the fortunes of oliver horn-第13章

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〃The　failure　of　the　steam…valve；　as　I　have　always　told　you；　was　due　to　my　own　carelessness；　Sallie。　I　should　have　patented　it　sooner。　They　are　making　enormous　sums　on　it；　I　hear；　and　are　using　my　cut…　off；　and　I　think　dishonestly。　But　the　motor　has　been　protected　at　every　new　step　that　I　have　taken。　My　first　patent　of　August　13；　1856；　supersedes　all　others；　and　cannot　be　shaken。　Now；　my　dear；　don't　worry　about　ityou　have　never　known　me　to　fail；　and　I　won't　now。　Besides；　you　forget　my　successes；　Salliethe　turbine　water…wheel　and　the　others。　It　will　all　come；　right。〃

〃It　will　never　come　right。〃　She　had　risen　from　her　seat；　and　was　standing　over；　him；　both　hands　on　his　shoulders；　her　eyes　looking　down　into　his；　her　voice　trembling。　〃Oh；　Richard；　Richard！　Give　up　this　life　of　dreams　you　are　living；　and　go　back　to　your　law…office。　You　always　succeeded　in　the　law。　This　new　career　of　yours　is　ruining　us。　I　can　economize；　　dear；　just　as　I　have　always　done；〃　she　added；　with　another　sudden　change　of　tone；　bending　over　him　and　slipping　her　hand　caressingly　into　his。　〃I　will　do　everything　to　help　you。　I　did　not　mean　to　be　cross　a　moment　ago。　I　was　worried　about　Oliver's　talk。　I　have　been　silent　so　longI　must　speak。　Don't　be　angry；　dear；　but　you　must　keep　the　farm。　I　will　go　myself　and　see　about　the　mortgage　at　the　　bankwe　cannotwe　must　not；　go　on　this　way　we　will　have　nothing　left。〃

He　patted　her　arm　again　in　his　gentle　waynot　to　calm　her　fears；　he　knew　so　well　that　she　was　wrong；　but　to　quiet　the　nerves　that　he　thought　unstrung。

〃But　I　need　this　extra　money　for　some　improvements　　which　I〃

〃Yes；　I　know　you　THINK　so；　but　you　don't；　Richard；　　you　don't？〃　For　Heaven's　sake；　throw　the　motor　out　into　the　street；　and　be　done　with　it。　It　will　ruin　us　all　if　things　go　on　as　they　have　done。〃

The　inventor　raised　his　eyes　quickly。　He　had　never　seen　her　so　disturbed　in　all　their　married　life。　She　had　never　spoken　in　this　way　before。

〃Don't　excite　yourself；　Sallie；〃　he　said；　gravely；　and　with　a　certain　air　of　authority　in　his　manner。　〃You'll　bring　on　one　of　your　headachesit　will　all　come　right。　Come；　my　dear；　let　us　go　into　the　house。　People　are　passing；　and　will　wonder。〃

She　followed　him　back　into　the　drawing…room；　his　hand　still　held　fast　in　hers。

〃Promise　me　one　thing；〃　she　said；　stopping　at　the　door　and　looking　up　into　his　eyes；　〃and　I　won't　say　another　word。　Please　do　nothing　more　about　the　farm　unless　you　let　me　know。　Let　me　think　first　how　I　can　help。　It　will　all　come　out　right；　as　you　say；　but　it　will　be　because　we　will　make　it　come　right；　dear。〃　She　drew　his　face　down　toward　her　with　one　hand　and　kissed　him　tenderly　on　his　cheek。　Then　she　bade　him　good…night　and　resumed　her　seat　by　the　window；　to　watch　for　Oliver's　return。

Try　as　she　would；　she　could　not　banish　her　fears。　The　news　of　Richard's　intention　to　pay　off　the　loan　by　selling　the　farm　had　sent　a　shudder　through　her　heart　such　as　she　had　never　before　experienced；　for　that　which　she　had　dreaded　had　come　to　pass。　Loyal　as　she　had　always　been　to　her　husband；　and　proud　as　she　was　of　his　genius　and　accomplishments；　and　sympathetic　　as　they　were　in　all　else　that　their　lives　touched　upon；　her　keen；　penetrating　mind　had　long　since　divined　　the　principal　fault　that　lay　at　the　bottom　of　her　husband's　genius。　She　saw　that　the　weak　point　in　his　make…up　was　not　his　inventive　quality；　but　his　inability　　to　realize　any　practical　results　from　his　inventions　　when　perfected。　She　saw；　too；　with　equal　certainty　how　rapidly　their　already　slender　means　were　being　daily　depleted　in　costly　experiments　many　of　which　were　abandoned　as　soon　as　tried；　and　she　knew　full　well　that　the　end　was　but　a　question　of　time。　Even　when　he　had　abandoned　the　law；　and　had　exchanged　his　office　near　the　Court…house　for　his　shop　in　the　back　yard；　and　had　given　his　library　to　his　young　students；　she　had　not　despaired；　she　still　had　faith　in　his　genius。

She　had　first　become　uneasy　when　the　new　steam　cut…off　had　failed　to　reimburse　him。　When　this　catastrophe　　was　followed　by　his　losing　every　dollar　of　his　interest　in　the　improved　cotton…gin；　because　of　his　generosity　to　a　brother　inventor；　her　uneasiness　had　become　the　keenest　anxiety。　And　now　here　was　this　new　motor；　in　which　he　seemed　more　absorbed　than　in　any　other　of　his　inventions。　This　was　to　plunge　them　into　still　greater　difficulties　and　jeopardize　even　the　farm。

Richard　had　not　been　disturbed　by　it　all。　Serene　and　hopeful　always；　the　money　question　had　counted　for　nothing　with　him。　His　compensation　lay　in　the　fact　that　his　theories　had　been　proved　true。　More…　over；　there　were；　he　knew；　other　inventions　ahead；　and　more　important　discoveries　to　be　made。　If　money　were　necessary；　these　new　inventions　would　supply　it。　Such　indifference　to　practical　questions　was　an　agony　to　one　of　her　temperament；　burdened　as　she　was　by　the　thought　of　their　increasing　daily　expenses；　the　magnitude　of　which　Richard　never　seemed　to　appreciate。

And　yet　until　to…night；　when　Richard　had　made　his　announcement　about　the　mortgage；　she　had　made　no　protest；　uttered　no　word　of　censure。　Neither　had　any　jar　or　discord　ever　disturbed　the　sweet　harmony　of　their　home…life。　And　she　had　only　behaved　as　any　other　wife　in　Kennedy　Square　would　have　done　in　like　circumstances。　Remonstrances　against　a　husband's　　business　methods　were　never　made　in　the　best　families。　In　his　own　house　Richard　was　master。　So　she　had　suffered　on　and　held　her　peace；　while　Richard　　walked　with　his　head　in　the　clouds；　unconscious　of　her　doubts。　The　situation　must　now　be　met；　and　she　determined　to　face　it　with　all　her　might。　〃The　farm　shall　not　be　sacrificed；　if　I　can　help　it；〃　she　kept　repeating　to　herself；　〃any　economy　is　better　than　that　disaster。〃

When　at　last　the　shock　of　the　news　of　the　threatened　　disaster　had　passed；　and　she　had　regained　her　customary　composure；　she　decided　to　act　at　once　and　at　head…quarters；　outside　of　Richard's　help　or　knowledge。　　She　would　send　for　Colonel　Clayton；　one　of　the　directors　of　the　bank；　in　the　morning；　and　see　what　could　be　done　to　postpone　for　a　time　the　bank's　action。　This　would　give　her　time　to　think　what　next　could　best　be　done　to　save　the　property。　This　settled　　in　her　mind；　she　gave　herself　up　to　the　more　important　and　pressing　need　of　the　momentthe　dissuading　of　Oliver　from　this　new　act　of　folly。

At　the　end　of　an　hour　she　was　still　sitting　by　the　drawing…room　window；　straining　her　eyes　across　the　Square；　noting　every　figure　that　passed　into　the　radiance　　of　the　moonlight；　her　mind　becoming　clearer　as　her　indomitable　will；　which　had　never　failed　her　in　domestic　crises；　began　to　assert　itself。

When　her　eye　fell　at　last　upon　her　son；　he　was　walking　with　swinging　gait　up　the　long　path　across　the　Square；　whistling　as　he　came；　his　straw　hat　tilted　on　one　side；　his　short　coat　flying　free。　He　had　taken　Sue　home；　and　the　two　had　sat　on　her　father's　steps　in　the　moonlight　long　after　the　other　boys　and　girls　had　scattered　to　their　homes。　The　Colonel　had　come　in　while　they　were　talking；　and　had　bade　them　good…　night　and　gone　up　to　bed。

Girl　as　she　was；　Sue　already　possessed　that　subtle　power　of　unconscious　coquetry　which　has　distinguished　　all　the　other　Sue　Claytons　of　all　the　other　Kennedy　Squares　the　South　over　since　the　days　of　Pocahontas。　She　had　kept　Oliver's　mind　away　from　the　subject　that　engrossed　him；　and　on　herself；　and　when；　at　last；　standing　between　the　big　columns　of　the　portico　she　had　waved　her　hand；　good…night；　and　had　gained　his　promise　to　stop　in　the　morning　on　his　way　to　the　office；　for　just　another　word；　she　felt　sure　that　his　every　thought　was　of　her。　Then　she　had　closed　the　big　front　doorshe　was　the　last　person　　in　the　house　awakeand　tripped　upstairs；　not　lighting　her　candle　until　she　had　peeped　through　her　shutters；　and　had　found　him　standing　on　the　other　side　of　the　street　looking　toward　the　house。　He　made　a　handsome　picture　of　a　lover；　as　he　stood　in　the　moonlight；　and　Sue　smiled　complacently　to　herself　at　the　delicate　attention　paid　her；　but　Oliver's　eyes；　the　scribe　is　ashamed　to　say；　were　not　fixed　on　the　particular　pair　of　green　blinds　that　concealed　this　adorable　young　lady；　certainly　not　with　any　desire　to　break　through　their　privacy。