the cost-第24章

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l　agent；　Merriweather；　that　they　had　〃let　Scarborough　go　about　far　enough；〃　unless　he　could　be　brought　into　their　camp。

〃I　can't　make　out　what　he's　looking　for；〃　said　Merriweather。　　〃One　thing's　certainhe'll　do　US　no　good。　　There's　no　way　we　can　get　our　hooks　in　him。　　He　don't　give　a　damn　for　money。　　And　as　for　powerhe　can　get　more　of　that　by　fighting　us　than　by　falling　in　line。　　We　ain't　exactly　popular。〃

This　seemed　to　Dumont　rank　ingratitude。　　Had　he　not　just　divided　a　million　dollars　among　charities　and　educational　institutions　in　the　districts　where　opposition　to　his　〃merger〃　was　strongest？

〃Well；　we'll　see；〃　he　said。　　〃If　he　isn't　careful　we'll　have　to　kill　him　off　in　convention　and　make　the　committees　stop　his　mouth。〃

〃The　trouble　is　he's　been　building　up　a　following　of　his　ownthe　sort　of　following　that　can't　be　honeyfugled；〃　replied　Merriweather。　　〃The　committees　are　afraid　of　him。〃　　Merriweather　always　took　the　gloomy　view　of　everything；　because　he　thus　discounted　his　failures　in　advance　and　doubled　the　effect　of　his　successes。

〃I'll　seeI'll　see；〃　said　Dumont；　impatiently。　　And　he　thought　he　was　beginning　to　〃see〃　when　Gladys　expanded　to　him　upon　the　subject　of　Scarboroughhis　good　looks；　his　wit；　his　〃distinction。〃

Scarborough　came　to　dinner　a　few　evenings　later　and　Dumont　was　particularly　cordial　to　him；　and　Gladys　made　the　most　of　the　opportunity　which　Pauline　again　gave　her。　　That　night；　when　the　others　had　left　or　had　gone　to　bed；　Gladys　followed　her　brother　into　the　smoke…room　adjoining　the　library。　　They　sat　in　silence　drinking　a　〃night…cap。〃　　In　the　dreaminess　of　her　eyes；　in　the　absent　smile　drifting　round　the　corners　of　her　full　red　lips；　Gladys　showed　that　her　thoughts　were　pleasant　and　sentimental。

〃What　do　you　think　of　Scarborough？〃　her　brother　asked　suddenly。

She　started　but　did　not　flushin　her　long　European　experience　she　had　gained　control　of　that　signal　of　surprise。　　〃How　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked。　　She　rarely　answered　a　question　immediately；　no　matter　how　simple　it　was；　but　usually　put　another　question　in　reply。　　Thus　she　insured　herself　time　to　think　if　time　should　be　necessary。

〃I　mean；　do　you　like　him？〃

〃Why；　certainly。　　But　I've　seen　him　only　a　few　times。〃

〃He's　an　uncommon　man；〃　continued　her　brother。　　〃He'd　make　a　mighty　satisfactory　husband　for　an　ambitious　woman；　especially　one　with　the　money　to　push　him　fast。〃

Gladys　slowly　lifted　and　slowly　lowered　her　smooth；　slender　shoulders。

〃That　sort　of　thing　doesn't　interest　a　woman　in　a　man；　unless　she's　married　to　him　and　has　got　over　thinking　more　about　him　than　about　herself。〃

〃It　ought　to；〃　replied　her　brother。　　〃A　clever　woman　can　always　slosh　round　in　sentimental　slop　with　her　head　above　it　and　cool。　　If　I　were　a　girl　I'd　make　a　dead　set　for　that　chap。〃

〃If　you　were　a　girl；〃　said　Gladys；　〃you'd　do　nothing　of　the　sort。　　You'd　compel　him　to　make　a　dead　set　for　you。〃　　And　as　she　put　down　her　glass　she　gave　his　hair　an　affectionate　pullwhich　was　her　way　of　thanking　him　for　saying　what　she　most　wished　to　hear　on　the　subject　she　most　wished　to　hear　about。



XIV。

STRAINING　AT　THE　ANCHORS。


Gladys　was　now　twenty…four　and　was　even　more　anxious　to　marry　than　is　the　average　unmarried　person。　　She　had　been　eleven　years　a　wanderer；　she　was　tired　of　it。　　She　had　no　home；　and　she　wanted　a　home。

Her　aunther　mother's　widowed　sisterhad　taken　her　abroad　when　she　was　thirteen。　　John　was　able　to　defy　or　to　deceive　their　mother。　　But　she　could　and　did　enforce　upon　Gladys　the　rigid　rules　which　her　fanatical　nature　had　evolveda　minute　and　crushing　tyranny。　　Therefore　Gladys　preferred　any　place　to　her　home。　　For　ten　years　she　had　been　roaming　western　Europe；　nominally　watched　by　her　lazy；　selfish；　and　physically　and　mentally　near…sighted　aunt。　　Actually　her　only　guardian　had　been　her　own　precocious；　curiously　prudent；　curiously　reckless　self。　　She　had　been　free　to　do　as　she　pleased；　and　she　had　pleased　to　do　very　free　indeed。　　She　had　learned　all　that　her　intense　and　catholic　curiosity　craved　to　know；　had　learned　it　of　masters　of　her　own　selectingthe　men　and　women　who　would　naturally　attract　a　lively　young　person；　eager　to　rejoice　in　an　escape　from　slavery。　　Her　eyes　had　peered　far　into　the　human　heart；　farthest　into　the　corrupted　human　heart；　yet；　with　her　innocence　she　had　not　lost　her　honesty　or　her　preference　for　the　things　she　had　been　brought　up　to　think　clean。

But　she　had　at　last　wearied　of　a　novelty　which　lay　only　in　changes　of　scene　and　of　names；　without　any　important　change　in　characters　or　plot。　　She　began　to　be　bored　with　the　game　of　baffling　the　hopes　inspired　by　her　beauty　and　encouraged　by　her　seeming　simplicity。　　And　when　her　mother　cameas　she　said　to　Pauline；　〃The　only　bearable　view　of　mother　is　a　distant　view。　　I　had　forgot　there　were　such　people　left　on　earthI　had　thought　they'd　all　gone　to　their　own　kind　of　heaven。〃　　So　she　fled　to　America；　to　her　brother　and　his　wife。

Dumont　stayed　eight　days　at　the　Eyrie　on　that　trip；　then　went　back　to　his　congenial　life　in　New　Yorkto　his　business　and　his　dissipation。　　He　tempered　his　indulgence　in　both　nowadays　with　some　exercisehis　stomach；　his　heart；　his　nerves　and　his　doctor　had　together　given　him　a　bad　fright。　　The　evening　before　he　left　he　saw　Pauline　and　Gladys　sitting　apart　and　joined　them。

〃Why　not　invite　Scarborough　to　spend　a　week　up　here？〃　he　asked；　just　glancing　at　his　wife。　　He　never　ventured　to　look　at　her　when　there　was　any　danger　of　their　eyes　meeting。

Her　lips　tightened　and　the　color　swiftly　left　her　cheeks　and　swiftly　returned。

〃Wouldn't　you　like　it；　Gladys？〃　he　went　on。

〃Oh；　DO　ask　him；　Pauline；〃　said　Gladys；　with　enthusiasm。　　Like　her　brother；　she　always　went　straight　to　the　pointshe　was　in　the　habit　of　deciding　for　herself；　of　thinking　what　she　did　was　above　criticism；　and　of　not　especially　caring　if　it　was　criticised。　　〃Please　do！〃

Pauline　waited　longit　seemed　to　her　long　enough　for　time　to　wrinkle　her　heartbefore　answering：　　〃We'll　need　another　man。　　I'll　ask　himif　you　wish。〃

Gladys　pressed　her　hand　gratefullyshe　was　fond　of　Pauline；　and　Pauline　was　liking　her　again　as　she　had　when　they　were　children　and　playmates　and　partners　in　the　woes　of　John　Dumont's　raids　upon　their　games。　　Just　then　Langdon's　sister；　Mrs。　Barrow；　called　Gladys　to　the　other　end　of　the　drawing…room。　　Dumont's　glance　followed　her。

〃I　think　it'd　be　a　good　match；〃　he　said　reflectively。

Pauline's　heart　missed　a　beat　and　a　suffocating　choke　contracted　her　throat。

〃What？〃　she　succeeded　in　saying。

〃Gladys　and　Scarborough；〃　replied　Dumont。　〃She　ought　to　marryshe's　got　no　place　to　go。　　And　it'd　be　good　business　for　herand　for　him；　too；　for　that　matter；　if　she　could　land　him。　　Don't　you　think　she's　attractive　to　men？〃

〃Very；〃　said　Pauline；　lifelessly。

〃Don't　you　think　it　would　be　a　good　match？〃　he　went　on。

〃Very；〃　she　said；　looking　round　wildly；　as　her　breath　came　more　and　more　quickly。

Langdon　strolled　up。

〃Am　I　interrupting　a　family　council？〃　he　asked。

〃Oh；　no；〃　Dumont　replied；　rising。　　〃Take　my　chair。〃　　And　he　was　gone。

〃This　room　is　too　warm；〃　said　Pauline。　　〃No；　don't　open　the　window。　　Excuse　me　a　moment。〃　　She　went　into　the　hall；　threw　a　golf　cape　round　her　shoulders　and　stepped　out　on　the　veranda；　closing　the　door…window　behind　her。　　It　was　a　moonless；　winter　nightstars　thronging　the　blue…black　sky；　the　steady　lamp　of　a　planet　set　in　the　southern　horizon。

When　she　had　been　walking　there　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　door…window　opened　and　Langdon　looked　out。　　〃Ohthere　you　are！〃　he　said。

〃Won't　you　join　me？〃　　Her　tone　assured　him　that　he　would　not　be　intruding。　　He　got　a　hat　and　overcoat　and　they　walked　up　and　down　together。

〃Those　stars　irritate　me；〃　he　said　after　a　while。　　〃They　make　me　appreciate　that　this　world's　a　tiny　grain　of　sand　adrift　in　infinity；　and　that　I'mthere's　nothing　little　enough　to　express　the　human　atom　where　the　earth's　only　a　grain。　　And　then　they　go　on　to　taunt　me　with　how　short…lived　I　am　and　how　it'll　soon　be　all　over　for　mefor　ever。　　A　futile　little　insect；　buzzing　about；　waiting　to　be　crushed　under　the　heel　of　the　Great　Executioner。〃

〃Sometimes　I　feel　that；〃　answered　Pauline。　　〃B