the pit-第58部分

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His　body　felt　strange　and　unfamiliar　to　him。　　It　seemed　to　have　no　weight；　and　at　times　his　hands　would　appear　to　swell　swiftly　to　the　size　of　mammoth　boxing…gloves；　so　that　he　must　rub　them　together　to　feel　that　they　were　his　own。

He　put　off　consulting　a　doctor　from　day　to　day；　alleging　that　he　had　not　the　time。　　But　the　real　reason；　though　he　never　admitted　it；　was　the　fear　that　the　doctor　might　tell　him　what　he　guessed　to　be　the　truth。

Were　his　wits　leaving　him？　　The　horror　of　the　question　smote　through　him　like　the　drive　of　a　javelin。　　What　was　to　happen？　　What　nameless　calamity　impended？

〃Wheat…wheat…wheat；　wheat…wheat…wheat。〃

His　watch　under　his　pillow　took　up　the　refrain。　　How　to　grasp　the　morrow's　business；　how　control　the　sluice　gates　of　that　torrent　he　had　unchained；　with　this　unspeakable　crumbling　and　disintegrating　of　his　faculties　going　on？

Jaded；　feeble；　he　rose　to　meet　another　day。　　He　drove　down　town；　trying　not　to　hear　the　beat　of　his　horses'　hoofs。　　Dizzy　and　stupefied；　he　gained　Gretry's　office；　and　alone　with　his　terrors　sat　in　the　chair　before　his　desk；　waiting；　waiting。

Then　far　away　the　great　gong　struck。　　Just　over　his　head；　penetrating　wood　and　iron；　he　heard　the　mighty　throe　of　the　Pit　once　more　beginning；　moving。　　And　then；　once　again；　the　limp　and　ravelled　fibres　of　being　grew　tight　with　a　wrench。　　Under　the　stimulus　of　the　roar　of　the　maelstrom；　the　flagging；　wavering　brain　righted　itself　once　more；　andhow；　he　himself　could　not　saythe　business　of　the　day　was　despatched；　the　battle　was　once　more　urged。　　Often　he　acted　upon　what　he　knew　to　be　blind；　unreasoned　instinct。　　Judgment；　clear　reasoning；　at　times；　he　felt；　forsook　him。　Decisions　that　involved　what　seemed　to　be　the　very　stronghold　of　his　situation；　had　to　be　taken　without　a

moment's　warning。　　He　decided　for　or　against　without　knowing　why。　　Under　his　feet　fissures　opened。　　He　must　take　the　leap　without　seeing　the　other　edge。　　Somehow　he　always　landed　upon　his　feet；　somehow　his　great；　cumbersome　engine；　lurching；　swaying；　in　spite　of　loosened　joints；　always　kept　the　track。

Luck；　his　golden　goddess；　the　genius　of　glittering　wings；　was　with　him　yet。　　Sorely　tried；　flouted　even　she　yet　remained　faithful；　lending　a　helping　hand　to　lost　and　wandering　judgment。

So　the　month　of　May　drew　to　its　close。　　Between　the　twenty…fifth　and　the　thirtieth　Jadwin　covered　his　July　shortage；　despite　Gretry's　protests　and　warnings。　　To　him　they　seemed　idle　enough。　　He　was　too　rich；　too　strong　now　to　fear　any　issue。　　Daily　the　profits　of　the　corner　increased。　　The　unfortunate　shorts　were　wrung　dry　and　drier。　　In　Gretry's　office　they　heard　their　sentences；　and　as　time　went　on；　and　Jadwin　beheld　more　and　more　of　these　broken　speculators；　a　vast　contempt　for　human　nature　grew　within　him。

Some　few　of　his　beaten　enemies　were　resolute　enough；　accepting　defeat　with　grim　carelessness；　or　with　sphinx…like　indifference；　or　even　with　airy　jocularity。　But　for　the　most　part　their　alert；　eager　deference；　their　tame　subservience；　the　abject　humility　and　debasement　of　their　bent　shoulders　drove　Jadwin　to　the　verge　of　self…control。　　He　grew　to　detest　the　business；　he　regretted　even　the　defiant　brutality　of　Scannel；　a　rascal；　but　none　the　less　keeping　his　head　high。　　The　more　the　fellows　cringed　to　him；　the　tighter　he　wrenched　the　screw。　　In　a　few　cases　he　found　a　pleasure　in　relenting　entirely；　selling　his　wheat　to　the　unfortunates　at　a　price　that　left　them　without　loss；　but　in　the　end　the　business　hardened　his　heart　to　any　distress　his　mercilessness　might　entail。　　He　took　his　profits　as　a　Bourbon　took　his　taxes；　as　if　by　right　of　birth。　　Somewhere；　in　a　long…forgotten　history　of　his　brief　school　days；　he　had　come　across　a　phrase　that　he　remembered　now；　by　some　devious　and　distant　process　of　association；　and　when　he　heard　of　the　calamities　that　his　campaign　had　wrought；　of　the　shipwrecked　fortunes　and　careers　that　were　sucked　down　by　the　Pit；　he　found　it　possible　to　say；　with　a　short　laugh；　and　a　lift　of　one　shoulder：

_〃Vae　victis。〃_

His　wife　he　saw　but　seldom。　　Occasionally　they　breakfasted　together；　more　often　they　met　at　dinner。　But　that　was　all。　　Jadwin's　life　by　now　had　come　to　be　so　irregular；　and　his　few　hours　of　sleep　so　precious　and　so　easily　disturbed；　that　he　had　long　since　occupied　a　separate　apartment。

What　Laura's　life　was　at　this　time　he　no　longer　knew。　She　never　spoke　of　it　to　him；　never　nowadays　complained　of　loneliness。　　When　he　saw　her　she　appeared　to　be　cheerful。　　But　this　very　cheerfulness　made　him　uneasy；　and　at　times；　through　the　murk　of　the　chaff　of　wheat；　through　the　bellow　of　the　Pit；　and　the　crash　of　collapsing　fortunes　there　reached　him　a　suspicion　that　all　was　not　well　with　Laura。

Once　he　had　made　an　abortive　attempt　to　break　from　the　turmoil　of　La　Salle　Street　and　the　Board　of　Trade；　and；　for　a　time　at　least；　to　get　back　to　the　old　life　they　both　had　lovedto　get　back；　in　a　word；　to　her。　　But　the　consequences　had　been　all　but　disastrous。　　Now　he　could　not　keep　away。

〃Corner　wheat！〃　he　had　exclaimed　to　her；　the　following　day。　　〃Corner　wheat！　It's　the　wheat　that　has　cornered　me。　　It's　like　holding　a　wolf　by　the　ears；　bad　to　hold　on；　but　worse　to　let　go。〃

But　absorbed；　blinded；　deafened　by　the　whirl　of　things；　Curtis　Jadwin　could　not　see　how　perilously　well　grounded　had　been　his　faint　suspicion　as　to　Laura's　distress。

On　the　day　after　her　evening　with　her　husband　in　the　art　gallery；　the　evening　when　Gretry　had　broken　in　upon　them　like　a　courier　from　the　front；　Laura　had　risen　from　her　bed　to　look　out　upon　a　world　suddenly　empty。

Corthell　she　had　sent　from　her　forever。　　Jadwin　was　once　more　snatched　from　her　side。　　Where；　now；　was　she　to　turn？　　Jadwin　had　urged　her　to　go　to　the　countryto　their　place　at　Geneva　Lakebut　she　refused。　　She　saw　the　change　that　had　of　late　come　over　her　husband；　saw　his　lean　face；　the　hot；　tired　eyes；　the　trembling　fingers　and　nervous　gestures。　　Vaguely　she　imagined　approaching　disaster。　　If　anything　happened　to　Curtis；　her　place　was　at　his　side。

During　the　days　that　Jadwin　and　Crookes　were　at　grapples　Laura　found　means　to　occupy　her　mind　with　all　manner　of　small　activities。　　She　overhauled　her　wardrobe；　planned　her　summer　gowns；　paid　daily　visits　to　her　dressmakers；　rode　and　drove　in　the　park；　till　every　turn　of　the　roads；　every　tree；　every　bush　was　familiar；　to　the　point　of　wearisome　contempt。

Then　suddenly　she　began　to　indulge　in　a　mania　for　old　books　and　first　editions。　　She　haunted　the　stationers　and　second…hand　bookstores；　studied　the　authorities；　followed　the　auctions；　and　bought　right　and　left；　with　reckless　extravagance。　　But　the　taste　soon　palled　upon　her。　　With　so　much　money　at　her　command　there　was　none　of　the　spice　of　the　hunt　in　the　affair。　　She　had　but　to　express　a　desire　for　a　certain　treasure；　and　forthwith　it　was　put　into　her　hand。

She　found　it　so　in　all　other　things。　　Her　desires　were　gratified　with　an　abruptness　that　killed　the　zest　of　them。　　She　felt　none　of　the　joy　of　possession；　the　little　personal　relation　between　her　and　her　belongings　vanished　away。　　Her　gowns；　beautiful　beyond　all　she　had　ever　imagined；　were　of　no　more　interest　to　her　than　a　drawerful　of　outworn　gloves。　　She　bought　horses　till　she　could　no　longer　tell　them　apart；　her　carriages　crowded　three　supplementary　stables　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Her　flowers；　miracles　of　laborious　cultivation；　filled　the　whole　house　with　their　fragrance。　　Wherever　she　went　deference　moved　before　her　like　a　guard；　her　beauty；　her　enormous　wealth；　her　wonderful　horses；　her　exquisite　gowns　made　of　her　a　cynosure；　a　veritable　queen。

And　hardly　a　day　passed　that　Laura　Jadwin；　in　the　solitude　of　her　own　boudoir；　did　not　fling　her　arms　wide　in　a　gesture　of　lassitude　and　infinite　weariness；　crying　out：

〃Oh；　the　ennui　and　stupidity　of　all　this　wretched　life！〃

She　could　look　forward　to　nothing。　　One　day　was　like　the　next。　　No　one　came　to　see　her。　　For　all　her　great　house　and　for　all　her　money；　she　had　made　but　few　friends。　　Her　〃grand　manner〃　had　never　helped　her　popularity。　　She　passed　her　evenings　alone　in　her　〃up…　stairs　sitting…room；〃　reading；　reading　till　far　into　the　night；　or；　the　lights　extinguished；　sat　at　her　open　window　listening　to　the　monotonous　lap　and　wash　of　the　lake。

At　such　moments　she　thought　of　the　men　who　had　come　into　her　lifeof　the　love　she　had　known　almost　from　her　girlhood。　　She　remembered　her　first　serious　affair。　It　had　been　with　the　impecunious　theological　student　who　was　her　tutor。　　He　had　worn　glasses　and　little　black　side　whiskers；　and　had　implored　her　to　marry　him　and　come　to　China；　where　he　was　to　be　a　missionary。　Every　time　that　he　came　he　had　brought　her　a　new　book　to　read；　and　he　had　taken　her　for　long　walks　up　towards　the　hills　where　the　old　powder　mill　stood。　　Then　it　was　the　young　lawyerthe　〃brightest　man　in　Worcester　County〃who　took　her　driving　in　a　hired　buggy；　sent　her　a　multitude　of　paper　novels　（which　she　never　read）；　with　every　love　passage　carefully　underscored；　and　wrote　very　bad　verse　to　her　eyes　and　hair；　whose　〃velvet　blackness　was　the　shadow　of　a　crown。〃　　Or；　again；　it　was　the　youthful　cavalry　officer　met　in　a　flying　visit　to　her　Boston　aunt；　who　loved　her　on　first　sight；　gave　her　his　photograph　in　uniform　and　a　bead　belt　of　Apache　workmanship。　　He　was　forever　singing　to　herto　a　guitar　accompanimentan　old　love　song：


　　　　　〃At　midnight　hour　　　　　　　Beneath　the　tower　　　　　　　He　murmured　soft；　　　　　　'Oh　nothing　fearing　　　　　　　With　thine　own　true　soldier　fly。'〃


Then　she　had　come　to　Chicago；　and　Landry　Court；　with　his　bright　enthusiasms　and　fine　exaltations　had　loved　her。　　She　had　never　taken　him　very　seriously　but　none　the　less　it　had　been　very　sweet　to　know　his　whole　universe　depended　upon　the　nod　of　her　head；　and　that　her　influence　over　him　had　been　so　potent；　had　kept　him　clean　and　loyal　and　honest。

And　after　this　Corthell　and　Jadwin　had　come　into　her　life；　the　artist　and　the　man　of　affairs。　　She　remembered　Corthell's　quiet；　patient；　earnest　devotion　of　those　days　before　her　marriage。　　He　rarely　spoke　to　her　of　his　love；　but　by　some　ingenious　subtlety　he　had　filled　her　whole　life　with　it。　　His　little　attentions；　his　undemonstrative　solicitudes　came　precisely　when