a far country-第69章

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had　so　used　it。

〃A　lawyer　must　needs　know　something　of　what　he　is　about；　Mrs。　Scherer；　if
he　is　to　be　employed　by　such　a　man　as　your　husband；〃　I　replied。

Her　black　eyes　snapped　with　pleasure。

〃Ah；　I　suppose　that　is　so；〃　she　agreed。　　〃I　knew　he　was　a　great　man　when
I　married　him；　and　that　was　before　Mr。　Nathaniel　Durrett　found　it　out。〃

〃But　surely　you　did　not　think；　in　those　days；　that　he　would　be　as　big　as
he　has　become？　　That　he　would　not　only　be　president　of　the　Boyne　Iron
Works；　but　of　a　Boyne　Iron　Works　that　has　exceeded　Mr。　Durrett's　wildest
dreams。〃

She　shook　her　head　complacently。

〃Do　you　know　what　I　told　him　when　he　married　me？　　I　said；　'Adolf；　it　is　a
pity　you　are　born　in　Germany。'　And　when　he　asked　me　why；　I　told　him　that
some　day　he　might　have　been　President　of　the　United　States。〃

〃Well；　that　won't　be　a　great　deprivation　to　him；〃　I　remarked。　　〃Mr。
Scherer　can　do　what　he　wants；　and　the　President　cannot。〃

〃Adolf　always　does　as　he　wants；〃　she　declared；　gazing　at　him　as　he　sat
beside　the　brilliant　wife　of　the　grandson　of　the　man　whose　red…shirted
foreman　he　had　been。　　〃He　does　what　he　wants；　and　gets　what　he　wants。　　He
is　getting　what　he　wants　now；〃　she　added；　with　such　obvious　meaning　that
I　found　no　words　to　reply。　　〃She　is　pretty；　that　Mrs。　Durrett；　and
clever；is　it　not　so？〃

I　agreed。　　A　new　and　indescribable　note　had　come　into　Mrs。　Scherer's
voice；　and　I　realized　that　she；　too；　was　aware　of　that　flaw　in　the
redoubtable　Mr。　Scherer　which　none　of　his　associates　had　guessed。　　It
would　have　been　strange　if　she　had　not　discovered　it。　　〃She　is　beautiful；
yes；〃　the　lady　continued　critically；　〃but　she　is　not　to　compare　with　your
wife。　　She　has　not　the　heart；it　is　so　with　all　your　people　of　society。
For　them　it　is　not　what　you　are；　but　what　you　have　done；　and　what　you
have。〃

The　banality　of　this　observation　was　mitigated　by　the　feeling　she　threw
into　it。

〃I　think　you　misjudge　Mrs。　Durrett；〃　I　said；　incautiously。　　〃She　has
never　before　had　the　opportunity　of　meeting　Mr。　Scherer　of　appreciating
him。〃

〃Mrs。　Durrett　is　an　old　friend　of　yours？〃　she　asked。

〃I　was　brought　up　with　her。〃

〃Ah！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　turned　her　penetrating　glance　upon　me。　　I　was
startled。　　Could　it　be　that　she　had　discerned　and　interpreted　those
renascent　feelings　even　then　stirring　within　me；　and　of　which　I　myself
was　as　yet　scarcely　conscious？　　At　this　moment；　fortunately　for　me；　the
women　rose；　the　men　remained　to　smoke；　and　Scherer；　as　they　discussed
matters　of　finance；　became　himself　again。　　I　joined　in　the　conversation；
but　I　was　thinking　of　those　instants　when　in　flashes　of　understanding　my
eyes　had　met　Nancy's；　instants　in　which　I　was　lifted　out　of　my　humdrum；
deadly　serious　self　and　was　able　to　look　down　objectively　upon　the　life　I
led；　the　life　we　all　ledand　Nancy　herself；　to　see
with　her　the　comic　irony　of　it　all。　　Nancy　had　the　power　to　give　me　this
exquisite　sense　of　detachment　that　must　sustain　her。　　And　was　it　not　just
this　sustenance　she　could　give　that　I　needed？　　For　want　of　it　I　was
hardening；　crystallizing；　growing　blind　to　the　joy　and　variety　of
existence。　　Nancy　could　have　saved　me；　she　brought　it　home　to　me　that　I
needed　salvation。。。。　　I　was　struck　by　another　thought；　in　spite　of　our
separation；　in　spite　of　her　marriage　and　mine；　she　was　still　nearer　to
mefar　nearerthan　any　other　being。

Later；　I　sought　her　out。　　She　looked　up　at　me　amusedly　from　the　window…
seat　in　our　living…room；　where　she　had　been　talking　to　the　Scherer　girls。

〃Well；　how　did　you　get　along　with　Hilda？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　thought　I　saw
you　struggling。〃

〃She's　somewhat　disconcerting；〃　I　said。　　〃I　felt　as　if　she　were　turning
me　inside　out。〃

Nancy　laughed。

〃Hilda's　a　discoverya　genius。　　I'm　going　to　have　them　to　dinner
myself。〃

〃And　Adolf？〃　I　inquired。　　〃I　believe　she　thought　you　were　preparing　to
run　away　with　him。　　You　seemed　to　have　him　hypnotized。〃

〃I'm　afraid　your　great　man　won't　be　able　to　standelevation；〃　she
declared。　　〃He'll　have　vertigo。　　He's　even　got　it　now；　at　this　little
height；　and　when　he　builds　his　palace　on　Grant　Avenue；　and　later　moves　to
New　York；　I'm　afraid　he'll　wobble　even　more。〃

〃Is　he　thinking　of　doing　all　that？〃　I　asked。

〃I　merely　predict　New　Yorkit's　inevitable；〃　she　replied。　　〃Grant
Avenue；　yes；　he　wants　me　to　help　him　choose　a　lot。　　He　gave　me　ten
thousand　dollars　for　our　Orphans'　Home；　but　on　the　whole　I　think　I　prefer
Hilda　even　if　she　doesn't　approve　of　me。〃

Nancy　rose。　　The　Scherers　were　going。　　While　Mr。　Scherer　pressed　my　hand
in　a　manner　that　convinced　me　of　his　gratitude；　Hilda　was　bidding　an
affectionate　good　night　to　Maude。　　A　few　moments　later　she　bore　her
husband　and　daughters　away；　and　we　heard　the　tap…tap　of　her　cane　on　the
walk　outside。。。。




XVII。

The　remembrance　of　that　dinner　when　with　my　connivance　the　Scherers　made
their　social　debut　is　associated　in　my　mind　with　the　coming　of　the
fulness　of　that　era；　mad　and　brief；　when　gold　rained　down　like　manna　from
our　sooty　skies。　　Even　the　church　was　prosperous；　the　Rev。　Carey　Heddon；
our　new　minister；　was　well　abreast　of　the　times；　typical　of　the　new　and
efficient　Christianity　that　has　finally　buried　the　hatchet　with
enlightened　self…interest。　　He　looked　like　a　young　and　prosperous　man　of
business；　and　indeed　he　was　one。

The　fame　of　our　city　spread　even　across　the　Atlantic；　reaching　obscure
hamlets　in　Europe；　where　villagers　gathered　up　their　lares　and　penates；
mortgaged　their　homes；　and　bought　steamship　tickets　from
philanthropists；philanthropists　in　diamonds。　　Our　Huns　began　to　arrive；
their　Attilas　unrecognized　among　them：　to　drive　our　honest　Americans　and
Irish　and　Germans　out　of　the　mills　by　〃lowering　the　standard　of　living。〃
Stillaccording　to　the　learned　economists　in　our　universities；
enlightened　self…interest　triumphed。　　Had　not　the　honest　Americans　and
Germans　become　foremen　and　even　presidents　of　corporations？　　What　greater
vindication　for　their　philosophy　could　be　desired？

The　very　aspect　of　the　city　changed　like　magic。　　New　buildings　sprang
high　in　the　air；　the　Reliance　Trust　（Mr。　Grierson's）；　the　Scherer
Building；　the　Hambleton　Building；　a　stew　hotel；　the　Ashuela；　took　proper
care　of　our　visitors　from　the　East；a　massive；　grey　stone；　thousand…
awninged　affair　on　Boyne　Street；　with　a　grill　where　it　became　the　fashion
to　go　for　supper　after　the　play；　and　a　head　waiter　who　knew　in　a　few
weeks　everyone　worth　knowing。

To　return　for　a　moment　to　the　Huns。　　Maude　had　expressed　a　desire　to　see
a　mill；　and　we　went；　one　afternoon；　in　Mr。　Scherer's　carriage　to
Steelville；　with　Mr。　Scherer　himself；a　bewildering；　educative；　almost
terrifying　experience　amidst　fumes　and　flames；　gigantic　forces　and
titanic　weights。　　It　seemed　a　marvel　that　we　escaped　being　crushed　or
burned　alive　in　those　huge　steel　buildings　reverberating　with　sound。
They　appeared　a　very　bedlam　of　chaos；　instead　of　the　triumph　of　order；
organization　and　human　skill。　　Mr。　Scherer　was　very　proud　of　it　all；　and
ours　was　a　sort　of　triumphal　procession；　accompanied　by　superintendents；
managers　and　other　factotums。　　I　thought　of　my　childhood　image　of
Shadrach；　Meshach　and　Abednego；　and　our　progress　through　the　flames
seemed　no　less　remarkable　and　miraculous。

Maude；　with　alarm　in　her　eyes；　kept　very　close　to　me；　as　I　supplemented
the　explanations　they　gave　her。　　I　had　been　there　many　times　before。

〃Why；　Hugh；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃you　seem　to　know　a　lot　about　it！〃

Mr。　Scherer　laughed。

〃He's　had　to　talk　about　it　once　or　twice　in　courteh；　Hugh？　　You　didn't
realize　how　clever　your　husband　was　did　you；　Mrs。　Paret？〃

〃But　this　is　so　complicated；〃　she　replied。　　〃It　is　overwhelming。〃

〃When　I　found　out　how　much　trouble　he　had　taken　to　learn　about　my
business；〃　added　Mr。　Scherer；　〃there　was　only　one　thing　to　do。　　Make　him
my　lawyer。　　Hugh；　you　have　the　floor；　and　explain　the　open…hearth
process。〃

I　had　almost　forgotten　the　Huns。　　I　saw　Maude　gazing　at　them　with　a　new
kind　of　terror。　　And　when　we　sat　at　home　that　evening　they　still　haunted
her。

〃Somehow；　I　can't　bear　to　think　about　them；〃　she　said。　　〃I'm　sure　we'll
have　to　pay　for　it；　some　day。