a far country- 第32部分

〃Well；　we've　got　to　go　some。　　How　about　it；　Scherer？〃

Even　Mr。　Scherer's　brown　eyes　were　snapping。

〃We　have　got　to　win　that　suit；　Watling。〃

We　were　all　excited；　even　Fowndes；　I　think；　though　he　remained
expressionless。　　Ours　was　the　tense　excitement　of　primitive　man　in　chase：
the　quarry　which　had　threatened　to　elude　us　was　again　in　view；　and　not
unlikely　to　fall　into　our　hands。　　Add　to　this　feeling；　on　my　part；　the
thrill　that　it　was　I　who　had　put　them　on　the　scent。　　I　had　all　the
sensations　of　an　aspiring　young　brave　who　for　the　first　time　is　admitted
to　the　councils　of　the　tribe！

〃It　ought　to　be　a　popular　bill；　too；〃　Mr。　Schemer　was　saying；　with　a
smile　of　ironic　appreciation　at　the　thought　of　demagogues　advocating　it。
〃We　should　have　one　of　Lawler's　friends　introduce　it。〃

〃Oh；　we　shall　have　it　properly　introduced；〃　replied　Mr。　Wading。

〃It　may　come　back　at　us；〃　suggested　Fowndes　pessimistically。　　〃The　Boyne
Iron　Works　is　a　home　corporation　too；　if　I　am　not　mistaken。〃

〃The　Boyne　Iron　Works　has　the　firm　of　Wading；　Fowndes　and　Ripon　behind
it；〃　asserted　Mr。　Scherer；　with　what　struck　me　as　a　magnificent　faith。

〃You　mustn't　forget　Paret；〃　Mr。　Watling　reminded　him；　with　a　wink　at　me。

We　had　risen。　　Mr。　Scherer　laid　a　hand　on　my　arm。

〃No；　no；　I　do　not　forget　him。　　He　will　not　permit　me　to　forget　him。〃

A　remark；　I　thought；　that　betrayed　some　insight　into　my　character。。。　　Mr。
Watling　called　for　pen　and　paper　and　made　then　and　there　a　draft　of　the
proposed　bill；　for　no　time　was　to　be　lost。　　It　was　dark　when　we　left　the
Club；　and　I　recall　the　elation　I　felt　and　strove　to　conceal　as　I
accompanied　my　chief　back　to　the　office。　　The　stenographers　and　clerks
were　gone；　alone　in　the　library　we　got　down　the　statutes　and　set　to　work。
to　perfect　the　bill　from　the　rough　draft；　on　which　Mr。　Fowndes　had
written　his　suggestions。　　I　felt　that　a　complete　yet　subtle　change　had
come　over　my　relationship　with　Mr。　Watling。

In　the　midst　of　our　labours　he　asked　me　to　call　up　the　attorney　for　the
Railroad。　　Mr。　Gorse　was　still　at　his　office。

〃Hello！　　Is　that　you；　Miller？〃　　Mr。　Watling　said。　　〃This　is　Wading。　　When
can　I　see　you　for　a　few　minutes　this　evening？　　Yes；　I　am　leaving　for
Washington　at　nine　thirty。　　Eight　o'clock。　　All　right；　I'll　be　there。〃

It　was　almost　eight　before　he　got　the　draft　finished　to　his　satisfaction；
and　I　had　picked　it　out　on　the　typewriter。　　As　I　handed　it　to　him；　my
chief　held　it　a　moment；　gazing　at　me　with　an　odd　smile。

〃You　seem　to　have　acquired　a　good　deal　of　useful　knowledge；　here　and
there；　Hugh；〃　he　observed。

〃I've　tried　to　keep　my　eyes　open；　Mr。　Watling；〃　I　said。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃there　are　a　great　many　things　a　young　man　practising
law　in　these　days　has　to　learn　for　himself。　　And　if　I　hadn't　given　you
credit　for　some　cleverness；　I　shouldn't　have　wanted　you　here。　　There's
only　one　way　to　look　atat　these　matters　we　have　been　discussing；　my
boy；　that's　the　common…sense　way；　and　if　a　man　doesn't　get　that　point　of
view　by　himself；　nobody　can　teach　it　to　him。　　I　needn't　enlarge　upon　it〃

〃No；　sir；〃　I　said。

He　smiled　again；　but　immediately　became　serious。

〃If　Mr。　Gorse　should　approve　of　this　bill；　I'm　going　to　send　you　down　to
the　capitalto…night。　　Can　you　go？〃

I　nodded。

〃I　want　you　to　look　out　for　the　bill　in　the　legislature。　　Of　course　there
won't　be　much　to　do；　except　to　stand　by；　but　you　will　get　a　better　idea
of　what　goes　on　down　there。〃

I　thanked　him；　and　told　him　I　would　do　my　best。

〃I'm　sure　of　that；〃　he　replied。　　〃Now　it's　time　to　go　to　see　Gorse。〃

The　legal　department　of　the　Railroad　occupied　an　entire　floor　of　the　Corn
Bank　building。　　I　had　often　been　there　on　various　errands；　having　on
occasions　delivered　sealed　envelopes　to　Mr。　Gorse　himself；　approaching
him　in　the　ordinary　way　through　a　series　of　offices。　　But　now；　following
Mr。　Watling　through　the　dimly　lighted　corridor；　we　came　to　a　door　on
which　no　name　was　painted；　and　which　was　presently　opened　by　a
stenographer。　　There　was　in　the　proceeding　a　touch　of　mystery　that
revived　keenly　my　boyish　love　for　romance；　brought　back　the　days　when　I
had　been；　in　turn；　Captain　Kidd　and　Ali　Baba。

I　have　never　realized　more　strongly　than　in　that　moment　the　psychological
force　of　prestige。　　Little　by　little；　for　five　years；　an　estimate　of　the
extent　of　Miller　Gorse's　power　had　been　coming　home　to　me；　and　his
features　stood　in　my　mind　for　his　particular　kind　of　power。　　He　was　a
tremendous　worker；　and　often　remained　in　his　office　until　ten　and　eleven
at　night。　　He　dismissed　the　stenographer　by　the　wave　of　a　hand　which
seemed　to　thrust　her　bodily　out　of　the　room。

〃Hello；　Miller；〃　said　Mr。　Watling。

〃Hello；　Theodore；〃　replied　Mr。　Gorse。

〃This　is　Paret；　of　my　office。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　Mr。　Gorse；　and　nodded　toward　me。　　I　was　impressed　by　the
felicity　with　which　a　cartoonist　of　the　Pilot　had　once　caricatured　him　by
the　use　of　curved　lines。　　The　circle　of　the　heavy　eyebrows　ended　at　the
wide　nostrils；　the　mouth　was　a　crescent；　but　bowed　downwards；　the　heavy
shoulders　were　rounded。　　Indeed；　the　only　straight　line　to　be　discerned
about　him　was　that　of　his　hair；　black　as　bitumen；　banged　across　his
forehead；　even　his　polished　porphyry　eyes　were　constructed　on　some
curvilinear　principle；　and　never　seemed　to　focus。　　It　might　be　said　of
Mr。　Gorse　that　he　had　an　overwhelming　impersonality。　　One　could　never　be
quite　sure　that　one's　words　reached　the　mark。

In　spite　of　the　intimacy　which　I　knew　existed　between　them；　in　my
presence　at　least　Mr。　Gorse's　manner　was　little　different　with　Mr。
Watling　than　it　was　with　other　men。　　Mr。　Wading　did　not　seem　to　mind。　　He
pulled　up　a　chair　close　to　the　desk　and　began；　without　any　preliminaries；
to　explain　his　errand。

〃It's　about　the　Ribblevale　affair；〃　he　said。　　〃You　know　we　have　a　suit。〃

Gorse　nodded。

〃We've　got　to　get　at　the　books；　Miller；that's　all　there　is　to　it。　　I
told　you　so　the　other　day。　　Well；　we've　found　out　a　way；　I　think。〃

He　thrust　his　hand　in　his　pocket；　while　the　railroad　attorney　remained
impassive；　and　drew　out　the　draft　of　the　bill。　　Mr。　Gorse　read　it；　then
read　it　over　again；　and　laid　it　down　in　front　of　him。

〃Well；〃　he　said。

〃I　want　to　put　that　through　both　houses　and　have　the　governor's　signature
to　it　by　the　end　of　the　week。〃

〃It　seems　a　little　raw；　at　first　sight；　Theodore；〃　said　Mr。　Gorse；　with
the　suspicion　of　a　smile。

My　chief　laughed　a　little。

〃It's　not　half　so　raw　as　some　things　I　might　mention；　that　went　through
like　greased　lightning；〃　he　replied。　　〃What　can　they　do？　　I　believe　it
will　hold　water。　　Tallant's；　and　most　of　the　other　newspapers　in　the
state；　won't　print　a　line　about　it；　and　only　Socialists　and　Populists
read　the　Pilot。　　They're　disgruntled　anyway。　　The　point　is；　there's　no
other　way　out　for　us。　　Just　think　a　moment；　bearing　in　mind　what　I've
told　you　about　the　case；　and　you'll　see　it。〃

Mr。　Gorse　took　up　the　paper　again；　and　read　the　draft　over。

〃You　know　as　well　as　I　do；　Miller；　how　dangerous　it　is　to　leave　this
Ribblevale　business　at　loose　ends。　　The　Carlisle　steel　people　and　the
Lake　Shore　road　are　after　the　Ribblevale　Company；　and　we　can't　afford　to
run　any　risk　of　their　getting　it。　　It's　logically　a　part　of　the　Boyne
interests；　as　Scherer　says；　and　Dickinson　is　ready　with　the　money　for　the
reorganization。　　If　the　Carlisle　people　and　the　Lake　Shore　get　it；　the
product　will　be　shipped　out　by　the　L　and　G；　and　the　Railroad　will　lose。
What　would　Barbour　say？〃

Mr。　Barbour；　as　I　have　perhaps　mentioned；　was　the　president　of　the
Railroad；　and　had　his　residence　in　the　other　great　city　of　the　state。　　He
was　then；　I　knew；　in　the　West。

〃We've　got　to　act　now；〃　insisted　Mr。　Watling。　　〃That's　open　and　shut。　　If
you　have　any　other　plan；　I　wish　you'd　trot　it　out。　　If　not；　I　want　a
letter　to　Paul　Varney　and　the　governor。　　I'm　going　to　send　Paret　down
with　them　on　the　night　train。〃

It　was　clear　to　me　then；　in　the　discussion　following；　that　Mr。　Watling's
gift　of　persuasion；　though　great；　was　not　the　determining　factor　in　Mr。
Gorse's　decision。　　He；　too；　possessed　boldness；　though　he　preferred
caution。　　Nor　did　the　friendship　between　the　two　enter　into　the
transaction。　　I　was　impressed　more　strongly　than　ever　with　the　fact　that
a　lawsuit　was　seldom　a　mere　private　affair　between　two　persons　or
corporations；　but　involved　a　chain　of　relationships　and　nine　times　out　of
ten　that　chain　led　up　to　the　Railroad；　which　nearly　always　was　vitally
interested　in　these　legal　contests。　　Half　an　hour　of　masterly
presentation　of　the　situation　was　necessary　before　Mr。　Gorse　became
convinced　that　the　introduction　of　the　bill　was　the　only　way　out　for　all
concerned。

〃Well；　I　guess　you're　right；　Theodore；〃　he　said　at　length。　　Whereupon　he
seized　his　pen　and　wrote　off　two　notes　with　great　rapidity。　　These　he
showed　to　Mr。　Watling；　who　nodded　and　returned　them。　　They　were　folded
and　sealed；　and　handed　to　me。　　One　was　addressed　to　Colonel　Paul　Varney；
and　the　other　to　the　Hon。　W。　W。　Trulease；　governor　of　the　state。

〃You　can　trust　this　young　man？〃　　demanded　Mr。　Gorse。

〃I　think　so；〃　replied　Mr。　Watling；　smiling　at　me。　　〃The　bill　was　his　o