a far country-第85章

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States　was　〃more　efficiently　and　economically　governed　than　our　own。〃
〃Irregularities〃　might　well　occur　in　every　large　organization；　and　it
would　better　have　become　Mr。　Greenhalge　if；　instead　of　hiring　an　unknown
lawyer　thirsting　for　notoriety　to　cook　up　charges；　he　had　called　the
attention　of　the　proper　officials　to　the　matter；　etc。；　etc。　　The　Pilot
alone；　which　relied　on　sensation　for　its　circulation；　kept　hammering　away
for　a　time　with　veiled　accusations。　　But　our　citizens　had　become
weary。。。。

As　a　topic；　however；　this　effective　suppression　of　reform　was　referred　to
with　some　delicacy　by　my　friends　and　myself。　　Our　interference　had　been
necessary　and　therefore　justified；　but　we　were　not　particularly　proud　of
it；　and　our　triumph　had　a　temporarily　sobering　effect。　　It　was　about　this
time；　if　I　remember　correctly；　that　Mr。　Dickinson　gave　the　beautiful
stained…glass　window　to　the　church。。。。

Months　passed。　　One　day；　having　occasion　to　go　over　to　the　Boyne　Iron
Works　to　get　information　at　first　hand　from　certain　officials；　and　having
finished　my　business；　I　boarded　a　South　Side　electric　car　standing　at　the
terminal。　　Just　before　it　started　Krebs　came　down　the　aisle　of　the　car
and　took　the　seat　in　front　of　me。

〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃how　are　you？〃　　He　turned　in　surprise；　and　thrust　his
big；　bony　hand　across　the　back　of　the　seat。　　〃Come　and　sit　here。〃　　He
came。　　〃Do　you　ever　get　back　to　Cambridge　in　these　days？〃　I　asked
cordially。

〃Not　since　I　graduated　from　newspaper　work　in　Boston。　　That's　a　good　many
years　ago。　　By　the　way；　our　old　landlady　died　this　year。〃

〃Do　you　mean？〃　　〃Granite　Face；〃　I　was　about　to　say。　　I　had　forgotten
her　name；　but　that　homesick　scene　when　Tom　and　I　stood　before　our　open
trunks；　when　Krebs　had　paid　us　a　visit；　came　back　to　me。　　〃You've　kept　in
touch　with　her？〃　I　asked；　in　surprise。

〃Well；〃　said　Krebs；　〃she　was　one　of　the　few　friends　I　had　at　Cambridge。
I　had　a　letter　from　the　daughter　last　week。　　She's　done　very　well；　and　is
an　instructor　in　biology　in　one　of　the　western　universities。〃

I　was　silent　a　moment。

〃And　you；you　never　married；　did　you？〃　I　inquired；　somewhat
irrelevantly。

His　semi…humorous　gesture　seemed　to　deny　that　such　a　luxury　was　for　him。
The　conversation　dragged　a　little；　I　began　to　feel　the　curiosity　he
invariably　inspired。　　What　was　his　life？　　What　were　his　beliefs？　　And　I
was　possessed　by　a　certain　militancy；　a　desire　to　〃smoke　him　out。〃　　I　did
not　stop　to　reflect　that　mine　was　in　reality　a　defensive　rather　than　an
aggressive　attitude。

〃Do　you　live　down　here；　in　this　part　of　the　city？〃　I　asked。

No；　he　boarded　in　Fowler　Street。　　I　knew　it　as　in　a　district　given　over
to　the　small　houses　of　working…men。

〃I　suppose　you　are　still　a　socialist。〃

〃I　suppose　I　am；〃　he　admitted；　and　added；　〃at　any　rate；　that　is　as　near
as　you　can　get　to　it。〃

〃Isn't　it　fairly　definite？〃

〃Fairly；　if　my　notions　are　taken　in　general　as　the　antithesis　of　what　you
fellows　believe。〃

〃The　abolition　of　property；　for　instance。〃

〃The　abolition　of　too　much　property。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　'too　much'？〃

〃When　it　ceases　to　be　real　to　a　man；　when　it　represents　more　than　his
need；　when　it　drives　him　and　he　becomes　a　slave　to　it。〃

Involuntarily　I　thought　of　my　new　house；not　a　soothing　reflection。

〃But　who　is　going　to　decree　how　much　property；　a　man　should　have？〃

〃Nobodyeverybody。　　That　will　gradually　tend　to　work　itself　out　as　we
become　more　sensible　and　better　educated；　and　understand　more　clearly
what　is　good　for　us。〃

I　retorted　with　the　stock；　common…sense　phrase。

〃If　we　had　a　division　to…morrow；　within　a　few　years　or　so　the　most
efficient　would　contrive　to　get　the　bulk　of　it　back　in　their　hands。〃

〃That's　so；〃　he　admitted。　　〃But　we're　not　going　to　have　a　division　to…
morrow。〃

〃Thank　God！〃　I　exclaimed。

He　regarded　me。

〃The　'efficient'　will　have　to　die　or　be　educated　first。　　That　will　take
time。〃

〃Educated！〃

〃Paret；　have　you　ever　read　any　serious　books　on　what　you　call　socialism？〃
he　asked。

I　threw　out　an　impatient　negative。　　I　was　going　on　to　protest　that　I　was
not　ignorant　of　the　doctrine。

〃Oh；　what　you　call　socialism　is　merely　what　you　believe　to　be　the　more　or
less　crude　and　utopian　propaganda　of　an　obscure　political　party。　　That
isn't　socialism。　　Nor　is　the　anomalistic　attempt　that　the　Christian
Socialists　make　to　unite　modern　socialistic　philosophy　with　Christian
orthodoxy；　socialism。〃

〃What　is　socialism；　then？〃　I　demanded；　somewhat　defiantly。

〃Let's　call　it　education；　science；〃　he　said　smilingly；　〃economics　and
government　based　on　human　needs　and　a　rational　view　of　religion。　　It　has
been　taught　in　German　universities；　and　it　will　be　taught　in　ours
whenever　we　shall　succeed　in　inducing　your　friends；　by　one　means　or
another；　not　to　continue　endowing　them。　　Socialism；　in　the　proper　sense；
is　merely　the　application　of　modern　science　to　government。〃

I　was　puzzled　and　angry。　　What　he　said　made　sense　somehow；　but　it　sounded
to　me　like　so　much　gibberish。

〃But　Germany　is　a　monarchy；〃　I　objected。

〃It　is　a　modern；　scientific　system　with　monarchy　as　its　superstructure。
It　is　anomalous；　but　frank。　　The　monarchy　is　there　for　all　men　to　see；
and　some　day　it　will　be　done　away　with。　　We　are　supposedly　a　democracy；
and　our　superstructure　is　plutocratic。　　Our　people　feel　the　burden；　but
they　have　not　yet　discovered　what　the　burden　is。〃

〃And　when　they　do？〃　I　asked；　a　little　defiantly。

〃When　they　do；〃　replied　Krebs；　〃they　will　set　about　making　the　plutocrats
happy。　　Now　plutocrats　are　discontented；　and　never　satisfied；　the　more
they　get；　the　more　they　want；　the　more　they　are　troubled　by　what　other
people　have。〃

I　smiled　in　spite　of　myself。

〃Your　interest　inin　plutocrats　is　charitable；　then？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　he　said；　〃my　interest　in　all　kinds　of　people　is　charitable。
However　improbable　it　may　seem；　I　have　no　reason　to　dislike　or　envy
people　who　have　more　than　they　know　what　to　do　with。〃　　And　the　worst　of
it　was　he　looked　it。　　He　managed　somehow　simply　by　sitting　there　with　his
strange　eyes　fixed　upon　mein　spite　of　his　ridiculous　philosophyto
belittle　my　ambitions；　to　make　of　small　worth　my　achievements；　to　bring
home　to　me　the　fact　that　in　spite　of　these　I　was　neither　contented　nor
happy　though　he　kept　his　humour　and　his　poise；　he　implied　an　experience
that　was　far　deeper；　more　tragic　and　more　significant　than　mine。　　I　was
goaded　into　making　an　injudicious　remark。

〃Well；　your　campaign　against　Ennerly　and　Jackson　fell　through；　didn't
it？〃　　Ennerly　and　Jackson　were　the　city　officials　who　had　been　tried。

〃It　wasn't　a　campaign　against　them；〃　he　answered。　　〃And　considering　the
subordinate　part　I　took　in　it；　it　could　scarcely　be　called　mine。〃

〃Greenhalge　turned　to　you　to　get　the　evidence。〃

〃Well；　I　got　it；〃　he　said。

〃What　became　of　it？〃

〃You　ought　to　know。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃Just　what　I　say；　Paret；〃　he　answered　slowly。　　〃You　ought　to　know；　if
anyone　knows。〃

I　considered　this　a　moment；　more　soberly。　　I　thought　I　might　have　counted
on　my　fingers　the　number　of　men　cognizant　of　my　connection　with　the　case。
I　decided　that　he　was　guessing。

〃I　think　you　should　explain　that；〃　I　told　him。

〃The　time　may　come；　when　you'll　have　to　explain　it。〃

〃Is　that　a　threat？〃　I　demanded。

〃A　threat？〃　he　repeated。　　〃Not　at　all。〃

〃But　you　are　accusing　me〃

〃Of　what？〃　he　interrupted　suddenly。

He　had　made　it　necessary　for　me　to　define　the　nature　of　his　charges。

〃Of　having　had　some　connection　with　the　affair　in　question。〃

〃Whatever　else　I　may　be；　I'm　not　a　fool；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃Neither　the
district　attorney's　office；　nor　young　Arbuthnot　had　brains　enough　to　get
them　out　of　that　scrape。　　Jason　didn't　have　influence　enough　with　the
judiciary；　and；　as　I　happen　to　know；　there　was　a　good　deal　of　money
spent。〃

〃You　may　be　called　upon　to　prove　it；〃　I　retorted；　rather　hotly。

〃So　I　may。〃

His　tone；　far　from　being　defiant；　had　in　it　a　note　of　sadness。　　I　looked
at　him。　　What　were　his　potentialities？　　Was　it　not　just　possible　that　I
should　have　to　revise　my　idea　of　him；　acknowledge　that　he　might　become
more　formidable　than　I　had　thought？

The