贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the lion and the unicorn(狮子与独角兽) >

第20章

the lion and the unicorn(狮子与独角兽)-第20章

小说: the lion and the unicorn(狮子与独角兽) 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!






                                                59 


… Page 60…

                                THE LION AND THE UNICORN 



me in prison too?〃 

     Arkwright laughed incredulously。 

     〃Certainly not;〃 he said; 〃you would go there as a private citizen; as a 

tourist to look on and observe。         Spain is not seeking complications of that 

sort。     She    has   troubles    enough     without     imprisoning     United     States 

senators。〃 

     〃Yes; but these fevers now;〃 persisted Stanton; 〃they're no respecter of 

persons;   I   imagine。     A  United   States   senator   is   not   above   smallpox   or 

cholera。〃 

     Arkwright shook his head impatiently and sighed。 

     〃It is difficult to make it clear to one who has not been there;〃 he said。 

〃These people and soldiers are dying of fever because they are forced to 

live like pigs; and they are already sick with starvation。               A healthy man 

like yourself would be in no more danger than you would be in walking 

through the wards of a New York hospital。〃 

     Senator     Stanton    turned    in   his  armchair;     and   held   up   his   hand 

impressively。 

     〃If I were to tell them the things you have told me;〃 he said warningly; 

〃if   I   were   to   say  I   have seen   such   thingsAmerican   property  in   flames; 

American       interests   ruined;   and   that  five   times   as  many     women     and 

children have died of fever and starvation in three months in Cuba as the 

Sultan has massacred in Armenia in three yearsit would mean war with 

Spain。〃 

     〃Well?〃 said Arkwright。 

     Stanton shrugged his shoulders and sank back again in his chair。 

     〃It would either mean war;〃 Arkwright went on; 〃or it might mean the 

sending of the Red Cross army to Cuba。               It went to Constantinople; five 

thousand miles away; to help the Armenian Christianswhy has it waited 

three years to go eighty  miles to   feed and clothe the Cuban women   and 

children?     It is   like sending   help to   a hungry  peasant in   Russia while  a 

man dies on your doorstep。〃 

     〃Well;〃 said the senator; rising; 〃I will let you know to…morrow。 

     If it is the right thing to do; and if I can do it; of course it must be done。 

We   start   from   Tampa;   you   say?    I   know   the   presidents   of   all   of   those 



                                               60 


… Page 61…

                                THE LION AND THE UNICORN 



roads and they'll probably give me a private car for the trip down。                  Shall 

we take any newspaper men with us; or shall I wait until I get back and be 

interviewed?       What do you think?〃 

     〃I would wait until my return;〃 Arkwright answered; his eyes glowing 

with the hope the senator's words had inspired; 〃and then speak to a mass… 

meeting   here   and   in   Boston   and   in   Chicago。      Three   speeches   will   be 

enough。      Before you have finished your last one the American warships 

will be in the harbor of Havana。〃 

     〃Ah;   youth;   youth!〃   said   the   senator;   smiling   gravely;   〃it   is   no   light 

responsibility to urge a country into war。〃 

     〃It is no light responsibility;〃 Arkwright answered; 〃to know you have 

the   chance   to   save   the   lives   of   thousands   of   little   children   and   helpless 

women and to let the chance pass。〃 

     〃Quite so; that is quite true;〃 said the senator。          〃Well; good… morning。 

I shall let you know to…morrow。〃 

     Young   Livingstone   went   down   in   the   elevator   with   Arkwright;   and 

when they had reached the sidewalk stood regarding him for a moment in 

silence。 

     〃You mustn't count too much on Stanton; you know;〃 he said kindly; 

〃he has a way of disappointing people。〃 

     〃Ah;   he   can   never   disappoint   me;〃 Arkwright   answered   confidently; 

〃no   matter   how   much   I   expected。      Besides;   I   have   already   heard   him 

speak。〃 

     〃I   don't   mean   that;   I   don't   mean   he   is   disappointing   as   a   speaker。 

Stanton is a great orator; I think。        Most of those Southerners are; and he's 

the only real orator I ever heard。          But what I mean is; that he doesn't go 

into things impulsively; he first considers himself; and then he considers 

every other side of the question before he commits himself to it。                   Before 

he launches out on a popular wave he tries to find out where it is going to 

land him。      He likes the sort of popular wave that carries him along with it 

where   every   one   can   see   him;   he   doesn't   fancy   being   hurled   up   on   the 

beach with his mouth full of sand。〃 

     〃You are saying that he is selfish; self…seeking?〃 Arkwright demanded 

with a challenge in his voice。         〃I thought you were his friend。〃 



                                               61 


… Page 62…

                                  THE LION AND THE UNICORN 



     〃Yes; he is selfish; and yes; I am his friend;〃 the young man answered; 

smiling;   〃at   least;   he   seems   willing   to   be   mine。    I   am   saying   nothing 

against him that I have not said to him。               If you'll come back with me up 

the elevator I'll tell him he's a self…seeker and selfish; and with no thought 

above his own interests。          He won't mind。         He'd say I cannot comprehend 

his    motives。      Why;     you've     only   to   look   at   his  record。     When       the 

Venezuelan message came out he attacked the President and declared he 

was trying to make political capital and to drag us into war; and that what 

we     wanted     was    arbitration;    but   when    the   President     brought     out   the 

Arbitration   Treaty   he   attacked   that   too   in   the   Senate   and   destroyed   it。 

Why?       Not   because   he   had   convictions;   but   because   the   President   had 

refused   a   foreign   appointment   to   a   friend   of   his   in   the   South。  He   has 

been a free silver man for the last ten years; he comes from a free silver 

state;   and   the   members   of   the   legislature   that   elected   him   were   all   for 

silver;   but   this   last   election   his   Wall   Street   friends   got   hold   of   him   and 

worked   on   his   feelings;   and   he   repudiated   his   party;   his   state;   and   his 

constituents and came out for gold。〃 

     〃Well; but surely;〃 Arkwright objected; 〃that took courage?                      To own 

that for ten years you had been wrong; and to come out for the right at the 

last。〃 

     Livingstone stared and shrugged his shoulders。                  〃It's all a question of 

motives;〃 he said indifferently。           〃I don't want to shatter your idol; I only 

want to save you from counting too much on him。〃 

     When   Arkwright   called   on   the   morrow   Senator   Stanton   was   not   at 

home; and the day following he was busy; and could give him only a brief 

interview。      There were previous engagements and other difficulties in the 

way   of   his   going   which   he   had   not   foreseen;   he   said;   and   he   feared   he 

should have to postpone his visit to Cuba indefinitely。                    He asked if Mr。 

Arkwright would be so kind as to call again within a week; he would then 

be better able to give him a definite answer。 

     Arkwright        left   the   apartment      with     a   sensation     of   such     keen 

disappointment   that   it   turned   him   ill   and   dizzy。     He   felt   that   the   great 

purpose of his life was being played with and put aside。                    But he had not 

selfish resentment on his own account; he was only the more determined 



                                                 62 


… Page 63…

                                 THE LION AND THE UNICORN 



to   persevere。     He   con

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的