01-the $30,000 bequest-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





〃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；　Sallyit　is　a　family　that　has　never　married　outside

the　Royal　and　Imperial　Houses　of　Europe：　　our　grandchildren　will

sit　upon　thrones！〃



〃True　as　you　live；　Aleckand　bear　scepters；　too；　and　handle

them　as　naturally　and　nonchantly　as　I　handle　a　yardstick。　

it's　a　grand　catch；　Aleck。　　He's　corralled；　is　he？　　Can't　get　away？　

You　didn't　take　him　on　a　margin？〃



〃No。　Trust　me　for　that。　　He's　not　a　liability；　he's　an　asset。　

So　is　the　other　one。〃



〃Who　is　it；　Aleck？〃



〃His　Royal　Highness

Sigismund…Siegfriend…Lauenfeld…Dinkelspiel…Schwartzenberg

Blutwurst；　Hereditary　Grant　Duke　of　Katzenyammer。〃



〃No！　　You　can't　mean　it！〃



〃It's　as　true　as　I'm　sitting　here；　I　give　you　my　word；〃　she　answered。



His　cup　was　full；　and　he　hugged　her　to　his　heart　with　rapture；　saying：



〃How　wonderful　it　all　seems；　and　how　beautiful！　　It's　one　of　the

oldest　and　noblest　of　the　three　hundred　and　sixty…four　ancient

German　principalities；　and　one　of　the　few　that　was　allowed　to

retain　its　royal　estate　when　Bismarck　got　done　trimming　them。　

I　know　that　farm；　I've　been　there。　　It's　got　a　rope…walk　and　a

candle…factory　and　an　army。　　Standing　army。　　Infantry　and　cavalry。　

Three　soldier　and　a　horse。　　Aleck；　it's　been　a　long　wait；　and　full

of　heartbreak　and　hope　deferred；　but　God　knows　I　am　happy　now。　

Happy；　and　grateful　to　you；　my　own；　who　have　done　it　all。　

When　is　it　to　be？〃



〃Next　Sunday。〃



〃Good。　　And　we'll　want　to　do　these　weddings　up　in　the　very　regalest

style　that's　going。　　It's　properly　due　to　the　royal　quality　of　the

parties　of　the　first　part。　　Now　as　I　understand　it；　there　is　only　one

kind　of　marriage　that　is　sacred　to　royalty；　exclusive　to　royalty：　

it's　the　morganatic。〃



〃What　do　they　call　it　that　for；　Sally？〃



〃I　don't　know；　but　anyway　it's　royal；　and　royal　only。〃



〃Then　we　will　insist　upon　it。　　MoreI　will　compel　it。　

It　is　morganatic　marriage　or　none。〃



〃That　settles　it！〃　said　Sally；　rubbing　his　hands　with　delight。　

〃And　it　will　be　the　very　first　in　America。　　Aleck；　it　will　make

Newport　sick。〃



Then　they　fell　silent；　and　drifted　away　upon　their　dream　wings

to　the　far　regions　of　the　earth　to　invite　all　the　crowned　heads

and　their　families　and　provide　gratis　transportation　to　them。







CHAPTER　VIII





During　three　days　the　couple　walked　upon　air；　with　their　heads　in

the　clouds。　　They　were　but　vaguely　conscious　of　their　surroundings；

they　saw　all　things　dimly；　as　through　a　veil；　they　were　steeped

in　dreams；　often　they　did　not　hear　when　they　were　spoken　to；

they　often　did　not　understand　when　they　heard；　they　answered　confusedly

or　at　random；　Sally　sold　molasses　by　weight；　sugar　by　the　yard；

and　furnished　soap　when　asked　for　candles；　and　Aleck　put　the　cat

in　the　wash　and　fed　milk　to　the　soiled　linen。　　Everybody　was　stunned

and　amazed；　and　went　about　muttering；　〃What　CAN　be　the　matter

with　the　Fosters？〃



Three　days。　　Then　came　events！　　Things　had　taken　a　happy　turn；

and　for　forty…eight　hours　Aleck's　imaginary　corner　had　been　booming。　

Upupstill　up！　　Cost　point　was　passed。　　Still　upand　up

and　up！　　Cost　point　was　passed。　　STill　upand　upand　up！　

Five　points　above　costthen　tenfifteentwenty！　　Twenty　points

cold　profit　on　the　vast　venture；　now；　and　Aleck's　imaginary　brokers

were　shouting　frantically　by　imaginary　long…distance；　〃Sell！　sell！

for　Heaven's　sake　SELL！〃



She　broke　the　splendid　news　to　Sally；　and　he；　too；　said；

〃Sell！　selloh；　don't　make　a　blunder；　now；　you　own　the　earth！

sell；　sell！〃　　But　she　set　her　iron　will　and　lashed　it　amidships；

and　said　she　would　hold　on　for　five　points　more　if　she　died　for　it。



It　was　a　fatal　resolve。　　The　very　next　day　came　the　historic　crash；

the　record　crash；　the　devastating　crash；　when　the　bottom　fell　out

of　Wall　Street；　and　the　whole　body　of　gilt…edged　stocks　dropped

ninety…five　points　in　five　hours；　and　the　multimillionaire　was　seen

begging　his　bread　in　the　Bowery。　　Aleck　sternly　held　her　grip

and　〃put　up〃　ass　long　as　she　could；　but　at　last　there　came　a　call

which　she　was　powerless　to　meet；　and　her　imaginary　brokers　sold

her　out。　　Then；　and　not　till　then；　the　man　in　her　was　vanished；

and　the　woman　in　her　resumed　sway。　　She　put　her　arms　about　her

husband's　neck　and　wept；　saying：



〃I　am　to　blame；　do　not　forgive　me；　I　cannot　bear　it。　　We　are　paupers！　

Paupers；　and　I　am　so　miserable。　　The　weddings　will　never　come　off；

all　that　is　past；　we　could　not　even　buy　the　dentist；　now。〃



A　bitter　reproach　was　on　Sally's　tongue：　　〃I　BEGGED　you　to　sell；

but　you〃　He　did　not　say　it；　he　had　not　the　heart　to　add　a　hurt

to　that　broken　and　repentant　spirit。　　A　nobler　thought　came　to　him

and　he　said：



〃Bear　up；　my　Aleck；　all　is　not　lost！　　You　really　never　invested

a　penny　of　my　uncle's　bequest；　but　only　its　unmaterialized　future；

what　we　have　lost　was　only　the　incremented　harvest　from　that　future

by　your　incomparable　financial　judgment　and　sagacity。　　Cheer　up；

banish　these　griefs；　we　still　have　the　thirty　thousand　untouched；

and　with　the　experience　which　you　have　acquired；　think　what　you　will

be　able　to　do　with　it　in　a　couple　years！　　The　marriages　are　not　off；

they　are　only　postponed。〃



These　are　blessed　words。　　Aleck　saw　how　true　they　were；　and　their

influence　was　electric；　her　tears　ceased　to　flow；　and　her　great　spirit

rose　to　its　full　stature　again。　　With　flashing　eye　and　grateful　heart；

and　with　hand　uplifted　in　pledge　and　prophecy；　she　said：



〃Now　and　here　I　proclaim〃



But　she　was　interrupted　by　a　visitor。　　It　was　the　editor　and　proprietor

of　the　SAGAMORE。　　He　had　happened　into　Lakeside　to　pay　a　duty…call　upon

an　obscure　grandmother　of　his　who　was　nearing　the　end　of　her　pilgrimage；

and　with　the　idea　of　combining　business　with　grief　he　had　looked　up

the　Fosters；　who　had　been　so　absorbed　in　other　things　for　the　past

four　years　that　they　neglected　to　pay　up　their　subscription。