01-the $30,000 bequest-第8章

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It　is　morganatic　marriage　or　none。〃



〃That　settles　it！〃　said　Sally；　rubbing　his　hands　with　delight。　

〃And　it　will　be　the　very　first　in　America。　　Aleck；　it　will　make

Newport　sick。〃



Then　they　fell　silent；　and　drifted　away　upon　their　dream　wings

to　the　far　regions　of　the　earth　to　invite　all　the　crowned　heads

and　their　families　and　provide　gratis　transportation　to　them。







CHAPTER　VIII





During　three　days　the　couple　walked　upon　air；　with　their　heads　in

the　clouds。　　They　were　but　vaguely　conscious　of　their　surroundings；

they　saw　all　things　dimly；　as　through　a　veil；　they　were　steeped

in　dreams；　often　they　did　not　hear　when　they　were　spoken　to；

they　often　did　not　understand　when　they　heard；　they　answered　confusedly

or　at　random；　Sally　sold　molasses　by　weight；　sugar　by　the　yard；

and　furnished　soap　when　asked　for　candles；　and　Aleck　put　the　cat

in　the　wash　and　fed　milk　to　the　soiled　linen。　　Everybody　was　stunned

and　amazed；　and　went　about　muttering；　〃What　CAN　be　the　matter

with　the　Fosters？〃



Three　days。　　Then　came　events！　　Things　had　taken　a　happy　turn；

and　for　forty…eight　hours　Aleck's　imaginary　corner　had　been　booming。　

Upupstill　up！　　Cost　point　was　passed。　　Still　upand　up

and　up！　　Cost　point　was　passed。　　STill　upand　upand　up！　

Five　points　above　costthen　tenfifteentwenty！　　Twenty　points

cold　profit　on　the　vast　venture；　now；　and　Aleck's　imaginary　brokers

were　shouting　frantically　by　imaginary　long…distance；　〃Sell！　sell！

for　Heaven's　sake　SELL！〃



She　broke　the　splendid　news　to　Sally；　and　he；　too；　said；

〃Sell！　selloh；　don't　make　a　blunder；　now；　you　own　the　earth！

sell；　sell！〃　　But　she　set　her　iron　will　and　lashed　it　amidships；

and　said　she　would　hold　on　for　five　points　more　if　she　died　for　it。



It　was　a　fatal　resolve。　　The　very　next　day　came　the　historic　crash；

the　record　crash；　the　devastating　crash；　when　the　bottom　fell　out

of　Wall　Street；　and　the　whole　body　of　gilt…edged　stocks　dropped

ninety…five　points　in　five　hours；　and　the　multimillionaire　was　seen

begging　his　bread　in　the　Bowery。　　Aleck　sternly　held　her　grip

and　〃put　up〃　ass　long　as　she　could；　but　at　last　there　came　a　call

which　she　was　powerless　to　meet；　and　her　imaginary　brokers　sold

her　out。　　Then；　and　not　till　then；　the　man　in　her　was　vanished；

and　the　woman　in　her　resumed　sway。　　She　put　her　arms　about　her

husband's　neck　and　wept；　saying：



〃I　am　to　blame；　do　not　forgive　me；　I　cannot　bear　it。　　We　are　paupers！　

Paupers；　and　I　am　so　miserable。　　The　weddings　will　never　come　off；

all　that　is　past；　we　could　not　even　buy　the　dentist；　now。〃



A　bitter　reproach　was　on　Sally's　tongue：　　〃I　BEGGED　you　to　sell；

but　you〃　He　did　not　say　it；　he　had　not　the　heart　to　add　a　hurt

to　that　broken　and　repentant　spirit。　　A　nobler　thought　came　to　him

and　he　said：



〃Bear　up；　my　Aleck；　all　is　not　lost！　　You　really　never　invested

a　penny　of　my　uncle's　bequest；　but　only　its　unmaterialized　future；

what　we　have　lost　was　only　the　incremented　harvest　from　that　future

by　your　incomparable　financial　judgment　and　sagacity。　　Cheer　up；

banish　these　griefs；　we　still　have　the　thirty　thousand　untouched；

and　with　the　experience　which　you　have　acquired；　think　what　you　will

be　able　to　do　with　it　in　a　couple　years！　　The　marriages　are　not　off；

they　are　only　postponed。〃



These　are　blessed　words。　　Aleck　saw　how　true　they　were；　and　their

influence　was　electric；　her　tears　ceased　to　flow；　and　her　great　spirit

rose　to　its　full　stature　again。　　With　flashing　eye　and　grateful　heart；

and　with　hand　uplifted　in　pledge　and　prophecy；　she　said：



〃Now　and　here　I　proclaim〃



But　she　was　interrupted　by　a　visitor。　　It　was　the　editor　and　proprietor

of　the　SAGAMORE。　　He　had　happened　into　Lakeside　to　pay　a　duty…call　upon

an　obscure　grandmother　of　his　who　was　nearing　the　end　of　her　pilgrimage；

and　with　the　idea　of　combining　business　with　grief　he　had　looked　up

the　Fosters；　who　had　been　so　absorbed　in　other　things　for　the　past

four　years　that　they　neglected　to　pay　up　their　subscription。　

Six　dollars　due。　　No　visitor　could　have　been　more　welcome。　　He　would

know　all　about　Uncle　Tilbury　and　what　his　chances　might　be　getting

to　be；　cemeterywards。　　They　could；　of　course；　ask　no　questions；

for　that　would　squelch　the　bequest；　but　they　could　nibble　around　on

the　edge　of　the　subject　and　hope　for　results。　　The　scheme　did　not　work。　

The　obtuse　editor　did　not　know　he　was　being　nibbled　at；　but　at　last；

chance　accomplished　what　art　had　failed　in。　　In　illustration　of　something

under　discussion　which　required　the　help　of　metaphor；　the　editor　said：



〃Land；　it's　a　tough　as　Tilbury　Foster！as　WE　say。〃



It　was　sudden；　and　it　made　the　Fosters　jump。　　The　editor　noticed；

and　said；　apologetically：



〃No　harm　intended；　I　assure　you。　　It's　just　a　saying；　just　a　joke；

you　knownothing　of　it。　　Relation　of　yours？〃



Sally　crowded　his　burning　eagerness　down；　and　answered　with　all

the　indifference　he　could　assume：



〃Iwell；　not　that　I　know　of；　but　we've　heard　of　him。〃　　The　editor

was　thankful；　and　resumed　his　composure。　　Sally　added：　　〃Is　he

is　hewell？〃



〃Is　he　WELL？　　Why；　bless　you　he's　in　Sheol　these　five　years！〃



The　Fosters　were　trembling　with　grief；　though　it　felt　like　joy。　

Sally　said；　non…committallyand　tentatively：



〃Ah；　well；　such　is　life；　and　none　can　escapenot　even　the　rich

are　spared。〃



The　editor　laughed。



〃If　you　are　including　Tilbury；〃　said　he；　〃it　don't　apply。　

HE　hadn't　a　cent；　the　town　had　to　bury　him。〃



The　Fosters　sat　petrified　for　two　minutes；　petrified　and　cold。　

Then；　white…faced　and　weak…voiced；　Sally　asked：



〃Is　it　true？　　Do　you　KNOW　it　to　be　true？〃



〃Well；　I　should　say！　　I　was　one　of　the　executors。　　He　hadn't

anything　to　leave　but　a　wheelbarrow；　and　he　left　that　to　me。　

It　hadn't　any　wheel；　and　wasn't　any　good。　　Still；　it　was　something；

and　so；　to　square　up；　I　scribbled　off　a　sort　of　a　little　obituarial

send…off　for　him；　but　it　got　crowded　out。〃



The　Fosters　were　not　listeningtheir　cup　was　full；　it　could

contain　no　more。　　They　sat　with　bowed　heads；　dead　to　all　things

but　the　ache　at　their　hearts。



An　hour　later。　　Still　they　sat　there；　bowed；　motionless；　silent；

the　visitor　long　ago　gone；　they　unaware。



Then　they　stirred；　and　lifted　their　heads　wearily；　and　gazed　at　each

other　wistfully；　dreamily；　dazed；　then　presently　began　to　twaddle

to　each　other　in　a　wandering　and　childish　way。　　At　intervals　they

lapsed　into　silences；　leaving　a　sentence　unfinished；　seemingly　either

unaware　of　it　or　losing　their　way。　　Sometimes；　when　they　woke

out　of　these　silences　they　had　a　dim　and　transient　consciousness

that　something　had　happened　to　their　minds；　then　with　a　dumb

and　yearning　solicitude　they　would　softly　caress　each　other's

hands　in　mutual　compassion　and　support；　as　if　they　would　say：　

〃I　am　near　you；　I　will　not　forsake　you；　we　will　bear　it　together；

somewhere　there　is　release　and　forgetfulness；　somewhere　there

is　a　grave　and　peace；　be　patient；　it　will　not　be　long。〃



They　lived　yet　two　years；　in　mental　night；　always　brooding；

steeped　in　vague　regrets　and　melancholy　dreams；　never　speaking；

then　release　came　to　both　on　the　same　day。



Toward　the　end　the　darkness　lifted　from　Sally's　ruined　mind

for　a　moment；　and　he　said：



〃Vast　wealth；　acquired　by　sudden　and　unwholesome　means；　is　a　snare。　

It　did　us　no　good；　transient　were　its　feverish　pleasures；

yet　for　its　sake　we　threw　away　our　sweet　and　simple　and　happy　life

let　others　take　warning　by　us。〃



He　lay　silent　awhile；　with　closed　eyes；　then　as　the　chill　of　death

crept　upward　toward　his　heart；　and　consciousness　was　fading　from

his　brain；　he　muttered：



〃Money　had　brought　him　misery；　and　he　took　his　revenge　upon　us；

who　had　done　him　no　harm。　　He　had　his　desire：　　with　base　and　cunning

calculation　he　left　us　but　thirty　thousand；　knowing　we　would　try

to　increase　it；　and　ruin　our　life　and　break　our　hearts。　　Without　added

expense　he　c