a hazard of new fortunes v1-第6部分

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He　went　out　for　a　long　walk；　and　she　went　to　her　room。　　They　lunched
silently　together　in　the　presence　of　their　children；　who　knew　that　they
had　been　quarrelling；　but　were　easily　indifferent　to　the　fact；　as
children　get　to　be　in　such　cases；　nature　defends　their　youth；　and　the
unhappiness　which　they　behold　does　not　infect　them。　　In　the　evening；
after　the　boy　and　girl　had　gone　to　bed；　the　father　and　mother　resumed
their　talk。　　He　would　have　liked　to　take　it　up　at　the　point　from　which　it
wandered　into　hostilities；　for　he　felt　it　lamentable　that　a　matter　which
so　seriously　concerned　them　should　be　confused　in　the　fumes　of　senseless
anger；　and　he　was　willing　to　make　a　tacit　acknowledgment　of　his　own　error
by　recurring　to　the　question；　but　she　would　not　be　content　with　this；
and　he　had　to　concede　explicitly　to　her　weakness　that　she　really　meant　it
when　she　had　asked　him　to　accept　Fulkerson's　offer。　　He　said　he　knew
that；　and　he　began　soberly　to　talk　over　their　prospects　in　the　event　of
their　going　to　New　York。

〃Oh；　I　see　you　are　going！〃　she　twitted。

〃I'm　going　to　stay；〃　he　answered；　〃and　let　them　turn　me　out　of　my　agency
here；〃　and　in　this　bitterness　their　talk　ended。




V。

His　wife　made　no　attempt　to　renew　their　talk　before　March　went　to　his
business　in　the　morning；　and　they　parted　in　dry　offence。　　Their
experience　was　that　these　things　always　came　right　of　themselves　at　last；
and　they　usually　let　them。　　He　knew　that　she　had　really　tried　to　consent
to　a　thing　that　was　repugnant　to　her；　and　in　his　heart　he　gave　her　more
credit　for　the　effort　than　he　had　allowed　her　openly。　　She　knew　that　she
had　made　it　with　the　reservation　he　accused　her　of；　and　that　he　had　a
right　to　feel　sore　at　what　she　could　not　help。　　But　he　left　her　to　brood
over　his　ingratitude；　and　she　suffered　him　to　go　heavy　and　unfriended　to
meet　the　chances　of　the　day。　　He　said　to　himself　that　if　she　had　assented
cordially　to　the　conditions　of　Fulkerson's　offer；　he　would　have　had　the
courage　to　take　all　the　other　risks　himself；　and　would　have　had　the
satisfaction　of　resigning　his　place。　　As　it　was；　he　must　wait　till　he　was
removed；　and　he　figured　with　bitter　pleasure　the　pain　she　would　feel　when
he　came　home　some　day　and　told　her　he　had　been　supplanted；　after　it　was
too　late　to　close　with　Fulkerson。

He　found　a　letter　on　his　desk　from　the　secretary；　〃Dictated；〃　in
typewriting；　which　briefly　informed　him　that　Mr。　Hubbell；　the　Inspector
of　Agencies；　would　be　in　Boston　on　Wednesday；　and　would　call　at　his
office　during　the　forenoon。　　The　letter　was　not　different　in　tone　from
many　that　he　had　formerly　received；　but　the　visit　announced　was　out　of
the　usual　order；　and　March　believed　he　read　his　fate　in　it。　　During　the
eighteen　years　of　his　connection　with　itfirst　as　a　subordinate　in　the
Boston　office；　and　finally　as　its　general　agent　therehe　had　seen　a　good
many　changes　in　the　Reciprocity；　presidents；　vice…presidents；　actuaries；
and　general　agents　had　come　and　gone；　but　there　had　always　seemed　to　be　a
recognition　of　his　efficiency；　or　at　least　sufficiency；　and　there　had
never　been　any　manner　of　trouble；　no　question　of　accounts；　no　apparent
dissatisfaction　with　his　management；　until　latterly；　when　there　had　begun
to　come　from　headquarters　some　suggestions　of　enterprise　in　certain　ways；
which　gave　him　his　first　suspicions　of　his　clerk　Watkins's　willingness　to
succeed　him；　they　embodied　some　of　Watkins's　ideas。　　The　things　proposed
seemed　to　March　undignified；　and　even　vulgar；　he　had　never　thought
himself　wanting　in　energy；　though　probably　he　had　left　the　business　to
take　its　own　course　in　the　old　lines　more　than　he　realized。　　Things　had
always　gone　so　smoothly　that　he　had　sometimes　fancied　a　peculiar　regard
for　him　in　the　management；　which　he　had　the　weakness　to　attribute　to　an
appreciation　of　what　he　occasionally　did　in　literature；　though　in　saner
moments　he　felt　how　impossible　this　was。　　Beyond　a　reference　from　Mr。
Hubbell　to　some　piece　of　March's　which　had　happened　to　meet　his　eye；　no
one　in　the　management　ever　gave　a　sign　of　consciousness　that　their
service　was　adorned　by　an　obscure　literary　man；　and　Mr。　Hubbell　himself
had　the　effect　of　regarding　the　excursions　of　March's　pen　as　a　sort　of
joke；　and　of　winking　at　them；　as　he　might　have　winked　if　once　in　a　way　he
had　found　him　a　little　the　gayer　for　dining。

March　wore　through　the　day　gloomily；　but　he　had　it　on　his　conscience　not
to　show　any　resentment　toward　Watkins；　whom　he　suspected　of　wishing　to
supplant　him；　and　even　of　working　to　do　so。　　Through　this　self…denial　he
reached　a　better　mind　concerning　his　wife。　　He　determined　not　to　make　her
suffer　needlessly；　if　the　worst　came　to　the　worst；　she　would　suffer
enough；　at　the　best；　and　till　the　worst　came　he　would　spare　her；　and　not
say　anything　about　the　letter　he　had　got。

But　when　they　met；　her　first　glance　divined　that　something　had　happened；
and　her　first　question　frustrated　his　generous　intention。　　He　had　to　tell
her　about　the　letter。　　She　would　not　allow　that　it　had　any　significance；
but　she　wished　him　to　make　an　end　of　his　anxieties　and　forestall　whatever
it　might　portend　by　resigning　his　place　at　once。　　She　said　she　was　quite
ready　to　go　to　New　York；　she　had　been　thinking　it　all　over；　and　now　she
really　wanted　to　go。　　He　answered；　soberly；　that　he　had　thought　it　over；
too；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　leave　Boston；　where　he　had　lived　so　long；　or
try　a　new　way　of　life　if　he　could　help　it。　　He　insisted　that　he　was　quite
selfish　in　this；　in　their　concessions　their　quarrel　vanished；　they　agreed
that　whatever　happened　would　be　for　the　best；　and　the　next　day　be　went　to
his　office　fortified　for　any　event。

His　destiny；　if　tragical；　presented　itself　with　an　aspect　which　he　might
have　found　comic　if　it　had　been　another's　destiny。　　Mr。　Hubbell　brought
March's　removal；　softened　in　the　guise　of　a　promotion。　　The　management　at
New　York；　it　appeared；　had　acted　upon　a　suggestion　of　Mr。　Hubbell's；　and
now　authorized　him　to　offer　March　the　editorship　of　the　monthly　paper
published　in　the　interest　of　the　company；　his　office　would　include　the
authorship　of　circulars　and　leaflets　in　behalf　of　life…insurance；　and
would　give　play　to　the　literary　talent　which　Mr。　Hubbell　had　brought　to
the　attention　of　the　management；　his　salary　would　be　nearly　as　much　as　at
present；　but　the　work　would　not　take　his　whole　time；　and　in　a　place　like
New　York　he　could　get　a　great　deal　of　outside　writing；　which　they　would
not　object　to　his　doing。

Mr。　Hubbell　seemed　so　sure　of　his　acceptance　of　a　place　in　every　way
congenial　to　a　man　of　literary　tastes　that　March　was　afterward　sorry　he
dismissed　the　proposition　with　obvious　irony；　and　had　needlessly　hurt
Hubbell's　feelings；　but　Mrs。　March　had　no　such　regrets。　　She　was　only
afraid　that　he　had　not　made　his　rejection　contemptuous　enough。
〃And　now；〃　she　said；　〃telegraph　Mr。　Fulkerson；　and　we　will　go　at　once。〃

〃I　suppose　I　could　still　get　Watkins's　former　place；〃　March　suggested。

〃Never！〃　she　retorted。　　〃Telegraph　instantly！〃

They　were　only　afraid　now　that　Fulkerson　might　have　changed　his　mind；　and
they　had　a　wretched　day　in　which　they　heard　nothing　from　him。　　It　ended
with　his　answering　March's　telegram　in　person。　　They　were　so　glad　of　his
coming；　and　so　touched　by　his　satisfaction　with　his　bargain；　that　they
laid　all　the　facts　of　the　case　before　him。　　He　entered　fully　into　March's
sense　of　the　joke　latent　in　Mr。　Hubbell's　proposition；　and　he　tried　to
make　Mrs。　March　believe　that　he　shared　her　resentment　of　the　indignity
offered　her　husband。

March　made　a　show　of　willingness　to　release　him　in　view　of　the　changed
situation；　saying　that　he　held　him　to　nothing。　　Fulkerson　laughed；　and
asked　him　how　soon　he　thought　he　could　come　on　to　New　York。　　He　refused
to　reopen　the　question　of　March's　fitness　with　him；　he　said　they；　had
gone　into　that　thoroughly；　but　he　recurred　to　it　with　Mrs。　March；　and
confirmed　her　belief　in　his　good　sense　on　all　points。　　She　had　been　from
the　first　moment　defiantly　confident　of　her　husband's　ability；　but　till
she　had　talked　the　matter　over　with　Fulkerson　she　was　secretly　not　sure
of　it；　or；　at　least；　she　was　not　sure　that　March　was　not　right　in
distrusting　himself。　　When　she　clearly　understood；　now；　what　Fulkerson
intended；　she　had　no　longer　a　doubt。　　He　explained　how　the　enterprise
differed　from　others；　and　how　he　needed　for　its　direction　a　man　who
combined　general　business　experience　and　business　ideas　with　a　love　for
the　thing　and　a　natural　aptness　for　it。　　He　did　not　want　a　young　man；　and
yet　he　wanted　youthits　freshness；　its　zestsuch　as　March　would　feel　in
a　thing　he　could　put　his　whole　heart　into。　　He　would　not　run　in　ruts；
like　an　old　fellow　who　had　got　hackneyed；　he　would　not　have　any　hobbies；
he　would　not　have　any　friends　or　any　enemies。　　Besides；　he　would　have　to
meet　people；　and　March　was　a　man　that　people　took　to；　she　knew　that
herself；　he　had　a　kind　of　charm。　　The　editorial　management　was　going　to
be　kept　in　the　background；　as　far　as　the　public　was　concerned；　the　public
was　to　suppose　that　the　thing　ran　itself。　　Fulkerson　did　not　care　for　a
great　literary　reputation　in　his　editorhe　implied　that　March　had　a　very
pretty　little　one。　　At　the　same　time　the　relations　between　the
contributors　and　the　management　were　to　be　much　more；　intimate　than
usual。　　Fulkerson　felt　his　personal　disqualification　for　working　the
thing　socially；　and　he　counted　upon　Mr。　March　for　that；　that　was　to　say；
he　counted　upon　Mrs。　March。

She　protested　he　must　not　count　upon　her；　but　it　by　no　means　disabled
Fulkerson's　judgment　in　her　view　that　March　really　seemed　more　than
anything　else　a　fancy　of　his。　　He　had　been　a　fancy　of　hers；　and　the　sort
of　affectionate　respect　with　which　Fulkerson　spoke　of　him　laid　forever
some　doubt　she　had　of　the　fineness　of　Fulkerson's　manners　and　reconciled
her　to　the　graphic　slanginess　of　his　speech。

The　affair　was　now　irretrievable；　but　she　gave　her　approval　to　it　as
superbly　as　if　it　were　submitted　in　its　inception。　　Only；　Mr。　Fulkerson
must　not　suppose　she　should　ever　like　New　York。　　She　would　not　deceive
him　on　that　point。　　She　never　should　like　it。　　She　did　not　conceal；
eith