the pit-第69部分

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would　rent　it；　and　then　sublet　all　the　lower　floor　to　Landry　and　me；　so　we　could　have　a　real　house　over　our　heads　and　not　the　under　side　of　the　floor　of　the　flat　overhead。　　And　she　is　such　an　old　dear；　I　know　we　could　all　get　along　beautifully。　　Write　me　about　this　as　soon　as　you　can。　I　know　you'll　be　willing；　and　Aunt　Wess；　said　she'd　agree　to　whatever　rent　you　suggested。

〃'We　went　to　call　on　Mrs。　Cressler　day　before　yesterday。　　She's　been　here　nearly　a　fortnight　by　now；　and　is　living　with　a　maiden　sister　of　hers　in　a　very　beautiful　house　fronting　Central　Park　（not　so　beautiful　as　our　palace　on　North　Avenue。　　Never；　never　will　I　forget　that　house）。　　She　will　probably　stay　here　now　always。　　She　says　the　very　sight　of　the　old　neighbourhoods　in　Chicago　would　be　more　than　she　could　bear。　　Poor　Mrs。　Cressler！　　How　fortunate　for　her　that　her　sister'and　so　on；　and　so　on；〃　broke　in　Laura；　hastily。

〃Read　it；　read　it；〃　said　Jadwin；　turning　sharply　away。　〃Don't　skip　a　line。　　I　want　to　hear　every　word。〃

〃That's　all　there　is　to　it；〃　Laura　returned。　　〃'We'll　be　back；'〃　she　went　on；　turning　a　page　of　the　letter；　〃'in　about　three　weeks；　and　Landry　will　take　up　his　work　in　that　railroad　office。　　No　more　speculating　for　him；　he　says。　　He　talks　of　Mr。　Jadwin　continually。　　You　never　saw　or　heard　of　such　devotion。　　He　says　that　Mr。　Jadwin　is　a　genius；　the　greatest　financier　in　the　country；　and　that　he　knows　he　could　have　won　if　they　all　hadn't　turned　against　him　that　day。　　He　never　gets　tired　telling　me　that　Mr。　Jadwin　has　been　a　father　to　himthe　kindest；　biggest…hearted　man　he　ever　knew'〃

Jadwin　pulled　his　mustache　rapidly。

〃Pshaw；　pish；　nonsenselittle　fool！〃　he　blustered。

〃He　simply　worshipped　you　from　the　first；　Curtis；〃　commented　Laura。　　〃Even　after　he　knew　I　was　to　marry　you。　　He　never　once　was　jealous；　never　once　would　listen　to　a　word　against　you　from　any　one。〃

〃Wellwell；　what　else　does　Mrs。　Court　say？〃

〃'I　am　glad　to　hear；'〃　read　Laura；　〃'that　Mr。　Gretry　did　not　fail；　though　Landry　tells　me　he　must　have　lost　a　great　deal　of　money。　　Landry　tells　me　that　eighteen　brokers'　houses　failed　in　Chicago　the　day　after　Mr。　Gretry　suspended。　　Isabel　sent　us　a　wedding　presenta　lovely　medicine　chest　full　of　homoeopathic　medicines；　little　pills　and　things；　you　know。　　But；　as　Landry　and　I　are　never　sick　and　both　laugh　at　homoeopathy；　I　declare　I　don't　know　just　what　we　will　do　with　it。　Landry　is　as　careful　of　me　as　though　I　were　a　wax　doll。　But　I　do　wish　he　would　think　more　of　his　own　health。　He　never　will　wear　his　mackintosh　in　rainy　weather。　I've　been　studying　his　tastes　so　carefully。　　He　likes　French　light　opera　better　than　English；　and　bright　colours　in　his　cravats；　and　he　simply　adores　stuffed　tomatoes。

〃'We　both　send　our　love；　and　Landry　especially　wants　to　be　remembered　to　Mr。　Jadwin。　　I　hope　this　letter　will　come　in　time　for　us　to　wish　you　both　_bon　voyage_　and　_bon　succes。_　　How　splendid　of　Mr。　Jadwin　to　have　started　his　new　business　even　while　he　was　convalescent！　Landry　says　he　knows　he　will　make　two　or　three　more　fortunes　in　the　next　few　years。

〃'Good…by；　Laura；　dear。　　Ever　your　loving　sister；

〃'PAGE　COURT。

〃'P。S。I　open　this　letter　again　to　tell　you　that　we　met　Mr。　Corthell　on　the　street　yesterday。　　He　sails　for　Europe　to…day。'〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Jadwin；　as　Laura　put　the　letter　quickly　down；　〃Corthellthat　artist　chap。　　By　the　way；　whatever　became　of　him？〃

Laura　settled　a　comb　in　the　back　of　her　hair。

〃He　went　away；〃　she　said。　　〃You　rememberI　told　you　told　you　all　about　it。〃

She　would　have　turned　away　her　head；　but　he　laid　a　hand　upon　her　shoulder。

〃I　remember；〃　he　answered；　looking　squarely　into　her　eyes；　〃I　remember　nothingonly　that　I　have　been　to　blame　for　everything。　　I　told　you　oncelong　agothat　I　_understood。_　　And　I　understand　now；　old　girl；　understand　as　I　never　did　before。　　I　fancy　we　both　have　been　living　according　to　a　wrong　notion　of　things。　　We　started　right　when　we　were　first　married；　but　I　worked　away　from　it　somehow　and　pulled　you　along　with　me。　　But　we've　both　been　through　a　great　big　change；　honey；　a　great　big　change；　and　we're　starting　all　over　again。。。。　Well；　there's　the　carriage；　I　guess。〃

They　rose；　gathering　up　their　valises。

〃Hoh！〃　said　Jadwin。　　〃No　servants　now；　Laura；　to　carry　our　things　down　for　us　and　open　the　door；　and　it's　a　hack；　old　girl；　instead　of　the　victoria　or　coupe。〃

〃What　if　it　is？〃　she　cried。　　〃What　do　'things；'　servants；　money；　and　all　amount　to　now？〃

As　Jadwin　laid　his　hand　upon　the　knob　of　the　front　door；　he　all　at　once　put　down　his　valise　and　put　his　arm　about　his　wife。　　She　caught　him　about　the　neck　and　looked　deep　into　his　eyes　a　long　moment。　　And　then；　without　speaking；　they　kissed　each　other。

In　the　outer　vestibule；　he　raised　the　umbrella　and　held　it　over　her　head。

〃Hold　it　a　minute；　will　you；　Laura？〃　he　said。

He　gave　it　into　her　hand　and　swung　the　door　of　the　house　shut　behind　him。　　The　noise　woke　a　hollow　echo　throughout　all　the　series　of　empty；　denuded　rooms。　Jadwin　slipped　the　key　in　his　pocket。

〃Come；〃　he　said。

They　stepped　out　from　the　vestibule。　　It　was　already　dark。　　The　rain　was　falling　in　gentle　slants　through　the　odorous；　cool　air。　　Across　the　street　in　the　park　the　first　leaves　were　beginning　to　fall；　the　lake　lapped　and　washed　quietly　against　the　stone　embankments　and　a　belated　bicyclist　stole　past　across　the　asphalt；　with　the　silent　flitting　of　a　bat；　his　lamp　throwing　a　fan　of　orange…coloured　haze　into　the　mist　of　rain。

In　the　street　in　front　of　the　house　the　driver；　descending　from　the　box；　held　open　the　door　of　the　hack。　　Jadwin　handed　Laura　in；　gave　an　address　to　the　driver；　and　got　in　himself；　slamming　the　door　after。　They　heard　the　driver　mount　to　his　seat　and　speak　to　his　horses。

〃Well；〃　said　Jadwin；　rubbing　the　fog　from　the　window　pane　of　the　door；　〃look　your　last　at　the　old　place；　Laura。　　You'll　never　see　it　again。〃

But　she　would　not　look。

〃No；　no；〃　she　said。　　〃I'll　look　at　you；　dearest；　at　you；　and　our　future；　which　is　to　be　happier　than　any　years　we　have　ever　known。〃

Jadwin　did　not　answer　other　than　by　taking　her　hand　in　his；　and　in　silence　they　drove　through　the　city　towards　the　train　that　was　to　carry　them　to　the　new　life。　　A　phase　of　the　existences　of　each　was　closed　definitely。　The　great　corner　was　a　thing　of　the　past；　the　great　corner　with　the　long　train　of　disasters　its　collapse　had　started。　　The　great　failure　had　precipitated　smaller　failures；　and　the　aggregate　of　smaller　failures　had　pulled　down　one　business　house　after　another。　　For　weeks　afterward；　the　successive　crashes　were　like　the　shock　and　reverberation　of　undermined　buildings　toppling　to　their　ruin。　　An　important　bank　had　suspended　payment；　and　hundreds　of　depositors　had　found　their　little　fortunes　swept　away。　　The　ramifications　of　the　catastrophe　were　unbelievable。　　The　whole　tone　of　financial　affairs　seemed　changed。　　Money　was　〃tight〃　again；　credit　was　withdrawn。　　The　business　world　began　to　speak　of　hard　times；　once　more。

But　Laura　would　not　admit　her　husband　was　in　any　way　to　blame。　　He　had　suffered；　too。　　She　repeated　to　herself　his　words；　again　and　again：

〃The　wheat　cornered　itself。　　I　simply　stood　between　two　sets　of　circumstances。　　The　wheat　cornered　me；　not　I　the　wheat。〃

And　all　those　millions　and　millions　of　bushels　of　Wheat　were　gone　now。　　The　Wheat　that　had　killed　Cressler；　that　had　ingulfed　Jadwin's　fortune　and　all　but　unseated　reason　itself；　the　Wheat　that　had　intervened　like　a　great　torrent　to　drag　her　husband　from　her　side　and　drown　him　in　the　roaring　vortices　of　the　Pit；　had　passed　on；　resistless；　along　its　ordered　and　predetermined　courses　from　West　to　East？　like　a　vast　Titanic　flood；　had　passed；　leaving　Death　and　Ruin　in　its　wake；　but　bearing　Life　and　Prosperity　to　the　crowded　cities　and　centres　of　Europe。

For　a　moment；　vague；　dark　perplexities　assailed　her；　questionings　as　to　the　elemental　forces；　the　forces　of　demand　and　supply　that　ruled　the　world。　　This　huge　resistless　Nourisher　of　the　Nationswhy　was　it　that　it　could　not　reach　the　People；　could　not　fulfil　its　destiny；　unmarred　by　all　this　suffering；　unattended　by　all　this　misery？

She　did　not　know。　　But　as　she　searched；　troubled　and　disturbed　for　an　answer；　she　was　aware　of　a　certain　familiarity　in　the　neighbourhood　the　carriage　was　traversing。　　The　strange　sense　of　having　lived　through　this　scene；　these　circumstances；　once　before；　took　hold　upon　her。

She　looked　out　quickly；　on　either　hand；　through　the　blurred　glasses　of　the　carriage　doors。　　Surely；　surely；　this　locality　had　once　before　impressed　itself　upon　her　imagination。　　She　turned　to　her　husband；　an　exclamation　upon　her　lips；　but　Jadwin；　by　the　dim　light　of　the　carriage　lanterns；　was　studying　a　railroad　folder。

All　at　once；　intuitively；　Laura　turned　in　her　place；　and　raising　the　flap　that　covered　the　little　window　at　the　back　of　the　carriage；　looked　behind。　　On　either　side　of　the　vista　in　converging　lines　stretched　the　tall　office　buildings；　lights　burning　in　a　few　of　their　windows；　even　yet。　　Over　the　end　of　the　street　the　lead…coloured　sky　was　broken　by　a　pale　faint　haze　of　light；　and　silhouetted　against　this　rose　a　sombre　mass；　unbroken　by　any　glimmer；　rearing　a　black　and　formidable　facade　against　the　blur　of　the　sky　behind　it。

And　this　was　the　last　impression　of　the　part　of　her　life　that　that　day　brought　to　a　close；　the　tall　gray　office　buildings；　the　murk　of　rain；　the　haze　of　light　in　the　heavens；　and　raised　against　it；　the　pile　of　the　Board　of　Trade　building；　black；　monolithic；　crouching　on　its　foundations　like　a　monstrous　sphinx　with　blind　eyes；　silent；　gravecrouching　there　without　a　sound；　without　sign　of　life；　under　the　night　and　the　drifting　veil　of　rain。






THE　END