the price she paid-第3章

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rtunately　for　Mildred；　Stanley　Baird；　too　wise　to　flatter　a　woman　discriminatingly；　did　not　tell　her　the　secret　of　her　fascination。　　If　he　had　told　her；　she　would　no　doubt　have　tried　to　train　and　to　use　itand　so　would　inevitably　have　lost　it。

To　go　on　with　that　important　conference　in　the　sitting…room　in　the　handsome；　roomy　house　of　the　Gowers　at　Hanging　Rock；　Frank　Gower　eagerly　seized　upon　his　wife's　subtly　nasty　remark。　　‘‘I　don't　see　why　in　thunder　you　haven't　married；　Milly；''　said　he。　　‘‘You've　had　every　chance；　these　last　four　or　five　years。''

‘‘And　it'll　be　harder　now；''　moaned　her　mother。　‘‘For　it　looks　as　though　we　were　going　to　be　wretchedly　poor。　　And　poverty　is　so　repulsive。''

‘‘Do　you　think；''　said　Mildred；　‘‘that　giving　me　the　idea　that　I　must　marry　right　away　will　make　it　easier　for　me　to　marry？　　Everyone　who　knows　us　knows　our　circumstances。''　　She　looked　significantly　at　Frank's　wife；　who　had　been　wailing　through　Hanging　Rock　the　woeful　plight　of　her　dead　father…in…law's　family。　The　young　Mrs。　Gower　blushed　and　glanced　away。　‘‘And；''　Mildred　went　on；　‘‘everyone　is　saying　that　I　must　marry　at　oncethat　there's　nothing　else　for　me　to　do。''　　She　smiled　bitterly。　　‘‘When　I　go　into　the　street　again　I　shall　see　nothing　but　flying　men。　　And　no　man　would　come　to　call　unless　he　brought　a　chaperon　and　a　witness　with　him。''

‘‘How　can　you　be　so　frivolous？''　reproached　her　mother。

Mildred　was　used　to　being　misunderstood　by　her　mother；　who　had　long　since　been　made　hopelessly　dull　by　the　suffocating　life　she　led　and　by　pain　from　her　feet；　which　never　left　her　at　ease　for　a　moment　except　when　she　had　them　soaking　in　cold　water。　　Mrs。　Gower　had　been　born　with　ordinary　feet；　neither　ugly　nor　pretty　and　entirely　fit　for　the　uses　for　which　nature　intended　feet。　　She　had　spoiled　them　by　wearing　shoes　to　make　them　look　smaller　and　slimmer　than　they　were。　In　steady　weather　she　was　plaintive；　in　changeable　weather　she　varied　between　irritable　and　violent。

Said　Mildred　to　her　brother：　　‘‘How　muchJUST　how　much　is　there？''

‘‘I　can't　say　exactly；''　replied　her　brother；　who　had　not　yet　solved　to　his　satisfaction　the　moral　problem　of　how　much　of　the　estate　he　ought　to　allow　his　mother　and　sister　and　how　much　he　ought　to　claim　for　himself　in　such　a　way　that　the　claim　could　not　be　disputed。

Mildred　looked　fixedly　at　him。　　He　showed　his　uneasiness　not　by　glancing　away；　but　by　the　appearance　of　a　certain　hard　defiance　in　his　eyes。　　Said　she：

‘‘What　is　the　very　most　we　can　hope　for？''

A　silence。　　Her　mother　broke　it。　　‘‘Mildred；　how　CAN　you　talk　of　those　thingsalready？''

‘‘I　don't　know；''　replied　Mildred。　　‘‘Perhaps　because　it's　got　to　be　done。''

This　seemed　to　them　alland　to　herselfa　lame　excuse　for　such　apparent　hardness　of　heart。　　Her　father　had　always　been　SENDER…HEARTEDHAD　NEVER　SPOKEN　OF　MONEY；　OR　ENCOURAGED　HIS　FAMILY　IN　SPEAKING　OF　IT。

A　LONG　AND　PAINFUL　SILENCE。　　THEN；　THE　WIDOW　ABRUPTLY：

‘‘YOU'RE　SURE；　Frank；　there's　NO　insurance？''

‘‘Father　always　said　that　you　disliked　the　idea；''　replied　her　son；　‘‘that　you　thought　insurance　looked　like　your　calculating　on　his　death。''

Under　her　husband's　adroit　prompting　Mrs。　Gower　had　discovered　such　a　view　of　insurance　in　her　brain。　She　now　recalled　expressing　itand　regretted。　　But　she　was　silenced。　　She　tried　to　take　her　mind　of　the　sub…　ject　of　money。　　But；　like　Mildred；　she　could　not。　　The　thought　of　imminent　poverty　was　nagging　at　them　like　toothache。　　‘‘There'll　be　enough　for　a　year　or　so？''　she　said；　timidly　interrogative。

‘‘I　hope　so；''　said　Frank。

Mildred　was　eying　him　fixedly　again。　　Said　she：　‘‘Have　you　found　anything　at　all？''

‘‘He　had　about　eight　thousand　dollars　in　bank；''　said　Frank。　　‘‘But　most　of　it　will　go　for　the　pressing　debts。''

‘‘But　how　did　HE　expect　to　live？''　urged　Mildred。

‘‘Yes；　there　must　have　been　SOMETHING；''　said　her　mother。

‘‘Of　course；　there's　his　share　of　the　unsettled　and　unfinished　business　of　the　firm；''　admitted　Frank。

‘‘How　much　will　that　be？''　persisted　Mildred。

‘‘I　can't　tell；　offhand；''　said　Frank；　with　virtuous　reproach。　　‘‘My　mind's　been　onother　things。''

Henry　Gower's　widow　was　not　without　her　share　of　instinctive　shrewdness。　　Neither　had　she；　unobservant　though　she　was；　been　within　sight　of　her　son's　character　for　twenty…eight　years　without　having　unconfessed；　unformed　misgivings　concerning　it。　‘‘You　mustn't　bother　about　these　things　now；　Frank　dear；''　said　she。　　‘‘I'll　get　my　brother　to　look　into　it。''

‘‘That　won't　be　necessary；''　hastily　said　Frank。　　‘‘I　don't　want　any　rival　lawyer　peeping　into　our　firm's　affairs。''

‘‘My　brother　Wharton　is　the　soul　of　honor；''　said　Mrs。　Gower；　the　elder；　with　dignity。　　‘‘You　are　too　young　to　take　all　the　responsibility　of　settling　the　estate。　　Yes；　I'll　send　for　Wharton　to…morrow。''

‘‘It'll　look　as　though　you　didn't　trust　me；''　said　Frank　sourly。

‘‘We　mustn't　do　anything　to　start　the　gossips　in　this　town；''　said　his　wife；　assisting。

‘‘Then　send　for　him　yourself；　Frank；''　said　Mildred；　‘‘and　give　him　charge　of　the　whole　matter。''

Frank　eyed　her　furiously。　　‘‘How　ashamed　father　would　be！''　exclaimed　he。

But　this　solemn　invoking　of　the　dead　man's　spirit　was　uneffectual。　　The　specter　of　poverty　was　too　insistent；　too　terrible。　　Said　the　widow：

‘‘I'm　sure；　in　the　circumstances；　my　dear　dead　husband　would　want　me　to　get　help　from　someone　older　and　more　experienced。''

And　Frank；　guilty　of　conscience　and　an　expert　in　the　ways　of　conventional　and　highly　moral　rascality；　ceased　to　resist。　　His　wife；　scenting　danger　to　their　getting　the　share　that　‘‘rightfully　belongs　to　the　son；　especially　when　he　has　been　the　brains　of　the　firm　for　several　years；''　made　angry　and　indiscreet　battle　for　no　outside　interference。　　The　longer　she　talked　the　firmer　the　widow　and　the　daughter　became；　not　only　because　she　clarified　suspicions　that　had　been　too　hazy　to　take　form；　but　also　because　they　disliked　her　intensely。　The　following　day　Wharton　Conover　became　unofficial　administrator。　　He　had　no　difficulty　in　baffling　Frank　Gower's　half…hearted　and　clumsy　efforts　to　hide　two　large　fees　due　the　dead　man's　estate。　　He　discovered　clear　assets　amounting　in　all　to　sixty…　three　thousand　dollars；　most　of　it　available　within　a　few　months。

‘‘As　you　have　the　good…will　of　the　firm　and　as　your　mother　and　sister　have　only　what　can　be　realized　in　cash；''　said　he　to　Frank；　‘‘no　doubt　you　won't　insist　on　your　third。''

‘‘I've　got　to　consider　my　wife；''　said　Frank。　　‘‘I　can't　do　as　I'd　like。''

‘‘You　are　going　to　insist　on　your　third？''　said　Conover；　with　an　accent　that　made　Frank　quiver。

‘‘I　can't　do　otherwise；''　said　he　in　a　dogged；　shamed　way。

‘‘Um；''　said　Conover。　　‘‘Then；　on　behalf　of　my　sister　and　her　daughter　I'll　have　to　insist　on　a　more　detailed　accounting　than　you　have　been　willing　to　give　and　on　the　production　of　that　small　book　bound　in　red　leather　which　disappeared　from　my　brother…in…law's　desk　the　afternoon　of　his　death。''

A　wave　of　rage　and　fear　surged　up　within　Frank　Gower　and　crashed　against　the　seat　of　his　life。　　For　days　thereafter　he　was　from　time　to　time　seized　with　violent　spasms　of　trembling；　years　afterward　he　was　attributing　premature　weaknesses　of　old　age　to　the　effects　of　that　moment　of　horror。　　His　uncle's　words　came　as　a　sudden；　high　shot　climax　to　weeks　of　exasperating　peeping　and　prying　and　questioning；　of　sneer　and　insinuation。　　Conover　had　been　only　moderately　successful　at　the　law；　had　lost　clients　to　Frank's　father；　had　been　beaten　when　they　were　on　opposite　sides。　　He　hated　the　father　with　the　secret；　hypocritical　hatred　of　the　highly　moral　and　religious　man。　　He　de…　spised　the　son。　　It　is　not　often　that　a　Christian　gentleman　has　such　an　opportunity　to　combine　justice　and　revenge；　to　feed　to　bursting　an　ancient　grudge；　the　while　conscious　that　he　is　but　doing　his　duty。

Said　Frank；　when　he　was　able　to　speak：　　‘‘You　have　been　listening　to　the　lies　of　some　treacherous　clerk　here。''

‘‘Don't　destroy　that　little　book；''　proceeded　Conover　tranquilly。　　‘‘We　can　prove　that　you　took　it。''

Young　Gower　rose。　　‘‘I　must　decline　to　have　anything　further　to　say　to　you；　sir；''　said　he。　　‘‘You　will　leave　this　office；　and　you　w