the dust-第12章

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g　battle　and　splendid　victory。　But　he　was　not　in　the　mood　to　be　flattered；　he　was　thinking　of　other　things。　　And　it　presently　annoyed　him　that　his　usually　docile　mind　refused　to　obey　his　will's　order　to　concentrate　on　the　client　and　the　business　said　business　being　one　of　those　huge　schemes　through　which　a　big　monster　of　a　corporation　is　constructed　by　lawyers　out　of　materials　supplied　by　great　capitalists　and　controllers　of　capital；　is　set　to　eating　in　enormous　meals　the　substance　of　the　people；　at　some　obscure　point　in　all　the　principal　veins　small　but　leechlike　parasite　corporations　are　attached；　industriously　to　suck　away　the　surplus　blood　so　that　the　owners　of　the　beast　may　say；　〃It　is　eating　almost　nothing。　　See　how　lean　it　is；　poor　thing！　　Why；　the　bones　fairly　poke　through　its　meager　hide。〃

An　interesting　and　highly　complicated　enterprise　is　such　a　construction。　　It　was　of　the　kind　in　which　Norman's　mind　especially　delighted；　Hercules　is　himself　only　in　presence　of　an　herculean　labor。　　But　on　that　day　he　could　not　concentrate；　and　because　of　a　trifle！　　He　felt　like　a　giant　disabled　by　a　grain　of　dust　in　the　eye　yes；　a　mere　grain　of　dust！〃　　I　must　love　Josephine　even　more　than　I　realize；　to　be　fretted　by　such　a　paltry　thing；〃　thought　he。　　And　after　patiently　enduring　the　client　for　half　an　hour　without　being　able　to　grasp　the　outlines　of　the　project；　he　rose　abruptly　and　said：　　〃I　must　get　into　my　mind　the　points　you've　given　me　before　we　can　go　further。　　So　I'll　not　waste　your　time。〃

This　sounded　very　like　〃Clear　outyou've　bored　me　to　my　limit　of　endurance。〃　　But　the　motions　of　a　mind　such　as　he　knew　Norman　had　were　beyond　and　high　above　the　client's　mere　cunning　at　dollar…trapping。　He　felt　that　it　was　the　part　of　wisdomalso　soothing　to　vanityto　assume　that　Norman　meant　only　what　his　words　conveyed。　　When　Norman　was　alone　he　rang　for　an　office　boy　and　said：

〃Please　ask　Miss　Halliday　to　come　here。〃

The　boy　hesitated。　　〃Miss　Hallowell？〃　he　suggested。

〃HallowellthanksHallowell；〃　said　Norman。

And　it　somehow　pleased　him　that　he　had　not　remembered　her　name。　　How　significant　it　was　of　her　insignificance　that　so　accurate　a　memory　as　his　should　make　the　slip。　　When　she；　impassive；　colorless；　nebulous；　stood　before　him　the　feeling　of　pleasure　was；　queerly　enough；　mingled　with　a　sense　of　humiliation。　　What　absurd　vagaries　his　imagination　had　indulged　in！　　For　it　must　have　been　sheer　hallucination；　his　seeing　those　wonders　in　her。　　How　he　would　be　laughed　at　if　those　pictures　he　had　made　of　her　could　be　seen　by　any　other　eyes！〃　　They　must　be　right　when　they　say　a　man　in　love　is　touched　in　the　head。　　Only；　why　the　devil　should　I　have　happened　to　get　these　crazy　notions　about　a　person　I've　no　interest　in？〃　　However；　the　main　point　and　most　satisfactorywas　that　Josephine　would　be　at　a　glance　convincedconvictedmade　ashamed　of　her　absurd　attack。　　A　mere　grain　of　dust。

〃Just　a　moment；　please；〃　he　said　to　Miss　Hallowell。　〃I　want　to　give　you　a　note　of　introduction。〃

He　wrote　the　note　to　Josephine　Burroughs：　　〃Here　she　is。　　I've　told　her　you　wish　to　talk　with　her　about　doing　some　work　for　you。〃　　When　he　finished　he　looked　up。　　She　was　standing　at　the　window；　gazing　out　upon　the　tremendous　panorama　of　skyscrapers　that　makes　New　York　the　most　astounding　of　the　cities　of　men。　　He　was　about　to　speak。　　The　words　fell　back　unuttered。　For　once　more　the　hallucinationor　whatever　it　was　laid　hold　of　him。　　That　figure　by　the　windowthat　beautiful　girl；　with　the　great　dreamy　eyes　and　the　soft　and　languorous　nuances　of　golden　haze　over　her　hair；　over　the　skin　of　perfectly　rounded　cheek　and　perfectly　moulded　chin　curving　with　ideal　grace　into　the　whitest　and　firmest　of　throats

〃Am　I　mad？　or　do　I　really　see　what　I　see？〃　he　muttered。

He　turned　away　to　clear　his　eyes　for　a　second　view；　for　an　attempt　to　settle　it　whether　he　saw　or　imagined。　When　he　looked　again；　she　was　observing　himand　once　more　she　was　the　obscure；　the　cipherlike　Miss　Hallowell；　ten…dollar…a…week　typewriter　and　not　worth　it。　Evidently　she　noted　his　confusion　and　was　vaguely　alarmed　by　it。　　He　recovered　himself　as　best　he　could　and　debated　whether　it　was　wise　to　send　her　to　Josephine。　　Surely　those　transformations　were　not　altogether　his　own　hallucinations；　and　Josephine　might　see；　might　humiliate　him　by　suspecting　more　strongly　。　。　。　　Ridiculous！　He　held　out　the　letter。

〃The　lady　to　whom　this　is　addressed　wishes　to　see　you。　　Will　you　go　there；　right　away；　please？　　It　may　be　that　you'll　get　the　chance　to　make　some　extra　money。　　You've　no　objection；　I　suppose？〃

She　took　the　letter　hesitatingly。

〃You　will　find　her　agreeable；　I　think；〃　continued　he。　　〃At　any　rate；　the　trip　can　do　no　harm。〃

She　hesitated　a　moment　longer；　as　if　weighing　what　he　had　said。　　〃No；　it　will　do　no　harm；〃　she　finally　said。　Then；　with　a　delightful　color　and　a　quick　transformation　into　a　vision　of　young　shyness；　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Norman。　　Thank　you　so　much。〃

〃Not　at　allnot　in　the　least；〃　he　stammered；　the　impulse　strong　to　take　the　note　back　and　ask　her　to　return　to　her　desk。

When　the　door　closed　behind　her　he　rose　and　paced　about　the　room　uneasily。　　He　was　filled　with　disquiet；　with　hazy　apprehension。　　His　nerves　were　unsteady；　as　if　he　were　going　through　an　exhausting　strain。　　He　sat　and　tried　to　force　himself　to　work。　　Impossible。　　〃What　sort　of　damn　fool　attack　is　this？〃　he　exclaimed；　pacing　about　again。　　He　searched　his　mind　in　vain　for　any　cause　adequate　to　explain　his　unprecedented　state。　　〃If　I　did　not　know　that　I　was　wellabsolutely　wellI'd　think　I　was　about　to　have　an　illnesssomething　in　the　brain。〃

He　appealed　to　that　friend　in　any　trying　hour；　his　sense　of　humor。　　He　laughed　at　himself；　but　his　nerves　refused　to　return　to　the　normal。　　He　rushed　from　his　private　office　on　various　pretexts；　each　time　lingered　in　the　general　room；　talking　aimlessly　with　Tetlowand　watching　the　door。　　When　she　at　last　appeared；　he　guiltily　withdrew；　feeling　that　everyone　was　observing　his　perturbation　and　was　wondering　at　it　and　jesting　about　it。　　〃And　what　the　devil　am　I　excited　about？〃　he　demanded　of　himself。　　What　indeed？　　He　seated　himself；　rang　the　bell。

〃If　Miss　Hallowell　has　got　back；〃　he　said　to　the　office　boy；　〃please　ask　her　to　come　in。〃

〃I　think　she's　gone　out　to　lunch；〃　said　the　boy。　　〃I　know　she　came　in　a　while　ago。　　She　passed　along　as　you　was　talking　to　Mr。　Tetlow。〃

Norman　felt　himself　flushing。　　〃Any　time　will　do；〃　he　said；　bending　over　the　papers　spread　out　before　him　the　papers　in　the　case　of　the　General　Traction　Company　resisting　the　payment　of　its　taxes。　　A　noisome　odor　seemed　to　be　rising　from　the　typewritten　sheets。　He　made　a　wry　face　and　flung　the　papers　aside　with　a　gesture　of　disgust。　　〃They　never　do　anything　honest；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃From　the　stock…jobbing　owners　down　to　the　nickel…filching　conductors　they　stealsteal　steal！〃　　And　then　he　wondered　at；　laughed　at；　his　heat。　　What　did　it　matter？　　An　ant　pilfering　from　another　ant　and　a　sparrow　stealing　the　crumb　found　by　another　sparrowa　man　robbing　another　man　all　part　of　the　universal　scheme。　　Only　a　narrow…minded　ignoramus　would　get　himself　wrought　up　over　it；　a　philosopher　would　laughand　take　what　he　needed　or　happened　to　fancy。

The　door　opened。　　Miss　Hallowell　entered；　a　small　and　demure　hat　upon　her　masses　of　thick　fair　hair　arranged　by　anything　but　unskillful　fingers。　　〃You　wished　to　see　me？〃　came　in　the　quiet　little　voice；　sweet　and　frank　and　shy。

He　roused　himself　from　pretended　abstraction。

〃Ohit's　you？〃　he　said　pleasantly。　　〃They　said　you　were　out。〃

〃I　was　going　to　lunch。　　But　if　you've　anything　for　me　to　do；　I'll　be　glad　to　stay。〃

〃Nono。　　I　simply　wished　to　say　that　if　Miss　Burroughs　wished　to　make　an　arrangement　with　you；　we'd　help　you　about　carrying　out　your　part　of　it。〃

She　was　paleso　pale　that　it　brought　out　strongly　the　smooth　dead…white　purity　of　her　skin。　　Her　small　features　wore　an　expression　of　pride；　of　haughtiness　even。　　And　in　the　eyes　that　regarded　him　steadily　there　shone　a　cold　lightthe　light　of　a　proud　and　lonely　soul　that　repels　intrusion　even　as　the　Polar　fastnesses　push　back　without　effort　assault　upon　their　solitudes。　　〃We　made　no　arrangement；〃　said　she。