01-the $30,000 bequest- 第5部分

and　risky　chance；　and　took　a　daring　flyer。　　A　time　of　trembling；

of　doubt；　of　awful　uneasiness　followed；　for　non…success　meant　absolute

ruin　and　nothing　short　of　it。　　Then　came　the　result；　and　Aleck；

faint　with　joy；　could　hardly　control　her　voice　when　she　said：



〃The　suspense　is　over；　Sallyand　we　are　worth　a　cold　million！〃



Sally　wept　for　gratitude；　and　said：



〃Oh；　Electra；　jewel　of　women；　darling　of　my　heart；　we　are　free

at　last；　we　roll　in　wealth；　we　need　never　scrimp　again。　　it's　a

case　for　Veuve　Cliquot！〃　and　he　got　out　a　pint　of　spruce…beer

and　made　sacrifice；　he　saying　〃Damn　the　expense；〃　and　she　rebuking

him　gently　with　reproachful　but　humid　and　happy　eyes。



They　shelved　the　pork…packer's　son　and　the　banker's　son；　and　sat

down　to　consider　the　Governor's　son　and　the　son　of　the　Congressman。







CHAPTER　VI





It　were　a　weariness　to　follow　in　detail　the　leaps　and　bounds　the　Foster

fictitious　finances　took　from　this　time　forth。　　It　was　marvelous；

it　was　dizzying；　it　was　dazzling。　　Everything　Aleck　touched　turned

to　fairy　gold；　and　heaped　itself　glittering　toward　the　firmament。　

Millions　upon　millions　poured　in；　and　still　the　mighty　stream　flowed

thundering　along；　still　its　vast　volume　increased。　　Five　millions

ten　millionstwentythirtywas　there　never　to　be　an　end？



Two　years　swept　by　in　a　splendid　delirium；　the　intoxicated　Fosters

scarcely　noticing　the　flight　of　time。　　They　were　now　worth　three　hundred

million　dollars；　they　were　in　every　board　of　directors　of　every

prodigious　combine　in　the　country；　and　still　as　time　drifted　along；

the　millions　went　on　piling　up；　five　at　a　time；　ten　at　a　time；

as　fast　as　they　could　tally　them　off；　almost。　　The　three　hundred

double　itselfthen　doubled　againand　yet　againand　yet　once　more。



Twenty…four　hundred　millions！



The　business　was　getting　a　little　confused。　　It　was　necessary

to　take　an　account　of　stock；　and　straighten　it　out。　　The　Fosters

knew　it；　they　felt　it；　they　realized　that　it　was　imperative；

but　they　also　knew　that　to　do　it　properly　and　perfectly　the　task

must　be　carried　to　a　finish　without　a　break　when　once　it　was　begun。　

A　ten…hours'　job；　and　where　could　THEY　find　ten　leisure　hours

in　a　bunch？　　Sally　was　selling　pins　and　sugar　and　calico　all　day

and　every　day；　Aleck　was　cooking　and　washing　dishes　and　sweeping

and　making　beds　all　day　and　every　day；　with　none　to　help；

for　the　daughters　were　being　saved　up　for　high　society。　　The　Fosters

knew　there　was　one　way　to　get　the　ten　hours；　and　only　one。　

Both　were　ashamed　to　name　it；　each　waited　for　the　other　to　do　it。　

Finally　Sally　said：



〃Somebody's　got　to　give　in。　　It's　up　to　me。　　Consider　that　I've

named　itnever　mind　pronouncing　it　out　aloud。〃



Aleck　colored；　but　was　grateful。　　Without　further　remark；　they　fell。　

Fell；　andbroke　the　Sabbath。　　For　that　was　their　only　free

ten…hour　stretch。　　It　was　but　another　step　in　the　downward　path。　

Others　would　follow。　　Vast　wealth　has　temptations　which　fatally

and　surely　undermine　the　moral　structure　of　persons　not　habituated

to　its　possession。



They　pulled　down　the　shades　and　broke　the　Sabbath。　　With　hard

and　patient　labor　they　overhauled　their　holdings　and　listed　them。　

And　a　long…drawn　procession　of　formidable　names　it　was！　

Starting　with　the　Railway　Systems；　Steamer　Lines；　Standard　Oil；

Ocean　Cables；　Diluted　Telegraph；　and　all　the　rest；　and　winding

up　with　Klondike；　De　Beers；　Tammany　Graft；　and　Shady　Privileges

in　the　Post…office　Department。



Twenty…four　hundred　millions；　and　all　safely　planted　in　Good　Things；

gilt…edged　and　interest…bearing。　Income；　120；000；000　a　year。　

Aleck　fetched　a　long　purr　of　soft　delight；　and　said：



〃Is　it　enough？〃



〃It　is；　Aleck。〃



〃What　shall　we　do？〃



〃Stand　pat。〃



〃Retire　from　business？〃



〃That's　it。〃



〃I　am　agreed。　　The　good　work　is　finished；　we　will　take　a　long　rest

and　enjoy　the　money。〃



〃Good！　　Aleck！〃



〃Yes；　dear？〃



〃How　much　of　the　income　can　we　spend？〃



〃The　whole　of　it。〃



It　seemed　to　her　husband　that　a　ton　of　chains　fell　from　his　limbs。　

He　did　not　say　a　word；　he　was　happy　beyond　the　power　of　speech。



After　that；　they　broke　the　Sabbaths　right　along　as　fast　as　they

turned　up。　　It　is　the　first　wrong　step　that　counts。　　Every　Sunday

they　put　in　the　whole　day；　after　morning　service；　on　inventions

inventions　of　ways　to　spend　the　money。　　They　got　to　continuing　this

delicious　dissipation　until　past　midnight；　and　at　every　s'eance　Aleck

lavished　millions　upon　great　charities　and　religious　enterprises；

and　Sally　lavished　like　sums　upon　matters　to　which　（at　first）

he　gave　definite　names。　　Only　at　first。　　Later　the　names　gradually

lost　sharpness　of　outline；　and　eventually　faded　into　〃sundries；〃

thus　becoming　entirelybut　safelyundescriptive。　　For　Sally

was　crumbling。　　The　placing　of　these　millions　added　seriously

and　most　uncomfortably　to　the　family　expensesin　tallow　candles。　

For　a　while　Aleck　was　worried。　　Then；　after　a　little；　she　ceased

to　worry；　for　the　occasion　of　it　was　gone。　　She　was　pained；

she　was　grieved；　she　was　ashamed；　but　she　said　nothing；　and　so　became

an　accessory。　　Sally　was　taking　candles；　he　was　robbing　the　store。　

It　is　ever　thus。　　Vast　wealth；　to　the　person　unaccustomed　to　it；

is　a　bane；　it　eats　into　the　flesh　and　bone　of　his　morals。　

When　the　Fosters　were　poor；　they　could　have　been　trusted　with

untold　candles。　　But　now　theybut　let　us　not　dwell　upon　it。　

From　candles　to　apples　is　but　a　step：　　Sally　got　to　taking　apples；

then　soap；　then　maple…sugar；　then　canned　goods；　then　crockery。　

How　easy　it　is　to　go　from　bad　to　worse；　when　once　we　have　started　upon　a

downward　course！



Meantime；　other　effects　had　been　milestoning　the　course　of　the　Fosters'

splendid　financial　march。　　The　fictitious　brick　dwelling　had

given　place　to　an　imaginary　granite　one　with　a　checker…board

mansard　roof；　in　time　this　one　disappeared　and　gave　place　to　a

still　grander　homeand　so　on　and　so　on。　　Mansion　after　mansion；

made　of　air；　rose；　higher；　broader；　finer；　and　each　in　its　turn

vanished　away；　until　now　in　these　latter　great　days；　our　dreamers

were　in　fancy　housed；　in　a　distant　region；　in　a　sumptuous　vast

palace　which　looked　out　from　a　leafy　summit　upon　a　noble　prospect

of　vale　and　river　and　receding　hills　steeped　in　tinted　mists

and　all　private；　all　the　property　of　the　dreamers；　a　palace　swarming

with　liveried　servants；　and　populous　with　guests　of　fame　and　power；

hailing　from　all　the　world's　capitals；　foreign　and　domestic。



This　palace　was　far；　far　away　toward　the　rising　sun；　immeasurably　remote；

astronomically　remote；　in　Newport；　Rhode　Island；　Holy　Land

of　High　Society；　ineffable　Domain　of　the　American　Aristocracy。　

As　a　rule　they　spent　a　part　of　every　Sabbathafter　morning　service

in　this　sumptuous　home；　the　rest　of　it　they　spent　in　Europe；

or　in　dawdling　around　in　their　private　yacht。　　Six　days　of　sordid

and　plodding　fact　life　at　home　on　the　ragged　edge　of　Lakeside

and　straitened　means；　the　seventh　in　Fairlyandsuch　had　been

their　program　and　their　habit。



In　their　sternly　restricted　fact　life　they　remained　as　of　old

plodding；　diligent；　careful；　practical；　economical。　　They　stuck

loyally　to　the　little　Presbyterian　Church；　and　labored　faithfully

in　its　interests　and　stood　by　its　high　and　tough　doctrines　with　all

their　mental　and　spiritual　energies。　　But　in　their　dream　life　they

obeyed　the　invitations　of　their　fancies；　whatever　they　might　be；

and　howsoever　the　fancies　might　change。　　Aleck's　fancies　were　not

very　capricious；　and　not　frequent；　but　Sally's　scattered　a　good　deal。　

Aleck；　in　her　dream　life；　went　over　to　the　Episcopal　camp；　on　account

of　its　large　official　titles；　next　she　became　High…church　on　account

of　the　candles　and　shows；　and　next　she　naturally　changed　to　Rome；

where　there　were　cardinals　and　more　candles。　　But　these　excursions

were　a　nothing　to　Sally's。　His　dream　life　was　a　glowing　and　continuous

and　persistent　excitement；　and　he　kept　every　part　of　it　fresh　and

sparkling　by　frequent　changes；　the　religious　part　along　with　the　rest。　

He　worked　his　religions　hard；　and　changed　them　with　his　shirt。



The　liberal　spendings　of　the　Fosters　upon　their　fancies　began

early　in　their　prosperities；　and　grew　in　prodigality　step　by　step

with　their　advancing　fortunes。　　In　time　they　became　truly　enormous。　

Aleck　built　a　university　or　two　per　Sunday；　also　a　hospital　or　two；

also　a　Rowton　hotel　or　so；　also　a　batch　of　churches；　now　and　then

a　cathedral；　and　once；　with　untimely　and　ill…chosen　playfulness；

Sally　said；　〃It　was　a　cold　day　when　she　didn't　ship　a　cargo　of

missionaries　to　persuade　unreflecting　Chinamen　to　trade　off　twenty…four

carat　Confucianism　for　counterfeit　Christianity。〃



This　rude　and　unfeeling　language　hurt　Aleck　to　the　heart；　and　she

went　from　the　presence　crying。　　That　spectacle　went　to　his　own　heart；

and　in　his　pain　and　shame　he　would　have　given