the conflict-第43章

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‘‘You're　a　fool！''　mumbled　Hastings。　　‘‘Call　Jinny。''

The　nurse　obeyed。　　When　he　repeated　his　request　to　Jane；　she　hesitated。　　The　tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks。　　‘‘I　know　what　I'm　about；''　he　pleaded。　　‘‘Send　for　Charlton。　　He'll　tell　you　to　let　me　have　my　way。''

Jane　decided　that　it　was　best　to　yield。　　The　shrunken　figure；　weighing　so　little　that　it　was　terrifying　to　lift　it；　was　wrapped　warmly；　and　put　in　an　invalid　chair。　　With　much　difficulty　the　chair　was　got　out　into　the　hall　and　down　the　stairs。　　Then　they　wheeled　it　into　the　room　where　he　was　in　the　habit　of　sitting　after　supper。　　When　he　was　opposite　the　atrocious　crayon　enlargement　of　his　wife　an　expression　of　supreme　content　settled　upon　his　features。　　Said　he：

‘‘Go　back　to　your　supper；　Jinny。　　Take　the　nurse　woman　with　you。　　I　want　to　be　by　myself。''

The　nurse　glanced　stealthily　in　from　time　to　time　during　the　next　hour。　　She　saw　that　his　eyes　were　open；　were　fixed　upon　the　picture。　　When　Jane　came　she　ventured　to　enter。　　She　said：

‘‘Do　you　mind　my　sitting　with　you；　father？''

He　did　not　answer。　　She　went　to　him；　touched　him。　　He　was　dead。

As　a　rule　death　is　not　without　mitigations；　consolations　even。　　Where　it　is　preceded　by　a　long　and　troublesome　illness；　disrupting　the　routine　of　the　family　and　keeping　everybody　from　doing　the　things　he　or　she　wishes；　it　comes　as　a　relief。　　In　this　particular　case　not　only　was　the　death　a　relief；　but　also　the　estate　of　the　dead　man　provided　all　the　chief　mourners　with　instant　and　absorbing　occupation。　　If　he　had　left　a　will；　the　acrimony　of　the　heirs　would　have　been　caused　by　　dissatisfaction　with　his　way　of　distributing　the　property。　　Leaving　no　will；　he　plunged　the　three　heirsor；　rather；　the　five　heirs；　for　the　husband　of　Martha　and　the　wife　of　the　son　were　most　important　factorshe　plunged　the　five　heirs　into　a　ferment　of　furious　dispute　as　to　who　was　to　have　what。　　Martha　and　her　husband　and　the　daughter…in…law　were　people　of　exceedingly　small　mind。　　Trifles；　therefore；　agitated　them　to　the　exclusion　of　larger　matters。　　The　three　fell　to　quarreling　violently　over　the　division　of　silverware；　jewelry　and　furniture。　　Jane　was　so　enraged　by　the　‘‘disgusting　spectacle''　that　she　proceeded　to　take　part　in　it　and　to　demand　everything　which　she　thought　it　would　irritate　Martha　Galland　or　Irene　Hastings　to　have　to　give　up。

The　three　women　and　Hugofor　Hugo　loved　petty　wranglingspent　day　after　day　in　the　bitterest　quarrels。　　Each　morning　Jane；　ashamed　overnight；　would　issue　from　her　room　resolved　to　have　no　part　in　the　vulgar　rowdyism。　　Before　an　hour　had　passed　she　would　be　the　angriest　of　the　disputants。　　Except　her　own　unquestioned　belongings　there　wasn't　a　thing　in　the　house　or　stables　about　which　she　cared　in　the　least。　　But　there　was　a　principle　at　stakeand　for　principle　she　would　fight　in　the　last　ditch。

None　of　them　wished　to　call　in　arbitrators　or　executors；　why　go　to　that　expense？　　So；　the　bickering　and　wrangling；　the　insults　and　tears　and　sneers　went　on　from　day　to　day。　　At　last　they　settled　the　whole　matter　by　lotand　by　a　series　of　easily　arranged　exchanges　where　the　results　of　the　drawings　were　unsatisfactory。　　Peace　was　restored；　but　not　liking。　　Each　of　the　three　groupsHugo　and　Martha；　Will　and　Irene；　Jane　in　a　group　by　herselfdetested　the　other　two。　　They　felt　that　they　had　found　each　other　out。　　As　Martha　said　to　Hugo；　‘‘It　takes　a　thing　of　this　kind　to　show　people　up　in　their　true　colors。''　　Or；　as　Jane　said　to　Doctor　Charlton；　‘‘What　beasts　human　beings　are！''

Said　he：　　‘‘What　beasts　circumstance　makes　of　some　o　them　sometimes。''

‘‘You　are　charitable；''　said　Jane。

‘‘I　am　scientific；''　replied　he。　　‘‘It's　very　intelligent　to　go　about　distributing　praise　and　blame。　　To　do　that　is　to　obey　a　slightly　higher　development　of　the　instinct　that　leads　one　to　scowl　at　and　curse　the　stone　he　stumps　his　toe　on。　　The　sensible　thing　to　do　is　to　look　at　the　causes　of　thingsof　brutishness　in　human　beings；　for　exampleand　to　remove　those　causes。''

‘‘It　was　wonderful；　the　way　you　dragged　father　back　to　life　and　almost　saved　him。　　That　reminds　me。　　Wait　a　second；　please。''

She　went　up　to　her　room　and　got　the　envelope　addressed　to　Charlton　which　she　had　found　in　the　drawer；　as　her　father　directed。　　Charlton　opened　it；　took　out　five　bank　notes　each　of　a　thousand　dollars。　　She　glanced　at　the　money；　then　at　his　face。　　It　did　not　express　the　emotion　she　was　expecting。　　On　the　contrary；　its　look　was　of　pleased　curiosity。

‘‘Five　thousand　dollars；''　he　said；　reflectively。　　‘‘Your　father　certainly　was　a　queer　mixture　of　surprises　and　contradictions。　　Now；　who　would　have　suspected　him　of　a　piece　of　sentiment　like　this？　　Pure　sentiment。　　He　must　have　felt　that　I'd　not　be　able　to　save　him；　and　he　knew　my　bill　wouldn't　be　one…tenth　this　sum。''

‘‘He　liked　you；　and　admired　you；''　said　Jane。

‘‘He　was　very　generous　where　he　liked　and　admired。''

Charlton　put　the　money　back　in　the　envelope；　put　the　envelope　in　his　pocket。　　‘‘I'll　give　the　money　to　the　Children's　Hospital；''　said　he。　　‘‘About　six　months　ago　I　completed　the　sum　I　had　fixed　on　as　necessary　to　my　independence；　so；　I've　no　further　use　for　moneyexcept　to　use　it　up　as　it　comes　in。''

‘‘You　may　marry　some　day；''　suggested　Jane。

‘‘Not　a　woman　who　wishes　to　be　left　richer　than　independent；''　replied　he。　　‘‘As　for　the　children；　they'll　be　brought　up　to　earn　their　own　independence。　　I'll　leave　only　incubators　and　keepsakes　when　I　die。　　But　no　estate。　　I'm　not　that　foolish　and　inconsiderate。''

‘‘What　a　queer　idea！''　exclaimed　Jane。

‘‘On　the　contrary；　it's　simplest　common　sense。　　The　idea　of　giving　people　something　they　haven't　earned　that's　the　queer　idea。''

‘‘You　are　SO　like　Victor　Dorn！''

‘‘That　reminds　me！''　exclaimed　Charlton。　　‘‘It　was　very　negligent　of　me　to　forget。　　The　day　your　father　died　I　dropped　in　on　Victor　and　told　himhim　and　Selma　Gordonabout　it。　　And　both　asked　me　to　take　you　their　sympathy。　　They　said　a　great　deal　about　your　love　for　your　father；　and　how　sad　it　was　to　lose　him。　　They　were　really　distressed。''

Jane's　face　almost　brightened。　　‘‘I've　been　rather　hurt　because　I　hadn't　received　a　word　of　sympathy　from　them；''　she　said。

‘‘They'd　have　come；　themselves；　except　that　politics　has　made　a　very　ugly　feeling　against　themand　Galland's　your　brother…in…law。''

‘‘I　understand；''　said　Jane。　　‘‘But　I'm　not　Galland　and　not　of　that　party。''

‘‘Oh；　yes；　you　are　of　that　party；''　replied　Charlton。　　‘‘You　draw　your　income　from　it；　and　one　belongs　to　whatever　he　draws　his　income　from。　　Civilization　means　propertyas　yet。　　And　it　doesn't　mean　men　and　women　as　yet。　　So；　to　know　the　man　or　the　woman　we　look　at　the　property。''

‘‘That's　hideously　unjust；''　cried　Jane。

‘‘Don't　be　utterly　egotistical；''　said　Charlton。　　‘‘Don't　attach　so　much　importance　to　your　little；　mortal；　WEAK　personality。　　Try　to　realize　that　you're　a　mere　chip　in　the　great　game　of　chance。　　You're　a　chip　with　the　letter　P　on　itwhich　stands　for　Plutocracy。　　And　you'll　be　played　as　you're　labeled。''

‘‘You　make　it　very　hard　for　any　one　to　like　you。''

‘‘Wellgood…by；　then。''

And　ignoring　her　hasty；　half…laughing；　half…serious　protests　he　took　himself　away。　　She　was　intensely　irritated。　　A　rapid　change　in　her　outward　character　had　been　going　forward　since　her　father's　deatha　change　in　the　direction　of　intensifying　the　traits　that　had　always　been　really　dominant；　but　had　been　less　apparent　because　softened　by　other　traits　now　rapidly　whithering。

The　cause　of　the　change　was　her　inheritance。

Martin　Hastings；　remaining　all　his　life　in　utter　ignorance　of　the　showy　uses　of　wealth　and　looking　on　it　with　the　eyes　of　a　farm　hand；　had　remained　the　enriched　man　of　the　lower　classes；　at　heart　a　member　of　his　original　class　to　the　end。　　The　effect　of　this　upon　Jane　had　been　to　keep　in　check　all　the　showy　and　arrogant；　all　the　upper　class；　tendencies　which　education　and　travel　among　the　upper　classes　of　the　East　and　of　Europe　had　implanted　in　her。　　So　long　as　plain　old　Martin　lived；　she　could　not　FEEL　the　position　she　hador；　rather；　would　some　day　havein　the　modern　social　system。　　But　just　as　soon　as　he　passed　away；　just　as　soon　as　she　became　a　great　heiress；　actually　in　possession　of　that　which　made　the　world　adore；　that　which　would　buy　servility；　flattery；　awejust　so　soon　did　she　begin　to　be　an　upper…class　lady。

She　had　acquired　a　superficial　knowledge　of　business　enough　to　enable　her　to　understand　what　the　various　items　in　the　long；　long　schedule　of　her　holdings　meant。　　Symbols　of　her　importance；　of　her　power。　　She　had　studied　the　‘‘great　ladies''　she　had　met　in　her　travels　and　visitings。　　She　had　been　impressed　by　the　charm　of　the　artistic；　carefully　cultivated　air　of　simplicity　and　equality　affected　by　the　greatest　of　these　great　ladies　as　those　born　to　wealth　and　position。　　To　be　gentle　and　natural；　to　be　graciousthat　was　the　‘‘proper　thing。''　　So；　she　now　adopted　a　manner　that　was　if　anything　too　kindly。　　Her　pose；　her　mask；　behind　which　she　was　concealing　her　swollen　and　still　swelling　pride　and　sense　of　superiority；　as　yet　fitted　badly。　　She　‘‘overacted；''　as　youth　is　apt　to　do。　　She　would　have　given　a　shrewd　observerone　not　dazzled　by　her　wealth　beyond　the　power　of　clear　sightthe　impression　that　she　was　pitying　the　rest　of　mankind；　much　as　we　all　pity　and　forbear　with　a　hopeless　cripple。

But　the　average　observer　would　simply　have　said：　　‘‘What　a　sweet；　natural　girl；　so　unspoiled　by　her　wealth！''just　as　the　hopeless　cripple　says；　‘‘What　a　polite　person；''　as　he　gets　the　benefit　of　effusive　good　manners　that　would；　if　he　were　shrewd；　painfully　remind　him　that　he　was　an　unfortunate　creature。

Of　all　the　weeds　that　infest　the　human　garden　snobbishness；　the　commonest；　is　the　most　prolific；　and　it　is　a　mighty　cross　breeder；　toomodifying　every　flower　in　the　garden；　changing　colors　from　rich　to　glaring；　changing　odors　from　perfumes　to　sickening…sweet　or　to　stenches。　　The　dead　hands　of　Martin　Hastings　scattered　showers　of　shining　gold　upon　his　daughter's　garden；　and　from　these　seeds　was　springing　a　heavy　crop　of　that　most　prolific　of　weeds。

She　was　beginning　to　resent　Charlton's　manner　bluff；　unceremonious；　candid；　at　times　rude。　　He　treated　women　exactly　as　he　treated　men；　and　he　treated　all　men　as　intimates；　free　and　easy　fellow　travelers　afoot　upon　a　dusty；　vulgar　highway。　　She　had　found　charm　in　that　manner；　so　natural　to　the　man　of　no　pretense；　of　splendid　physical　proportions；　of　the　health　of　a　fine　tree。　　She　was　beginning　to　get　into　the　state　of　mind　at　which　practically　all　very　rich　people　in　a　civilized　society　sooner　or　later　arrivea　state　of　mind　that　makes　it　impossible　for　any　to　live　with　or　near　them　except　hirelings　and　dependents。　　The　habit　of　power　of　any　kind　breeds　intolerance　of　equality　of　level　intercourse。　　This　is　held　in　check；　often　held　entirely　in　check；　where　the　power　is　based　upon　mental　superiority；　for　the　very　superiority　of　the　mind　keeps　alive　the　sense　of　humor　and　the　sense　of　proportion。　　Not　so　the　habit　of　money　power。　　For　money　power　is　brutal；　mindless。　　And　as　it　is　the　only　real　power　in　any　and　all　aristocracies；　aristocracies　are　inevitably　brutal　and　brutalizing。

If　Jane　had　been　poor；　or　had　remained