the dust-第2部分

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Once　more　Mr。　Lockyer　sighed。　　〃I　see　you　are　incorrigible；〃　said　he。

〃I　have　not　acted　without　reflection；〃　said　Norman。

And　Lockyer　knew　that　to　persist　was　simply　to　endanger　his　dignity。　　〃I　am　getting　old；〃　said　he。　〃Indeed；　I　am　old。　　I　have　gotten　into　the　habit　of　leaning　on　you；　my　boy。　　I　can't　consent　to　your　going；　hard　though　you　make　it　for　us　to　keep　you。　　I　shall　try　to　persuade　our　colleagues　to　accept　your　terms。〃

Norman　showed　neither　appreciation　nor　triumph。　He　merely　bowed　slightly。　　And　so　the　matter　was　settled。　　Instead　of　moving　into　the　suite　of　offices　in　the　Mills　Building　on　which　he　had　taken　an　option；　young　Norman　remained　where　he　had　been　toiling　for　twelve　years。

After　this　specimen　of　Norman's　quality；　no　one　will　be　surprised　to　learn　that　in　figure　he　was　one　of　those　solidly　built　men　of　medium　height　who　look　as　if　they　were　made　to　sustain　and　to　deliver　shocks；　to　bear　up　easily　under　heavy　burdens；　or　that　his　head　thickly　covered　with　fairish　hair；　was　hatchet…shaped　with　the　helve　or　face　suggesting　that　while　it　could　and　would　cleave　any　obstacle；　it　would　wear　a　merry　if　somewhat　sardonic　smile　the　while。　　No　one　had　ever　seen　Norman　angry；　though　a　few　persevering　offenders　against　what　he　regarded　as　his　rights　had　felt　the　results　of　swift　and　powerful　action　of　the　same　sort　that　is　usually　accompaniedand　weakenedby　outward　show　of　anger。　　Invariably　good…humored；　he　was　soon　seen　to　be　more　dangerous　than　the　men　of　flaring　temper。　　In　most　instances　good　humor　of　thus　unbreakable　species　issues　from　weakness；　from　a　desire　to　conciliateusually　with　a　view　to　plucking　the　more　easily。　　Norman's　good　humor　arose　from　a　sense　of　absolute　security　which　in　turn　was　the　product　of　confidence　in　himself　and　amiable　disdain　for　his　fellow　men。　The　masses　he　held　in　derision　for　permitting　the　classes　to　rule　and　rob　and　spit　upon　them。　　The　classes　he　scorned　for　caring　to　occupy　themselves　with　so　cheap　and　sordid　a　game　as　the　ruling；　robbing；　and　spitting　aforesaid。　　Coming　down　to　the　specific；　he　despised　men　as　individuals　because　he　had　always　found　in　each　and　everyone　of　them　a　weakness　that　made　it　easy　for　him　to　use　them　as　he　pleased。

Not　an　altogether　pleasant　character；　this。　　But　not　so　unpleasant　as　it　may　seem　to　those　unable　impartially　to　analyze　human　character；　even　their　own　especially　their　own。　　And　let　anyone　who　is　disposed　to　condemn　Norman　first　look　within　himselfin　some　less　hypocritical　and　self…deceiving　moment；　if　he　have　such　momentsand　let　him　note　what　are　the　qualities　he　relies　upon　and　uses　in　his　own　struggle　to　save　himself　from　being　submerged　and　sunk。　　Further；　there　were　in　Norman　many　agreeable　qualities；　important；　but　less　fundamental；　therefore　less　deep…　hiddentherefore　generally　regarded　as　the　real　man　and　as　the　cause　of　his　success　in　which　they　in　fact　had　almost　no　part。　　He　was；　for　example；　of　striking　physical　appearance；　was　attractively　dressed　and　mannered；　was　prodigally　generous。　　Neither　as　lawyer　nor　as　man　did　he　practice　justice。　　But　while　as　lawyer　he　practiced　injustice；　as　man　he　practiced　mercy。　　Whenever　a　weakling　appealed　to　him　for　protection；　he　gave　itat　times　with　splendid　recklessness　as　to　the　cost　to　himself　in　antagonisms　and　enmities。　　Indeed；　so　great　were　the　generosities　of　his　character　that；　had　he　not　been　arrogant；　disdainful；　self…confident；　reso…　lutely　and　single…heartedly　ambitious；　he　must　inevitably　have　ruined　himselfif　he　had　ever　been　able　to　rise　high　enough　to　be　worthy　the　dignity　of　catastrophe。

Successful　men　are　usually　trying　persons　to　know　well。　　Lambs；　asses；　and　chickens　do　not　associate　happily　with　lions；　wolves；　and　hawksnor　do　birds　and　beasts　of　prey　get　on　well　with　one　another。　　Norman　was　regarded　as　〃difficult〃　by　his　friendsby　those　of　them　who　happened　to　get　into　the　path　of　his　ambition；　in　front　of　instead　of　behind　him；　and　by　those　who　fell　into　the　not　unnatural　error　of　misunderstanding　his　good　nature　and　presuming　upon　it。　　His　clients　regarded　him　as　insolent。　　The　big　businesses；　seeking　the　rich　spoils　of　commerce；　frequent　highly　perilous　waters。　They　need　skillful　pilots。　　Usually　these　lawyer…pilots　〃know　their　place〃　and　put　on　no　airs　upon　the　quarter…deck　while　they　are　temporarily　in　command。　Not　so　Norman。　　He　took　the　full　rank；　authority　and　emolumentsof　commander。　　And　as　his　power；　fame；　and　income　were　swiftly　growing；　it　is　fair　to　assume　that　he　knew　what　he　was　about。

He　was　admiredextravagantly　admiredby　young　men　with　not　too　broad　a　vein　of　envy。　　He　was　no　woman　hateranything　but　that。　　Indeed；　those　who　wished　him　ill　had　from　time　to　time　hoped　to　see　him　tumble　down；　through　miscalculation　in　some　of　his　audacities　with　women。　　Nohe　did　not　hate　women。　But　there　were　several　women　who　hated　himor　tried　to；　and　if　wounded　vanity　and　baffled　machination　be　admitted　as　just　causes　for　hatred；　they　had　cause。　　He　likedbut　he　did　not　wholly　trust。　　When　he　went　to　sleep；　it　was　not　where　Delilah　could　wield　the　shears。　A　most　irritating　prudenceirritating　to　friends　and　intimates　of　all　degrees　and　kinds；　in　a　race　of　beings　with　a　mania　for　being　trusted　implicitly　but　with　no　balancing　mania　for　deserving　trust　of　the　implicit　variety。

And　he　ate　hugelyand　whatever　he　pleased。　　He　could　drink　beyond　belief；　all　sorts　of　things；　with　no　apparent　ill　effect　upon　either　body　or　brain。　　He　had　all　the　appetites　developed　abnormally；　and　abnormal　capacity　for　gratifying　them。　　Where　there　was　one　man　who　envied　him　his　eminence；　there　were　a　dozen　who　envied　him　his　physical　capacities。　　We　cannot　live　and　act　without　doing　mischief；　as　well　as　that　which　most　of　us　would　rather　do；　provided　that　in　the　doing　we　are　not　ourselves　undone。　　Probably　in　no　direction　did　Norman　do　so　much　mischief　as　in　unconsciously　leading　men　of　his　sets　down　town　and　up　to　imitate　his　colossal　dissipationswhich　were　not　dissipation　for　him　who　was　abnormal。

Withal；　he　was　a　monster　for　work。　　There　is　not　much　truth　in　men's　unending　talk　of　how　hard　they　work　or　are　worked。　　The　ravages　from　their　indulgences　in　smoking；　drinking；　gallantry；　eating　too　much　and　too　fast　and　too　often；　have　to　be　explained　away　creditably；　to　themselves　and　to　othersnotably　to　the　wives　or　mothers　who　nurse　them　and　suffer　from　their　diminishing　incomes。　　Hence　the　wailing　about　work。　But　once　in　a　while　a　real　worker　appearsa　man　with　enormous　ingenuity　at　devising　difficult　tasks　for　himself　and　with　enormous　persistence　in　doing　them。　Frederick　Norman　was　one　of　these　blue…moon　prodigies。

Obviously；　such　a　man　could　not　but　be　observed　and　talked　about。　　Endless　stories；　some　of　them　more　or　less　true；　most　of　them　apocryphal；　were　told　of　him　stories　of　his　shrewd；　unexpected　moves　in　big　cases；　of　his　witty　retorts；　of　his　generosities；　of　his　peculiarities　of　dress；　of　eating　and　drinking；　stories　of　his　adventures　with　women。　　Whatever　he　did；　however　trivial；　took　color　and　charm　from　his　personality；　so　easy　yet　so　difficult；　so　simple　yet　so　complex；　so　baffling。　Was　he　wholly　selfish？　　Was　he　a　friend　to　almost　anybody　or　to　nobody？　　Did　he　ever　love？　　No　one　knew；　not　even　himself；　for　life　interested　him　too　intensely　and　too　incessantly　to　leave　him　time　for　self…analysis。　One　thing　he　was　certain　of；　he　hated　nobody；　envied　nobody。　　He　was　too　successful　for　that。

He　did　as　he　pleased。　　And；　on　the　whole；　he　pleased　to　do　far　less　inconsiderately　than　his　desires；　his　abilities；　and　his　opportunities　tempted。　　Have　not　men　been　acclaimed　good　for　less？

In　the　offices；　where　he　was　canvased　daily　by　part…　ners；　clerks；　everyone　down　to　the　cleaners　whose　labors　he　so　often　delayed；　opinion　varied　from　day　to　day。　They　worshiped　him；　they　hated　him。　　They　loved　him；　they　feared　him。　　They　regarded　him　as　more　than　human；　as　less　than　human；　but　never　as　just　human　though　always　as　endowed　with　fine　human　virtues　and　even　finer　human　weaknesses。　　Miss　Tillotson；　next　to　the　head　clerk　in　rank　and　payand　a　pretty　and　pushing　young　persondreamed　of　getting　acquainted　with　himreally　well　acquainted。　　It　was　a　vain　dream。　For　him；　between　up　town　and　down　town　a　great　gulf…　was　fixed。　　Also；　he　had　no　interest　in　or　ammunition　for　sparrows。

It　was　in　December　that　Miss　HallowellMiss　Dorothea　Hallowellgot　her　temporary　place　at　ten　dollars　a　weekthat　obscure　event；　somewhat　like　a　field　mouse　taking　quarters　in　a　horizon…bounded　grain　field。　　It　was　not　until　mid…February　that　she；　the　palest　of　personalities；　came　into　direct　contact　with　Norman；　about　the　most　refulgent。　　This　is　how　it　happened。

Late　in　that　February　afternoon；　an　hour　or　more　after　the　last　of　the　office　force　should　have　left；　Norman　threw　open　the　door　of　his　private　office　and　glanced　round　at　the　rows　on　rows　of　desks。　　The　lights　in　the　big　room　were　on；　apparently　only　because　he　was　still　within。　　With　an　exclamation　of　disappointment　he　turned　to　re…enter　his　office。　　He　heard　the　click　of　type…　writer　keys。　　Again　he　looked　round；　but　could　see　no　one。

〃Isn't　there　some　one　here？〃　he　cried。　　〃Don't　I　hear　a　typewriter？〃

The　noise　stopped。　　The