the three partners- 第15部分

not　come　here　to　buy　a　knowledge　of　that。　　So　now　about　the　child？〃

she　ended　abruptly；　leaning　forward　again　with　the　same　look　of

eager　solicitude　in　her　eyes。



〃Well；　about　the　childour　childthough；　perhaps；　I　prefer　to　say

MY　child；〃　he　began；　with　a　certain　brutal　frankness。　　〃I'll　tell

you。　　But　first；　I　don't　want　you　to　talk　about　BUYING　your

information　of　me。　　If　I　haven't　told　you　anything　before；　it's

because　I　didn't　think　you　oughter　know。　　If　I　didn't　trust　the

child　to　YOU；　it's　because　I　didn't　think　you　could　go　shashaying

about　with　a　child　that　was　three　years　old　when　I〃he　stopped　and

wiped　his　mouth　with　the　back　of　his　hand〃made　an　honest　woman　of

youI　think　that's　what　they　call　it。〃



〃But；〃　she　said　eagerly；　ignoring　the　insult；　〃I　could　have　hidden

it　where　no　one　but　myself　would　have　known　it。　　I　could　have　sent

it　to　school　and　visited　it　as　a　relation。〃



〃Yes；〃　he　said　curtly；　〃like　all　women；　and　then　blurted　it　out

some　day　and　made　it　worse。〃



〃But；〃　she　said　desperately；　〃even　THEN；　suppose　I　had　been　willing

to　take　the　shame　of　it！　　I　have　taken　more！〃



〃But　I　didn't　intend　that　you　should；〃　he　said　roughly。



〃You　are　very　careful　of　my　reputation；〃　she　returned　scornfully。



〃Not　by　a　dd　sight；〃　he　burst　out；　〃but　I　care　for　HIS！　　I'm

not　goin'　to　let　any　man　call　him　a　bastard！〃



Callous　as　she　had　become　even　under　this　last　cruel　blow；　she

could　not　but　see　something　in　his　coarse　eyes　she　had　never　seen

before；　could　not　but　hear　something　in　his　brutal　voice　she　had

never　heard　before！　　Was　it　possible　that　somewhere　in　the　depths

of　his　sordid　nature　he　had　his　own　contemptible　sense　of　honor？　　A

hysterical　feeling　came　over　her　hitherto　passive　disgust　and

scorn；　but　it　disappeared　with　his　next　sentence　in　a　haze　of

anxiety。　　〃No！〃　he　said　hoarsely；　〃he　had　enough　wrong　done　him

already。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　said　imploringly。　　〃Or　are　you　again　lying？

You　said；　four　years　ago；　that　he　had　'got　into　trouble；'　that　was

your　excuse　for　keeping　him　from　me。　　Or　was　that　a　lie；　too？〃



His　manner　changed　and　softened；　but　not　for　any　pity　for　his

companion；　but　rather　from　some　change　in　his　own　feelings。　　〃Oh；

that；〃　he　said；　with　a　rough　laugh；　〃that　was　only　a　kind　o'

trouble　any　sassy　kid　like　him　was　likely　to　get　into。　　You　ain't

got　no　call　to　hear　that；　for；〃　he　added；　with　a　momentary　return

to　his　previous　manner；　〃the　wrong　that　was　done　him　is　MY　lookout！

You　want　to　know　what　I　did　with　him；　how　he's　been　looked　arter；

and　where　he　is？　　You　want　the　worth　of　your　money。　　That's　square

enough。　　But　first　I　want　you　to　know；　though　you　mayn't　believe

it；　that　every　red　cent　you've　given　me　to…night　goes　to　HIM。　　And

don't　you　forget　it。〃



For　all　his　vulgar　frankness　she　knew　he　had　lied　to　her　many　times

before；maliciously；　wantonly；　complacently；　but　never　evasively；

yet　there　was　again　that　something　in　his　manner　which　told　her　he

was　now　telling　the　truth。



〃Well；〃　he　began；　settling　himself　back　in　his　chair；　〃I　told　you　I

brought　him　to　Heavy　Tree　Hill。　　After　I　left　you　I　wasn't　going　to

trust　him　to　no　school；　he　knew　enough　for　me；　but　when　I　left

those　parts　where　nobody　knew　you；　and　got　a　little　nearer　'Frisco；

where　people　might　have　known　us　both；　I　thought　it　better　not　to

travel　round　with　a　kid　o'　that　size　as　his　FATHER。　　So　I　got　a

young　fellow　here　to　pass　him　off　as　HIS　little　brother；　and　look

after　him　and　board　him；　and　I　paid　him　a　big　price　for　it；　too；

you　bet！　　You　wouldn't　think　it　was　a　man　who's　now　swelling　around

here；　the　top　o'　the　pile；　that　ever　took　money　from　a　brute　like

me；　and　for　such　schoolmaster　work；　too；　but　he　did；　and　his　name

was　Van　Loo；　a　clerk　of　the　Ditch　Company。〃



〃Van　Loo！〃　said　the　woman；　with　a　movement　of　disgust；　〃THAT　man！〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　Van　Loo？〃　he　said；　with　a　coarse　laugh；

enjoying　his　wife's　discomfiture。　　〃He　speaks　French　and　Spanish；

and　you　oughter　hear　the　kid　roll　off　the　lingo　he's　got　from　him。

He's　got　style；　and　knows　how　to　dress；　and　you　ought　to　see　the

kid　bow　and　scrape；　and　how　he　carries　himself。　　Now；　Van　Loo

wasn't　exactly　my　style；　and　I　reckon　I　don't　hanker　after　him

much；　but　he　served　my　purpose。〃



〃And　this　man　knows〃she　said；　with　a　shudder。



〃He　knows　Steptoe　and　the　boy；　but　he　don't　know　Horncastle　nor

YOU。　　Don't　you　be　skeert。　　He's　the　last　man　in　the　world　who

would　hanker　to　see　me　or　the　kid　again；　or　would　dare　to　say　that

he　ever　had！　　Lord！　　I'd　like　to　see　his　fastidious　mug　if　me　and

Eddy　walked　in　upon　him　and　his　high…toned　mother　and　sister　some

arternoon。〃　　He　threw　himself　back　and　laughed　a　derisive；

spasmodic；　choking　laugh；　which　was　so　far　from　being　genial　that

it　even　seemed　to　indicate　a　lively　appreciation　of　pain　in　others

rather　than　of　pleasure　in　himself。　　He　had　often　laughed　at　her　in

the　same　way。



〃And　where　is　he　now？〃　she　said；　with　a　compressed　lip。



〃At　school。　　Where；　I　don't　tell　you。　　You　know　why。　　But　he's

looked　after　by　me；　and　dd　well　looked　after；　too。〃



She　hesitated；　composed　her　face　with　an　effort；　parted　her　lips；

and　looked　out　of　the　window　into　the　gathering　darkness。　　Then

after　a　moment　she　said　slowly；　yet　with　a　certain　precision：



〃And　his　mother？　　Do　you　ever　talk　to　him　of　HER？　　Doesdoes　he

ever　speak　of　ME？〃



〃What　do　you　think？〃　he　said　comfortably；　changing　his　position　in

the　chair；　and　trying　to　read　her　face　in　the　shadow。　　〃Come；　now。

You　don't　know；　eh？　　Wellno！　　NO！　　You　understand。　　No！　　He's　MY

friendMINE！　　He's　stood　by　me　through　thick　and　thin。　　Run　at　my

heels　when　everybody　else　fled　me。　　Dodged　vigilance　committees

with　me；　laid　out　in　the　brush　with　me　with　his　hand　in　mine　when

the　sheriff's　deputies　were　huntin'　me；　shut　his　jaw　close　when；　if

he　squealed；　he'd　have　been　called　another　victim　of　the　brute

Horncastle；　and　been　as　petted　and　canoodled　as　you。〃



It　would　have　been　difficult　for　any　one　but　the　woman　who　knew　the

man　before　her　to　have　separated　his　brutish　delight　in　paining　her

from　another　feeling　she　had　never　dreamt　him　capable　of；an

intense　and　fierce　pride　in　his　affection　for　his　child。　　And　it

was　the　more　hopeless　to　her　that　it　was　not　the　mere　sentiment　of

reciprocation；　but　the　material　instinct　of　paternity　in　its　most

animal　form。　　And　it　seemed　horrible　to　her　that　the　only　outcome

of　what　had　been　her　own　wild；　youthful　passion　for　this　brute　was

this　love　for　the　flesh　of　her　flesh；　for　she　was　more　and　more

conscious　as　he　spoke　that　her　yearning　for　the　boy　was　the

yearning　of　an　equally　dumb　and　unreasoning　maternity。　　They　had

met　again　as　animalsin　fear；　contempt；　and　anger　of　each　other；

but　the　animal　had　triumphed　in　both。



When　she　spoke　again　it　was　as　the　woman　of　the　world；the　woman

who　had　laughed　two　years　ago　at　the　irrepressible　Barker。　　〃It's　a

new　thing；〃　she　said；　languidly　turning　her　rings　on　her　fingers；

〃to　see　you　in　the　role　of　a　doting　father。　　And　may　I　ask　how　long

you　have　had　this　amiable　weakness；　and　how　long　it　is　to　last？〃



To　her　surprise　and　the　keen　retaliating　delight　of　her　sex；　a

conscious　flush　covered　his　face　to　the　crisp　edges　of　his　black

and　matted　beard。　　For　a　moment　she　hoped　that　he　had　lied。　　But；

to　her　greater　surprise；　he　stammered　in　equal　frankness：　〃It's

growed　upon　me　for　the　last　five　yearsever　since　I　was　alone　with

him。〃　　He　stopped；　cleared　his　throat；　and　then；　standing　up　before

her；　said　in　his　former　voice；　but　with　a　more　settled　and　intense

deliberation：　〃You　wanter　know　how　long　it　will　last；　do　ye？　　Well；

you　know　your　special　friend；　Jim　Stacythe　big　millionairethe

great　Jim　of　the　Stock　Exchangethe　man　that　pinches　the　money

market　of　Californy　between　his　finger　and　thumb　and　makes　it

squeal　in　New　Yorkthe　man　who　shakes　the　stock　market　when　he

sneezes？　　Well；　it　will　go　on　until　that　man　is　a　beggar；　until　he

has　to　borrow　a　dime　for　his　breakfast；　and　slump　out　of　his　lunch

with　a　cent's　worth　of　rat　poison　or　a　bullet　in　his　head！　　It'll

go　on　until　his　old　partnerthat　softy　George　Barkercomes　to　the

bottom　of　his　dd　fool　luck　and　is　a　penny…a…liner　for　the

papers　and　a　hanger…round　at　free　lunches；　and　his　scatter…brained

wife　runs　away　with　another　man！　　It'll　go　on　until　the　high…toned

Demorest；　the　last　of　those　three　little　tin　gods　of　Heavy　Tree

Hill；　will　have　to　climb　down；　and　will　know　what　I　feel　and　what

he's　made　me　feel；　and　will　wish　himself　in　hell　before　he　ever

made　the　big　strike　on　Heavy　Tree！　　That's　me！　　You　hear　me！　　I'm

shoutin'！　　It'll　last　till　then！　　It　may　be　next　week；　next　month；

next　year。　　But　it'll　come。　　And　when　it　does　come　you'll　see　me

and　Eddy　just　waltzin'　in　and　takin'　the　chief　seats　in　the

synagogue！　　And　you'll　have　a　free　pass　to　the　show！〃



Either　he　was　too　intoxicated　with　his　vengeful　vision；　or　the

shadows　of　the　room　had　deepened；　but　he　did　not　see　the　quick

flush　that　had　risen　to　his　wife's　face　with　this　allusion　to

Barker；　nor　the　after…settling　of　her　handsome　features　into　a

dogged　determination　equal　to　his　own。　　His　blind　fury　against　the

three　partners　did　not　touch　her　curiosity；　she　was　only　struck

with　the　evident　depth　of　his　emotion。　　He　had　never　been　a

braggart；　his　hostility　had　always　been　lazy　and　cynical。

Remembering　this；　she　had　a　faint　stirring　of　respect　for　the

undoubted　courage　and　consciousness　of　strength　shown　in　this　wild

but　single…handed　crusade　against　wealth　and　power；　rather；

perhaps；　it　seemed　to　her　to　condone　her　own　weakness　in　her

youthful　and　inexplicable　passion　for　him。　　No　wonder　she　had

submitted。



〃Then　you　have　nothing　more　to　tell　me？〃　she　said　after　a　pause；

rising　and　going　towards　the　mantel。



〃You　needn't　light　up　for　me；〃　he　returned；　rising　also。