the story of a mine-第18部分

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happened　on　a　mountain　road；　and　the　stage　had　been　precipitated

over　the　abyss；　what　valuable　time　would　have　been　saved；　and

success　become　a　surety。　　But　Mr。　Wiles's　functions　as　an　advocate

did　not　include　murder；　at　least；　he　was　doubtful　if　it　could　be

taxed　as　costs。



〃We　need　have　no　fears；　sir；〃　resumed　Mr。　Gashwiler；　〃The　matter　is

now　in　the　hands　of　the　highest　tribunal　of　appeal　in　the　country。

It　will　meet；　sir；　with　inflexible　justice。　　I　have　already

prepared　some　remarks〃



〃By　the　way；〃　interrupted　Wiles　infelicitously；　〃where's　your　young

man；your　private　secretary；Dobbs？〃



The　Congressman　for　a　moment　looked　confused。　　〃He　is　not　here。

And　I　must　correct　your　error　in　applying　that　term　to　him。　　I　have

never　put　my　confidence　in　the　hands　of　any　one。〃



〃But　you　introduced　him　to　me　as　your　secretary？〃



〃A　mere　honorary　title；　sir。　　A　brevet　rank。　　I　might；　it　is　true；

have　thought　to　repose　such　a　trust　in　him。　　But　I　was　deceived；

sir；　as　I　fear　I　am　too　apt　to　be　when　I　permit　my　feelings　as　a

man　to　overcome　my　duty　as　an　American　legislator。　　Mr。　Dobbs

enjoyed　my　patronage　and　the　opportunity　it　gave　me　to　introduce

him　into　public　life　only　to　abuse　it。　　He　became；　I　fear；　deeply

indebted。　　His　extravagance　was　unlimited；　his　ambition　unbounded；

but　without；　sir；　a　cash　basis。　　I　advanced　money　to　him　from　time

to　time　upon　the　little　property　you　so　generously　extended　to　him

for　his　services。　　But　it　was　quickly　dissipated。　　Yet；　sir；　such

is　the　ingratitude　of　man　that　his　family　lately　appealed　to　me　for

assistance。　　I　felt　it　was　necessary　to　be　stern；　and　I　refused。　　I

would　not　for　the　sake　of　his　family　say　anything；　but　I　have

missed；　sir；　books　from　my　library。　　On　the　day　after　he　left；　two

volumes　of　Patent　Office　reports　and　a　Blue　Book　of　Congress；

purchased　that　day　by　me　at　a　store　on　Pennsylvania　avenue；　were

MISSING；missing！　　I　had　difficulty；　sir；　great　difficulty　in

keeping　it　from　the　papers！〃



As　Mr。　Wiles　had　heard　the　story　already　from　Gashwiler's

acquaintances；　with　more　or　less　free　comment　on　the　gifted

legislator's　economy；　he　could　not　help　thinking　that　the　difficulty

had　been　great　indeed。　　But　he　only　fixed　his　malevolent　eye　on

Gashwiler　and　said：



〃So　he　is　gone；　eh？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　you've　made　an　enemy　of　him？　　That's　bad。〃



Mr。　Gashwiler　tried　to　look　dignifiedly　unconcerned；　but　something

in　his　visitor's　manner　made　him　uneasy。



〃I　say　it　is　bad；　if　you　have。　　Listen。　　Before　I　left　here；　I

found　at　a　boardinghouse　where　he　had　boarded；　and　still　owed　a

bill；　a　trunk　which　the　landlord　retained。　　Opening　it；　I　found

some　letters　and　papers　to　yours；　with　certain　memoranda　of　his；

which　I　thought　ought　to　be　in　YOUR　possession。　　As　an　alleged

friend　of　his；　I　redeemed　the　trunk　by　paying　the　amount　of　his

bill；　and　secured　the　more　valuable　papers。〃



Gashwiler；　whose　face　had　grown　apoplectically　suffused　as　Wiles

went　on；　at　last　gasped：　〃But　you　got　the　trunk；　and　have　the

papers？〃



〃Unfortunately；　no；　and　that's　why　it's　bad。〃



〃But；　good　God！　what　have　you　done　with　them？〃



〃I've　lost　them　somewhere　on　the　Overland　Road。〃



Mr。　Gashwiler　sat　for　a　few　moments　speechless；　vacillating　between

a　purple　rage　and　a　pallid　fear。　　Then　he　said　hoarsely：



〃They　are　all　blank　forgeries；every　one　of　them。〃



〃Oh；　no！〃　said　Wiles；　smiling　blandly　on　his　dexter　side；　and

enjoying　the　whole　scene　malevolently　with　his　sinister　eye。　　〃YOUR

papers　are　all　genuine；　and　I　won't　say　are　not　all　right；　but

unfortunately　I　had　in　the　same　bag　some　memoranda　of　my　own　for

the　use　of　my　client；　that；　you　understand；　might　be　put　to　some

bad　use　if　found　by　a　clever　man。〃



The　two　rascals　looked　at　each　other。　　There　is　on　the　whole　really

very　little　〃honor　among　thieves；〃at　least　great　ones；and　the

inferior　rascal　succumbed　at　the　reflection　of　what　HE　might　do　if

he　were　in　the　other　rascal's　place。　　〃See　here；　Wiles；〃　he　said；

relaxing　his　dignity　with　the　perspiration　that　oozed　from　every

pore；　and　made　the　collar　of　his　shirt　a　mere　limp　rag。　　〃See　here；

WE〃this　first　use　of　the　plural　was　equivalent　to　a　confession

〃we　must　get　them　papers。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Wiles　coolly；　〃if　we　CAN；　and　if　Thatcher　doesn't

get　wind　of　them。〃



〃He　cannot。〃



〃He　was　on　the　coach　when　I　lost　them；　coming　East。〃



Mr。　Gashwiler　paled　again。　　In　the　emergency　he　had　recourse　to　the

sideboard　and　a　bottle；　forgetting　Wiles。　　Ten　minutes　before　Wiles

would　have　remained　seated；　but　it　is　recorded　that　he　rose；　took

the　bottle　from　the　gifted　Gashwiler's　fingers；　helped　himself

FIRST；　and　then　sat　down。



〃Yes；　but；　my　boy；〃　said　Gashwiler；　now　rapidly　changing　situations

with　the　cooler　Wiles；　〃yes；　but；　old　fellow；〃　he　added；　poking

Wiles　with　a　fat　forefinger；　〃don't　you　see　the　whole　thing　will　be

up　before　he　gets　here？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Wiles　gloomily；　〃but　those　lazy；　easy；　honest　men　have

a　way　of　popping　up　just　at　the　nick　of　time。　　They　never　need

hurry；　all　things　wait　for　them。　　Why；　don't　you　remember　that　on

the　very　day　Mrs。　Hopkinson　and　I　and　you　got　the　President　to　sign

that　patent；　that　very　day　one　of　them　dn　fellows　turns　up　from

San　Francisco　or　Australia；　having　taken　his　own　time　to　get　here；

gets　here　about　half　an　hour　after　the　President　had　signed　the

patent　and　sent　it　over　to　the　office；　finds　the　right　man　to

introduce　him　to　the　President；　has　a　talk　with　him；　makes　him　sign

an　order　countermanding　its　issuance；　and　undoes　all　that　has　been

done　in　six　years　in　one　hour。〃



〃Yes；　but　Congress　is　a　tribunal　that　does　not　revoke　its　decrees；〃

said　Gashwiler　with　a　return　of　his　old　manner；　〃at　least；〃　he

added；　observing　an　incredulous　shrug　in　the　shoulder　of　his

companion；　〃at　least　DURING　THE　SESSION。〃



〃We　shall　see；〃　said　Wiles；　quietly　taking　his　hat。



〃We　shall　see；　sir；〃　said　the　member　from　Remus　with　dignity。





CHAPTER　XIV



WHAT　CULTURE　DID　FOR　IT





There　was　at　this　time　in　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　an

eminent　and　respected　gentleman；　scholarly；　orderly；　honorable；

and　radical；the　fit　representative　of　a　scholarly；　orderly；

honorable；　and　radical　Commonwealth。　　For　many　years　he　had　held

his　trust　with　conscious　rectitude；　and　a　slight　depreciation　of

other　forms　of　merit；　and　for　as　many　years　had　been　as　regularly

returned　to　his　seat　by　his　constituency　with　equally　conscious

rectitude　in　themselves　and　an　equal　skepticism　regarding　others。

Removed　by　his　nature　beyond　the　reach　of　certain　temptations；　and

by　circumstances　beyond　even　the　knowledge　of　others；　his　social

and　political　integrity　was　spotless。　　An　orator　and　practical

debater；　his　refined　tastes　kept　him　from　personality；　and　the

public　recognition　of　the　complete　unselfishness　of　his　motives　and

the　magnitude　of　his　dogmas　protected　him　from　scurrility。　　His

principles　had　never　been　appealed　to　by　a　bribe；　he　had　rarely

been　approached　by　an　emotion。



A　man　of　polished　taste　in　art　and　literature；　and　possessing　the

means　to　gratify　it；　his　luxurious　home　was　filled　with　treasures

he　had　himself　collected；　and　further　enhanced　by　the　stamp　of　his

appreciation。　　His　library　had　not　only　the　elegance　of　adornment

that　his　wealth　could　bring　and　his　taste　approve；　but　a　certain

refined　negligence　of　habitual　use；　and　the　easy　disorder　of　the

artist's　workshop。　　All　this　was　quickly　noted　by　a　young　girl　who

stood　on　its　threshold　at　the　close　of　a　dull　January　day。



The　card　that　had　been　brought　to　the　Senator　bore　the　name　of

〃Carmen　de　Haro〃；　and　modestly　in　the　right　hand　corner；　in　almost

microscopic　script；　the　further　description　of　herself　as　〃Artist。〃

Perhaps　the　picturesqueness　of　the　name；　and　its　historic

suggestion　caught　the　scholar's　taste；　for　when　to　his　request；

through　his　servant；　that　she　would　be　kind　enough　to　state　her

business；　she　replied　as　frankly　that　her　business　was　personal　to

himself；　he　directed　that　she　should　be　admitted。　　Then　entrenching

himself　behind　his　library　table；　overlooking　a　bastion　of　books；

and　a　glacis　of　pamphlets　and　papers；　and　throwing　into　his

forehead　and　eyes　an　expression　of　utter　disqualification　for

anything　but　the　business　before　him；　be　calmly　awaited　the

intruder。



She　came；　and　for　an　instant　stood；　hesitatingly；　framing　herself

as　a　picture　in　the　door。　　Mrs。　Hopkinson　was　right；she　had　〃no

style；〃　unless　an　original　and　half…foreign　quaintness　could　be

called　so。　　There　was　a　desperate　attempt　visible　to　combine　an

American　shawl　with　the　habits　of　a　mantilla；　and　it　was　always

slipping　from　one　shoulder；　that　was　so　supple　and　vivacious　as　to

betray　the　deficiencies　of　an　education　in　stays。　　There　was　a

cluster　of　black　curls　around　her　low　forehead；　fitting　her　so

closely　as　to　seem　to　be　a　part　of　the　seal…skin　cap　she　wore。



Once；　from　the　force　of　habit；　she　attempted　to　put　her　shawl　over

her　head　and　talk　through　the　folds　gathered　under　her　chin；　but

an　astonished　look　from　the　Senator　checked　her。　　Nevertheless；

he　felt　relieved；　and　rising；　motioned　her　to　a　chair　with　a

heartiness　he　would　have　scarcely　shown　to　a　Parisian　toilleta。

And　when；　with　two　or　three　quick；　long　steps；　she　reached　his

side；　and　showed；　a　frank；　innocent；　but　strong　and　determined

little　face；　feminine　only　in　its　flash　of　eye　and　beauty　of　lip

and　chin　curves；　he　put　down　the　pamphlet　he　had　taken　up　somewhat

ostentatiously；　and　gently　begged　to　know　her　business。



I　think　I　have　once　before　spoken　of　her　voice；an　organ　more

often　cultivated　by　my　fair　country…women　for　singing　than　for

speaking；　which；　considering　that　much　of　our　practical　relations

with　the　sex　are　carried　on　without　the　aid　of　an　opera　score；

seems　a　mistaken　notion　of　theirs；and　of　it