a far country-第34章

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in　youth　she　must　have　inherited　from　McAlery　Willett；　but　these
qualities　had　disappeared　in　her　long　before　the　coming　of　financial
reverses。　　She　was　nearing　thirty；　and　in　spite　of　her　beauty　and　the
rarer　distinction　that　can　best　be　described　as　breeding；　she　had　never
married。　　Men　admired　her；　but　from　a　distance；　she　kept　them　at　arm's
length；　they　said：　strangers　who　visited　the　city　invariably　picked　her
out　of　an　assembly　and　asked　who　she　was；　one　man　from　New　York　who　came
to　visit　Ralph　and　who　had　been　madly　in　love　with　her；　she　had　amazed
many　people　by　refusing；　spurning　all　he　might　have　given　her。　　This
incident　seemed　a　refutation　of　the　charge　that　she　was　calculating。　　As
might　have　been　foretold；　she　had　the　social　gift　in　a　remarkable　degree；
and　in　spite　of　the　limitations　of　her　purse　the　knack　of　dressing　better
than　other　women；　though　at　that　time　the　organization　of　our　social　life
still　remained　comparatively　simple；　the　custom　of　luxurious　and
expensive　entertainment　not　having　yet　set　in。

The　more　I　reflect　upon　those　days；　the　more　surprising　does　it　seem　that
I　was　not　in　love　with　her。　　It　may　be　that　I　was；　unconsciously；　for　she
troubled　my　thoughts　occasionally；　and　she　represented　all　the　qualities
I　admired　in　her　sex。　　The　situation　that　had　existed　at　the　time　of　our
first　and　only　quarrel　had　been　reversed；　I　was　on　the　highroad　to　the
worldly　success　I　had　then　resolved　upon；　Nancy　was　poor；　and　for　that
reason；　perhaps；　prouder　than　ever。　　If　she　was　inaccessible　to　others；
she　had　the　air　of　being　peculiarly　inaccessible　to　methe　more　so
because　some　of　the　superficial　relics　of　our　intimacy　remained；　or
rather　had　been　restored。　　Her　very　manner　of　camaraderie　seemed
paradoxically　to　increase　the　distance　between　us。　　It　piqued　me。　　Had
she　given　me　the　least　encouragement；　I　am　sure　I　should　have　responded；
and　I　remember　that　I　used　occasionally　to　speculate　as　to　whether　she
still　cared　for　me；　and　took　this　method　of　hiding　her　real　feelings。
Yet；　on　the　whole；　I　felt　a　certain　complacency　about　it　all；　I　knew　that
suffering　was　disagreeable；　I　had　learned　how　to　avoid　it；　and　I　may　have
had；　deep　within　me；　a　feeling　that　I　might　marry　her　after　all。
Meanwhile　my　life　was　full；　and　gave　promise　of　becoming　even　fuller；
more　absorbing　and　exciting　in　the　immediate　future。

One　of　the　most　fascinating　figures；　to　me；　of　that　Order　being　woven；
like　a　cloth　of　gold；　out　of　our　hitherto　drab　civilization；an　Order
into　which　I　was　ready　and　eager　to　be　initiated；was　that　of　Adolf
Scherer；　the　giant　German　immigrant　at　the　head　of　the　Boyne　Iron　Works。
His　life　would　easily　lend　itself　to　riotous　romance。　　In　the　old
country；　in　a　valley　below　the　castle　perched　on　the　rack　above；　he　had
begun　life　by　tending　his　father's　geese。　　What　a　contrast　to　〃Steeltown〃
with　its　smells　and　sickening　summer　heat；　to　the　shanty　where　Mrs。
Scherer　took　boarders　and　bent　over　the　wash…tub！　　She；　too；　was　an
immigrant；　but　lived　to　hear　her　native　Wagner　from　her　own　box　at　Covent
Garden；　and　he　to　explain；　on　the　deck　of　an　imperial　yacht；　to　the　man
who　might　have　been　his　sovereign　certain　processes　in　the　manufacture　of
steel　hitherto　untried　on　that　side　of　the　Atlantic。　　In　comparison　with
Adolf　Scherer；　citizen　of　a　once　despised　democracy；　the　minor　prince　in
whose　dominions　he　had　once　tended　geese　was　of　small　account　indeed！

The　Adolf　Scherer　of　that　daythough　it　is　not　so　long　ago　as　time　flies
was　even　more　solid　and　impressive　than　the　man　he　afterwards　became；
when　he　reached　the　dizzier　heights　from　which　he　delivered　to　an　eager
press　opinions　on　politics　and　war；　eugenics　and　woman's　suffrage　and
other　subjects　that　are　the　despair　of　specialists。　　Had　he　stuck　to
steel；　he　would　have　remained　invulnerable。　　But　even　then　he　was
beginning　to　abandon　the　field　of　production　for　that　of　exploitation：
figuratively　speaking；　he　had　taken　to　soap；　which　with　the　aid　of　water
may　be　blown　into　beautiful；　iridescent　bubbles　to　charm　the　eye。　　Much
good　soap；　apparently；　has　gone　that　way；　never　to　be　recovered。
Everybody　who　was　anybody　began　to　blow　bubbles　about　that　time；　and　the
bigger　the　bubble　the　greater　its　attraction　for　investors　of　hard…earned
savings。　　Outside　of　this　love　for　financial　iridescence；　let　it　be
called；　Mr。　Scherer　seemed　to　care　little　then　for　glitter　of　any　sort。
Shortly　after　his　elevation　to　the　presidency　of　the　Boyne　Iron　Works　he
had　been　elected　a　member　of　the　Boyne　Club；an　honour　of　which；　some
thought；　he　should　have　been　more　sensible；　but　generally；　when　in　town；
he　preferred　to　lunch　at　a　little　German　restaurant　annexed　to　a　saloon；
where　I　used　often　to　find　him　literally　towering　above　the　cloth；for
he　was　a　giant　with　short　legs；his　napkin　tucked　into　his　shirt　front；
engaged　in　lively　conversation　with　the　ministering　Heinrich。　　The　chef
at　the　club；　Mr。　Scherer　insisted；　could　produce　nothing　equal　to
Heinrich's　sauer…kraut　and　sausage。　　My　earliest　relationship　with　Mr。
Scherer　was　that　of　an　errand　boy；　of　bringing　to　him　for　his　approval
papers　which　might　not　be　intrusted　to　a　common　messenger。　　His　gruffness
and　brevity　disturbed　me　more　than　I　cared　to　confess。　　I　was　pretty　sure
that　he　eyed　me　with　the　disposition　of　the　self…made　to　believe　that
college　educations　and　good　tailors　were　the　heaviest　handicaps　with
which　a　young　man　could　be　burdened：　and　I　suspected　him　of　an　inimical
attitude　toward　the　older　families　of　the　city。　　Certain　men　possessed
his　confidence；　and　he　had　built；　as　it　were；　a　stockade　about　them；
sternly　keeping　the　rest　of　the　world　outside。　　In　Theodore　Watling　he
had　a　childlike　faith。

Thus　I　studied　him；　with　a　deliberation　which　it　is　the　purpose　of　these
chapters　to　confess；　though　he　little　knew　that　he　was　being　made　the
subject　of　analysis。　　Nor　did　I　ever　venture　to　talk　with　him；　but　held
strictly　to　my　role　of　errand　boy；even　after　the　conviction　came　over
me　that　he　was　no　longer　indifferent　to　my　presence。　　The　day　arrived；
after　some　years；　when　he　suddenly　thrust　toward　me　a　big；　hairy　hand
that　held　the　document　he　was　examining。

〃Who　drew　this；　Mr。　Paret！〃　he　demanded。

Mr。　Ripon；　I　told　him。

The　Boyne　Works　were　buying　up　coal…mines；　and　this　was　a　contract
looking　to　the　purchase　of　one　in　Putman　County；　provided；　after　a
certain　period　of　working；　the　yield　and　quality　should　come　up　to
specifications。　　Mr。　Scherer　requested　me　to　read　one　of　the　sections；
which　puzzled　him。　　And　in　explaining　it　an　idea　flashed　over　me。

〃Do　you　mind　my　making　a　suggestion；　Mr。　Scherer？〃　I　ventured。

〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked　brusquely。

I　showed　him　how；　by　the　alteration　of　a　few　words；　the　difficulty　to
which　he　had　referred　could　not　only　be　eliminated；　but　that　certain
possible　penalties　might　be　evaded；　while　the　apparent　meaning　of　the
section　remained　unchanged。　　In　other　words；　it　gave　the　Boyne　Iron　Works
an　advantage　that　was　not　contemplated。　　He　seized　the　paper；　stared　at
what　I　had　written　in　pencil　on　the　margin；　and　then　stared　at　me。
Abruptly；　he　began　to　laugh。

〃Ask　Mr。　Wading　what　he　thinks　of　it？〃

〃I　intended　to；　provided　it　had　your　approval；　sir；〃　I　replied。

〃You　have　my　approval；　Mr。　Paret；〃　he　declared；　rather　cryptically；　and
with　the　slight　German　hardening　of　the　v's　into　which　he　relapsed　at
times。　　〃Bring　it　to　the　Works　this　afternoon。〃

Mr。　Wading　agreed　to　the　alteration。　　He　looked　at　me　amusedly。

〃Yes；　I　think　that's　an　improvement；　Hugh；〃　he　said。　　I　had　a　feeling
that　I　had　gained　ground；　and　from　this　time　on　I　thought　I　detected　a
change　in　his　attitude　toward　me；　there　could　be　no　doubt　about　the　new
attitude　of　Mr。　Scherer；　who　would　often　greet　me　now　with　a　smile　and　a
joke；　and　sometimes　went　so　far　as　to　ask　my　opinions。。。。　　Then；　about
six　months　later；　came　the　famous　Ribblevale　case　that　aroused　the　moral
indignation　of　so　many　persons；　among　whom　was　Perry　Blackwood。

〃You　know　as　well　as　I　do；　Hugh；　how　this　thing　is　being　manipulated；〃　he
declared　at　Tom's　one　Sunday　evening；　〃there　was　nothing　the　matter　with
the　R