the dwelling place of ligh-第37章

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involving　a　wide　choice　of　resorts。　　While　he　was　paying　for　luncheon　and
chatting　with　the　proprietor；　Ditmar　snatched　from　the　change　he　had
flung　down　on　the　counter　a　five　dollar　gold　coin。

〃Now　how　in　thunder　did　that　get　into　my　right…hand　pocket？　　I　always
keep　it　in　my　vest；〃　he　exclaimed；　and　the　matter　continued　to　disturb
him　after　they　were　in　the　automobile。　　〃It's　my　lucky　piece。　　I　guess　I
was　so　excited　at　the　prospect　of　seeing　you　when　I　dressed　this　morning
I　put　it　into　my　change。　　Just　see　what　you　do　to　me！〃

〃Does　it　bring　you　luck？〃　she　inquired　smilingly。

〃How　about　you！　　I　call　you　the　biggest　piece　of　luck　I　ever　had。〃

〃You'd　better　not　be　too　sure；〃　she　warned　him。

〃Oh；　I'm　not　worrying。　　I　has　that　piece　in　my　pocket　the　day　I　went　down
to　see　old　Stephen　Chippering；　when　he　made　me　agent；　and　I've　kept　it
ever　since。　　And　I'll　tell　you　a　funny　thingit's　enough　to　make　any　man
believe　in　luck。　　Do　you　remember　that　day　last　summer　I　was　tinkering
with　the　car　by　the　canal　and　you　came　along？〃

〃The　day　you　pretended　to　be　tinkering；〃　she　corrected　him。

He　laughed。　　〃So　you　were　on　to　me？〃　he　said。　　〃You're　a　foxy　one！〃

〃Anyone　could　see　you　were　only　pretending。　　It　made　me　angry；　when　I
thought　of　it　afterwards。〃

〃I　just　had　to　do　itI　wanted　to　talk　to　you。　　But　listen　to　what　I'm
going　to　tell　you！　　It's　a　miracle；　all　right；happening　just　at　that
timethat　very　morning。　　I　was　coming　back　to　Boston　from　New　York　on
the　midnight；　and　when　the　train　ran　into　Back　Bay　and　I　was　putting　on
my　trousers　the　piece　rolled　out　among　the　bed　clothes。　　I　didn't　know
I'd　lost　it　until　I　sat　down　in　the　Parker　House　to　eat　my　breakfast；　and
I　suddenly　felt　in　my　pocket。　　It　made　me　sick　to　think　it　was　gone。
Well；　I　started　to　telephone　the　Pullman　office；　and　then　I　made　up　my
mind　I'd　take　a　taxi　and　go　down　to　the　South　Station　myself；　and　just　as
I　got　out　of　the　cab　there　was　the　nigger　porter；　all　dressed　up　in　his
glad　rags；　coming　out　of　the　station！　　I　knew　him；　I'd　been　on　his　car
lots　of　times。　　‘Say；　George；'　I　said；　‘I　didn't　forget　you　this　morning；
did　I？'

〃‘No；　suh；'　said　George；　'you　done　give　me　a　quarter。'

〃‘I　guess　you're　mistaken；　George；'　says　I；　and　I　fished　out　a　ten　dollar
bill。　　You　ought　to　have　seen　that　nigger's　eyes。〃

〃‘What's　this　for；　Mister　Ditmar？'　says　he。

〃‘For　that　lucky　gold　piece　you　found　in　lower　seven；'　I　told　him。
‘We'll　trade。'

〃‘Was　you　in　lower　seven？　so　you　was！'　says　George。　　Well；　he　had　it
all　rightyou　bet　he　had　it。　　Now　wasn't　that　queer？　　The　very　day　you
and　I　began　to　know　each　other！〃

〃Wonderful！〃　Janet　agreed。　　〃Why　don't　you　put　it　on　your　watch　chain？〃

〃Well；　I've　thought　of　that；〃　he　replied；　with　the　air　of　having
considered　all　sides　of　the　matter。　　〃But　I've　got　that　charm　of　the
secret　order　I　belong　tothat's　on　my　chain。　　I　guess　I'll　keep　it　in　my
vest　pocket。〃

〃I　didn't　know　you　were　so　superstitious；〃　she　mocked。

〃Pretty　nearly　everybody's　superstitious；〃　he　declared。　　And　she　thought
of　Lise。

〃I'm　not。　　I　believe　if　things　are　going　to　happen　well；　they're　going　to
happen。　　Nothing　can　prevent　it。〃

〃By　thunder〃　he　exclaimed；　struck　by　her　remark。　　〃You　are　like　that
You're　different　from　any　person　I　ever　knew。。。。〃

From　such　anecdotes　she　pieced　together　her　new　Ditmar。　　He　spoke　of　a
large　world　she　had　never　seen；　of　New　York　and　Washington　and　Chicago；
where　he　intended　to　take　her。　　In　the　future　he　would　never　travel
alone。　　And　he　told　her　of　his　having　been　a　delegate　to　the　last
National　Republican　Convention；　explaining　what　a　delegate　was。　　He
gloried　in　her　innocence；　and　it　was　pleasant　to　dazzle　her　with
impressions　of　his　cosmopolitanism。　　In　this；　perhaps；　he　was　not　quite
so　successful　as　he　imagined；　but　her　eyes　shone。　　She　had　never　even
been　in　a　sleeping　car！　　For　her　delectation　he　launched　into　an
enthusiastic　description　of　these　vehicles；　of　palatial　compartment　cars；
of　limited；　transcontinental　trains；　where　one　had　a　stenographer　and　a
barber　at　one's　disposal。

〃Neither　of　them　would　do　me　any　good；〃　she　complained。

〃You　could　go　to　the　manicure；〃　he　said。

There　had　been　in　Ditmar's　life　certain　events　which；　in　his　anecdotal
moods；　were　magnified　into　matters　of　climacteric　importance；　high；
festal　occasions　on　which　it　was　sweet　to　reminisce；　such　as　his　visit　as
Delegate　at　Large　to　that　Chicago　Convention。　　He　had　travelled　on　a
special　train　stocked　with　cigars　and　White　Seal　champagne；　in　the
company　of　senators　and　congressmen　and　ex…governors；　state　treasurers；
collectors　of　the　port；　mill　owners；　and　bankers　to　whom　he　referred；　as
the　French　say；　in　terms　of　their　〃little〃　names。　　He　dwelt　on　the
magnificence　of　the　huge　hotel　set　on　the　borders　of　a　lake　like　an
inland　sea；　and　related　such　portions　of　the　festivities　incidental　to
〃the　seeing　of　Chicago〃　as　would　bear　repetition。　　No　women　belonged　to
this　realm；　no　women；　at　least；　who　were　to　be　regarded　as　persons。
Ditmar　did　not　mention　them；　but　no　doubt　they　existed；　along　with　the
cigars　and　the　White　Seal　champagne；　contributing　to　the　amenities。　　And
the　excursion；　to　Janet；　took　on　the　complexion　of　a　sort　of　glorified
picnic　in　the　course　of　which；　incidentally；　a　President　of　the　United
States　had　been　chosen。　　In　her　innocence　she　had　believed　the　voters　to
perform　this　function。　　Ditmar　laughed。

〃Do　you　suppose　we're　going　to　let　the　mob　run　this　country？〃　he
inquired。　　〃Once　in　a　while　we　can't　get　away　with　it　as　we'd　like；　we
have　to　take　the　best　we　can。〃

Thus　was　brought　home　to　her　more　and　more　clearly　that　what　men　strove
and　fought　for　were　the　joys　of　prominence；　privilege；　and　power。
Everywhere；　in　the　great　world；　they　demanded　and　received　consideration。
It　was　Ditmar's　boast　that　if　nobody　else　could　get　a　room　in　a　crowded
New　York　hotel；　he　could　always　obtain　one。　　And　she　was　fain　to　concede…
…she　who　had　never　known　privilegea　certain　intoxicating　quality　to
this　eminence。　　If　you　could　get　the　power；　and　refused　to　take　it；　the
more　fool　you！　　A　topsy…turvy　world；　in　which　the　stupid　toiled　day　by
day；　week　by　week；　exhausting　their　energies　and　craving　joy；　while
others　adroitly　carried　off　the　prize；　and　virtue　had　apparently　as
little　to　do　with　the　matter　as　fair　hair　or　a　club　foot。　　If　Janet　had
ever　read　Darwin；　she　would　have　recognized　in　her　lover　a　creature
rather　wonderfully　adapted　to　his　environment；　and　what　puzzled　her；
perhaps；　was　the　riddle　that　presents　itself　to　many　better　informed　than
herselfthe　utter　absence　in　this　environment　of　the　sign　of　any　being
who　might　be　called　God。　　Her　perplexitiesfor　she　did　have　themtook
the　form　of　an　instinctive　sense　of　inadequacy；　of　persistently　recurring
though　inarticulate　convictions　of　the　existence　of　elements　not　included
in　Ditmar's　categoriesof　things　that　money　could　not　buy；　of　things；
too；　alas！　that　poverty　was　as　powerless　to　grasp。　　Stored　within　her；
sometimes　rising　to　the　level　of　consciousness；　was　that　experience　at
Silliston　in　the　May　weather　when　she　had　had　a　glimpsejust　a　glimpse！
of　a　garden　where　strange　and　precious　flowers　were　in　bloom。　　On　the
other　hand；　this　mysterious　perception　by　her　of　things　unseen　and
hitherto　unguessed；　of　rays　of　delight　in　the　spectrum　of　values　to　which
his　senses　were　unattuned；　was　for　Ditmar　the　supreme　essence　of　her
fascination。　　At　moments　he　was　at　once　bewildered　and　inebriated　by　the
rare　delicacy　of　fabric　of　the　woman　whom　he　had　somehow　stumbled　upon
and　possessed。

Then　there　were　the　hours　when　they　worked　together　in　the　office。　　Here
she　beheld　Ditmar　at　his　best。　　It　cannot　be　said　that　his　infatuation
for　her　was　ever　absent　from　his　consciousness：　he　knew　she　was　there
beside　him；　he　betrayed　it　continually。　　But　here　she　was　in　the　presence
of　what　had　been　and　what　remained　his　ideal；　the　Chippering　Mill；　here
he　acquired　unity。　　All　his　energies　were　bent　toward　the　successful
execution　of　the　Bradlaugh　order；　which　had　to　be　completed　on　the　first
of　February。　　And　as　day　after　day　went　by　her　realization　of　the
magnitude　of　the　task　he　had　undertaken　became　keener。　　Excitement　was　in
the　air。　　Ditmar　seemed　somehow　to　have　managed　to　infuse　not　only
Orcutt；　the　superintendent；　but　the　foremen　and　second　hands　and　even　the
workers　with　a　common　spirit　of　pride　and　loyalty；　of　interest；　of
determination　to　carry　off　this　matter　triumphantly。　　The　mill　seemed
fairly　to　hum　with　effort。　　Janet's　increasing　knowledge　of　its
organization　and　processes　only　served　to　heighten　her　admiration　for　the
confidence　Ditmar　had　shown　from　the　beginning。　　It　was　superb。　　And　now；
as　the　probability　of　the　successful　execution　of　the　task　tended　more
and　more　toward　certainty；　he　sometimes　gave　vent　to　his　boyish；
exuberant　spirits。

〃I　told　Holster；　I　told　all　those　croakers　I'd　do　it；　and　by　thunder　I
will　do　it；　with　three　days'　margin；　too！　　I'll　get　the　last　shipment　off
on　the　twenty…eighth　of　January。　　Why；　even　George　Chippering　was　afraid
I　couldn't　handle　it。　　If　the　old　man　was　alive　he　wouldn't　have　had　cold
feet。〃　　Then　Ditmar　added；　half　jocularly；　half　seriously；　looking　down
on　her　as　she　sat　with　her　note…book；　waiting　for　him　to　go　on　with　his
dictation：　〃I　guess　you've　had　your　share　in　it；　too。　　You've　been　a
wonder；　the　way　you've　caught　on　and　taken　things　off　my　shoulders。　　If
Orcutt　died　I　believe　you　could　step　right　into　his　shoes。〃

〃I'm　sure　I　could　step　into　his　shoes；〃　she　replied。　　〃Only　I　hope　he
won't　die。〃

〃I　hope　he　won't；　either；〃　said　Ditmar。　　〃And　as　for　you〃

〃Never　mind　me；　now；〃　she　said。

He　bent　over　her。

〃Janet；　you're　the　greatest　girl　in　the　world。〃

Yes；　she　was　happiest　when　she　felt　she　was　helping　him；　it　gave　her
confidence　that　she　could　do　more；　lead　him　into　paths　beyond　which　they
might　explore　together。　　She　was　useful。　　Sometimes；　however；　he　seemed
to　her　oversanguine；　though　he　had　worked　hard；　his　success　had　come　too
easily；　had　been　too　uniform。　　His　temper　was　quick；　the　prospect　of
opposition　often　made　him　overbearing；　yet　on　occasions　he　listened　with
surprising　patience　to　his　subordinates　when　they　ventured　to　differ　from
his　opinions。　　At　other　times　Janet　had　seen　him　overrule　them
ruthlessly；　humiliate　them。　　There　were　days　when　things　went　wrong；　when
there　were　delays；　complications；　more　matters　to　attend　to　than　usual。
On　one　such　day；　after　the　dinner　hour；　Mr。　Orcutt　entered　the　office。
His　long；　lean　face　wore　a　certain　expression　Janet　had　come　to　know；　an
expression　that　always　irritated　Ditmarthe　conscientious　superintendent
having　the　unfortunate　faculty　of　exaggerating　annoyances　by　his　very
bearing。　　Ditmar　stopped　in　the　midst　of　dictating　a　peculiarly　difficult
letter；　and　looked　up　sharply。

〃Well；〃　he　asked；　〃what's　the　trouble　now？〃

Orcutt　seemed　incapable　of　reading　storm　signals。　　When　anything
happened；　he　had　the　air　of　declaring；　〃I　told　you　so。〃

〃You　may　remember　I　spoke　to　you　once　or　twice；　Mr。　Ditmar；　of　the　talk
over　the　fifty…four　hour　law　that　goes　into　effect　in　January。〃

〃Yes