Part 27 (1/2)
”Yes.”
”Name it,” said the President, with ill-concealed satisfaction.
”Your daughter's hand in marriage.”
”Ah;”--he lost his hold upon the hopeful alternative and made no sign--”nothing less?”
”Nothing less.”
”Very good again; then we may go on to other matters. How do you expect to support a wife whose allowance of pin-money has probably exceeded your entire income?”
”As many a better man has done before me, when the woman of his choice was willing to put love before luxury,” quoth Brockway, with more philosophy than he could properly lay claim to.
”H-m; love in a cottage, and all that, I suppose. It's very romantic, but you'll pardon me if I confess I'm not able to take any such philosophical view of the matter.”
”Oh, certainly; I didn't suppose you would be. But if you don't like it, the remedy is in your own hands,” said Brockway, with great composure.
”Ah; yesterday you told me I was mistaken in my man; this time it is you who are mistaken. Gertrude will get nothing from me.”
Brockway met the cool stare of the calculating eyes without flinching, and refused to be angry.
”You know very well I didn't mean that,” he said, calmly. ”I wouldn't touch a penny of your money under any circ.u.mstances that I can imagine just now.”
”Then what do you mean?” demanded the President.
Brockway thought he might as well die fighting, so he shrugged his shoulders and made s.h.i.+ft to look indifferent and unconcerned.
”I'm well enough satisfied with my present income and prospects, and Gertrude is quite willing to share them with me; but if you think I'm not earning enough money, why, you are the President of a very considerable railway company, and I'll cheerfully attack anything you see fit to give me from the general pa.s.senger agency down.”
”Ha!” said the President, and for once in a way he acknowledged himself fairly outdone in cold-blooded a.s.surance; ”you have the courage of your convictions to say that to me.”
”Not at all,” replied Brockway, riding at a gallop along the newly discovered road to the President's favor; ”I merely suggest it to help you out. I'm very well contented where I am.”
”Oh, you are. And yet you would consent to take service under me, after what has pa.s.sed between us? I say you have courage; I could break you in a year.”
”Possibly; but you wouldn't, you know.”
The President rose and held out his hand with a smile which no man might a.n.a.lyze.
”You refuse to be bullied, don't you? and you say you would attack anything. I believe you would, and I like that; you shall be given the opportunity, and under a harder master than you have ever had. You may even find yourself required to make bricks without straw. Come, now, hadn't you better retract and go about your business?”
”Never a word; and where Gertrude goes, I go,” said Brockway, taking the proffered hand with what show of indifference he could command.
”Very well, if you will have it so. If you are of the same mind in the morning, perhaps you'd better join us at breakfast and we can talk it over. Will you come?”
”Yes, if you will tell the other members of your party why I am there.”
The President smiled again, sardonically this time.
”I think the occasion for that has gone by,” he said. ”Good-night.”