the american claimant-第40章

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〃Oh；　you　drive　all　patience　out　of　me！　　Would　you　have　one　believe　that
you　haven't　your　proofs　at　hand；　and　yet　are　what　you　say　you　are？
You　do　not　put　your　hand　in　your　pocket　nowfor　you　have　nothing　there。
You　make　a　claim　like　this；　and　then　venture　to　travel　without
credentials。　　These　are　simply　incredibilities。　　Don't　you　see　that；
yourself？〃

He　cast　about　in　his　mind　for　a　defence　of　some　kind　or　otherhesitated
a　little；　and　then　said；　with　difficulty　and　diffidence：

〃I　will　tell　you　just　the　truth；　foolish　as　it　will　seem　to　you
to　anybody；　I　supposebut　it　is　the　truth。　　I　had　an　idealcall　it
a　dream；　a　folly；　if　you　willbut　I　wanted　to　renounce　the　privileges
and　unfair　advantages　enjoyed　by　the　nobility　and　wrung　from　the　nation
by　force　and　fraud；　and　purge　myself　of　my　share　of　those　crimes　against
right　and　reason；　by　thenceforth　comrading　with　the　poor　and　humble　on
equal　terms；　earning　with　my　own　hands　the　bread　I　ate；　and　rising　by　my
own　merit　if　I　rose　at　all。〃

The　young　girl　scanned　his　face　narrowly　while　he　spoke；　and　there　was
something　about　his　simplicity　of　manner　and　statement　which　touched　her
touched　her　almost　to　the　danger　point；　but　she　set　her　grip　on　the
yielding　spirit　and　choked　it　to　quiescence；　it　could　not　be　wise　to
surrender　to　compassion　or　any　kind　of　sentiment；　yet；　she　must　ask　one
or　two　more　questions。　　Tracy　was　reading　her　face；　and　what　he　read
there　lifted　his　drooping　hopes　a　little。

〃An　earl's　son　to　do　that！　　Why；　he　were　a　man！　　A　man　to　love！oh；
more；　a　man　to　worship！〃

〃Why？〃

〃But　he　never　lived！　　He　is　not　born；　he　will　not　be　born。　　The　self…
abnegation　that　could　do　thateven　in　utter　folly；　and　hopeless　of
conveying　benefit　to　any；　beyond　the　mere　examplecould　be　mistaken　for
greatness；　why；　it　would　be　greatness　in　this　cold　age　of　sordid　ideals！
A　momentwaitlet　me　finish；　I　have　one　question　more。　　Your　father　is
earl　of　what？〃

〃Rossmoreand　I　am　Viscount　Berkeley！〃

The　fat　was　in　the　fire　again。　　The　girl　felt　so　outraged　that　it　was
difficult　for　her　to　speak。

〃How　can　you　venture　such　a　brazen　thing！　　You　know　that　he　is　dead；
and　you　know　that　I　know　it。　　Oh；　to　rob　the　living　of　name　and　honors
for　a　selfish　and　temporary　advantage　is　crime　enough；　but　to　rob　the
defenceless　deadwhy　it　is　more　than　crime；　it　degrades　crime！〃

〃Oh；　listen　to　mejust　a　worddon't　turn　away　like　that。　　Don't　go
don't　leave　me；　sostay　one　moment。　　On　my　honor〃

〃Oh；　on　your　honor！〃

〃On　my　honor　I　am　what　I　say！　　And　I　will　prove　it；　and　you　will　believe；
I　know　you　will。　　I　will　bring　you　a　messagea　cablegram〃

〃When？〃

〃To…morrow…next　day〃

〃Signed　'Rossmore'？〃

〃Yessigned　Rossmore。〃

〃What　will　that　prove？〃

〃What　will　it　prove？　　What　should　it　prove？〃

〃If　you　force　me　to　say　itpossibly　the　presence　of　a　confederate
somewhere。〃

This　was　a　hard　blow；　and　staggered　him。　　He　said；　dejectedly：

〃It　is　true。　　I　did　not　think　of　it。　　Oh；　my　God；　I　do　not　know　any　way
to　do；　I　do　everything　wrong。　　You　are　going？and　you　won't　say　even
good…nightor　good…bye？　　Ah；　we　have　not　parted　like　this　before。〃

〃Oh；　I　want　to　run　andno；　go；　now。〃　　A　pausethen　she　said；　〃You　may
bring　the　message　when　it　comes。〃

〃Oh；　may　I？　　God　bless　you。〃

He　was　gone；　and　none　too　soon；　her　lips　were　already　quivering；　and　now
she　broke　down。　　Through　her　sobbings　her　words　broke　from　time　to　time。

〃Oh；　he　is　gone。　　I　have　lost　him；　I　shall　never　see　him　any　more。　　And
he　didn't　kiss　me　good…bye；　never　even　offered　to　force　a　kiss　from　me；
and　he　knowing　it　was　the　very；　very　last；　and　I　expecting　he　would；　and
never　dreaming　he　would　treat　me　so　after　all　we　have　been　to　each　other。
Oh；　oh；　oh；　oh；　what　shall　I　do；　what　shall　I　do！　　He　is　a　dear；　poor；
miserable；　good…hearted；　transparent　liar　and　humbug；　but　oh；　I　do　love
him　so！〃　　After　a　little　she　broke　into　speech　again。　　〃How　dear　he　is！
and　I　shall　miss　him　so；　I　shall　miss　him　so！　　Why　won't　he　ever　think　to
forge　a　message　and　fetch　it？but　no；　he　never　will；　he　never　thinks　of
anything；　he's　so　honest　and　simple　it　wouldn't　ever　occur　to　him。
Oh；　what　did　possess　him　to　think　he　could　succeed　as　a　fraudand　he
hasn't　the　first　requisite　except　duplicity　that　I　can　see。　　Oh；　dear；
I'll　go　to　bed　and　give　it　all　up。　　Oh；　I　wish　I　had　told　him　to　come　and
tell　me　whenever　he　didn't　get　any　telegramand　now　it's　all　my　own
fault　if　I　never　see　him　again。　　How　my　eyes　must　look！〃




CHAPTER　XXIV。

Next　day；　sure　enough；　the　cablegram　didn't　come。　　This　was　an　immense
disaster；　for　Tracy　couldn't　go　into　the　presence　without　that　ticket；
although　it　wasn't　going　to　possess　any　value　as　evidence。　　But　if　the
failure　of　the　cablegram　on　that　first　day　may　be　called　an　immense
disaster；　where　is　the　dictionary　that　can　turn　out　a　phrase　sizeable
enough　to　describe　the　tenth　day's　failure？　　Of　course　every　day　that　the
cablegram　didn't　come　made　Tracy　all　of　twenty…four　hours'　more　ashamed
of　himself　than　he　was　the　day　before；　and　made　Sally　fully　twenty…four
hours　more　certain　than　ever　that　he　not　only　hadn't　any　father　anywhere；
but　hadn't　even　a　confederateand　so　it　followed　that　he　was　a　double…
dyed　humbug　and　couldn't　be　otherwise。

These　were　hard　days　for　Barrow　and　the　art　firm。　　All　these　had　their
hands　full；　trying　to　comfort　Tracy。　　Barrow's　task　was　particularly
hard；　because　he　was　made　a　confidant　in　full；　and　therefore　had　to　humor
Tracy's　delusion　that　he　had　a　father；　and　that　the　father　was　an　earl；
and　that　he　was　going　to　send　a　cablegram。　　Barrow　early　gave　up　the　idea
of　trying　to　convince　Tracy　that　he　hadn't　any　father；　because　this　had
such　a　bad　effect　on　the　patient；　and　worked　up　his　temper　to　such　an
alarming　degree。　　He　had　tried；　as　an　experiment；　letting　Tracy　think　he
had　a　father；　the　result　was　so　good　that　he　went　further；　with　proper
caution；　and　tried　letting　him　think　his　father　was　an　earl；　this　wrought
so　well；　that　he　grew　bold；　and　tried　letting　him　think　he　had　two
fathers；　if　he　wanted　to；　but　he　didn't　want　to；　so　Barrow　withdrew　one
of　them　and　substituted　letting　him　think　he　was　going　to　get　a
cablegramwhich　Barrow　judged　he　wouldn't；　and　was　right；　but　Barrow
worked　the　cablegram　daily　for　all　it　was　worth；　and　it　was　the　one　thing
that　kept　Tracy　alive；　that　was　Barrow's　opinion。

And　these　were　bitter　hard　days　for　poor　Sally；　and　mainly　delivered　up
to　private　crying。　　She　kept　her　furniture　pretty　damp；　and　so　caught
cold；　and　the　dampness　and　the　cold　and　the　sorrow　together　undermined
her　appetite；　and　she　was　a　pitiful　enough　object；　poor　thing。　　Her　state
was　bad　enough；　as　per　statement　of　it　above　quoted；　but　all　the　forces
of　nature　and　circumstance　seemed　conspiring　to　make　it　worseand
succeeding。　　For　instance；　the　morning　after　her　dismissal　of　Tracy；
Hawkins　and　Sellers　read　in　the　associated　press　dispatches　that　a　toy
puzzle　called　Pigs　in　the　Clover；　had　come　into　sudden　favor　within　the
past　few　weeks；　and　that　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Pacific　all　the
populations　of　all　the　States　had　knocked　off　work　to　play　with　it；
and　that　the　business　of　the　country　had　now　come　to　a　standstill　by
consequence；　that　judges；　lawyers；　burglars；　parsons；　thieves；　merchants；
mechanics；　murderers；　women；　children；　babieseverybody；　indeed；　could
be　seen　from　morning　till　midnight；　absorbed　in　one　deep　project　and
purpose；　and　only　oneto　pen　those　pigs；　work　out　that　puzzle
successfully；　that　all　gayety；　all　cheerfulness　had　departed　from　the
nation；　and　in　its　place　care；　preoccupation　and　anxiety　sat　upon　every
countenance；　and　all　faces　were　drawn；　distressed；　and　furrowed　with　the
signs　of　age　and　trouble；　and　marked　with　the　still　sadder　signs　of
mental　decay　and　incipient　madness；　that　factories　were　at　work　night　and
day　in　eight　cities；　and　yet　to　supply　the　demand　for　the　puzzle　was　thus
far　impossible。　　Hawkins　was　wild　with　joy；　but　Sellers　was　calm。　　Small
matters　could　not　disturb　his　serenity。　　He　said

〃That's　just　the　way　things　go。　　A　man　invents　a　thing　which　could
revolutionize　the　arts；　produce　mountains　of　money；　and　bless　t