the price she paid-第1章

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The　Price　She　Paid

by　David　Graham　Phillips


I


HENRY　GOWER　was　dead　at　sixty…onethe　end　of　a　lifelong　fraud　which　never　had　been　suspected；　and　never　would　be。　　With　the　world；　with　his　acquaintances　and　neighbors；　with　his　wife　and　son　and　daughter；　he　passed　as　a　generous；　warm…hearted；　good…natured　man；　ready　at　all　times　to　do　anything　to　help　anybody；　incapable　of　envy　or　hatred　or　meanness。　　In　fact；　not　once　in　all　his　days　had　he　ever　thought　or　done　a　single　thing　except　for　his　own　comfort。　　Like　all　intensely　selfish　people　who　are　wise；　he　was　cheerful　and　amiable；　because　that　was　the　way　to　be　healthy　and　happy　and　to　have　those　around　one　agreeable　and　in　the　mood　to　do　what　one　wished　them　to　do。　　He　told　people；　not　the　truth；　not　the　unpleasant　thing　that　might　help　them；　but　what　they　wished　to　hear。　　His　family　lived　in　luxurious　comfort　only　because　he　himself　was　fond　of　luxurious　comfort。　His　wife　and　his　daughter　dressed　fashionably　and　went　about　and　entertained　in　the　fashionable；　expensive　way　only　because　that　was　the　sort　of　life　that　gratified　his　vanity。　　He　lived　to　get　what　he　wanted；　he　got　it　every　day　and　every　hour　of　a　life　into　which　no　rain　ever　fell；　he　died；　honored；　respected；　beloved；　and　lamented。

The　clever　trick　he　had　played　upon　his　fellow　beings　came　very　near　to　discovery　a　few　days　after　his　death。　　His　widow　and　her　son　and　daughter…in…law　and　daughter　were　in　the　living…room　of　the　charming　house　at　Hanging　Rock；　near　New　York；　alternating　between　sorrowings　over　the　dead　man　and　plannings　for　the　future。　　Said　the　widow：

‘‘If　Henry　had　only　thought　what　would　become　of　us　if　he　were　taken　away！''

‘‘If　he　had　saved　even　a　small　part　of　what　he　made　every　year　from　the　time　he　was　twenty…sixfor　he　always　made　a　big　income；''　said　his　son；　Frank。

‘‘But　he　was　so　generous；　so　soft…hearted！''　exclaimed　the　widow。　　‘‘He　could　deny　us　nothing。''

‘‘He　couldn't　bear　seeing　us　with　the　slightest　wish　ungratified；''　said　Frank。

‘‘He　was　the　best　father　that　ever　lived！''　cried　the　daughter；　Mildred。

And　Mrs。　Gower　the　elder　and　Mrs。　Gower　the　younger　wept；　and　Mildred　turned　away　to　hide　the　emotion　distorting　her　face；　and　Frank　stared　gloomily　at　the　carpet　and　sighed。　　The　hideous　secret　of　the　life　of　duplicity　was　safe；　safe　forever。

In　fact；　Henry　Gower　had　often　thought　of　the　fate　of　his　family　if　he　should　die。　　In　the　first　year　of　his　married　life；　at　a　time　when　passion　for　a　beautiful　bride　was　almost　sweeping　him　into　generous　thought；　he　had　listened　for　upward　of　an　hour　to　the　eloquence　of　a　life　insurance　agent。　　Then　the　agent；　misled　by　Gower's　effusively　generous　and　unselfish　expressions；　had　taken　a　false　tack。　　He　had　descanted　upon　the　supreme　satisfaction　that　would　be　felt　by　a　dying　man　as　he　reflected　how　his　young　widow　would　be　left　in　affluence。　　He　made　a　vivid　picture；　Gower　saw　saw　his　bride　happier　after　his　death　than　she　had　been　during　his　life；　and　attracting　a　swarm　of　admirers　by　her　beauty；　well　set　off　in　becoming　black；　and　by　her　independent　income。　　The　generous　impulse　then　and　there　shriveled　to　its　weak　and　shallow　roots。　　With　tears　in　his　kind；　clear　eyes　he　thanked　the　agent　and　said：

‘‘You　have　convinced　me。　　You　need　say　no　more。　I'll　send　for　you　in　a　few　days。''

The　agent　never　got　into　his　presence　again。　Gower　lived　up　to　his　income；　secure　in　the　knowledge　that　his　ability　as　a　lawyer　made　him　certain　of　plenty　of　money　as　long　as　he　should　live。　　But　it　would　show　an　utter　lack　of　comprehension　of　his　peculiar　species　of　character　to　imagine　that　he　let　himself　into　the　secret　of　his　own　icy…heartedness　by　ceasing　to　think　of　the　problem　of　his　wife　and　two　children　without　him　to　take　care　of　them。　　On　the　contrary；　he　thought　of　it　every　day；　and　planned　what　he　would　do　about　itto…morrow。　　And　for　his　delay　he　had　excellent　convincing　excuses。　　Did　he　not　take　care　of　his　naturally　robust　health？　　Would　he　not　certainly　out…　live　his　wife；　who　was　always　doctoring　more　or　less？　Frank　would　be　able　to　take　care　of　himself；　anyhow；　it　was　not　well　to　bring　a　boy　up　to　expectations；　because　every　man　should　be　self…supporting　and　self…　reliant。　　As　for　Mildred；　why；　with　her　beauty　and　her　cleverness　she　could　not　but　make　a　brilliant　marriage。　Really；　there　was　for　him　no　problem　of　an　orphaned　family's　future；　there　was　no　reason　why　he　should　deny　himself　any　comfort　or　luxury；　or　his　vanity　any　of　the　titillations　that　come　from　social　display。

That　one　of　his　calculations　which　was　the　most　vital　and　seemed　the　surest　proved　to　be　worthless。　　It　is　not　the　weaklings　who　die；　after　infancy　and　youth；　but　the　strong；　healthy　men　and　women。　　The　weaklings　have　to　look　out　for　themselves；　receive　ample　warning　in　the　disastrous　obvious　effects　of　the　slightest　imprudence。　　The　robust；　even　the　wariest　of　them；　even　the　Henry　Gowers；　overestimate　and　overtax　their　strength。　　Gower's　downfall　was　champagne。　　He　could　not　resist　a　bottle　of　it　for　dinner　every　night。　As　so　often　happens；　the　collapse　of　the　kidneys　came　without　any　warning　that　a　man　of　powerful　constitution　would　deem　worthy　of　notice。　　By　the　time　the　doctor　began　to　suspect　the　gravity　of　his　trouble　he　was　too　far　gone。

Frank；　candidly　greedy　and　selfish‘‘Such　a　contrast　to　his　father！''　everyone　saidwas　married　to　the　prettiest　girl　in　Hanging　Rock　and　had　a　satisfactory　law　practice　in　New　York。　　His　income　was　about　fifteen　thousand　a　year。　　But　his　wife　had　tastes　as　extravagant　as　his　own；　and　Hanging　Rock　is　one　of　those　suburbs　of　New　York　where　gather　well…to…do　middle…class　people　to　live　luxuriously　and　to　delude　each　other　and　themselves　with　the　notion　that　they　are　fashionable；　rich　New　Yorkers　who　prefer　to　live　in　the　country　‘‘like　the　English。''　　Thus；　Henry　Gower's　widow　and　daughter　could　count　on　little　help　from　Frankand　they　knew　it。

‘‘You　and　Milly　will　have　to　move　to　some　less　expensive　place　than　Hanging　Rock；''　said　Frankit　was　the　living…room　conference　a　few　days　after　the　funeral。

Mildred　flushed　and　her　eyes　flashed。　　She　opened　her　lips　to　speakclosed　them　again　with　the　angry　retort　unuttered。　　After　all；　Frank　was　her　mother's　and　her　sole　dependence。　　They　could　hope　for　little　from　him；　but　nothing　must　be　said　that　would　give　him　and　his　mean；　selfish　wife　a　chance　to　break　with　them　and　refuse　to　do　anything　whatever。

‘‘And　Mildred　must　get　married；''　said　Natalie。　In　Hanging　Rock　most　of　the　girls　and　many　of　the　boys　had　given　names　taken　from　Burke's　Peerage；　the　Almanac　de　Gotha；　and　fashionable　novels。

Again　Mildred　flushed；　but　her　eyes　did　not　flash；　neither　did　she　open　her　lips　to　speak。　　The　little　remark　of　her　sister…in…law；　apparently　so　harmless　and　sensible；　was　in　fact　a　poisoned　arrow。　　For　Mildred　was　twenty…three；　had　been　‘‘out''　five　years；　and　was　not　even　in　the　way　to　become　engaged。　　She　and　everyone　had　assumed　from　her　lovely　babyhood　that　she　would　marry　splendidly；　would　marry　wealth　and　social　position。　　How　could　it　be　otherwise？　　Had　she　not　beauty？　　Had　she　not　family　and　position？　　Had　she　not　style　and　cleverness？　　Yetfive　years　out　and　not　a　‘‘serious''　proposal。　　An　impudent　poor　fellow　with　no　prospects　had　asked　her。　　An　impudent　rich　man　from　fashionable　New　York　had　hung　after　her　and　had　presently　abandoned　whatever　dark　projects　he　may　have　been　concealing　and　had　married　in　his　own　set；　‘‘as　they　always　do；　the　miserable　snobs；''　raved　Mrs。　Gower；　who　had　been　building　high　upon　those　lavish　outpourings　of　candy；　flowers；　and　automobile　rides。　　Mildred；　however；　had　accepted　the　defection　more　philosophically。　　She　had　had　enough　vanity　to　like　the　attentions　of　the　rich　and　fashionable　New　Yorker；　enough　good　sense　to　suspect；　perhaps　not　definitely；　what　those　attentions　meant；　but　certainly　what　they　did　not　mean。　　Also；　in　the　back　of　her　head　had　been　an　intention　to　refuse　Stanley　Baird；　if　by　chance　he　should　ask　her。　　Was　there　any　substance　to　this　intention；　sprung　from　her　disliking　the　conceited；　self…assured　snob　as　much　as　she　liked　his　wealth　and　station？　　Perhaps　not。　　Who　can　say？　　At　any　rate；　may　we　not