children of the whirlwind-第33章

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！



Hunt　pulled　for　a　long　moment　at　his　pipe。　Then　he　said　almost　gruffly：

〃I　guess　you've　guessed　that　Isabel　Sherwood　is　about　the　most　important　person　in　the　world　to　me？〃

That　was　the　nearest　Hunt　had　ever　come　to　telling　that　he　loved　Miss　Sherwood。　Larry　nodded。

〃I'm　in　bad　there　already。　Suppose　your　foot　slips　and　everything　about　Dick　goes　wrong。　What'll　be　my　situation　when　she　learns　I've　known　all　along　and　have　just　stood　by　quietly　and　let　things　happen？　See　what　I'll　be　letting　myself　in　for？〃

〃I　do；〃　said　Larry；　his　spirits　sinking。　〃And　of　course　I　can　understand　your　decision　not　to　give　your　promise。〃

〃Who　said　I　wouldn't　give　my　promise？〃　demanded　Hunt。　〃Of　course　I　give　my　promise！　All　I　said　was　that　the　weather　bureau　of　my　bad　toe　predicts　that　there's　likely　to　be　a　storm　because　of　thisand　I　want　you　to　use　your　brain；　son；　I　want　you　to　use　your　brain！〃

He　upreared　his　big；　shag…haired　figure　and　gripped　Larry's　hand。　〃You're　all　right；　Larryand　here's　wishing　you　luck！　Now　get　to　hell　out　of　here　before　Gavegan　and　Casey　drop　in　for　a　cup　of　tea；　or　your　old　friends　begin　target　practice　with　their　hip　artillery。　I　want　a　little　quiet　in　which　to　finish　my　packing。

〃And　say；　son；〃　he　added；　as　he　pushed　Larry　through　the　door；　〃don't　fall　dead　at　the　sight　of　me　when　you　see　me　next；　for　I'm　likely　to　be　walking　around　inside　all　the　finery　and　vanity　of　Fifth　Avenue。〃




CHAPTER　XXI


Larry　came　down　the　stairway　from　Hunt's　studio　in　a　mood　of　high　elation。　Through　Hunt's　promise　of　cooperation　he　had　at　least　made　a　start　in　his　unformed　plan　regarding　Maggie。　Somehow；　he'd　work　out　and　put　across　the　rest　of　it。

Then　Hunt's　prediction　of　the　trouble　that　might　rise　through　his　silence　recurred　to　Larry。　Indeed；　that　was　a　delicate　situation！　containing　all　kinds　of　possible　disasters　for　himself　as　well　as　for　Hunt。　He　would　have　to　be　most　watchful；　most　careful；　or　he　would　find　himself　entangled　in　worse　circumstances　than　at　present。

As　he　came　down　into　the　little　back　room；　his　grandmother　was　sitting　over　her　interminable　accounts；　each　of　which　represented　a　little　profit　to　herself；　some　a　little　relief　to　many；　some　a　tragedy　to　a　few；　and　many　of　which　were　in　code；　for　these　represented　transactions　of　a　character　which　no　pawnshop；　particularly　one　reputed　to　be　a　fence；　wishes　ever　to　have　understood　by　those　presumptive　busy…bodies；　the　police。　When　Larry　had　first　entered；　she　had　merely　given　him　an　unsurprised　〃good…evening〃　and　permitted　him　to　pass　on。　But　now；　as　he　told　her　good…night　and　turned　to　leave；　she　said　in　her　thin；　monotonous　voice：

〃Sit　down　for　a　minute；　Larry。　I　want　to　talk　to　you。〃

Larry　obeyed。　〃Yes；　grandmother。〃

But　the　Duchess　did　not　at　once　speak。　She　held　her　red…rimmed；　unblinking　eyes　on　him　steadily。　Larry　waited　patiently。　Though　she　was　so　composed；　so　self…contained；　Larry　knew　her　well　enough　to　know　that　what　was　passing　in　her　mind　was　something　of　deep　importance；　at　least　to　her。

At　length　she　spoke。　〃You　saw　Maggie　that　night　you　hurried　away　from　here？〃

〃Yes；　grandmother。　Have　you　heard　from　her　since　the？or　from　Barney　or　Old　Jimmie？〃

The　Duchess　shook　her　head。　〃Do　you　mind　telling　me　what　happened　that　nightand　what　Maggie's　doing？〃

Larry　told　her　of　the　scene　in　Maggie's　suite　at　the　Grantham；　told　of　the　plan　in　which　Maggie　was　involved　and　of　his　own　added　predicament。　This　last　the　Duchess　seemingly　ignored。

〃Just　about　what　I　supposed　she　was　doing；〃　she　said。　〃And　you　tried　again　to　get　her　to　give　it　up？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　she　refused？〃

〃Yes。〃　And　he　added：　〃Refused　more　emphatically　than　before。〃

The　Duchess　studied　him　a　long　moment。　Then：　〃You're　not　trying　to　make　her　give　that　up　just　because　you　think　she's　worth　saving。　You　like　her　a　lot；　Larry？〃

〃I　love　her；〃　Larry　admitted。

〃I'm　sorry　about　that；　Larry。〃　There　was　real　emotion　in　the　old　voice　now。　〃I've　told　you　that　you're　all　I've　got　left。　And　now　that　you've　at　last　started　right；　I　want　everything　to　go　right　with　you。　Everything！　And　Maggie　will　never　help　things　go　right　with　you。　Your　love　for　her　can　only　mean　misery　and　misfortune。　You　can't　change　her。〃

Larry　came　out　with　the　questions　he　had　asked　himself　so　frequently　these　last　days。　〃But　why　did　her　manner　change　so　when　she　heard　Barney　and　the　others？　Why　did　she　help　me　escape？〃

〃That　was　because；　deep　down；　she　really　loves　you。　That's　the　worst　part　of　it：　you　both　love　each　other。〃　The　Duchess　slowly　nodded　her　head。　〃You　both　love　each　other。　If　it　wasn't　for　that　I　wouldn't　care　what　you　tried　to　do。　But　I　tell　you　again　you　can't　change　her。　She's　too　sure　of　herself。　She'll　always　try　to　make　you　go　_her　way_and　if　you　don't；　you'll　never　get　a　smile　from　her。　And　because　you　love　each　other；　I'm　afraid　you'll　give　in　and　go　her　way。　That's　what　I'm　afraid　of。　Won't　you　just　cut　her　out　of　your　life；　Larry？〃

It　had　been　a　prodigiously　long　speech　for　the　Duchess。　And　Larry　realized　that　the　emotion　behind　it　was　a　thousand　times　what　showed　in　the　thin　voice　of　the　bent；　gestureless　figure。

〃For　your　sake　I'm　sorry；　grandmother。　But　I　can't。〃

〃Then　it's　only　fair　to　tell　you；　Larry；〃　she　said　in　a　more　composed　tone　which　expressed　a　finality　of　decision；　〃that　if　there's　ever　anything　I　can　do　to　stop　this；　I'll　do　it。　For　she's　bad　for　you　what　with　her　stiff　spiritand　the　ideas　Old　Jimmie　has　put　into　herand　the　way　Old　Jimmie　has　brought　her　up。　I'll　stop　things　if　I　can。〃

Larry　made　no　reply。　The　Duchess　continued　looking　at　him　steadily　for　a　long　space。　He　knew　she　was　thinking；　and　he　was　wondering　what　was　passing　through　that　shrewd　old　brain；　when　she　remarked：

〃By　the　way；　Larry；　I　just　remembered　what　you　told　me　of　that　old　Sing　Sing　friendJoe　Ellison。　Have　you　heard　from　him　recently？〃

〃He's　out；　and　he's　working　where　I　am。〃

〃Yes？　What's　he　doing？〃

〃He's　working　there　as　a　gardener。〃

Again　she　was　silent　a　space；　her　sunken　eyes　steady　With　thought。　Then　she　said：

〃From　the　time　he　was　twenty　till　he　was　thirty　I　knew　Joe　Ellison　wellbetter　than　I've　ever　told　you。　He　knew　your　mother　when　she　was　a　girl；　Larry。　I　wish　you'd　ask　him　to　come　in　to　see　me。　As　soon　as　he　can　manage　it。〃

Larry　promised。　His　grandmother　said　no　more　about　Maggie；　and　presently　Larry　bade　her　good…night　and　made　his　cautious　way；　ever　on　the　lookout　for　danger；　to　where　he　had　left　his　roadster；　and　thence　safely　out　to　Cedar　Crest。　But　the　Duchess　sat　for　hours　exactly　as　he　had　left　her；　her　accounts　unheeded；　thinking；　thinking；　thinking　over　an　utterly　impossible　possibility　that　had　first　presented　itself　faintly　to　her　several　days　before。　She　did　not　see　how　the　thing　could　be；　and　yet　somehow　it　might　be；　for　many　a　strange　thing　did　happen　in　this　border　world　where　for　so　long　she　had　lived。　When　finally　she　went　to　bed　she　slept　little；　her　busy　conjectures　would　not　permit　sleep。　And　though　the　next　day　she　went　about　her　shop　seemingly　as　usual；　she　was　still　thinking。

That　night　Joe　Ellison　came。　They　met　as　though　they　had　last　seen　each　other　but　yesterday。

〃Good…evening；　Joe。〃

〃Glad　to　see　you；　Duchess。〃

She　held　out　to　him　a　box　of　the　best　cigars；　which　she　had　bought　against　his　coming；　for　she　had　remembered　Joe　Ellison's　once　fastidious　taste　regarding　tobacco。　He　lit　one；　and　they　fell　into　the　easy　silence　of　old　friends；　taking　up　their　friendship　exactly　where　it　had　been　broken　off。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Joe　Ellison　might　have　been　her　son…in…law　but　for　her　own　firm　attitude。　He　had　known　her　daughter　very　much　better　than　her　words　to　Larry　the　previous　evening　had　indicated。　Not　only　had　Joe　known　her　while　a　girl　down　here；　but　much　later　he　had　learned　in　what　convent　she　was　going　to　school　and　there　had　been　surreptitious　love…making　despite　convent　rules　and　boundariestill　the　Duchess　had　learned　what　was　going　on。　She　had　had　a　square　out…and…out　talk　with　Joe；　the　romance　had　suddenly　ended；　and　later　Larry's　mother　had　married　elsewhere。　But　the　snuffed…out　romance　had　made　no　difference　in　the　friendship　between　the　Duchess　and　Joe；　each　had　recog