the conflict-第47章

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‘‘deal''　with　the　Victor　Dorn　stripe。　　Hull　he　called　a　‘‘sensible　fellow''；　Victor　Dorn　he　called　a　crank。　　Buthe　respected　Dorn；　while　Hull　he　held　in　much　such　esteem　as　he　held　his　cigar…holder　and　pocket　knife；　or　Tony　Rivers　and　Joe　House。

When　Victor　Dorn　had　first　begun　to　educate　and　organize　the　people　of　Remsen　City；　the　boss　industry　was　in　its　early　form。　　That　is；　Kelly　and　House　were　really　rivals　in　the　collecting　of　big　campaign　funds　by　various　forms　of　blackmail；　in　struggling　for　offices　for　themselves　and　their　followers；　in　levying　upon　vice　and　crime　through　the　police。　　In　these　ways　they　made　the　money；　the　lion's　share　of　which　naturally　fell　to　them　as　leaders；　as　organizers　of　plunder。　　But　that　stage　had　now　passed　in　Remsen　City　as　it　had　passed　elsewhere；　and　the　boss　industry　had　taken　a　form　far　more　difficult　to　combat。　　Kelly　and　House　no　longer　especially　cared　whether　Republican　party　or　Democratic　won。　　Their　businesstheir　source　of　revenuehad　ceased　to　be　through　carrying　elections；　had　become　a　matter　of　skill　in　keeping　the　people　more　or　less　evenly　divided　between　the　two　‘‘regular''　parties；　with　an　occasional　fake　third　party　to　discourage　and　bring　into　contempt　reform　movers　and　to　make　the　people　say；　‘‘Well；　bad　as　they　are；　at　least　the　regulars　aren't　addle…headed；　damn　fools　doing　nothing　except　to　make　business　bad。''　　Both　Kelly　and　House　were　supported　and　enriched　by　the　corporations　and　by　big　public　contracting　companies　and　by　real　estate　deals。　　Kelly　still　appropriated　a　large　part　of　the　‘‘campaign　fund。''　　House；　in　addition；　took　a　share　of　the　money　raised　by　the　police　from　dives。　　But　these　sums　were　but　a　small　part　of　their　income；　were　merely　pin　money　for　their　wives　and　children。

Yetat　heart　and　in　all　sincerity　Kelly　was　an　ardent　Republican　and　House　was　a　ferocious　Democrat。　　If　you　had　asked　either　what　Republican　and　Democrat　meant　he　would　have　been　as　vague　and　unsatisfactory　in　his　reply　as　would　have　been　any　of　his　followers　bearing　torch　and　oilcloth　cape　in　political　processions；　with　no　hope　of　gainbeyond　the　exquisite　pleasure　of　making　a　shouting　ass　of　himself　in　the　most　public　manner。　　But　for　all　that；　Kelly　was　a　Republican　and　House　a　Democrat。　　It　is　not　a　strange；　though　it　is　a　profoundly　mysterious；　phenomenon；　that　of　the　priest　who　arranges　the　trick　mechanism　of　the　god；　yet　being　a　devout　believer；　ready　to　die　for　his　‘‘faith。''

Difficult　though　the　task　was　of　showing　the　average　Remsen　City　man　that　Republican　and　Democrat；　Kelly　and　House；　were　one　and　the　same　thing；　and　that　thing　a　blood…sucking；　blood…heavy　leech　upon　his　veinsdifficult　though　this　task　was；　Victor　Dorn　knew　that　he　had　about　accomplished　it；　when　David　Hull　appeared。　　A　new　personality；　a　plausible　personality；　deceptive　because　self…deceivingyet　not　so　thoroughly　self…deceived　that　it　was　in　danger　of　hindering　its　own　ambition。　　David　Hulljust　the　kind　of　respectable；　popular　figurehead　and　cloak　the　desperate　Kelly…　House　conspiracy　needed。

How　far　had　the　‘‘army　of　education''　prepared　the　people　for　seeing　through　this　clever　new　fraud　upon　them？　　Victor　Dorn　could　not　judge。　　He　hoped　for　the　best；　he　was　prepared　for　the　worst。

The　better　to　think　out　the　various　problems　of　the　new　situation；　complicated　by　his　apparent　debt　of　gratitude　to　Davy；　Victor　went　forth　into　the　woods　very　early　the　next　morning。　　He　wandered　far；　but　ten　o'clock　found　him　walking　in　the　path　in　the　strip　of　woods　near　the　high　road　along　the　upper　side　of　the　park。　　And　when　Jane　Hastings　appeared；　he　was　standing　looking　in　the　direction　from　which　she　would　have　to　come。　　It　was　significant　of　her　state　of　mind　that　she　had　given　small　attention　to　her　dress　that　morning。　　Nor　was　she　looking　her　best　in　expression　or　in　color。　　Her　eyes　and　her　skin　suggested　an　almost　sleepless　night。

He　did　not　advance。　　She　came　rapidly　as　if　eager　to　get　over　that　embarrassing　space　in　which　each　could　see　the　other；　yet　neither　could　speak　without　raising　the　voice。　　When　she　was　near　she　said：

‘‘You　think　you　owe　something　to　Davy　Hull　for　what　he　did？''

‘‘The　people　think　so；''　said　he。　　‘‘And　that's　the　important　thing。''

‘‘Wellyou　owe　him　nothing；''　pursued　she。

‘‘Nothing　that　would　interfere　with　the　cause；''　replied　he。　　‘‘And　that　would　be　true；　no　matter　what　he　had　done。''

‘‘I　mean　he　did　nothing　for　you；''　she　explained。　　‘‘I　forgot　to　tell　you　yesterday。　　The　whole　thing　was　simply　a　move　to　further　his　ambition。　　I　happened　to　be　there　when　he　talked　with　father　and　enlisted　him。''

Victor　laughed。　　‘‘It　was　your　father　who　put　it　through。　　I　might　have　known！''

‘‘At　first　I　tried　to　interpose。　　ThenI　stopped。''　　She　stood　before　him　with　eyes　down。　　‘‘It　came　to　me　that　for　my　own　sake　it　would　be　better　that　you　should　lose　this　fall。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　if　you　won　you　would　be　farther　out　of　my　reach。''　　She　paused；　went　steadily　on：　　‘‘It　was　a　bad　feeling　I　had　that　you　must　not　get　anything　except　with　my　help。　　Do　you　understand？''

‘‘Perfectly；''　said　he　cheerfully。　　‘‘You　are　your　father's　own　daughter。''

‘‘I　love　power；''　said　she。　　‘‘And　so　do　you。　　Only；　being　a　woman；　I'd　stoop　to　things　to　get　it；　that　a　manat　least　your　sort　of　manwould　scorn。　　Do　you　despise　me　for　that？　　You　oughtn't　to。　　And　you　will　teach　me　better。　　You　can　make　of　me　what　you　please；　as　I　told　you　yesterday。　　I　only　half　meant　it　then。　　Nowit's　true；　through　and　through。''

Victor　glanced　round；　saw　near　at　hand　the　bench　he　was　seeking。　　‘‘Let's　sit　down　here；''　said　he。　　‘‘I'm　rather　tired。　　I　slept　little　and　I've　been　walking　all　morning。　　And　you　look　tired；　also。''

‘‘After　yesterday　afternoon　I　couldn't　sleep；''　said　she。

When　they　were　seated　he　looked　at　her　with　an　expression　that　seemed　to　say：　　‘‘I　have　thrown　open　the　windows　of　my　soul。　　Throw　open　yours；　and　let　us　look　at　each　other　as　we　are；　and　speak　of　things　as　they　are。''　　She　suddenly　flung　herself　against　his　breast　and　as　he　clasped　her　she　said：

‘‘Nono！　　Let's　not　reason　coldly　about　things；　Victor。　　Let's　feellet's　LIVE！''

It　was　several　minutesand　not　until　they　had　kissed　many　timesbefore　he　regained　enough　self…　control　to　say：　　‘‘This　simply　will　not　do；　Jane。　　How　can　we　discuss　things　calmly？　　You　sit　there''he　pushed　her　gently　to　one　end　of　the　bench‘‘and　I'll　sit　at　this　end。　　Now！''

‘‘I　love　you；　Victor！　　With　your　arms　round　me　I　am　happyand　SO　strong！''

‘‘With　my　arms　round　you　I'm　happy；　I'll　admit；''　said　he。　　‘‘Butoh；　so　weak！　　I　have　the　sense　that　I　am　doing　wrongthat　we　are　both　doing　wrong。''

‘‘Why？　　Aren't　you　free？''

‘‘No；　I　am　not　free。　　As　I've　told　you；　I　belong　to　a　causeto　a　career。''

‘‘But　I　won't　hinder　you　there。　　I'll　help　you。''

‘‘Why　go　over　that　again？　　You　know　betterI　know　better。''　　Abruptly；　‘‘Your　fatherwhat　time　does　he　get　home　for　dinner？''

‘‘He　didn't　go　down　town　to…day；''　replied　Jane。　　‘‘He's　not　wellnot　at　all　well。''

Victor　looked　baffled。　　‘‘I　was　about　to　propose　that　we　go　straight　to　him。''

If　he　had　been　looking　at　Jane；　he　might　have　seen　the　fleeting　flash　of　an　expression　that　betrayed　that　she　had　suspected　the　object　of　his　inquiry。

‘‘You　will　not　go　with　me　to　your　father？''

‘‘Not　when　he　is　ill；''　said　she。　　‘‘If　we　told　him；　it　might　kill　him。　　He　has　ambitionswhat　he　regards　as　ambitionsfor　me。　　He　admires　you；　buthe　doesn't　admire　your　ideas。''

‘‘Then；''　said　Victor；　following　his　own　train　of　thought；　‘‘we　must　fight　this　out　between　ourselves。　　I　was　hoping　I'd　have　your　father　to　help　me。　　I'm　sure；　as　soon　as　you　faced　him　with　me；　you'd　realize　that　your　feeling　about　me　is　largely　a　delusion。''

‘‘And　you？''　said　Jane　softly。　　‘‘Your　feeling　about　methe　feeling　that　made　you　kiss　mewas　that　delusion？''

‘‘It　wasjust　what　you　saw；''　replied　he；　‘‘and　nothing　more。　　The　idea　of　marrying　youof　living　my　life　with　you　doesn't　attract　me　in　the　least。　　I　can't　see　you　as　my　wife。''　　He　looked　at　her　impatiently。　　‘‘Have　you　no　imagination？　　Can't　you　see　that　you　could　not　change；　and　become　what　you'd　have　to　be　if　you　lived　with　me？''

‘‘You　can