lady baltimore-第43部分

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at　South　Carolina　had　gone　into　the　liquor　business。　The　profits　were　to　pay　for　compulsory　education；　the　liquor　was　to　be　pure；　society　and　sobriety　were　to　be　advanced：　such　had　been　the　threefold　promise；　of　which　the　threefold　fulfillment　was　defeat　of　the　compulsory　education　bill；　a　political　monopoly　enriching　favored　distillers；　〃and　lately；〃　said　John；　〃a　thoroughly　democratic　whiskey　for　the　plain　people。　Pay　ten　cents　for　a　bottle　of　X；　if　you're　curious。　It　may　not　poison　youbut　the　murders　are　coming　up　again。〃

〃What　a　delightful　example　of　government　ownership！　I　exclaimed。

But　John　in　Kings　Port　was　not　in　the　way　of　hearing　that　cure…all　policy　discussed；　and　I　therefore　explained　it　to　him。　He　did　not　seem　to　grasp　my　explanation。

〃I　don't　see　how　it　would　change　anything；〃　he　remarked；　〃beyond　switching　the　stealing　from　one　set　of　hands　to　another。〃

I　put　on　a　face　of　concern。　〃What？　You　don't　believe　in　our　patent　American　short…cuts？〃

〃Short…cuts？〃

〃Certainly。　Short…cuts　to　universal　happiness；　universal　honesty；　universal　everything。　For　instance：　Don't　make　a　boy　study　four　years　for　a　college　degree；　just　cut　the　time　in　half；　and　you've　got　a　short…cut　to　education。　Write　it　down　that　man　is　equal。　That　settles　it。　You'll　notice　how　equal　he　is　at　once。　Write　it　down　that　the　negro　shall　vote。　You'll　observe　how　instantly　he　is　fit　for　the　suffrage。　Now　they　want　it　written　down　that　government　shall　take　all　the　wicked　corporations；　because　then　corruption　will　disappear　from　the　face　of　the　earth。　You'll　find　the　farmers　presently　having　it　written　down　that　all　hens　must　hatch　their　eggs　in　a　week；　and　next；　a　league　of　earnest　women　will　advocate　a　Constitutional　amendment　that　men　only　shall　bring　forth　children。　Oh；　we　Americans　are　very　thorough！〃　And　I　laughed。

But　John's　face　was　not　gay。　〃Well；〃　he　mused；　〃South　Carolina　took　a　short…cut　to　pure　liquor　and　sober　citizensand　reached　instead　a　new　den　of　thieves。　Is　the　whole　country　sick？〃

〃Sick　to　the　marrow；　my　friend；　but　young　and　vigorous　still。　A　nation　in　its　long　life　has　many　illnesses　before　the　one　it　dies　of。　But　we　shall　need　some　strong　medicine　if　we　do　not　get　well　soon。〃

〃What　kind？〃

〃Ah；　that's　beyond　any　one！　And　we　have　several　things　the　matter　with　usas　bad　a　case；　for　example；　of　complacency　as　I've　met　in　history。　Complacency's　a　very　dangerous　disease；　seldom　got　rid　of　without　the　purge　of　a　great　calamity。　And　worse；　where　does　our　dishonesty　begin；　and　where　end？　The　boy　goes　to　college；　and　there　in　football　it　awaits　him；　he　graduates；　and　in　the　down…town　office　it　smirks　at　him；　he　rises　into　the　confidence　of　his　superiors；　the　town's　chief　citizens；　and　finds　their　gray　hairs　crowned　with　it；the　very　men　he　has　looked　up　to；　believed　in；　his　ideals；　his　examples；　the　merchant　prince；　the　railroad　magnate；　the　president　of　insurance　companiesall　dirty　rascals！　Presently　he　faces　worldly　success　or　failure；　and　then；　in　the　new　ocean　of　mind　that　has　swallowed　morals　up；　he　sinks　with　his　isolated　honesty；　like　a　fool；　or　swims　to　respectability　with　his　brother　knaves。　And　into　this　mess　the　immigrant　sewage　of　Europe　is　steadily　pouring。　Such　is　our　continent　to…day；　with　all　its　fair　winds　and　tides　and　fields　favorable　to　us；　and　only　our　shallow；　complacent；　dishonest　selves　against　us！　But　don't　let　these　considerations　make　you　gloomy；　for　（I　must　say　it　again）　nothing　is　final；　and　even　if　we　rot　before　we　ripenwhich　would　be　a　wholly　novel　phenomenonwe　shall　have　made　our　contribution　to　mankind　in　demonstrating　by　our　collapse　that　the　sow's　ear　belongs　with　the　rest　of　the　animal；　and　not　in　the　voting　booth　or　the　legislature；　and　that　the　doctrine　of　universal　suffrage　should　have　waited　until　men　were　born　honest　and　equal。　That　in　itself　would　be　a　memorable　service　to　have　rendered。〃

We　had　come　into　the　divine；　sad　stillness　of　the　woods；　where　the　warm　sunlight　shone　through　the　gray　moss；　lighting　the　curtained　solitudes　away　and　away　into　the　depths　of　the　golden　afternoon；　and　somewhere　amid　the　miles　of　sleeping　wilderness　sounded　the　hoarse　honk　of　the　automobile。　The　Replacers　were　abroad；　enjoying　what　they　could　in　this　country　where　they　did　not　belong；　and　which　did　not　as　yet　belong　to　them。　Once　again　we　heard　their　honk　off　to　our　left；　from　a　farther　distance；　and　I　am　glad　to　say　that　we　did　not　see　them　at　all。

〃If；〃　said　John　Mayrant；　〃what　you　have　said　is　true；　the　nation　had　better　get　on　its　knees　and　pray　God　to　give　it　grace。〃

I　looked　at　the　boy　and　saw　that　his　countenance　had　grown　very　fine。　〃The　act；〃　I　said；　〃would　bring　grace；　wherever　it　comes　from。〃

〃Yes；〃　he　assented。　〃If　in　the　stars　and　awfulness　of　space　there's　nothing；　that　does　not　trouble　me；　for　my　greater　self　is　inside　me；　safe。　And　our　country　has　a　greater　self　somewhere。　Think！〃

〃I　do　not　have　to　think；〃　I　replied；　〃when　I　know　the　nobleness　we　have　risen　to　at　times。〃

〃And　I；〃　he　pursued；　〃happen　to　believe　it　is　not　all　only　stars　and　space；　and　that　God；　as　much　as　any　ship…builder；　rejoices　to　watch　every　tiniest　boat　meet　and　brave　the　storm。〃

Out　of　his　troubles　he　had　brought　such　mood；　sweetness　instead　of　bitterness；　he　was　saying　as　plainly　as　if　his　actual　words　said　it；　〃Misfortune　has　come　to　me；　and　I　am　going　to　make　the　best　of　it。〃　His　nobleness；　his　moral　elegance；　compelled　him　to　this；　and　I　envied　him；　not　sure　if　I　myself；　thus　placed；　would　acquit　myself　so　well。　And　there　was　in　his　sweetness　a　contagion　that　strangely　reconciled　me　to　the　troubled　aspects　of　our　national　hour。　I　thought；　〃Invisible　among　our　eighty　millions　there　is　a　quiet　legion　living　untainted　in　the　depths；　while　the　yellow　rich；　the　prismatic　scum　and　bubbles；　boil　on　the　surface。〃　Yes；　he　had　accidentally　helped　me；　and　I　wished　doubly　that　I　might　help　him。　It　was　well　enough　he　should　feel　he　must　not　shirk　his　duty；　but　how　much　better　if　he　could　be　led　to　see　that　marrying　where　he　did　not　love　was　no　duty　of　his。

I　knew　what　I　had　to　say　to　him；　but　lacked　the　beginning　of　it；　and　of　this　beginning　I　was　in　search　as　we　drove　up　among　the　live…oaks　of　Udolpho　to　the　little　club…house；　or　hunting　lodge；　where　a　negro　and　his　wife　received　us；　and　took　the　baskets　and　set　about　preparing　supper。　My　beginning　sat　so　heavily　upon　my　attention　that　I　took　scant　notice　of　Udolpho　as　we　walked　about　its　adjacent　grounds　in　the　twilight　before　supper；　and　John　Mayrant　pointed　out　to　me　its　fine　old　trees；　its　placid　stream；　and　bade　me　admire　the　snug　character　of　the　hunting　lodge；　buried　away　for　bachelors'　delights　deep　in　the　heart　of　the　pleasant　forest。　I　heard　him　indulging　in　memories　and　anecdotes　of　date　sittings　after　long　hunts；　but　I　was　myself　always　on　a　hunt　for　my　beginning；　and　none　of　his　words　clearly　reached　my　intelligence　until　I　was　aware　of　his　reciting　an　excellently　pertinent　couplet：

　　　　　　　　　　〃If　you　would　hold　your　father's　land；　　　　　　　　　　　You　must　wash　your　throat　before　your　hand〃

and　found　myself　standing　by　the　lodge　table；　upon　which　he　had　set　two　glasses；　containing；　I　soon　ascertained；　gin；　vermouth；　orange　bitters；　and　a　cherry　at　the　bottomall　which　he　had　very　skillfully　mingled　himself　in　the　happiest　proportions。

〃The　poetry；〃　he　remarked；　〃is　hereditary　in　my　family；〃　and　setting　down　the　empty　glasses　we　also　washed　our　hands。　A　moon　half…grown　looked　in　at　the　window　from　the　filmy　darkness；　and　John；　catching　sight　of　it；　paused　with　the　wet　soap　in　his　hand　and　stared　out　at　the　dimly　visible　trees。　〃Oh；　the　times；　the　times！〃　he　murmured　to　himself；　gazing　long；　and　then　with　a　sort　of　start　he　returned　to　the　present　moment；　and　rinsed　and　dried　his　hands。　Presently　we　were　sitting　at　the　table；　pledging　each　other　in　well…cooled　champagne；　and　it　was　not　long　after　this　that　not　only　the　negro　who　waited　on　us　was　plainly　reveling　in　John's　remarks；　but　also　the　cook；　with　her　bandannaed　ebony　head　poked　round　the　corner　of　the　kitchen　door；　was　doing　her　utmost　to　lose　no　word　of　this　entertainment。　For　John；　taking　up　the　young　and　the　old；　the　quick　and　the　dead；　of　masculine　Kings　Port；　proceeded　to　narrate　their　private　exploits；　until　by　coffee…time　he　had　unrolled　for　me　the　richest　tapestry　of　gayeties　that　I　remember；　and　I　sat　without　breath；　tearful　and　aching；　while　the　two　negroes　had　retired　far　into　the　kitchen　to　muffle　their　emotions。

〃Tom；　oh　Tom！　you　Tom！〃　called　John　Mayrant；　and　after　the　man　had　come　from　the　kitchen：　〃You　may　put　the　punch…bowl　and　things　on　the　table；　and　clear　away　and　go　to　bed。　My　Great…uncle　Marston　Chartain；〃　he　con…　tinued　to　me；　〃was　of　eccentric　taste；　and　for　the　last　twenty　years　of　his　life　never　had　anybody　to　dinner　but　the　undertaker。〃　He　paused　at　this　point　to　mix　the　punch；　and　then　resumed：　〃But　for　all　that；　he　appears　to　have　been　a　lively　old　gentleman　to　the　end；　and　left　us　his　version　of　a　saying　which　is　considered　by　some　people　an　improvement　on　the　original；　'Cherchez　la　femme。'　Uncle　Marston　had　it；　'Hunt　the　other　woman。'　Don't　go　too　fast　with　that　punch；　it　isn't　as　gentle　as　it　seems。〃

But　John　and　his　Uncle　Marston　had　between　them　given　me　my　beginning；　and；　as　I　sat　sippmg　my　punch；　I　ceased　to　hear　the　anecdotes　which　followed。　I　sat　sipping　and　smoking；　and　was　presently　aware　of　the　deepening　silence　of　the　night；　and　of　John　no　longer　at　the　table；　but　by　the　window；　looking　out　into　the　forest；　and　muttering　once　more；　〃Oh；　the　times；　the　times！〃

〃It's　always　a　triangle；〃　I　began。

He　turned　round　from　his　window。　〃Triangle？〃　He　looked　at　my　glass　of　punch；　and　then　at　me。　〃Go　easy　with　the　Bombo；〃　he　repeated。

〃Bombo？〃　I　echoed。　〃You　call　this　Bombo？　You　don't　know　how　remarkable　that　is；　but　that's　because　you　don't　know　Aunt　Carola；　who　is　very　remarkable；　too。　Well；　never　mind　her　now。　Point　is；　it's　always　a　triangle。〃

〃I　haven't　a　doubt　of　it；〃　he　replied。

〃There　you're　right。　And　so　was　your　uncle。　He　knew。　Triangle。〃　Here　I　found　myself　nodding　portentously　at　John；　and　beating　the　table　with　my　finger　very　solemnly。

He　stood　by　his　window　seeming　to　wait　for　me。　And　now　everything　in　the　univer