第7章TheMammonandtheArcher

第7章themammonandthearcher

oldanthonyrockwall,retiredmanufacturerandproprietorofrockwall'seurekasoap,lookedoutthelibrarywindowofhisfifthavenuemansionandgrinned.hisneighbortotheright—thearistocraticclubman,g.vanschuylightsuffolk-jones—cameouttohiswaitingmotorcar,wrinklingacontumeliousnostril,asusual,attheitalianrenaissancesculptureofthesoappalace'sfrontelevation.

"stuck-upoldstatuetteofnothingdoing!"commentedtheexsoapking."theedenmusee'llgetthatoldfrozennesselrodeyetifhedon'twatchout.i'llhavethishousepaintedred,white,andbluenextsummerandseeifthat'llmakehisdutchnoseturnupanyhigher."

andthenanthonyrockwall,whonevercaredforbells,wenttothedoorofhislibraryandshouted"mike!"inthesamevoicethathadoncechippedoffpiecesofthewelkinonthekansasprairies.

"tellmyson,"saidanthonytotheanswetingmenial,"tocomeinherebeforeheleavesthehouse."

whenyoungrockwallenteredthelibrarytheoldmanlaidasidehisnewspaper,lookedathimwithakindlygrimnessonhisbig,smooth,ruddycountenance,rumpledhismopofwhitehairwithonehandandrattledthekeysinhispocketwiththeother.

"richard,"saidanthonyrockwall,"whatdoyoupayforthesoapthatyouuse?"

richard,onlysixmonthshomefromcollege,wasstartledalittle.hehadnotyettakenthemeasureofthissireofhis,whowasasfullofunexpectednessesasagirlatherfirstparty.

"sixdollarsadozen,ithink,dad."

"andyourclothes?"

"isupposeaboutsixtydollars,asarule."

"you'reagentleman,"saidanthony,decidedly."i'veheardoftheseyoungbloodsspending$24adozenforsoap,andgoingoverthehundredmarkforclothes.you'vegotasmuchmoneytowasteasanyof'em,andyetyousticktowhat'sdecentandmoderate.nowiusetheoldeureka—notonlyforsentiment,butit'sthepurestsoapmade.wheneveryoupaymorethan10centsacakeforsoapyoubuybadperfumesandlabels.but50centsisdoingverywellforayoungmaninyourgeneration,positionandcondition.asisaid,you'reagentleman.theysayittakesthreegenerationstomakeone.they'reoff.money'lldoitasslickassoapgrease.it'smadeyouone.byhokey!it'salmostmadeoneofme.i'mnearlyasimpoliteanddisagreeableandill-manneredasthesetwooldknickerbockergentsoneachsideofmethatcansleepofnightsbecauseiboughtinbetween'em."

"therearesomethingsthatmoneycan'taccomplish,"remarkedyoungrockwall,rathergloomily.

"now,don'tsaythat,"saidoldanthony,shocked."ibetmymoneyonmoneyeverytime.i'vebeenthroughtheencyclopaediadowntoylookingforsomethingyoucan'tbuywithit;andiexpecttohavetotakeuptheappendixnextweek.i'mformoneyagainstthefield.tellmesomethingmoneywon'tbuy."

"foronething,"answeredrichard,ranklingalittle,"itwon'tbuyoneintotheexclusivecirclesofsociety.""oho!won'tit?"thunderedthechampionoftherootofevil."youtellmewhereyourexclusivecircleswouldbeifthefirstastorhadn'thadthemoneytopayforhissteeragepassageover?"

richardsighed.

"andthat'swhatiwascomingto,"saidtheoldman,lessboisterously."that'swhyiaskedyoutocomein.there'ssomethinggoingwrongwithyou,boy.i'vebeennoticingitfortwoweeks.outwithit.iguessicouldlaymyhandsonelevenmillionswithintwenty-fourhours,besidestherealestate.ifit'syourliver,there'stheramblerdowninthebay,coaled,andreadytosteamdowntothebahamasintwodays."

"notabadguess,dad;youhaven'tmisseditfar."

"ah,"saidanthony,keenly;"what'shername?"

richardbegantowalkupanddownthelibraryfloor.therewasenoughcomradeshipandsympathyinthiscrudeoldfatherofhistodrawhisconfidence.

"whydon'tyouaskher?"demandedoldanthony."she'lljumpatyou.you'vegotthemoneyandthelooks,andyou'readecentboy.yourhandsareclean.you'vegotnoeurekasoapon'em.you'vebeentocollege,butshe'lloverlookthat."

"ihaven'thadachance,"saidrichard.

"makeone,"saidanthony."takeherforawalkinthepark,orastrawride,orwalkhomewithherfromchurch.chance!pshaw!"

"youdon'tknowthesocialmill,dad.she'spartofthestreamthatturnsit.everyhourandminuteofhertimeisarrangedfordaysinadvance.imusthavethatgirl,dad,orthistownisablackjackswampforevermore.andican'twriteit—icandothat."

"tut!"saidtheoldman."doyoumeantotellmethatwithallthemoneyi'vegotyoucan'tgetanhourortwoofagirl'stimeforyourself?"

"i'veputitofftoolate.she'sgoingtosailforeuropeatnoondayaftertomorrowforatwoyears'stay.i'mtoseeheralonetomorroweveningforafewminutes.she'satlarchmontnowatheraunt's.ican'tgothere.buti'mallowedtomeetherwithacabatthegrandcentralstationtomorroweveningatthe8.30train.wedrivedownbroadwaytowallack'satagallop,wherehermotherandaboxpartywillbewaitingforusinthelobby.doyouthinkshewouldlistentoadeclarationfrommeduringthatsixoreightminutesunderthosecircumstances?no.andwhatchancewouldihaveinthetheatreorafterward?none.no,dad,thisisonetanglethatyourmoneycan'tunravel.wecan'tbuyoneminuteoftimewithcash;ifwecould,richpeoplewouldlivelonger.there'snohopeofgettingatalkwithmisslantrybeforeshesails."

"allright,richard,myboy,"saidoldanthony,cheerfully."youmayrunalongdowntoyourclubnow.i'mgladitain'tyourliver.butdon'tforgettoburnafewpunksticksinthejosshousetothegreatgodmazumafromtimetotime.yousaymoneywon'tbuytime?well,ofcourse,youcan'tordereternitywrappedupanddeliveredatyourresidenceforaprice,buti'veseenfathertimegetprettybadstonebruisesonhisheelswhenhewalkedthroughthegoldings."

thatnightcameauntellen,gentle,sentimental,wrinkled,sighing,oppressedbywealth,intobrotheranthonyathiseveningpaper,andbegandiscourseonthesubjectoflovers'woes.

"hetoldmeallaboutit,"saidbrotheranthony,yawning."itoldhimmybankaccountwasathisservice.andthenhebegantoknockmoney.saidmoneycouldn'thelp.saidtherulesofsocietycouldn'tbebuckedforayardbyateamoften-millionaires."

"oh,anthony,"sighedauntellen,"iwishyouwouldnotthinksomuchofmoney.wealthisnothingwhereatrueaffectionisconcerned.loveisall-powerful.ifheonlyhadspokenearlier!shecouldnothaverefusedourrichard.butnowifearitistoolate.hewillhavenoopportunitytoaddressher.allyourgoldcannotbringhappinesstoyourson."

ateighto'clockthenexteveningauntellentookaquaintoldgoldringfromamoth-eatencaseandgaveittorichard.

"wearittonight,nephew,"sheed."yourmothergaveittome.goodluckinloveshesaiditbrought.sheaskedmetogiveittoyouwhenyouhadfoundtheoneyouloved."

youngrockwalltooktheringreverentlyandtrieditonhissmallestfinger.itslippedasfarasthesecondjointandstopped.hetookitoffandstuffeditintohisvestpocket,afterthemannerofman.andthenhe,phonedforhiscab.

atthestationhecapturedmisslantryoutofthegaddingmobateightthirty-two.

"wemustu'tkeepmammaandtheotherswaiting,"saidshe.

"towallack'stheatreasfastasyoucandrive!"saidrichardloyally.

theywhirledupforty-secondtobroadway,andthendownthewhite-starredlanethatleadsfromthesoftmeadowsofsunsettotherockyhillsofmorning.

atthirty-fourthstreetyoungrichardquicklythrustupthetrapandorderedthecabmantostop.

"i'vedroppedaring,"heapologised,asheclimbedout."itwasmymother,andi'dhatetoloseit.iwon'tdetainyouaminute—isawwhereitfell."

inlessthanaminutehewasbackinthecabwiththering.

butwithinthatminuteacrosstowncarhadstoppeddirectlyinfrontofthecab.thecabmantriedtopasstotheleft,butaheavyexpresswagoncuthimoff.hetriedtheright,andhadtobackawayfromafurniturevanthathadnobusinesstobethere.hetriedtobackout,butdroppedhisreinsandsworedutifully.hewasblockadedinatangledmessofvehiclesandhorses.

oneofthosestreetblockadeshadoccurredthatsometimestieupcommerceandmovementquitesuddenlyinthebigcity.

"whydon'tyoudriveon?"saidmisslantry,impafiendy."we'llbelate."

richardstoodupinthecabandlookedaround.hesawacongestedfloodofwagons,trucks,cabs,vansandstreetcarsfillingthevastspacewherebroadway,sixthavenueandthirty-fourthstreetcrossoneanotherasatwenty-sixinchmaidenfillshertwenty-twoinchgirdle.andstillfromallthecrossstreetstheywerehurryingandrattlingtowardtheconvergingpointatfullspeed,andhurlingthemselvesintothelingmass,lockingwheelsandaddingtheirdrivers'imprecationstotheclamor.theentiretrafficofmanhattanseemedtohavejammeditselfaroundthem.theoldestnewyorkeramongthethousandsofspectatorsthatlinedthesidewalkshadnotwitnessedastreetblockadeoftheproportionsofthisone.

"i'mverysorry,"saidrichard,asheresumedhisseat,"butitlooksasifwearestuck.theywon'tgetthisjumbleloosenedupinanhour.itwasmyfault.ifihadn'tdroppedtheringwe—""letmeseethering,"saidmisslantry."nowthatitcan'tbehelped,idon'tcare.ithinktheatresarestupid,anyway."

at11o'clockthatnightsomebodytappedlightlyonanthonyrockwall'sdoor.

"comein,"shoutedanthony,whowasinareddressing-gown,readingabookofpiraticaladventures.

somebodywasauntellen,lookinglikeagrey-hairedangelthathadbeenleftonearthbymistake.

"they'reengaged,anthony,"shesaidsoftly."shehaspromisedtomarryourrichard.ontheirwaytothetheatretherewasastreetblockade,anditwastwohoursbeforetheircabcouldgetoutofit.

"andoh,brotheranthony,don'teverboastofthepowerofmoneyagain.alittleemblemoftruelove—alittleringthatsymbolizedunendingandunmercenaryaffection—wasthecauseofourrichardfindinghishappiness.hedroppeditinthestreet,andgotourtorecoverit.andbeforetheycouldcontinuetheblockadeoccurred.hespoketohisloveandwonhertherewhilethecabwashemmedin.moneyisdrosscomparedwithtruelove,anthony."