the lost road-第66章

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〃I've　given　my　word！〃　cried　Aintree。　　〃For　the　love　of　God；　don't
torture　me。　　Is　the　man　alive？〃

As　Standish　swung　open　the　cell　door；　the　hero　of　Batangas；
he　who　could　thrash　any　man　on　the　isthmus；　crumpled　up
like　a　child　upon　his　shoulder。

And　Meehan；　as　he　ran　for　water；　shouted　joyfully。

〃That　nigger；〃　he　called　to　Bullard；　〃can　go　home　now。　　The　lieutenant
don't　want　him　no　more。
〃




EVIL　TO　HIM　WHO　EVIL　THINKS



As　a　rule；　the　instant　the　season　closed　Aline　Proctor　sailed　on
the　first　steamer　for　London；　where　awaited　her　many　friends；
both　English　and　Americanand　to　Paris；　where　she　selected　those
gowns　that　on　and　off　the　stage　helped　to　make　her　famous。　　But
this　particular　summer　she　had　spent　with　the　Endicotts　at　Bar
Harbor；　and　it　was　at　their　house　Herbert　Nelson　met　her。　　After
Herbert　met　her　very　few　other　men　enjoyed　that　privilege。　　This
was　her　wish　as　well　as　his。

They　behaved　disgracefully。　　Every　morning　after　breakfast　they
disappeared　and　spent　the　day　at　opposite　ends　of　a　canoe。　　She；
knowing　nothing　of　a　canoe；　was　happy　in　stabbing　the　waters　with
her　paddle　while　he　told　her　how　he　loved　her　and　at　the　same
time；　with　anxious　eyes　on　his　own　paddle；　skilfully　frustrated
her　efforts　to　drown　them　both。　　While　the　affair　lasted　it　was
ideal　and　beautiful；　but　unfortunately　it　lasted　only　two　months。

Then　Lord　Albany；　temporarily　in　America　as　honorary　attache　to
the　British　embassy；　his　adoring　glances；　his　accent；　and　the　way
he　brushed　his　hair；　proved　too　much　for　the　susceptible　heart　of
Aline；　and　she　chucked　Herbert　and　asked　herself　how　a　woman　of
her　age　could　have　seriously　considered　marrying　a　youth　just　out
of　Harvard！　At　that　time　she　was　a　woman　of　nineteen；　but；　as　she
had　been　before　the　public　ever　since　she　was　eleven；　the　women
declared　she　was　not　a　day　under　twenty…six；　and　the　men　knew　she
could　not　possibly　be　over　sixteen！

Aline's　own　idea　of　herself　was　that　without　some　one　in　love
with　her　she　could　not　existthat；　unless　she　knew　some　man　cared
for　her　and　for　her　alone；　she　would　wither　and　die。　　As　a　matter
of　fact；　whether　any　one　loved　her　or　not　did　not　in　the　least
interest　her。　　There　were　several　dozen　men　who　could　testify　to
that。　　They　knew！　What　she　really　wanted　was　to　be　head　over　ears
in　loveto　adore　some　one；　to　worship　him；　to　imagine　herself
starving　for　him　and　making　sacrifice　hits　for　him；　but　when　the
moment　came　to　make　the　sacrifice　hit　and　marry　the　man；　she
invariably　found　that　a　greater；　truer　love　had　arisenfor　some
one　else。

This　greater　and　truer　love　always　made　her　behave　abominably　to
the　youth　she　had　just　jilted。　　She　wasted　no　time　on　post…mortems。
She　was　so　eager　to　show　her　absolute　loyalty　to　the　new　monarch
that　she　grudged　every　thought　she　ever　had　given　the　one　she　had
cast　into　exile。　　She　resented　him　bitterly。　　She　could　not　forgive　him
for　having　allowed　her　to　be　desperately　in　love　with　him。　　He　should
have　known　he　was　not　worthy　of　such　a　love　as　hers。　　He　should　have
known　that　the　real　prince　was　waiting　only　just　round　the　corner。

As　a　rule　the　rejected　ones　behaved　well。　　Each　decided　Aline　was　much
too　wonderful　a　creature　for　him；　and　continued　to　love　her　cautiously
and　from　a　distance。　　None　of　them　ever　spoke　or　thought　ill　of　her　and
would　gladly　have　punched　any　one　who　did。　　It　was　only　the　women
whose　young　men　Aline　had　temporarily　confiscated；　and　then　returned
saddened　and　chastened；　who　were　spiteful。　　And　they　dared　say　no　more
than　that　Aline　would　probably　have　known　her　mind　better　if　she　had
had　a　mother　to　look　after　her。　　This；　coming　to　the　ears　of　Aline；
caused　her　to　reply　that　a　girl　who　could　not　keep　straight　herself；
but　needed　a　mother　to　help　her；　would　not　keep　straight　had　she　a
dozen　mothers。　　As　she　put　it　cheerfully；　a　girl　who　goes　wrong　and
then　pleads　〃no　mother　to　guide　her〃　is　like　a　jockey　who　pulls　a　race
and　then　blames　the　horse。

Each　of　the　young　men　Aline　rejected　married　some　one　else　and；
except　when　the　name　of　Aline　Proctor　in　the　theatrical
advertisements　or　in　electric　lights　on　Broadway　gave　him　a
start；　forgot　that　for　a　month　her　name　and　his　own　had　been
linked　together　from　Portland　to　San　Francisco。　　But　the　girl　he
married　did　not　forget。　　She　never　understood　what　the　public　saw
in　Aline　Proctor。　　That　Aline　was　the　queen　of　musical　comedy　she
attributed　to　the　fact　that　Aline　knew　the　right　people　and　got
herself　written　about　in　the　right　way。　　But　that　she　could　sing；
dance；　act；　that　she　possessed　compelling　charm；　that　she　〃got
across〃　not　only　to　the　tired　business　man；　the　wine　agent；　the
college　boy；　but　also　to　the　children　and　the　old　ladies；　was　to
her　never　apparent。

Just　as　Aline　could　not　forgive　the　rejected　suitor　for　allowing
her　to　love　him；　so　the　girl　he　married　never　forgave　Aline　for
having　loved　her　husband。　　Least　of　all　could　Sally　Winthrop；　who
two　years　after　the　summer　at　Bar　Harbor　married　Herbert　Nelson；
forgive　her。　　And　she　let　Herbert　know　it。　　Herbert　was　properly
in　love　with　Sally　Winthrop；　but　he　liked　to　think　that　his
engagement　to　Aline；　though　brief　and　abruptly　terminated；　had
proved　him　to　be　a　man　fatally　attractive　to　all　women。　　And
though　he　was　hypnotizing　himself　into　believing　that　his　feeling
for　Aline　had　been　the　grand　passion；　the　truth　was　that　all　that
kept　her　in　his　thoughts　was　his　own　vanity。　　He　was　not
discontented　with　his　lothis　lot　being　Sally　Winthrop；　her
millions；　and　her　estate　of　three　hundred　acres　near　Westbury。
Nor　was　he　still　longing　for　Aline。　　It　was　only　that　his　vanity
was　flattered　by　the　recollection　that　one　of　the　young　women
most　beloved　by　the　public　had　once　loved　him。

〃I　once　was　a　king　in　Babylon；〃　he　used　to　misquote　to　himself；
〃and　she　was　a　Christian　slave。〃

He　was　as　young　as　that。

Had　he　been　content　in　secret　to　assure　himself　that　he　once　had
been　a　reigning　monarch；　his　vanity　would　have　harmed　no　one；
but；　unfortunately；　he　possessed　certain　documentary　evidence　to
that　fact。　　And　he　was　sufficiently　foolish　not　to　wish　to　destroy
it。　　The　evidence　consisted　of　a　dozen　photographs　he　had　snapped
of　Aline　during　the　happy　days　at　Bar　Harbor；　and　on　which　she
had　written　phrases　somewhat　exuberant　and　sentimental。

From　these　photographs　Nelson　was　loath　to　partespecially　with
one　that　showed　Aline　seated　on　a　rock　that　ran　into　the　waters　of
the　harbor；　and　on　which　she　had　written：　〃As　long　as　this　rock
lasts！〃　　Each　time　she　was　in　love　Aline　believed　it　would　last。
That　in　the　past　it　never　had　lasted　did　not　discourage　her。

What　to　do　with　these　photographs　that　so　vividly　recalled　the
most　tumultuous　period　of　his　life　Nelson　could　not　decide。　　If　he
hid　them　away　and　Sally　found　them；　he　knew　she　would　make　his
life　miserable。　　If　he　died　and　Sally　then　found　them；　when　he　no
longer　was　able　to　explain　that　they　meant　nothing　to　him；　she
would　believe　he　always　had　loved　the　other　woman；　and　it　would
make　her　miserable。　　He　felt　he　could　not　safely　keep　them　in　his
own　house；　his　vanity　did　not　permit　him　to　burn　them；　and；
accordingly；　he　decided　to　unload　them　on　some　one　else。

The　young　man　to　whom　he　confided　his　collection　was　Charles
Cochran。　　Cochran　was　a　charming　person　from　the　West。　　He　had
studied　in　the　Beaux　Arts　and　on　foot　had　travelled　over　England
and　Europe；　preparing　himself　to　try　his　fortune　in　New　York　as
an　architect。　　He　was　now　in　the　office　of　the　architects　Post　&
Constant；　and　lived　alone　in　a　tiny　farmhouse　he　had　made　over
for　himself　near　Herbert　Nelson；　at　Westbury；　Long　Island。

Post　&　Constant　were　a　fashionable　firm　and　were　responsible　for
many　of　the　French　chateaux　and　English　country　houses　that　were
rising　near　Westbury；　Hempstead；　and　Roslyn；　and　it　was　Cochran's
duty　to　drive　over　that　territory　in　his　runabout；　keep　an　eye　on
the　contractors；　and　dissuade　clients　from　grafting　mansard　roofs
on　Italian　villas。　　He　had　built　the　summer　home　of　the　Herbert
Nelsons；　and　Herbert　and　Charles　were　very　warm　friends。　　Charles
was　of　the　same　lack　of　ye