第 34 节
作者:
点绛唇 更新:2021-02-19 01:05 字数:9322
They looked at each other。 Said Jane: ‘‘I promise on one condition。''
‘‘Yes?''
‘‘That if you should change your mind and should want my help; you'd promptly and freely ask for it。''
‘‘I agree to that;'' said Victor。 ‘‘Now; let's get it clearly in mind。 No matter what is done about me or the League; you promise not to interfere in any way; unless I ask you to。''
Again Jane hesitated。 ‘‘No matter what they do?'' she pleaded。
‘‘No matter what they do;'' insisted he。
Something in his expression gave her a great thrill of confidence in him; of enthusiasm。 ‘‘I promise;'' she said。 ‘‘You know best。''
‘‘Indeed I do;'' said he。 ‘‘Thank you。''
A moment's silence; then she exclaimed: ‘‘That was why you let me in to…daybecause you wanted to get that promise from me。''
‘‘That was one of the reasons;'' confessed he。 ‘‘In fact; it was the chief reason。'' He smiled at her。 ‘‘There's nothing I'm so afraid of as of enthusiasm。 I'm going to be still more cautious and exact another promise from you。 You must not tell any one that you have promised not to interfere。''
‘‘I can easily promise that;'' said Jane。
‘‘Be careful;'' warned Victor。 ‘‘A promise easily made is a promise easily forgotten。''
‘‘I begin to understand;'' said Jane。 ‘‘You want them to attack you as savagely as possible。 And you don't want them to get the slightest hint of your plan。''
‘‘A good guess;'' admitted Victor。 He looked at her gravely。 ‘‘Circumstances have let you farther into my confidence than any one else is。 I hope you will not abuse it。''
‘‘You can rely upon me;'' said Jane。 ‘‘I want your friendship and your respect as I never wanted anything in my life before。 I'm not afraid to say these things to you; for I know I'll not be misunderstood。''
Victor's smile thrilled her again。 ‘‘You were born one of us;'' he said。 ‘‘I felt it the first time we talked together。''
‘‘Yes。 I do want to be somebody;'' replied the girl。 ‘‘I can't content myself in a life of silly routine 。 。 。 can't do things that have no purpose; no result。 And if it wasn't for my father I'd come out openly for the things I believe in。 But I've got to think of him。 It may be a weakness; but I couldn't overcome it。 As long as my father lives I'll do nothing that would grieve him。
Do you despise me for that?''
‘‘I don't despise anybody for anything;'' said Victor。 ‘‘In your place I should put my father first。'' He laughed。 ‘‘In your place I'd probably be a Davy Hull or worse。 I try never to forget that I owe everything to the circumstances in which I was born and brought up。 I've simply got the ideas of my class; and it's an accident that I am of the class to which the future belongsthe working class that will possess the earth as soon as it has intelligence enough to enter into its kingdom。''
‘‘But;'' pursued Jane; returning to herself; ‘‘I don't intend to be altogether useless。 I can do something and hemy father; I meanneedn't know。 Do you think that is dreadful?''
‘‘I don't like it;'' said Victor。 But he said it in such a way that she did not feel rebuked or even judged。
‘‘Nor do I;'' said she。 ‘‘I'd rather lead the life I wish to leadsay the things I believedo the things I believe inall openly。 But I can't。 And all I can do is to spend the income of my money my mother left me spend it as I please。'' With a quick embarrassed gesture she took an envelope from a small bag in which she was carrying it。 ‘‘There's some of it;'' she said。 ‘‘I want to give that to your campaign fund。 You are free to use it in any way you pleaseany way; for everything you are and do is your cause。''
Victor was lying motionless; his eyes closed。
‘‘Don't refuse;'' she begged。 ‘‘You've no right to refuse。''
A long silence; she watching him uneasily。 At last he said; ‘‘NoI've no right to refuse。 If I did; it would be from a personal motive。 You understand that when you give the League this money you are doing what your father would regard as an act of personal treachery to him?''
‘‘You don't think so; do you?'' cried she。
‘‘Yes; I do;'' said he deliberately。
Her face became deathly pale; then crimson。 She thrust the envelope into the bag; closed it hastily。 ‘‘Then I can't give it;'' she murmured。 ‘‘Ohbut you are hard!''
‘‘If you broke with your father and came with us and it killed him; as it probably would;'' Victor Dorn went on; ‘‘I should respect youshould regard you as a wonderful; terrible woman。 I should envy you having a heart strong enough to do a thing so supremely right and so supremely relentless。 And I should be glad you were not of my bloodshould think you hardly human。 Yet that is what you ought to do。''
‘‘I am not up to it;'' said Jane。
‘‘Then you mustn't do the other;'' said Victor。 ‘‘We need the money。 I am false to the cause in urging you not to give it。 ButI'm human。''
He was looking away; an expression in his eyes and about his mouth that made him handsomer than she would have believed a man could be。 She was looking at him longingly; her beautiful eyes swimming。 Her lips were saying inaudibly; ‘‘I love youI love you。''
‘‘What did you say?'' he asked; his thoughts returning from their far journey。
‘‘My time is up;'' she exclaimed; rising。
‘‘There are better ways of helping than money;'' said he; taking her hand。 ‘‘And already you've helped in those ways。''
‘‘May I come again?''
‘‘Whenever you like。 Butwhat would your father say?''
‘‘Then you don't want me to come again?''
‘‘It's best not;'' said he。 ‘‘I wish fate had thrown us on the same side。 But it has put us in opposite camps and we owe it to ourselves to submit。''
Their hands were still clasped。 ‘‘You are content to have it so?'' she said sadly。
‘‘No; I'm not;'' cried he; dropping her hand。 ‘‘But we are helpless。''
‘‘We can always hope;'' said she softly。
On impulse she laid her hand in light caress upon his brow; then swiftly departed。 As she stood in Mrs。 Colman's flowery little front yard and looked dazedly about; it seemed to her that she had been away from the worldaway from herselfand was reluctantly but inevitably returning。
VI
As Jane drove into the grounds of the house on the hilltop she saw her father and David Hull in an obviously intimate and agitated conversation on the front veranda。 She made all haste to join them; nor was she deterred by the reception she gotthe reception given to the unwelcome interrupter。 Said she:
‘‘You are talking about those indictments; aren't you? Everyone else is。 There's a group on every corner down town; and people are calling their views to each other from windows across the streets。''
Davy glanced triumphantly at her father。 ‘‘I told you so;'' said he。
Old Hastings was rubbing his hand over his large; bony; wizened face in the manner that indicates extreme perplexity。
Davy turned to Jane。 ‘‘I've been trying to show your father what a stupid; dangerous thing Dick Kelly has done。 I want him to help me undo it。 It MUST be undone or Victor Dorn will sweep the town on election day。''
Jane's heart was beating wildly。 She continued to say carelessly; ‘‘You think so?''
‘‘Davy's got a bad attack of big red eye to…day;'' said her father。 ‘‘It's a habit young men have。''
‘‘I'm right; Mr。 Hastings;'' cried Hull。 ‘‘And; furthermore; you know I'm right; Jane; you saw that riot the other night。 Joe Wetherbe told me so。 You said that it was an absolutely unprovoked assault of the gangs of Kelly and House。 Everyone in town knows it was。 The middle and the upper class people are pretending to believe what the papers printed what they'd like to believe。 But they KNOW better。 The working people are apparently silent。 They usually are apparently silent。 But they know the truth they are talking it among themselves。 And these indictments will make Victor Dorn a hero。''
‘‘What of it? What of it?'' said Hastings impatiently。 ‘‘The working people don't count。''
‘‘Not as long as we can keep them divided;'' retorted Davy。 ‘‘But if they unite''
And he went on to explain what he had in mind。 He gave them an analysis of Remsen City。 About fifty thousand inhabitants; of whom about ten thousand were voters。 These voters were divided into three classesupper class; with not more than three or four hundred votes; and therefore politically of no importance AT THE POLLS; though overwhelmingly the most influential in any other way; the middle class; the big and little merchants; the lawyers and doctors; the agents and firemen and so on; mustering in all about two thousand votes; finally; the working class with no less than eight thousand votes out of a total of ten thousand。
‘‘By bribery and cajolery and browbeating and appeal to religious prejudice and to fear of losing jobsby all sorts of chicane;'' said Davy; ‘‘about seven of these eight thousand votes are kept divided between the Republican or Kelly party and the Democratic or House party。 The other ten or twelve hundred belong to Victor Dorn's League。 Now; the seven thousand workingmen voters who follow Kelly and House like Victor Dorn; like his ideas; are with him at heart。 But they are afraid of him。 They don't trust each other。 Workingmen d