the　possibility。　Yet　it　might　have　made　all　the　difference。　Did　the　gentleman　state　his　business？〃
　〃Nope。　Just　tried　to　butt　t'roo。〃
　〃Another　of　these　strong　silent　men。　The　world　is　full　of　us。　These　are　the　perils　of　the　journalistic　life。　You　will　be　safer　and　happier　when　you　are　rounding　up　cows　on　your　mustang。〃
　〃I　wonder　what　he　wanted；〃　sai