the cost-第46章
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dly； and the Thing faded； vanished。 He drew a deep breath of relief。
He went to a case of drawers and stood before it； supporting himself by the handles of the second drawer。 〃Yes；〃 he reflected； 〃the revolver's in that drawer。〃 He released the handles and staggered back to his chair。 〃I'm crazy；〃 he muttered； 〃crazy as a loon。 I ought to ring for the doctor。〃
In a moment he was up again； but instead of going toward the bell he went to the drawers and opened the second one。 In a compartment lay a pearl…handled； self…cocking revolver。 He put his hand on it； shivered； drew his hand awaythe steel and the pearl were cold。 He closed the drawer with a quick push； opened it again slowly； took up the revolver； staggered over to his desk and laid it there。 His face was chalk…white in spots and his eyes were stiff in their sockets。 He rested his aching； burning； reeling head on his hands and stared at the revolver。
〃But；〃 he said aloud； as if contemptuously dismissing a suggestion； 〃why should I shoot myself？ I can smash 'em allto powdergrind 'em into the dirt。〃
He took up the revolver。 〃What'd be the use of smashing 'em？〃 he said wearily。 He felt tired and sick； horribly sick。
He laid it down。 〃I'd better be careful；〃 he thought。 〃I'm not in my right mind。 I might〃
He took it in his hand and went to the mirror and put the muzzle against his temple。 He laughed crazily。 〃A little pressure on that trigger andbang！ I'd be in kingdom come and shouldn't give a damn for anybody。〃 He caught sight of his eyes in the mirror and hastily dropped his arm to his side。 〃No； I'd never shoot myself in the temple。 The heart'd be better。 Just
here〃and he pressed the muzzle into the soft material of his coat〃if I touched the trigger〃
And his finger did touch the trigger。 Pains shot through his chest like cracks radiating in glass when a stone strikes it。 He looked at his facewhite； with wild eyes； with lips blue and ajar； the sweat streaming from his forehead。
〃What have I done？〃 he shrieked； mad with the dread of death。 〃I must call for help。〃 He turned toward the door； plunged forward； fell unconscious； the revolver flung half…way across the room。
When he came to his senses he was in his bedcomfortable； weak； lazy。 With a slight effort he caught the thread of events。 He turned his eyes and saw a nurse； seated at the head of his bed； reading。 〃Am I going to die？〃 he askedhis voice was thin and came in faint gusts。
〃Certainly not；〃 replied the nurse； putting down her book and standing over him； her face showing genuine reassurance and cheerfulness。
〃You'll be well very soon。 But you must lie quiet and not talk。〃
〃Was it a bad wound？〃
〃The fever was the worst。 The bullet glanced round just under the surface。〃
〃It was an accident；〃 he said； after a moment's thought。 〃I suppose everybody is saying I tried to kill myself。〃
〃‘Everybody' doesn't know anything about it。 Almost nobody knows。 Even the servants don't know。 Your secretary sent them away； broke in and found you。〃
He closed his eyes and slept。
When he awoke again he felt that a long time had passed； that he was much better； that he was hungry。 〃Nurse！〃 he called。
The woman at the head of the bed rose and laid a cool hand upon his forehead。 〃How good that feels；〃 he mumbled gratefully。 〃What nice hands you have； nurse；〃 and he lifted his glance to her face。 He stared wonderingly； confusedly。 〃I thought I was awake and almost well；〃 he murmured。 〃And instead； I'm out of my head。〃
〃Can I do anything for you？〃 It certainly was HER voice。
〃Is it you； Pauline？〃 he asked； as if he feared a negative answer。
〃YesJohn。〃
A long silence； then he said： 〃Why did you come？〃
〃The doctor wrote me thatwrote me the truth。〃
〃But haven't you heard？ Haven't you seen the papers？ Don't they say I'm ruined？〃
〃Yes； John。〃
He lay silent for several minutes。 Then he asked hesitatingly： 〃Andwhendo yougo backWest？〃
〃I have come to stay；〃 she replied。 Neither in her voice nor in her face was there a hint of what those five words meant to her。
He closed his eyes again。 Presently a tear slid from under each lid and stood in the deep； wasted hollows of his eye…sockets。
XXVI。
A DESPERATE RALLY。
When he awoke again he felt that he should get well rapidly。 He was weak； but it seemed the weakness of hunger rather than of illness。 His head was clear； his nerves tranquil； his mind was as hungry for action as his body was for food。
〃As soon as I've had something to eat；〃 he said to himself； 〃I'll be better than for years。 I needed this。〃 And straightway he began to take hold of the outside world。
〃Are you there； Pauline？〃 he asked； after perhaps half an hour during which his mind had swiftly swept the whole surface of his affairs。
The nurse rose from the lounge across the foot of the bed。 〃Your wife was worn out； Mr。 Dumont；〃 she began。 〃She has〃
〃What day is it？〃 he interrupted。
〃Thursday。〃
〃Of the month； I mean。〃
〃The seventeenth；〃 she answered； smiling in anticipation of his astonishment。
But he said without change of expression；
〃Then I've been ill three weeks and three days。 Tell Mr。 Culver I wish to see him at once。〃
〃But the doctor〃
〃Damn the doctor；〃 replied Dumont； good…naturedly。 〃Don't irritate me by opposing。 I shan't talk with Culver a minute by the clock。 What I say will put my mind at rest。 Then I'll eat something and sleep for a day at least。〃
The nurse hesitated； but his eyes fairly forced her out of the room to fetch Culver。 〃Now remember； Mr。 Dumontless than a minute；〃 she said。 〃I'll come back in just sixty seconds。〃
〃Come in forty；〃 he replied。 When she had closed the door he said to Culver： 〃What are the quotations on Woolens？〃
〃Preferred twenty…eight； Common seven；〃 answered Culver。 〃They've been about steady for two weeks。〃
〃Good。 And what's Great Lakes and Gulf？〃
Culver showed his surprise。 〃I'll have to consult the paper；〃 he said。 〃You never asked me for that quotation before。 I'd no idea you'd want it。〃 He went to the next room and immediately returned。 〃G。 L。 and G。 one hundred and two。〃
Dumont smiled with a satisfied expression。
〃Nowgo down…townwhat time is it？〃
〃Eight o'clock。〃
〃Morning？〃
〃Yes； sir； morning。〃
〃Go down…town at once and set expert accountantsget Evarts and Schumanset them at work on my personal accounts with the Woolens Company。 Tell everybody I'm expected to die； and know it； and am getting facts for making my will。 And stay down…town yourself all dayfind out everything you can about National Woolens and that raiding crowd and about Great Lakes and Gulf。 The better you succeed in this mission the better it'll be for you。 Thank you； by the way； for keeping my accident quiet。 Find out how the Fanning…Smiths are carrying National Woolens。 Find out〃
The door opened and the plain； clean figure of the nurse appeared。 〃The minute's up；〃 she said。
〃One second more； please。 Close the door。〃 When she had obeyed he went on： 〃See Tavistockyou know you must be careful not to let any one at his office know that you're connected with me。 See himask himno； telephone Tavistock to come at onceand you find out all you can independentlyespecially about the Fanning…Smiths and Great Lakes and Gulf。〃
〃Very well；〃 said Culver。
〃A great deal depends on your success；〃 continued Dumont〃a great deal for me； a great deala VERY great deal for you。〃
His look met Culver's and each seemed satisfied with what he saw。 Then Culver went； saying to himself： 〃What makes him think the Fanning…Smiths were mixed up in the raid？ And what on earth has G。 L。 and G。 got to do with it？ Gad； he's a WONDER！〃 The longer Culver lived in intimacy with Dumont the greater became to him the mystery of his combination of bigness and littleness； audacity and caution； devil and man。 〃It gets me；〃 he often reflected； 〃how a man can plot to rob millions of people in one hour and in the next plan endowments for hospitals and colleges； despise public opinion one minute and the next be courting it like an actor。 But that's the way with all these big fellows。 And I'll know how to do it when I ge
