01-the $30,000 bequest-第5章

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had　been　showing　interest　in　Gwendolen　and　Clytemnestra　Foster；

and　the　parents　of　the　girls　had　noticed　this　with　private　satisfaction。　

But　they　suddenly　realized　now　that　that　feeling　had　passed。　

They　recognized　that　the　changed　financial　conditions　had　raised

up　a　social　bar　between　their　daughters　and　the　young　mechanics。　

The　daughters　could　now　look　higherand　must。　　Yes；　must。　　They　need

marry　nothing　below　the　grade　of　lawyer　or　merchant；　poppa　and　momma

would　take　care　of　this；　there　must　be　no　m'esalliances。



However；　these　thinkings　and　projects　of　their　were　private；

and　did　not　show　on　the　surface；　and　therefore　threw　no　shadow

upon　the　celebration。　　What　showed　upon　the　surface　was　a　serene

and　lofty　contentment　and　a　dignity　of　carriage　and　gravity　of

deportment　which　compelled　the　admiration　and　likewise　the　wonder

of　the　company。　　All　noticed　it　and　all　commented　upon　it；　but　none

was　able　to　divine　the　secret　of　it。　　It　was　a　marvel　and　a　mystery。　

Three　several　persons　remarked；　without　suspecting　what　clever

shots　they　were　making：



〃It's　as　if　they'd　come　into　property。〃



That　was　just　it；　indeed。



Most　mothers　would　have　taken　hold　of　the　matrimonial　matter　in　the

old　regulation　way；　they　would　have　given　the　girls　a　talking　to；

of　a　solemn　sort　and　untactfula　lecture　calculated　to　defeat　its

own　purpose；　by　producing　tears　and　secret　rebellion；　and　the　said

mothers　would　have　further　damaged　the　business　by　requesting

the　young　mechanics　to　discontinue　their　attentions。　　But　this

mother　was　different。　　She　was　practical。　　She　said　nothing　to　any

of　the　young　people　concerned；　nor　to　any　one　else　except　Sally。　

He　listened　to　her　and　understood；　understood　and　admired。　

He　said：



〃I　get　the　idea。　　Instead　of　finding　fault　with　the　samples　on　view；

thus　hurting　feelings　and　obstructing　trade　without　occasion；

you　merely　offer　a　higher　class　of　goods　for　the　money；　and　leave

nature　to　take　her　course。　　It's　wisdom；　Aleck；　solid　wisdom；

and　sound　as　a　nut。　　Who's　your　fish？　　Have　you　nominated　him　yet？〃



No；　she　hadn't。　They　must　look　the　market　overwhich　they　did。　

To　start　with；　they　considered　and　discussed　Brandish；　rising　young

lawyer；　and　Fulton；　rising　young　dentist。　　Sally　must　invite　them

to　dinner。　　But　not　right　away；　there　was　no　hurry；　Aleck　said。　

Keep　an　eye　on　the　pair；　and　wait；　nothing　would　be　lost　by　going

slowly　in　so　important　a　matter。



It　turned　out　that　this　was　wisdom；　too；　for　inside　of　three

weeks　Aleck　made　a　wonderful　strike　which　swelled　her　imaginary

hundred　thousand　to　four　hundred　thousand　of　the　same　quality。　

She　and　Sally　were　in　the　clouds　that　evening。　　For　the　first

time　they　introduced　champagne　at　dinner。　　Not　real　champagne；

but　plenty　real　enough　for　the　amount　of　imagination　expended　on　it。　

It　was　Sally　that　did　it；　and　Aleck　weakly　submitted。　　At　bottom　both

were　troubled　and　ashamed；　for　he　was　a　high…up　Son　of　Temperance；

and　at　funerals　wore　an　apron　which　no　dog　could　look　upon　and　retain

his　reason　and　his　opinion；　and　she　was　a　W。　C。　T。　U。；　with　all　that

that　implies　of　boiler…iron　virtue　and　unendurable　holiness。　　But　there

is　was；　the　pride　of　riches　was　beginning　its　disintegrating　work。　

They　had　lived　to　prove；　once　more；　a　sad　truth　which　had　been　proven

many　times　before　in　the　world：　　that　whereas　principle　is　a　great

and　noble　protection　against　showy　and　degrading　vanities　and　vices；

poverty　is　worth　six　of　it。　　More　than　four　hundred　thousand

dollars　to　the　good。　　They　took　up　the　matrimonial　matter　again。　

Neither　the　dentist　nor　the　lawyer　was　mentioned；　there　was　no　occasion；

they　were　out　of　the　running。　　Disqualified。　　They　discussed　the　son

of　the　pork…packer　and　the　son　of　the　village　banker。　　But　finally；

as　in　the　previous　case；　they　concluded　to　wait　and　think；　and　go

cautiously　and　sure。



Luck　came　their　way　again。　　Aleck；　ever　watchful　saw　a　great

and　risky　chance；　and　took　a　daring　flyer。　　A　time　of　trembling；

of　doubt；　of　awful　uneasiness　followed；　for　non…success　meant　absolute

ruin　and　nothing　short　of　it。　　Then　came　the　result；　and　Aleck；

faint　with　joy；　could　hardly　control　her　voice　when　she　said：



〃The　suspense　is　over；　Sallyand　we　are　worth　a　cold　million！〃



Sally　wept　for　gratitude；　and　said：



〃Oh；　Electra；　jewel　of　women；　darling　of　my　heart；　we　are　free

at　last；　we　roll　in　wealth；　we　need　never　scrimp　again。　　it's　a

case　for　Veuve　Cliquot！〃　and　he　got　out　a　pint　of　spruce…beer

and　made　sacrifice；　he　saying　〃Damn　the　expense；〃　and　she　rebuking

him　gently　with　reproachful　but　humid　and　happy　eyes。



They　shelved　the　pork…packer's　son　and　the　banker's　son；　and　sat

down　to　consider　the　Governor's　son　and　the　son　of　the　Congressman。







CHAPTER　VI





It　were　a　weariness　to　follow　in　detail　the　leaps　and　bounds　the　Foster

fictitious　finances　took　from　this　time　forth。　　It　was　marvelous；

it　was　dizzying；　it　was　dazzling。　　Everything　Aleck　touched　turned

to　fairy　gold；　and　heaped　itself　glittering　toward　the　firmament。　

Millions　upon　millions　poured　in；　and　still　the　mighty　stream　flowed

thundering　along；　still　its　vast　volume　increased。　　Five　millions

ten　millionstwentythirtywas　there　never　to　be　an　end？



Two　years　swept　by　in　a　splendid　delirium；　the　intoxicated　Fosters

scarcely　noticing　the　flight　of　time。　　They　were　now　worth　three　hundred

million　dollars；　they　were　in　every　board　of　directors　of　every

prodigious　combine　in　the　country；　and　still　as　time　drifted　along；

the　millions　went　on　piling　up；　five　at　a　time；　ten　at　a　time；

as　fast　as　they　could　tally　them　off；　almost。　　The　three　hundred

double　itselfthen　doubled　againand　yet　againand　yet　once　more。



Twenty…four　hundred　millions！



The　business　was　getting　a　little　confused。　　It　was　necessary

to　take　an　account　of　stock；　and　straighten　it　out。　　The　Fosters

knew　it；　they　felt　it；　they　realized　that　it　was　imperative；

but　they　also　knew　that　to　do　it　properly　and　perfectly　the　task

must　be　carried　to　a　finish　without　a　break　when　once　it　was　begun。　

A　ten…hours'　job；　and　where　could　THEY　find　ten　leisure　hours

in　a　bunch？　　Sally　was　selling　pins　and　sugar　and　calico　all　day

and　every　day；　Aleck　was　cooking　and　washing　dishes　and　sweeping

and　making　beds　all　day　and　every　day；　with　none　to　help；

for　the　daughters　were　being　saved　up　for　high　society。　　The　Fosters

knew　there　was　one　way　to　get　the　ten　hours；　and　only　one。　

Both　were　ashamed　to　name　it；　each　waited　for　the　other　to　do　it。　

Finally　Sally　said：



〃Somebody's　got　to　give　in。　　It's　up　to　me。　　Consider　that　I've

named　itnever　mind　pronouncing　it　out　aloud。〃



Aleck　colored；　but　was　grateful。　　Without　further　remark；　they　fell。　

Fell；　andbroke　the　Sabbath。　　For　that　was　their　only　free

ten…hour　stretch。　　It　was　but　another　step　in　the　downward　path。　

Others　would　follow。　　Vast　wealth　has　temptations　which　fatally

and　surely　undermine　the　moral　structure　of　persons　not　habituated

to　its　possession。



They　pulled　down　the　shades　and　broke　the　Sabbath。　　With　hard

and　patient　labor　they　overhauled　their　holdings　and　listed　them。　

And　a　long…drawn　procession　of　formidable　names　it　was！　

Starting　with　the　Railway　Systems；　Steamer　Lines；　Standard　Oil；

Ocean　Cables；　Diluted　Telegraph；　and　all　the　rest；　and　winding

up　with　Klondike；　De　Beers；　Tammany　Graft；　and　Shady　Privileges

in　the　Post…office　Department。



Twenty…four　hundred　millions；　and　all　safely　planted　in　Good　Things；

gilt…edged　and　interest…bearing。　Income；　120；000；000　a　year。　

Aleck　fetched　a　long　purr　of　soft　delight；　and　said：



〃Is　it　enough？〃



〃It　is；　Aleck。〃



〃What　shall　we　do？〃



〃Stand　pat。〃



〃Retire　from　business？〃



〃That's　it。〃



〃I　am　agreed。　　The　good　work　is　finished；　we　will　take　a　long　rest

and　enjoy　the　money。〃



〃Good！　　Aleck！〃



〃Yes；　dear？〃



〃How　much　of　the　income　ca