the riverman-第63部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



many　thousands　of　dollars；　it　seems；　to　buy　the　right　to　say　what　I　

damn　please。　　And　if　you　think　I'm　working　up　to　a　Christian　

forgiveness　racket；　you're　very　much　mistaken。　　I'm　not。　　I　don't　

forgive　you；　and　I　surely　despise　your　sort。　　But　I'm　explaining　to　

youno；　to　myselfjust　what　I've　been　at　for　three　days。〃



〃Well；　turn　me　over　to　your　sheriff；　and　let's　get　through　with　

this；〃　said　Newmark　sullenly。　　〃I　suppose　you've　got　that　part　of　it　

all　fixed。〃



Orde　rose。



〃Look　here；　Newmark；　that's　just　what　I've　been　coming　to；　just　what　

I've　had　such　a　hard　time　to　get　hold　of。　　I　felt　it；　but　I　couldn't　

put　my　finger　on　it。　　Now　I　know。　　I'm　not　going　to　hand　you　over　to　

any　sheriff；　I'm　going　to　let　you　off。　　No；〃　he　continued；　in　

response　to　Newmark's　look　of　incredulous　amazement；　〃it　isn't　from　

any　fool　notion　of　forgiveness。　　I　told　you　I　didn't　forgive　you。　　

But　I'm　not　going　to　burden　my　future　life　with　you。　　That's　just　

plain；　ordinary　selfishness。　　I　suppose　I　really　ought　to　jug　you；　

but　if　I　do；　I'll　always　carry　with　me　the　thought　that　I've　taken　

it　on　myself　to　judge　a　man。　　And　I　don't　believe　any　man　is　

competent　to　judge　another。　　I　told　you　whyor　tried　toa　minute　

or　so　ago。　　I've　lived　clean；　and　I've　enjoyed　the　world　as　a　clean　

open…air　sort　of　propositionlike　a　windy　dayand　I　always　hope　

to。　　I'd　rather　drop　this　whole　matter。　　In　a　short　time　I'd　forget　

you；　you'd　pass　out　of　my　life　entirely。　　But　if　we　carry　this　thing　

through　to　a　finish；　I'd　always　have　the　thought　with　me　that　I'd　

put　you　in　the　pen；　that　you　are　there　now。　　I　don't　like　the　

notion。　　I'd　rather　finish　this　up　right　here　and　now　and　get　it　

over　and　done　with　and　take　a　fresh　start。〃　　He　paused　and　wiped　his　

brow；　wet　with　the　unusual　exertion　of　this　self…analysis。　　〃I　think　

a　fellow　ought　to　act　always　as　if　he　was　making　the　world。　　He　

ought　to　try　not　to　put　things　in　it　that　are　going　to　make　it　an　

unpleasant　or　an　evil　world。　　We　don't　always　do　it；　but　we　ought　to　

try。　　Now　if　I　were　making　a　world；　I　wouldn't　put　a　man　in　a　

penitentiary　in　it。　　Of　course　there's　dangerous　criminals。〃　　He　

glanced　at　Newmark　a　little　anxiously。　　〃I　don't　belieye　you're　

that。　　You're　sharp　and　dishonest；　and　need　punishment；　but　you　

don't　need　extinction。　　Anyway；　I'm　not　going　to　bother　my　future　

with　you。〃



Newmark；　who　had　listened　to　this　long　and　rambling　exposition　with　

increasing　curiosity　and　interest；　broke　into　a　short　laugh。



〃You've　convicted　me；〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　a　most　awful　failure。　　I　

thought　I　knew　you；　but　this　passes　all　belief。〃



Orde　brushed　this　speech　aside　as　irrelevant。



〃Our　association；　of　course；　comes　to　an　end。　　There　remain　the　

terms　of　settlement。　　I　could　fire　you　out　of　this　without　a　cent；　

and　you'd　have　to　git。　　But　that　wouldn't　be　fair。　　I　don't　give　a　

damn　for　you；　but　it　wouldn't　be　fair　to　me。　　Now　as　for　the　

Northern　Peninsula　timber；　you　have　had　seventy…five　thousand　out　of　

that　and　have　lent　me　the　same　amount。　　Call　that　quits。　　I　will　

take　up　your　note　when　it　comes　due；　and　destroy　the　one　given　to　

Heinzman。　　For　all　your　holdings　in　our　common　business　I　will　give　

you　my　note　without　interest　and　without　time　for　one　hundred　

thousand　dollars。　　That　is　not　its　face　value；　nor　anything　like　it；　

but　you　have　caused　me　directly　and　indirectly　considerable　loss。　　I　

don't　know　how　soon　I　can　pay　this　note；　but　it　will　be　paid。〃



〃All　right；〃　agreed　Newmark。



〃Does　that　satisfy　you？〃



〃I　suppose　it's　got　to。〃



〃Very　well。　　I　have　the　papers　here　all　made　out。　　They　need　simply　

to　be　signed　and　witnessed。　　Timbull　is　the　nearest　notary。〃



He　unlocked　the　outside　door。



〃Come；〃　said　he。



In　silence　the　two　walked　the　block　and　a　half　to　the　notary's　

house。　　Here　they　were　forced　to　wait　some　time　while　Timbull　

dressed　himself　and　called　the　necessary　witnesses。　　Finally　the　

papers　were　executed。　　In　the　street　Newmark　paused　significantly。　　

But　Orde　did　not　take　the　hint。



〃Are　you　coming　with　me？〃　asked　Newmark。



〃I　am；〃　replied　Orde。　　〃There　is　one　thing　more。〃



In　silence　once　more　they　returned　to　the　shadowy　low　library　filled　

with　its　evidences　of　good　taste。　　Newmark　threw　himself　into　the　

armchair。　　He　was　quite　recovered；　once　again　the　imperturbable；　

coldly　calculating；　cynical　observer。　　Orde　relocked　the　door；　and　

turned　to　face　him。



〃You　have　five　days　to　leave　town；〃　he　said　crisply。　　〃Don't　ever　

show　up　here　again。　　Let　me　have　your　address　for　the　payment　of　

this　note。〃



He　took　two　steps　forward。



〃I've　let　you　off　from　the　pen　because　I　didn't　want　my　life　

bothered　with　the　thought　of　you。　　But　you've　treated　me　like　a　

hound。　　I've　been　loyal　to　the　firm's　interests　from　the　start；　and　

I've　done　my　best　by　it。　　You　knifed　me　in　the　back。　　You're　a　

dirty；　low…lived　skunk。　　If　you　think　you're　going　to　get　off　scot…

free；　you're　mightily　mistaken。〃



He　advanced　two　steps　more。　　Newmark　half　arose。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　asked　in　some　alarm。



〃I　mean　that　I'm　going　to　give　you　about　the　worst　licking　you　ever　

heard　TELL　of；〃　replied　Orde；　buttoning　his　coat。







XLIX





Five　minutes　later　Orde　emerged　from　Newmark's　house；　softly　rubbing　

the　palm　of　one　hand　over　the　knuckles　of　the　other。　　At　the　front　

gate　he　paused　to　look　up　at　the　stars。　　Then　he　shut　it　decisively　

behind　him。



Up　through　the　maple　shaded　streets　he　walked　at　a　brisk　pace；　

breathing　deep；　unconsciously　squaring　back　his　shoulders。　　The　

incident　was　behind　him。　　In　his　characteristic　decisive　manner　he　

had　wiped　the　whole　disagreeable　affair　off　the　slate。　　The　

copartnership　with　its　gains　and　losses；　its　struggles　and　easy　

sailing　was　a　thing　of　the　past。　　Only　there　remained；　as　after　a　

flood　the　sediment；　a　final　result　of　it　all；　the　balance　between　

successes　and　failures；　a　ground　beneath　the　feet　of　new　

aspirations。　　Orde　had　the　Northern　Peninsula　timber；　the　Boom　

Company；　and　the　carrying　trade。　　They　were　all　burdened　with　debt；　

it　is　true；　but　the　riverman　felt　surging　within　him　the　reawakened　

and　powerful　energy　for　which　optimism　is　another　name。　　He　saw　

stretching　before　him　a　long　life　of　endeavour；　the　sort　of　

endeavour　he　enjoyed；　exulted　in；　and　in　it　he　would　be　untrammelled　

and　alone。　　The　idea　appealed　to　him。　　Suddenly　he　was　impatient　for　

the　morrow　that　he　might　begin。



He　turned　out　of　the　side　street。　　His　own　house　lay　before　him；　

dark　save　for　the　gas　jet　in　the　hallway　and　the　single　lamp　in　the

library。　　A　harmony　of　softly　touched　chords　breathed　out　through　

the　open　window。　　He　stopped；　then　stole　forward　softly　until　he　

stood　looking　in　through　the　doorway。



Carroll　sat　leaning　against　the　golden　harp；　her　shining　head　with　

the　soft　shadows　bent　until　it　almost　touched　the　strings。　　Her　

hands　were　straying　idly　over　accustomed　chords　and　rich　

modulations；　the　plaintive　half…music　of　reverie。　　A　soft　light　fell　

on　her　slender　figure；　half　revealed　the　oval　of　her　cheek　and　the　

sweep　of　her　lashes。



Orde　crept　to　her　unheard。　　Gently　he　clasped　her　from　behind。　　

Unsurprised　she　relinquished　the　harp　strings　and　sank　back　against　

his　breast　with　a　happy　little　sigh。



〃Kind　of　fun　being　married；　isn't　it；　sweetheart？〃　he　repeated　their　

quaint　formula。



〃Kind　of；〃　she　replied；　and　raised　her　face　to　his。








THE　END