an open-eyed conspiracy-第25章

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if　we　could　have　foreseen　or　imaginedif　we　could　have　taken　any
stepsI　trust　you　will　believe〃　　I　was　furious　at　myself　for
being　so　confoundedly　apologetic；　for　I　was　thinking　all　the　time　of
the　bother　and　affliction　we　had　had　with　the　girl；　and　there　sat
that　little　wooden　image　accepting　my　self…inculpations；　and
apparently　demanding　more　of　me；　but　I　could　not　help　going　on　in
the　same　strain：　　〃We　felt　especially　bound　in　the　matter；　from　the
fact　that　Mr。　Kendricks　was　a　personal　friend　of　ours；　whom　we　are
very　fond　of；　and　we　both　are　very　anxious　that　you　should　not
suppose　that　we　promoted；　or　that　we　were　not　most　vigilantthat　we
were　for　a　moment　forgetful　of　your　rights　in　such　an　affair〃

I　stopped；　and　Mr。　Gage　passed　his　hand　across　his　little　meagre；
smiling　mouth。

〃Then　he　is　not　a　connection　of　yours；　Mr。　March？〃

〃Bless　me；　no！〃　I　said　in　great　relief；　〃we　are　not　so　swell　as
that。〃　　And　I　tried　to　give　him　some　notion　of　Kendricks's　local
quality；　repeating　a　list　of　agglutinated　New　York　surnames　to　which
his　was　more　or　less　affiliated。　　They　always　amuse　me；　those　names；
which　more　than　any　in　the　world　give　the　notion　of　social
straining；　but　I　doubt　if　they　affected　the　imagination　of　Mr。　Gage；
either　in　this　way　or　in　the　way　I　meanly　meant　them　to　affect　him。

〃And　what　did　you　say　his　business　was？〃　he　asked；　with　that
implication　of　a　previous　statement　on　your　part　which　some　people
think　it　so　clever　to　make　when　they　question　you。

I　always　hate　it；　and　I　avenged　myself　by　answering　simply；　〃Bless
my　soul；　he　has　no　business！〃　and　letting　him　take　up　the　word　now
or　not；　as　he　liked。

〃Then　he　is　a　man　of　independent　means？〃

I　could　not　resist　answering；　〃Independent　means？　　Kendricks　has　no
means　whatever。〃　　But　having　dealt　this　blow；　I　could　add；　〃I
believe　his　mother　has　some　money。　　They　are　people　who　live
comfortably〃

〃Then　he　has　no　profession？〃　asked　Mr。　Gage；　with　a　little　more
stringency　in　his　smile。

〃I　don't　know　whether　you　will　call　it　a　profession。　　He　is　a
writer。〃

〃Ah！〃　Mr。　Gage　softly　breathed。　　〃Does　he　write　for　yourpaper？〃

I　noted　that　as　to　the　literary　technicalities　he　seemed　not　to　be
much　more　ignorant　than　Kendricks's　own　family；　and　I　said；
tolerantly；　〃Yes；　he　writes　for　our　magazine。〃

〃Magazineyes；　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　he　interrupted。

〃And　for　any　others　where　he　can　place　his　material。〃

This　apparently　did　not　convey　any　very　luminous　idea　to　Mr。　Gage's
mind；　and　he　asked　after　a　moment；　〃What　kind　of　things　does　he
write？〃

〃Oh；　stories；　sketches；　poems；　reviews；　essaysalmost　anything；　in
fact。〃

The　light　left　his　face；　and　I　perceived　that　I　had　carried　my
revenge　too　far；　at　least　for　Kendricks's　advantage；　and　I
determined　to　take　a　new　departure　at　the　first　chance。　　The　chance
did　not　come　immediately。

〃And　can　a　man　support　a　wife　by　that　kind　of　writing？〃　asked　Mr。
Gage。

I　laughed　uneasily。　　〃Some　people　do。　　It　depends　upon　how　much　of
it　he　can　sell。　　It　depends　upon　how　handsomely　a　wife　wishes　to　be
supported。　　The　result　isn't　usually　beyond　the　dreams　of　avarice；〃
I　said；　with　a　desperate　levity。

〃Excuse　me；〃　returned　the　little　man。　　〃Do　you　live　in　that　way？　　By
your　writings？〃

〃No；〃　I　said　with　some　state；　which　I　tried　to　subdue；　〃I　am　the
editor　of　Every　Other　Week；　and　part　owner。　　Mr。　Kendricks　is　merely
a　contributor。〃

〃Ah；〃　he　breathed　again。　　〃And　if　he　were　successful　in　selling　his
writings；　how　much　would　he　probably　make　in　a　year？〃

〃In　a　year？〃　I　repeated；　to　gain　time。　　〃Mr。　Kendricks　is
comparatively　a　beginner。　　Say　fifteen　hundredtwo　thousand
twenty…five　hundred。〃

〃And　that　would　not　go　very　far　in　New　York。〃

〃No；　that　would　not　go　far　in　New　York。〃　　I　was　beginning　to　find　a
certain　pleasure　in　dealing　so　frankly　with　this　hard　little　man。　　I
liked　to　see　him　suffer；　and　I　could　see　that　he　did　suffer；　he
suffered　as　a　father　must　who　learns　that　from　a　pecuniary　point　of
view　his　daughter　is　imprudently　in　love。　　Why　should　we　always
regard　such　a　sufferer　as　a　comic　figure？　　He　is；　if　we　think　of　it
rightly；　a　most　serious；　even　tragical　figure；　and　at　all　events　a
most　respectable　figure。　　He　loves　her；　and　his　heart　is　torn
between　the　wish　to　indulge　her　and　the　wish　to　do　what　will　be
finally　best　for　her。　　Why　should　our　sympathies；　in　such　a　case；　be
all　for　the　foolish　young　lovers？　　They　ought　in　great　measure　to　be
for　the　father；　too。　　Something　like　a　sense　of　this　smote　me；　and　I
was　ashamed　in　my　pleasure。

〃Then　I　should　say；　Mr。　March；　that　this　seems　a　most　undesirable
engagement　for　my　daughter。　　What　should　you　say？　　I　ask　you　to　make
the　case　your　own。〃

〃Excuse　me；〃　I　answered；　〃I　would　much　rather　not　make　the　case　my
own；　Mr。　Gage；　and　I　must　decline　to　have　you　consult　me。　　I　think
that　in　this　matter　I　have　done　all　that　I　was　called　upon　to　do。　　I
have　told　you　what　I　know　of　Mr。　Kendricks's　circumstances　and
connections。　　As　to　his　character；　I　can　truly　say　that　he　is　one　of
the　best　men　I　ever　knew。　　I　believe　in　his　absolute　purity　of
heart；　and　he　is　the　most　unselfish；　the　most　generous〃

Mr。　Gage　waved　the　facts　aside　with　his　hand。　　〃I　don't　undervalue
those　things。　　If　I　could　be　master；　no　one　should　have　my　girl
without　them。　　But　they　do　not　constitute　a　livelihood。　　From　what
you　tell　me　of　Mr。　Kendricks's　prospects；　I　am　not　prepared　to　say
that　I　think　the　outlook　is　brilliant。　　If　he　has　counted　upon　my
supplying　a　deficiency〃

〃Oh；　excuse　me；　Mr。　Gage！　　Your　insinuation〃

〃Excuse　ME！〃　he　retorted。　　〃I　am　making　no　insinuation。　　I　merely
wish　to　say　that；　while　my　means　are　such　as　to　enable　me　to　live　in
comfort　at　De　Witt　Point；　I　am　well　aware　that　much　more　would　be
needed　in　New　York　to　enable　my　daughter　to　live　in　the　same
comfort。　　I'm　not　willing　she　should　live　in　less。　　I　think　it　is　my
duty　to　say　that　I　am　not　at　all　a　rich　man；　and　if　there　has　been
any　supposition　that　I　am　so；　it　is　a　mistake　that　cannot　be
corrected　too　soon。〃

This　time　I　could　not　resent　his　insinuation；　for　since　he　had　begun
to　speak　I　had　become　guiltily　aware　of　having　felt　a　sort　of　ease
in　regard　to　Kendricks's　modesty　of　competence　from　a　belief；　given
me；　I　suspect；　by　the　talk　of　Deering；　that　Mr。　Gage　had　plenty　of
money；　and　could　come　to　the　rescue　in　any　amount　needed。　　I　could
only　say；　〃Mr。　Gage；　all　this　is　so　far　beyond　my　control　that　I
ought　not　to　allow　you　to　say　it　to　me。　　It　is　something　that　you
must　say　to　Mr。　Kendricks。〃

As　I　spoke　I　saw　the　young　fellow　come　round　the　corner　of　the
street；　and　mount　the　hotel　steps。　　He　did　not　see　me；　for　he　did
not　look　toward　the　little　corner　of　lawn　where　Mr。　Gage　and　I　had
put　our　chairs　for　the　sake　of　the　morning　shade；　and　for　the
seclusion　that　the　spot　afforded　us。　　It　was　at　the　angle　of　the
house　farthest　from　our　peculiar　corner　of　the　piazza；　whither　I　had
the　belief　that　the　girl　had　withdrawn　when　she　left　me　to　her
father。　　I　was　sure　that　Kendricks　would　seek　her　there；　far　enough
beyond　eyeshot　or　earshot　of　us；　and　I　had　no　doubt　that　she　was
expecting　him。

〃You　are　Mr。　Kendricks's　friend〃

〃I　have　tried　much　more　to　be　Miss　Gage's　friend；　and　Mrs。　March〃
It　came　into　my　mind　that　she　was　most　selfishly　and　shamelessly
keeping　out　of　the　way；　and　I　could　not　go　on　and　celebrate　her
magnanimous　impartiality；　her　eager　and　sleepless　vigilance。

〃I　have　no　doubt　of　that；〃　said　the　little　man；　〃and　I　am　very　much
obliged　to　you　for　all　the　trouble　you　have　taken　on　my　daughter's
account。　　But　you　are　his　friend；　and　I　can　speak　to　you　much　more
fully　and　frankly　than　I　could　to　him。〃

I　did　not　know　just　what　to　say　to　this；　and　he　went　on：　　〃In　point
of　fact；　I　don't　think　that　I　shall　speak　to　him　at　all。〃

〃That　is　quite　your　affair；　my　dear　sir；〃　I　said　dryly。　　〃It　isn't
to　be　supposed　that　you　would　seek　an　interview　with　him。〃

〃And　if　he　seeks　an　interview　with　me；　I　shall　decline　it。〃　　He
looked　at　me　defiantly　and　yet　interrogatively。　　I　could　see　that　he
was　very　angry；　and　yet　uncertain。

〃I　must　say；　then；　Mr。　Gage；　that　I　don