the secret places of the heart-第21章

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ing　a　workable　son　by　marriage。　To　this　last　idea　it　would　seem　the　importance　in　her　life　of　the　rather　heavily　named　Gunter　Lake　was　to　be　ascribed。　But　another　mood　of　the　old　man's　was　distrust　of　anything　that　could　not　be　spoken　of　as　his　〃own　flesh　and　blood；〃　and　then　he　would　direct　his　attention　to　a　kind　of　masculinization　of　his　daughter　and　to　schemes　for　giving　her　the　completest　control　of　all　he　had　to　leave　her　provided　she　never　married　nor　fell　under　masculine　sway。　〃After　all；〃　he　would　reflect　as　he　hesitated　over　the　practicability　of　his　life's　ideal；　〃there　was　Hetty　Green。〃　This　latter　idea　had　reft　her　suddenly　at　the　age　of　seventeen　from　the　educational　care　of　an　English　gentlewoman　warranted　to　fit　her　for　marriage　with　any　prince　in　Europe；　and　thrust　her　for　the　mornings　and　a　moiety　of　the　afternoons　of　the　better　part　of　a　year；　after　a　swift　but　competent　training；　into　a　shirt　waist　and　an　office　down　town。　She　had　been　entrusted　at　first　to　a　harvester　concern　independent　of　Mr。　Grammont；　because　he　feared　his　own　people　wouldn't　train　her　hard。　She　had　worked　for　ordinary　wages　and　ordinary　hours；　and　at　the　end　of　the　day；　she　mentioned　casually；　a　large　automobile　with　two　menservants　and　a　trustworthy　secretary　used　to　pick　her　out　from　the　torrent　of　undistinguished　workers　that　poured　out　of　the　Synoptical　Building。　This　masculinization　idea　had　also　sent　her　on　a　commission　of　enquiry　into　Mexico。　There　apparently　she　had　really　done　responsible　work。　But　upon　the　question　of　labour　Mr。　Grammont　was　fierce；　even　for　an　American　business　man；　and　one　night　at　a　dinner　party　he　discovered　his　daughter　displaying　what　he　considered　an　improper　familiarity　with　socialist　ideas。　This　had　produced　a　violent　revulsion　towards　the　purdah　system　and　the　idea　of　a　matrimonial　alliance　with　Gunter　Lake。　Gunter　Lake；　Sir　Richmond　gathered；　wasn't　half　a　bad　fellow。　Generally　it　would　seem　Miss　Grammont　liked　him；　and　she　had　a　way　of　speaking　about　him　that　suggested　that　in　some　way　Mr。　Lake　had　been　rather　hardly　used　and　had　acquired　merit　by　his　behaviour　under　bad　treatment。　There　was　some　story；　however；　connected　with　her　war　services　in　Europe　upon　which　Miss　Grammont　was　evidently　indisposed　to　dwell。　About　that　story　Sir　Richmond　was　left　at　the　end　of　his　Avebury　day　and　after　his　last　talk　with　Dr。　Martineau；　still　quite　vaguely　guessing。　So　much　fact　about　Miss　Grammont　as　we　have　given　had　floated　up　in　fragments　and　pieced　itself　together　in　Sir　Richmond's　mind　in　the　course　of　a　day　and　a　half。　The　fragments　came　up　as　allusions　or　by　way　of　illustration。　The　sustaining　topic　was　this　New　Age　Sir　Richmond　fore　shadowed；　this　world　under　scientific　control；　the　Utopia　of　fully　developed　people　fully　developing　the　resources　of　the　earth。　For　a　number　of　trivial　reasons　Sir　Richmond　found　himself　ascribing　the　project　of　this　New　Age　almost　wholly　to　Dr。　Martineau；　and　presenting　it　as　a　much　completer　scheme　than　he　was　justified　in　doing。　It　was　true　that　Dr。　Martineau　had　not　said　many　of　the　things　Sir　Richmond　ascribed　to　him；　but　also　it　was　true　that　they　had　not　crystallized　out　in　Sir　Richmond's　mind　before　his　talks　with　Dr。　Martineau。　The　idea　of　a　New　Age　necessarily　carries　with　it　the　idea　of　fresh　rules　of　conduct　and　of　different　relationships　between　human　beings。　And　it　throws　those　who　talk　about　it　into　the　companionship　of　a　common　enterprise。　To…morrow　the　New　Age　will　be　here　no　doubt；　but　today　it　is　the　hope　and　adventure　of　only　a　few　human　beings。　So　that　it　was　natural　for　Miss　Grammont　and　Sir　Richmond　to　ask：　〃What　are　we　to　do　with　such　types　as　father？〃　and　to　fall　into　an　idiom　that　assumed　a　joint　enterprise。　They　had　agreed　by　a　tacit　consent　to　a　common　conception　of　the　world　they　desired　as　a　world　scientifically　ordered；　an　immense　organization　of　mature　commonsense；　healthy　and　secure；　gathering　knowledge　and　power　for　creative　adventures　as　yet　beyond　dreaming。　They　were　prepared　to　think　of　the　makers　of　the　Avebury　dyke　as　their　yesterday　selves；　of　the　stone　age　savages　as　a　phase；　in　their　late　childhood；　and　of　this　great　world　order　Sir　Richmond　foresaw　as　a　day　where　dawn　was　already　at　hand。　And　in　such　long　perspectives；　the　states；　governments　and　institutions　of　to…day　became　very　temporary…looking　and　replaceable　structures　indeed。　Both　these　two　people　found　themselves　thinking　in　this　fashion　with　an　unwonted　courage　and　freedom　because　the　other　one　had　been　disposed　to　think　in　this　fashion　before。　Sir　Richmond　was　still　turning　over　in　his　mind　the　happy　mutual　release　of　the　imagination　this　chance　companionship　had　brought　about　when　he　found　himself　back　again　at　the　threshold　of　the　Old　George。　Section　4　Sir　Richmond　Hardy　was　not　the　only　man　who　was　thinking　intently　about　Miss　Grammont　at　that　particular　moment。　Two　gentlemen　were　coming　towards　her　across　the　Atlantic　whose　minds；　it　chanced；　were　very　busily　occupied　by　her　affairs。　One　of　these　was　her　father；　who　was　lying　in　his　brass　bed　in　his　commodious　cabin　on　the　Hollandia；　regretting　his　diminishing　ability　to　sleep　in　the　early　morning　now；　even　when　he　was　in　the　strong　and　soothing　air　of　mid…Atlantic；　and　thinking　of　V。V。　because　she　had　a　way　of　coming　into　his　mind　when　it　was　undefended；　and　the　other　was　Mr。　Gunter　Lake　on　the　Megantic；　one　day　out　from　Sandy　Hook；　who　found　himself　equally　sleepless　and　preoccupied。　And　although　Mr。　Lake　was　a　man　of　vast　activities　and　complicated　engagements　he　was　coming　now　to　Europe　for　the　express　purpose　of　seeing　V。V。　and　having　things　out　with　her　fully　and　completely　because；　in　spite　of　all　that　had　happened；　she　made　such　an　endless　series　of　delays　in　coming　to　America。　Old　Grammont　as　he　appeared　upon　the　pillow　of　his　bed　by　the　light　of　a　rose…shaded　bedside　lamp；　was　a　small…headed；　grey…haired　gentleman　with　a　wrinkled　face　and　sunken　brown　eyes。　Years　of　business　experience；　mitigated　only　by　such　exercise　as　the　game　of　poker　affords；　had　intensified　an　instinctive　inexpressiveness。　Under　the　most　solitary　circumstances　old　Grammont　was　still　inexpressive；　and　the　face　that　stared　at　the；　ceiling　of　his　cabin　and　the　problem　of　his　daughter　might　have　been　the　face　of　a　pickled　head　in　a　museum；　for　any　indication　it　betrayed　of　the　flow　of　thought　within。　He　lay　on　his　back　and　his　bent　knees　lifted　the　bed…clothes　into　a　sharp　mountain。　He　was　not　even　trying　to　sleep。　Why；　he　meditated；　had　V。V。　stayed　on　in　Europe　so　much　longer　than　she　need　have　done？　And　why　had　Gunter　Lake　suddenly　got　into　a　state　of　mind　about　her？　Why　didn't　the　girl　confide　in　her　father　at　least　about　these　things？　What　was　afoot？　She　had　thrown　over　Lake　once　and　it　seemed　she　was　going　to　turn　him　down　again。　Well；　if　she　was　an　ordinary　female　person　that　was　a　silly　sort　of　thing　to　do。　With　her　fortune　and　hisyou　could　buy　the　world。　But　suppose　she　was　not　all　ordinary　female　person。　。　。　。　Her　mother　hadn't　been　ordinary　anyhow；　whatever　else　you　called　her；　and　no　one　could　call　Grammont　blood　all　ordinary　fluid。　。　。　。　Old　Grammont　had　never　had　any　delusions　about　Lake。　If　Lake's　father　hadn't　been　a　big　man　Lake　would　never　have　counted　for　anything　at　all。　Suppose　she　did　turn　him　down。　In　itself　that　wasn't　a　thing　to　break　her　father's　heart。　What　did　matter　was　not　whether　she　threw　Lake　over　but　what　she　threw　him　over　for。　If　it　was　because　he　wasn't　man　enough；　well　and　good。　But　if　it　was　for　some　other　lover；　some　good…looking；　worthless　impostor；　some　European　title　or　suchlike　folly！　At　the　thought　of　a　lover　for　V。V。　a　sudden　flood　of　anger　poured　across　the　old　man's　mind；　behind　the　still　mask　of　his　face。　It　infuriated　him　even　to　think　of　V。V。；　his　little　V。V。；　his　own　girl；　entertaining　a　lover；　being　possibly　most　shameful　thoughtIN　LOVE！　Like　some　ordinary　silly　female；　sinking　to　kisses；　to　the　deeds　one　could　buy　and　pay　for。　His　V。V。！　The　idea　infuriated　and　disgusted　him。　He　fought　against　it　as　a　possibility。　Once　some　woman　in　New　York　had　ventured　to　hint　something　to　him　of　some　fellow；　some　affair　with　an　artist；　Caston；　she　had　linked　this　Caston　with　V。V。's　red　cross　nursing　in　Europe。　。　。　。　Old　Grammont　had　made　that　woman　sorry　she　spoke。　Afterwards　he　had　caused　enquiries　to　be　made　about　this　Caston；　careful　enquiries。　It　seems　that　he　and　V。V。　had　known　each　other；　there　had　been　something。　But　nothing　that　V。V。　need　be　ashamed　of。　When　old　Grammont's　enquiry　man　had　come　back　with　his　report；　old　Grammont　had　been　very　particular　about　that。　At　first　the　fellow　had　not　been　very　clear；　rather　muddled　indeed　as　to　how　things　wereno　doubt　he　had　wanted　to　make　out　there　was　something　just　to　seem　to　earn　his　money。　Old　Grammont　had　struck　the　table　sharply　and　the　eyes　that　looked　out　of　his　mask　had　blazed。　〃What　have　you　found　out　against　her？〃　he　had　asked　in　a　low　even　voice。　〃Absolutely　nothing；　Sir；〃　said　the　agent；　suddenly　white　to　the　lips。　。　。　。　Old　Grammont　stared　at　his　memory　of　that　moment　for　a　while。　That　affair　was　all　right；　quite　all　right。　Of　course　it　was　all　right。　And　also；　happily；　Caston　was　among　the　dead。　But　it　was　well　her　broken　engagement　with　Lake　had　been　resumed　as　though　it　had　never　been　broken　off。　If　there　had　been　any　talk　that　fact　answered　it。　And　now　that　Lake　had　served　his　purpose　old　Grammont　did　not　care　in　the　least　if　he　was　shelved。　V。V。　could　stand　alone。　Old　Grammont　had　got　a　phrase　in　his　mind　that　looked　like　dominating　the　situation。　He　dreamt　of　saying　to　V。V。：　〃V。V。；　I'm　going　to　make　a　man　of　youif　you're　man　enough。〃　That　was　a　large　proposition；　it　impliedoh！　it　implied　all　sorts　of　things。　It　meant　that　she　would　care　as　little　for　philandering　as　an　able　young　business　man。　Perhaps　some　day；　a　long　time　ahead；　she　might　marry。　There　wasn't　much　reason　for　it；　but　it　might　be　she　would　not　wish　to　be　called　a　spinster。　〃Take　a　husband；〃　thought　old　Grammont；　〃when　I　am　gone；　as　one　takes　a　butler；　to　make　the　household　complete。〃　In　previous　meditations　on　his　daughter's　outlook　old　Grammont　had　found　much　that　was　very　suggestive　in　the　precedent　of　Queen　Victoria。　She　had　had　no　husband　of　the　lord　and　master　type；　so　to　speak；　but　only　a　Prince　Consort；　well　in　hand。　Why　shouldn't　the　Grammont　heiress　dominate　her　male　belonging；　if　it　came　to　that；　in　the　same　fashion？　Why　shouldn't　one　tie　her　up　and　tie　the　whole　thing　up；　so　far　as　any　male　belonging　was　concerned；　leaving　V。V。　in　all　other　respects　free？　How　could　one　do　it？　The　speculative　calm　of　the　sunken　brown　eyes　deepened。　His　thoughts　went　back　to　the　white　face　of　the　private　enquiry　agent。　〃Absolutely　nothing；　Sir。〃　What　had　the　fellow　thought　of　hinting？　Nothing　of　that　kind　in　V。V。's　composition；　never　fear。　Yet　it　was　a　curious　anomaly　that　while　one　had　a　thousand　ways　of　defending　one's　daughter　and　one's　property　against　that　daughter's　husband；　there　was　no　power　on　earth　by　which　a　father　could　stretch　his　dead　hand　between　that　daughter　and　the　undue　influence　of　a　lover。　Unless　you　tied　her　up　for　good　and　all；　lover　or　none。　。　。　。　One　was　left　at　the　mercy　of　V。V。's　character。　。　。　。　〃I　ought　to　see　more　of　her；〃　he　thought。　〃She　gets　away　from　me。　Just　a