a far country-第31章
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interrupted by his exclamations when certain figures went by in the
corridor。
〃Say; Hugh; do you know who that was?〃
〃No。〃
〃Miller Gorse。〃
〃Who's he?〃
〃Do you mean to say you never heard of Miller Gorse?〃
〃I've been away a long time;〃 I would answer apologetically。 A person of
some importance among my contemporaries at Harvard; I had looked forward
to a residence in my native city with the complacency of one who has seen
something of the world;only to find that I was the least in the new
kingdom。 And it was a kingdom。 Larry opened up to me something of the
significance and extent of it; something of the identity of the men who
controlled it。
〃Miller Gorse;〃 he said impressively; 〃is the counsel for the railroad。〃
〃What railroad? You mean the〃 I was adding; when he interrupted me
pityingly。
〃After you've been here a while you'll find out there's only one railroad
in this state; so far as politics are concerned。 The Ashuela and
Northern; the Lake Shore and the others don't count。〃
I refrained from asking any more questions at that time; but afterwards I
always thought of the Railroad as spelled with a capital。
〃Miller Gorse isn't forty yet;〃 Larry told me on another occasion。
〃That's doing pretty well for a man who comes near running this state。〃
For the sake of acquiring knowledge; I endured Mr。 Weed's patronage。 I
inquired how Mr。 Gorse ran the state。
〃Oh; you'll find out soon enough;〃 he assured me;
〃But Mr。 Barbour's president of the Railroad。〃
〃Sure。 Once in a while they take something up to him; but as a rule he
leaves things to Gorse。〃
Whereupon I resolved to have a good look at Mr。 Gorse at the first
opportunity。 One day Mr。 Watling sent out for some papers。
〃He's in there now;〃 said Larry。 〃You take 'em。〃
〃In there〃 meant Mr。 Watling's sanctum。 And in there he was。 I had only
a glance at the great man; for; with a kindly but preoccupied 〃Thank you;
Hugh;〃 Mr。 Watling took the papers and dismissed me。 Heaviness;
blackness and impassivity;these were the impressions of Mr。 Gorse which
I carried away from that first meeting。 The very solidity of his flesh
seemed to suggest the solidity of his position。 Such; say the
psychologists; is the effect of prestige。
I remember well an old…fashioned picture puzzle in one of my boyhood
books。 The scene depicted was to all appearances a sylvan; peaceful one;
with two happy lovers seated on a log beside a brook; but presently; as
one gazed at the picture; the head of an animal stood forth among the
branches; and then the body; more animals began to appear; bit by bit; a
tiger; a bear; a lion; a jackal; a fox; until at last; whenever I looked
at the page; I did not see the sylvan scene at all; but only the
predatory beasts of the forest。 So; one by one; the figures of the real
rulers of the city superimposed themselves for me upon the simple and
democratic design of Mayor; Council; Board of Aldermen; Police Force;
etc。; that filled the eye of a naive and trusting electorate which fondly
imagined that it had something to say in government。 Miller Gorse was
one of these rulers behind the screen; and Adolf Scherer; of the Boyne
Iron Works; another; there was Leonard Dickinson of the Corn National
Bank; Frederick Grierson; becoming wealthy in city real estate; Judah B。
Tallant; who; though outlawed socially; was deferred to as the owner of
the Morning Era; and even Ralph Hambleton; rapidly superseding the
elderly and conservative Mr。 Lord; who had hitherto managed the great
Hambleton estate。 Ralph seemed to have become; in a somewhat gnostic
manner; a full…fledged financier。 Not having studied law; he had been
home for four years when I became a legal fledgling; and during the early
days of my apprenticeship I was beholden to him for many 〃eye openers〃
concerning the conduct of great affairs。 I remember him sauntering into
my room one morning when Larry Weed had gone out on an errand。
〃Hello; Hughie;〃 he said; with his air of having nothing to do。
〃Grinding it out? Where's Watling?〃
〃Isn't he in his office?〃
〃No。〃
〃Well; what can we do for you?〃 I asked。
Ralph grinned。
〃Perhaps I'll tell you when you're a little older。 You're too young。〃
And he sank down into Larry Weed's chair; his long legs protruding on the
other side of the table。 〃It's a matter of taxes。 Some time ago I found
out that Dickinson and Tallant and others I could mention were paying a
good deal less on their city property than we are。 We don't propose to
do it any morethat's all。〃
〃How can Mr。 Watling help you?〃 I inquired。
〃Well; I don't mind giving you a few tips about your profession; Hughie。
I'm going to get Watling to fix it up with the City Hall gang。 Old Lord
doesn't like it; I'll admit; and when I told him we had been contributing
to the city long enough; that I proposed swinging into line with other
property holders; he began to blubber about disgrace and what my
grandfather would say if he were alive。 Well; he isn't alive。 A good
deal of water has flowed under the bridges since his day。 It's a mere
matter of business; of getting your respectable firm to retain a City
Hall attorney to fix it up with the assessor。〃
〃How about the penitentiary?〃 I ventured; not too seriously。
〃I shan't go to the penitentiary; neither will Watling。 What I do is to
pay a lawyer's fee。 There isn't anything criminal in that; is there?〃
For some time after Ralph had departed I sat reflecting upon this new
knowledge; and there came into my mind the bitterness of Cousin Robert
Breck against this City Hall gang; and his remarks about lawyers。 I
recalled the tone in which he had referred to Mr。 Watling。 But Ralph's
philosophy easily triumphed。 Why not be practical; and become master of
a situation which one had not made; and could not alter; instead of being
overwhelmed by it? Needless to say; I did not mention the conversation
to Mr。 Watling; nor did he dwindle in my estimation。 These necessary
transactions did not interfere in any way with his personal
relationships; and his days were filled with kindnesses。 And was not Mr。
Ripon; the junior partner; one of the evangelical lights of the
community; conducting advanced Bible classes every week in the Church of
the Redemption?。。。 The unfolding of mysteries kept me alert。 And I
understood that; if I was to succeed; certain esoteric knowledge must be
acquired; as it were; unofficially。 I kept my eyes and ears open; and
applied myself; with all industry; to the routine tasks with which every
young man in a large legal firm is familiar。 I recall distinctly my
pride when; the Board of Aldermen having passed an ordinance lowering the
water rates; I was intrusted with the responsibility of going before the
court in behalf of Mr。 Ogilvy's water company; obtaining a temporary
restricting order preventing the ordinance from going at once into
effect。 Here was an affair in point。 Were it not for lawyers of the
calibre of Watling; Fowndes and Ripon; hard…earned private property would
soon be confiscated by the rapacious horde。 Once in a while I was made
aware that Mr。 Watling had his eye on me。
〃Well; Hugh;〃 he would say; 〃how are you getting along? That's right;
stick to it; and after a while we'll hand the drudgery over to somebody
else。〃
He possessed the supreme quality of a leader of men in that he took pains
to inform himself concerning the work of the least of his subordinates;
and he had the gift of putting fire into a young man by a word or a touch
of the hand on the shoulder。 It was not difficult for me; therefore; to
comprehend Larry Weed's hero…worship; the loyalty of other members of the
firm or of those occupants of the office whom I have not mentioned。 My
first impression of him; which I had got at Jerry Kyme's; deepened as
time went on; and I readily shared the belief of those around me that his
legal talents easily surpassed those of any of his contemporaries。 I can
recall; at this time; several noted cases in the city when I sat in court
listening to his arguments with thrills of pride。 He made us all feel
no matter how humble may have been our contributions to