children of the whirlwind-第40部分

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Though　the　Duchess　had　decided；　the　desire　to　protect　Larry　remained　tenaciously　in　her　and　made　it　hard　for　her　jealous　love　to　take　a　risk。　〃You're　sure　she　might　turn　out　all　rightthat　is；　under　better　influences？〃

〃I'm　sure；　grandmother。〃　He　recalled　how　a　few　hours　earlier　at　the　Grantham　the　demand　of　Old　Jimmie　that　she　remain　with　him　had　seemed　the　force　that　had　controlled　her　decision。　〃There　would　be　no　doubt　of　it　if　it　were　not　for　Old　Jimmie；　and　the　people　he's　kept　her　among；　and　the　ideas　he's　been　feeding　her　since　she　was　a　baby。　I　don't　think　she　has　any　love　for　her　father；　but　they　say　blood　is　mighty　thick　and　I　guess　with　her　it's　just　the　usual　instinct　of　a　child　to　stand　with　her　father　and　do　what　he　says。　Yes；　if　she　were　not　held　back　and　held　down　by　having　Old　Jimmie　for　a　father；　I'm　sure　she'd　be　all　right。〃

The　Duchess　felt　that　the　moment　had　now　arrived　for　her　to　unloose　her　secret。　But　despite　her　fixed　purpose　to　tell；　her　words　had　to　be　forced　out；　and　were　halting；　bald。

〃Jimmie　Carlisleis　not　her　father。〃

〃What's　that？〃　exclaimed　Larry。

〃Not　so　loud。　I　said　Jimmie　Carlisle　is　not　her　father。〃

〃Grandmother！〃

〃Her　father　is　Joe　Ellison。〃

〃Grandmother！〃　He　caught　her　hands。　〃Whywhy〃　But　for　a　moment　his　utter　dumbfoundment　paralyzed　his　speech。　〃You'reyou're　sure　of　that？〃　he　finally　got　out。

〃Yes。〃　She　went　on　and　told　of　how　her　suspicion　had　been　aroused；　of　her　interview　with　Joe　Ellison　which　had　transmuted　suspicion　into　certainty；　of　her　theory　of　the　motives　which　had　actuated　Jimmie　Carlisle　in　so　perverting　the　directions　of　the　man　who　had　held　Jimmie　as　his　most　trusted　friend。

Larry　was　fairly　stunned　by　this　recital　of　what　had　been　done。　And　he　was　further　stunned　as　he　realized　the　fullness　of　what　now　seemed　to　be　the　circumstances。

〃God；　think　of　it！〃　he　breathed。　〃Maggie　trying　to　be　a　great　adventuress　because　she　was　brought　up　that　way；　because　she　thinks　her　father　wants　her　to　be　thatand　having　never　a　guess　of　the　truth！　And　Joe　Ellison　believing　that　his　daughter　is　a　nice；　simple　girl；　happily　ignorant　of　the　life　he　tried　to　shield　her　fromand　having　never　a　guess　of　the　truth！　What　a　situation！　And　if　they　should　ever　find　out〃

He　broke　off；　appalled　by　the　power　and　magnitude　of　what　he　vaguely　saw。　Presently　he　said　in　a　numbed；　awed　voice：

〃They　should　know　the　truth。　But　how　are　they　to　find　out？〃

〃I'm　leaving　all　that　to　you；　Larry。　Maggie　and　Joe　Ellison　are　your　affair。　It's　up　to　you　to　decide　what　you　think　best　to　do。〃

Larry　was　silent　for　several　moments。　〃You've　known　this　for　some　time；　grandmother？〃

〃For　several　weeks。〃

〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　before？〃

〃I　was　afraid　it　might　somehow　bring　you　closer　to　Maggie；　and　I　didn't　want　that；〃　she　answered　honestly。　〃Now　I　think　a　little　better　of　Maggie。　And　you've　proved　to　me　I　can　trust　a　great　deal　more　to　your　judgment。　Yes；　I　guess　that's　the　chief　reason　I've　come　out　here　to　tell　you　this：　you've　proved　to　me　I've　got　to　respect　your　judgment。　And　so　whatever　you　may　doabout　Maggie　or　anything　else　will　be　all　right　with　me。〃

She　did　not　wait　for　a　response；　but　stood　up。　Her　voice　which　had　been　shot　through　with　emotion　these　last　few　minutes　was　now　that　flat；　mechanical　monotone　to　which　the　habitants　of　her　little　street　were　accustomed。

〃I　must　be　getting　back　to　the　city。　Good…night。〃

He　started　to　accompany　her　to　her　car；　but　she　forbade　him；　saying　that　it　would　not　help　matters　to　have　him　seen　and　possibly　recognized　by　the　taxicab　driver；　and　so　she　went　out　of　the　grounds　alone。　Within　another　hour　and　a　half　she　was　set　down　unobserved　in　a　dim　side　street　in　Brooklyn。　Thence　she　made　her　way　on　foot　to　the　Subway　and　rode　home。　If　the　police　had　noticed　her　absence　and　should　question　her；　she　could　refuse　to　answer；　or　say　that　she　had　been　visiting　late　with　a　friend　in　Brooklyn。

Larry　sat　long　out　in　the　night　after　his　grandmother　had　left　him。　What　should　he　do　with　this　amazing　information　placed　at　his　disposal？　Tell　Joe　Ellison？　Or　tell　Maggie？　Or　tell　both？　Or　himself　try　to　meet　Jimmie　Carlisle　and　pay　that　traitor　to　Joe　Ellison　and　that　malformer　of　Maggie　the　coin　he　had　earned？

But　for　hours　the　situation　itself　was　still　too　bewildering　in　its　many　phases　for　Larry　to　give　concentrated　thought　to　what　should　be　its　attempted　solution。　Not　until　dawn　was　beginning　to　awaken　dully；　as　with　a　protracted　yawn；　out　of　the　shadowy　Sound；　was　he　able　really　to　hold　his　mind　with　clearness　upon　the　problem　of　what　use　he　should　make　of　these　facts　of　which　he　had　been　appointed　guardian。　He　decided　against　telling　Joe　Ellisonat　least　he　would　not　tell　him　yet。　He　recalled　the　rumors　of　Joe　Ellison's　repressed　volcano　of　a　temper；　if　Joe　Ellison　should　learn　how　he　had　been　defrauded；　all　the　man's　vital　forces　would　be　instantly　transformed　into　destructive；　vengeful　rage　that　would　spare　no　one　and　count　no　cost。　The　result　would　doubtless　be　tragedy；　with　no　one　greatly　served；　and　with　Joe　very　likely　back　in　prison。　If　he　himself　should　go　out　to　give　Old　Jimmie　his　deserts；　his　action　would　be　just　good　powder　wastedit　likewise　would　serve　no　constructive　purpose。　Larry　realized　that　it　is　only　human　nature　for　a　wronged　man　to　wish　for　and　attempt　revenge；　but　that　in　the　economy　of　life　revenge　has　no　value；　serves　no　purpose；　that　it　usually　only　makes　a　bad　situation　worse。

A　tremendous　wrong　had　been　done　here；　a　wrong　which　showed　a　malignant；　cunning；　patient　mind。　But　as　Larry　finally　saw　the　matter；　the　point　for　first　consideration　was　not　the　valueless　satisfaction　of　making　the　guilty　man　suffer；　but　was　to　try　to　restore　to　the　victims　some　part　of　those　precious　things　of　which　they　had　been　unconsciously　robbed。

And　then　Larry　had　what　seemed　to　him　an　inspiration：　his　inspiration　being　only　a　sane　thought；　and　what　the　Duchess；　though　she　had　not　pointed　the　way　to　him；　had　thought　he　would　do。　Maggie　was　the　important　person　in　this　situation！Maggie　whose　life　was　just　beginning；　and　whose　nature　he　still　believed　to　be　plastic！　Not　Joe　Ellison　or　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle；　who　had　almost　lived　out　their　lives　and　whose　natures　were　now　settled　into　what　they　would　be　until　the　end。　By　playing　upon　the　finer　elements　in　Maggie's　character　he　had　all　but　succeeded　in　rousing　to　dominance　that　best　nature　which　existed　within　her。　He　would　privately　tell　Maggie　the　truth；　and　tell　only　her　and　leave　the　using　of　that　knowledge　to　her　alone。　The　shock　of　that　knowledge；　the　effect　of　its　revelations　upon　her；　together　with　the　responsibility　of　what　she　should　do　with　this　information；　might　be　just　the　final　forces　necessary　to　make　Maggie　break　away　from　all　that　she　had　been　and　swing　over　to　all　that　he　believed　she　might　be。

Yes；　that　was　the　thing　to　do！　And　he　would　do　it　within　the　next　twelve　hours；　for　Dick　had　told　him　that　Maggie　was　coming　out　again　to　Cedar　Crest　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　which　was　now　rousing　from　its　sleep。　That　is；　he　would　do　it　if　the　police　or　the　allies　of　his　one…time　friends　did　not　locate　him　before　Maggie　came。　But　of　that　he　had　no　serious　fear；　he　knew　he　had　made　a　clean　get…away　from　the　Grantham；　and　that　the　shrewd　Duchess　had　left　no　scent　by　which　those　bloodhounds　of　the　Police　Department　could　trail　her。

Larry　did　not　even　try　to　sleep；　he　knew　it　would　be　of　no　avail。　Back　in　his　own　room　he　sat　going　over　the　situation；　and　his　decision。　He　tingled　with　the　sense　of　the　tremendous　power　which　had　been　delivered　into　his　hands。　Yes；　tremendous！　But　what　were　going　to　be　Maggie's　reactions　the　moment　he　told　her？just　what　would　be　her　course　after　she　knew　the　truth？




CHAPTER　XXX


Larry　undressed；　had　a　bath；　shaved；　dressed　again；　and　started　to　work。　But　that　day　the　most　Larry　did　was　abstractedly　going　through　the　motions　of　work。　He　was　completely　filled　with　the　situation　and　its　many　questions；　and　with　the　suspense　of　waiting　for　Maggie　to　come　and　of　how　he　was　going　to　manage　to　see　her　privately。

The　meeting；　however；　proved　no　difficulty；　for　Maggie；　who　arrived　at　four；　had　come　primarily　on　Larry's　account　and　she　herself　maneuvered　the　encounter。　While　they　were　on　the　piazza；　Dick　having　gone　into　the　house　for　a　fresh　supply　of　cigarettes；　and　Miss　Sherwood　being　in　an　animated　discussion　with　Hunt；　Maggie　said：

〃Miss　Sherwood；　I've　never　had　a　real　look　down　at　the　Sound　from　the　edge　of　your　bluff。　Do　you　mind　if　Mr。　Brandon　shows　me？〃

〃Not　at　all。　Tea　won't　be　served　for　half　an　hour；　so　take　your　time。　Have　Mr。　Brandon　show　you　the　view　from　just　the　other　side　of　that　old　rose…bench；　that's　the　best　view。〃

They　walked　away　chatting　mechanically　until　they　were　in　a　garden　seat　behind　the　rose…bench。　The　rose…bench　was　a　rather　sorry　affair；　for　it　had　been　set　out　in　this　exposed　place　by　a　former　gardener　who　had　forgotten　that　the　direct　winds　from　the　Sound　are　malgracious　to　roses。　However；　it　screened　the　two；　and　was　far　enough　removed　so　that　ordinary　tones　would　not　carry　to　the　house。

〃Did　your　grandmother　get　you　word　about　the　police？〃　Maggie　asked　with　suppressed　excitement　as　soon　as　they　were　seated。

〃Yes。　She　came　out　here　about　midnight。〃

〃Then　why；　while　you　still　had　time；　didn't　you　get　farther　away　from　New　York　than　this？〃

〃If　I'm　to　be　caught；　I'm　to　be　caught；　in　the　meantime；　this　is　as　safe　a　place　as　any　other　for　me。　Besides；　I　wanted　to　have　at　least　one　more　talk　with　youafter　something　new　grandmother　told　me　about　you。〃

〃Something　new　about　me？〃　echoed　Maggie；　startled　by　his　grave　tone。　〃What？〃

〃About　your　father；〃　he　said；　watching　closely　for　the　effect　upon　her　of　his　revelations。

〃What　about　my　father？　What's　he　been　doing　that　I　don't　know　about？〃

〃You　do　not　know　a　single　thing　that　your　father　has　done。〃

〃What！〃

〃Because　you　do　not　know　who　your　father　is。〃

〃What！〃　she　gasped。

〃Listen；　Maggie。　What　I'm　going　to　tell　you　may　seem　unbelievable；　but　you've　got　to　believe　it；　because　it's　the　truth。　I　can　see　that　you　have　proofs　if　you　want　proofs。　But　you　can　accept　what　I　tell　you　as　absolute　facts。　You　are　by　birth　a　ver