an unsocial socialist-第32章

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was　white　and　seamed　with　grief　and　annoyance。　He　drew　back　from
the　proffered　hand　of　his　son…in…law；　like　an　overworried　child
from　an　ill…timed　attempt　to　pet　it。　Trefusis　pitied　him。　The
nurse　coughed　and　retired。

〃Have　you　been　speaking　to　Mrs。　Jansenius？〃　said　Trefusis。

〃Yes；〃　said　Jansenius　offensively。

〃So　have　I；　unfortunately。　Pray　make　my　apologies　to　her。　I　was
rude。　The　circumstances　upset　me。〃

〃You　are　not　upset；　sir；〃　said　Jansenius　loudly。　〃You　do　not　care
a　damn。〃

Trefusis　recoiled。

〃You　damned　my　feelings；　and　I　will　damn　yours；〃　continued
Jansenius　in　the　same　tone。　Trefusis　involuntarily　looked　at　the
door　through　which　he　had　lately　passed。　Then；　recovering
himself；　he　said　quietly：

〃It　does　not　matter。　She　can't　hear　us。〃

Before　Jansenius　could　reply　his　wife　hurried　upstairs；　caught
him　by　the　arm；　and　said；　〃Don't　speak　to　him；　John。　And　you；〃
she　added；　to　Trefusis；　〃WILL　you　begone？〃

〃What！〃　he　said；　looking　cynically　at　her。　〃Without　my　dead！
Without　my　property！　Well；　be　it　so。〃

〃What　do　you　know　of　the　feelings　of　a　respectable　man？〃
persisted　Jansenius；　breaking　out　again　in　spite　of　his　wife。
〃Nothing　is　sacred　to　you。　This　shows　what　Socialists　are！〃

〃And　what　fathers　are；　and　what　mothers　are；〃　retorted　Trefusis；
giving　way　to　his　temper。　〃I　thought　you　loved　Hetty；　but　I　see
that　you　only　love　your　feelings　and　your　respectability。　The
devil　take　both！　She　was　right；　my　love　for　her；　incomplete　as　it
was；　was　greater　than　yours。〃　And　he　left　the　house　in　dudgeon。

But　he　stood　awhile　in　the　avenue　to　laugh　at　himself　and　his
father…in…law。　Then　he　took　a　hansom　and　was　driven　to　the　house
of　his　solicitor；　whom　he　wished　to　consult　on　the　settlement　of
his　late　wife's　affairs。



CHAPTER　X

The　remains　of　Henrietta　Trefusis　were　interred　in　Highgate
Cemetery　the　day　before　Christmas　Eve。　Three　noblemen　sent　their
carriages　to　the　funeral；　and　the　friends　and　clients　of　Mr。
Jansenius；　to　a　large　number；　attended　in　person。　The　bier　was
covered　with　a　profusion　of　costly　Bowers。　The　undertaker；
instructed　to　spare　no　expense；　provided　long…tailed　black
horses；　with　black　palls　on　their　backs　and　black　plumes　upon
their　foreheads；　coachmen　decorated　with　scarves　and　jack…boots；
black　hammercloths；　cloaks；　and　gloves；　with　many　hired　mourners；
who；　however；　would　have　been　instantly　discharged　had　they
presumed　to　betray　emotion；　or　in　any　way　overstep　their　function
of　walking　beside　the　hearse　with　brass…tipped　batons　in　their
hands。

Among　the　genuine　mourners　were　Mr。　Jansenius；　who　burst　into
tears　at　the　ceremony　of　casting　earth　on　the　coffin；　the　boy
Arthur；　who；　preoccupied　by　the　novelty　of　appearing　in　a　long
cloak　at　the　head　of　a　public　procession；　felt　that　he　was　not　so
sorry　as　he　ought　to　be　when　he　saw　his　papa　cry；　and　a　cousin
who　had　once　asked　Henrietta　to　marry　him；　and　who　now；　full　of
tragic　reflections；　was　enjoying　his　despair　intensely。

The　rest　whispered；　whenever　they　could　decently　do　so；　about　a
strange　omission　in　the　arrangements。　The　husband　of　the　deceased
was　absent。　Members　of　the　family　and　intimate　friends　were　told
by　Daniel　Jansenius　that　the　widower　had　acted　in　a　blackguard
way；　and　that　the　Janseniuses　did　not　care　two…pence　whether　he
came　or　stayed　at　home；　that；　but　for　the　indecency　of　the　thing；
they　were　just　as　glad　that　he　was　keeping　away。　Others；　who　had
no　claim　to　be　privately　informed；　made　inquiries　of　the
undertaker's　foreman；　who　said　he　understood　the　gentleman
objected　to　large　funerals。　Asked　why；　he　said　he　supposed　it　was
on　the　ground　of　expense。　This　being　met　by　a　remark　that　Mr。
Trefusis　was　very　wealthy；　he　added　that　he　had　been　told　so；　but
believed　the　money　had　not　come　from　the　lady；　that　people　seldom
cared　to　go　to　a　great　expense　for　a　funeral　unless　they　came
into　something　good　by　the　death；　and　that　some　parties　the　more
they　had　the　more　they　grudged。　Before　the　funeral　guests
dispersed；　the　report　spread　by　Mr。　Jansenius's　brother　had　got
mixed　with　the　views　of　the　foreman；　and　had　given　rise　to　a
story　of　Trefusis　expressing　joy　at　his　wife's　death　with
frightful　oaths　in　her　father's　house　whilst　she　lay　dead　there；
and　refusing　to　pay　a　farthing　of　her　debts　or　funeral　expenses。

Some　days　later；　when　gossip　on　the　subject　was　subsiding；　a
fresh　scandal　revived　it。　A　literary　friend　of　Mr。　Jansenius's
helped　him　to　compose　an　epitaph；　and　added　to　it　a　couple　of
pretty　and　touching　stanzas；　setting　forth　that　Henrietta's
character　had　been　one　of　rare　sweetness　and　virtue；　and　that　her
friends　would　never　cease　to　sorrow　for　her　loss。　A　tradesman　who
described　himself　as　a　〃monumental　mason〃　furnished　a　book　of
tomb　designs；　and　Mr。　Jansenius　selected　a　highly　ornamental　one；
and　proposed　to　defray　half　the　cost　of　its　erection。　Trefusis
objected　that　the　epitaph　was　untrue；　and　said　that　he　did　not
see　why　tombstones　should　be　privileged　to　publish　false
statements。　It　was　reported　that　he　had　followed　up　his　former
misconduct　by　calling　his　father…in…law　a　liar；　and　that　he　had
ordered　a　common　tombstone　from　some　cheap…jack　at　the　East…end。
He　had；　in　fact；　spoken　contemptuously　of　the　monumental
tradesman　as　an　〃exploiter〃　of　labor；　and　had　asked　a　young
working　mason；　a　member　of　the　International　Association；　to
design　a　monument　for　the　gratification　of　Jansenius。

The　mason；　with　much　pains　and　misgiving；　produced　an　original
design。　Trefusis　approved　of　it；　and　resolved　to　have　it　executed
by　the　hands　of　the　designer。　He　hired　a　sculptor's　studio；
purchased　blocks　of　marble　of　the　dimensions　and　quality
described　to　him　by　the　mason；　and　invited　him　to　set　to　work
forthwith。

Trefusis　now　encountered　a　difficulty。　He　wished　to　pay　the　mason
the　just　value　of　his　work；　no　more　and　no　less。　But　this　he
could　not　ascertain。　The　only　available　standard　was　the　market
price；　and　this　he　rejected　as　being　fixed　by　competition　among
capitalists　who　could　only　secure　profit　by　obtaining　from　their
workmen　more　products　than　they　paid　them　for；　and　could　only
tempt　customers　by　offering　a　share　of　the　unpaid…for　part　of　the
products　as　a　reduction　in　price。　Thus　he　found　that　the　system
of　withholding　the　indispensable　materials　for　production　and
subsistence　from　the　laborers；　except　on　condition　of　their
supporting　an　idle　class　whilst　accepting　a　lower　standard　of
comfort　for　themselves　than　for　that　idle　class；　rendered　the
determination　of　just　ratios　of　exchange；　and　consequently　the
practice　of　honest　dealing；　impossible。　He　had　at　last　to　ask　the
mason　what　he　would　consider　fair　payment　for　the　execution　of
the　design；　though　he　knew　that　the　man　could　no　more　solve　the
problem　than　he；　and　that；　though　he　would　certainly　ask　as　much
as　he　thought　he　could　get；　his　demand　must　be　limited　by　his
poverty　and　by　the　competition　of　the　monumental　tradesman。
Trefusis　settled　the　matter　by　giving　double　what　was　asked；　only
imposing　such　conditions　as　were　necessary　to　compel　the　mason　to
execute　the　work　himself；　and　not　make　a　profit　by　hiring　other
men　at　the　market　rate　of　wages　to　do　it。

But　the　design　was；　to　its　author's　astonishment；　to　be　paid　for
separately。　The　mason；　after　hesitating　a　long　time　between
two…pounds…ten　and　five　pounds；　was　emboldened　by　a
fellow…workman；　who　treated　him　to　some　hot　whiskey　and　water；　to
name　the　larger　sum。　Trefusis　paid　the　money　at　once；　and　then
set　himself　to　find　out　how　much　a　similar　design　would　have　cost
from　the　hands　of　an　eminent　Royal　Academician。　Happening　to　know
a　gentleman　in　this　position；　he　consulted　him；　and　was　informed
that　the　probable　cost　would　be　from　five　hundred　to　one　thousand
pounds。　Trefusis　expressed　his　opinion　that　the　mason's　charge
was　the　more　reasonable；　somewhat　to　the　indignation　of　his
artist　friend；　who　reminded　him　of　the　years　which　a　Royal
Academician　has　to　spend　in　acquiring　his　skill。　Trefusis
mentioned　that　the　apprenticeship　of　a　mason　was　quite　as　long；
twice　as　laborious；　and　not　half　so　pleasant。　The　artist　now
began　to　find　Trefusis's　Socialistic　v