the cost-第41章

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〃Fanshaw's　suing　his　wife　for　divorceand　he　names　Jack。〃

〃Is　that　your　news？〃　said　Gladys；　languidly。　　Suddenly　she　flung　aside　the　robes　and　sat　up。

〃What's　Pauline　going　to　do？　　Can　she〃　Gladys　paused。

〃Yes；　she　canif　she　wishes　to。〃

〃Butwill　she？　　Will　she？〃　demanded　Gladys。

〃Jack　doesn't　know　what　she'll　do；〃　replied　Langdon。　　〃He's　keeping　quietthe　only　sane　course　when　that　kind　of　storm　breaks。　　He　had　hoped　you'd　be　there　to　smooth　her　down；　but　he　says　when　he　opened　the　subject　of　your　going　back　to　Saint　X　you　cut　him　off。〃

〃Does　she　know？〃

〃Somebody　must　have　told　her　the　day　you　left。　　Don't　you　remember；　she　was　taken　ill　suddenly？〃

〃Oh！〃　Gladys　vividly　recalled　Pauline's　strange　look　and　manner。　　She　could　see　her　sister…in…lawthe　long；　lithe　form；　the　small；　graceful　head；　with　its　thick；　soft；　waving　hair；　the　oval　face；　the　skin　as　fine　as　the　petals　at　the　heart　of　a　rose；　the　arched　brows　and　golden…brown　eyes；　that　look；　that　air；　as　of　buoyant　life　locked　in　the　spell　of　an　icy　trance；　mysterious；　fascinating；　sometimes　so　melancholy。

〃I　almost　hope　she'll　do　it；　Mowbray；〃　she　said。　　〃Jack　doesn't　deserve　her。　　He's　not　a　bit　her　sort。　　She　ought　to　have　married〃

〃Some　one　who　had　her　sort　of　idealssome　one　like　that　big；　handsome　chapthe　one　you　admired　so　franticallyGovernor　Scarborough。　　He　was　chock　full　of　ideals。　　And　he's　making　the　sort　of　career　she　could　sympathize　with。〃

〃Scarborough！〃　exclaimed　Gladys；　with　some　success　at　self…concealment。　　〃I　detest　him！　　I　detest　‘careers'！〃

〃Good；〃　said　Langdon；　his　face　serious；　his　eyes　amused。　　〃That　opens　the　way　for　my　other　shock。〃

〃Oh；　the　good　news。　　What　is　it？〃

〃That　I'd　like　it　if　you'd　marry　me。〃

Gladys　glanced　into　his　still　amused　eyes；　then　with　a　shrug　sank　back　among　her　wraps。　　〃A　poor　joke；〃　she　said。

〃I　should　say　that　marriage　was　a　stale　joke　rather　than　a　poor　one。　　Will　you　try　itwith　me？　　You　might　do　worse。〃

〃How　did　you　have　the　courage　to　speak　when　I'm　looking　such　a　wreck？〃　she　asked　with　mock　gravity。

〃But　you　ain'tyou're　looking　better　now。　　That　first　shock　braced　you　up。　　Besides；　this　isn't　romance。　　It's　no　high　flight　with　all　the　longer　drop　and　all　the　harder　jolt　at　the　landing。　　It's　a　plain；　practical　proposition。〃

Gladys　slowly　sat　up　and　studied　him　curiously。

〃Do　you　really　mean　it？〃　she　asked。　　Each　was　leaning　on　an　elbow；　gazing　gravely　into　the　other's　face。

〃I'd　never　joke　on　such　a　dangerous　subject　as　marriage。　　I'm　far　too　timid　for　that。　　What　do　you　say；　Gladys？〃

She　had　never　seen　him　look　serious　before；　and　she　was　thinking　that　the　expression　became　him。

〃He　knows　how　to　make　himself　attractive　to　a　woman　when　he　cares　to；〃　she　said　to　herself。

〃I'd　like　a　man　that　has　lightness　of　mind。　　Serious　people　bore　one　so　after　a　while。〃　　By　〃serious　people〃　she　meant　one　serious　person　whom　she　had　admired　particularly　for　his　seriousness。　　But　she　was　in　another　mood　now；　another　atmospherethe　atmosphere　she　had　breathed　since　she　was　thirteen；　except　in　the　brief　period　when　her　infatuation　for　Scarborough　had　swept　her　away　from　her　world。

〃No！〃　　She　shook　her　head　with　decisionand　felt　decided。　　But　to　his　practised　ear　there　was　in　her　voice　a　hint　that　she　might　hear　him　further　on　the　subject。

They　lay　back　in　their　chairs；　he　watching　the　ragged；　dirty；　scurrying　clouds；　she　watching　him。　　After　a　while　he　said：　　〃Where　are　you　going　when　we　reach　the　other　side？〃

〃To　join　mother　and　auntie。〃

〃And　how　long　will　you　stay　with　them？〃

〃Not　more　than　a　week；　I　should　say；〃　she　answered　with　a　grimace。

〃And　thenwhere？〃

She　did　not　reply　for　some　time。　　Studying　her　face；　he　saw　an　expression　of　lonesomeness　gather　and　strengthen　and　deepen　until　she　looked　so　forlorn　that　he　felt　as　if　he　must　take　her　in　his　arms。　　When　she　spoke　it　was　to　say　dubiously：　　〃Back　to　New　Yorkto　keep　house　for　my　brotherperhaps。〃

〃And　when　his　wife　frees　herself　and　he　marries　againwhere　will　you　go？〃

Gladys　lifted　a　fold　of　her　cape　and　drew　it　about　her　as　if　she　were　cold。　　But　he　noted　that　it　hid　her　face　from　him。

〃You　wantyou　needa　home？　　So　do　I；〃　he　went　on　tranquilly。　　〃You　are　tired　of　wandering？　　So　am　I。　　You　are　bored　with　parade　and　paradepeople？　　So　am　I。　　You　wish　freedom；　not　bondage；　when　you　marry？　　I　refuse　to　be　bound；　and　I　don't　wish　to　bind　any　one。　　We　have　the　same　friends；　the　same　tastes；　have　had　pretty　much　the　same　experiences。　　You　don't　want　to　be　married　for　your　money。　　I'm　not　likely　to　be　suspected　of　doing　that　sort　of　thing。〃

〃Some　one　has　said　that　rich　men　marry　more　often　for　money　than　poor　men；〃　interrupted　Gladys。　　And　then　she　colored　as　she　recalled　who　had　said　it。

Langdon　noted　her　color　as　he　noted　every　point　in　any　game　he　was　playing；　he　shrewdly　guessed　its　origin。　　〃When　Scarborough　told　you　that；〃　he　replied　calmly；　〃he　told　you　a　great　truth。　　But　please　remember；　I　merely　said　I　shouldn't　be　SUSPECTED　of　marrying　you　for　money。　　I　didn't　say　I　wasn't　guilty。〃

〃Is　your　list　of　reasons　complete？〃

〃Two　more　the　clinchers。　　You　are　disappointed　in　loveso　am　I。　　You　need　consolationso　do　I。　　When　one　can't　have　the　best　one　takes　the　best　one　can　get；　if　one　is　sensible。　　It　has　been　known　to　turn　out　not　so　badly。〃

They　once　more　lay　back　watching　the　clouds。　　An　hour　passed　without　either's　speaking。　　The　deck…steward　brought　them　tea　and　biscuits　which　he　declined　and　she　accepted。　　She　tried　the　big；　hard；　tasteless　disk　between　her　strong　white　teeth；　then　said　with　a　sly　smile：　　〃You　pried　into　my　secret　a　few　minutes　ago。　　I'm　going　to　pry　into　yours。　　Who　was　she？〃

〃As　the　lady　would　have　none　of　me；　there's　no　harm　in　confessing；〃　replied　Langdon；　carelessly。　　〃She　wasand　isand〃　he　looked　at　her〃ever　shall　be；　world　without　endGladys　Dumont。〃

Gladys　gasped　and　glanced　at　him　with　swift　suspicion　that　he　was　jesting。　　He　returned　her　glance　in　a　calm；　matter…of…fact　way。　　She　leaned　back　in　her　chair　and　they　watched　the　slippery　rail　slide　up　and　down　against　the　background　of　chilly；　rainy　sea　and　sky。

〃Are　you　asleep？〃　he　asked　after　a　long　silence。

〃No；〃　she　replied。　　〃I　was　thinking。〃

〃Of　myproposition？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Doesn't　it　grow　on　you？〃

〃Yes。〃

He　shifted　himself　to　a　sitting　position　with　much　deliberateness。　　He　put　his　hand　in　among　her　rugs　and　wraps　until　it　touched　hers。　　〃It　may　turn　out　better　than　you　anticipate；〃　he　said；　a　little　sentiment　in　his　eyes　and　smile；　a　little　raillery　in　his　voice。

〃I　doubt　if　it　will；〃　she　answered；　without　looking　at　him　directly。　　〃ForIanticipate　a　great　deal。〃



XXIV。

DUMONT　BETRAYS　DUMONT。


Fanshaw　versus　Fanshaw　was　heard　privately　by　a　referee；　and　before　Mrs。　Fanshaw's　lawyers　had　a　chance　to　ask　that　the　referee's　report　be　sealed　from　publicity；　the　judge　of　his　own　motion　ordered　it。　　At　the　political　club　to　which　he　belonged；　he　had　received　an　intimation　from　the　local　〃boss〃　that　if　Dumont's　name　were　anywhere　printed　in　connection　with　the　case　he　would　be　held　responsible。　　Thus　it　came　to　pass　that　on　the　morning　of　the　filing　of　the　decree　the　newspapers　were　grumbling　over　their　inability　to　give　the　eagerly…awaited　details　of　the　great　scandal。　　And　Herron　was　Catonizing　against　〃judicial　corruption。〃

But　Dumont　was　overswift　in　congratulating　himself　on　his　escape　and　in　preening　himself　on　his　power。

For　several　days　the　popular　newspapers　were　alone　in　denouncing　the　judge　for　favoritism　and　in　pointing　out　that　the　judiciary　were　〃becoming　subservient　to　the　rich　and　the　powerful　in　their　rearrangements　of　their　domestic　relationsa　long　first　step　toward　complete　subservience。〃　　Herron　happened　to　have　among　his　intimates　the　editor　of　an　eminently　respectable　newspaper　that　prides　itself　upon　never　publishing　private　scandals。　　He　impressed　his　friend　with　his　own　strong　views　as　to　the　gravity　of　this　growing　discrimination　between　masses　and　classes；　and　the　organ　of　independent　conservatism　was　presently　lifting　up　its　solemn　voice　in　a　stentorian　jeremiad。

Without　this　reinforcement　the　〃yellows〃　might　have　shrieked　in　vain。　　It