roads of destiny-第42部分

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ce　and　demeanour；　as　he　approached　the　table；　exhibited　nothing　of　the　awkwardness　or　confusion　to　be　expected　from　his　Arabian　Nights　change。　He　allowed　Absalom　to　seat　him　at　Grandemont's　right　hand　with　the　manner　of　one　thus　accustomed　to　be　waited　upon。

〃It　grieves　me；〃　said　Grandemont；　〃to　be　obliged　to　exchange　names　with　a　guest。　My　own　name　is　Charles。〃

〃In　the　mountains；〃　said　the　wayfarer；　〃they　call　me　Gringo。　Along　the　roads　they　call　me　Jack。〃

〃I　prefer　the　latter；〃　said　Grandemont。　〃A　glass　of　wine　with　you；　Mr。　Jack。〃

Course　after　course　was　served　by　the　supernumerous　waiters。　Grandemont；　inspired　by　the　results　of　Andre's　exquisite　skill　in　cookery　and　his　own　in　the　selection　of　wines　became　the　model　host；　talkative；　witty；　and　genial。　The　guest　was　fitful　in　conversation。　His　mind　seemed　to　be　sustaining　a　seccession　of　waves　of　dementia　followed　by　intervals　of　comparative　lucidity。　There　was　the　glassy　brightness　of　recent　fever　in　his　eyes。　A　long　course　of　it　must　have　been　the　cause　of　his　emaciation　and　weakness；　his　distracted　mind；　and　the　dull　pallor　that　showed　even　through　the　tan　of　wind　and　sun。

〃Charles；〃　he　said　to　Grandemontfor　thus　he　seemed　to　interpret　his　name〃you　never　saw　the　mountains　dance；　did　you？〃

〃No；　Mr。　Jack；〃　answered　Grandemont；　gravely；　〃the　spectacle　has　been　denied　me。　But；　I　assure　you；　I　can　understand　it　must　be　a　diverting　sight。　The　big　ones；　you　know；　white　with　snow　on　the　tops；　waltzing　/decollete/；　we　may　say。〃

〃You　first　scour　the　kettles；〃　said　Mr。　Jack；　leaning　toward　him　excitedly；　〃to　cook　the　beans　in　the　morning；　and　you　lie　down　on　a　blanket　and　keep　quite　still。　Then　they　come　out　and　dance　for　you。　You　would　go　out　and　dance　with　them　but　you　are　chained　every　night　to　the　centre　pole　of　the　hut。　You　believe　the　mountains　dance；　don't　you；　Charlie？〃

〃I　contradict　no　traveller's　tales；〃　said　Grandemont；　with　a　smile。

Mr。　Jack　laughed　loudly。　He　dropped　his　voice　to　a　confidential　whisper。

〃You　are　a　fool　to　believe　it；〃　he　went　on。　〃They　don't　really　advance。　It's　the　fever　in　your　head。　It's　the　hard　work　and　the　bad　water　that　does　it。　You　are　sick　for　weeks；　and　there　is　no　medicine。　The　fever　comes　on　every　evening；　and　then　you　are　as　strong　as　two　men。　One　night　the　/compania/　are　lying　drunk　with　/mescal/。　They　have　brought　back　sacks　of　silver　dollars　from　a　ride；　and　they　drink　to　celebrate。　In　the　night　you　file　the　chain　in　two　and　go　down　the　mountain。　You　walk　for　mileshundreds　of　them。　By　and　by　the　mountains　are　all　gone；　and　you　come　to　the　prairies。　They　do　not　dance　at　night；　they　are　merciful；　and　you　sleep。　Then　you　come　to　the　river；　and　it　says　things　to　you。　You　follow　it　down；　down；　but　you　can't　find　what　you　are　looking　for。〃

Mr。　Jack　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　his　eyes　slowly　closed。　The　food　and　wine　had　steeped　him　in　a　deep　calm。　The　tense　strain　had　been　smoothed　from　his　face。　The　languor　of　repletion　was　claiming　him。　Drowsily　he　spoke　again。

〃It's　bad　mannersI　knowto　go　to　sleepat　tablebutthat　was　such　a　good　dinnerGrande；　old　fellow。〃

/Grande/！　The　owner　of　the　name　started　and　set　down　his　glass。　How　should　this　wretched　tatterdemalion　whom　he　had　invited；　Caliph…like；　to　sit　at　his　feet　know　his　name？

Not　at　first；　but　soon；　little　by　little；　the　suspicion；　wild　and　unreasonable　as　it　was；　stole　into　his　brain。　He　drew　out　his　watch　with　hands　that　almost　balked　him　by　their　trembling；　and　opened　the　back　case。　There　was　a　picture　therea　photograph　fixed　to　the　inner　side。

Rising；　Grandemont　shook　Mr。　Jack　by　the　shoulder。　The　weary　guest　opened　his　eyes。　Grandemont　held　the　watch。

〃Look　at　this　picture；　Mr。　Jack。　Have　you　ever〃

〃/My　sister　Adele/！〃

The　vagrant's　voice　rang　loud　and　sudden　through　the　room。　He　started　to　his　feet；　but　Grandemont's　arms　were　about　him；　and　Grandemont　was　calling　him　〃Victor！Victor　Fauquier！　/Merci；　merci；　mon　Dieu/！〃

Too　far　overcome　by　sleep　and　fatigue　was　the　lost　one　to　talk　that　night。　Days　afterward；　when　the　tropic　/calentura/　had　cooled　in　his　veins；　the　disordered　fragments　he　had　spoken　were　completed　in　shape　and　sequence。　He　told　the　story　of　his　angry　flight；　of　toils　and　calamities　on　sea　and　shore；　of　his　ebbing　and　flowing　fortune　in　southern　lands；　and　of　his　latest　peril　when；　held　a　captive；　he　served　menially　in　a　stronghold　of　bandits　in　the　Sonora　Mountains　of　Mexico。　And　of　the　fever　that　seized　him　there　and　his　escape　and　delirium；　during　which　he　strayed；　perhaps　led　by　some　marvellous　instinct；　back　to　the　river　on　whose　bank　he　had　been　born。　And　of　the　proud　and　stubborn　thing　in　his　blood　that　had　kept　him　silent　through　all　those　years；　clouding　the　honour　of　one；　though　he　knew　it　not；　and　keeping　apart　two　loving　hearts。　〃What　a　thing　is　love！〃　you　may　say。　And　if　I　grant　it；　you　shall　say；　with　me：　〃What　a　thing　is　pride！〃

On　a　couch　in　the　reception　chamber　Victor　lay；　with　a　dawning　understanding　in　his　heavy　eyes　and　peace　in　his　softened　countenance。　Absalom　was　preparing　a　lounge　for　the　transient　master　of　Charleroi；　who；　to…morrow；　would　be　again　the　clerk　of　a　cotton…broker；　but　also

〃To…morrow；〃　Grandemont　was　saying；　as　he　stood　by　the　couch　of　his　guest；　speaking　the　words　with　his　face　shining　as　must　have　shone　the　face　of　Elijah's　charioteer　when　he　announced　the　glories　of　that　heavenly　journey〃To…morrow　I　will　take　you　to　Her。〃



XVIII

ON　BEHALF　OF　THE　MANAGEMENT

This　is　the　story　of　the　man　manager；　and　how　he　held　his　own　until　the　very　last　paragraph。

I　had　it　from　Sully　Magoon；　/viva　voce/。　The　words　are　indeed　his；　and　if　they　do　not　constitute　truthful　fiction　my　memory　should　be　taxed　with　the　blame。

It　is　not　deemed　amiss　to　point　out；　in　the　beginning；　the　stress　that　is　laid　upon　the　masculinity　of　the　manager。　For；　according　to　Sully；　the　term　when　applied　to　the　feminine　division　of　mankind　has　precisely　an　opposite　meaning。　The　woman　manager　（he　says）　economizes；　saves；　oppresses　her　household　with　bargains　and　contrivances；　and　looks　sourly　upon　any　pence　that　are　cast　to　the　fiddler　for　even　a　single　jig…step　on　life's　arid　march。　Wherefore　her　men…folk　call　her　blessed；　and　praise　her；　and　then　sneak　out　the　backdoor　to　see　the　Gilhooly　Sisters　to　a　buck…and…wing　dance。

Now；　the　man　manager　（I　still　quote　Sully）　is　a　Caesar　without　a　Brutus。　He　is　an　autocrat　without　responsibility；　a　player　who　imperils　no　stake　of　his　own。　His　office　is　to　enact；　to　reverberate；　to　boom；　to　expand；　to　out…coruscateprofitably；　if　he　can。　Bill…　paying　and　growing　gray　hairs　over　results　belong　to　his　principals。　It　is　his　to　guide　the　risk；　to　be　the　Apotheosis　of　Front；　the　three…　tailed　Bashaw　of　Bluff；　the　Essential　Oil　of　Razzle…Dazzle。

We　sat　at　luncheon；　and　Sully　Magoon　told　me。　I　asked　for　particulars。

〃My　old　friend　Denver　Galloway　was　a　born　manager；〃　said　Sully。　He　first　saw　the　light　of　day　in　New　York　at　three　years　of　age。　He　was　born　in　Pittsburg；　but　his　parents　moved　East　the　third　summer　afterward。

〃When　Denver　grew　up；　he　went　into　the　managing　business。　At　the　age　of　eight　he　managed　a　news…stand　for　the　Dago　that　owned　it。　After　that　he　was　manager　at　different　times　of　a　skating…rink；　a　livery…　stable；　a　policy　game；　a　restaurant；　a　dancing　academy；　a　walking　match；　a　burlesque　company；　a　dry…goods　store；　a　dozen　hotels　and　summer　resorts；　an　insurance　company；　and　a　district　leader's　campaign。　That　campaign；　when　Coughlin　was　elected　on　the　East　Side；　gave　Denver　a　boost。　It　got　him　a　job　as　manager　of　a　Broadway　hotel；　and　for　a　while　he　managed　Senator　O'Grady's　campaign　in　the　nineteenth。

〃Denver　was　a　New　Yorker　all　over。　I　think　he　was　out　of　the　city　just　twice　before　the　time　I'm　going　to　tell　you　about。　Once　he　went　rabbit…shooting　in　Yonkers。　The　other　time　I　met　him　just　landing　from　a　North　River　ferry。　'Been　out　West　on　a　big　trip；　Sully；　old　boy；'　says　he。　'Gad！　Sully；　I　had　no　idea　we　had　such　a　big　country。　It's　immense。　Never　conceived　of　the　magnificence　of　the　West　before。　It's　gorgeous　and　glorious　and　infinite。　Makes　the　East　seemed　cramped　and　little。　It's　a　grand　thing　to　travel　and　get　an　idea　of　the　extent　and　resources　of　our　country。'

〃I'd　made　several　little　runs　out　to　California　and　down　to　Mexico　and　up　through　Alaska；　so　I　sits　down　with　Denver　for　a　chat　about　the　things　he　saw。

〃'Took　in　the　Yosemite；　out　there；　of　course？'　I　asks。

〃'Wellno；'　says　Denver；　'I　don't　think　so。　At　least；　I　don't　recollect　it。　You　see；　I　only　had　three　days；　and　I　didn't　get　any　farther　west　than　Youngstown；　Ohio。'

〃About　two　years　ago　I　dropped　into　New　York　with　a　little　fly…paper　proposition　about　a　Tennessee　mica　mine　that　I　wanted　to　spread　out　in　a　nice；　sunny　window；　in　the　hopes　of　catching　a　few。　I　was　coming　out　of　a　printing…shop　one　afternoon　with　a　batch　of　fine；　sticky　prospectuses　when　I　ran　against　Denver　coming　round　a　corner。　I　never　saw　him　looking　so　much　like　a　tiger…lily。　He　was　as　beautiful　and　new　as　a　trellis　of　sweet　peas；　and　as　rollicking　as　a　clarinet　solo。　We　shook　hands；　and　he　asked　me　what　I　was　doing；　and　I　gave　him　the　outlines　of　the　scandal　I　was　trying　to　create　in　mica。

〃'Pooh；　pooh！　for　your　mica；'　says　Denver。　'Don't　you　know　better；　Sully；　than　to　bump　up　against　the　coffers　of　little　old　New　York　with　anything　as　transparent　as　mica？　Now；　you　come　with　me　over　to　the　Hotel　Brunswick。　You're　just　the　man　I　was　hoping　for。　I've　got　something　there　in　sepia　and　curled　hair　that　I　want　you　to　look　at。'

〃'You　putting　up　at　the　Brunswick？'　I　asks。

〃'Not　a　cent；'　says　Denver；　cheerful。　'The　syndicate　that　owns　the　hotel　puts　up。　I'm　manager。'

〃The　Brunswick　wasn't　one　of　them　Broadway　pot…houses　all　full　of　palms　and　hyphens　and　flowers　and　costumeskind　of　a　mixture　of　lawns　and　laundries。　It　was　on　one　of　the　East　Side　avenues；　but　it　was　a　solid；　old…time　caravansary　such　as　the　Mayor　of　Skaneatelese　or　the　Governor　of　Missouri　might　stop　at。　Eight　stories　high　it　stalked　up；　with　new　striped　awnings；　and　the　electrics　had　it　as　light　as　day。

〃'I've　been　manager　here　for　a　year；'　says　Denver；　as　we　drew　nigh。　'When　I　took　charge；'　says　he；　'nobody　nor　nothing