the mansion-第3章

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I　prefer　a　building；　or　an　endowment。　　There　is　a　mutual

advantage　to　

a　good　name　and　a　good　institution　in　their　connection　in　the

public　mind。　

It　helps　them　both。　　Remember　that；　my　boy。　　Of　course　at　the

beginning　

you　will　have　to　practise　it　in　a　small　way；　later；　you　will　have



larger　opportunities。　　But　try　to　put　your　gifts　where　they　can

be

identified　and　do　good　all　around。　　You'll　see　the　wisdom　of　it

in　

the　long　run。〃



〃I　can　see　it　already；　sir；　and　the　way　you　describe　it　looks　

amazingly　wise　and　prudent。　　In　other　words；　we　must　cast　our

bread　on　

the　waters　in　large　loaves；　carried　by　sound　ships　marked　with　

the　owner's　name；　so　that　the　return　freight　will　be　sure　to　

come　back　to　us。〃



The　father　laughed；　but　his　eyes　were　frowning　a　little　as　if　

he　suspected　something　irreverent　under　the　respectful　reply。　　

〃You　put　it　humorously；　but　there's　sense　in　what　you　say。　　Why

not？　　

God　rules　the　sea；　but　He　expects　us　to　follow　the　laws　of　

navigation　and　commerce。　　Why　not　take　good　care　of　your　bread；　

even　when　you　give　it　away？〃



〃It's　not　for　me　to　say　why　notand　yet　I　can　think　of　cases〃　



The　young　man　hesitated　for　a　moment。　　His　half…finished　cigar

had　

gone　out。　　He　rose　and　tossed　it　into　the　fire；　in　front　of　which



he　remained　standinga　slender；　eager；　restless　young　figure；　

with　a　touch　of　hunger　in　the　fine　face；　strangely　like　and

unlike　

the　father；　at　whom　he　looked　with　half…wistful　curiosity。



〃The　fact　is；　sir；〃　he　continued；　〃there　is　such　a　case　in　my

mind　now；　

and　it　is　a　good　deal　on　my　heart；　too。　　So　I　thought　of　speaking

to　you

about　it　to…night。　　You　remember　Tom　Rollins；　the　Junior　who　was　

so　good　to　me　when　I　entered　college？〃



The　father　nodded。　　He　remembered　very　well　indeed　the　annoying

incidents

of　his　son's　first　escapade；　and　how　Rollins　had　stood　by　him　and

helped　to

avoid　a　public　disgrace；　and　how　a　close　friendship　had　grown

between　

the　two　boys；　so　different　in　their　fortunes。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　remember　him。　　He　was　a　promising　young　man。　　

Has　he　succeeded？〃



〃Not　exactlythat　is　not　yet。　　His　business　has　been　going

rather　badly。　

He　has　a　wife　and　little　baby；　you　know。　　And　now　he　has　broken

down；

something　wrong　with　his　lungs。　　The　doctor　says　his　only　chance

is　

a　year　or　eighteen　months　in　Colorado。　　I　wish　we　could　help

him。〃



〃How　much　would　it　cost？〃



〃Three　or　four　thousand；　perhaps；　as　a　loan。〃



〃Does　the　doctor　say　he　will　get　well？〃



〃A　fighting　chancethe　doctor　says。〃



The　face　of　the　older　man　changed　subtly。　　Not　a　line　was

altered；　

but　it　seemed　to　have　a　different　substance；　as　if　it　were　

carved　out　of　some　firm；　imperishable　stuff。



〃A　fighting　chance；〃　he　said；　〃may　do　for　a　speculation；　but　it

is　

not　a　good　investment。　　You　owe　something　to　young　Rollins。　　

Your　grateful　feeling　does　you　credit。　　But　don't　overwork　it。　　

Send　him　three　or　four　hundred；　if　you　like。　　You'll　never　

hear　from　it　again；　except　in　the　letter　of　thanks。　　But　for

Heaven's　sake

don't　be　sentimental。　　Religion　is　not　a　matter　of　sentiment；　

it's　a　matter　of　principle。〃



The　face　of　the　younger　man　changed　now。　　But　instead　of　becoming



fixed　and　graven；　it　seemed　to　melt　into　life　by　the　heat　of　

an　inward　fire。　　His　nostrils　quivered　with　quick　breath；　

his　lips　were　curled。　〃Principle！〃　he　said。　　〃You　mean

principaland

interest　too。　　Well；　sir；　you　know　best　whether　that　is　religion

or　not。　

But　if　it　is；　count　me　out；　please。　　Tom　saved　me　from　going　to

the　devil；

six　years　ago；　and　I'll　be　damned　if　I　don't　help　him　to　the　best

of　

my　ability　now。〃



John　Weightman　looked　at　his　son　steadily。　　〃Harold；〃　he　said　at

last；　

〃you　know　I　dislike　violent　language；　and　it　never　has　any　

influence　with　me。　　If　I　could　honestly　approve　of　this　

proposition　of　yours；　I'd　let　you　have　the　money；　but　I　can't；　

it's　extravagant　and　useless。　　But　you　have　your　Christmas　check

for　

a　thousand　dollars　coming　to　you　to…morrow。　　You　can　use　it　as

you　please。　

I　never　interfere　with　your　private　affairs。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Harold。　　〃Thank　you　very　much！　　But　there's

another

private　affair。　　I　want　to　get　away　from　this　life；　this　town；

this　house。　

It　stifles　me。　　You　refused　last　summer　when　I　asked　you　to　let

me　

go　up　to　Grenfell's　Mission　on　the　Labrador。　　I　could　go　now；　

at　least　as　far　as　the　Newfoundland　Station。　　Have　you　changed

your　mind？〃



〃Not　at　all。　　I　think　it　is　an　exceedingly　foolish　enterprise。　　

It　would　interrupt　the　career　that　I　have　marked　out　for　you。〃



〃Well；　then；　here's　a　cheaper　proposition。　　Algy　Vanderhoof　wants

me　to

join　him　on　his　yacht　withwell；　with　a　little　partyto　cruise

in　

the　West　Indies。　　Would　you　prefer　that？〃



〃Certainly　not！　　The　Vanderhoof　set　is　wild　and　godlessI　do　not

wish　to

see　you　keeping　company　with　fools　who　walk　in　the　broad　and　easy

way　that

leads　to　perdition。〃



〃It　is　rather　a　hard　choice；〃　said　the　young　man；　with　a　short

laugh；

turning　toward　the　door。　　〃According　to　you　there's　very　little　

differencea　fool's　paradise　or　a　fool's　hell！　　Well；　it's　one

or　

the　other　for　me；　and　I'll　toss　up　for　it　to…night：　heads；　I

lose；　

tails；　the　devil　wins。　　Anyway；　I'm　sick　of　this；　and　I'm　out　of

it。〃



〃Harold；〃　said　the　older　man　（and　there　was　a　slight　tremor　in

his　voice）；

〃don't　let　us　quarrel　on　Christmas　Eve。　　All　I　want　is　to

persuade　you　to

think　seriously　of　the　duties　and　responsibilities　to　which　God

has　

called　youdon't　speak　lightly　of　heaven　and　hellremember；

there　is

another　life。〃



The　young　man　came　back　and　laid　his　hand　upon　his　father's

shoulder。



〃Father；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　to　remember　it。　　I　try　to　believe　in

it。　　

But　somehow　or　other；　in　this　house；　it　all　seems　unreal　to　me。　　

No　doubt　all　you　say　is　perfectly　right　and　wise。　　I　don't

venture　to　

argue　against　it；　but　I　can't　feel　itthat's　all。　　If　I'm　to

have　a　soul；

either　to　lose　or　to　save；　I　must　really　live。　　Just　now　neither

the

present　nor　the　future　means　anything　to　me。　　But　surely　we　won't

quarrel。　

I'm　very　grateful　to　you；　and　we'll　part　friends。　　Good…night；

sir。〃



The　father　held　out　his　hand　in　silence。　　The　heavy　portiere　

dropped　noiselessly　behind　the　son；　and　he　went　up　the　wide；　

curving　stairway　to　his　own　room。



Meantime　John　Weightman　sat　in　his　carved　chair　in　the　Jacobean　

dining…room。　　He　felt　strangely　old　and　dull。　　The　portraits　of　

beautiful　women　by　Lawrence　and　Reynolds　and　Raeburn；　which　had

often

seemed　like　real　company　to　him；　looked　remote　and　uninteresting。　



He　fancied　something　cold　and　almost　unfriendly　in　their

expression；　

as　if　they　were　staring　through　him　or　beyond　him。　　They　cared

nothing　for

his　principles；　his　hopes；　his　disappointments；　his　successes；　

they　belonged　to　another　world；　in　which　he　had　no　place。　　At

this　he　felt

a　vague　resentment；　a　sense　of　discomfort　that　he　could　not　have

defined　

or　explained。　　He　was　used　to　being　considered；　respected；　

appreciated　at　his　full　value　in　every　region；　even　in　that　of　

his　own　dreams。



Presently　he　rang　for　the　butler；　telling　him　to　close　the　house

and　

not　to　sit　up；　and　walked　with　lagging　steps　into　the　long

library；　

where　the　shaded　lamps　were　burning。　　His　eye　fell　upon　the　low

shelves

full　of　costly　books；　but　he　had　no　desire　to　open　them。　　Even

the

carefully　chosen　pictures　that　hung　above　them　seemed　to　have

lost　

their　attraction。　　He　paused　for　a　moment　before　an　idyll　of

Corota　dance

of　nymphs　around　some　forgotten　altar　in　a　vaporous　gladeand

looked　at　

it　curiously。　　There　was　something　rapturous　and　serene　about　the

picture；　

a　breath　of　spring…time　in　the　misty　trees；　a　harmony　of　joy　in　

the　danci