登陆注册
5230500000064

第64章 XIII(2)

Norman gave a shrug that said "Why do you persist in those frauds--and with ME?" But he did not speak.

"I know," pursued Lockyer, "that you would not have taken this step without conclusive reasons. And I shall not venture the impertinence of prying or of urging."

"Thanks," said Norman drily. "Now, as to the terms of settlement."

Lockyer, from observation and from gossip, had a pretty shrewd notion of the state of his young partner's mind, and drew the not unwarranted conclusion that he would be indifferent about terms--would be "easy."

With the suavity of Mr. Great-and-Good-Heart he said:

"My dear boy, there can't be any question of money with us. We'll do the generously fair thing--for, we're not hucksterers but gentlemen."

"That sounds terrifying," observed the young man, with a faint ironic smile. "I feel my shirt going and the cold winds whistling about my bare body. To save time, let ME state the terms. You want to be rid of me.

I want to go. It's a whim with me. It's a necessity for you."

Lockyer shifted uneasily at these evidences of unimpaired mentality and undaunted spirit.

"Here are my terms," proceeded Norman. "You are to pay me forty thousand a year for five years--unless I open an office or join another firm. In that case, payments are to cease from the date of my re-entering practice."

Lockyer leaned back and laughed benignantly. "My dear Norman," he said with a gently remonstrant shake of the head, "those terms are impossible. Forty thousand a year! Why that is within ten thousand of the present share of any of us but you. It is the income of nearly three quarters of a million at six per cent--of a million at four per cent!"

"Very well," said Norman, settling back in his chair. "Then I stand pat."

"Now, my dear Norman, permit me to propose terms that are fair to all----"

"When I said I stood pat I meant that I would stay on." His eyes laughed at Lockyer. "I guess we can live without Burroughs and his dependents. Maybe they will find they can't live without us." He slowly leaned forward until, with his forearms against the edge of his desk, he was concentrating a memorable gaze upon Lockyer. "Mr. Lockyer," said he, "I have been exercising my privilege as a free man to make a damn fool of myself. I shall continue to exercise it so long as I feel disposed that way. But let me tell you something.

I can afford to do it. If a man's asset is money, or character or position or relatives and friends or popular favor or any other perishable article, he must take care how he trifles with it. He may find himself irretrievably ruined. But my asset happens to be none of those things. It is one that can be lost or damaged only by insanity or death. Do you follow me?"

The old man looked at him with the sincere and most flattering tribute of compelled admiration. "What a mind you've got, Frederick--and what courage!"

"You accept my terms?"

"If the others agree--and I think they will."

"They will," said Norman.

The old man was regarding him with eyes that had genuine anxiety in them. "Why DO you do it, Fred?" he said.

"Because I wish to be free," replied Norman. He would never have told the full truth to that incredulous old cynic of a time-server--the truth that he was resigning at the dictation of a pride which forbade him to involve others in the ruin he, in his madness, was bent upon.

"I don't mean, why do you resign," said Lockyer.

"I mean the other--the--woman."

Norman laughed harshly.

"I've seen too much of the world not to understand," continued Lockyer. "The measureless power of woman over man--especially--pardon me, my dear Norman--especially a bad woman!"

"The measureless power of a man's imagination over himself," rejoined Norman. "Did you ever see or hear of a man without imagination being upset by a woman? It's in here, Mr. Lockyer"--he rapped his forehead--"altogether in here."

"You realize that. Yet you go on--and for such a --pardon me, my boy, for saying it--for such a trifling object."

"What does `trifling' mean, sir?" replied the young man. "What is trifling and what is important?

It depends upon the point of view. What I want--that is vital. What I do not want--that is paltry.

It's my nature to go for what I happen to want--to go for it with all there is in me. I will take nothing else--nothing else."

There was in his eyes the glitter called insanity--the glitter that reflects the state of mind of any strong man when possessed of one of those fixed ideas that are the idiosyncrasy of the strong. It would have been impossible for Lockyer to be possessed in that way; he had not the courage nor the concentration nor the inde-pendence of soul; like most men, even able men, he dealt only in the conventional. Not in his wildest youth could he have wrecked or injured himself for a woman; women, for him, occupied their conventional place in the scheme of things, and had no allure beyond the conventionally proper and the conventionally improper--for, be it remembered, vice has its beaten track no less than virtue and most of the vicious are as tame and unimaginative as the plodders in the high roads of propriety. Still, Lockyer had associated with strong men, men of boundless desires; thus, he could in a measure sympathize with his young associate. What a pity that these splendid powers should be perverted from the ordinary desires of strong men!

Norman rose, to end the interview. "My address is my house. They will forward--if I go away."

Lockyer gave him a hearty handclasp, made a few phrases about good wishes and the like, left him alone.

The general opinion was that Norman was done for.

But Lockyer could not see it. He had seen too many men fall only to rise out of lowest depths to greater heights than they had fallen from. And Norman was only thirty-seven. Perhaps this would prove to be merely a dip in a securely brilliant career and not a fall at all. In that case--with such a brain, such a genius for the lawlessness of the law, what a laughing on the other side of the mouth there might yet be among young Norman's enemies--and friends!

同类推荐
  • 青龙寺轨记

    青龙寺轨记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The World's Desire

    The World's Desire

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西清诗话

    西清诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大圣欢喜双身大自在天毗那夜迦王归依念诵供养法

    大圣欢喜双身大自在天毗那夜迦王归依念诵供养法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 注肇论疏

    注肇论疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 艺苑卮言

    艺苑卮言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 见习魔法师

    见习魔法师

    不一样的复活祭祀,不一样的魔王争霸,不一样的神兽与传说,尽在见习魔法师……
  • 席卷天下

    席卷天下

    东汉末年诸侯混战,多少英雄故事不过是为了争权夺利互相攻伐,他们或许只看见站在高处手握生杀的权利,却不见耗尽了民族的精血。随着司马氏篡夺天下,八王之乱为胡人打开了南下的大门,中原大地迎来了黑暗的时代。刘彦来到了公元340年,历史俗称“五胡乱华”的历史时期。面对中原满地胡人和即将被杀绝的族人,他别无选择,只能奋起为生存而战!……君不见,汉终军,弱冠系虏请长缨;君不见,班定远,绝域轻骑催战云。我有系统金手指,诸君且与我一同杀胡,尽复汉人河山,再塑强汉辉煌!……亲们,请继续相聚到荣誉的新书:《春秋大领主》直接搜书,或是点荣誉的作者名,可以找到。让我们再一起慢慢的变老!
  • 重生复仇:毒妃不好惹

    重生复仇:毒妃不好惹

    前世一心一意只爱他一人,却没有想到他将她容家满门抄斩,并毒杀自己的亲生儿子且赶尽杀绝。重生归来,她巧用心计让他休了她后,杀伐果断,冷漠无情,一步一步毁掉他的江山,却没想到渣男后悔,还想再娶她,不过门都没有,只是这一次不等她出手,身边已经人替她挡掉这烂渣男了!
  • 新潮涌动(1910-1919)

    新潮涌动(1910-1919)

    本书以全新史料,记述了晚清时期的中国历史进程。内容涵盖政治、经济、军事、科技、文化、艺术、外交、法律、宗教、民俗等方面。
  • 写给孩子的世界历史

    写给孩子的世界历史

    《写给孩子的世界历史》一本美国中小学最佳课外读物,适合中小学阅读的世界史,让我们领略世界上下五千年。我们以前学过的世界史,经常孤立地看待历史事件,而这本书,通过编年体的方式,从古埃及,古希腊,古罗马到中世纪一个时代接着一个时代,让小孩子了解时代的全貌,不会孤立地看待历史事件。这是从西方人的角度讲述的世界史。我在给儿子讲完一个故事以后,提问他请他复述每一个故事,并且向他提问其中的时间,地点,人物,内容,从而保证他已经记下了所听到的内容。比如说,我让儿子讲一下马拉松平原战役的始末。当时波斯国王是谁,希腊与波斯的兵力比例是多少。
  • 斩妖屠魔剑

    斩妖屠魔剑

    以为自己能搅起通天巨浪,最后发现不过是随波逐流。以为自己站在浪涛之巅,原来是一浪还比一浪高。一切都是你以为。
  • 循循不善诱

    循循不善诱

    夏日蝉鸣,少女夹着书本,埋头回家,也不看路。突然她看见地上出现了一个影子,抬起头,影子的主人露出一副非常欠扁的笑容:“纪循循,你跟我一起考艺术生吧?”“不要,烦死了,你别挡着我!”我猛地睁开眼,因为遮着窗户的窗帘十分厚,屋里显得阴沉沉的。我觉得整个脑袋疼死了。枕旁的手机的铃声响个不停,我一边按着太阳穴,一边接通电话,里面传来罪魁祸首的声音:“纪循循,你怎么还不起床?”
  • 最懒萧家少夫人

    最懒萧家少夫人

    知薇和萧梓辰可谓是青梅竹马,两小无猜情没培养出来,倒是孽缘路修了很长。萧梓辰这个小霸王在她手里被摧残多年。她该死的竟然还嫁到他家!他要娶温柔贤淑的大小姐啦!可是后来她要走,身边冒出一大堆的竞争者。可怜的小霸王只能将她偷着藏着,将她那惊世的才华喊着求着收起来!
  • 圈子圈套2:迷局篇

    圈子圈套2:迷局篇

    职场风云再起。洪钧出任维西尔中国区总经理,他和俞威之间的较量又或明或暗地展开来,面对商场上的尔虞我诈,他该如何出招。俞威依旧在ICE呼风唤雨,然而当他发现新任研发中心的负责人竟然和洪钧有某种渊源时,他还能笑得起来吗?他将如何面对这一颗“定时炸弹”。