the story of a mine-第14部分

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moment's　call？〃　continued　the　man　in　bed。　　〃No？　　Do　you　know　any　of

them　waiters　in　the　house？　　Thar's　a　bell　over　yan！〃　and　he

motioned　with　his　eyes　towards　the　wall；　but　did　not　otherwise　move

his　body。



〃No；〃　said　Wiles；　becoming　slightly　suspicious　and　wrathful。



〃Mebbe　a　stranger　might　do？　　I　reckon　thar's　one　passin'　in　the

hall。　　Call　him　in；he'll　do！〃



Wiles　opened　the　door　a　little　impatiently；　yet　inquisitively；　as

Dobbs　passed。　　The　man　in　bed　called　out；　〃Oh；　stranger！〃　and；　as

Dobbs　stopped；　said；　〃Come　yar。〃



Dobbs　entered　a　little　timidly；　as　was　his　habit　with　strangers。



〃I　don't　know　who　you　benor　care；　I　reckon；〃　said　the　stranger。

〃This　yer　man〃pointing　to　Wilesis　Wiles。　　I'm　Josh　Sibblee　of

Fresno；　Member　of　Congress　from　the　4th　Congressional　District　of

Californy。　　I'm　jist　lying　here；　with　a　derringer　into　each　hand；

jist　lying　here　kivered　up　and　holdin'　in　on'y　to　keep　from　blowin'

the　top　o'　this　dd　skunk's　head　off。　　I　kinder　feel　I　can't

hold　in　any　longer。　　What　I　want　to　say　to　ye；　stranger；　is　that

this　yer　skunkwhich　his　name　is　Wileshez　bin　tryin'　his　ddest

to　get　a　bribe　onto　Josh；　and　Josh；　outo　respect　for　his

constituents；　is　jist　waitin'　for　some　stranger　to　waltz　in　and

stop　the　ddest　fight〃



〃But；　my　dear　Mr。　Sibblee；　there　must　be　some　mistake；〃　said　Wiles

earnestly。



〃Mistake？　　Strip　me！〃



〃No！　No！〃　said　Wiles；　hurriedly；　as　the　simple…minded　Dobbs　was

about　to　draw　down　the　coverlid。



〃Take　him　away；〃　said　the　Hon。　Mr。　Sibblee；　〃before　I　disgrace　my

constituency。　　They　said　I'd　be　in　jail　afore　I　get　through　the

session。　　Ef　you've　got　any　humanity；　stranger；　snake　him　out；　and

pow'ful　quick；　too。〃



Dobbs；　quite　white　and　aghast；　looked　at　Wiles　and　hesitated。

There　was　a　slight　movement　in　the　bed。　　Both　men　started　for　the

door；　and　the　next　minute　it　closed　very　decidedly　on　the　member

from　Fresno。





CHAPTER　XI



HOW　IT　WAS　LOBBIED　FOR





The　Hon。　Pratt　C。　Gashwiler；　M。C。；　was　of　course　unaware　of　the

incident　described　in　the　last　chapter。　　His　secret；　even　if　it　had

been　discovered　by　Dobbs；　was　safe　in　that　gentleman's　innocent　and

honorable　hands；　and　certainly　was　not　of　a　quality　that　Mr。　Wiles；

at　present；　would　have　cared　to　expose。　　For；　in　spite　of　Mr。

Wiles's　discomfiture；　he　still　had　enough　experience　of　character

to　know　that　the　irate　member　from　Fresno　would　be　satisfied　with

his　own　peculiar　manner　of　vindicating　his　own　personal　integrity；

and　would　not　make　a　public　scandal　of　it。　　Again；　Wiles　was

convinced　that　Dobbs　was　equally　implicated　with　Gashwiler；　and

would　be　silent　for　his　own　sake。　　So　that　poor　Dobbs；　as　is　too

often　the　fate　of　simple　but　weak　natures；　had　full　credit　for

duplicity　by　every　rascal　in　the　land。



From　which　it　may　be　inferred　that　nothing　occurred　to　disturb　the

security　of　Gashwiler。　　When　the　door　closed　upon　Mr。　Wiles；　he

indited　a　note　which；　with　a　costly　but　exceedingly　distasteful

bouquet；rearranged　by　his　own　fat　fingers；　and　discord　and

incongruity　visible　in　every　combination　of　color；he　sent　off　by

a　special　messenger。　　Then　he　proceeded　to　make　his　toilet；an

operation　rarely　graceful　or　picturesque　in　our　sex；　and　an　insult

to　the　spectator　when　obesity　is　superadded。　　When　he　had　put　on　a

clean　shirt；　of　which　there　was　grossly　too　much；　and　added　a　white

waistcoat；　that　seemed　to　accent　his　rotundity；　he　completed　his

attire　with　a　black　frock　coat　of　the　latest　style；　and　surveyed

himself　complacently　before　a　mirror。　　It　is　to　be　recorded　that；

however　satisfactory　the　result　might　have　been　to　Mr。　Gashwiler；

it　was　not　so　to　the　disinterested　spectator。　　There　are　some　men

on　whom　〃that　deformed　thief；　Fashion；〃　avenges　himself　by　making

their　clothes　appear　perennially　new。　　The　gloss　of　the　tailor's

iron　never　disappears；　the　creases　of　the　shelf　perpetually　rise　in

judgment　against　the　wearer。　　Novelty　was　the　general　suggestion　of

Mr。　Gashwiler's　full…dress；it　was　never　his　HABITUDE；and　〃Our

own　Make；〃　〃Nobby；〃　and　the　〃Latest　Style；　only　15；〃　was　as　patent

on　the　legislator's　broad　back　as　if　it　still　retained　the　shop…

man's　ticket。



Thus　arrayed；　within　an　hour　he　complacently　followed　the　note　and

his　floral　offering。　　The　house　he　sought　had　been　once　the

residence　of　a　foreign　Ambassador；　who　had　loyally　represented　his

government　in　a　single　unimportant　treaty；　now　forgotten；　and　in

various　receptions　and　dinners；　still　actively　remembered　by

occasional　visits　to　its　salon；　now　the　average　dreary　American

parlor。　　〃Dear　me；〃　the　fascinating　Mr。　X　would　say；　〃but　do　you

know；　love；　in　this　very　room　I　remember　meeting　the　distinguished

Marquis　of　Monte　Pio；〃　or　perhaps　the　fashionable　Jones　of　the

State　Department　instantly　crushed　the　decayed　friend　he　was

perfunctorily　visiting　by　saying；　〃'Pon　my　soul；　YOU　here；why；

the　last　time　I　was　in　this　room　I　gossiped　for　an　hour　with　the

Countess　de　Castenet　in　that　very　corner。〃　　For；　with　the　recall　of

the　aforesaid　Ambassador；　the　mansion　had　become　a　boarding…place；

kept　by　the　wife　of　a　departmental　clerk。



Perhaps　there　was　nothing　in　the　history　of　the　house　more　quaint

and　philosophic　than　the　story　of　its　present　occupant。　　Roger

Fauquier　had　been　a　departmental　clerk　for　forty　years。　　It　was　at

once　his　practical　good　luck　and　his　misfortune　to　have　been　early

appointed　to　a　position　which　required　a　thorough　and　complete

knowledge　of　the　formulas　and　routine　of　a　department　that　expended

millions　of　the　public　funds。　　Fauquier；　on　a　poor　salary；

diminishing　instead　of　increasing　with　his　service；　had　seen

successive　administrations　bud　and　blossom　and　decay；　but　had　kept

his　position　through　the　fact　that　his　knowledge　was　a　necessity　to

the　successive　chiefs　and　employes。　　Once　it　was　true　that　he　had

been　summarily　removed　by　a　new　Secretary；　to　make　room　for　a　camp

follower；　whose　exhaustive　and　intellectual　services　in　a　political

campaign　had　made　him　eminently　fit　for　anything；　but　the　alarming

discovery　that　the　new　clerk's　knowledge　of　grammar　and　etymology

was　even　worse　than　that　of　the　Secretary　himself；　and　that；

through　ignorance　of　detail；　the　business　of　that　department　was

retarded　to　a　damage　to　the　Government　of　over　half　a　million　of

dollars；　led　to　the　reinstatement　of　Mr。　FauquierAT　A　LOWER

SALARY。　　For　it　was　felt　that　something　was　wrong　somewhere；　and　as

it　had　always　been　the　custom　of　Congress　and　the　administration　to

cut　down　salaries　as　the　first　step　to　reform；　they　made　of　Mr。

Fauquier　a　moral　example。　　A　gentleman　born；　of　somewhat　expensive

tastes；　having　lived　up　to　his　former　salary；　this　change　brought

another　bread…winner　into　the　field；　Mrs。　Fauquier；　who　tried；　more

or　less　unsuccessfully；　to　turn　her　old　Southern　habits　of

hospitality　to　remunerative　account。　　But　as　poor　Fauquier　could

never　be　prevailed　upon　to　present　a　bill　to　a　gentleman；　sir；　and

as　some　of　the　scions　of　the　best　Southern　families　were　still

waiting　for；　or　had　been　recently　dismissed　from；　a　position；　the

experiment　was　a　pecuniary　failure。　　Yet　the　house　was　of　excellent

repute　and　well　patronized；　indeed；　it　was　worth　something　to　see

old　Fauquier　sitting　at　the　head　of　his　own　table；　in　something　of

his　ancestral　style；　relating　anecdotes　of　great　men　now　dead　and

gone；　interrupted　only　by　occasional　visits　from　importunate

tradesmen。



Prominent　among　what　Mr。　Fauquier　called　his　〃little　family〃　was　a

black…eyed　lady　of　great　powers　of　fascination；　and　considerable

local　reputation　as　a　flirt。　　Nevertheless；　these　social

aberrations　were　amply　condoned　by　a　facile　and　complacent　husband；

who　looked　with　a　lenient　and　even　admiring　eye　upon　the　little

lady's　amusement；　and　to　a　certain　extent　lent　a　tacit　indorsement

to　her　conduct。　　Nobody　minded　Hopkinson；　in　the　blaze　of　Mrs。

Hopkinson's　fascinations　he　was　completely　lost　sight　of。　　A　few

married　women　with　unduly　sensitive　husbands；　and　several　single

ladies　of　the　best　and　longest　standing；　reflected　severely　on　her

conduct。　　The　younger　men　of　course　admired　her；　but　I　think　she

got　her　chief　support　from　old　fogies　like　ourselves。　　For　it　is

your　quiet；　self…conceited；　complacent；　philosophic；　broad…waisted

paterfamilias　who；　after　all；　is　the　one　to　whom　the　gay　and　giddy

of　the　proverbially　impulsive；　unselfish　sex　owe　their　place　in　the

social　firmament。　　We　are　never　inclined　to　be　captious；　we　laugh

at　as　a　folly　what　our　wives　and　daughters　condemn　as　a　fault；　OUR

〃withers　are　unwrung；〃　yet　we　still　confess　to　the　fascinations　of

a　pretty　face。　　We　know；　bless　us；　from　dear　experience；　the　exact

value　of　one　woman's　opinion　of　another；　we　want　our　brilliant

little　friend　to　shine；　it　is　only　the　moths　who　will　burn　their

two…penny　immature　wings　in　the　flame！　　And　why　should　they　not？

Nature　has　been　pleased　to　supply　more　moths　than　candles！　　Go　to！

give　the　pretty　creaturebe　she　maid；　wife；　or　widowa　show！

And　so；　my　dear　sir；　while　mater…familias　bends　her　black　brows　in

disgust；　we　smile　our　superior　little　smile；　and　extend　to　Mistress

Anonyma　our　gracious　indorsement。　　And　if　giddiness　is　grateful；　or

if　folly　is　friendly；well；　of　course；　we　can't　help　that。　　Indeed

it　rather　proves　our　theory。



I　had　intended　to　say　something　about　Hopkinson；　but　really　there

is　very　little　to　say。　　He　was　invariably　good　humored。　　A　few

ladies　once　tried　to　show　him　that　he　really　ought　to　feel　worse

than　he　did　about　the　conduct　of　his　wife；　and　it　is　recorded　that

Hopkinson；　in　an　excess　of　good　humor　and　kindliness；　promised　to

do　so。　　Indeed　the　good　fellow　was　so　accessible　that　it　is　said

that　young　DeLancy　of　the　Tape　Department　confided　to　Hopkinson　his

jealousy　of　a　rival；　and　revealed　the　awful　secret　that　he

（DeLancy）　had　reason　to　expect　more　loyalty　fr