the financier-第69部分

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ad　made　the　combination　dreary。　　There　were　no　pictures　or　ornaments　of　any　kind；　save　the　stalky；　over…elaborated　gas…brackets　which　stood　on　his　honor's　desk；　and　the　single　swinging　chandelier　suspended　from　the　center　of　the　ceiling。　　Fat　bailiffs　and　court　officers；　concerned　only　in　holding　their　workless　jobs；　did　not　add　anything　to　the　spirit　of　the　scene。　　Two　of　them　in　the　particular　court　in　which　this　trial　was　held　contended　hourly　as　to　which　should　hand　the　judge　a　glass　of　water。　　One　preceded　his　honor　like　a　fat；　stuffy；　dusty　majordomo　to　and　from　his　dressing…room。　　His　business　was　to　call　loudly；　when　the　latter　entered；　〃His　honor　the　Court；　hats　off。　　Everybody　please　rise；〃　while　a　second　bailiff；　standing　at　the　left　of　his　honor　when　he　was　seated；　and　between　the　jury…box　and　the　witness…chair；　recited　in　an　absolutely　unintelligible　way　that　beautiful　and　dignified　statement　of　collective　society's　obligation　to　the　constituent　units；　which　begins；　〃Hear　ye！　hear　ye！　hear　ye！〃　and　ends；　〃All　those　of　you　having　just　cause　for　complaint　draw　near　and　ye　shall　be　heard。〃　　However；　you　would　have　thought　it　was　of　no　import　here。　　Custom　and　indifference　had　allowed　it　to　sink　to　a　mumble。　A　third　bailiff　guarded　the　door　of　the　jury…room；　and　in　addition　to　these　there　were　present　a　court　clerksmall；　pale；　candle…waxy；　with　colorless　milk…and…water　eyes；　and　thin；　pork…fat…colored　hair　and　beard；　who　looked　for　all　the　world　like　an　Americanized　and　decidedly　decrepit　Chinese　mandarinand　a　court　stenographer。

Judge　Wilbur　Payderson；　a　lean　herring　of　a　man；　who　had　sat　in　this　case　originally　as　the　examining　judge　when　Cowperwood　had　been　indicted　by　the　grand　jury；　and　who　had　bound　him　over　for　trial　at　this　term；　was　a　peculiarly　interesting　type　of　judge；　as　judges　go。　　He　was　so　meager　and　thin…blooded　that　he　was　arresting　for　those　qualities　alone。　　Technically；　he　was　learned　in　the　law；　actually；　so　far　as　life　was　concerned；　absolutely　unconscious　of　that　subtle　chemistry　of　things　that　transcends　all　written　law　and　makes　for　the　spirit　and；　beyond　that；　the　inutility　of　all　law；　as　all　wise　judges　know。　　You　could　have　looked　at　his　lean；　pedantic　body；　his　frizzled　gray　hair；　his　fishy；　blue…gray　eyes；　without　any　depth　of　speculation　in　them；　and　his　nicely　modeled　but　unimportant　face；　and　told　him　that　he　was　without　imagination；　but　he　would　not　have　believed　youwould　have　fined　you　for　contempt　of　court。　　By　the　careful　garnering　of　all　his　little　opportunities；　the　furbishing　up　of　every　meager　advantage；　by　listening　slavishly　to　the　voice　of　party；　and　following　as　nearly　as　he　could　the　behests　of　intrenched　property；　he　had　reached　his　present　state。　　It　was　not　very　far　along；　at　that。　His　salary　was　only　six　thousand　dollars　a　year。　　His　little　fame　did　not　extend　beyond　the　meager　realm　of　local　lawyers　and　judges。　But　the　sight　of　his　name　quoted　daily　as　being　about　his　duties；　or　rendering　such　and　such　a　decision；　was　a　great　satisfaction　to　him。　　He　thought　it　made　him　a　significant　figure　in　the　world。　〃Behold　I　am　not　as　other　men；〃　he　often　thought；　and　this　comforted　him。　　He　was　very　much　flattered　when　a　prominent　case　came　to　his　calendar；　and　as　he　sat　enthroned　before　the　various　litigants　and　lawyers　he　felt；　as　a　rule；　very　significant　indeed。　　Now　and　then　some　subtlety　of　life　would　confuse　his　really　limited　intellect；　but　in　all　such　cases　there　was　the　letter　of　the　law。　　He　could　hunt　in　the　reports　to　find　out　what　really　thinking　men　had　decided。　　Besides；　lawyers　everywhere　are　so　subtle。　　They　put　the　rules　of　law；　favorable　or　unfavorable；　under　the　judge's　thumb　and　nose。　　〃Your　honor；　in　the　thirty…second　volume　of　the　Revised　Reports　of　Massachusetts；　page　so　and　so；　line　so　and　so；　in　Arundel　versus　Bannerman；　you　will　find；　etc。〃　　How　often　have　you　heard　that　in　a　court　of　law？　The　reasoning　that　is　left　to　do　in　most　cases　is　not　much。　　And　the　sanctity　of　the　law　is　raised　like　a　great　banner　by　which　the　pride　of　the　incumbent　is　strengthened。

Payderson；　as　Steger　had　indicated；　could　scarcely　be　pointed　to　as　an　unjust　judge。　　He　was　a　party　judgeRepublican　in　principle；　or　rather　belief；　beholden　to　the　dominant　party　councils　for　his　personal　continuance　in　office；　and　as　such　willing　and　anxious　to　do　whatever　he　considered　that　he　reasonably　could　do　to　further　the　party　welfare　and　the　private　interests　of　his　masters。　　Most　people　never　trouble　to　look　into　the　mechanics　of　the　thing　they　call　their　conscience　too　closely。　　Where　they　do；　too　often　they　lack　the　skill　to　disentangle　the　tangled　threads　of　ethics　and　morals。　　Whatever　the　opinion　of　the　time　is；　whatever　the　weight　of　great　interests　dictates；　that　they　conscientiously　believe。　Some　one　has　since　invented　the　phrase　〃a　corporation…minded　judge。〃　There　are　many　such。

Payderson　was　one。　　He　fairly　revered　property　and　power。　　To　him　Butler　and　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　were　great　menreasonably　sure　to　be　right　always　because　they　were　so　powerful。　　This　matter　of　Cowperwood's　and　Stener's　defalcation　he　had　long　heard　of。　　He　knew　by　associating　with　one　political　light　and　another　just　what　the　situation　was。　　The　party；　as　the　leaders　saw　it；　had　been　put　in　a　very　bad　position　by　Cowperwood's　subtlety。　　He　had　led　Stener　astraymore　than　an　ordinary　city　treasurer　should　have　been　led　astrayand；　although　Stener　was　primarily　guilty　as　the　original　mover　in　the　scheme；　Cowperwood　was　more　so　for　having　led　him　imaginatively　to　such　disastrous　lengths。　　Besides；　the　party　needed　a　scapegoatthat　was　enough　for　Payderson；　in　the　first　place。　　Of　course；　after　the　election　had　been　won；　and　it　appeared　that　the　party　had　not　suffered　so　much；　he　did　not　understand　quite　why　it　was　that　Cowperwood　was　still　so　carefully　included　in　the　Proceedings；　but　he　had　faith　to　believe　that　the　leaders　had　some　just　grounds　for　not　letting　him　off。　　From　one　source　and　another　he　learned　that　Butler　had　some　private　grudge　against　Cowperwood。　　What　it　was　no　one　seemed　to　know　exactly。　　The　general　impression　was　that　Cowperwood　had　led　Butler　into　some　unwholesome　financial　transactions。　　Anyhow；　it　was　generally　understood　that　for　the　good　of　the　party；　and　in　order　to　teach　a　wholesome　lesson　to　dangerous　subordinatesit　had　been　decided　to　allow　these　several　indictments　to　take　their　course。　　Cowperwood　was　to　be　punished　quite　as　severely　as　Stener　for　the　moral　effect　on　the　community。　　Stener　was　to　be　sentenced　the　maximum　sentence　for　his　crime　in　order　that　the　party　and　the　courts　should　appear　properly　righteous。　　Beyond　that　he　was　to　be　left　to　the　mercy　of　the　governor；　who　could　ease　things　up　for　him　if　he　chose；　and　if　the　leaders　wished。　　In　the　silly　mind　of　the　general　public　the　various　judges　of　Quarter　Sessions；　like　girls　incarcerated　in　boarding…schools；　were　supposed　in　their　serene　aloofness　from　life　not　to　know　what　was　going　on　in　the　subterranean　realm　of　politics；　but　they　knew　well　enough；　and；　knowing　particularly　well　from　whence　came　their　continued　position　and　authority；　they　were　duly　grateful。





Chapter　XL




When　Cowperwood　came　into　the　crowded　courtroom　with　his　father　and　Steger；　quite　fresh　and　jaunty　（looking　the　part　of　the　shrewd　financier；　the　man　of　affairs）；　every　one　stared。　　It　was　really　too　much　to　expect；　most　of　them　thought；　that　a　man　like　this　would　be　convicted。　　He　was；　no　doubt；　guilty；　but；　also；　no　doubt；　he　had　ways　and　means　of　evading　the　law。　　His　lawyer；　Harper　Steger；　looked　very　shrewd　and　canny　to　them。　　It　was　very　cold；　and　both　men　wore　long；　dark；　bluish…gray　overcoats；　cut　in　the　latest　mode。　　Cowperwood　was　given　to　small　boutonnieres　in　fair　weather；　but　to…day　he　wore　none。　　His　tie；　however；　was　of　heavy；　impressive　silk；　of　lavender　hue；　set　with　a　large；　clear；　green　emerald。　　He　wore　only　the　thinnest　of　watch…chains；　and　no　other　ornament　of　any　kind。　　He　always　looked　jaunty　and　yet　reserved；　good…natured；　and　yet　capable　and　self…sufficient。　　Never　had　he　looked　more　so　than　he　did　to…day。

He　at　once　took　in　the　nature　of　the　scene；　which　had　a　peculiar　interest　for　him。　　Before　him　was　the　as　yet　empty　judge's　rostrum；　and　at　its　right　the　empty　jury…box；　between　which；　and　to　the　judge's　left；　as　he　sat　facing　the　audience；　stood　the　witness…chair　where　he　must　presently　sit　and　testify。　　Behind　it；　already　awaiting　the　arrival　of　the　court；　stood　a　fat　bailiff；　one　John　Sparkheaver　whose　business　it　was　to　present　the　aged；　greasy　Bible　to　be　touched　by　the　witnesses　in　making　oath；　and　to　say；　〃Step　this　way；〃　when　the　testimony　was　over。　　There　were　other　bailiffsone　at　the　gate　giving　into　the　railed　space　before　the　judge's　desk；　where　prisoners　were　arraigned；　lawyers　sat　or　pleaded；　the　defendant　had　a　chair；　and　so　on；　another　in　the　aisle　leading　to　the　jury…room；　and　still　another　guarding　the　door　by　which　the　public　entered。　　Cowperwood　surveyed　Stener；　who　was　one　of　the　witnesses；　and　who　now；　in　his　helpless　fright　over　his　own　fate；　was　without　malice　toward　any　one。　　He　had　really　never　borne　any。　He　wished　if　anything　now　that　he　had　followed　Cowperwood's　advice；　seeing　where　he　now　was；　though　he　still　had　faith　that　Mollenhauer　and　the　political　powers　represented　by　him　would　do　something　for　him　with　the　governor；　once　he　was　sentenced。　　He　was　very　pale　and　comparatively　thin。　　Already　he　had　lost　that　ruddy　bulk　which　had　been　added　during　the　days　of　his　prosperity。　　He　wore　a　new　gray　suit　and　a　brown　tie；　and　was　clean…shaven。　　When　his　eye　caught　Cowperwood's　steady　beam；　it　faltered　and　drooped。　　He　rubbed　his　ear　foolishly。　　Cowperwood　nodded。

〃You　know；〃　he　said　to　Steger；　〃I　feel　sorry　for　George。　　He's　such　a　fool。　　Still　I　did　all　I　could。〃

Cowperwood　also　watched　Mrs。　Stener　out　of　the　tail　of　his　eye　an　undersized；　peaked；　and　sallow　little　woman；　whose　clothes　fitted　her　abominably。　　It　was　just　like　Stener　to　marry　a　woman　like　that；　he　thought。　　The　scrubby　matches　of　the　socially　unelect　or　unfit　always　interested；　though　they　did　not　always　amuse；　him。　Mrs。　Stener　had　no　affection　for　Cowperwood；　of　course；　looking　on　him；　as　she　did