第 29 节
作者:寻找山吹      更新:2021-02-27 02:12      字数:9322
  for the coachman on his own recognizance; one of many signed in blank and
  left there by the justice for privileged cases。  The coachman was hustled
  out by a back door; and the crowd dispersed。
  The next morning; while a score or more of delinquents sat in the anxious
  seats; Justice Garry recognized me and gave me precedence。  And Mr。
  Weill; with a sigh of relief; paid his fine。
  〃Mr。 Paret; is it?〃  he asked; as we stood together for a moment on the
  sidewalk outside the court。  〃You have managed this well。  I will
  remember。〃
  He was sued; of course。  When he came to the office he insisted on
  discussing the case with Mr。 Watling; who sent for me。
  〃That is a bright young man;〃 Mr。 Weill declared; shaking my hand。  〃He
  will get on。〃
  〃Some day;〃 said Mr。 Watling; 〃he may save you a lot of money; Weill。〃
  〃When my friend Mr。 Watling is United States Senator;eh?〃
  Mr。 Watling laughed。  〃Before that; I hope。  I advise you to compromise
  this suit; Weill;〃 he added。  〃How would a thousand dollars strike you?
  I've had Paret look up the case; and he tells me the little girl has had
  to have an operation。〃
  〃A thousand dollars!〃 cried the grocer。  〃What right have these people to
  let their children play on the streets?  It's an outrage。〃
  〃Where else have the children to play?〃 Mr。 Watling touched his arm。
  〃Weill;〃 he said gently; 〃suppose it had been your little girl?〃  The
  grocer pulled out his handkerchief and mopped his bald forehead。  But he
  rallied a little。
  〃You fight these damage cases for the street railroads all through the
  courts。〃
  〃Yes;〃 Mr。 Watling agreed; 〃but there a principle is involved。  If the
  railroads once got into the way of paying damages for every careless
  employee; they would soon be bankrupt through blackmail。  But here you
  have a child whose father is a poor janitor and can't afford sickness。
  And your coachman; I imagine; will be more particular in the future。〃
  In the end Mr。 Weill made out a cheque and departed in a good humour;
  convinced that he was well out of the matter。  Here was one of many
  instances I could cite of Mr。 Watling's tenderness of heart。  I felt;
  moreover; as if he had done me a personal favour; since it was I who had
  recommended the compromise。  For I had been to the hospital and had seen
  the child on the cot;a dark little thing; lying still in her pain; with
  the bewildered look of a wounded animal。。。。
  Not long after this incident of Mr。 Weill's damage suit I obtained a more
  or less definite promotion by the departure of Larry Weed。  He had
  suddenly developed a weakness of the lungs。  Mr。 Watling got him a place
  in Denver; and paid his expenses west。
  The first six or seven years I spent in the office of Wading; Fowndes and
  Ripon were of importance to my future career; but there is little to
  relate of them。  I was absorbed not only in learning law; but in
  acquiring that esoteric knowledge at which I have hintednot to be had
  from my seniors and which I was convinced was indispensable to a
  successful and lucrative practice。  My former comparison of the
  organization of our city to a picture puzzle wherein the dominating
  figures become visible only after long study is rather inadequate。  A
  better analogy would be the human anatomy: we lawyers; of course; were
  the brains; the financial and industrial interests the body; helpless
  without us; the City Hall politicians; the stomach that must continually
  be fed。  All three; law; politics and business; were interdependent;
  united by a nervous system too complex to be developed here。  In these
  years; though I worked hard and often late; I still found time for
  convivialities; for social gaieties; yet little by little without
  realizing the fact; I was losing zest for the companionship of my former
  intimates。  My mind was becoming polarized by the contemplation of one
  object; success; and to it human ties were unconsciously being
  sacrificed。
  Tom Peters began to feel this; even at a time when I believed myself
  still to be genuinely fond of him。  Considering our respective
  temperaments in youth; it is curious that he should have been the first
  to fall in love and marry。  One day he astonished me by announcing his
  engagement to Susan Blackwood。
  〃That ends the liquor; Hughie;〃 he told me; beamingly。  〃I promised her
  I'd eliminate it。〃
  He did eliminate it; save for mild relapses on festive occasions。  A more
  seemingly incongruous marriage could scarcely be imagined; and yet it was
  a success from the start。  From a slim; silent; self…willed girl Susan
  had grown up into a tall; rather rawboned and energetic young woman。  She
  was what we called in those days 〃intellectual;〃 and had gone in for
  kindergartens; and after her marriage she turned out to be excessively
  domestic; practising her theories; with entire success; upon a family
  that showed a tendency to increase at an alarming rate。  Tom; needless to
  say; did not become intellectual。  He settled downprematurely; I
  thoughtinto what is known as a family man; curiously content with the
  income he derived from the commission business and with life in general;
  and he developed a somewhat critical view of the tendencies of the
  civilization by which he was surrounded。  Susan held it also; but she
  said less about it。  In the comfortable but unpretentious house they
  rented on Cedar Street we had many discussions; after the babies had been
  put to bed and the door of the living…room closed; in order that our
  voices might not reach the nursery。  Perry Blackwood; now Tom's brother…
  in…law; was often there。  He; too; had lapsed into what I thought was an
  odd conservatism。  Old Josiah; his father; being dead; he occupied
  himself mainly with looking after certain family interests; among which
  was the Boyne Street car line。  Among 〃business men〃 he was already
  getting the reputation of being a little difficult to deal with。  I was
  often the subject of their banter; and presently I began to suspect that
  they regarded my career and beliefs with some concern。  This gave me no
  uneasiness; though at limes I lost my temper。  I realized their affection
  for me; but privately I regarded them as lacking in ambition; in force;
  in the fighting qualities necessary for achievement in this modern age。
  Perhaps; unconsciously; I pitied them a little。
  〃How is Judah B。 to…day; Hughie?〃 Tom would inquire。  〃I hear you've put
  him up for the Boyne Club; now that Mr。 Watling has got him out of that
  libel suit。〃
  〃Carter Ives is dead;〃 Perry would add; sarcastically; 〃let bygones be
  bygones。〃
  It was well known that Mr。 Tallant; in the early days of his newspaper;
  had blackmailed Mr。 Ives out of some hundred thousand dollars。  And that
  this; more than any other act; stood in the way; with certain
  recalcitrant gentlemen; of his highest ambition; membership in the Boyne。
  〃The trouble with you fellows is that you refuse to deal with conditions
  as you find them;〃 I retorted。  〃We didn't make them; and we can't change
  them。  Tallant's a factor in the business life of this city; and he has
  to be counted with。〃
  Tom would shake his head exasperatingly。
  〃Why don't you get after Ralph?〃 I demanded。  〃He doesn't antagonize
  Tallant; either。〃
  〃Ralph's hopeless;〃 said Tom。  〃He was born a pirate; you weren't;
  Hughie。  We think there's a chance for his salvation; don't we; Perry?〃
  I refused to accept the remark as flattering。
  Another object of their assaults was Frederick Grierson; who by this time
  had emerged from obscurity as a small dealer in real estate into a
  manipulator of blocks and corners。
  〃I suppose you think it's a lawyer's business to demand an ethical bill
  of health of every client;〃 I said。  〃I won't stand up for all of
  Tallant's career; of course; but Mr。 Wading has a clear right to take his
  cases。  As for Grierson; it seems to me that's a matter of giving a dog a
  bad name。  Just because his people weren't known here; and because he has
  worked up from small beginnings。  To get down to hard…pan; you fellows
  don't believe in democracy;in giving every man a chance to show what's
  in him。〃
  〃Democracy is good!〃 exclaimed Perry。  〃If the kind of thing we're coming
  to is democracy; God save the state!〃。。。
  On the other hand I found myself drawing closer to Ralph Hambleton;
  sometimes present at these debates; as the only one of my boyhood friends
  who seemed to be able to 〃deal with conditions as he found them。〃
  Indeed; he gave one the impression that; if he had had the making of
  them; he would not have changed them。
  〃What the deuce do you expect?〃  I once heard him inquire with good…
  natured contempt。  〃Business isn't charity; it's war。
  〃There are certain things;〃 maintained Perry; stoutly; 〃that gentlemen
  won't do。〃
  〃Gentlemen!〃 exclaimed Ralph; stretching his slim six feet two: We were
  sitting in the Boyne Club。  〃It's ungentlemanly to kill; or burn a town
  or sink a ship; but we keep armies and navies for the purpose。  For a man
  with a good mind; Perry; you show a surprising inability to think things;
  out to a logical conclusion。  What the deuce is competition; when you
  come down to it?  Christianity?  Not by a long shot!  If our nations are
  slaughtering men and starving popula