mother- 第5部分

have　bought　has　been　because　she　bought　it。'〃



〃'That　is　not　quite　the　right　way　to　put　it；'　I　replied。　'I　was　willing

to　buy　these　securities　because　Mr。　Beverly　thought　so　highly　of　them

that　he　felt　justified　in'〃



〃'There　is　no　use；'　interrupted　Ethel；　'in　our　going　round　this　circle　as

if　we　were　a　pair　of　squirrels。　I　do　not　ask　you　to　hate　that　woman　for

my　sake；　but　I　cannot　change　my　own　feeling。　Do　you　remember；　Richard；

about　the　City　of　Philippi　Sewer　Bonds？　You　did　not　want　to　buy　them　at

first。　You　told　me　yourself　that　you　thought　new　towns　in　Texas　were　apt

to　buzz　suddenly　and　then　die　because　all　the　people　hurried　away　to　some

newer　town　and　left　the　houses　and　stores　standing　empty。　But　Mr。

Beverly's　mother　got　some；　and　all　your　hesitation　fled。　And　now　I　see

that　the　Gulf；　Galveston；　and　Little　Rock　is　going　to　build　a　branch　that

may　make　Philippi　a　perfectly　evaporated　town。　If　you　sold　these　bonds

to…day；　how　much　would　you　lose？'〃



〃I　did　not　enjoy　telling　Ethel　how　much；　but　I　had　to。　'Only　fifteen

thousand　dollars；'　I　said。〃



〃'Only！'　said　Ethel。　'Well；　I　hope　his　mother　will　lose　a　great　deal

more　than　that。'〃



〃It　is　seldom　that　Ethel　taps　her　foot；　but　she　had　begun　to　tap　it　now；

and　this　inclined　me　to　avoid　any　attempt　at　a　soothing　reply；　in　the

hope　that　silence　might　prove　still　more　soothing；　and　that　thus　we　might

get　away　from　old　Mrs。　Beverly。〃



〃'She　cannot　possibly　be　less　than　sixty…five；'　Ethel　presently

announced。　'And　she　is　far　more　likely　to　be　seventy。'〃



〃I　thought　it　best　to　agree　to　any　age　that　Ethel　chose　to　give　the　old

lady。〃



〃'Do　you　suppose；'　Ethel　continued；　'that　she　does　it　by　telephone？'〃



〃'My　dearest；'　I　responded；　'he　must　do　it　all　for　her；　of　course；　you

know。'〃



〃'I　doubt　that　very　much；　Richard。　And　she　strikes　me　as　being　the　sort

of　character　for　whom　a　mere　telephone　would　not　be　enough　excitement。

The　nerves　of　those　people　require　more　and　more　stimulants　to　give　them

any　sensation　at　all。　I　believe　that　she　sits　in　his　private　office　and

watches　the　ticker。'〃



〃'Why　not　give　her　a　ticker　in　her　bedroom　while　you　are　about　it；

Ethel？'　I　suggested。〃



〃But　Ethel　could　not　smile。　'I　think　that　is　perfectly　probable；'　she

answered。　And　then；　'Oh；　Richard；　isn't　it　mean！'　At　this　I　took　her

hand；　and　shebut　again　I　abstain　from　dwelling　upon　those　circumstances

of　the　engaged　which　are　familiar　to　you　all。〃



〃The　change　of　May　into　June；　and　the　change　of　June　into　July；　did　not

mellow　Ethel's　bitter　feelings。　I　remember　the　day　after　Petunias

defaulted　on　their　interest　that　she　exclaimed；　'I　hope　I　shall　never

meet　her！'　We　always　called　Mr。　Beverly's　mother　'she'　now。　'For　if　I

were　to　meet　her；'　continued　Ethel；　'I　feel　I　should　say　something　that　I

should　regret。　Oh；　Richard；　I　suppose　we　shall　have　to　give　up　that　house

on　Park　Avenue！'〃



〃I　put　a　cheerful　and　even　insular　face　on　the　matter；　for　I　could　not

bear　to　see　Ethel　so　depressed。　But　it　was　hard　work　for　me。　Some　few　of

my　investments　were　evidently　good；　but　it　always　seemed　as　if　it　was

into　these　that　I　had　happened　to　put　not　much　money；　while　the　bulk　of

my　fortune　was　entangled　in　the　others。　Besides　the　usual　Midsummer

faintness　that　overtakes　the　stock　market；　my　own　specialties　were　a　good

deal　more　than　faint。　On　the　20th　of　August　I　took　the　afternoon　train　to

spend　my　two　weeks'　holiday　at　Lenox；　and　during　much　of　the　journey　I

gazed　at　the　Wall　Street　edition　of　the　afternoon　paper　that　I　had

purchased　as　I　came　through　the　Grand　Central　Station。　Ethel　and　I　read

it　in　the　evening。〃



〃'I　wonder　what　she's　buying　now？'　said　Ethel；　vindictively。〃



〃'Well；　I　can't　help　feeling　sorry　for　her；'　I　answered；　with　as　much　of

a　smile　as　I　could　produce。〃



〃'That　is　so　unnecessary；　Richard！　She　can　easily　afford　to　gratify　her

gambling　instinct。'〃



〃'There　you　go；　Ethel；　inventing　millions　for　her　just　as　you　invented

grandchildren。'〃



〃'Not　at　all。　Unless　she　constantly　had　money　lying　idle；　she　could　not

take　these　continual　plunges。　She　is　an　old　woman　with　few　expenses；　and

she　lives　well　within　her　income。　You　would　hear　of　her　entertaining　if

it　was　otherwise。　So　instead　of　conservatively　investing　her　surplus；　she

makes　ducks　and　drakes　of　it　in　her　son's　office。　Is　he　at　Hyde　Park

now？'　Hyde　Park　was　where　the　old　Beverly　country　seat　had　always　been。〃



〃'No；'　I　answered。　'He　went　to　Europe　early　last　month。'〃



〃'Very　likely　he　took　her　with　him。　She　is　probably　at　Monte　Carlo。'〃



〃'Scarcely　in　August；　I　fancy。　And　I'll　tell　you　what；　Ethel。　I　have　been

counting　it　up。　She　has　lost　twenty…four　thousand　dollars　in　the　Standard

Egg　alone。　It　takes　a　good　deal　of　surplus　to　stand　that。'〃



〃'Serve　her　right；'　said　Ethel　'And　I　would　say　so　to　her　face。'〃



〃September　brought　freshness　to　the　stock　market　but　not　to　me。　Mr。

Beverly；　like　the　well…to…do　man　that　he　was；　remained　away　in　Europe

until　October　should　require　his　presence　as　a　guiding　hand　in　the

office。　Thus　was　I　left　without　his　buoyant　consolation　in　the　face　of　my

investments。〃



〃Petunias　were　being　adjusted　on　a　four　per　cent　basis；　Dutchess　and

Columbia　Traction　was　holding　its　own；　I　could　not　complain　of

Amalgamated　Electric；　though　it　was　now　lower　than　when　I　had　bought　it；

while　had　I　sold　it　on　that　Wednesday　in　May　when　Ethel　begged　me；　before

the　increased　dividend　turned　out　a　mistake；　I　should　have　made　money。

But　Philippi　Sewers　were　threatened；　Pasteurised　Feeders　had　been　numb

since　June；　Pollyopolis　Heat；　Light；　Power；　Paving；　Pressing；　and　Packing

was　going　to　pass　its　quarterly　dividend；　and　Standard　Egg　had　gone　down

from　63　to　7　1/8。　My　million　dollars　on　paper　now　was　worth　in　reality

less　than　a　quarter　of　that　sum；　and　although　we　could　still　make　both

ends　meet　fairly　well　in　some　place　where　you　wouldn't　want　to　live；　like

Philadelphia；　in　New　York　we　should　drop　into　a　pinched　and　dwarfed

obscurity。〃



〃I　must　say　now；　and　I　shall　never　forget；　that　Ethel　during　these　gloomy

weeks　behaved　much　better　than　I　did。　The　grayer　the　outlook　became；　the

more　words　of　hope　and　sense　she　seemed　to　find　She　reminded　me　that；

after　all　my　Uncle　Godfrey's　legacy　had　been　a　thing　unlooked　for；

something　out　of　my　scheme　of　life　that　I　had　my　youth；　my　salary　and　my

writing；　and　that　she　would　wait　till　she　was　as　old　at　Mr。　Beverly's

mother。〃



〃It　was　the　thought　of　that　lady　which　brought　from　Ethel　the　only　note

of　complaint　she　uttered　in　my　presence　during　that　whole　dreary　month。〃



〃We　were　spending　Sunday　with　a　house　party　at　Hyde　Park；　and　driving　to

church；　we　passed　an　avenue　gate　with　a　lodge。　'Rockhurst；　sir；'　said　the

coachman。　'Whose　place？'　I　inquired。　'The　old　Beverly　place；　sir。'　Ethel

heard　him　tell　me　this；　and　as　we　went　on；　we　saw　a　carriage　and　pair

coming　down　the　avenue　toward　the　gate　with　that　look　which　horses　always

seem　to　have　when　they　are　taking　the　family　to　church　on　Sunday　morning。〃



〃'If　I　see　her；'　said　Ethel　to　me　as　we　entered　the　door；　'I　shall　be

unable　to　say　my　prayers。'〃



〃But　only　young　people　came　into　the　Beverly　pew；　and　Ethel　said　her

prayers　and　also　sang　the　hymn　and　chants　very　sweetly。〃



〃After　the　service；　we　strolled　together　in　the　old　and　lovely　grave　yard

before　starting　homeward。　We　had　told　them　that　we　should　prefer　to　walk

back。　The　day　was　beautiful；　and　one　could　see　a　little　blue　piece　of　the

river；　sparkling。〃



〃'Here　is　where　they　are　all　buried；'　said　Ethel；　and　we　paused　before

brown　old　headstones　with　Beverly　upon　them。　'Died　1750；　died　1767；'

continued　Ethel；　reading　the　names　and　inscriptions。　'I　think　one　doesn't

mind　the　idea　of　lying　in　such　a　place　as　this。'〃



〃Some　of　the　young　people　in　the　pew　now　came　along　the　path。　'The

grandchildren；'　said　Ethel。　'She　is　probably　too　old　to　come　to　church。

Or　she　is　in　Europe。'〃



〃The　young　people　had　brought　a　basket　with　flowers　from　their　place；　and

now　laid　them　over　several　of　the　grassy　mounds。　'Give　me　some　of　yours；'

said　one　to　the　other；　presently；　'I've　not　enough　for　grandmother's。'〃



〃Ethel　took　me　rather　sharply　by　the　arm。　'Did　you　hear　that？'　she　asked。〃



〃'It　can't　be　she；　you　know；'　said　I。　'He　would　have　come　back　from

Europe。'〃



〃But　we　found　it　out　at　lunch。　It　was　she；　and　she　had　been　dead　for

fifteen　years。〃



〃Ethel　and　I　talked　it　over　in　the　train　going　up　to　town　on　Monday

morning。　We　had　by　that　time　grown　calmer。　'If　it　is　not　false

pretences；'　said　she；　'and　you　cannot　sue　him　for　damages；　and　if　it　is

not　stealing　or　something；　and　you　cannot　put　him　in　prison；　what　are　you

going　to　do　to　him；　Richard？'〃



〃As　this　was　a　question　which　I　had　frequently　asked　myself　during　the

night；　having　found　no　satisfactory　answer　to　it；　I　said：　'What　would　you

do　in　my　place；　Ethel？'　But　Ethel　knew。〃



〃'I　should　find　out　when　he　sails；　and　meet　his　steamer　with　a　cowhide。'〃



〃'Then　he　would　sue　me　for　damages。'〃



〃'That　would　be　nothing；　if　you　got　a　few　good　cuts　in　on　him。'〃



〃'Ethel；'　I　said；　'please　follow　me　carefully。　I　should　like　dearly　to

cowhide　him。　and　for　the　sake　of　argument　we　will　consider　it　done　Then

comes　the　lawsuit。　Then　I　get　up　and　say　that　I　beat　him　because　he　made

me　buy　Standard　Egg　at　63　by　telling　me　that　his　mother　had　some；　when

really　the　old　lady　had　been　dead　for　fifteen　years。　When　I　think　of　it

in　this　way；　I　do　not　feel'〃



〃I　know；'　interrupted　Ethel；　'you　are　afraid　of　ridicule。　All　men　are。'〃



〃Had　Ethel　insisted；　I　believe　that　I　should　have　cowhided　Mr。　Beverly

for　her　sake。　But　before　his　return　our　destinies　were　brightened。　Copper

had　been　found　near　Ethel's　waste　lands　in　Michigan；　and　the　family

business　man　was　able　to　sell　the　property　for　seven　hundre