children of the whirlwind-第43章

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〃Don't　you　see？　If　she　forgave　me　being　what　I　am；　and　I　rather　think　she　would；　and　with　Dick　liking　me　as　he　doeswhy；　it　struck　me　as　the　best　thing　for　yours　truly　to　marry　Dick　for　keeps。〃

〃What？〃　Though　Barney's　voice　was　low；　it　had　the　effect　of　a　startled　and　savage　roar。　〃And　chuck　us　over…board？〃

〃Not　at　all。　If　I　married　Dick　for　keeps；　I　intended　to　pay　you　a　lump　sum；　or　else　a　regular　amount　each　year。〃

〃No；　you　don't！〃　Barney　cried　in　the　same　muffled　roar。

〃Perhaps　notI　haven't　decided；〃　Maggie　said　evenly。　〃I've　merely　been　telling　you；　as　you　requested　me；　why　I　did　as　I　did。　I　refused　Dick；　and　lied　to　you；　so　that　I　might　have　more　time　to　think　over　what　I　really　wanted　to　do。〃

Instinctively　she　had　counted　on　rousing　Barney's　jealousy　in　order　to　throw　him　off　the　track　of　her　real　thoughts。　She　succeeded。

〃I　can　tell　you　what　you're　going　to　do！〃　Barney　flung　at　her　with　fierce　mastery。　〃You're　not　going　to　put　over　a　sure…enough　marriage　with　any　Dick　Sherwood！　When　there's　that　kind　of　a　marriage；　I'm　going　to　be　the　man！　And　you're　going　to　go　right　straight　ahead　with　our　old　plan！　Dick'll　propose　again　if　you　give　him　half　a　chance。　And　when　he　does；　you　say　'yes'！　Understand？　That's　what　you're　going　to　do！〃

There　was　no　safety　in　openly　defying　Barney。　And　as　a　matter　of　fact　what　he　had　ordered　was　what；　in　the　shifting　currents　of　her　thoughts；　the　steady　momentum　of　her　old　ambitions　and　purposes　had　been　pushing　her　toward。　So　she　said；　in　her　even　voice：

〃You　waste　such　a　lot　of　your　good　energy；　Barney；　by　exploding　when　there's　nothing　to　blow　up。　That's　exactly　what　I'd　decided　to　do。　Miss　Sherwood　has　asked　me　out　to　Cedar　Crest　to…morrow　afternoon；　and　I'm　going。〃

Barney　let　go　the　hold　he　had　kept　upon　her　wrists；　and　the　dark　look　slowly　lifted　from　his　face。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　a　fellow　this　at　first？〃　he　half　grumbled。　then　with　a　grim　enthusiasm：　〃And　when　you　come　back；　you're　going　to　tell　us　it's　all　settled！〃

Of　courseif　he　asks　me。　And　now　suppose　you　two　go　away。　You've　given　me　a　headache；　and　I　want　to　rest。〃

〃We'll　go；〃　said　Barney。　〃But　there　may　be　some　more　points　about　this　that　we　may　want　to　talk　over　a　little　later　to…night。　So　better　get　all　the　rest　you　can。〃

But　when　they　had　gone　and　left　her　to　the　silence　of　her　pretentious　and　characterless　suite；　Maggie　did　not　rest。　She　had　made　up　her　mind；　she　was　going　to　do　as　she　had　said。　But　there　was　still　that　same　turmoil　within　her。

Again　she　thought　of　Larry。　But　she　would　not　admit　to　herself　that　her　real　motive　for　suddenly　deciding　to　go　to　Cedar　Crest　on　the　morrow　was　the　chance　of　seeing　him。




CHAPTER　XXVI


During　all　these　days　Larry　waited　for　news　of　the　result　of　the　experiment　in　psychology　which　meant　so　much　to　his　life。　He　had　not　expected　to　hear　directly　from　Maggie；　but　he　had　counted　upon　learning　at　once　from　Dick；　if　not　by　words；　then　either　from　eloquent　dejection　which　would　proclaim　Dick's　refusal　（and　Larry's　success）　or　from　an　ebullient　joy　which　would　proclaim　that　Maggie　had　accepted　him。　But　Dick's　sober　but　not　unhappy　behavior　announced　neither　of　these　two　to　Larry；　and　the　matter　was　too　personal；　altogether　too　delicate；　to　permit　Larry　to　ask　Dick　the　result；　however　subtly　he　might　ask　it。

So　Larry　could　only　waitand　wonder。　The　truth　did　not　occur　to　Larry；　he　did　not　see　that　there　might　be　another　alternative　to　the　two　possible　reactions　he　had　calculated　upon。　He　did　not　bear　in　mind　that　Maggie's　youthful　obstinacy；　her　belief　in　herself　and　her　ways；　were　too　solid　a　structure　to　yield　at　once　to　one　moral　shock；　however　wisely　planned　and　however　strong。　He　did　not　at　this　time　hold　in　mind　that　any　real　change　in　so　decided　a　character　as　Maggie；　if　change　there　was　to　be；　would　be　preceded　and　accompanied　by　a　turbulent　period　in　which　she　would　hardly　know　who　she　was；　or　where　she　was；　or　what　she　was　going　to　doand　that　at　the　end　of　such　a　period　there　might　be　no　change　at　all。

Inasmuch　as　just　then　Maggie　was　his　major　interest；　it　seemed　to　Larry　in　his　safe　seclusion　that　he　was　merely　marking　time；　and　marking　time　with　feet　that　were　frantically　impatient。　He　felt　he　could　not　stand　much　longer　his　own　inactivity　and　his　ignorance　of　what　Maggie　was　doing　and　what　was　happening　to　her。　He　could　not　remain　in　this　sanctuary　pulling　strings；　and　very　long　and　fragile　strings；　and　strings　which　might　be　the　mistaken　ones；　for　any　much　greater　period。　He　felt　that　he　simply　had　to　walk　out　of　this　splendid　safety；　back　into　the　dangers　from　which　he　had　fled；　where　he　might　at　least　have　the　possible　advantage　of　being　in　the　very　midst　of　Maggie's　affairs　and　fight　for　her　more　openly　and　have　a　more　direct　influence　upon　her。

He　knew　that；　sooner　or　later；　he　was　going　to　throw　caution　aside　and　appear　suddenly　among　his　enemies；　unless　something　of　a　definite　character　developed。　But　for　these　slow；　irritating　days　he　held　himself　in　check　with　difficulty；　hoping　that　things　might　come　to　him；　that　he　would　not　have　to　go　forth　to　them。

He　had　brought　Hunt's　portrait　of　Maggie　to　Cedar　Crest　in　the　bottom　of　his　trunk；　and　kept　it　locked　in　his　chiffonier。　During　these　days；　more　frequently　than　before；　he　would　take　out　the　portrait　and　in　the　security　of　his　locked　room　would　gaze　long　at　that　keen…visioned　portrayal　of　her　many　characters。　No　doubt　of　it：　there　was　a　possible　splendid　woman　there！　And　no　doubt　of　it：　he　loved　that　woman　utterly！

During　these　days　of　his　ignorance；　while　Maggie　was　struggling　in　the　darkness　of　her　unexplored　being；　Larry　drove　himself　grimly　at　the　business　to　which　under　happier　circumstances　he　would　have　gone　under　the　irresistible　suasion　of　pure　joy。　One　afternoon　he　presented　to　Miss　Sherwood　an　outline　for　his　growing　plan　for　the　development　of　the　Sherwood　properties　on　the　basis　of　good　homes　at　fair　rentals。　He　discovered　that；　in　spite　of　her　generous　giving；　she　had　much　the　same　attitude　toward　Charity　as　his　own：　that　the　only　sound　Charity；　except　for　those　temporarily　or　permanently　handicapped　or　disabled；　was　the　giving　of　honest　values　for　honest　returnsand　that　was　not　Charity　at　all。

The　project　of　reforming　the　shiftless　character　of　the　Sherwood　properties；　and　of　relieving　even　in　a　small　degree　New　York's　housing　congestion；　appealed　at　once　to　her　imagination　and　her　sensible　idealism。

〃A　splendid　plan！〃　she　exclaimed；　regarding　Larry　with　those　wise；　humorous　eyes　of　hers；　which　were　now　very　serious　and　penetrating。　〃You　have　been　working　much　harder　than　I　had　thought。　And　if　you　will　pardon　my　saying　it；　you　have　more　of　the　soundly　humane　vision　which　big　business　enterprise　should　have　than　I　had　thought。〃

〃Thank　you！〃　said　Larry。

〃That's　a　splendid　dream；〃　she　continued；　〃but　it　will　take　hard　work　to　translate　that　dream　into　a　reality。　We　shall　need　architects；　builders；　a　heavy　initial　expense；　timeand　a　more　modern　and　alert　management。〃

〃Yes；　Miss　Sherwood。〃

She　did　not　speak　for　a　moment。　Her　penetrating　eyes；　which　had　been　fixed　on　him　in　close　thought；　were　yet　more　penetrating。　Finally　she　said：

〃That's　a　big　thing；　a　useful　thing。　The　present　agents　wish　to　be　relieved　of　our　affairs　as　soon　as　I　can　make　arrangementsand　I'd　like　nothing　better　than　for　Dick　to　drop　what　he's　doing　and　get　into　something　constructive　and　useful　like　this。　But　Dick　cannot　do　it　alone；　he's　too　unsettled；　and　too　inexperienced　to　cope　with　some　of　the　sharper　business　practices。〃

She　paused　again；　still　regarding　him　with　those　keen　eyes；　which　seemed　to　be　weighing　him。　Finally　she　said；　almost　abruptly：

〃Will　you　take　charge　of　this　with　Dick？　He　likes　you　and　respects　your　judgment；　I'm　sure　you'd　help　steady　him　down。　Of　course　you　lack　practical　experience；　but　you　can　take　in　a　practical　man　who　will　supply　this　element。　Practical　experience　is　one　of　the　commonest　articles　on　the　market；　vision　and　initiative　are　among　the　rarest　and　you　have　them。　What　do　you　say？〃

Larry　could　not　say　anything　at　once。　The　suddenness　of　her　offer；　the　largeness　of　his　opportunity；　bewildered　him　for　the　moment。　And