the cost-第36章

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〃Damn　them　all！〃　he　repeated。　　〃They're　a　pack　of　wolves。　　They've　got　me　down　and　they're　going　to　eat　me。〃

He　blamed　Dumont　and　he　blamed　his　wife　for　his　plightand　there　was　some　justice　in　both　accusations。　　Twenty　years　before；　he　had　come　down　to　〃the　Street〃　a　frank…looking　boy；　of　an　old　and　distinguished　New　York　family　that　had　become　too　aristocratic　for　business　and　had　therefore　lost　its　hold　upon　its　once　great　fortune。　　He　was　neither　a　good　boy　nor　a　bad。　　But　he　was　weak；　and　had　the　extravagant　tastes　and　cynical　morals　to　which　he　had　been　bred；　and　his　intelligent　brain　was　of　the　kind　that　goes　with　weaknessshrewd　and　sly；　preferring　to　slink　along　the　byways　of　craft　even　when　the　highway　of　courage　lies　straight　and　easy。　　But　he　had　physical　bravery　and　the　self…confidence　that　is　based　upon　an　assured　social　position　in　a　community　where　social　position　is　worshiped；　so；　he　passed　for　manly　and　proud　when　he　was　in　reality　neither。　　Family　vanity　he　had；　personal　pride　he　had　not。

In　many　environments　his　weakness　would　have　remained　hidden　even　from　himself；　and　he　would　have　lived　and　died　in　the　odor　and　complacence　of　respectability。　　But　not　in　the　strain　and　stress　of　Wall　Street。　　There　he　had　naturally　developed　not　into　a　lion；　not　even　into　a　wolf；　but　into　a　coyote。

Wall　Street　found　him　out　in　ten　yearsabout　one　year　after　it　began　to　take　note　of　him　and　his　skulking　ways　and　his　habit　of　prowling　in　the　wake　of　the　pack。　　Only　his　adroit　use　of　his　family　connections　and　social　position　saved　him　from　being　trampled　to　death　by　the　wolves　and　eaten　by　his　brother　coyotes。　　Thereafter　he　lived　precariously；　but　on　the　whole　sumptuously；　upon　carcasses　of　one　kind　and　another。　　He　participated　in　〃strike〃　suits　against　big　corporationshe　would　set　on　a　pack　of　coyotes　to　dog　the　lions　and　to　raise　discordant　howls　that　inopportunely　centered　public　attention　upon　leonine；　lawless　doings；　the　lions　would　pay　him　well　to　call　off　the　pack。　　He　assisted　sometimes　wolves　and　sometimes　coyotes　in　flotations　of　worthless；　or　almost　worthless；　stocks　and　bonds　from　gold　and　mahogany　offices　and　upon　a　sea　of　glittering　prospectuses。　　He　had　a　hand　in　all　manner　of　small；　shady　transactions　of　lawful；　or　almost　lawful；　swindling　that　were　tolerated　by　lions　and　wolves；　because　at　bottom　there　is　a　feeling　of　fellowship　among　creatures　of　prey　as　against　creatures　preyed　upon。

There　were　days　when　he　came　home　haggard　and　blue　in　the　lips　to　tell　Leonora　that　he　must　fly。　　There　were　days　when　he　returned　from　the　chase；　or　rather　from　the　skulk；　elated；　youthful；　his　pockets　full　of　money　and　his　imagination　afire　with　hopes　of　substantial　wealth。　　But　his　course　was　steadily　downward；　his　methods　steadily　farther　and　farther　from　the　line　of　the　law。　　Dumont　came　just　in　time　to　save　him；　came　to　build　him　up　from　the　most　shunned　of　coyotes　into　a　deceptive　imitation　of　a　wolf　with　aspirations　toward　the　lion　class。

Leonora　knew　that　he　was　small；　but　she　thought　all　men　smallshe　had　supreme　contempt　for　her　own　sex；　and　it　seemed　to　her　that　men　must　be　even　less　worthy　of　respect　since　they　were　under　the　influence　of　women　and　lavished　time　and　money　on　them。　　Thus　she　was　deceived　into　cherishing　the　hope　that　her　husband；　small　and　timid　though　he　was；　would　expand　into　a　multi…millionaire　and　would　help　her　to　possess　the　splendors　she　now　enjoyed　at　the　expense　of　her　associates　whom　she　despised。　　She　was　always　thinking　how　far　more　impressive　than　their　splendor　her　magnificence　would　be；　if　their　money　were　added　to　her　brains　and　beauty。

Dumont　had　helped　Fanshaw　as　much　as　he　could。　　He　immediately　detected　the　coyote。　　He　knew　it　was　impossible　to　make　a　lion　or　even　a　wolf　out　of　one　who　was　both　small　and　crooked。　　He　used　him　only　in　minor　matters；　chiefly　in　doing　queer；　dark　things　on　the　market　with　National　Woolens；　things　he　indirectly　ordered　done　but　refused　to　know　the　details　of　beyond　the　one　important　detailthe　record　of　checks　for　the　profits　in　his　bank　account。　　For　such　matters　Fanshaw　did　as　well　as　another。　　But　as　Dumont　became　less　of　a　wolf　and　more　of　a　lion；　less　of　a　speculator　and　more　of　a　financier；　he　had　less　and　less　work　of　the　kind　Fanshaw　could　do。

But　Leonora；　unaware　of　her　husband's　worthlessness　and　desperate　in　her　calamities；　sneered　and　jeered　and　lashed　him　onto　ruin。　　The　coyote　could　put　on　the　airs　of　a　lion　so　long　as　the　lion　was　his　friend　and　protector；　when　he　kept　on　in　kingly　ways　after　the　lion　had　cast　him　off；　he　speedily　came　to　grief。

As　he　stood　looking　helplessly　up　and　down　Broad　Street　he　was　debating　what　move　to　make。　　There　were　about　even　measures　of　truth　and　falsehood　in　his　statement　to　Dumonthe　did　need　two　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　he　must　have　it　before　a　quarter　past　two　that　day　or　go　into　a　bankruptcy　from　which　he　could　not　hope　to　save　a　shred　of　reputation　or　to　secrete　more　than　fifty　thousand　dollars。

〃To　the　New　York　Life　Building；〃　he　finally　said　to　the　driver　as　he　got　into　his　hansom。　　Then　to　himself：　　〃I'll　have　a　go　at　old　Herron。〃

He　knew　that　Dumont　and　Herron　had　quarreled；　and　that　Herron　had　sold　out　of　the　National　Woolens　Company。　　But　he　did　not　know　that　Herron　was　a　man　with　a　fixed　idea；　hatred　of　Dumont；　and　a　fixed　purpose；　to　damage　him　at　every　opportunity　that　offered　or　could　be　created；　to　ruin　him　if　possible。

When　the　National　Woolens　Company　was　expanded　into　the　huge　conglomerate　it　now　wasa　hundred　millions　common；　a　hundred　millions　preferred；　and　twenty　millions　of　bondsHerron　had　devised　and　directed　the　intricate　and　highly　perilous　course　among　the　rocks　of　law　and　public　opinion　in　many　states　and　in　the　nation。　　It　was　a　splendid　exhibition　of　legal　piloting；　and　he　was　bitterly　dissatisfied　with　the　modest　reward　of　ten　millions　of　the　preferred　stock　which　Dumont　apportioned　to　him。　　He　felt　that　that　would　have　been　about　his　just　share　in　the　new　concern　merely　in　exchange　for　his　stock　in　the　old。　　When　he　found　Dumont　obdurate；　and　grew　frank　and　spoke　such　words　as　〃dishonor〃　and　〃dishonesty〃　and　got　into　the　first　syllable　of　〃swindling；〃　Dumont　cut　him　off　with

〃If　you　don't　like　it；　get　out！　　I　can　hire　that　sort　of　work　for　half　what　I've　paid　you。　　You're　swollen　with　vanity。　　We　ought　to　have　a　young　man　in　your　position；　anyhow。〃

Herron　might　have　swallowed　the　insult　to　his　pride　as　a　lawyer。　　But　the　insult　to　his　pride　in　his　youth！　　He　was　fifty…seven　and　in　dress　and　in　expression　was　stoutly　insisting　that　he　was　still　a　young　man　whom　hard　work　had　made　prematurely　gray　and　somewhat　wrinkled。　　Dumont's　insinuation　that　he　was　old　and　stale　set　a　great　fire　of　hate　blazing；　he；　of　course；　told　himself　and　others　that　his　wrath　was　stirred　solely　because　his　sense　of　justice　had　been　outraged　by　the　〃swindling。〃

Fanshaw　entered　Herron's　office　wearing　the　jaunty　air　of　arrogant　prosperity；　never　so　important　as　when　prosperity　has　fled。　　But　Herron's　shrewd；　experienced　eyes　penetrated　the　sham。　　He　had　intended　to　be　cold。　　Scenting　a　〃hard…luck　yarn〃　and　a　〃touch〃　he　lowered　his　temperature　to　the　point　at　which　conversation　is　ice…beset　and　confidences　are　frozen　tight。

Fanshaw's　nerve　deserted　him。　　〃Herron；〃　he　said；　dropping　his　prosperous　pose；　〃I　want　to　get　a　divorce　and　I　want　to　punish　Dumont。〃

Herron's　narrow；　cold　face　lighted　up。　　He　knew　what　everybody　in　their　set　knew　of　Fanshaw's　domestic　affairs；　but　like　everybody　else　he　had　pretended　not　to　know。　　He　changed　his　expression　to　one　of　shock　and　indignation。

〃You　astound　me！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃It　is　incredible！〃

〃He　told　me　himself　not　an　hour　ago；〃　said　Fanshaw。　　〃I　went　to　him　as　a　friend　to　ask　him　to　help　me　out　of　a　hole。　　And〃　He　rose　and　theatrically　paced　the　floor。

Herron　prided　himself　upon　his　acute　conscience　and　his　nice　sense　of　honor。　　He　felt　that　here　was　a　chance　to　wreak　vengeance　upon　Dumontor　rather；　as　he　put　it　to　himself；　to　bring　Dumont　to　an　accounting　for　his　depravity。　　Just　as　Dumont　maintained　with　himself　a　character　of　honesty　by　ignoring　all　the　dubious　acts　which　his　agents　were　forced　to　do　in