Part 32 (1/2)

Howard laughed. ”And did she tell you what a dreadful husband you had?”

”Oh, she didn't blame you at all. She said they all knew how perfectly upright you were. Only, she said you did not understand and were doing Mr. Mercer a great injustice.”

”Well, what do you think?”

”Why--I can't believe--is it possible, dear--I was just reading one of your editorials. Can Mr. Mercer be in such a scheme? The way she told it to me, he and the others were really doing a lot of people a valuable service, putting their property on a paying basis, enabling the railroads to meet their expenses and to keep thousands and thousands of men employed.”

”Poor Mercer!” Howard said ironically. ”Poor misunderstood philanthropist! What a pity that that sort of benevolence has to be carried on by bribing judges and prosecutors and legislatures, by making the poor s.h.i.+ver and freeze, by subtracting from the pleasures and adding to the anxieties of millions. One would almost say that such a philanthropy had better not be undertaken. It is so likely to be misunderstood by the 'unruly cla.s.ses.'”

”Oh, I knew you were right. I told her you must be right, that you never wrote until you knew.”

”And what was the result?”

”Well, we are making some very bitter enemies.”

”I doubt it. I suspect that before long they'll come wheedling about in the hope that I'll let up on them or be a little easier next time.”

”I'm sure I do not care what they do,” said Marian, drawing herself up.

”All I care for is--you, and to see you do your duty at whatever cost or regardless of cost--” she was leaning over the back of his chair with her arms about his neck and her lips very near to his ear--”you are my love without fear and without reproach.”

”Listen, dear.” He took her hand and drew her arms more closely about his neck. ”Suppose that the lines were drawn--as they may be any day.

Suppose that we had to choose, with all these friends of yours, with our position, yes, even the place I have won in my profession, my place as editor--all that we now have on the one side; and on the other side a thankless, unprofitable, apparently useless standing up for the right.

Wouldn't you miss your friends?”

”_All_ our friends? And who will be on the other side?”

”Almost no one that we know--that you would care to call upon or go about with or have here at the house. n.o.body with any great amount of wealth or social position. Those other people who are in town when it is said 'n.o.body is in town now!'”

She did not answer.

”Where would you be?” he repeated.

”Oh, I wasn't thinking of that.” She came around and sat on his knee. ”Where? Why, there's only one 'where' in all this world for me--'wheresoever thou goest.'”

And so the half-formed impulse to begin to straighten himself out with her was smothered by her.

Both were silent through dinner. She was thinking how honest, how fearless he was, how he loved her, how eagerly she would follow him, how blessed she was in the love of such a man. And he--he was regretting that his ”pose” had carried him so far; he was wis.h.i.+ng that he had not been so bitter in his attacks upon his and his wife's friends, the coal conspirators. When he had definitely cast in his lot with ”the shearers”

why persist in making his hypocrisy more abominable by protesting more loudly than ever in behalf of ”the sheep?” Above all, why had he let his habit of voluble denunciation lead him into this hypocrisy with the woman he loved?

He admitted to himself that ”causes” had ceased to interest him except as they might contribute to the advancement of his power. Power!--that was his ambition now. First he had wished to have an independent income in order to be free. When he had achieved that, it was at the sacrifice of his mental freedom. And now, with the clearness of self-knowledge which only men of great ability have, he knew that the one cause for which he would make sacrifices was--himself.

”Of what are you thinking so gloomily?” she interrupted.

”Oh--I--let me see--well, I was thinking what a fraud I am; and that I wished I could dupe myself as completely as I can dupe--”

”Me?” she laughed. ”Oh, we're all frauds--shocking frauds. I wouldn't have you see me as I really am for anything.”