active service-第53章

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f　him。　Still　stillfifteen　thousand　　dollars　a　year　is　a　big　incomewhile　it　lasts。　I　suppose　he　is　very　extravagant。　That　kind　of　a　man　usually　is。　And　I　wouldn't　be　surprised　if　he　was　heavily　in　debt；　very　heavily　in　debt。　　Still　*　*　if　Marjory　has　set　her　heart　there　is　nothing　to　be　done；　I　suppose。　It　wouldn't　have　happened　if　you　had　been　as　wise　as　you　thought　you　were。　*　*　I　suppose　he　thinks　I　have　been　very　rude　to　him。　Well；　some　times　I　wasn't　nearly　so　rude　as　I　felt　like　being。　Feeling　as　I　did；　I　could　hardly　be　very　amiable。　*　*　Of　course　this　drive　this　afternoon　was　all　your　affair　and　Marjory's。　But；　of　course；　I　shall　be　nice　to　him。〃

〃　And　what　of　all　this　Nora　Black　business？　〃　asked　the　professor；　with；　a　display　of　valour；　but　really　with　much　trepidation。

〃　She　is　a　hussy；〃　responded　Mrs。　Wainwright　with　energy。　〃　Her　conversation　in　the　carriage　on　the　way　down　to　Agrinion　sickened　me！　〃

〃　I　really　believe　that　her　plan　was　simply　to　break　everything　off　between　Marjory　and　Coleman；〃　said　the　professor；　〃　and　I　don't　believe　she　had　any…grounds　for　all　that　appearance　of　owning　Coleman　and　the　rest　of　it。〃

〃　Of　course　she　didn't〃　assented　Mrs。　Wainwright。　The　vicious　thing！　〃

〃　On　the　other　hand；〃　said　the　professor；　〃　there　might　be　some　truth　in　it。〃　〃　I　don't　think　so；〃　said　Mrs。　Wainwright　seriously。　I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。〃

〃　You　do　not　mean　to　say　that　you　think　Coleman　a　model　man　？　〃　demanded　the　professor。

〃Not　at　all！　Not　at　all！〃　she　hastily　answered。　〃　But　*　*　one　doesn't　look　for　model　men　these　days。〃

〃'Who　told　you　he　made　fifteen　thousand　a　year？　asked　the　professor。

〃It　was　Peter　Tounley　this　morning。　We　were　talking　upstairs　after　breakfast；　and　he　remarked　that　he　if　could　make　fifteen　thousand；　a　year：　like　Coleman；　he'd…I've　forgotten　what…some　fanciful　thing。〃

〃　I　doubt　if　it　is　true；〃　muttered　the　old　man　wagging　his　head。

〃Of　course　it's　true；〃　said　his　wife　emphatically。　〃　Peter　Tounley　says　everybody　knows　it。〃

Well　*　anyhow　*　money　is　not　everything。〃

But　it's　a。　great　deal；　you　know　well　enough。　You　know　you　are　always　speaking　of　poverty　as　an　evil；　as　a　grand　resultant；　a　collaboration　of　many　lesser　evils。　Well；　then？

〃　But；〃　began　the　professor　meekly；　when　I　say　that　I　mean…〃

〃　Well；　money　is　money　and　poverty　is　poverty；〃　interrupted　his　wife。　〃　You　don't　have　to　be　very　learned　to　know　that。〃

〃I　do　not　say　that　Coleman　has　not　a　very　nice　thing　of　it；　but　I　must　say　it　is　hard　to　think　of　his　getting　any　such　sum；　as　you　mention。〃

〃　Isn't　he　known　as　the　most　brilliant　journalist　in　New　York？〃　she　demanded　harshly。

〃　Y…yes；　as　long　as　it　lasts；　but　then　one　never　knows　when　he　will　be　out　in　the　street　penniless。　Of　course　he　has　no　particular　ability　which　would　be　marketable　if　he　suddenly　lost　his　present　employment。　Of　course　it　is　not　as　if　he　was　a　really　talented　young　man。　He　might　not　be　able　to　make　his　way　at　all　in　any　new　direction。〃

〃　I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Wainwright　in　reflective　protestation。　〃　I　don't　know　about　that。　I　think　he　would。〃

〃　I　thought　you　said　a　moment　ago…〃　The　professor　spoke　with　an　air　of　puzzled　hesitancy。　〃I　thought　you　said　a　moment　ago　that　he　wouldn't　succeed　　in　anything　but　journalism。〃

Mrs。　Wainwright　swam　over　the　situation　with　a　fine　tranquility。　〃　Well…I…I；〃　she　answered　musingly；　〃if　I　did　say　that；　I　didn't　mean　it　exactly。〃

〃　No；　I　suppose　not；〃　spoke　the　professor；　and　de…　spite　the　necessity　for　caution　he　could　not　keep　out　of　his　voice　a　faint　note　of　annoyance。

〃　Of　course；〃　continued　the　wife；　〃　Rufus　Coleman　is　known　everywhere　as　a　brilliant　man；　a　very　brilliant　man；　and　he　even　might　do　well　in…in　politics　or　something　of　that　sort。〃

〃　I　have　a　very　poor　opinion　of　that　kind　of　a　mind　which　does　well　in　American　politics；〃　said　the　pro…　fessor；　speaking　as　a　collegian；　〃　but　I　suppose　there　may　be　something　in　it。〃

〃　Well；　at　any　rate；〃　decided　Mrs。　Wainwright。　〃　At　any　rate…〃

At　that　moment；　Marjory　attired　for　luncheon　and　the　drive　entered　from　her　room；　and　Mrs。　Wainwright　checked　the　expression　of　her　important　conclusion。　Neither　father　or　mother　had　ever　seen　her　so　glowing　with　triumphant　beauty；　a　beauty　which　would　carry　the　mind　of　a　spectator　far　above　physical　　appreciation　into　that　realm　of　poetry　where　creatures　of　light　move　and　are　beautiful　because　they　cannot　know　pain　or　a　burden。　It　carried　tears　to　the　old　father's　eyes。　He　took　her　hands。　〃　Don't　be　too　happy；　my　child；　don't　be　too　happy；〃　he　admonished　her　tremulously。　〃　It　makes　me　afraid…it　makes　me　afraid。〃






CHAPTER　XXX

IT　seems　strange　that　the　one　who　was　the　most　hilarious　over　the　engagement　of　Marjory　and　Cole…　man　should　be　Coleman's　dragoman　who　was　indeed　in　a　state　bordering　on　transport。　It　is　not　known　how　he　learned　the　glad　tidings；　but　it　is　certain　that　he　learned　them　before　luncheon。　He　told　all　the　visible　employes　of　the　hotel　and　allowed　them　to　know　that　the　betrothal　really　had　been　his　handi…work　　He　had　arranged　it。　He　did　not　make　quite　clear　how　he　had　performed　this　feat；　but　at　least　he　was　perfectly　frank　in　acknowledging　it。

When　some　of　the　students　came　down　to　luncheon；　they　saw　him　but　could　not　decide　what　ailed　him。　He　was　in　the　main　corridor　of　the　hotel；　grinning　from　ear　to　ear；　and　when　he　perceived　the　students　he　made　signs　to　intimate　that　they　possessed　in　com…　mon　a　joyous　secret。　〃　What's　the　matter　with　that　idiot？〃　asked　Coke　morosely。　〃　Looks　as　if　his　wheels　were　going　around　too　fast。〃　Peter　Tounley　walked　close　to　him　and　scanned　him　imperturbably；　but　with　care。　〃　What's　up；　Phidias　？　〃　The　man　made　no　articulate　reply。　He　continued　to　grin　and　gesture。　〃Pain　in　oo　tummy？　Mother　dead？　Caught　the　cholera？　Found　out　that　you've　swallowed　a　pair　of　hammered　brass　and　irons　in　your　beer？　Say；　who　are　you；　anyhow？　〃　But　he　could　not　shake　this　invincible　glee；　so　he　went　away。

The　dragoman's　rapture　reached　its　zenith　when　Coleman　lent　him　to　the　professor　and　he　was　　commissioned　to　bring　a　carriage　for　four　people　to　the　door　at　three　o'clock。　He　himself　was　to　sit　on　the　box　and　tell　the　driver　what　was　required　of　him。　He　dashed　off；　his　hat　in　his　hand；　his　hair　flying；　puffing；　important　beyond　everything；　and　apparently　babbling　his　mission　to　half　the　people　he　met　on　the　street。　In　most　countries　he　would　have　landed　speedily　in　jail；　but　among　a　people　who　exist　on　a　basis　of'jibbering；　his　violent　gabble　aroused　no　suspicions　as　to　his　sanity。　However；　he　stirred　several　livery　stables　to　their　depths　and　set　men　running　here　and　there　wildly　and　for　the　most　part　futiltiy。

At　fifteen　minutes　to　three　o'clock；　a　carriage　with　its　horses　on　a　gallop　tore　around　the　corner　and　up　to　the　。　front　of　the　hotel；　where　it　halted　with　the　pomp　and　excitement　of　a　fire　engine。　The　dragoman　jumped　down　from　his　seat　beside　the　driver　and　scrambled　hurriedly　into　the　hoiel；　in　the　gloom　of　which　hemet　a　serene　stillness　which　was　punctuated　only　by　the　leisurely　tinkle　of　silver　and　glass　in　the　dining　room。　For　a　moment　the　dragoman　seemed　really　astounded　out　of　specch。　Then　he　plunged　into　the　manager's　room。　Was　it　conceivable　that　Monsieur　Coleman　was　still　at　luncheon？　Yes；　in　fact；　it　was　true。　But　the　carriage；　was　at　the　door！　The　carriage　was　at　the　door！　The　manager；　　undisturbed；　asked　for　what　hour　Monsieur　Coleman　had　been　pleased　to　order　a　carriage。　Three　o'clock　！　Three　o'clock？　The　manager　pointed　calmly　at　the　clock。　Very　well。　It　was　now　only　thirteen　minutes　of　three　o'clock。　Monsieur　Coleman　doubtless　would　appear　at　three。　Until　that　hour　the　manager　would　not　disturb　Monsieur　Coleman。　The　dragoman　clutched　both　his　hands　in　his　hair　and　cast　a　look　of　agony　to　the　ceiling。　Great　God！　Had　he　accomplished　　the　herculean　task　of　getting　a　carriage　for　four　people　to　the　door　of　the　hotel　in　time　for　a　drive　at　three　o'clock；　only　to　meet　with　this　stoniness；　this　inhumanity？　Ah；　it　was　unendurable？　He　begged　the　manager；　he　implored　him。　But　at　every　word。　the　manager　seemed　to　grow　more　indifferent；　more　callous。　He　pointed　with　a　wooden　finger　at　t