01-the $30,000 bequest- 第6部分

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

and　in　his　pain　and　shame　he　would　have　given　worlds　to　have

those　unkind　words　back。　　She　had　uttered　no　syllable　of　reproach

and　that　cut　him。　　Not　one　suggestion　that　he　look　at　his　own　record

and　she　could　have　made；　oh；　so　many；　and　such　blistering　ones！　

Her　generous　silence　brought　a　swift　revenge；　for　it　turned　his

thoughts　upon　himself；　it　summoned　before　him　a　spectral　procession；

a　moving　vision　of　his　life　as　he　had　been　leading　it　these　past

few　years　of　limitless　prosperity；　and　as　he　sat　there　reviewing

it　his　cheeks　burned　and　his　soul　was　steeped　in　humiliation。　

Look　at　her　lifehow　fair　it　was；　and　tending　ever　upward；　and　look

at　his　ownhow　frivolous；　how　charged　with　mean　vanities；　how　selfish；

how　empty；　how　ignoble！　　And　its　trendnever　upward；　but　downward；

ever　downward！



He　instituted　comparisons　between　her　record　and　his　own。　　He　had　found

fault　with　herso　he　musedHE！　　And　what　could　he　say　for　himself？　

When　she　built　her　first　church　what　was　he　doing？　　Gathering　other

blas'e　multimillionaires　into　a　Poker　Club；　defiling　his　own　palace

with　it；　losing　hundreds　of　thousands　to　it　at　every　sitting；

and　sillily　vain　of　the　admiring　notoriety　it　made　for　him。　

When　she　was　building　her　first　university；　what　was　he　doing？　

Polluting　himself　with　a　gay　and　dissipated　secret　life　in　the

company　of　other　fast　bloods；　multimillionaires　in　money　and　paupers

in　character。　　When　she　was　building　her　first　foundling　asylum；

what　was　he　doing？　　Alas！　　When　she　was　projecting　her　noble　Society

for　the　Purifying　of　the　Sex；　what　was　he　doing？　　Ah；　what；　indeed！　

When　she　and　the　W。　C。　T。　U。　and　the　Woman　with　the　Hatchet；

moving　with　resistless　march；　were　sweeping　the　fatal　bottle　from

the　land；　what　was　he　doing？　　Getting　drunk　three　times　a　day。　

When　she；　builder　of　a　hundred　cathedrals；　was　being　gratefully

welcomed　and　blest　in　papal　Rome　and　decorated　with　the　Golden　Rose

which　she　had　so　honorably　earned；　what　was　he　doing？　　Breaking　the

bank　at　Monte　Carlo。



He　stopped。　　He　could　go　no　farther；　he　could　not　bear　the　rest。　

He　rose　up；　with　a　great　resolution　upon　his　lips：　　this　secret

life　should　be　revealing；　and　confessed；　no　longer　would　he　live

it　clandestinely；　he　would　go　and　tell　her　All。



And　that　is　what　he　did。　　He　told　her　All；　and　wept　upon

her　bosom；　wept；　and　moaned；　and　begged　for　her　forgiveness。　

It　was　a　profound　shock；　and　she　staggered　under　the　blow；　but　he

was　her　own；　the　core　of　her　heart；　the　blessing　of　her　eyes；

her　all　in　all；　she　could　deny　him　nothing；　and　she　forgave　him。　

She　felt　that　he　could　never　again　be　quite　to　her　what　he　had

been　before；　she　knew　that　he　could　only　repent；　and　not　reform；

yet　all　morally　defaced　and　decayed　as　he　was；　was　he　not　her　own；

her　very　own；　the　idol　of　her　deathless　worship？　　She　said　she

was　his　serf；　his　slave；　and　she　opened　her　yearning　heart　and　took

him　in。







CHAPTER　VII





One　Sunday　afternoon　some　time　after　this　they　were　sailing　the

summer　seas　in　their　dream　yacht；　and　reclining　in　lazy　luxury　under

the　awning　of　the　after…deck。　There　was　silence；　for　each　was　busy

with　his　own　thoughts。　　These　seasons　of　silence　had　insensibly

been　growing　more　and　more　frequent　of　late；　the　old　nearness　and

cordiality　were　waning。　　Sally's　terrible　revelation　had　done　its　work；

Aleck　had　tried　hard　to　drive　the　memory　of　it　out　of　her　mind；

but　it　would　not　go；　and　the　shame　and　bitterness　of　it　were

poisoning　her　gracious　dream　life。　　She　could　see　now　（on　Sundays）

that　her　husband　was　becoming　a　bloated　and　repulsive　Thing。　

She　could　not　close　her　eyes　to　this；　and　in　these　days　she

no　longer　looked　at　him；　Sundays；　when　she　could　help　it。



But　shewas　she　herself　without　blemish？　　Alas；　she　knew　she　was　not。　

She　was　keeping　a　secret　from　him；　she　was　acting　dishonorably

toward　him；　and　many　a　pang　it　was　costing　her。　　SHE　WAS　BREAKING

THE　COMPACT；　AND　CONCEALING　IT　FROM　HIM。　　Under　strong　temptation

she　had　gone　into　business　again；　she　had　risked　their　whole

fortune　in　a　purchase　of　all　the　railway　systems　and　coal　and　steel

companies　in　the　country　on　a　margin；　and　she　was　now　trembling；

every　Sabbath　hour；　lest　through　some　chance　word　of　hers　he　find

it　out。　　In　her　misery　and　remorse　for　this　treachery　she　could

not　keep　her　heart　from　going　out　to　him　in　pity；　she　was　filled

with　compunctions　to　see　him　lying　there；　drunk　and　contented；

and　ever　suspecting。　　Never　suspectingtrusting　her　with　a　perfect

and　pathetic　trust；　and　she　holding　over　him　by　a　thread　a　possible

calamity　of　so　devastating　a



〃SAYAleck？〃



The　interrupting　words　brought　her　suddenly　to　herself。　　She　was

grateful　to　have　that　persecuting　subject　from　her　thoughts；

and　she　answered；　with　much　of　the　old…time　tenderness　in　her　tone：



〃Yes；　dear。〃



〃Do　you　know；　Aleck；　I　think　we　are　making　a　mistakethat　is；

you　are。　　I　mean　about　the　marriage　business。〃　　He　sat　up；　fat　and

froggy　and　benevolent；　like　a　bronze　Buddha；　and　grew　earnest。　

〃Considerit's　more　than　five　years。　　You've　continued　the　same

policy　from　the　start：　　with　every　rise；　always　holding　on　for　five

points　higher。　　Always　when　I　think　we　are　going　to　have　some　weddings；

you　see　a　bigger　thing　ahead；　and　I　undergo　another　disappointment。　

_I_　think　you　are　too　hard　to　please。　　Some　day　we'll　get　left。　

First；　we　turned　down　the　dentist　and　the　lawyer。　　That　was　all　right

it　was　sound。　　Next；　we　turned　down　the　banker's　son　and　the

pork…butcher's　heirright　again；　and　sound。　　Next；　we　turned

down　the　Congressman's　son　and　the　Governor'sright　as　a　trivet；

I　confess　it。　　Next　the　Senator's　son　and　the　son　of　the　Vice…President

of　the　United　Statesperfectly　right；　there's　no　permanency　about

those　little　distinctions。　　Then　you　went　for　the　aristocracy；

and　I　thought　we　had　struck　oil　at　lastyes。　　We　would　make

a　plunge　at　the　Four　Hundred；　and　pull　in　some　ancient　lineage；

venerable；　holy；　ineffable；　mellow　with　the　antiquity　of　a　hundred

and　fifty　years；　disinfected　of　the　ancestral　odors　of　salt…cod

and　pelts　all　of　a　century　ago；　and　unsmirched　by　a　day's　work　since；

and　then！　why；　then　the　marriages；　of　course。　　But　no；　along　comes

a　pair　a　real　aristocrats　from　Europe；　and　straightway　you　throw　over

the　half…breeds。　It　was　awfully　discouraging；　Aleck！　　Since　then；

what　a　procession！　　You　turned　down　the　baronets　for　a　pair

of　barons；　you　turned　down　the　barons　for　a　pair　of　viscounts；

the　viscounts　for　a　pair　of　earls；　the　earls　for　a　pair　of　marquises；

the　marquises　for　a　brace　of　dukes。　　NOW；　Aleck；　cash　in！

you've　played　the　limit。　　You've　got　a　job　lot　of　four　dukes

under　the　hammer；　of　four　nationalities；　all　sound　in　the　wind

and　limb　and　pedigree；　all　bankrupt　and　in　debt　up　to　the　ears。　

They　come　high；　but　we　can　afford　it。　　Come；　Aleck；　don't　delay

any　longer；　don't　keep　up　the　suspense：　　take　the　whole　lay…out；

and　leave　the　girls　to　choose！〃



Aleck　had　been　smiling　blandly　and　contentedly　all　through　this

arraignment　of　her　marriage　policy；　a　pleasant　light；　as　of　triumph

with　perhaps　a　nice　surprise　peeping　out　through　it；　rose　in　her　eyes；

and　she　said；　as　calmly　as　she　could：



〃Sally；　what　would　you　say　toROYALTY？〃



Prodigious！　　Poor　man；　it　knocked　him　silly；　and　he　fell　over　the

garboard…strake　and　barked　his　shin　on　the　cat…heads。　He　was　dizzy

for　a　moment；　then　he　gathered　himself　up　and　limped　over　and　sat

down　by　his　wife　and　beamed　his　old…time　admiration　and　affection

upon　her　in　floods；　out　of　his　bleary　eyes。



〃By　George！〃　he　said；　fervently；　〃Aleck；　you　ARE　greatthe　greatest

woman　in　the　whole　earth！　　I　can't　ever　learn　the　whole　size　of　you。　

I　can't　ever　learn　the　immeasurable　deeps　of　you。　　Here　I've　been

considering　myself　qualified　to　criticize　your　game。　　_I！_　Why；

if　I　had　stopped　to　think；　I'd　have　known　you　had　a　lone　hand　up

your　sleeve。　　Now；　dear　heart；　I'm　all　red…hot　impatiencetell　me

about　it！〃



The　flattered　and　happy　woman　put　her　lips　to　his　ear　and　whispered

a　princely　name。　　It　made　him　catch　his　breath；　it　lit　his　face

with　exultation。



〃Land！〃　he　said；　〃it's　a　stunning　catch！　　He's　got　a　gambling…hall；

and　a　graveyard；　and　a　bishop；　and　a　cathedralall　his　very　own。　

And　all　gilt…edged　five…hundred…per…cent。　stock；　every　detail　of　it；

the　tidiest　little　property　in　Europe。　　and　that　graveyard

it's　the　selectest　in　the　world：　　none　but　suicides　admitted；

YES；　sir；　and　the　free…list　suspended；　too；　ALL　the　time。　

There　isn't　much　land　in　the　principality；　but　there's　enough：　

eight　hundred　acres　in　the　graveyard　and　forty…two　outside。　

It's　a　SOVEREIGNTYthat's　the　main　thing；　LAND'S　nothing。　

There's　plenty　land；　Sahara's　drugged　with　it。〃



Aleck　glowed；　she　was　profoundly　happy。　　She　said：



〃Think　of　it；　Sall