登陆注册
5410100000017

第17章 Mammon and the Archer(1)

Old Anthony Rockwall,retired manufacturer and proprietor of Rockwall's Eureka Soap,looked out the library window of his Fifth Avenue mansion and grinned.His neighbour to the right-the aristocratic clubman,G.Van Schuylight Suffolk-Jones-came out to his waiting motor-car,wrinkling a contumelious nostril,as usual,at the Italian renaissance sculpture of the soap palace's front elevation.

‘Stuck-up old statuette of nothing doing!’commented the ex-Soap King.‘The Eden Musee'll get that old frozen Nesselrode yet if he don't watch out.I'll have this house painted red,white,and blue next summer and see if that'll make his Dutch nose turn up any higher.’

And then Anthony Rockwall,who never cared for bells,went to the door of his library and shouted ‘Mike!’in the same voice that had once chipped off pieces of the welkin on the Kansas prairies.

‘Tell my son,’said Anthony to the answering menial,‘to come in here before he leaves the house.’

When young Rockwall entered the library the old man laid aside his newspaper,looked at him with a kindly grimness on his big,smooth,ruddy countenance,rumpled his mop of white hair with one hand and rattled the keys in his pocket with the other.

‘Richard,’said Anthony Rockwall,‘what do you pay for the soap that you use?’

Richard,only six months home from college,was startled a little.He had not yet taken the measure of this sire of his,who was as full of unexpectednesses as a girl at her first party.

‘Six dollars a dozen,I think,dad.’

‘And your clothes?’

‘I suppose about sixty dollars,as a rule.’

‘You're a gentleman,’said Anthony decidedly.‘I've heard of these young bloods spending $24a dozen for soap,and going over the hundred mark for clothes.You've got as much money to waste as any of 'em,and yet you stick to what's decent and moderate.Now I use the old Eureka-not only for sentiment,but it's the purest soap made.Whenever you pay more than ten cents a cake for soap you buy bad perfumes and labels.But fifty cents is doing very well for a young man in your generation,position and condition.As I said,you're a gentleman.They say it takes three generations to make one.They're off.Money'll do it as slick as soap grease.It's made you one.By hokey!it's almost made one of me.I'm nearly as impolite and disagreeable and ill-mannered as these two old Knickerbocker gents on each side of me that can't sleep of nights because I bought in between 'em.’

‘There are some things that money can't accomplish,’remarked young Rockwall rather gloomily.

‘Now,don't say that,’said old Anthony,shocked.‘I bet my money on money every time.I've been through the encyclopdia down to Y looking for something you can't buy with it;and I expect to have to take up the appendix next week.I'm for money against the field.Tell me something money won't buy.’

‘For one thing,’answered Richard,rankling a little,‘it won't buy one into the exclusive circles of society.’

‘Oho won't it?’thundered the champion of the root of evil.‘You tell me where your exclusive circles would be if the first Astor hadn't had the money to pay for his steerage passage over?’

Richard sighed.

‘And that's what I was coming to,’said the old man less boisterously.‘That's why I asked you to come in.There's something going wrong with you,boy.I've been noticing it for two weeks.Out with it.I guess I could lay my hands on eleven millions within twenty-four hours,besides the real estate.If it's your liver,there's the Rambler down in the bay,coaled,and ready to steam down to the Bahamas in two days.’

‘Not a bad guess,dad;you haven't missed it far.’

‘Ah,’said Anthony keenly;‘what's her name?’

Richard began to walk up and down the library floor.There was enough comradeship and sympathy in this crude old father of his to draw his confidence.

‘Why don't you ask her?’demanded old Anthony.‘She'll jump at you.You've got the money and the looks,and you're a decent boy.Your hands are clean.You've got no Eureka soap on 'em.You've been to college,but she'll overlook that.’

‘I haven't had a chance,’said Richard.

‘Make one,’said Anthony.‘Take her for a walk in the park,or a straw ride,or walk home with her from church.Chancel Pshaw!’

‘You don't know the social mill,dad.She's part of the stream that turns it.Every hour and minute of her time is arranged for days in advance.I must have that girl,dad,or this town is a blackjack swamp for evermore.And I can't write it-I can't do that.’

‘Tut!’said the old man.‘Do you mean to tell me that with all the money I've got you can't get an hour or two of a girl's time for yourself?’

‘I've put it off too late.She's going to sail for Europe at noon day after to-morrow for a two years'stay.I'm to see her alone to-morrow evening for a few minutes.She's at Larchmont now at her aunt's.I can't go there.But I'm allowed to meet her with a cab at the Grand Central Station to-morrow evening at the 8.30train.We drive down Broadway to Wallack's at a gallop,where her mother and a box party will be waiting for us in the lobby.Do you think she would listen to a declaration from me during those six or eight minutes under those circumstances?No.And what chance would I have in the theatre or afterward?None.No,dad,this is one tangle that your money can't unravel.We can't buy one minute of time with cash;if we could,rich people would live longer.There's no hope of getting a talk with Miss Lantry before she sails.’

‘All right,Richard,my boy,’said old Anthony cheerfully.‘You may run along down to your club now.I'm glad it ain't your liver.But don't forget to burn a few punk sticks in the joss-house to the great god Mazuma from time to time.You say money won't buy time?Well,of course,you can't order eternity wrapped up and delivered at your residence for a price,but I've seen Father Time get pretty bad stone bruises on his heels when he walked through the gold diggings.’

同类推荐
  • 汤姆叔叔的小屋(英文版)

    汤姆叔叔的小屋(英文版)

    《汤姆叔叔的小屋》,19世纪极具影响力的小说(其销量仅次于《圣经》),并被认为是刺激1850年废奴主义兴起的一大因素。在其发表的头一年里,仅美国本土便销售出了三十多万册,这在19世纪中叶可是天文数字。《汤姆叔叔的小屋》对美国社会的影响如此巨大,以致在南北战争爆发的初期,当林肯接见斯托夫人时,曾说到:“你就是那位引发了一场大战的小妇人。”后来,这句话为众多作家竞相引用。
  • 大学英语四级词汇新解

    大学英语四级词汇新解

    部分内容包括构词、词形变化等,能使同学们化整为零,举一反三,进而快速有效地记住单词。书中每个单词后面都列有该词最常用的中文释义。当释义多于一项时,用等加以区分,并配有同反义词,使同学们全面掌握与此单词相关的词汇。
  • 万用英语表达宝典

    万用英语表达宝典

    无论是去英美国家旅游、工作、学习深造,还是感受英美文化的魅力,掌握最基本的英语口语都是第一需要。这里有英语万用会话黄金句,一定会碰上的近300个高频使用情境,及典型的生活口语!全面的编写内容+丰富的表达方式+易查的会话宝典,既可以满足英语初学者的入门需要,又可以满足那些具有一定基础、需要在较短时间内迅速提高口语水平的学习者的学习要求。让你一书在手,口语无忧。
  • 那些妙趣横生的故事(每天读一点英文)

    那些妙趣横生的故事(每天读一点英文)

    《每天读一点英文·那些妙趣横生的故事》是一套与美国人同步阅读的中英双语丛书。特点有三:内文篇目收录了最精彩、最新鲜的笑话;“实战提升”部分,包括单词和词组、知道不知道,让你捧腹大笑的同时,丰富知识面; 附赠地道美语朗读MP3光盘。 本书幽默逗趣,文字浅显易懂,让你笑着学英文!
  • 计算机英语

    计算机英语

    本书共九章,包括:计算机的发展及总体介绍,计算机硬件,计算机操作系统,数据库系统,软件工程,计算机网络和因特网,办公自动化系统,多媒体技术以及计算机安全。每个章节都配有正文的参考译文,帮助读者更加方便地学习和理解。每章的后面配有练习题并附参考答案,以利于对本单元内容进行巩固。课后的附录包含了单词表,词组表,计算机英语语法及科技英语写作要点,全方位地给读者提供丰富的相关知识。
热门推荐
  • 赫鲁晓夫全传

    赫鲁晓夫全传

    在很多人的印象里,尼基塔·赫鲁晓夫是一位在联合国大会上敲鞋子的苏联领导人,事实上,他也是20世纪最复杂、最重要的政治人物之一。他谴责斯大林,释放数以百万计受害者,并为他们平反昭雪。他努力减缓冷战紧张气氛的笨拙尝试引发了柏林与古巴两次危机。作为斯大林之后头十年的苏联统治者,赫鲁晓夫给他的国家和整个世界打上了其自身矛盾的深刻印记。此外,他的一生和从政经历为我们勾勒了苏联时代的整体画卷:革命、内战、饥荒、集体化、工业化、恐怖政治、世界大战、冷战、斯大林时代、后斯大林时代。
  • 痞子遇见妞

    痞子遇见妞

    一个防狼踢却将自己踢进狼窝……她单纯的认为,以身体为道歉的代价足以让自己远离那头恶狼,但惹上他注定一辈子都逃不出他的手掌心……他,拥有无害的绝世容颜,却是个又痞又色的腹黑男。她,外表阳光清纯,却是个有点小暴力的疯癫伪纯女。某男:成为我的猎物就得乖乖的!某女:哼!女汉子能屈能伸,想纠缠,滚远点!当腹黑男变身温柔哥,女汉子也hold不住啊!说是远离他,可是……可是奴家真的做不到啊!A:“话说痞子遇见妞,到底是偶然还是久别重逢?”B:“嘿嘿,人家当然是久别重逢啦!”A:“文文到底是搞笑还是苦情?”B:“嘿嘿,你看了不就知道鸟!”A:“说话给爷痛快点!!”B:“本文讲的是一个超级专情傻男人,亲手杀了自己的老婆孩子还有他自己,还大义凛然的说,没事,这辈子没了,我们还有下辈子……尼玛,来世他们是在一起了!可却也磨难多多、苦情多多。什么被下咒、鬼缠身的一大堆……也不知到底是他欠她的,还是她欠他的,纠纠缠缠的,剪不断,理还乱的!哎呀,人家也说不清啦!爷,您进来看看就知道啦!”PS:本文小搞笑、小狗血、小清新还有一点小灵异……胆小勿进哟!A:“滚回吧!”B:“诺……各位爷们,记得收藏啊!!薄荷爱你们!么么哒!”A:“贱人就是矫情!不过,看她那可怜样,就赏她个收藏吧!
  • 王妃黑叶猴

    王妃黑叶猴

    同人类社会一样,动物世界也有温和与残忍之分、善良与狡诈之别。这里既有生活的艰辛与拼搏,也有爱情的欢愉和幸福,还有对儿女的绵绵母爱。作者把丰富的大胆想象和深刻的哲学思考融为一体,淋漓尽至地表现了爱恨情仇、悲欢离合。这些动物小说充满了英雄之气,豪迈之情,给人以极大的心灵震撼,同时又给人以深刻的反思。看到这些动物的生命历程,我们仿佛也看到了人类自己。
  • 唐云的异能生活

    唐云的异能生活

    重生的当日,唐云发现他的眼睛拥有了透视的能力。利用透视,唐云开始接触赌石和古玩。从此,他的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化...
  • 烬铅华

    烬铅华

    第一卷:落花有意,流水无情(错过篇)法师家族的大小姐从小养尊处优,受人追捧。五岁就凭借一副画名动大陆。12岁那年开画展一幅画便卖到1万多金高价。17岁时遇家变,一日之间从神坛跌落。可教皇对她说,他是凰殿的圣女,不可以有弱点。她不愿意就这样活在别人的控制之下,在和擎云骑主新婚那夜,一身侍女衣服逃离婚房。来到华清道观,因为他曾说过在那里等她,也是在那里遇到她永生所爱……等到她再次回到大陆,圣女之位被人假冒。他还发现自己寻寻觅觅多年的师傅。从始至终,都是她的夫君,知晓她的一切。她瞬间便觉得,复仇什么的,好像都不再重要了,可这世上从来没有后悔药……第二卷为你可摘星辰。(寻觅篇)超级甜!“我不要成神,如果神界没有他,我为什么要留下?”法若辰在自己飞升当天,跳下诛仙台。甘愿散尽功德寻找他的师父韶华也是他的夫君——陈亦封。“嘉骍战神,我的好父亲。您这样做有意思吗?”“就算没有记忆,我也能找到她。”第三卷我愿为你的影子(回忆篇)解释情节,女主帅!“我叫莲生,从今日起,就是你的仙君了。”“跟着我,保证你再也不被人欺负。”“莲生,你放弃吧!你没有料到的是人类的贪婪!”“我愿意用生命去换安宁……”
  • Vikram and the Vampire

    Vikram and the Vampire

    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。
  • 存余堂诗话

    存余堂诗话

    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。
  • 洛葭月探案之依依残腊无情别

    洛葭月探案之依依残腊无情别

    初见时值冬月,瑞雪初霁。安静窒人的小巷里,两道溜长微弯的粉壁立在青灰的石板路旁。雪粒细白清薄,铺就在墙角,隐隐见着少许凌乱的雀爪印于其上,看不太分明。洛葭月将后背抵住白墙,单手挟持一名青年男子,目光微冷:“贫道今日刚刚踏上会稽县,陶知县是凭着什么,一口咬定贫道便是制造多起绑架案的嫌犯?”站在她身前不远处的是一名二十出头的男子,身穿簇新的藏青圆领夹袍、淡绿素罗合领单衫。眉清目朗,年轻斯文。
  • 傍晚的尖叫

    傍晚的尖叫

    红番小区有些年纪了,前两年沾某活动的光,刷过一次外墙,很快就像老年妇女脸上的粉,斑驳干燥,透出没有营养的底色来。到处都是横空而过的线缆,阳台一律封死,窗口处投降般伸出些长长短短的衣物来,无论款式还是质地,都在向上天证明,住在这里的人,生活谈不上讲究。但它却在上海寸土寸金的位置,拐到弄口,就是整齐而辽阔的商业区,空气中嗡嗡作响的仿佛不是电流,而是钞票在以光速流动。小小每次从小区走出,穿过两百米弄口,拐到马路上等车,都会有种新生儿奋力钻出母体的感觉,一刻还是憋闷不堪,一刻就天高地远了。
  • 逮捕前妻

    逮捕前妻

    他是多金的贵公子,她是拜金的贪财女他是被抛弃的新郎,她是被骗来的新娘,她过上富裕无忧的生活,摆平他家的大大小小,却独独摆不平她的冷漠老公老公下班回家,体贴的她为他做好饭菜老公外面有女人,贤惠的她替他隐瞒下来老公要跟她离婚,冷静的她拿了赡养费就离开随着她的离去,他的心再度被冰封,直到再次的遇见,他才知道上天是多么的眷顾他。但是如今的她……高傲,冷淡,风情,妩媚身边围绕着形形色色的男人“嫁给我!”“你去死吧!”当你不理我的时候,我不难过当你不相信我的时候,我不辩解当你伤害我的时候,我不在意当你迎接另一个女人的时候…我还是掉下了眼泪当你叫我离开的时候,我走了现在想要挽留我,对不起心走远了,回不来了…“你唯一能为我做的事,就是给我滚得远远的!”投票+收藏+留言=偶码字的动力,(*^__^*)嘻嘻……