\"Thatcrazymangivesmethecreeps,\"hegroaned。\"He’salwayswakingmeup,andlookingatmeasthoughhewasgoingtoeatme。\"
\"Shutyourhead,\"saidthesteward。\"He’sabettermancrazythanyou’lleverbewiththelittlesenseyou’vegot。AndhehastwoMauserholesinhim。Crazy,eh?It’sadamnedgoodthingforyouthattherewasaboutfourthousandofusregularsjustascrazyashim,oryou’dneverseenthetopofthehill。\"
Onemorningtherewasagreatcommotionondeck,andalltheconvalescentsbalancedthemselvesontherail,shiveringintheirpajamas,andpointedoneway。Thetransportwasmovingswiftlyandsmoothlythroughwaterasflatasalake,andmakingagreatnoisewithhersteam-whistle。Thenoisewasechoedbymanymoresteam-whistles;andtheghostsofout-boundshipsandtugsandexcursionsteamersranpastheroutofthemistanddisappeared,salutingjoyously。Alloftheexcursionsteamershadaheavylisttothesidenearestthetransport,andtheghostsonthemcrowdedtothatrailandwavedhandkerchiefsandcheered。Thefogliftedsuddenly,andbetweentheironrailstheLieutenantsawhighgreenhillsoneithersideofagreatharbor。
Housesandtreesandthousandsofmastssweptpastlikeapanorama;andbeyondwasamirageofthreecities,withcurlingsmoke-wreathsandsky-reachingbuildings,andagreatswingingbridge,andagiantstatueofawomanwavingawelcomehome。
TheLieutenantsurveyedthespectaclewithcynicaldisbelief。Hewasfartoowiseandfartoocunningtobebewitchedbyit。Inhishearthepitiedthemenabouthim,wholaughedwildly,andshouted,andclimbedrecklesslytotherailsandratlines。Hehadbeendeceivedtoooftennottoknowthatitwasnotreal。Heknewfromcruelexperiencethatinafewmomentsthetallbuildingswouldcrumbleaway,thethousandsofcolumnsofwhitesmokethatflashedlikesnowinthesun,thebusy,shriekingtug-
boats,andthegreatstatuewouldvanishintothesea,leavingitgrayandbare。Heclosedhiseyesandshutthevisionout。Itwassobeautifulthatittemptedhim;buthewouldnotbemocked,andheburiedhisfaceinhishands。Theywerecarryingthefarcetoofar,hethought。Itwasreallytooabsurd;fornowtheywereatawharfwhichwassorealthat,hadhenotknownbyprevioussuffering,hewouldhavebeenutterlydeceivedbyit。
Andthereweregreatcrowdsofsmiling,cheeringpeople,andawaitingguardofhonorinfreshuniforms,androwsofpolicepushingthepeoplethiswayandthat;andthesemenabouthimweretakingitallquiteseriously,andmakingreadytodisembark,carryingtheirblanket-rollsandrifleswiththem。
Abandwasplayingjoyously,andthemaninthenextcot,whowasbeingliftedtoastretcher,said,\"There’stheGovernorandhisstaff;that’shiminthehighhat。\"Itwasreallyverywelldone。TheCustom-houseandtheElevatedRailroadandCastleGardenwereasliketolifeasaphotograph,andthecrowdwasaswellhandledasamobinaplay。Hisheartachedforitsothathecouldnotbearthepain,andheturnedhisbackonit。Itwascrueltokeepitupsolong。Hiskeeperliftedhiminhisarms,andpulledhimintoadirtyuniformwhichhadbelonged,apparently,toamuchlargerman——amanwhohadbeenkilledprobably,forthereweredark-brownmarksofbloodonthetunicandbreeches。Whenhetriedtostandonhisfeet,CastleGardenandtheBatterydisappearedinablackcloudofnight,justasheknewtheywould;butwhenheopenedhiseyesfromthestretcher,theyhadreturnedagain。Itwasamostremarkablyvividvision。Theykeptitupsowell。NowtheyoungDoctorandthehospitalstewardwerepretendingtocarryhimdownagang-
plankandintoanopenspace;andhesawquiteclosetohimalonglineofpolicemen,andbehindthemthousandsoffaces,someofthemwomen’sfaces——womenwhopointedathimandthenshooktheirheadsandcried,andpressedtheirhandstotheircheeks,stilllookingathim。Hewonderedwhytheycried。Hedidnotknowthem,nordidtheyknowhim。Nooneknewhim;thesepeoplewereonlyghosts。
Therewasaquickpartinginthecrowd。Amanhehadonceknownshovedtwoofthepolicementooneside,andheheardagirl’svoicespeakinghisname,likeasob;andShecamerunningoutacrosstheopenspaceandfellonherkneesbesidethestretcher,andbentdownoverhim,andhewasclaspedintwoyoung,firmarms。
\"Ofcourseitisnotreal,ofcourseitisnotShe,\"heassuredhimself。\"BecauseShewouldnotdosuchathing。BeforeallthesepeopleShewouldnotdoit。\"
Buthetrembledandhisheartthrobbedsocruellythathecouldnotbearthepain。
Shewaspretendingtocry。
\"TheywiredusyouhadstartedforTampaonthehospitalship,\"
Shewassaying,\"andAuntandIwentallthewaytherebeforeweheardyouhadbeensentNorth。Wehavebeenonthecarsaweek。
ThatiswhyImissedyou。Doyouunderstand?Itwasnotmyfault。Itriedtocome。Indeed,Itriedtocome。\"
SheturnedherheadandlookedupfearfullyattheyoungDoctor。
\"Tellme,whydoeshelookatmelikethat?\"sheasked。\"Hedoesn’tknowme。Isheveryill?Tellmethetruth。\"Shedrewinherbreathquickly。\"Ofcourseyouwilltellmethetruth。\"
Whensheaskedthequestionhefeltherarmsdrawtightabouthisshoulders。Itwasasthoughshewasholdinghimtoherself,andfromsomeonewhohadreachedoutforhim。Inhistroubleheturnedtohisoldfriendandkeeper。Hisvoicewashoarseandverylow。
\"Isthisthesameyoungladywhowasonthetransport——theoneyouusedtodriveaway?\"
Inhisembarrassment,thehospitalstewardblushedunderhistan,andstammered。
\"Ofcourseit’sthesameyounglady,\"theDoctoransweredbriskly。\"AndIwon’tletthemdriveheraway。\"Heturnedtoher,smilinggravely。\"Ithinkhisconditionhasceasedtobedangerous,madam,\"hesaid。
Peoplewhoinaformerexistencehadbeenhisfriends,andHerbrother,gatheredabouthisstretcherandborehimthroughthecrowdandliftedhimintoacarriagefilledwithcushions,amongwhichhesanklowerandlower。ThenShesatbesidehim,andheheardHerbrothersaytothecoachman,\"Home,anddriveslowlyandkeepontheasphalt。\"
Thecarriagemovedforward,andSheputherarmabouthimandhisheadfellonhershoulder,andneitherofthemspoke。Thevisionhadlastedsolongnowthathewastornwiththejoythatafterallitmightbereal。Buthecouldnotbeartheawakeningifitwerenot,soheraisedhisheadfearfullyandlookedupintothebeautifuleyesabovehim。Hisbrowswereknit,andhestruggledwithagreatdoubtandanawfuljoy。
\"Dearest,\"hesaid,\"isitreal?\"
\"Isitreal?\"sherepeated。
Evenasadream,itwassowonderfullybeautifulthathewassatisfiedifitcouldonlycontinueso,ifbutforalittlewhile。
\"Doyouthink,\"hebeggedagain,trembling,\"thatitisgoingtolastmuchlonger?\"
Shesmiled,and,bendingherheadslowly,kissedhim。
\"Itisgoingtolast——always,\"shesaid。
THEMANWITHONETALENT
Themass-meetingintheMadisonSquareGardenwhichwastohelpsetCubafreewasfinished,andthepeoplewerepushingtheirwayoutoftheoverheatedbuildingintothesnowandsleetofthestreets。Theyhadbeengreatlystirredandthespellofthelastspeakerstillhungsoheavilyuponthemthatastheypresseddownthelongcorridortheywerestillspeakingloudlyinhispraise。
Ayoungmanmovedeagerlyamongstthem,andpushedhiswaytowhereveravoicewasraisedabovetherest。Hestrainedforward,listeningopenly,asthoughhetriedtojudgetheeffectofthemeetingbytheverdictofthoseabouthim。
Butthewordsheoverheardseemedtoclashwithwhathewishedthemtobe,andtheeagerlookonhisfacechangedtooneofdoubtandofgravedisappointment。Whenhehadreachedthesidewalkhestoppedandstoodlookingbackalternatelyintothelightedhallandatthehurryingcrowdswhichweredispersingrapidly。Hemadeamovementasthoughhewouldrecallthem,asthoughhefelttheywerestillunconvinced,asthoughtherewasmuchstillleftunsaid。
Afatstrangerhaltedathiselbowtolighthiscigar,andglancingupnoddedhisheadapprovingly。
\"Finespeaker,SenatorStanton,ain’the?\"hesaid。
Theyoungmanansweredeagerly。\"Yes,\"heassented,\"heisagreatorator,buthowcouldhehelpbutspeakwellwithsuchasubject?\"
\"Oh,yououghttohaveheardhimlastNovemberatTammanyHall,\"
thefatstrangeranswered。\"Hewasn’tquiteuptohimselfto-
night。Hewasn’tsointerested。ThoseCubansareforeigners,yousee,butyououghttoheardhimlastSt。Patrick’sdayonHomeRuleforIreland。Thenhewastalking!ThatspeechmadehimaUnitedStatessenator,Iguess。Idon’tjustseehowheexpectstowinoutonthisCubagame。TheCubanshaven’tgotnovotes。\"
Theyoungmanopenedhiseyesinsomebewilderment。
\"HespeaksforthegoodofCuba,forthesakeofhumanity,\"heventured。
\"What?\"inquiredthefatstranger。\"Oh,yes,ofcourse。Well,I
mustbegettingon。Good-night,sir。\"
Thestrangermovedonhisway,buttheyoungmanstilllingereduncertainlyinthesnow-sweptcorridorshiveringviolentlywiththecoldandstampinghisfeetforgreatercomfort。Hisfacewasburnedtoadeepred,whichseemedtohavecomefromsomelongexposuretoatropicalsun,butwhichheldnosignofhealth。
Hischeekswerehollowandhiseyeswerelightedwiththefireoffeverandfromtimetotimehewasshakenbyviolentburstsofcoughingwhichcausedhimtoreachtowardoneofthepillarsforsupport。
AsthelastofthelightswentoutintheGarden,thespeakeroftheeveningandthreeofhisfriendscamelaughingandtalkingdownthelongcorridor。SenatorStantonwasaconspicuousfigureatanytime,andeveninthoseplaceswherehisportraitshadnotpenetratedhewasatoncerecognizedasapersonage。
Somethinginhiserectcarriageandanunusualgraceofmovement,andthepowerandsuccessinhisface,madementurntolookathim。HehadbeentoldthatheresembledtheearlyportraitsofHenryClay,andhehadneverquiteforgottenthecoincidence。
Thesenatorwaswrappingthecollarofhisfurcoataroundhisthroatandpuffingcontentedlyatafreshcigar,andashepassed,thenightwatchmanandtheushersbowedtothegreatmanandstoodlookingafterhimwiththehalf-humorous,half-enviousdeferencethattheAmericanvoterpaystothesuccessfulpolitician。Atthesidewalk,thepolicemenhurriedtoopenthedoorofhiscarriageandintheireagernessmadeadoubleline,throughwhichhepassednoddingtothemgravely。Theyoungmanwhohadstoodsolonginwaitingpushedhiswaythroughthelinetohisside。
\"SenatorStanton,\"hebegantimidly,\"mightIspeaktoyouamoment?MynameisArkwright;IamjustbackfromCuba,andIwanttothankyouforyourspeech。IamanAmerican,andI
thankGodthatIamsinceyouaretoo,sir。Noonehassaidanythingsincethewarbeganthatcompareswithwhatyousaidto-
night。Youputitnobly,andIknow,forI’vebeenthereforthreeyears,onlyIcan’tmakeotherpeopleunderstandit,andI
amthankfulthatsomeonecan。You’llforgivemystoppingyou,sir,butIwantedtothankyou。Ifeelitverymuch。\"
SenatorStanton’sfriendshadalreadyseatedthemselvesinhiscarriageandwerelookingoutofthedoorandsmilingwithmockpatience。Butthesenatormadenomovetofollowthem。Thoughtheywerehisadmirerstheyweresometimesskeptical,andhewasnotsorrythattheyshouldhearthisuninvitedtribute。Sohemadeapretenceofbuttoninghislongcoatabouthim,andnoddedencouraginglytoArkwrighttocontinue。\"I’mgladyoulikedit,sir,\"hesaidwiththepleasant,gracioussmilethathadwonhimafriendwhereverithadwonhimavote。\"ItisverysatisfactorytoknowfromonewhoiswellinformedonthesubjectthatwhatIhavesaidiscorrect。Thesituationthereistrulyterrible。Youhavejustreturned,yousay?Wherewereyou——inHavana?\"
\"No,intheotherprovinces,sir,\"Arkwrightanswered。\"Ihavebeenallovertheisland,Iamacivilengineer。ThetruthhasnotbeenhalftoldaboutCuba,Iassureyou,sir。Itismassacrethere,notwar。Itispartlysothroughignorance,butneverthelessitismassacre。Andwhatmakesitworseis,thatitisthemassacreoftheinnocents。ThatiswhatIlikedbestofwhatyousaidinthatgreatspeech,thepartaboutthewomenandchildren。\"
Hereachedouthishandsdetainingly,andthendrewbackasthoughinapologyforhavingalreadykeptthegreatmansolongwaitinginthecold。\"IwishIcouldtellyousomeoftheterriblethingsIhaveseen,\"hebeganagain,eagerlyasStantonmadenomovementtodepart。\"Theyaremuchworsethanthoseyouinstancedto-night,andyoucouldmakesomuchbetteruseofthemthananyoneelse。Ihaveseenstarvingwomennursingdeadbabies,andsometimesstarvingbabiessuckingtheirdeadmother’sbreasts;Ihaveseenmencutdownintheopenroadsandwhiledigginginthefields——andtwohundredwomenimprisonedinoneroomwithoutfoodandeatenwithsmall-pox,andhutsburnedwhilethepeopleinthemslept——\"
Theyoungmanhadbeenspeakingimpetuously,buthestoppedassuddenly,forthesenatorwasnotlisteningtohim。HehadloweredhiseyesandwaslookingwithaglanceofmingledfascinationanddisgustatArkwright’shands。Inhisearnestnesstheyoungmanhadstretchedthemout,andastheyshowedbehindthelineofhisraggedsleevestheotherscouldsee,evenintheblurredlightandfallingsnow,thatthewristsofeachhandweregashedandcutindark-brownlinesliketheskinofamulatto,andinplaceswerearawred,wherethefreshskinhadbutjustclosedover。Theyoungmanpausedandstoodshivering,stillholdinghishandsoutrigidlybeforehim。
Thesenatorraisedhiseyesslowlyanddrewaway。
\"Whatisthat?\"hesaidinalowvoice,pointingwithaglovedfingerattheblacklinesonthewrists。
Asergeantinthegroupofpolicemenwhohadclosedaroundthespeakersansweredhimpromptlyfromhisprofoundfundofprofessionalknowledge。
\"That’shandcuffs,senator,\"hesaidimportantly,andglancedatStantonasthoughtosignifythatatawordfromhimhewouldtakethissuspiciouscharacterintocustody。Theyoungmanpulledthefrayedcuffsofhisshirtoverhiswristsandtuckedhishands,whichthecoldhadfrozenintoanashyblue,underhisarmpitstowarmthem。
\"No,theydon’tusehandcuffsinthefield,\"hesaidinthesamelow,eagertone;\"theyuseropesandleatherthongs;theyfastenedmebehindahorseandwhenhestumbledgoingdownthetrailitjerkedmeforwardandthecordswouldtightenandteartheflesh。Buttheyhavehadalongtimetohealnow。Ihavebeeneightmonthsinprison。\"
Theyoungmenatthecarriagewindowhadceasedsmilingandwerelisteningintently。Oneofthemsteppedoutandstoodbesidethecarriagedoorlookingdownattheshiveringfigurebeforehimwithacloseandcuriousscrutiny。
\"Eightmonthsinprison!\"echoedthepolicesergeantwithanoteoftriumph;\"whatdidItellyou?\"
\"Holdyourtongue!\"saidtheyoungmanatthecarriagedoor。
Therewassilenceforamoment,whilethemenlookedatthesenator,asthoughwaitingforhimtospeak。
\"Wherewereyouinprison,Mr。Arkwright?\"heasked。
\"FirstinthecalabooseatSantaClarafortwomonths,andtheninCabanas。TheCubanswhoweretakenwhenIwas,wereshotbythefusilladeondifferentdaysduringthislastmonth。Twoofthem,theEzetas,werefatherandson,andtheVolunteerbandplayedallthetimetheexecutionwasgoingon,sothattheotherprisonersmightnothearthemcry’CubaLibre’whentheordercametofire。Butweheardthem。\"
Thesenatorshiveredslightlyandpulledhisfurcollarupfartheraroundhisface。\"I’dliketotalkwithyou,\"hesaid,\"ifyouhavenothingtodoto-morrow。I’dliketogointothisthingthoroughly。Congressmustbemadetotakesomeaction。\"
Theyoungmanclaspedhishandseagerly。\"Ah,Mr。Stanton,ifyouwould,\"hecried,\"ifyouwouldonlygivemeanhour!I
couldtellyousomuchthatyoucoulduse。AndyoucanbelievewhatIsay,sir——itisnotnecessarytolie——Godknowsthetruthisbadenough。IcangiveyounamesanddatesforeverythingI
say。OrIcandobetterthanthat,sir。Icantakeyouthereyourself——inthreemonthsIcanshowyouallyouneedtosee,withoutdangertoyouinanyway。Andtheywouldnotknowme,nowthatIhavegrownabeard,andIamaskeletontowhatIwas。
Icanspeakthelanguagewell,andIknowjustwhatyoushouldsee,andthenyoucouldcomebackasonespeakingwithauthorityandnothavetosay,’Ihaveread,’or’havebeentold,’butyoucansay,’ThesearethethingsIhaveseen’——andyoucouldfreeCuba。\"
Thesenatorcoughedandputthequestionasideforthemomentwithawaveofthehandthatheldhiscigar。\"Wewilltalkofthatto-morrowalso。Cometolunchwithmeatone。MyapartmentsareintheBerkeleyonFifthAvenue。Butaren’tyouafraidtogobackthere?\"heaskedcuriously。\"Ishouldthinkyou’dhadenoughofit。Andyou’vegotatouchoffever,haven’tyou?\"Heleanedforwardandpeeredintotheother’seyes。
\"Itisonlytheprisonfever,\"theyoungmananswered;\"foodandthiscoldwilldrivethatoutofme。AndImustgoback。Thereissomuchtodothere,\"headded。\"Ah,ifIcouldtellthem,asyoucantellthem,whatIfeelhere。\"Hestruckhischestsharplywithhishand,andontheinstantfellintoafitofcoughingsoviolentthattheyoungmanatthecarriagedoorcaughthimaroundthewaist,andoneofthepolicemensupportedhimfromtheotherside。
\"Youneedadoctor,\"saidthesenatorkindly。\"I’llaskminetohavealookatyou。Don’tforget,then,atoneo’clockto-
morrow。Wewillgointothisthingthoroughly。\"HeshookArkwrightwarmlybythehandandstoopingsteppedintothecarriage。Theyoungmanwhohadstoodatthedoorfollowedhimandcrowdedbackluxuriouslyagainstthecushions。Thefootmanswunghimselfupbesidethedriver,andsaid\"UptownDelmonico’s,\"ashewrappedthefurrugaroundhislegs,andwithasalutefromthepolicemenandascrapingofhoofsontheslipperyasphaltthegreatmanwasgone。
\"Thatpoorfellowneedsadoctor,\"hesaidasthecarriagerolleduptheavenue,\"andheneedsanovercoat,andheneedsfood。Heneedsaboutalmosteverything,bythelooksofhim。\"
Butthevoiceoftheyoungmaninthecornerofthecarriageobjecteddrowsily——
\"Onthecontrary,\"hesaid,\"itseemedtomethathehadtheonethingneedful。\"
Byoneo’clockofthedayfollowing,SenatorStanton,havingreadthereportsofhisspeechinthemorningpapers,punctuatedwith\"Cheers,\"\"Tremendousenthusiasm\"andmore\"Cheers,\"wasstillinawillingframeofmindtowardCubaandherself-appointedenvoy,youngMr。Arkwright。
Overnighthehadhaddoubtsbutthattheyoungman’senthusiasmwouldborehimonthemorrow,butMr。Arkwright,whenheappeared,developed,onthecontrary,apracticalturnofmindwhichrenderedhissuggestionsbothflatteringandfeasible。Hewasstillterriblyinearnest,buthewascleverenoughorseriousenoughtoseethatthemotiveswhichappealedtohimmightnothavesufficientforcetomoveasuccessfulstatesmanintoaction。Soheplacedbeforethesenatoronlythoseargumentsandreasonswhichheguessedwerethebestadaptedtosecurehisinterestandhishelp。Hisproposalashesetitforthwassimplicityitself。
\"Hereisamapoftheisland,\"hesaid;\"onitIhavemarkedtheplacesyoucanvisitinsafety,andwhereyouwillmeetthepeopleyououghttosee。IfyouleaveNewYorkatmidnightyoucanreachTampaonthesecondday。FromTampawecrossinanotherdaytoHavana。ThereyoucanvisittheAmericansimprisonedinMorroandCabanas,andinthestreetsyoucanseethestarvingpacificos。FromHavanaIshalltakeyoubyrailtoJucaro,Matanzas,SantaClaraandCienfuegos。Youwillnotbeabletoseetheinsurgentsinthefields——itisnotnecessarythatyoushould——butyoucanvisitoneofthesugarplantationsandsomeoftheinsurgentchiefswillrunthefortsbynightandcomeintotalkwithyou。Iwillshowyouburningfieldsandhouses,andstarvingmenandwomenbythethousands,andmenandwomendyingoffevers。YoucanseeCubanprisonersshotbyafiringsquadandyoucannotehowtheserebelsmeetdeath。YoucanseeallthisinthreeweeksandbebackinNewYorkinamonth,asanyonecanseeitwhowishestolearnthetruth。Why,EnglishmembersofParliamentgoallthewaytoIndiaandBritishColumbiatoinformthemselvesaboutthosecountries,theytravelthousandsofmiles,butonlyonememberofeitherofourhousesofCongresshastakenthetroubletocrosstheseeightymilesofwaterthatliebetweenusandCuba。Youcaneithergoquietlyandincognito,asitwere,oryoucanadvertisethefactofyourgoing,whichwouldbebetter。Andfromthemomentyoustarttheinterestinyourvisitwillgrowandincreaseuntiltherewillbenotopicdiscussedinanyofourpapersexceptyourself,andwhatyouaredoingandwhatyoumeantodo。
\"Bythetimeyoureturnthepeoplewillbewaiting,readyandeagertohearwhateveryoumayhavetosay。Yourwordwillbethelastwordforthem。Itisnotasthoughyouweresomedemagogueseekingnotoriety,orahotelpiazzacorrespondentatKeyWestorJacksonville。Youaretheonlystatesmanwehave,theonlyoratorAmericanswilllistento,andItellyouthatwhenyoucomebeforethemandbringhometothemasonlyyoucanthehorrorsofthiswar,youwillbetheonlymaninthiscountry。YouwillbethePatrickHenryofCuba;youcangodowntohistoryasthemanwhoaddedthemostbeautifulislandintheseastotheterritoryoftheUnitedStates,whosavedthousandsofinnocentchildrenandwomen,andwhodaredtodowhatnootherpoliticianhasdaredtodo——togoandseeforhimselfandtocomebackandspeakthetruth。Itonlymeansamonthoutofyourlife,amonth’stroubleanddiscomfort,butwithnorisk。Whatisamonthoutofalifetime,whenthatmonthmeansimmortalitytoyouandlifetothousands?Inamonthyouwouldmakeahalfdozenafter-dinnerspeechesandcauseyourfriendstolaughandapplaud。Whynotwringtheirheartsinstead,andholdthisthingupbeforethemasitis,andshakeitintheirfaces?Showittotheminallitshorror——bleeding,diseasedandnaked,anoffencetoourhumanity,andtoourpratedloveofliberty,andtoourGod。\"
Theyoungmanthrewhimselfeagerlyforwardandbeatthemapwithhisopenpalm。Butthesenatorsatapparentlyunmovedgazingthoughtfullyintotheopenfire,andshookhishead。
WhiletheluncheonwasinprogresstheyounggentlemanwhothenightbeforehadleftthecarriageandstoodatArkwright’sside,hadenteredtheroomandwaslisteningintently。Hehadinvitedhimselftosomefreshcoffee,andhadthenrelapsedintoanattentivesilence,followingwhattheotherssaidwithanamusedandinterestedcountenance。StantonhadintroducedhimasMr。
Livingstone,andappearedtotakeitforgrantedthatArkwrightwouldknowwhohewas。HeseemedtoregardhimwithacertaindeferencewhichArkwrightjudgedwasduetosomefixedpositiontheyoungmanheld,eitherofsocialorofpoliticalvalue。
\"Idonotknow,\"saidStantonwithconsideration,\"thatIampreparedtoadvocatetheannexationoftheisland。Itisaseriousproblem。\"
\"Iamnoturgingthat,\"Arkwrightinterruptedanxiously;\"theCubansthemselvesdonotagreeastothat,andinanyeventitisanafterthought。Ourobjectnowshouldbetopreventfurtherbloodshed。Ifyouseeamanbeatingaboytodeath,youfirstsavetheboy’slifeanddecideafterwardwhereheistogotoschool。Iftherewereanyoneelse,senator,\"Arkwrightcontinuedearnestly,\"Iwouldnottroubleyou。Butweallknowyourstrengthinthiscountry。Youareindependentandfearless,andmenofbothpartieslistentoyou。Surely,Godhasgivenyouthisgreatgiftoforatory,ifyouwillforgivemyspeakingso,touseonlyinagreatcause。Agrandorganinacathedralisplacedtheretoliftmen’sthoughtstohighresolvesandpurposes,nottomakepeopledance。Astreetorgancandothat。
Now,hereisacauseworthyofyourgreattalents,worthyofaDanielWebster,ofaHenryClay。\"
Thesenatorfrownedatthefireandshookhisheaddoubtfully。
\"IftheyknewwhatIwasdowntherefor,\"heasked,\"wouldn’ttheyputmeinprisontoo?\"
Arkwrightlaughedincredulously。
\"Certainlynot,\"hesaid;\"youwouldgothereasaprivatecitizen,asatouristtolookonandobserve。Spainisnotseekingcomplicationsofthatsort。ShehastroublesenoughwithoutimprisoningUnitedStatessenators。\"
\"Yes;butthesefeversnow,\"persistedStanton,\"they’renorespecterofpersons,Iimagine。AUnitedStatessenatorisnotabovesmallpoxorcholera。\"
Arkwrightshookhisheadimpatientlyandsighed。
\"Itisdifficulttomakeitcleartoonewhohasnotbeenthere,\"
hesaid。\"Thesepeopleandsoldiersaredyingoffeverbecausetheyareforcedtolivelikepigs,andtheyarealreadysickwithstarvation。AhealthymanlikeyourselfwouldbeinnomoredangerthanyouwouldbeinwalkingthroughthewardsofaNewYorkhospital。\"
SenatorStantonturnedinhisarmchair,andhelduphishandimpressively。
\"IfIweretotellthemthethingsyouhavetoldme,\"hesaidwarningly,\"ifIweretosayIhaveseensuchthings——Americanpropertyinflames,Americaninterestsruined,andthatfivetimesasmanywomenandchildrenhavediedoffeverandstarvationinthreemonthsinCubaastheSultanhasmassacredinArmeniainthreeyears——itwouldmeanwarwithSpain。\"
\"Well?\"saidArkwright。
Stantonshruggedhisshouldersandsankbackagaininhischair。
\"Itwouldeithermeanwar,\"Arkwrightwenton,\"oritmightmeanthesendingoftheRedCrossarmytoCuba。ItwenttoConstantinople,fivethousandmilesaway,tohelptheArmenianChristians——whyhasitwaitedthreeyearstogoeightymilestofeedandclothetheCubanwomenandchildren?ItislikesendinghelptoahungrypeasantinRussiawhileamandiesonyourdoorstep。\"
\"Well,\"saidthesenator,rising,\"Iwillletyouknowto-morrow。
Ifitistherightthingtodo,andifIcandoit,ofcourseitmustbedone。WestartfromTampa,yousay?Iknowthepresidentsofallofthoseroadsandthey’llprobablygivemeaprivatecarforthetripdown。Shallwetakeanynewspapermenwithus,orshallIwaituntilIgetbackandbeinterviewed?
Whatdoyouthink?\"
\"Iwouldwaituntilmyreturn,\"Arkwrightanswered,hiseyesglowingwiththehopethesenator’swordshadinspired,\"andthenspeaktoamass-meetinghereandinBostonandinChicago。Threespeecheswillbeenough。BeforeyouhavefinishedyourlastonetheAmericanwarshipswillbeintheharborofHavana。\"
\"Ah,youth,youth!\"saidthesenator,smilinggravely,\"itisnolightresponsibilitytourgeacountryintowar。\"
\"Itisnolightresponsibility,\"Arkwrightanswered,\"toknowyouhavethechancetosavethelivesofthousandsoflittlechildrenandhelplesswomenandtoletthechancepass。\"
\"Quiteso,thatisquitetrue,\"saidthesenator。\"Well,good-
morning。Ishallletyouknowto-morrow。\"
YoungLivingstonewentdownintheelevatorwithArkwright,andwhentheyhadreachedthesidewalkstoodregardinghimforamomentinsilence。
\"Youmustn’tcounttoomuchonStanton,youknow,\"hesaidkindly;\"hehasawayofdisappointingpeople。\"
\"Ah,hecanneverdisappointme,\"Arkwrightansweredconfidently,\"nomatterhowmuchIexpected。Besides,Ihavealreadyheardhimspeak。\"
\"Idon’tmeanthat,Idon’tmeanheisdisappointingasaspeaker。Stantonisagreatorator,Ithink。MostofthoseSouthernersare,andhe’stheonlyrealoratorIeverheard。ButwhatImeanis,thathedoesn’tgointothingsimpulsively;hefirstconsidershimself,andthenheconsiderseveryothersideofthequestionbeforehecommitshimselftoit。Beforehelaunchesoutonapopularwavehetriestofindoutwhereitisgoingtolandhim。Helikesthesortofpopularwavethatcarrieshimalongwithitwhereeveryonecanseehim;hedoesn’tfancybeinghurleduponthebeachwithhismouthfullofsand。\"
\"Youaresayingthatheisselfish,self-seeking?\"Arkwrightdemandedwithachallengeinhisvoice。\"Ithoughtyouwerehisfriend。\"
\"Yes,heisselfish,andyes,Iamhisfriend,\"theyoungmananswered,smiling;\"atleast,heseemswillingtobemine。IamsayingnothingagainsthimthatIhavenotsaidtohim。Ifyou’llcomebackwithmeuptheelevatorI’lltellhimhe’saself-seekerandselfish,andwithnothoughtabovehisowninterests。Hewon’tmind。He’dsayIcannotcomprehendhismotives。Why,you’veonlytolookathisrecord。WhentheVenezuelanmessagecameoutheattackedthePresidentanddeclaredhewastryingtomakepoliticalcapitalandtodragusintowar,andthatwhatwewantedwasarbitration;butwhenthePresidentbroughtouttheArbitrationTreatyheattackedthattoointheSenateanddestroyedit。Why?Notbecausehehadconvictions,butbecausethePresidenthadrefusedaforeignappointmenttoafriendofhisintheSouth。Hehasbeenafreesilvermanforthelasttenyears,hecomesfromafreesilverstate,andthemembersofthelegislaturethatelectedhimwereallforsilver,butthislastelectionhisWallStreetfriendsgotholdofhimandworkedonhisfeelings,andherepudiatedhisparty,hisstate,andhisconstituentsandcameoutforgold。\"
\"Well,butsurely,\"Arkwrightobjected,\"thattookcourage?Toownthatfortenyearsyouhadbeenwrong,andtocomeoutfortherightatthelast。\"
Livingstonestaredandshruggedhisshoulders。\"It’sallaquestionofmotives,\"hesaidindifferently。\"Idon’twanttoshatteryouridol;Ionlywanttosaveyoufromcountingtoomuchonhim。\"
WhenArkwrightcalledonthemorrowSenatorStantonwasnotathome,andthedayfollowinghewasbusy,andcouldgivehimonlyabriefinterview。Therewerepreviousengagementsandotherdifficultiesinthewayofhisgoingwhichhehadnotforeseen,hesaid,andhefearedheshouldhavetopostponehisvisittoCubaindefinitely。HeaskedifMr。Arkwrightwouldbesokindastocallagainwithinaweek;hewouldthenbebetterabletogivehimadefiniteanswer。
Arkwrightlefttheapartmentwithasensationofsuchkeendisappointmentthatitturnedhimillanddizzy。Hefeltthatthegreatpurposeofhislifewasbeingplayedwithandputaside。Buthehadnotselfishresentmentonhisownaccount;hewasonlythemoredeterminedtopersevere。Heconsiderednewargumentsandframednewappeals;andonemomentblamedhimselfbitterlyforhavingfoolishlydiscouragedthestatesmanbytoovividpicturesofthehorrorshemightencounter,andthenext,questionedifhehadnotbeentoopracticalandsofailedbecausehehadnotmadetheterribleneedofimmediatehelphissoleargument。Everyhourwastedindelaymeant,asheknew,thesacrificeofmanylives,andtherewereother,moresordidandmorepractical,reasonsforspeedyaction。ForhissupplyofmoneywasrunninglowandtherewasnowbarelyenoughremainingtocarryhimthroughthemonthoftravelhehadplannedtotakeatStanton’sside。Whatwouldhappentohimwhenthatmomentoustripwasoverwasofnoconsequence。Hewouldhavedonetheworkasfarashissmallshareinitlay,hewouldhavesetinmotionagreatpowerthatwastomoveCongressandthepeopleoftheUnitedStatestoaction。Ifhecouldbutdothat,whatbecameofhimcountedfornothing。
Butattheendoftheweekhisfearsandmisgivingswerescatteredgloriouslyandasinglelinefromthesenatorsethisheartleapingandbroughthimtohiskneesingratitudeandthanksgiving。Onreturningoneafternoontothemeanlodgingintowhichhehadmovedtosavehismoney,hefoundatelegramfromStantonandhetoreitopentremblingbetweenhopeandfear。
\"HavearrangedtoleaveforTampawithyouMonday,atmidnight\"
itread。\"Callformeatteno’clocksameevening。——STANTON。\"
Arkwrightreadthemessagethreetimes。Therewasaheavy,suffocatingpressureathisheartasthoughithadceasedbeating。Hesankbacklimplyupontheedgeofhisbedandclutchingthepieceofpaperinhistwohandsspokethewordsaloudtriumphantlyasthoughtoassurehimselfthattheyweretrue。Thenafloodofunspeakablerelief,ofhappinessandgratitude,sweptoverhim,andheturnedandslippedtothefloor,buryinghisfaceinthepillow,andweptouthisthanksuponhisknees。
AmansodeeplyimmersedinpublicaffairsaswasStantonandwithsuchamultiplicityofpersonalinterests,couldnotpreparetoabsenthimselfforamonthwithouthisintentionbecomingknown,andonthedaywhenhewastostartforTampathemorningnewspapersproclaimedthefactthathewasabouttovisitCuba。
TheygavetohismissionalltheimportanceanddisplaythatArkwrighthadforetold。SomeofthenewspapersstatedthathewasgoingasaspecialcommissionerofthePresidenttostudyandreport;othersthathewasactinginbehalfoftheCubanlegationinWashingtonandhadplenipotentiarypowers。Oppositionorganssuggestedthathewasactingintheinterestsofthesugartrust,andhisownparticularorgandeclaredthatitwashisintentiontofreeCubaattheriskofhisownfreedom,safety,andevenlife。
TheSpanishministerinWashingtonsentacableforpublicationtoMadrid,statingthatadistinguishedAmericanstatesmanwasabouttovisitCuba,toinvestigate,and,later,todenythetruthofthedisgracefullibelspublishedconcerningtheSpanishofficialsontheislandbythepapersoftheUnitedStates。Atthesametimehecabledinciphertothecaptain-
generalinHavanatoseethatthedistinguishedstatesmanwascloselyspieduponfromthemomentofhisarrivaluntilhisdeparture,andtoplaceonthe\"suspect\"listallAmericansandCubanswhoventuredtogivehimanyinformation。
Theafternoonpapersenlargedontheimportanceofthevisitandonthegoodthatwouldsurelycomeofit。TheytoldthatSenatorStantonhadrefusedtobeinterviewedortodisclosetheobjectofhisjourney。Butitwasenough,theysaid,thatsomeoneinauthoritywasatlasttoseekoutthetruth,andaddedthatnoonewouldbelistenedtowithgreaterrespectthanwouldtheSouthernsenator。Onthisalltheeditorialwriterswereagreed。
ThedaypasseddrearilyforArkwright。Earlyinthemorninghepackedhisvaliseandpaidhislandlord,andfortheremainderofthedaywalkedthestreetsorsatinthehotelcorridorwaitingimpatientlyforeachfresheditionofthepapers。Inthemhereadthesignsofthegreatupheavalofpopularfeelingthatwastorestorepeaceandhealthandplentytotheislandforwhichhehadgivenhislastthreeyearsofenergyandlife。
Hewastremblingwithexcitement,aswellaswiththecold,whenatteno’clockpreciselyhestoodatSenatorStanton’sdoor。Hehadforgottentoeathisdinner,andthewarmthofthedimlylithallandtheodorofrichfoodwhichwaswaftedfromaninnerroomtouchedhissenseswithtantalizingcomfort。
\"Thesenatorsaysyouaretocomethisway,sir,\"theservantdirected。HetookArkwright’svalisefromhishandandpartedtheheavycurtainsthathidthedining-room,andArkwrightsteppedinbetweenthemandthenstoppedinsomeembarrassment。
Hefoundhimselfinthepresenceofanumberofgentlemenseatedatalongdinner-table,whoturnedtheirheadsasheenteredandpeeredathimthroughthesmokethatfloatedinlightlayersabovethewhitecloth。Thedinnerhadbeenserved,butthesenator’sguestsstillsatwiththeirchairspushedbackfromatablelightedbycandlesunderyellowshades,andcoveredwithbeautifulflowersandwithbottlesofvariedsizesinstandsofquaintandintricatedesign。SenatorStanton’stallfigureshoweddimlythroughthesmoke,andhisdeepvoicehailedArkwrightcheerilyfromthefartherendoftheroom。\"Thisway,Mr。Arkwright,\"hesaid。\"Ihaveachairwaitingforyouhere。\"
HegraspedArkwright’shandwarmlyandpulledhimintothevacantplaceathisside。AnelderlygentlemanonArkwright’sothersidemovedtomakemoreroomforhimandshovedaliqueurglasstowardhimwithafriendlynodandpointedatanopenboxofcigars。Hewasafine-lookingman,andArkwrightnoticedthathewasregardinghimwithaglanceofthekeenestinterest。AllofthoseatthetableweremenoftwiceArkwright’sage,exceptLivingstone,whomherecognizedandwhonoddedtohimpleasantlyandatthesametimegaveanordertoaservant,pointingatArkwrightashedidso。Someofthegentlemenworetheirbusinesssuits,andoneoppositeArkwrightwasstillinhisovercoat,andheldhishatinhishand。Theselatterseemedtohavearrivedafterthedinnerhadbegun,fortheyformedasecondlinebackofthosewhohadplacesatthetable;theyallseemedtoknowoneanotherandweretalkingwithmuchvivacityandinterest。
StantondidnotattempttointroduceArkwrighttohisguestsindividually,butsaid:\"Gentlemen,thisisMr。Arkwright,ofwhomIhavebeentellingyou,theyounggentlemanwhohasdonesuchmagnificentworkforthecauseofCuba。\"ThosewhocaughtArkwright’seyenoddedtohim,andothersraisedtheirglassesathim,butwithasmilethathecouldnotunderstand。Itwasasthoughtheyallknewsomethingconcerninghimofwhichhewasignorant。Henotedthatthefacesofsomewerestrangelyfamiliar,andhedecidedthathemusthaveseentheirportraitsinthepublicprints。AfterhehadintroducedArkwright,thesenatordrewhischairslightlyawayfromhimandturnedinwhatseemedembarrassmenttothemanonhisotherside。TheelderlygentlemannexttoArkwrightfilledhisglass,aservantplacedasmallcupofcoffeeathiselbow,andhelitacigarandlookedabouthim。
\"Youmustfindthisweatherverytryingafterthetropics,\"hisneighborsaid。
Arkwrightassentedcordially。Thebrandywasflowingthroughhisveinsandwarminghim;heforgotthathewashungry,andthekind,interestedglancesofthoseabouthimsethimathisease。
Itwasapropitiousstart,hethought,apleasantleave-takingforthesenatorandhimself,fullofgoodwillandgoodwishes。
HeturnedtowardStantonandwaiteduntilhehadceasedspeaking。
\"Thepapershavebegunwell,haven’tthey?\"heasked,eagerly。
Hehadspokeninalowvoice,almostinawhisper,butthoseaboutthetableseemedtohaveheardhim,fortherewassilenceinstantlyandwhenheglanceduphesawtheeyesofallturneduponhimandhenoticedontheirfacesthesamesmilehehadseentherewhenheentered。
\"Yes,\"Stantonansweredconstrainedly。\"Yes,I——\"heloweredhisvoice,butthesilencestillcontinued。Stantonhadhiseyesfixedonthetable,butnowhefrownedandhalfrosefromhischair。
\"Iwanttospeakwithyou,Arkwright,\"hesaid。\"Supposewegointothenextroom。I’llbebackinamoment,\"headded,noddingtotheothers。
Butthemanonhisrightremovedhiscigarfromhislipsandsaidinanundertone,\"No,sitdown,staywhereyouare;\"andtheelderlygentlemanatArkwright’ssidelaidhishanddetaininglyonhisarm。\"Oh,youwon’ttakeMr。Arkwrightawayfromus,Stanton?\"heasked,smiling。
Stantonshruggedhisshouldersandsatdownagain,andtherewasamoment’spause。Itwasbrokenbythemanintheovercoat,wholaughed。
\"He’spayingyouacompliment,Mr。Arkwright,\"hesaid。HepointedwithhiscigartothegentlemanatArkwright’sside。
\"Idon’tunderstand,\"Arkwrightanswereddoubtfully。
\"It’sacomplimenttoyoureloquence——he’safraidtoleaveyoualonewiththesenator。Livingstone’sbeentellingusthatyouareabettertalkerthanStanton。\"Arkwrightturnedatroubledcountenancetowardthemenaboutthetable,andthentowardLivingstone,butthatyoungmanhadhiseyesfixedgravelyontheglassesbeforehimanddidnotraisethem。
Arkwrightfeltasudden,unreasonablefearofthecircleofstrong-featured,sereneandconfidentmenabouthim。Theyseemedtobemakinghimthesubjectofajest,tobeenjoyingsomethingamongthemselvesofwhichhewasinignorance,butwhichconcernedhimclosely。HeturnedawhitefacetowardStanton。
\"Youdon’tmean,\"hebeganpiteously,\"that——thatyouarenotgoing?Isthatit——tellme——isthatwhatyouwantedtosay?\"
Stantonshiftedinhischairandmutteredsomewordsbetweenhislips,thenturnedtowardArkwrightandspokequiteclearlyanddistinctly。
\"Iamverysorry,Mr。Arkwright,\"hesaid,\"butIamafraidI’llhavetodisappointyou。ReasonsIcannotnowexplainhavearisenwhichmakemygoingimpossible——quiteimpossible,\"headdedfirmly——\"notonlynow,butlater,\"hewentonquickly,asArkwrightwasabouttointerrupthim。
Arkwrightmadenosecondattempttospeak。Hefeltthemusclesofhisfaceworkingandthetearscomingtohiseyes,andtohidehisweaknesshetwistedinhischairandsatstaringaheadofhimwithhisbackturnedtothetable。HeheardLivingstone’svoicebreakthesilencewithsomehurriedquestion,andimmediatelyhisembarrassmentwashiddeninamurmurofanswersandthemovingofglassesasthemenshiftedintheirchairsandthelaughterandtalkwentonasbrisklyasbefore。Arkwrightsawasideboardbeforehimandaservantarrangingsomesilverononeoftheshelves。Hewatchedthemandothiswithaconcentratedinterestasthoughthedull,numbedfeelinginhisbraincaughtatthetrifleinordertoputoff,aslongaspossible,theconsiderationofthetruth。
Andthenbeyondthesideboardandthetapestryonthewallaboveit,hesawthesunshiningdownupontheislandofCuba,hesawtheroyalpalmswavingandbending,thedustycolumnsofSpanishinfantrycrawlingalongthewhiteroadsandleavingblazinghutsandsmokingcane-fieldsintheirwake;hesawskeletonsofmenandwomenseekingforfoodamongtherefuseofthestreet;heheardtheordergiventothefiringsquad,thesplashofthebulletsastheyscatteredtheplasterontheprisonwall,andhesawakneelingfigurepitchforwardonitsface,withauselessbandagetiedacrossitssightlesseyes。
SenatorStantonbroughthimbackwithasharpshakeoftheshoulder。Hehadalsoturnedhisbackontheothers,andwasleaningforwardwithhiselbowsonhisknees。Hespokerapidly,andinavoiceonlyslightlyraisedaboveawhisper。
\"Iammorethansorry,Arkwright,\"hesaidearnestly。\"Youmustn’tblamemealtogether。Ihavehadahardtimeofitthisafternoon。Iwantedtogo。Ireallywantedtogo。Thethingappealedtome,ittouchedme,itseemedasifIowedittomyselftodoit。Buttheyweretoomanyforme,\"headdedwithabackwardtossofhisheadtowardthemenaroundhistable。
\"IfthepapershadnottoldonmeIcouldhavegotwellaway,\"hewentoninaneagertone,\"butassoonastheyreadofit,theycameherestraightfromtheiroffices。Youknowwhotheyare,don’tyou?\"heasked,andeveninhisearnestnesstherewasanaddedtouchofimportanceinhistoneashespokethenameofhisparty’sleader,ofmenwhostoodprominentlyinWallStreetandwhowereattheheadofgreattrusts。
\"Youseehowitis,\"hesaidwithashrugofhisshoulders。
\"Theyhaveenormousinterestsatstake。TheysaidIwoulddragthemintowar,thatIwoulddisturbvalues,thatthebusinessinterestsofthecountrywouldsuffer。I’munderobligationstomostofthem,theyhaveadvisedmeinfinancialmatters,andtheythreatened——theythreatenedtomakeitunpleasantforme。\"Hisvoicehardenedandhedrewinhisbreathquickly,andlaughed。
\"Youwouldn’tunderstandifIweretotellyou。It’sratherinvolved。Andafterall,theymayberight,agitationmaybebadforthecountry。Andyourpartyleaderafterallisyourpartyleader,isn’the,andifhesays’no’whatareyoutodo?
Mysympathiesarejustaskeenforthesepoorwomenandchildrenasever,butasthesemensay,’charitybeginsathome,’andwemustn’tdoanythingtobringonwarpricesagain,ortosendstockstumblingaboutourheads,mustwe?\"Heleanedbackinhischairagainandsighed。\"Sympathyisanexpensiveluxury,I
find,\"headded。
ArkwrightrosestifflyandpushedStantonawayfromhimwithhishand。Hemovedlikeamancomingoutofadream。
\"Don’ttalktomelikethat,\"hesaidinalowvoice。Thenoiseaboutthetableendedontheinstant,butArkwrightdidnotnoticethatithadceased。\"YouknowIdon’tunderstandthat,\"
hewenton;\"whatdoesitmattertome!\"Heputhishanduptothesideofhisfaceandhelditthere,lookingdownatStanton。
Hehadthedull,heavylookinhiseyesofamanwhohasjustcomethroughanoperationundersomeheavydrug。\"’WallStreet,’
’trusts,’’partyleaders,’\"herepeated,\"whataretheytome?
Thewordsdon’treachme,theyhavelosttheirmeaning,itisalanguageIhaveforgotten,thankGod!\"headded。Heturnedandmovedhiseyesaroundthetable,scanningthefacesofthemenbeforehim。
\"Yes,youaretwelvetoone,\"hesaidatlast,stillspeakingdullyandinalowvoice,asthoughheweretalkingtohimself。
\"Youhavewonanoblevictory,gentlemen。Icongratulateyou。
ButIdonotblameyou,weareallselfishandself-seeking。I
thoughtIwasworkingonlyforCuba,butIwasworkingformyself,justasyouare。IwantedtofeelthatitwasIwhohadhelpedtobringrelieftothatplague-spot,thatitwasthroughmyeffortsthehelphadcome。Yes,ifhehaddoneasIasked,I
supposeIwouldhavetakenthecredit。\"
Heswayedslightly,andtosteadyhimselfcaughtatthebackofhischair。Butatthesamemomenthiseyesglowedfiercelyandheheldhimselferectagain。Hepointedwithhisfingeratthecircleofgreatmenwhosatlookingupathimincurioussilence。
\"Youarelikearingofgamblersaroundagamingtable,\"hecriedwildly,\"whoseenothingbutthegreenclothandthewheelandthepilesofmoneybeforethem,whoforgetinwatchingthemoneyriseandfall,thatoutsidethesunisshining,thathumanbeingsaresickandsuffering,thatmenaregivingtheirlivesforanidea,forasentiment,foraflag。Youarethemoney-
changersinthetempleofthisgreatrepublicandthedaywillcome,IpraytoGod,whenyouwillbescourgedanddrivenoutwithwhips。Doyouthinkyoucanformcombinesanddealsthatwillcheatyouintoheaven?Canyour’trusts’saveyoursouls——
is’WallStreet’thestraitandnarrowroadtosalvation?\"
ThemenaboutthetableleanedbackandstaredatArkwrightinasgreatamazementasthoughhehadviolentlyattemptedanassaultupontheirpockets,orhadsuddenlygonemadintheirpresence。
Someofthemfrowned,andothersappearednottohaveheard,andotherssmiledgrimlyandwaitedforhimtocontinueasthoughtheywerespectatorsataplay。
ThepoliticalleaderbrokethesilencewithalowasidetoStanton。\"DoesthegentlemanbelongtotheSalvationArmy?\"heasked。
Arkwrightwhirledaboutandturneduponhimfiercely。
\"Oldgodsgivewaytonewgods,\"hecried。\"Hereisyourbrother。Iamspeakingforhim。Doyoueverthinkofhim?Howdareyousneeratme?\"hecried。\"Youcancrackyourwhipoverthatman’sheadandturnhimfromwhatinhisheartandconscienceheknowsisright;youcancrackyourwhipoverthemenwhocallthemselvesfree-bornAmericancitizensandwhohavemadeyoutheirboss——sneeratthemifyoulike,butyouhavenocollaronmyneck。Ifyouarealeader,whydon’tyouleadyourpeopletowhatisgoodandnoble?WhydoyoustopthismanintheworkGodsenthimheretodo?Youwouldmakeapartyhackofhim,apoliticalprostitute,somethinglowerthanthewomanwhowalksthestreets。Shesellsherbody——thismanissellinghissoul。\"
Heturned,tremblingandquivering,andshookhisfingerabovetheupturnedfaceofthesenator。
\"Whathaveyoudonewithyourtalents,Stanton?\"hecried。\"Whathaveyoudonewithyourtalents?\"
Themanintheovercoatstruckthetablebeforehimwithhisfistsothattheglassesrang。
\"ByGod,\"helaughed,\"IcallhimabetterspeakerthanStanton!
Livingstone’sright,heISbetterthanStanton——buthelacksStanton’sknackofmakinghimselfpopular,\"headded。Helookedaroundthetableinvitingapprobationwithasmile,butnoonenoticedhim,norspoketobreakthesilence。
Arkwrightheardthewordsdullyandfeltthathewasbeingmocked。Hecoveredhisfacewithhishandsandstoodbreathingbrokenly;hisbodywasstilltremblingwithanexcitementhecouldnotmaster。
Stantonrosefromhischairandshookhimbytheshoulder。\"Areyoumad,Arkwright?\"hecried。\"Youhavenorighttoinsultmyguestsorme。Becalm——controlyourself。\"
\"WhatdoesitmatterwhatIsay?\"Arkwrightwentondesperately。
\"Iammad。Yes,thatisit,Iammad。TheyhavewonandIhavelost,anditdrovemebesidemyself。Icountedonyou。Iknewthatnooneelsecouldletmypeoplego。ButI’llnottroubleyouagain。Iwishyougood-night,sir,andgood-bye。IfIhavebeenunjust,youmustforgetit。\"
Heturnedsharply,butStantonplacedadetaininghandonhisshoulder。\"Wait,\"hecommandedquerulously;\"whereareyougoing?Willyou,still——?\"
Arkwrightbowedhishead。\"Yes,\"heanswered。\"Ihavebutjusttimenowtocatchourtrain——mytrain,Imean。\"
HelookedupatStantonandtakinghishandinbothofhis,drewthemantowardhim。Allthewildnessandintoleranceinhismannerhadpassed,andasheraisedhiseyestheywerefullofafirmresolve。
\"Come,\"hesaidsimply;\"thereisyettime。Leavethesepeoplebehindyou。Whatcanyouanswerwhentheyaskwhathaveyoudonewithyourtalents?\"
\"GoodGod,Arkwright,\"thesenatorexclaimedangrily,pullinghishandaway;\"don’ttalklikeahymn-book,anddon’tmakeanotherscene。Whatyouaskisimpossible。TellmewhatIcandotohelpyouinanyotherway,and——\"
\"Come,\"repeatedtheyoungmanfirmly。
\"Theworldmayjudgeyoubywhatyoudoto-night。\"
Stantonlookedattheboyforabriefmomentwithastrainedandeagerscrutiny,andthenturnedawayabruptlyandshookhisheadinsilence,andArkwrightpassedaroundthetableandonoutoftheroom。
Amonthlater,astheSouthernsenatorwaspassingthroughthereading-roomoftheUnionClub,Livingstonebeckonedtohim,andhandinghimanafternoonpaperpointedataparagraphinsilence。
TheparagraphwasdatedSagualaGrande,andread:
\"ThebodyofHenryArkwright,anAmericancivilengineer,wasbroughtintoSaguato-daybyaSpanishcolumn。Itwasfoundlyinginaroadthreemilesbeyondthelineofforts。Arkwrightwassurprisedbyaguerillaforcewhileattemptingtomakehiswaytotheinsurgentcamp,andonresistingwasshot。ThebodyhasbeenhandedovertotheAmericanconsulforinterment。Itisbadlymutilated。\"
Stantonloweredthepaperandstoodstaringoutofthewindowatthefallingsnowandthecheerylightsandbustlingenergyoftheavenue。
\"Poorfellow,\"hesaid,\"hewantedsomuchtohelpthem。Andhedidn’taccomplishanything,didhe?\"
Livingstonestaredattheoldermanandlaughedshortly。
\"Well,Idon’tknow,\"hesaid。\"Hedied。Someofusonlylive。\"
THEVAGRANT
HisExcellencySirCharlesGreville,K。CM。G。,GovernoroftheWindlessIslands,stoodupontheverandaofGovernmentHousesurveyingthenewdaywithcriticalandsearchingeyes。SirCharleshadbeensolongabsolutemonarchoftheWindlessIslesthathehadassumedunconsciouslyamentalattitudeofsuzeraintyovereventheglitteringwatersoftheCaribbeanSea,andthecoralreefsunderthewaters,andtherainbowskiesthatfloatedabovethem。ButonthisparticularmorningnoteventhecriticaleyeoftheGovernorcoulddistinguishasingleflawinthetropicallandscapebeforehim。
Thelawnathisfeetrandowntomeetthedazzlingwatersofthebay,thebluewatersofthebayrantomeetagreatstretchofabsinthegreen,thegreenjoinedafairyskyofpinkandgoldandsaffron。Islandsofcoralfloatedontheseaofabsinthe,andderelictcloudsofmother-of-pearlswunglowabovethem,startingfromnowhereandgoingnowhere,butdriftingbeautifully,likegiantsoap-bubblesoflightandcolor。Wherethelawntouchedthewatersofthebaythecocoanut-palmsreachedtheircrookedlengthsfarupintothesunshine,andasthesea-
breezestirredtheirfrondstheyfilledthehotairwithwhispersandmurmursliketheflutteringofmanyfans。NaturesmiledboldlyupontheGovernor,confidentinherbountifulbeauty,asthoughshesaid,\"Surelyyoucannotbutbepleasedwithmeto-
day。\"And,asthoughinanswer,thecriticalandsearchingglanceofSirCharlesrelaxed。