children of the whirlwind-第40部分

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As　she　sat　through　the　night　hours　the　Duchess　for　the　first　time　felt　warmth　creep　over　her　for　Maggie。　She　saw　Maggie　in　the　light　of　a　victim。　If　Maggie　had　been　brought　up　as　her　father　had　planned；　she　might　now　be　much　the　girl　her　father　dreamed　her。　But　Old　Jimmie　had　entered　the　scheme　of　things。　Yes；　the　audacious；　willful；　confident　Maggie；　bent　on　conquering　the　world　in　the　way　Old　Jimmie　and　later　Barney　Palmer　had　taught　her；　was　really　just　a　poor　misguided　victim　who　should　have　had　a　far　different　fate。

And　now　the　Duchess　came　to　one　of　the　greatest　problems　of　her　life。　What　should　she　do？　Considering　the　facts　that　Joe　Ellison　wished　the　life　of　a　recluse　and　desired　to　avoid　all　talk　of　the　old　days；　the　chances　were　that　he　would　never　happen　upon　the　real　state　of　affairs。　Only　she　and　Old　Jimmie　knew　the　essentials　of　the　situation…　…and　very　likely　Jimmie　did　not　yet　know　that　the　friend　who　had　once　trusted　him　was　now　a　free　man。　She　felt　as　though　she　held　in　her　hands　the　strings　of　destiny。　Should　she　tell　the　truth？

She　pondered　long。　All　her　considerations　were　given　weight　according　to　what　she　saw　as　their　possible　effect　upon　Larry；　for　Larry　was　the　one　person　left　whom　she　loved；　and　on　him　were　fixed　the　aspirations　of　these　her　final　years。　Therefore　her　thoughts　and　arguments　were　myopic；　almost　necessarily　specious。　She　wanted　to　see　justice　done；　of　course。　But　most　of　all　she　wanted　what　was　best　for　Larry。　If　she　told　the　truth；　it　might　result　in　some　kind　of　temporary　breakdown　in　Maggie's　attitude　which　would　bring　her　and　Larry　together。　That　would　be　disastrous。　If　not　disastrous　at　once；　certainly　in　the　end。　Maggie　was　a　victim；　and　undoubtedly　deserved　sympathy。　But　others　should　not　be　sacrificed　merely　because　Maggie　had　suffered　an　injury。　She　had　been　too　long　under　the　tutelage　of　Old　Jimmie；　and　his　teachings　were　now　too　thoroughly　the　fiber　of　her　very　being；　for　her　to　alter　permanently。　She　might　change　temporarily　under　the　urge　of　an　emotional　revelation；　but　she　would　surely　revert　to　her　present　self。　There　was　no　doubt　of　that。

And　the　Duchess　gave　weight　to　other　considerationsall　human；　yet　all　in　some　measure　specious。　Joe　Ellison　was　happy　in　his　dream；　and　would　be　happy　in　it　all　the　rest　of　his　life。　Why　tell　the　truth　and　destroy　his　precious　illusion？especially　when　there　was　no　chance　to　change　Maggie？

And　further；　she　recalled　the　terrific　temper　that　had　lived　within　the　composed　demeanor　of　Joe　Ellison。　The　fires　of　that　temper　could　not　yet　be　all　burned　out。　If　she　told　the　truth；　told　that　Jimmie　Carlisle　was　still　alive；　that　might　be　just　touching　the　trigger　of　a　devastating　tragedymight　be　disaster　for　all。　What　would　be　the　use　when　no　one　would　have　been　benefited？

And　so；　in　the　wisdom　of　her　old　head　and　the　entanglements　of　her　old　heart；　the　Duchess　decided　she　would　never　tell。　And　that　loving；　human　decision　she　was　to　cling　to　through　the　stress　of　times　to　come。

But　even　while　she　was　thus　deciding　upon　a　measure　to　checkmate　them　both；　Larry　was　pacing　his　room　at　Cedar　Crest；　at　last　excitedly　evolving　the　elusive　plan　which　was　to　bring　Maggie　to　her　senses　and　also　to　him；　and　Maggie；　all　unconscious　of　this　new　element　which　had　entered　as　a　potential　factor　in　her　existence；　all　unconscious　of　how　far　she　had　been　guided　from　the　course　which　had　been　charted　for　her；　was　lying　awake　at　the　Grantham　after　a　late　party　at　which　Dick　Sherwood　had　been　her　escort；　and　was　exulting　pridefully　over　the　seemingly　near　consummation　of　the　plan　that　was　to　show　Larry　Brainard　how　wrong　he　was　and　that　was　to　establish　her　as　the　cleverest　woman　in　her　linebetter　even　than　Barney　or　Old　Jimmie　believed　her。

And　thus　separate　wills　each　strove　to　direct　their　own　lives　and　other　lives　according　to　their　own　separate　plans；　little　thinking　to　what　extent　they　were　all　entangled　in　a　common　destiny；　and　thinking　not　at　all　of　the　further　seed　that　was　being　sown　for　the　harvest…　time　of　the　whirlwind。




CHAPTER　XXII


After　Larry's　many　days　and　nights　of　futile　searching　of　his　brain　for　a　plan　that　would　accord　with　his　fundamental　idea　for　awakening　the　unguessed　other　self　of　Maggie；　the　plan；　which　finally　came　to　him　complete　in　all　its　details　in　a　single　moment；　was　so　simple　and　obvious　that　he　marveled　it　could　have　been　plainly　before　his　eyes　all　this　while　without　his　ever　seeing　it。　Of　course　the　plan　was　dangerous　and　of　doubtful　issue。　It　had　to　be　so；　because　it　involved　the　reactions　of　strong…tempered　persons　as　yet　unacquainted　who　would　have　no　foreknowledge　of　the　design　behind　their　new　relationship；　and　because　its　success　or　failure；　which　might　also　mean　his　own　complete　failure；　the　complete　loss　of　all　he　had　thus　far　gained；　depended　largely　upon　the　twist　of　events　which　he　could　not　foresee　and　therefore　could　not　guide。

Briefly；　his　plan　was　so　to　manage　as　to　have　Maggie　received　in　the　Sherwood　household　as　a　guest；　to　have　her　receive　the　frank；　unquestioning　hospitality　（and　perhaps　friendship）　of　such　a　gracious；　highly　placed；　unpretentious　woman　as　Miss　Sherwood；　so　distinctly　a　native　of；　and　not　an　immigrant　to；　the　great　world。　To　be　received　as　a　friend　by　those　against　whom　she　plotted；　to　have　the　generous；　unsuspecting　friendship　of　Miss　Sherwoodif　anything　just　then　had　a　chance　to　open　the　blinded　Maggie's　eyes　to　the　evil　and　error　of　what　she　was　engaged　upon；　if　anything　had　a　chance　to　appeal　to　the　finer　things　he　believed　to　exist　unrecognized　or　suppressed　in　Maggie；　this　was　that　thing。

And　best　part　of　this　plan；　its　effect　would　be　only　within　Maggie's　self。　No　one　need　know　that　anything　had　happened。　There　would　be　no　exposure；　no　humiliation。

Of　course　there　was　the　great　question　of　how　to　get　Miss　Sherwood　to　invite　Maggie；　and　whether　indeed　Miss　Sherwood　would　invite　her　at　all。　And　there　was　the　further　question；　the　invitation　being　sent；　of　whether　Maggie　would　accept。

Larry　decided　to　manipulate　his　design　through　Dick　Sherwood。　Late　that　afternoon；　when　Dick；　just　returned　from　the　city；　dropped　into；　as　was　his　before…dinner　custom；　the　office…study　which　had　been　set　aside　for　Larry's　use；　Larry；　after　an　adroit　approach　to　his　subject；　continued：

〃And　since　I've　been　wished　on　you　as　a　sort　of　step…uncle；　there's　something　I'd　like　to　suggestif　I　don't　seem　to　be　fairly　jimmying　my　way　into　your　affairs。〃

〃Door's　unlocked　and　wide　open；　Captain；〃　said　Dick。　〃Walk　right　in　and　take　the　best　chair。〃

〃Thanks。　Remember　telling　me　about　a　young　woman　you　recently　met？　A　Miss　MaggieMaggie〃

〃Miss　Cameron；〃　Dick　prompted。　〃Of　course　I　remember。〃

〃And　remember　your　telling　me　that　this　time　it's　the　real　thing？〃

〃And　it　IS　the　real　thing！〃

〃You　haven'texcuse　measked　her　to　marry　you　yet？〃

〃No。　I've　been　trying　to　get　up　my　nerve。〃

〃Here's　where　you've　got　to　excuse　me　once　more；　Dickit's　not　my　business　to　tell　you　what　should　be　your　relations　with　your　family　but　have　you　told　your　sister？〃

〃No。〃　Dick　hesitated。　〃I　suppose　I　should。　But　I　hadn't　thought　of　it…　…yet。　You　see〃　Again　Dick　hesitated。

〃Y