the price she paid-第7章
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‘‘Has he been married before？'' asked Mrs。 Presbury。
‘‘Twice；'' replied her husband。 ‘‘His first wife died。 He divorced the second for unfaithfulness。''
Mildred saw in this painstaking recital of all the disagreeable and repellent facts about Siddall an effort further to humiliate her by making it apparent how desperately off she was； how she could not refuse any offer； revolting though it might be to her pride and to her womanly instincts。 Doubtless this was in part the explanation of Presbury's malicious candor。 But an element in that candor was a prudent preparing of the girl's mind for worse than the reality。 That he was in earnest in his profession of a desire to bring about the match showed when he proposed that they should take rooms at a hotel in New York； to give her a chance to dress properly for the dinner。 True； he hastened to say that the expense must be met altogether out of the remnant of Mildred's share of her father's estate； but the idea would not have occurred to him had he not been really planning a marriage。
Never had Mildred looked more beautiful or more attractive than when the three were ready to sally forth from the Manhattan Hotel on that Thanksgiving evening。 At twenty…five； a soundly healthy and vigorous twenty…five； it is impossible for mind and nerves； however wrought upon； to make serious inroads upon surface charms。 The hope of emancipation from her hideous slavery had been acting upon the girl like a powerful tonic。 She had gained several pounds in the three intervening days； her face had filled out； color had come back in all its former beauty to her lips。 Perhaps there was some slight aid from art in the extraordinary brilliancy of her eyes。
Presbury inventoried her with a succession of grunts of satisfaction。 ‘‘Yes； he'll want you；'' he said。 ‘‘You'll strike him as just the show piece he needs。 And he's too shrewd not to be aware that his choice is limited。''
‘‘You can't frighten me；'' said Mildred； with a radiant； coquettish smilefor practice。 ‘‘Nothing could frighten me。''
‘‘I'm not trying；'' replied Presbury。 ‘‘Nor will Siddall frighten you。 A woman who's after a bill…payer can stomach anything。''
‘‘Or a man；'' said Mildred。
‘‘Oh； your mother wasn't as bad as all that；'' said Presbury； who never lost an opportunity。
Mrs。 Presbury； seated beside her daughter in the cab； gave an exclamation of rage。 ‘‘My own daughter insulting me！'' she said。
‘‘Such a thought did not enter my head；'' protested Mildred。 ‘‘I wasn't thinking of anyone in particular。''
‘‘Let's not quarrel now；'' said Presbury； with unprecedented amiability。 ‘‘We must give Bill a spectacle of the happy family。''
The cab entered the porte…cochere of a huge palace of white stone just off Fifth Avenue。 The house was even grander than they had anticipated。 The wrought… iron fence around it had cost a small fortune； the house itself； without reference to its contents； a large fortune。 The massive outer doors were opened by two lackeys in cherry…colored silk and velvet livery； a butler； looking like an English gentleman； was waiting to receive them at the top of a short flight of marble steps between the outer and the inner entrance doors。 As Mildred ascended； she happened to note the sculpturing over the inner entrancea reclining nude figure of a woman； Cupids with garlands and hymeneal torches hovering about her。
Mildred had been in many pretentious houses in and near New York； but this far surpassed the grandest of them。 Everything was brand new； seemed to have been only that moment placed； and was of the costliest… statuary； carpets； armor； carved seats of stone and wood； marble staircase rising majestically； tapestries； pictures； drawing…room furniture。 The hall was vast； but the drawing…room was vaster。 Empty； one would have said that it could not possibly be furnished。 Yet it was not only full； but crowded…chairs and sofas； hassocks and tete…a…tetes； cabinets； tables； pictures； statues； busts； palms； flowers； a mighty fireplace in which； behind enormous and costly andirons； crackled enormous and costly logs。 There was danger in moving about； one could not be sure of not upsetting something； and one felt that the least damage that could be done there would be an appallingly expensive matter。
Before that cavernous fireplace posed General Siddall。 He was a tiny mite of a man with a thin wiry body supporting the head of a professional barber。 His black hair was glossy and most romantically arranged。 His black mustache and imperial were waxed and brilliantined。 There was no mistaking the liberal use of dye； also。 From the rather thin； very sharp face looked a pair of small； muddy； brown…green eyes dull； crafty； cold； cruel。 But the little man was so insignificant and so bebarbered and betailored that one could not take him seriously。 Never had there been so new； so carefully pressed； so perfectly fitting evening clothes； never a shirt so expensively got together； or jeweled studs； waistcoat buttons and links so high priced。 From every part of the room； from every part of the little man's perfumed and groomed person； every individual article seemed to be shrieking； ‘‘The best is not too good for Bill Siddall！''
Mildred was agreeably surprisedshe was looking with fierce determination for agreeable surprises when the costly little man spoke； in a quiet； pleasant voice with an elusive； attractive foreign accent。
‘‘My； but this is grandgrand； General Siddall！'' said Presbury in the voice of the noisy flatterer。 ‘‘Princely！ Royal！''
Mildred glanced nervously at Siddall。 She feared that Presbury had taken the wrong tone。 She saw in the unpleasant eyes a glance of gratified vanity。 Said he：
‘‘Not so bad； not so bad。 I saw the house in Paris； when I was taking a walk one day。 I went to the American ambassador and asked for the best architect in Paris。 I went to him； told him about the house and here it is。''
‘‘Decorations； furniture； and all！'' exclaimed Presbury。
‘‘No； just the house。 I picked up the interiors in different parts of Europehad everything reproduced where I couldn't buy outright。 I want to enjoy my money while I'm still young。 I didn't care what it cost to get the proper surroundings。 As I said to my architect and to my staff of artists； I expected to be cheated； but I wanted the goods。 And I got the goods。 I'll show you through the house after dinner。 It's on this same scale throughout。 And they're putting me together a country placesame sort of thing。'' He threw back his little shoulders and protruded his little chest。 ‘‘And the joke of it is that the whole business isn't costing me a cent。''
‘‘Not a cent less than half a dozen or a dozen millions；'' said Presbury。
‘‘Not so much as thatnot quite；'' protested the delightedly sparkling little general。 ‘‘But what I meant was that； as fast as these fellows spend； I go down…town and make。 Fact is； I'm a little better off than I was when I started in to build。''
‘‘Well； you didn't get any of MY money；'' laughed Presbury。 ‘‘But I suppose pretty much everybody else in the country must have contributed。''
General Siddall smiled。 Mildred wondered whether the points of his mustache and imperial would crack and break of； if he should touch them。 She noted that his hair was roached absurdly high above the middle of his forehead and that he was wearing the tallest heels she had ever seen。 She calculated that； with his hair flat and his feet on the ground； he would hardly come to her shoulderand she was barely of woman's medium height。 She caught sight of his handsthe square； stubby hands of a working man； the fingers permanently slightly curved as by the handle of shovel and pick； the skin shriveled but white with a ghastly； sickening bleached white； the nails repulsively manicured into long white curves。 ‘‘If he should touch me； I'd scream；'' she thought。 And then she looked at Presburyand around her at the evidences of enormous wealth。
The generalshe wondered where he had got that titleled her mother in to dinner； Presbury gave her his arm。 On the way he found opportunity to mutter：
‘‘Lay it on thick！ Flatter the fool。 You can't offend him。 Tell him he's divinely handsomea Louis Fourteen； a Napoleon。 Praise everythingnapkins； tablecloth； dishes； food。 Rave over the wine。''
But Mildred could not adopt this obviously excellent advice。 She sat silent and cold； while Presbury and her mother raved and drew out the general to talk of himselfthe only subject in the whole world that seemed to him thoroughly worth while。 As Mildred listened and furtively observed； it seemed to her that this tiny fool； so obviously pleased by these coarse and insulting flatteries； could not possibly have had the brains to amass the vast fortune he apparently possessed。 But presently she noted that behind the personality that was pleased by this gross fawning and bootlicking there laylay in wait and on guard another personality； one that despised these guests of his； estimating them at their true value and using them contemptuously for the gratification of his coarse appetites。 In the glimpse she caught of that deeper and real personality； she liked it even less than she liked the one upon the surface。
It was evidence of superior acumen that she saw even vaguely the real Bill Siddall； the money…maker； beneath the General William Siddall； raw and ignorant and vulgarmore vulgar in his refinement than the most shocking bum at home and at ease in foul…smelling stew。 Every man of achievement hides beneath his surface personality this second and real man； who makes the fortune； discovers the secret of chemistry； fights the battle； carries the election； paints the picture； commits the frightful murder； evolves the divine sermon or poem or symphony。 Thus； when we meet a man of achievement； we invariably have a sense of disappointment。 ‘‘Why； that's not the man！'' we exclaim。 ‘‘There must be some mistake。'' And it is； indeed； not the man。 Him we are incapable of seeing。 We have only eyes for surfaces； and； not being doers of extraordinary deeds； but mere plodders in the routines of existence； we cannot believe that there is any more to another than there is to ourselves。 The pleasant or unpleasant surface for the conventional relations of life is about all there is to us； therefore it is all there is to human nature。 Well； there's no help for it。 In measuring our fellow beings we can use only the measurements of our own selves； we have no others； and if others are given to us we are as foozled as one knowing only feet and inches who has a tape marked off in meters and centimeters。
It so happened that in her social excursions Mildred had never been in any of the numerous homes of the suddenly and vastly rich of humble origin。 She was used toand regarded as proper and elegantthe ordinary ostentations and crudities of the rich of conventional society。 No more than you or I was she moved to ridicule or disdain by the silliness and the tawdry vulgarity of the life of palace and liveried lackey and empty ceremonial； by the tedious entertainments； by the displays of costly and poisonous food。 But General Siddall's establishment presented a new phase to herand she thought it unique in drea
