a far country-第31章

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interrupted　by　his　exclamations　when　certain　figures　went　by　in　the
corridor。

〃Say；　Hugh；　do　you　know　who　that　was？〃

〃No。〃

〃Miller　Gorse。〃

〃Who's　he？〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　you　never　heard　of　Miller　Gorse？〃

〃I've　been　away　a　long　time；〃　I　would　answer　apologetically。　　A　person　of
some　importance　among　my　contemporaries　at　Harvard；　I　had　looked　forward
to　a　residence　in　my　native　city　with　the　complacency　of　one　who　has　seen
something　of　the　world；only　to　find　that　I　was　the　least　in　the　new
kingdom。　　And　it　was　a　kingdom。　　Larry　opened　up　to　me　something　of　the
significance　and　extent　of　it；　something　of　the　identity　of　the　men　who
controlled　it。

〃Miller　Gorse；〃　he　said　impressively；　〃is　the　counsel　for　the　railroad。〃

〃What　railroad？　　You　mean　the〃　I　was　adding；　when　he　interrupted　me
pityingly。

〃After　you've　been　here　a　while　you'll　find　out　there's　only　one　railroad
in　this　state；　so　far　as　politics　are　concerned。　　The　Ashuela　and
Northern；　the　Lake　Shore　and　the　others　don't　count。〃

I　refrained　from　asking　any　more　questions　at　that　time；　but　afterwards　I
always　thought　of　the　Railroad　as　spelled　with　a　capital。

〃Miller　Gorse　isn't　forty　yet；〃　Larry　told　me　on　another　occasion。
〃That's　doing　pretty　well　for　a　man　who　comes　near　running　this　state。〃

For　the　sake　of　acquiring　knowledge；　I　endured　Mr。　Weed's　patronage。　　I
inquired　how　Mr。　Gorse　ran　the　state。

〃Oh；　you'll　find　out　soon　enough；〃　he　assured　me；

〃But　Mr。　Barbour's　president　of　the　Railroad。〃

〃Sure。　　Once　in　a　while　they　take　something　up　to　him；　but　as　a　rule　he
leaves　things　to　Gorse。〃

Whereupon　I　resolved　to　have　a　good　look　at　Mr。　Gorse　at　the　first
opportunity。　　One　day　Mr。　Watling　sent　out　for　some　papers。

〃He's　in　there　now；〃　said　Larry。　　〃You　take　'em。〃

〃In　there〃　meant　Mr。　Watling's　sanctum。　　And　in　there　he　was。　　I　had　only
a　glance　at　the　great　man；　for；　with　a　kindly　but　preoccupied　〃Thank　you；
Hugh；〃　Mr。　Watling　took　the　papers　and　dismissed　me。　　Heaviness；
blackness　and　impassivity；these　were　the　impressions　of　Mr。　Gorse　which
I　carried　away　from　that　first　meeting。　　The　very　solidity　of　his　flesh
seemed　to　suggest　the　solidity　of　his　position。　　Such；　say　the
psychologists；　is　the　effect　of　prestige。

I　remember　well　an　old…fashioned　picture　puzzle　in　one　of　my　boyhood
books。　　The　scene　depicted　was　to　all　appearances　a　sylvan；　peaceful　one；
with　two　happy　lovers　seated　on　a　log　beside　a　brook；　but　presently；　as
one　gazed　at　the　picture；　the　head　of　an　animal　stood　forth　among　the
branches；　and　then　the　body；　more　animals　began　to　appear；　bit　by　bit；　a
tiger；　a　bear；　a　lion；　a　jackal；　a　fox；　until　at　last；　whenever　I　looked
at　the　page；　I　did　not　see　the　sylvan　scene　at　all；　but　only　the
predatory　beasts　of　the　forest。　　So；　one　by　one；　the　figures　of　the　real
rulers　of　the　city　superimposed　themselves　for　me　upon　the　simple　and
democratic　design　of　Mayor；　Council；　Board　of　Aldermen；　Police　Force；
etc。；　that　filled　the　eye　of　a　naive　and　trusting　electorate　which　fondly
imagined　that　it　had　something　to　say　in　government。　　Miller　Gorse　was
one　of　these　rulers　behind　the　screen；　and　Adolf　Scherer；　of　the　Boyne
Iron　Works；　another；　there　was　Leonard　Dickinson　of　the　Corn　National
Bank；　Frederick　Grierson；　becoming　wealthy　in　city　real　estate；　Judah　B。
Tallant；　who；　though　outlawed　socially；　was　deferred　to　as　the　owner　of
the　Morning　Era；　and　even　Ralph　Hambleton；　rapidly　superseding　the
elderly　and　conservative　Mr。　Lord；　who　had　hitherto　managed　the　great
Hambleton　estate。　　Ralph　seemed　to　have　become；　in　a　somewhat　gnostic
manner；　a　full…fledged　financier。　　Not　having　studied　law；　he　had　been
home　for　four　years　when　I　became　a　legal　fledgling；　and　during　the　early
days　of　my　apprenticeship　I　was　beholden　to　him　for　many　〃eye　openers〃
concerning　the　conduct　of　great　affairs。　　I　remember　him　sauntering　into
my　room　one　morning　when　Larry　Weed　had　gone　out　on　an　errand。

〃Hello；　Hughie；〃　he　said；　with　his　air　of　having　nothing　to　do。
〃Grinding　it　out？　　Where's　Watling？〃

〃Isn't　he　in　his　office？〃

〃No。〃

〃Well；　what　can　we　do　for　you？〃　I　asked。

Ralph　grinned。

〃Perhaps　I'll　tell　you　when　you're　a　little　older。　　You're　too　young。〃
And　he　sank　down　into　Larry　Weed's　chair；　his　long　legs　protruding　on　the
other　side　of　the　table。　　〃It's　a　matter　of　taxes。　　Some　time　ago　I　found
out　that　Dickinson　and　Tallant　and　others　I　could　mention　were　paying　a
good　deal　less　on　their　city　property　than　we　are。　　We　don't　propose　to
do　it　any　morethat's　all。〃

〃How　can　Mr。　Watling　help　you？〃　I　inquired。

〃Well；　I　don't　mind　giving　you　a　few　tips　about　your　profession；　Hughie。
I'm　going　to　get　Watling　to　fix　it　up　with　the　City　Hall　gang。　　Old　Lord
doesn't　like　it；　I'll　admit；　and　when　I　told　him　we　had　been　contributing
to　the　city　long　enough；　that　I　proposed　swinging　into　line　with　other
property　holders；　he　began　to　blubber　about　disgrace　and　what　my
grandfather　would　say　if　he　were　alive。　　Well；　he　isn't　alive。　　A　good
deal　of　water　has　flowed　under　the　bridges　since　his　day。　　It's　a　mere
matter　of　business；　of　getting　your　respectable　firm　to　retain　a　City
Hall　attorney　to　fix　it　up　with　the　assessor。〃

〃How　about　the　penitentiary？〃　I　ventured；　not　too　seriously。

〃I　shan't　go　to　the　penitentiary；　neither　will　Watling。　　What　I　do　is　to
pay　a　lawyer's　fee。　　There　isn't　anything　criminal　in　that；　is　there？〃

For　some　time　after　Ralph　had　departed　I　sat　reflecting　upon　this　new
knowledge；　and　there　came　into　my　mind　the　bitterness　of　Cousin　Robert
Breck　against　this　City　Hall　gang；　and　his　remarks　about　lawyers。　　I
recalled　the　tone　in　which　he　had　referred　to　Mr。　Watling。　　But　Ralph's
philosophy　easily　triumphed。　　Why　not　be　practical；　and　become　master　of
a　situation　which　one　had　not　made；　and　could　not　alter；　instead　of　being
overwhelmed　by　it？　　Needless　to　say；　I　did　not　mention　the　conversation
to　Mr。　Watling；　nor　did　he　dwindle　in　my　estimation。　　These　necessary
transactions　did　not　interfere　in　any　way　with　his　personal
relationships；　and　his　days　were　filled　with　kindnesses。　　And　was　not　Mr。
Ripon；　the　junior　partner；　one　of　the　evangelical　lights　of　the
community；　conducting　advanced　Bible　classes　every　week　in　the　Church　of
the　Redemption？。。。　　The　unfolding　of　mysteries　kept　me　alert。　　And　I
understood　that；　if　I　was　to　succeed；　certain　esoteric　knowledge　must　be
acquired；　as　it　were；　unofficially。　　I　kept　my　eyes　and　ears　open；　and
applied　myself；　with　all　industry；　to　the　routine　tasks　with　which　every
young　man　in　a　large　legal　firm　is　familiar。　　I　recall　distinctly　my
pride　when；　the　Board　of　Aldermen　having　passed　an　ordinance　lowering　the
water　rates；　I　was　intrusted　with　the　responsibility　of　going　before　the
court　in　behalf　of　Mr。　Ogilvy's　water　company；　obtaining　a　temporary
restricting　order　preventing　the　ordinance　from　going　at　once　into
effect。　　Here　was　an　affair　in　point。　　Were　it　not　for　lawyers　of　the
calibre　of　Watling；　Fowndes　and　Ripon；　hard…earned　private　property　would
soon　be　confiscated　by　the　rapacious　horde。　　Once　in　a　while　I　was　made
aware　that　Mr。　Watling　had　his　eye　on　me。

〃Well；　Hugh；〃　he　would　say；　〃how　are　you　getting　along？　　That's　right；
stick　to　it；　and　after　a　while　we'll　hand　the　drudgery　over　to　somebody
else。〃

He　possessed　the　supreme　quality　of　a　leader　of　men　in　that　he　took　pains
to　inform　himself　concerning　the　work　of　the　least　of　his　subordinates；
and　he　had　the　gift　of　putting　fire　into　a　young　man　by　a　word　or　a　touch
of　the　hand　on　the　shoulder。　　It　was　not　difficult　for　me；　therefore；　to
comprehend　Larry　Weed's　hero…worship；　the　loyalty　of　other　members　of　the
firm　or　of　those　occupants　of　the　office　whom　I　have　not　mentioned。　　My
first　impression　of　him；　which　I　had　got　at　Jerry　Kyme's；　deepened　as
time　went　on；　and　I　readily　shared　the　belief　of　those　around　me　that　his
legal　talents　easily　surpassed　those　of　any　of　his　contemporaries。　　I　can
recall；　at　this　time；　several　noted　cases　in　the　city　when　I　sat　in　court
listening　to　his　arguments　with　thrills　of　pride。　　He　made　us　all　feel
no　matter　how　humble　may　have　been　our　contributions　to