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第64章

the conflict-第64章

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And after that I can buy as good a husband as any that offers now。  Doctor Charlton; I'm in desperate; deadly earnest。  And I ask you to help me。''

‘‘My own terms?''

‘‘I give you my word。''

‘‘You'll have to give your money outright。  No strings attached。  No chance to be a philanthropist。  Also; you'll have to workhave to educate yourself as I instruct you。''

‘‘Yesyes。  Whatever you say。''

Charlton looked at her dubiously。  ‘‘I'm a fool to have anything to do with this;'' he said。  ‘‘You aren't in any way a suitable personany more than I'm the sort of man you want to assist you in your schemes。  You don't realize what tests you're to be put through。''

‘‘I don't care;'' said Jane。

‘‘It's a chance to try my theory;'' mused he。  ‘‘You know; I insist we are all absolutely the creatures of circumstancethat character adapts itself to circumstancethat to change a man or a town or a nation or a worldyou have only to change their fundamental circumstances。''

‘‘You'll try me?''

‘‘I'll think about it;'' said Charlton。  ‘‘I'll talk with Victor Dorn about it。''

‘‘Whatever you do; don't talk to him;'' cried Jane; in terror。  ‘‘He has no faith in me''  She checked herself; hastily added‘‘in anybody outside his own class。''

‘‘I never do anything serious without consulting Victor;'' said Charlton firmly。  ‘‘He's got the best mind of any one I know; and it is foolish to act without taking counsel of the best。''

‘‘He'll advise against it;'' said Jane bitterly。

‘‘But I may not take his advice literally;'' said Charlton。  ‘‘I'm not in mental slavery to him。  I often adapt his advice to my needs instead of adopting it outright。''

And with that she had to be content。

She passed a day and night of restlessness; and called him on the telephone early the following morning。  As she heard his voice she said:

‘‘Did you see Victor Dorn last night?''

‘‘Where are you?'' asked Charlton。

‘‘In my room;'' was her impatient answer。

‘‘In bed?''

‘‘I haven't gotten up yet;'' said she。  ‘‘What IS the matter?''

‘‘Had your breakfast?''

‘‘No。  I've rung for it。  It'll be here in a few minutes。''

‘‘I thought so;'' said Charlton。

‘‘This is very mysteriousor very absurd;'' said Jane。

‘‘Please ring off and call your kitchen and tell them to put your breakfast on the dining…room table for you in three…quarters of an hour。  Then get up; take your bath and your exercisesdress yourself for the dayand go down and eat your breakfast。  How can you hope to amount to anything unless you live by a rational system?  And how can you have a rational system unless you begin the day right?''

‘‘DID you see Victor Dorn?'' said Janefurious at his impertinence but restraining herself。

‘‘And after you have breakfasted;'' continued Charlton; ‘‘call me up again; and I'll answer your questions。''

With that he hung up his receiver。  Jane threw herself angrily back against her pillow。  She would lie there for an hour; then call him again。  Butif he should ask her whether she had obeyed his orders?  True; she might lie to him; but wouldn't that be too petty?  She debated with herself for a few minutes; then obeyed him to the letter。  As she was coming through the front hall after breakfast; he appeared in the doorway。

‘‘You didn't trust me!'' she cried reproachfully。

‘‘Oh; yes;'' replied he。  ‘‘But I preferred to talk with you face to face。''

‘‘DID you see Mr。 Dorn?''

Charlton nodded。  ‘‘He refused to advise me。  He said he had a personal prejudice in your favor that would make his advice worthless。''

Jane glowedbut not quite so thrillingly as she would have glowed in the same circumstances a year before。

‘‘Besides; he's in no state of mind to advise anybody about anything just now;'' said Charlton。

Jane glanced sharply at him。  ‘‘What do you mean?'' she said。

‘‘It's not my secret;'' replied Charlton。

‘‘You mean he has fallen in love?''

‘‘That's shrewd;'' said Charlton。  ‘‘But women always assume a love affair。''

‘‘With whom?'' persisted Jane。

‘‘Oh; a very nice girl。  No matter。  I'm not here to talk about anybody's affairs but yoursand mine。''

‘‘Answer just one question;'' said Jane; impulsively。  ‘‘Did he tell you anything aboutme?''

Charlton staredthen whistled。  ‘‘Are YOU in love with him; too?'' he cried。

Jane flushedhesitatedthen met his glance frankly。  ‘‘I WAS;'' said she。

‘‘WAS?''

‘‘I mean that I'm over it;'' said she。  ‘‘What have you decided to do about me?''

Charlton did not answer immediately。  He eyed her narrowlyan examination which she withstood well。  Then he glanced away and seemed to be reflecting。  Finally he came back to her question。  Said he:

‘‘To give you a trial。  To find out whether you'll do。''

She drew a long sigh of relief。

‘‘Didn't you guess?'' he went on; smilingly; nodding his round; prize…fighter head at her。  ‘‘Those suggestions about bed and breakfastthey were by way of a beginning。''

‘‘You must give me a lot to do;'' urged she。  ‘‘I mustn't have a minute of idle time。''

He laughed。  ‘‘Trust me;'' he said。


While Jane was rescuing her property from her brother and was safeguarding it against future attempts by him; or by any of that numerous company whose eyes are ever roving in search of the most inviting of prey; the lone women with baggagewhile Jane was thus occupied; David Hull was; if possible; even busier and more absorbed。  He was being elected governor。  His State was being got ready to say to the mayor of Remsen City; ‘‘Well done; good and faithful servant。  Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many。''

The nomination was not obtained for him without difficulty。  The Republican partylike the Democratic had just been brought back under ‘‘safe and sane and conservative'' leadership after a prolonged debauch under the influence of that once famous and revered reformer; Aaron Whitman; who had not sobered up or released the party for its sobering until his wife's extravagant entertaining at Washington had forced him to accept large ‘‘retainers'' from the plutocracy。  The machine leaders had in the beginning forwarded the ambitions of Whitman under the impression that his talk of a ‘‘square deal'' was ‘‘just the usual dope'' and that Aaron was a ‘‘level…headed fellow at bottom。''  It had developedafter they had let Aaron become a popular idol; not to be trifled withit had developed that he was almost sincereas sincere as can be expected of an ambitious; pushing fellow。  Now came David Hull; looking suspiciously like Whitman at his worst…and a more hopeless case; because he had money a plenty; while Whitman was luckily poor and blessed with an extravagant wife。  True; Hull had the backing of Dick Kelly and Kelly was not the man ‘‘to hand the boys a lemon。''  Still Hull looked like a ‘‘holy boy;'' talked like one; had the popular reputation of having acted like one as mayorand the ‘‘reform game'' was certainly one to attract a man who could afford it and was in politics for position only。  Perhaps Dick wanted to be rid of Hull for the rest of his term; and was ‘‘kicking him upstairs。''  It would be a shabby trick upon his fellow leaders; but justifiable if there should be some big ‘‘job'' at Remsen City that could be ‘‘pulled off'' only if Hull were out of the way。

The leaders were cold until Dick got his masters in the Remsen City branch of the plutocracy to pass the word to the plutocracy's general agents at Indianapolis a certain well…known firm of political bankers。  Until that certification came the leaders; having no candidate who stood a chance of winning; were ready to make a losing campaign and throw the election to the Democratsnot a serious misfortune at a time when the machines of the two parties had become simply friendly rival agents for the same rich master。

There was a sharp fight in the convention。  The anti…machine element; repudiating Whitman under the leadership of a shrewd and honest young man named Joe Bannister; had attacked Hull in the most shocking way。  Bannister had been reading Victor Dorn's New Day and had got a notion of David Hull as man and mayor different from the one made current by the newspapers。  He made a speech on the floor of the convent

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