the riverman-第39章
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fell into a deep and gloomy meditation。
He was interrupted by a knock on the door。
〃Come in!〃 he called; without turning his head。
He heard the door open and shut。 After a moment he looked around。
Kendrick Bishop stood watching him。
Orde lit the gas。
〃Hello; Kendrick!〃 said he。 〃Sit down。〃 The boy made no reply。
Orde looked at him curiously; and saw that he was suffering from an
intense excitement。 His frame trembled convulsively; his lips were
white; his face went red and pale by turns。 Evidently he had
something to say; but could not yet trust his voice。 Orde sat down
and waited。
〃You've got to let my mother alone;〃 he managed to say finally。
〃I have done nothing to your mother; Kendrick;〃 said Orde kindly。
〃You've brought her to the point of death;〃 asserted Keudrick
violently。 〃You're hounding her to her grave。 You're turning those
she loves best against her。〃
Orde thought to catch the echo of quotation in these words。
〃Did your mother send you to me?〃 he asked。
〃If we had any one else worth the name of man in the family; I
wouldn't have to come;〃 said Kendrick; almost in the manner of one
repeating a lesson。
〃What do you want me to do?〃 asked Orde after a moment of thought。
〃Go away;〃 cried Kendrick。 〃Stop this unmanly contest against a
defenceless woman。〃
〃I cannot do that;〃 replied Orde quietly。
Kendrick's face assumed a livid pallor; and his eyes seemed to turn
black with excitement。 Trembling in every limb; but without
hesitation; he advanced on Orde; drew a short riding…whip from
beneath his coat; and slashed the young man across the face。 Orde
made an involuntary movement to arise; but sank back; and looked
steadily at the boy。 Once again Kendrick hit; raised his arm for
the third time; hesitated。 His lips writhed; and then; with a sob;
he cast the little whip from him and burst from the room。
Orde sat without moving; while two red lines slowly defined
themselves across his face。 The theatrical quality of the scene and
the turgid rhetorical bathos of the boy's speeches attested his
youth and the unformed violence of his emotions。 Did they also
indicate a rehearsal; or had the boy merely been goaded to vague
action by implicit belief in a woman's vagaries? Orde did not know;
but the incident brought home to him; as nothing else could; the
turmoil of that household。
〃Poor youngster!〃 he concluded his reverie; and went to wash his
face in hot water。
He had left Carroll that afternoon in a comparatively philosophical
and hopeful frame of mind。 The next day she came to him with
hurried; nervous steps; her usually pale cheeks mounting danger
signals of flaming red; her eyes swimming。 When she greeted him she
choked; and two of the tears overflowed。 Quite unmindful of the
nursemaids across the square; Orde put his arm comfortingly about
her shoulder。 She hid her face against his sleeve and began softly
to cry。
Orde did not attempt as yet to draw from her the cause of this
unusual agitation。 A park bench stood between two dense bushes;
screened from all directions save one。 To this he led her。 He
comforted her as one comforts a child; stroking clumsily her hair;
murmuring trivialities without meaning; letting her emotion relieve
itself。 After awhile she recovered somewhat her control of herself
and sat up away from him; dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief
dampened into a tiny wad。 But even after she had shaken her head
vigorously at last; and smiled up at him rather tremulously in token
that the storm was over; she would not tell him that anything
definite had happened to bring on the outburst。
〃I just needed you;〃 she said; 〃that's all。 It's just nothing but
being a woman; I think。 You'll get used to little things like
that。〃
〃This thing has got to quit!〃 said he grimly。
She said nothing; but reached up shyly and touched his face where
Kendrick's whip had stung; and her eyes became very tender。 A
carriage rolled around Washington Arch; and; coming to a stand;
discharged its single passenger on the pavement。
〃Why; it's Gerald!〃 cried Carroll; surprised。
The young man; catching sight of them; picked his way daintily and
leisurely toward them。 He was; as usual; dressed with meticulous
nicety; the carnation in his button…hole; the gloss on his hat and
shoes; the freshness on his gloves; the correct angle on his stick。
His dark; long face with its romantic moustache; and its almost
effeminate soft eyes; was as unemotional and wearied as ever。 As he
approached; he raised his stick slightly by way of salutation。
〃I have brought;〃 said he; 〃a carriage; and I wish you would both do
me the favour to accompany me on a short excursion。〃
Taking their consent for granted; he signalled the vehicle; which
rapidly approached。
The threeCarroll and Orde somewhat bewilderedtook their seats。
During a brief drive; Gerald made conversation on different topics;
apparently quite indifferent as to whether or not his companions
replied。 After an interval the carriage drew up opposite a brown…
stone dwelling on a side street。 Gerald rang the bell; and a moment
later the three were ushered by a discreet and elderly maid into a
little square reception…room immediately off the hall。 The maid
withdrew。
Gerald carefully deposited his top hat on the floor; placed in it
his gloves; and leaned his stick against its brim。
〃I have brought you here; among other purposes; to hear from me a
little brief wisdom drawn from experience and the observation of
life;〃 he began; addressing his expectant and curious guests。 〃That
wisdom is briefly this: there comes a time in the affairs of every
household when a man must assert himself as the ruler。 In all the
details he may depend on the woman's judgment; experience; and
knowledge; but when it comes to the big crises; where life is
deflected into one channel or the other; then; unless the man does
the deciding; he is lost for ever; and his happiness; and the
happiness of those who depend on him。 This is abstruse; but I come
to the particular application shortly。
〃But moments of decision are always clouded by many considerations。
The decision is sure to cut across much that is expedient; much that
seems to be necessary; much that is dear。 Carroll remembers the
case of our own father。 The general would have made a name for
himself in the army; his wife demanded his retirement; he retired;
and his career ended。 That was the moment of his decision。 It is
very easy to say; in view of that simple statement; that the general
was weak in yielding to his wife; but a consideration of the
circumstances〃
〃Why do you say all this?〃 interrupted Orde。
Gerald raised his hand。
〃Believe me; it is necessary; as you will agree when you have heard
me through。 Mrs。 Bishop was in poor health; the general in poor
financial circumstances。 The doctors said the Riviera。 Mrs。
Bishop's parents; who were wealthy; furnished the money for her
sojourn in that climate。 She could not bear to be separated from
her husband。 A refusal to resign then; a refusal to accept the
financial aid offered; would have been cast against him as a
reproachhe did not love his wife enough to sacrifice his pride;
his ambition; his what…you…will。 Nevertheless; that was his moment
of decision。
〃I could multiply instances; yet it would only accumulate needless
proof。 My point is that in thes
e great moments a man can afford to
take into consideration only the affair itself。 Never must he think
of anything but the simple elements of the problemhe must ignore
whose toes are trodden upon; whose feelings are hurt; whose
happiness is apparently marred。 For note this: if a man does
fearlessly the right thing; I am co