Chapter 10

by William Dean Howells

　　"In stocks? When did you take up gambling for a living?""Gambling? Stuff! What gambling? Who said it was gambling?""You have; many a time.""Oh yes, buying and selling on a margin. But this was a bona fidetransaction. I bought at forty-three for an investment, and I sold ata hundred and seven; and the money passed both times.""Well, you better let stocks alone," said his wife, with theconservatism of her sex. "Next time you'll buy at a hundred and sevenand sell at forty three. Then where'll you be?""Left," admitted the Colonel."You better stick to paint a while yet." The Colonel enjoyed this too,and laughed again with the ease of a man who knows what he is about. Afew days after that he came down to Nantasket with the radiant airwhich he wore when he had done a good thing in business and wanted hiswife's sympathy. He did not say anything of what had happened till hewas alone with her in their own room; but he was very gay the wholeevening, and made several jokes which Penelope said nothing but verygreat prosperity could excuse: they all understood these moods of his."Well, what is it, Silas?" asked his wife when the time came. "Anymore big-bugs wanting to go into the mineral paint business with you?""Something better than that.""I could think of a good many better things," said his wife, with asigh of latent bitterness. "What's this one?""I've had a visitor.""Who?""Can't you guess?""I don't want to try. Who was it?""Rogers."Mrs. Lapham sat down with her hands in her lap, and stared at the smileon her husband's face, where he sat facing her."I guess you wouldn't want to joke on that subject, Si," she said, alittle hoarsely, "and you wouldn't grin about it unless you had somegood news. I don't know what the miracle is, but if you could tellquick----"She stopped like one who can say no more."I will, Persis," said her husband, and with that awed tone in which herarely spoke of anything but the virtues of his paint. "He came toborrow money of me, and I lent him it. That's the short of it. Thelong----""Go on," said his wife, with gentle patience."Well, Pert, I was never so much astonished in my life as I was to seethat man come into my office. You might have knocked me down with--Idon't know what.""I don't wonder. Go on!""And he was as much embarrassed as I was. There we stood, gaping ateach other, and I hadn't hardly sense enough to ask him to take achair. I don't know just how we got at it. And I don't remember justhow it was that he said he came to come to me. But he had got hold ofa patent right that he wanted to go into on a large scale, and there hewas wanting me to supply him the funds.""Go on!" said Mrs. Lapham, with her voice further in her throat."I never felt the way you did about Rogers, but I know how you alwaysdid feel, and I guess I surprised him with my answer. He had broughtalong a lot of stock as security----""You didn't take it, Silas!" his wife flashed out."Yes, I did, though," said Lapham. "You wait. We settled ourbusiness, and then we went into the old thing, from the very start.And we talked it all over. And when we got through we shook hands.Well, I don't know when it's done me so much good to shake hands withanybody.""And you told him--you owned up to him that you were in the wrong,Silas?""No, I didn't," returned the Colonel promptly; "for I wasn't. Andbefore we got through, I guess he saw it the same as I did.""Oh, no matter! so you had the chance to show how you felt.""But I never felt that way," persisted the Colonel. "I've lent him themoney, and I've kept his stocks. And he got what he wanted out of me.""Give him back his stocks!""No, I shan't. Rogers came to borrow. He didn't come to beg. Youneedn't be troubled about his stocks. They're going to come up intime; but just now they're so low down that no bank would take them assecurity, and I've got to hold them till they do rise. I hope you'resatisfied now, Persis," said her husband; and he looked at her with thewillingness to receive the reward of a good action which we all feelwhen we have performed one. "I lent him the money you kept me fromspending on the house.""Truly, Si? Well, I'm satisfied," said Mrs. Lapham, with a deeptremulous breath. "The Lord has been good to you, Silas," shecontinued solemnly. "You may laugh if you choose, and I don't know asI believe in his interfering a great deal; but I believe he'sinterfered this time; and I tell you, Silas, it ain't always he givespeople a chance to make it up to others in this life. I've been afraidyou'd die, Silas, before you got the chance; but he's let you live tomake it up to Rogers.""I'm glad to be let live," said Lapham stubbornly, "but I hadn'tanything to make up to Milton K. Rogers. And if God has let me livefor that----""Oh, say what you please, Si! Say what you please, now you've done it!I shan't stop you. You've taken the one spot--the one SPECK--off youthat was ever there, and I'm satisfied.""There wa'n't ever any speck there," Lapham held out, lapsing more andmore into his vernacular; "and what I done I done for you, Persis.""And I thank you for your own soul's sake, Silas.""I guess my soul's all right," said Lapham."And I want you should promise me one thing more.""Thought you said you were satisfied?""I am. But I want you should promise me this: that you won't letanything tempt you--anything!--to ever trouble Rogers for that moneyyou lent him. No matter what happens--no matter if you lose it all.Do you promise?""Why, I don't ever EXPECT to press him for it. That's what I said tomyself when I lent it. And of course I'm glad to have that old troublehealed up. I don't THINK I ever did Rogers any wrong, and I never didthink so; but if I DID do it--IF I did--I'm willing to call it square,if I never see a cent of my money back again.""Well, that's all," said his wife.They did not celebrate his reconciliation with his old enemy--for suchthey had always felt him to be since he ceased to be an ally--by anyshow of joy or affection. It was not in their tradition, as stoicalfor the woman as for the man, that they should kiss or embrace eachother at such a moment. She was content to have told him that he haddone his duty, and he was content with her saying that. But before sheslept she found words to add that she always feared the selfish part hehad acted toward Rogers had weakened him, and left him less able toovercome any temptation that might beset him; and that was one reasonwhy she could never be easy about it. Now she should never fear forhim again.This time he did not explicitly deny her forgiving impeachment. "Well,it's all past and gone now, anyway; and I don't want you should thinkanything more about it."He was man enough to take advantage of the high favour in which hestood when he went up to town, and to abuse it by bringing Corey downto supper. His wife could not help condoning the sin of disobediencein him at such a time. Penelope said that between the admiration shefelt for the Colonel's boldness and her mother's forbearance, she washardly in a state to entertain company that evening; but she did whatshe could.Irene liked being talked to better than talking, and when her sisterwas by she was always, tacitly or explicitly, referring to her forconfirmation of what she said. She was content to sit and look prettyas she looked at the young man and listened to her sister's drolling.She laughed and kept glancing at Corey to make sure that he wasunderstanding her. When they went out on the veranda to see the moonon the water, Penelope led the way and Irene followed.They did not look at the moonlight long. The young man perched on therail of the veranda, and Irene took one of the red-paintedrocking-chairs where she could conveniently look at him and at hersister, who sat leaning forward lazily and running on, as the phraseis. That low, crooning note of hers was delicious; her face, glimpsednow and then in the moonlight as she turned it or lifted it a little,had a fascination which kept his eye. Her talk was very unliterary,and its effect seemed hardly conscious. She was far from epigram inher funning. She told of this trifle and that; she sketched thecharacters and looks of people who had interested her, and nothingseemed to have escaped her notice; she mimicked a little, but not much;she suggested, and then the affair represented itself as if without heragency. She did not laugh; when Corey stopped she made a soft cluck inher throat, as if she liked his being amused, and went on again.The Colonel, left alone with his wife for the first time since he hadcome from town, made haste to take the word. "Well, Pert, I'vearranged the whole thing with Rogers, and I hope you'll be satisfied toknow that he owes me twenty thousand dollars, and that I've gotsecurity from him to the amount of a fourth of that, if I was to forcehis stocks to a sale.""How came he to come down with you?" asked Mrs. Lapham."Who? Rogers?""Mr. Corey.""Corey? Oh!" said Lapham, affecting not to have thought she could meanCorey. "He proposed it.""Likely!" jeered his wife, but with perfect amiability."It's so," protested the Colonel. "We got talking about a matter justbefore I left, and he walked down to the boat with me; and then he saidif I didn't mind he guessed he'd come along down and go back on thereturn boat. Of course I couldn't let him do that.""It's well for you you couldn't.""And I couldn't do less than bring him here to tea.""Oh, certainly not.""But he ain't going to stay the night--unless," faltered Lapham, "youwant him to.""Oh, of course, I want him to! I guess he'll stay, probably.""Well, you know how crowded that last boat always is, and he can't getany other now."Mrs. Lapham laughed at the simple wile. "I hope you'll be just as wellsatisfied, Si, if it turns out he doesn't want Irene after all.""Pshaw, Persis! What are you always bringing that up for?" pleaded theColonel. Then he fell silent, and presently his rude, strong face wasclouded with an unconscious frown."There!" cried his wife, startling him from his abstraction. "I seehow you'd feel; and I hope that you'll remember who you've got toblame.""I'll risk it," said Lapham, with the confidence of a man used tosuccess.From the veranda the sound of Penelope's lazy tone came through theclosed windows, with joyous laughter from Irene and peals from Corey."Listen to that!" said her father within, swelling up withinexpressible satisfaction. "That girl can talk for twenty, rightstraight along. She's better than a circus any day. I wonder whatshe's up to now.""Oh, she's probably getting off some of those yarns of hers, or tellingabout some people. She can't step out of the house without coming backwith more things to talk about than most folks would bring back fromJapan. There ain't a ridiculous person she's ever seen but what she'sgot something from them to make you laugh at; and I don't believe we'veever had anybody in the house since the girl could talk that she hain'tgot some saying from, or some trick that'll paint 'em out so't you cansee 'em and hear 'em. Sometimes I want to stop her; but when she getsinto one of her gales there ain't any standing up against her. I guessit's lucky for Irene that she's got Pen there to help entertain hercompany. I can't ever feel down where Pen is.""That's so," said the Colonel. "And I guess she's got about as muchculture as any of them. Don't you?""She reads a great deal," admitted her mother. "She seems to be at itthe whole while. I don't want she should injure her health, andsometimes I feel like snatchin' the books away from her. I don't knowas it's good for a girl to read so much, anyway, especially novels. Idon't want she should get notions.""Oh, I guess Pen'll know how to take care of herself," said Lapham."She's got sense enough. But she ain't so practical as Irene. She'smore up in the clouds--more of what you may call a dreamer. Irene'swide-awake every minute; and I declare, any one to see these twotogether when there's anything to be done, or any lead to be taken,would say Irene was the oldest, nine times out of ten. It's only whenthey get to talking that you can see Pen's got twice as much brains.""Well," said Lapham, tacitly granting this point, and leaning back inhis chair in supreme content. "Did you ever see much nicer girlsanywhere?"His wife laughed at his pride. "I presume they're as much swans asanybody's geese.""No; but honestly, now!""Oh, they'll do; but don't you be silly, if you can help it, Si."The young people came in, and Corey said it was time for his boat.Mrs. Lapham pressed him to stay, but he persisted, and he would not letthe Colonel send him to the boat; he said he would rather walk.Outside, he pushed along toward the boat, which presently he could seelying at her landing in the bay, across the sandy tract to the left ofthe hotels. From time to time he almost stopped in his rapid walk, asa man does whose mind is in a pleasant tumult; and then he went forwardat a swifter pace. "She's charming!" he said, and he thought he hadspoken aloud. He found himself floundering about in the deep sand,wide of the path; he got back to it, and reached the boat just beforeshe started. The clerk came to take his fare, and Corey lookedradiantly up at him in his lantern-light, with a smile that he musthave been wearing a long time; his cheek was stiff with it. Once somepeople who stood near him edged suddenly and fearfully away, and thenhe suspected himself of having laughed outright.