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who had laughed two years ago at the irrepressible Barker。 〃It's a
new thing；〃 she said； languidly turning her rings on her fingers；
〃to see you in the role of a doting father。 And may I ask how long
you have had this amiable weakness； and how long it is to last？〃
To her surprise and the keen retaliating delight of her sex； a
conscious flush covered his face to the crisp edges of his black
and matted beard。 For a moment she hoped that he had lied。 But；
to her greater surprise； he stammered in equal frankness： 〃It's
growed upon me for the last five yearsever since I was alone with
him。〃 He stopped； cleared his throat； and then； standing up before
her； said in his former voice； but with a more settled and intense
deliberation： 〃You wanter know how long it will last； do ye？ Well；
you know your special friend； Jim Stacythe big millionairethe
great Jim of the Stock Exchangethe man that pinches the money
market of Californy between his finger and thumb and makes it
squeal in New Yorkthe man who shakes the stock market when he
sneezes？ Well； it will go on until that man is a beggar； until he
has to borrow a dime for his breakfast； and slump out of his lunch
with a cent's worth of rat poison or a bullet in his head！ It'll
go on until his old partnerthat softy George Barkercomes to the
bottom of his dd fool luck and is a penny…a…liner for the
papers and a hanger…round at free lunches； and his scatter…brained
wife runs away with another man！ It'll go on until the high…toned
Demorest； the last of those three little tin gods of Heavy Tree
Hill； will have to climb down； and will know what I feel and what
he's made me feel； and will wish himself in hell before he ever
made the big strike on Heavy Tree！ That's me！ You hear me！ I'm
shoutin'！ It'll last till then！ It may be next week； next month；
next year。 But it'll come。 And when it does come you'll see me
and Eddy just waltzin' in and takin' the chief seats in the
synagogue！ And you'll have a free pass to the show！〃
Either he was too intoxicated with his vengeful vision； or the
shadows of the room had deepened； but he did not see the quick
flush that had risen to his wife's face with this allusion to
Barker； nor the after…settling of her handsome features into a
dogged determination equal to his own。 His blind fury against the
three partners did not touch her curiosity； she was only struck
with the evident depth of his emotion。 He had never been a
braggart； his hostility had always been lazy and cynical。
Remembering this； she had a faint stirring of respect for the
undoubted courage and consciousness of strength shown in this wild
but single…handed crusade against wealth and power； rather；
perhaps； it seemed to her to condone her own weakness in her
youthful and inexplicable passion for him。 No wonder she had
submitted。
〃Then you have nothing more to tell me？〃 she said after a pause；
rising and going towards the mantel。
〃You needn't light up for me；〃 he returned； rising also。 〃I am
going。 Unless；〃 he added； with his coarse laugh； 〃you think it
wouldn't look well for Mrs。 Horncastle to have been sitting in the
dark witha stranger！〃 He paused as she contemptuously put down
the candlestick and threw the unlit match into the grate。 〃No；
I've nothing more to tell。 He's a fancy…looking pup。 You'd take
him for twenty…one； though he's only sixteenclean…limbed and
perfectbut for one thing〃 He stopped。 He met her quick look
of interrogation； however； with a lowering silence that；
nevertheless； changed again as he surveyed her erect figure by the
faint light of the window with a sardonic smile。 〃He favors you； I
think； and in all but one thing； too。〃
〃And that？〃 she queried coldly； as he seemed to hesitate。
〃He ain't ashamed of ME；〃 he returned； with a laugh。
The door closed behind him； she heard his heavy step descend the
creaking stairs； he was gone。 She went to the window and threw it
open； as if to get rid of the atmosphere charged with his
presence；a presence still so potent that she now knew that for
the last five minutes she had been； to her horror； struggling
against its magnetism。 She even recoiled now at the thought of her
child； as if； in these new confidences over it； it had revived the
old intimacy in this link of their common flesh。 She looked down
from her window on the square shoulders； thick throat； and crisp
matted hair of her husband as he vanished in the darkness； and drew
a breath of freedom；a freedom not so much from him as from her
own weakness that he was bearing away with him into the exonerating
night。
She shut the window and sank down in her chair again； but in the
encompassing and compassionate obscurity of the room。 And this was
the man she had loved and for whom she had wrecked her young life！
Or WAS it love？ and； if NOT； how was she better than he？ Worse；
for he was more loyal to that passion that had brought them
together and its responsibilities than she was。 She had suffered
the perils and pangs of maternity； and yet had only the mere animal
yearning for her offspring； while he had taken over the toil and
duty； and even the devotion； of parentage himself。 But then she
remembered also how he had fascinated hera simple schoolgirlby
his sheer domineering strength； and how the objections of her
parents to this coarse and common man had forced her into a
clandestine intimacy that ended in her complete subjection to him。
She remembered the birth of an infant whose concealment from her
parents and friends was compassed by his low cunning； she
remembered the late atonement of marriage preferred by the man she
had already begun to loathe and fear； and who she now believed was
eager only for her inheritance。 She remembered her abject
compliance through the greater fear of the world； the stormy scenes
that followed their ill…omened union； her final abandonment of her
husband； and the efforts of her friends and family who had rescued
the last of her property from him。 She was glad she remembered it；
she dwelt upon it； upon his cruelty； his coarseness and vulgarity；
until she saw； as she honestly believed； the hidden springs of his
affection for their child。 It was HIS child in nature； however it
might have favored her in looks； it was HIS own brutal SELF he was
worshiping in his brutal progeny。 How else could it have ignored
HERits own mother？ She never doubted the truth of what he had
told hershe had seen it in his own triumphant eyes。 And yet she
would have made a kind mother； she remembered with a smile and a
slight rising of color the affection of Barker's baby for her； she
remembered with a deepening of that color the thrill of satisfaction
she had felt in her husband's fulmination against Mrs。 Barker； and；
more than all； she felt in his blind and foolish hatred of Barker
himself a delicious condonation of the strange feeling that had
sprung up in her heart for Barker's simple； strai