pgw.piccadillyjim-第30章

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　〃You　asked　me　on　the　boat；　if　you　remember；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃if　I　had　an　adventurous　soul。　I　am　now　submitting　my　proofs。　You　also　spoke　highly　of　America　as　a　land　where　there　were　adventures　to　be　had。　I　now　see　that　you　were　right。〃
　Ann　thought　for　a　moment。
　〃If　I　consent　to　your　doing　this　insane　thing；　Mr。　Bayliss；　will　you　promise　me　something？〃
　〃Anything。〃
　〃Well；　in　the　first　place　I　absolutely　refuse　to　let　you　risk　all　sorts　of　frightful　things　by　ing　into　this　kidnapping　plot。〃　She　waved　him　down；　and　went　on。　〃But　I　see　where　you　can　help　me　very　much。　As　I　told　you　at　lunch；　my　aunt　would　do　anything　for　Jimmy　Crocker　if　he　were　to　appear　in　New　York　now。　I　want　you　to　promise　that　you　will　confine　your　activities　to　asking　her　to　let　Jerry　Mitchell　e　back。〃
　〃Never！〃
　〃You　said　you　would　promise　me　anything。〃
　〃Anything　but　that。〃
　〃Then　it　is　all　off！〃
　Jimmy　pondered。
　〃It's　terribly　tame　that　way。〃
　〃Never　mind。　It's　the　only　way　I　will　consider。〃
　〃Very　well。　I　protest；　though。〃
　Ann　sat　down。
　〃I　think　you're　splendid；　Mr。　Bayliss。　I'm　much　obliged！〃
　〃Not　at　all。〃
　〃It　will　be　such　a　splendid　thing　for　Ogden；　won't　it？〃
　〃Admirable。〃
　〃Now　the　only　thing　to　do　is　just　to　see　that　we　have　got　everything　straight。　How　about　this；　for　instance？　They　will　ask　you　when　you　arrived　in　New　York。　How　are　you　going　to　account　for　your　delay　in　ing　to　see　them？〃
　〃I've　thought　of　that。　There's　a　boat　that　docks　to…morrowthe　Caronia；　I　think。　I've　got　a　paper　upstairs。　I'll　look　it　up。　I　can　say　I　came　by　her。〃
　〃That　seems　all　right。　It's　lucky　you　and　uncle　Peter　never　met　on　the　Atlantic。〃
　〃And　now　as　to　my　demeanour　on　entering　the　home？　How　should　I　behave？　Should　I　be　jaunty　or　humble？　What　would　a　long…lost　nephew　naturally　do？〃
　〃A　long…lost　nephew　with　a　record　like　Jimmy　Crocker's　would　crawl　in　with　a　white　flag；　I　should　think。〃
　A　bell　clanged　in　the　hall。
　〃Supper！〃　said　Jimmy。　〃To　go　into　painful　details；　New　England　boiled　dinner；　or　my　senses　deceive　me；　and　prunes。〃
　〃I　must　be　going。〃
　〃We　shall　meet　at　Philippi。〃
　He　saw　her　to　the　door；　and　stood　at　the　top　of　the　steps　watching　her　trim　figure　vanish　into　the　dusk。　She　passed　from　his　sight。　Jimmy　drew　a　deep　breath；　and；　thinking　hard；　went　down　the　passage　to　fortify　himself　with　supper。
　
　CHAPTER　XII
　JIMMY　CATCHES　THE　BOSS'S　EYE
　
　WHEN　Jimmy　arrived　at　Mr。　Pett's　office　on　Pine　Street　at　ten…thirty　the　next　morninghis　expressed　intention　of　getting　up　early　enough　to　be　there　by　nine　having　proved　an　empty　boasthe　was　in　a　high　state　of　preparedness。　He　had　made　ready　for　what　might　be　a　trying　interview　by　substituting　a　bination　of　well…chosen　dishes　at　an　expensive　hotel　for　the　less　imaginative　boarding…house　breakfast　with　which　he　had　of　late　been　insulting　his　interior。　His　suit　was　pressed；　his　shoes　gleamed　brightly；　and　his　chin　was　smoothly　shaven。　These　things；　bined　with　the　perfection　of　the　morning　and　that　vague　exhilaration　which　a　fine　day　in　down…town　New　York　brings　to　the　man　who　has　not　got　to　work；　increased　his　natural　optimism。　Something　seemed　to　tell　him　that　all　would　he　well。　He　would　have　been　the　last　person　to　deny　that　his　position　was　a　little　plicatedhe　had　to　use　a　pencil　and　a　sheet　of　paper　to　show　himself　just　where　he　stoodbut　what　of　that？　A　few　plications　in　life　are　an　excellent　tonic　for　the　brain。　It　was　with　a　sunny　geniality　which　startled　that　unaccustomed　stripling　considerablyand　indeed　caused　him　to　swallow　his　chewing　gumthat　he　handed　in　his　card　to　Mr。　Pett's　watchfully　waiting　office…boy。
　〃This　to　the　boss；　my　open…faced　lad！〃　he　said。　〃Get　swiftly　off　the　mark。〃
　The　boy　departed　dumbly。
　From　where　he　stood；　outside　the　barrier　which　separated　visitors　to　the　office　from　the　workers　within；　Jimmy　could　see　a　vista　of　efficient…looking　young　men　with　paper　protectors　round　their　cuffs　working　away　at　mysterious　jobs　which　seemed　to　involve　the　use　of　a　great　deal　of　paper。　One　in　particular　was　so　surrounded　by　it　that　he　had　the　appearance　of　a　bather　in　surf。　Jimmy　eyed　these　toilers　with　a　fortable　and　kindly　eye。　All　this　industry　made　him　feel　happy。　He　liked　to　think　of　this　sort　of　thing　going　on　all　round　him。
　The　office…boy　returned。　〃This　way；　please。〃
　The　respectfulness　of　the　lad's　manner　had　increased　noticeably。　Mr。　Pett's　reception　of　the　visitor's　name　had　impressed　him。　It　was　an　odd　fact　that　the　financier；　a　cipher　in　his　own　home；　could　impress　all　sorts　of　people　at　the　office。
　To　Mr。　Pett；　the　announcement　that　Mr。　James　Crocker　was　waiting　to　see　him　had　e　like　the　announcement　of　a　miracle。　Not　a　day　had　passed　since　their　return　to　America　without　lamentations　from　Mrs。　Pett　on　the　subject　of　their　failure　to　secure　the　young　man's　person。　The　occasion　of　Mrs。　Pett's　reading　of　the　article　in　the　Sunday　Chronicle　descriptive　of　the　Lord　Percy　Whipple　affair　had　been　unique　in　the　little　man's　domestic　history。　For　the　first　time　since　he　had　known　her　the　indomitable　woman　had　pletely　broken　down。　Of　all　sad　words　of　tongue　or　pen　the　saddest　are　these　〃It　might　have　been！〃　and　the　thought　that；　if　she　had　only　happened　to　know　it；　she　had　had　in　her　hands　during　that　interview　with　her　sister　in　London　a　weapon　which　would　have　turned　defeat　into　triumph　was　more　than　even　Mrs。　Pett's　strong　spirit　could　endure。　When　she　looked　back　on　that　scene　and　recalled　the　airy　way　in　which　Mrs。　Crocker　had　spoken　of　her　step…son's　〃best　friend；　Lord　Percy　Whipple〃　and　realised　that　at　that　very　moment　Lord　Percy　had　been　recovering　in　bed　from　the　effects　of　his　first　meeting　with　Jimmy　Crocker；　the　iron　entered　into　her　soul　and　she　refused　to　be　forted。　In　the　first　instant　of　realisation　she　thought　of　six　separate　and　distinct　things　she　could　have　said　to　her　sister；　each　more　crushing　than　the　lastthings　which　now　she　would　never　be　able　to　say。
　And　now；　suddenly　and　unaccountably；　the　means　was　at　hand　for　restoring　her　to　her　tranquil　self…esteem。　Jimmy　Crocker；　despite　what　his　stepmother　had　said；　probably　in　active　defiance　of　her　mands；　had　e　to　America　after　all。　Mr。　Pett's　first　thought　was　that　his　wife　would；　as　he　expressed　it　to　himself；　be　〃tickled　to　death　about　this。〃　Scarcely　waiting　for　the　office…boy　to　retire；　he　leaped　towards　Jimmy　like　a　gambolling　lamb　and　slapped　him　on　the　back　with　every　evidence　of　joy　and　friendliness。
　〃My　dear　boy！〃　he　cried。　〃My　dear　boy！　I'm　delighted　to　see　you！〃
　Jimmy　was　surprised；　relieved；　and　pleased。　He　had　not　expected　this　warmth。　A　civil　coldness　had　been　the　best　he　had　looked　for。　He　had　been　given　to　understand　that　in　the　Pett　home　he　was　regarded　as　the　black　sheep：　and；　while　one　may　admit　a　black　sheep　into　the　fold；　it　does　not　follow　that　one　must　of　necessity　fawn　upon　him。
　〃You're　very　kind；〃　he　said；　rather　startled。
　They　inspected　each　other　for　a　brief　moment。　Mr。　Pett　was　thinking　that　Jimmy　was　a　great　improvement　on　the　picture　his　imagination　had　drawn　of　him。　He　had　looked　for　something　tougher；　something　flashy　and　bloated。　Jimmy；　for　his　part；　had　taken　an　instant　liking　to　the　financier。　He；　too；　had　been　misled　by　imagination。　He　had　always　supposed　that　these　millionaires　down　Wall　Street　way　were　keen；　aggressive　fellows；　with　gimlet　eyes　and　sharp　tongues。　On　the　boat　he　had　only　seen　Mr。　Pett　from　afar；　and　had　had　no　means　of　estimating　his　character。　He　found　him　an　agreeable　little　man。
　〃We　had　given　up　all　hope　of　your　ing；〃　said　Mr。　Pett。
　A　little　manly　penitence　seemed　to　Jimmy　to　be　in　order。
　〃I　never　expected　you　would　receive　me　like　this。　I　thought　I　must　have　made　myself　rather　unpopular。〃
　Mr。　Pett　buried　the　past　with　a　gesture。　　〃When　did　you　land？〃　he　asked。
　〃This　morning。　On　the　Caronia　。　。　。〃
　〃Good　passage？〃
　〃Excellent。〃
　There　was　a　silence。　It　seemed　to　Jimmy　that　Mr。　Pett　was　looking　at　him　rather　more　closely　than　was　necessary　for　the　actual　enjoyment　of　his　style　of　beauty。　He　was　just　about　to　throw　out　some　light　remark　about　the　health　of　Mrs。　Pett　or　something　about　porpoises　on　the　voyage　to　add　local　colour　and　verisimilitude；　when　his　heart