the american claimant-第38章

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man　was　not　himself；　and　in　that　case　all　compliments　and　affection
lavished　there　were　wasted；　and　a　sufficient　basis　for　jealousy。　　A　tiff
was　the　result　of　the　dispute　between　the　two。　　Then　they　made　it　up；　and
were　more　loving　than　ever。　　As　an　affectionate　clincher　of　the
reconciliation；　Sally　declared　that　she　had　now　banished　Lord　Berkeley
from　her　mind；　and　added；　〃And　in　order　to　make　sure　that　he　shall　never
make　trouble　between　us　again；　I　will　teach　myself　to　detest　that　name
and　all　that　have　ever　borne　it　or　ever　shall　bear　it。〃

This　inflicted　another　pang；　and　Tracy　was　minded　to　ask　her　to　modify
that　a　little　just　on　general　principles；　and　as　practice　in　not
overdoing　a　good　thingperhaps　he　might　better　leave　things　as　they　were
and　not　risk　bringing　on　another　tiff。　　He　got　away　from　that　particular；
and　sought　less　tender　ground　for　conversation。

〃I　suppose　you　disapprove　wholly　of　aristocracies　and　nobilities；　now
that　you　have　renounced　your　title　and　your　father's　earldom。〃

〃Real　ones？　　Oh；　dear　nobut　I've　thrown　aside　our　sham　one　for　good。〃

This　answer　fell　just　at　the　right　time　and　just　in　the　right　place；　to
save　the　poor　unstable　young　man　from　changing　his　political　complexion
once　more。　　He　had　been　on　the　point　of　beginning　to　totter　again；　but
this　prop　shored　him　up　and　kept　him　from　floundering　back　into　democracy
and　re…renouncing　aristocracy。　　So　he　went　home　glad　that　he　had　asked
the　fortunate　question。　　The　girl　would　accept　a　little　thing　like　a
genuine　earldom；　she　was　merely　prejudiced　against　the　brummagem　article。
Yes；　he　could　have　his　girl　and　have　his　earldom；　too：　that　question　was
a　fortunate　stroke。

Sally　went　to　bed　happy；　too；　and　remained　happy；　deliriously　happy；　for
nearly　two　hours；　but　at　last；　just　as　she　was　sinking　into　a　contented
and　luxurious　unconsciousness；　the　shady　devil　who　lives　and　lurks　and
hides　and　watches　inside　of　human　beings　and　is　always　waiting　for　a
chance　to　do　the　proprietor　a　malicious　damage；　whispered　to　her　soul　and
said；　〃That　question　had　a　harmless　look；　but　what　was　back　of　it？　what
was　the　secret　motive　of　it？　what　suggested　it？〃

The　shady　devil　had　knifed　her；　and　could　retire；　now；　and　take　a　rest；
the　wound　would　attend　to　business　for　him。　　And　it　did。

Why　should　Howard　Tracy　ask　that　question？　　If　he　was　not　trying　to　marry
her　for　the　sake　of　her　rank；　what　should　suggest　that　question　to　him？
Didn't　he　plainly　look　gratified　when　she　said　her　objections　to
aristocracy　had　their　limitations？　　Ah；　he　is　after　that　earldom；　that
gilded　shamit　isn't　poor　me　he　wants。

So　she　argued；　in　anguish　and　tears。　　Then　she　argued　the　opposite
theory；　but　made　a　weak；　poor　business　of　it；　and　lost　the　case。　　She
kept　the　arguing　up；　one　side　and　then　the　other；　the　rest　of　the　night；
and　at　last　fell　asleep　at　dawn；　fell　in　the　fire　at　dawn；　one　may　say；
for　that　kind　of　sleep　resembles　fire；　and　one　comes　out　of　it　with　his
brain　baked　and　his　physical　forces　fried　out　of　him。




CHAPTER　XXIII。

Tracy　wrote　his　father　before　he　sought　his　bed。　　He　wrote　a　letter　which
he　believed　would　get　better　treatment　than　his　cablegram　received；　for
it　contained　what　ought　to　be　welcome　news；　namely；　that　he　had　tried
equality　and　working　for　a　living；　had　made　a　fight　which　he　could　find
no　reason　to　be　ashamed　of；　and　in　the　matter　of　earning　a　living　had
proved　that　he　was　able　to　do　it；　but　that　on　the　whole　he　had　arrived　at
the　conclusion　that　he　could　not　reform　the　world　single…handed；　and　was
willing　to　retire　from　the　conflict　with　the　fair　degree　of　honor　which
he　had　gained；　and　was　also　willing　to　return　home　and　resume　his
position　and　be　content　with　it　and　thankful　for　it　for　the　future；
leaving　further　experiment　of　a　missionary　sort　to　other　young　people
needing　the　chastening　and　quelling　persuasions　of　experience；　the　only
logic　sure　to　convince　a　diseased　imagination　and　restore　it　to　rugged
health。　　Then　he　approached　the　subject　of　marriage　with　the　daughter　of
the　American　Claimant　with　a　good　deal　of　caution　and　much　painstaking
art。　　He　said　praiseful　and　appreciative　things　about　the　girl；　but
didn't　dwell　upon　that　detail　or　make　it　prominent。　　The　thing　which　he
made　prominent　was　the　opportunity　now　so　happily　afforded；　to　reconcile
York　and　Lancaster；　graft　the　warring　roses　upon　one　stem；　and　end
forever　a　crying　injustice　which　had　already　lasted　far　too　long。　　One
could　infer　that　he　had　thought　this　thing　all　out　and　chosen　this　way　of
making　all　things　fair　and　right　because　it　was　sufficiently　fair　and
considerably　wiser　than　the　renunciation…scheme　which　he　had　brought　with
him　from　England。　　One　could　infer　that；　but　he　didn't　say　it。　　In　fact
the　more　he　read　his　letter　over；　the　more　he　got　to　inferring　it
himself。

When　the　old　earl　received　that　letter；　the　first　part　of　it　filled　him
with　a　grim　and　snarly　satisfaction；　but　the　rest　of　it　brought　a　snort
or　two　out　of　him　that　could　be　translated　differently。　　He　wasted　no　ink
in　this　emergency；　either　in　cablegrams　or　letters；　he　promptly　took　ship
for　America　to　look　into　the　matter　himself。　　He　had　staunchly　held　his
grip　all　this　long　time；　and　given　no　sign　of　the　hunger　at　his　heart　to
see　his　son；　hoping　for　the　cure　of　his　insane　dream；　and　resolute　that
the　process　should　go　through　all　the　necessary　stages　without　assuaging
telegrams　q　other　nonsense　from　home；　and　here　was　victory　at　last。
Victory；　but　stupidly　marred　by　this　idiotic　marriage　project。　　Yes；　he
would　step　over　and　take　a　hand　in　this　matter　himself。

During　the　first　ten　days　following　the　mailing　of　the　letter　Tracy's
spirits　had　no　idle　time；　they　were　always　climbing　up　into　the　clouds　or
sliding　down　into　the　earth　as　deep　as　the　law　of　gravitation　reached。
He　was　intensely　happy　or　intensely　miserable　by　turns；　according　to　Miss
Sally's　moods。　　He　never　could　tell　when　the　mood　was　going　to　change；
and　when　it　changed　he　couldn't　tell　what　it　was　that　had　changed　it。
Sometimes　she　was　so　in　love　with　him　that　her　love　was　tropical；　torrid；
and　she　could　find　no　language　fervent　enough　for　its　expression；　then
suddenly；　and　without　warning　or　any　apparent　reason；　the　weather　would
change；　and　the　victim　would　find　himself　adrift　among　the　icebergs　and
feeling　as　lonesome　and　friendless　as　the　north　pole。　　It　sometimes
seemed　to　him　that　a　man　might　better　be　dead　than　exposed　to　these
devastating　varieties　of　climate。

The　case　was　simple。　　Sally　wanted　to　believe　that　Tracy's　preference　was
disinterested；　so　she　was　always　applying　little　tests　of　one　sort　or
another；　hoping　and　expecting　that　they　would　bring　out　evidence　which
would　confirm　or　fortify　her　belief。　　Poor　Tracy　did　not　know　that　these
experiments　were　being　made　upon　him；　consequently　he　walked　promptly
into　all　the　traps　the　girl　set　for　him。　　These　traps　consisted　in
apparently　casual　references　to　social　distinction；　aristocratic　title
and　privilege；　and　such　things。　　Often　Tracy　responded　to　these
references　heedlessly　and　not　much　caring　what　he　said　provided　it　kept
the　talk　going　and　prolonged　the　seance。　　He　didn't　suspect　that　the　girl
was　watching　his　face　and　listening　for　his　words　as　one　who　watches　the
judge's　face　and　listens　for　the　words　which　will　restore　him　to　home　and
friends　and　freedom　or　shut　him　away　from　the　sun　and　human　companionship
forever。　　He　didn't　suspect　that　his　careless　words　were　being　weighed；
and　so　he　often　delivered　sentence　of　death　when　it　would　have　been　just
as　handy　and　all　the　same　to　him　to　pronounce　acquittal。　　Daily　he　broke
the　girl's　heart；　nightly　he　sent　her　to　the　rack　for　sleep。　　He　couldn't
understand　it。

Some　people　would　have　put　this　and　that　together　and　perceived　that　the
weather　never　changed　until　one　particular　subject　was　introduced；
and　that　then　it　always　changed。　　And　they　would　have　looked　further；
and　perceived　that　that　subject　was　always　introduced　by　the　one　party；
never　the　other。　　They　would　have　argued；　then；　that　this　was　done　for　a
purpose。　　If　they　could　not　find　out　what　that　purpose　was　in　any　si