the conflict-第49章

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its　will　and　its　way。

And　about　most　men　she　would　have　been　right　about　any　man　practically；　of　the　preceding　generation。　　But　Victor　represented　a　new　type　of　human　being　the　type　into　whose　life　reason　enters　not　merely　as　a　theoretical　force；　to　be　consulted　and　disregarded；　but　as　an　authority；　a　powerful　influence；　dominant　in　all　crucial　matters。　　Only　in　our　own　time　has　science　begun　to　make　a　notable　impression　upon　the　fog　which　formerly　lay　over　the　whole　human　mind；　thicker　here；　thinner　there；　a　mere　haze　yonder；　but　present　everywhere。　　This　fog　made　clear　vision　impossible；　usually　made　seeing　of　any　kind　difficult；　there　was　no　such　thing　as　finding　a　distinct　line　between　truth　and　error　as　to　any　subject。　　And　reason　seemed　almost　as　faulty　a　guide　as　feelingwas　by　many　regarded　as　more　faulty；　not　without　justification。

But　nowadays　for　some　of　us　there　are　clear　or　almost　clear　horizons；　and　such　fog　banks　as　there　are　conceal　from　them　nothing　that　is　of　importance　in　shaping　a　rational　course　of　life。　　Victor　Dorn　was　one　of　these　emancipated　few。　　All　successful　men　form　their　lives　upon　a　system　of　some　kind。　　Even　those　who　seem　to　live　at　haphazard；　like　the　multitude；　prove　to　have　chart　and　compass　and　definite　port　in　objective　when　their　conduct　is　more　attentively　examined。　　Victor　Dorn's　system　was　as　perfect　as　it　was　simple；　and　he　held　himself　to　it　as　rigidly　as　the　father　superior　of　a　Trappist　monastery　holds　his　monks　to　their　routine。　　Also；　Victor　had　learned　to　know　and　to　be　on　guard　against　those　two　arch…enemies　of　the　man　who　wishes　to　‘‘get　somewhere''self…excuse　and　optimism。　　He　had　got　a　good　strong　leash　upon　his　vanity　and　a　muzzle；　too。　　When　things　went　wrong　he　instantly　blamed　HIMSELF；　and　did　not　rest　until　he　had　ferreted　out　the　stupidity　or　folly　of　which　HE　had　been　guilty。　　He　did　not　grieve　over　his　failures；　he　held　severely　scientific　post　mortems　upon　them　to　discover　the　reason　whyin　order　that　there　should　not　again　be　that　particular　kind　of　failure　at　least。　　Then；　as　to　the　other　arch…enemy；　optimism；　he　simply　cut　himself　off　from　indulgence　in　it。　　He　worked　for　success；　he　assumed　failure。　　He　taught　himself　to　care　nothing　about　success；　but　only　about　doing　as　intelligently　and　as　thoroughly　as　he　could　the　thing　next　at　hand。

What　has　all　this　to　do　with　his　infatuation　for　Jane？　　It　serves　to　show　not　only　why　the　Workingmen's　League　was　growing　like　a　plague　of　gypsy　moth；　but　also　why　Victor　Dorn　was　not　the　man　to　be　conquered　by　passion。　　Naturally；　Jane；　who　had　only　the　vaguest　conception　of　the　size　and　power　of　Victor　Dorn's　mind；　could　not　comprehend　wherein　lay　the　difference　between　him　and　the　men　she　read　about　in　novels　or　met　in　her　wanderings　among　the　people　of　her　own　class　in　various　parts　of　the　earth。　　It　is　possible　for　even　the　humblest　of　us　to　understand　genius；　just　as　it　is　possible　to　view　a　mountain　from　all　sides　and　get　a　clear　idea　of　it　bulk　and　its　dominion。　　But　the　hasty　traveler　contents　himself　with　a　glance；　a　‘‘How　superb；''　and　a　quick　passing　on；　and　most　of　us　are　hasty　travelers　in　the　scenic　land　of　intellectuality。　　Jane　saw　that　he　was　a　great　man。　　But　she　was　deceived　by　his　frankness　and　his　simplicity。　　She　evoked　in　him　only　the　emotional　side　of　his　nature；　only　one　part　of　that。

Because　itthe　only　phase　of　him　she　attentively　examinedwas　so　impressive；　she　assumed　that　it　was　the　chief　feature　of　the　man。

Also；　young　and　inexperienced　womenand　women　not　so　young；　and　with　opportunity　to　become　less　inexperienced　but　without　the　ability　to　learn　by　experiencealways　exaggerate　the　importance　of　passion。　　Almost　without　exception；　it　is　by　way　of　passion　that　a　man　and　a　woman　approach　each　other。　　It　is；　of　necessity；　the　exterior　that　first　comes　into　view。　　Thus；　all　that　youth　and　inexperience　can　know　about　love　is　its　aspect　of　passion。　　Because　Jane　had　again　and　again　in　her　five　grown…up　years　experienced　men　falling　passionately　in　love　with　her；　she　fancied　she　was　an　expert　in　matters　of　love。　　In　fact；　she　had　still　everything　to　learn。

On　the　way　home　she；　assuming　that　the　affair　was　as　good　as　settled；　that　she　and　Victor　Dorn　were　lovers；　was　busy　with　plans　for　the　future。　　Victor　Dorn　had　made　a　shrewd　guess　at　the　state　of　her　mind。　　She　had　no　intention　of　allowing　him　to　pursue　his　present　career。　　That　was　merely　foundation。　　With　the　aid　of　her　love　and　council；　and　of　her　father's　money　and　influence；　hehe　and　shewould　mount　to　something　really　worth　whilesomething　more　than　the　petty　politics　of　a　third　rate　city　in　the　West。　　Washington　was　the　proper　arena　for　his　talents；　they　would　take　the　shortest　route　to　Washington。　　No　trouble　about　bringing　him　around；　a　man　so　able　and　so　sensible　as　he　would　not　refuse　the　opportunity　to　do　good　on　a　grand　scale。　　Besideshe　must　be　got　away　from　his　family；　from　these　doubtless　good　and　kind　but　certainly　not　very　high　class　associates　of　his；　and　from　Selma　Gordon。　　The　idea　of　his　comparing　HER　with　Selma　Gordon！　　He　had　not　done　so　aloud；　but　she　knew　what　was　in　his　mind。　　Yes；　he　must　be　taken　far　away　from　all　these　provincial　and　narrowing　associations。

But　all　this　was　mere　detail。　　The　big　problem　was　how　to　bring　her　father　round。　　He　couldn't　realize　what　Victor　Dorn　would　be　after　she　had　taken　him　in　hand。　　He　would　see　only　Victor　Dorn；　the　labor　agitator　of　Remsen　City；　the　nuisance　who　put　mischievous　motives　into　the　heads　of　‘‘the　hands''the　man　who　made　them　think　they　had　heads　when　they　were　intended　by　the　Almighty　to　be　simply　hands。　　How　reconcile　him　to　the　idea　of　accepting　this　nuisance；　　this　poor；　common　member　of　the　working　class　as　a　son…in…law；　as　the　husband　of　the　daughter　he　wished　to　see　married　to　some　one　of　the　‘‘best''　families？

On　the　face　of　it；　the　thing　was　impossible。　　Why；　then；　did　not　Jane　despair？　　For　two　reasons。　　In　the　first　place；　she　was　in　love；　and　that　made　her　an　optimist。　　Somehow　love　would　find　the　way。　　But　the　second　reasonthe　one　she　hid　from　herself　deep　in　the　darkest　sub…cellar　of　her　mind；　was　the　real　reason。　　It　is　one　matter　to　wish　for　a　person's　death。　　Only　a　villainous　nature　can　harbor　such　a　wish；　can　admit　it　except　as　a　hastily　and　slyly　in…crawling　impulse；　to　be　flung　out　the　instant　it　is　discovered。　　It　is　another　matter　to　calculatevery　secretly；　very　unconsciouslyupon　a　death　that　seems　inevitable　anyhow。　　Jane　had　only　to　look　at　her　father　to　feel　that　he　would　not　be　spared　to　her　long。　　The　mystery　was　how　he　had　kept　alive　so　long；　how　he　continued　to　live　from　day　to　day。　　His　stomach　was　gone；　his　whole　digestive　apparatus　was　in　utter　disorder。　　His　body　had　shriveled　until　he　weighed　no　more　than　a　baby。　　His　pulse　was　so　feeble　that　even　in　the　hot　weather　he　complained　of　the　cold　and　had　to　be　wrapped　in　the　heaviest　winter　garments。　　Yet　he　lived　on；　and　his　mind　worked　with　undiminished　vigor。

When　Jane　reached　home；　the　old　man　was　sitting　on　the　veranda　in　the　full　sun。　　On　his　huge　head　was　a　fur　cap　pulled　well　down　over　his　ears　and　intensifying　　the　mortuary；　skull…like　appearance　of　his　face。　　Over　his　ulster　was　an　old…fashioned　Scotch　shawl　such　as　men　used　to　wear　in　the　days　before　overcoats　came　into　fashion。　　About　his　wasted　legs　was　wrapped　a　carriage　robe；　and　she　knew　that　there　was　a　hot…water　bag　under　his　feet。　　Beside　him　sat　young　Doctor　Charlton；　whom　Jane　had　at　last　succeeded　in　inducing　her　father　to　try。　　Charlton　did　not　look　or　smell　like　a　doctor。　　He　rather　suggested　a　professional　athlete；　perhaps　a　better　class　prize　fighter。　　The　weazened　old　financier　was　gazing　at　him　with　a　fascinated　expressionadmiring；　envious；　amused。

Charlton　was　saying：

‘‘Yes；　you　do　look　like　a　dead　one。　　But　that's　only　another　of　your　tricks　for　fooling　people。　　You'll　live　a　dozen　years　unless　you　commit　suicide。　　A　dozen　years？　　Probably　twenty。''

‘‘You　ought　to　be　ashamed　to　make　sport　of　a　poor　old　invalid；''　said　Hastings　with　a　grin。

‘‘Any　man　who　could　stand　a　lunch　of　crackers　and　milk　for　ten　years　could　outlive　anything；''　retorted　Charlton。　　‘‘No；　you　belong　to　the　old　stock。