a far country-第40章

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A　committee　came　to　my　boarding…house　and　told　me；　and　there　was　the
deuce　to　pay；　right　off。　　The　Railroad　politicians　turned　in　and　worked
for　the　Democratic　candidate；　of　course；　and　the　Hutchinses；　who　own　the
mills；　tried　through　emissaries　to　intimidate　their　operatives。〃

〃And　then？〃　I　asked。

〃Well；I'm　here；〃　he　said。

〃Wouldn't　you　be　accomplishing　more；〃　I　inquired；　〃if　you　hadn't
antagonized　the　Hutchinses？〃

〃It　depends　upon　what　you　mean　by　accomplishment；〃　he　answered；　so　mildly
that　I　felt　more　rued　than　ever。

〃Well；　from　what　you　say；　I　suppose　you're　going　in　for　reform；　that
these　workmen　up　at　Elkington　are　not　satisfied　with　their　conditions　and
imagine　you　can　help　to　better　them。　　Now；　provided　the　conditions　are
not　as　good　as　they　might　be；　how　are　you　going　to　improve　them　if　you
find　yourself　isolated　here；　as　you　say？〃

〃In　other　words；　I　should　cooperate　with　Colonel　Varney　and　other
disinterested　philanthropists；〃　he　supplied；　and　I　realized　that　I　was
losing　my　temper。

〃Well；　what　can　you　do？〃　I　inquired　defiantly。

〃I　can　find　out　what's　going　on；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　already　learned
something；　by　the　way。〃

〃And　then？〃　I　asked；　wondering　whether　the　implication　were　personal。

〃Then　I　can　helpdisseminate　the　knowledge。　　I　may　be　wrong；　but　I　have
an　idea　that　when　the　people　of　this　country　learn　how　their　legislatures
are　conducted　they　will　want　to　change　things。〃

〃That's　right！〃　echoed　the　waiter；　who　had　come　up　with　my　griddle…cakes。
〃And　you're　the　man　to　tell　'em；　Mr。　Krebs。〃

〃It　will　need　several　thousand　of　us　to　do　that；　I'm　afraid；〃　said　Krebs；
returning　his　smile。

My　distaste　for　the　situation　became　more　acute；　but　I　felt　that　I　was
thrown　on　the　defensive。　　I　could　not　retreat；　now。

〃I　think　you　are　wrong；〃　I　declared；　when　the　waiter　had　departed　to
attend　to　another　customer。　　〃The　people　the　great　majority　of　them；　at
least　are　indifferent；　they　don't　want　to　be　bothered　with　politics。
There　will　always　be　labour　agitation；　of　course；the　more　wages　those
fellows　get；　the　more　they　want。　　We　pay　the　highest　wages　in　the　world
to…day；　and　the　standard　of　living　is　higher　in　this　country　than
anywhere　else。　　They'd　ruin　our　prosperity；　if　we'd　let　'em。〃

〃How　about　the　thousands　of　families　who　don't　earn　enough　to　live
decently　even　in　times　of　prosperity？〃　inquired　Krebs。

〃It's　hard；　I'll　admit；　but　the　inefficient　and　the　shiftless　are　bound
to　suffer；　no　matter　what　form　of　government　you　adopt。〃

〃You　talk　about　standards　of　living；I　could　show　you　some　examples　of
standards　to　make　your　heart　sick；〃　he　said。　　〃What　you　don't　realize；
perhaps；　is　that　low　standards　help　to　increase　the　inefficient　of　whom
you　complain。〃

He　smiled　rather　sadly。　　〃The　prosperity　you　are　advocating；〃　he　added；
after　a　moment；　〃is　a　mere　fiction；　it　is　gorging　the　few　at　the　expense
of　the　many。　　And　what　is　being　done　in　this　country　is　to　store　up　an
explosive　gas　that　some　day　will　blow　your　superstructure　to　atoms　if　you
don't　wake　up　in　time。〃

〃Isn't　that　a　rather　one…sided　view；　too？〃　I　suggested。

〃I've　no　doubt　it　may　appear　so；　but　take　the　proceedings　in　this
legislature。　　I've　no　doubt　you　know　something　about　them；　and　that　you
would　maintain　they　are　justified　on　account　of　the　indifference　of　the
public；　and　of　other　reasons；　but　I　can　cite　an　instance　that　is　simply
legalized　thieving。〃　　For　the　first　time　a　note　of　indignation　crept　into
Krebs's　voice。　　〃Last　night　I　discovered　by　a　mere　accident；　in　talking
to　a　man　who　came　in　on　a　late　train；　that　a　bill　introduced　yesterday；
which　is　being　rushed　through　the　Judiciary　Committee　of　the　Housean
apparently　innocent　little　billwill　enable；　if　it　becomes　a　law；　the
Boyne　Iron　Works；　of　your　city；　to　take　possession　of　the　Ribblevale
Steel　Company；　lock；　stock；　and　barrel。　　And　I　am　told　it　was　conceived
by　a　lawyer　who　claims　to　be　a　respectable　member　of　his　profession；　and
who　has　extraordinary　ability；　Theodore　Watling。〃

Krebs　put　his　hand　in　his　pocket　and　drew　out　a　paper。　　〃Here's　a　copy　of
it；House　Bill　709。〃　　His　expression　suddenly　changed。　　〃Perhaps　Mr。
Watling　is　a　friend　of　yours。〃

〃I'm　with　his　firm；〃　I　replied。。。。

Krebs's　fingers　closed　over　the　paper；　crumpling　it。

〃Oh；　then；　you　know　about　this；〃　he　said。　　He　was　putting　the　paper　back
into　his　pocket　when　I　took　it　from　him。　　But　my　adroitness；　so　carefully
schooled；　seemed　momentarily　to　have　deserted　me。　　What　should　I　say？　　It
was　necessary　to　decide　quickly。

〃Don't　you　take　rather　aprejudiced　view　of　this；　Krebs？〃　I　said。　　〃Upon
my　word；　I　can't　see　why　you　should　accept　a　rumour　running　around　the
lobbies　that　Mr。　Watling　drafted　this　bill　for　a　particular　purpose。〃

He　was　silent。　　But　his　eyes　did　not　leave　my　face。

〃Why　should　any　sensible　man；　a　member　of　the　legislature；　take　stock　in
that　kind　of　gossip？〃　I　insisted。　　〃Why　not　judge　this　bill　by　its　face；
without　heeding　a　cock　and　bull　story　as　to　how　it　may　have　originated？
It　is　a　good　bill；　or　a　bad　bill？　　Let's　see　what　it　says。〃

I　read　it。

〃So　far　as　I　can　see；　it　is　legislation　which　we　ought　to　have　had　long
ago；　and　tends　to　compel　a　publicity　in　corporation　affairs　that　is　much
needed；　to　put　a　stop　to　practices　which　every　decent　citizen　deplores。〃

He　drew　the　paper　out　of　my　hand。

〃You　needn't　go　on；　Paret；〃　he　told　me。　　〃It's　no　use。〃

〃Well；　I'm　sorry　we　don't　agree；〃　I　said；　and　got　up。　　I　left　him
twisting　the　paper　in　his　fingers。

Beside　the　clerk's　desk　in　the　Potts　House；　relating　one　of　his
anecdotes；　I　spied　Colonel　Varney；　and　managed　presently　to　draw　him
upstairs　to　his　room。　　〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　asked。

〃Do　you　know　a　man　named　Krebs　in　the　House？〃　I　said。

〃From　Elkington？　　Why；　that's　the　man　the　Hutchinses　let　slip　through；
the　Hutchinses；　who　own　the　mills　over　there。　　The　agitators　put　up　a　job
on　them。〃　　The　Colonel　was　no　longer　the　genial　and　social　purveyor　of
anecdotes。　　He　had　become　tense；　alert；　suspicious。　　〃What's　he　up　to？〃

〃He's　found　out　about　this　bill；〃　I　replied。

〃How？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　But　someone　told　him　that　it　originated　in　our　office；
and　that　we　were　going　to　use　it　in　our　suit　against　the　Ribblevale。〃

I　related　the　circumstances　of　my　running　across　Krebs；　speaking　of
having　known　him　at　Harvard。　　Colonel　Varney　uttered　an　oath；　and　strode
across　to　the　window；　where　he　stood　looking　down　into　the　street　from
between　the　lace　curtains。

〃We'll　have　to　attend　to　him；　right　off；〃　he　said。

I　was　surprised　to　find　myself　resenting　the　imputation；　and　deeply。
〃I'm　afraid　he's　one　of　those　who　can't　be　‘attended　to；'〃　I　answered。

〃You　mean　that　he's　in　the　employ　of　the　Ribblevale　people？〃　　the　Colonel
inquired。

〃I　don't　mean　anything　of　the　kind；〃　I　retorted；　with　more　heat；　perhaps；
than　I　realized。　　The　Colonel　looked　at　me　queerly。

〃That's　all　right；　Mr。　Paret。　　Of　course　I　don't　want　to　question　your
judgment；　sir。　　And　you　say　he's　a　friend　of　yours。〃

〃I　said　I　knew　him　at　college。〃

〃But　you　will　pardon　me；〃　the　Colonel　went　on；　〃when　I　tell　you　that　I've
had　some　experience　with　that　breed；　and　I　have　yet　to　see　one　of　'em　you
couldn't　come　to　terms　with　in　some　wayin　some　way；〃　he　added；
significantly。　　I　did　not　pause　to　reflect　that　the　Colonel's　attitude；
from　his　point　of　view　（yes；　and　from　mine；had　I　not　adopted　it？）　was
the　logical　one。　　In　that　philosophy　every　man　had　his　price；　or　his
weakness。　　Yet；　such　is　the　inconsistency　of　human　nature；　I　was　now
unable　to　contemplate　this　attitude　with　calmness。

〃Mr。　Krebs　is　a　lawyer。　　Has　he　accepted　a　pass　from　the　Railroad？〃　I
demanded；　knowing　the　custom　of　that　corporation　of　conferring　this
delicate　favour　on　the　promising　young　talent　in　my　profession。

〃I　reckon　he's　never　had　the　chance；〃　said　Mr。　Varney。

〃Well；　has　he　taken　a　pass　as　a　member　of　the　legislature？〃

〃No；I　remember　looking　that　up　when　he　first　came　down。　　Sent　that
back；　if　I　recall　the　matter　correctly。〃　　Colonel　Varney　went　to　a　desk
in　the　corner　of　the　room；　unlocked　it；　drew　forth　a　black　book；　and
running　his　finger