the pit-第13部分

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When　Mrs。　Cressler　had　gone　Laura　lost　no　time　in　getting　to　bed。　　But　after　she　turned　out　the　gas　she　remembered　that　she　had　not　〃covered〃　the　fire；　a　custom　that　she　still　retained　from　the　daily　round　of　her　life　at　Barrington。　　She　did　not　light　the　gas　again；　but　guided　by　the　firelight；　spread　a　shovelful　of　ashes　over　the　top　of　the　grate。　　Yet　when　she　had　done　this；　she　still　knelt　there　a　moment；　looking　wide…eyed　into　the　glow；　thinking　over　the　events　of　the　last　twenty…four　hours。　　When　all　was　said　and　done；　she　had；　after　all；　found　more　in　Chicago　than　the　clash　and　trepidation　of　empire…making；　more　than　the　reverberation　of　the　thunder　of　battle；　more　than　the　piping　and　choiring　of　sweet　music。

First　it　had　been　Sheldon　Corthell；　quiet；　persuasive；　eloquent。　　Then　Landry　Court　with　his　exuberance　and　extravagance　and　boyishness；　and　nowunexpectedly　behold；　a　new　element　had　appearedthis　other　one；　this　man　of　the　world；　of　affairs；　mature；　experienced；　whom　she　hardly　knew。　　It　was　charming　she　told　herself；　exciting。　　Life　never　had　seemed　half　so　delightful。　　Romantic；　she　felt　Romance；　unseen；　intangible；　at　work　all　about　her。　　And　love；　which　of　all　things　knowable　was　dearest　to　her；　came　to　her　unsought。

Her　first　aversion　to　the　Great　Grey　City　was　fast　disappearing。　　She　saw　it　now　in　a　kindlier　aspect。

〃I　think；〃　she　said　at　last；　as　she　still　knelt　before　the　fire；　looking　deep　into　the　coals；　absorbed；　abstracted；　〃I　think　that　I　am　going　to　be　very　happy　here。〃



III


On　a　certain　Monday　morning；　about　a　month　later；　Curtis　Jadwin　descended　from　his　office　in　the　Rookery　Building；　and　turning　southward；　took　his　way　toward　the　brokerage　and　commission　office　of　Gretry；　Converse　and　Co。；　on　the　ground　floor　of　the　Board　of　Trade　Building；　only　a　few　steps　away。

It　was　about　nine　o'clock；　the　weather　was　mild；　the　sun　shone。　　La　Salle　Street　swarmed　with　the　multitudinous　life　that　seethed　about　the　doors　of　the　innumerable　offices　of　brokers　and　commission　men　of　the　neighbourhood。　　To　the　right；　in　the　peristyle　of　the　Illinois　Trust　Building；　groups　of　clerks；　of　messengers；　of　brokers；　of　clients；　and　of　depositors　formed　and　broke　incessantly。　　To　the　left；　where　the　facade　of　the　Board　of　Trade　blocked　the　street；　the　activity　was　astonishing；　and　in　and　out　of　the　swing　doors　of　its　entrance　streamed　an　incessant　tide　of　coming　and　going。　　All　the　life　of　the　neighbourhood　seemed　to　centre　at　this　pointthe　entrance　of　the　Board　of　Trade。　　Two　currents　that　trended　swiftly　through　La　Salle　and　Jackson　streets；　and　that　fed；　or　were　fed　by；　other　tributaries　that　poured　in　through　Fifth　Avenue　and　through　Clarke　and　Dearborn　streets；　met　at　this　pointone　setting　in；　the　other　out。　　The　nearer　the　currents　the　greater　their　speed。　　Menmere　flotsam　in　the　floodas　they　turned　into　La　Salle　Street　from　Adams　or　from　Monroe；　or　even　from　as　far　as　Madison；　seemed　to　accelerate　their　pace　as　they　approached。　　At　the　Illinois　Trust　the　walk　became　a　stride；　at　the　Rookery　the　stride　was　almost　a　trot。　But　at　the　corner　of　Jackson　Street；　the　Board　of　Trade　now　merely　the　width　of　the　street　away；　the　trot　became　a　run；　and　young　men　and　boys；　under　the　pretence　of　escaping　the　trucks　and　wagons　of　the　cobbles；　dashed　across　at　a　veritable　gallop；　flung　themselves　panting　into　the　entrance　of　the　Board；　were　engulfed　in　the　turmoil　of　the　spot；　and　disappeared　with　a　sudden　fillip　into　the　gloom　of　the　interior。

Often　Jadwin　had　noted　the　scene；　and；　unimaginative　though　he　was；　had　long　since　conceived　the　notion　of　some　great；　some　resistless　force　within　the　Board　of　Trade　Building　that　held　the　tide　of　the　streets　within　its　grip；　alternately　drawing　it　in　and　throwing　it　forth。　　Within　there；　a　great　whirlpool；　a　pit　of　roaring　waters　spun　and　thundered；　sucking　in　the　life　tides　of　the　city；　sucking　them　in　as　into　the　mouth　of　some　tremendous　cloaca；　the　maw　of　some　colossal　sewer；　then　vomiting　them　forth　again；　spewing　them　up　and　out；　only　to　catch　them　in　the　return　eddy　and　suck　them　in　afresh。

Thus　it　went；　day　after　day。　　Endlessly；　ceaselessly　the　Pit；　enormous；　thundering；　sucked　in　and　spewed　out；　sending　the　swirl　of　its　mighty　central　eddy　far　out　through　the　city's　channels。　　Terrible　at　the　centre；　it　was；　at　the　circumference；　gentle；　insidious　and　persuasive；　the　send　of　the　flowing　so　mild；　that　to　embark　upon　it；　yielding　to　the　influence；　was　a　pleasure　that　seemed　all　devoid　of　risk。　　But　the　circumference　was　not　bounded　by　the　city。　　All　through　the　Northwest；　all　through　the　central　world　of　the　Wheat　the　set　and　whirl　of　that　innermost　Pit　made　itself　felt；　and　it　spread　and　spread　and　spread　till　grain　in　the　elevators　of　Western　Iowa　moved　and　stirred　and　answered　to　its　centripetal　force；　and　men　upon　the　streets　of　New　York　felt　the　mysterious　tugging　of　its　undertow　engage　their　feet；　embrace　their　bodies；　overwhelm　them；　and　carry　them　bewildered　and　unresisting　back　and　downwards　to　the　Pit　itself。

Nor　was　the　Pit's　centrifugal　power　any　less。　　Because　of　some　sudden　eddy　spinning　outward　from　the　middle　of　its　turmoil；　a　dozen　bourses　of　continental　Europe　clamoured　with　panic；　a　dozen　Old…World　banks；　firm　as　the　established　hills；　trembled　and　vibrated。　　Because　of　an　unexpected　caprice　in　the　swirling　of　the　inner　current；　some　far…distant　channel　suddenly　dried；　and　the　pinch　of　famine　made　itself　felt　among　the　vine　dressers　of　Northern　Italy；　the　coal　miners　of　Western　Prussia。　　Or　another　channel　filled；　and　the　starved　moujik　of　the　steppes；　and　the　hunger…shrunken　coolie　of　the　Ganges'　watershed　fed　suddenly　fat　and　made　thank　offerings　before　ikon　and　idol。

There　in　the　centre　of　the　Nation；　midmost　of　that　continent　that　lay　between　the　oceans　of　the　New　World　and　the　Old；　in　the　heart's　heart　of　the　affairs　of　men；　roared　and　rumbled　the　Pit。　　It　was　as　if　the　Wheat；　Nourisher　of　the　Nations；　as　it　rolled　gigantic　and　majestic　in　a　vast　flood　from　West　to　East；　here；　like　a　Niagara；　finding　its　flow　impeded；　burst　suddenly　into　the　appalling　fury　of　the　Maelstrom；　into　the　chaotic　spasm　of　a　world…force；　a　primeval　energy；　blood…brother　of　the　earthquake　and　the　glacier；　raging　and　wrathful　that　its　power　should　be　braved　by　some　pinch　of　human　spawn　that　dared　raise　barriers　across　its　courses。

Small　wonder　that　Cressler　laughed　at　the　thought　of　cornering　wheat；　and　even　now　as　Jadwin　crossed　Jackson　Street；　on　his　way　to　his　broker's　office　on　the　lower　floor　of　the　Board　of　Trade　Building；　he　noted　the　ebb　and　flow　that　issued　from　its　doors；　and　remembered　the　huge　river　of　wheat　that　rolled　through　this　place　from　the　farms　of　Iowa　and　ranches　of　Dakota　to　the　mills　and　bakeshops　of　Europe。

〃There's　something；　perhaps；　in　what　Charlie　says；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃Corner　this　stuffmy　God！〃

Gretry；　Converse　&　Co。　was　the　name　of　the　brokerage　firm　that　always　handled　Jadwin's　rare　speculative　ventures。　　Converse　was　dead　long　since；　but　the　firm　still　retained　its　original　name。　　The　house　was　as　old　and　as　well　established　as　any　on　the　Board　of　Trade。　It　had　a　reputation　for　conservatism；　and　was　known　more　as　a　Bear　than　a　Bull　concern。　　It　was　immensely　wealthy　and　immensely　important。　　It　discouraged　the　growth　of　a　clientele　of　country　customers；　of　small　adventurers；　knowing　well　that　these　were　the　first　to　go　in　a　crash；　unable　to　meet　margin　calls；　and　leaving　to　their　brokers　the　responsibility　of　their　disastrous　trades。　　The　large；　powerful　Bears　were　its　friends；　the　Bears　strong　of　grip；　tenacious　of　jaw；　capable　of　pulling　down　the　strongest　Bull。　　Thus　the　firm　had　no　consideration　for　the　〃outsiders；〃　the　〃public〃the　Lambs。　　The　Lambs！　Such　a　herd；　timid；　innocent；　feeble；　as　much　out　of　place　in　La　Salle　Street　as　a　puppy　in　a　cage　of　panthers；　the　Lambs；　whom　Bull　and　Bear　did　not　so　much　as　condescend　to　notice；　but　who；　in　their　mutual　struggle　of　horn　and　claw；　they　crushed　to　death　by　the　mere　rolling　of　their　bodies。

Jadwin　did　not　go　directly　into　Gretry's　main　office；　but　instead　made　his　way　in　at　the　entrance　of　the　Board　of　Trade　Building；　and　going　on　past　the　stair…　ways　that　on　either　hand　led　up　to　the　〃Floor〃　on　the　second　story；　entered　the　corridor　beyond；　and　thence　gained　the　customers'　room　of　Gretry；　Converse　&　Co。　All　the　more　important　brokerage　firms　had　offices　on　the　ground　floor　of　the　building；　offices　that　had　two　entrances；　one　giving　upon　the　street；　and　one　upon　the　corridor　of　the　Board。　　Generally　the　corridor　entrance　admitted　directly　to　the　firm's　customers'　room。　　This　was　the　case　with　the　Gretry…Converse　house。

Once　in　the　customers'　room；　Jadwin　paused；　looking　about　him。

He　could　not　tell　why　Gretry　had　so　earnestly　desired　him　to　come　to　his　office　that　morning；　but　he　wanted　to　know　how　wheat　was　selling　before　talking　to　the　broker。　　The　room　was　large；　and　but　for　the　lighted　gas；　burning　crudely　without　globes；　would　have　been　dark。　　All　one　wall　opposite　the　door　was　taken　up　by　a　great　blackboard　covered　with　chalked　figures　in　columns；　and　illuminated　by　a　row　of　overhead　gas　jets　burning　under　a　tin　reflector。　　Before　this　board　files　of　chairs　were　placed；　and　these　were　occupied　by　groups　of　nondescripts；　shabbily　dressed　men；　young　and　old；　with　tired　eyes　and　unhealthy　complexions；　who　smoked　and　expectorated；　or　engaged　in　interminable　conversations。

In　front　of　the　blackboard；　upon　a　platform；　a　young　man　in　shirt…sleeves；　his　cuffs　caught　up　by　metal　clamps；　walked　up　and　down。　　Screwed　to　the　black…board　itself　was　a　telegraph　instrument；　and　from　time　to　time；　as　this　buzzed　and　ticked；　the　young　man　chalked　up　cabalistic；　and　almost　illegible　figures　under　columns　headed　by　initials　of　certain　stocks　and　bonds；　or　by　the　words　〃Pork；〃　〃Oats；〃　or；　larger　than　all　the　others；　〃May　Wheat。〃　　The　air　of　the　room　was　stale；　close；　and　heavy　with　tobacco　fumes。　　The　only　noises　were　the　low　hum　of　conversations；　the　unsteady　click　of　the　telegraph　key；　and　the　tapping　of　the　chalk　in　the　marker's　fingers。

But　no　one　in　the　room　seemed　to　pay　the　least　attention　to　the　blackboard。　　One　quotation　replaced　another；　and　the　key　and　t