That morning, as the Harts were preparing to go to the hearing the doctor had called to see little Powers, for the child's feverish6 cold threatened to develop into pneumonia7. After the doctor had gone, the architect went upstairs to the sickroom, where Helen was seated on the bed playing with Powers, and trying to soothe8 him. As he stood there silently watching them, he was tormented9 by a sudden fear, a terrible presentiment10, that the child was to die, and thus he was to pay for his sins, and not only he, but Helen. She was to pay with him, even more than he! He tried to rid himself of the hysterical11 and foolish idea, but it persisted, prompted by that rough sense of retribution—an acknowledgment of supreme12 justice—that most men retain all their lives.
"I shall have to go now," he said to her at last. "But you mustn't think of coming. You must stay with the boy."
"Oh, no!" Helen exclaimed quickly, looking closely at the child. "The doctor says there is nothing to fear yet. Everything has been done that I can do, and your mother will stay with him while we are away. It won't be long, anyway!"
"Why do you insist upon coming?" he protested almost irritably13. "It won't be exactly pleasant, and you may have to hang around there for hours."
"Don't you want me to go with you, and be there, Francis?" she asked a little sadly.
He made no reply, feeling ashamed to confess that it would make the coming scene all the more painful to know that she was hearing again in all its repulsive14 detail the story of his participation15 in the criminal construction of the Glenmore hotel.
"I think I had better go," she said finally, "and I want to go!"
She wished to be near him at the end, after he had performed this difficult act; to be near him when he came out from the hearing and walked home with the knowledge of the public disgrace preparing for him at the hands of the hungry reporters. Then, she divined, would come upon him the full bitterness of his position.
The hearing proceeded slowly, and it was the middle of the afternoon before the architect was called. The coroner, a grizzled little German-American with an important manner, put on his spectacles to examine the new witness, and the members of the coroner's jury, who knew that the architect had left the city immediately after the fire and were surprised at his return, evinced their curiosity by leaning forward and staring at Hart.
The first questions put to him were directed toward gaining information about the corporation that owned the building. As Mr. Hart was the treasurer16 of the Glenmore company, presumably he held stock in the corporation? A large amount? No, he had had some stock, but had disposed of it. Recently? Some time ago. To whom? The witness refused to answer. Had he paid cash for his stock? The witness refused to answer: he had been told by his lawyer that all such questions were not pertinent17 to the present inquiry18. But who, then, were the chief stockholders? who were, in fact, the Glenmore company? Again the architect refused to answer; indeed, he was not sure that he knew. The coroner, baffled on this line, and knowing well enough in a general way at least from previous witnesses that nothing was to be unearthed19 here, turned to more vital matters.
"Mr. Hart," he said, clearing his throat and looking gravely at the witness, "I understand that you were the architect for this hotel?"
"Yes."
"You drew the plans and specifications20 for the Glenmore?"
"Yes, they were prepared in my office."
"Were they the same that you see here?"
The coroner motioned toward the roll of plans that had been taken from the files of the Building Department.
"Yes," the architect answered readily, merely glancing at the plans, "those were the plans for the hotel as originally prepared by me."
"Now I want to ask if the Glenmore hotel was built according to these plans?"
The architect hesitated. Every one in the room knew well enough by this time that the building destroyed by fire had not been erected21 according to these plans, but, nevertheless, they waited eagerly for the reply.
"Few buildings," Hart began explanatorily, "are completed in all respects according to the original plans and specifications."
"Ah, is that so?"
"But these plans were very considerably22 altered," the witness continued voluntarily.
"By whom? By you? With your consent, your approval?"
The architect hesitated again for a few moments, and then answered rapidly:—
"With my knowledge, certainly; yes, you may say with my consent!"
There was a little delay in the inquiry at this point, while the coroner consulted with his counsel as to the next questions that should be addressed to the witness. The architect gazed doggedly23 before him, keeping his eyes on the dirty window above the heads of the jury. In the dingy24 light of the little room, his face appeared yellow and old. His mouth twitched25 occasionally beneath his mustache, but otherwise he stood with composure waiting for the next question, which he knew would pierce to the heart of the matter.
"Mr. Hart," the coroner resumed, "will you describe to us what those alterations26 in the plans for the Glenmore were, what was the nature of them?"
The witness considered how he was to answer the question, and then he proceeded to explain the most important discrepancies27 between the building as it had been erected by Graves and the plans that had been filed with the Building Department. He described the use of the old walls and foundations, the reduction in the thickness of the bearing-walls and partitions, the chief substitutions of wood for steel in the upper stories, the omitting of fireproof partitions and fire-escapes, etc.,—in short, all the methods of "skinning" the construction, in which the contractor28 was such an adept29. He referred from time to time to the plans, and used technical terms, which he was asked to explain. But the jury listened with absorbed interest, and he kept on until he had answered the question thoroughly30.
"As an architect," the coroner asked, when Hart had completed his explanation, "will you state whether, in your judgment31, these changes that you have described, especially the substitution of inflammable material for fireproofing and the weakening of the main walls, were sufficient to account for the great loss of life in the fire?"
The answer to such a question could be only speculative,—an individual opinion,—and the witness might properly refuse to commit himself. The architect hesitated, and then with a quick motion of the head, as if he were sick of evasions32, said:—
"There are a good many buildings here in Chicago and in other large cities that are no safer than the Glenmore was. But if you want my opinion, I will say that such alterations as I have indicated tended to weaken the walls, and in other ways to bring the building below the danger limit."
"It was what might be called a fire-trap, then?"
"I did not say that!"
Feeling that at last he had found an easy witness, the coroner began to bully33, and there ensued a wrangle34 between him and the architect, in which both men became heated.
"Well, Mr. Hart," a member of the jury finally interposed with a question, "can you say that the Glenmore as it was built conformed to the building ordinances36 of the city of Chicago?"
"It would take a number of experts and a good lawyer to interpret those ordinances!" the architect answered testily37. "I should say that they were drawn38 for the express purpose of being violated."
There was a laugh along the reporters' bench at this retort. But the witness quickly added in his former contained manner:—
"No, the Glenmore violated the ordinances in a number of important particulars."
There was a sudden hush39 in the room. This point had been established before by different persons who had been examined. Nevertheless, the admission coming from the architect of the ill-fated building was an important point. It might lead to other interesting admissions.
"You were aware, then, when the Glenmore was being erected that it violated the ordinances?"
"Yes."
"Did you make any protest?"
"No."
"Did you know when you undertook the plans that the hotel was to be built in this manner?"
"I knew that it was to be put up for a certain sum, and that a first-class fire-proof building conforming to the ordinances could not be built for that money."
A number of questions followed in regard to the actual cost of the hotel and the connection of the Graves Construction Company with the owners of the building, many of which the architect refused to answer. At last the coroner returned to the one point on which he had been successful in eliciting40 vital information,—the character of the burned building, and the circumstances of its construction.
"I suppose the building was inspected during the construction?"
"Certainly."
"By whom?"
"As usual, by different inspectors41 from the building department. Mr. Murphy was there several times, I remember, and Mr. Lagrange, among others. But I think chiefly Mr. Murphy."
"Were you present during their inspection42?"
"Not always."
"Did either of these gentlemen find anything to object to in the method of construction?"
"I never heard of any objection. Nothing was ever said to me. The inspectors might have talked to the contractors43. But I don't think any one of them did."
"Have you reason to believe that there was any collusion between the inspectors and the Graves Company?"
Every one in the room knew that there must have been collusion. Nevertheless, the architect, after hesitation44, said:—
"I shan't answer that, sir."
"You refuse to reply?"
"See here, Mr. Coroner! I am here to tell you what I know about the Glenmore,—at least so far as it concerns my own responsibility, my own work. But I am not here to testify against the Graves Construction Company. Understand that!"
"Well, I should say that you and the Graves Company were pretty well mixed in this matter. You were an officer of the corporation which employed the Graves Company to build a hotel on your plans. Could there be any closer connection than that, do you think?"
To this observation Hart made no reply, and finally the member of the jury who had interposed before put another question to the witness:—
"You have told us that the Glenmore was not properly built, was not what it pretended to be, a fire-proof building, and generally violated the ordinance35 for that class of building. Do you consider yourself in any way responsible for those violations45?"
"Yes," the architect replied slowly, "I suppose so. At least I knew all about it!"
"You considered it a dangerous building?"
"I can't say that I did. I should consider it so now. I didn't think much about it then."
The witness's admission came with evident effort; the juryman continued insinuatingly:—
"Mr. Hart, I believe that you were present at the fire?"
"Yes."
"Did you then believe that if the hotel had been built according to these plans"—he pointed46 to the roll of blue prints on the table—"the large loss of life would not have occurred?"
"I felt so,—yes, I believe so now!"
"May I ask one more question? Was it for your interest to make these changes? Did you make any money out of the job beyond your customary commission?"
It was a question that the witness might properly refuse to answer as having no direct bearing on the object of the inquest. But the architect was weary of quibbles,—indeed, eager to make his testimony as thorough as might be, and to have it over.
"Not directly, but I was an officer of the company, and beside—"
"Indirectly47, then, you benefited?"
"Yes, indirectly."
"That is all, Mr. Hart."
A few more questions were asked by the coroner about the inspection of the building by Murphy and Lagrange, and also in regard to the architect's previous relations with the Graves Company. Then the witness was excused.
When the architect stepped back into the room, he saw Wheeler sitting beside Helen in the rear. They waited for him at the door, and together the three went out to the street. The lawyer, who had reached the hearing in time for most of the testimony, smiled rather grimly as he remarked to his cousin:—
"Well, Jack48, you gave them about everything they were after! You needn't have turned yourself quite inside out."
"It was perfect!" Helen exclaimed, taking her husband's arm. "Everything you said was right. I wouldn't have had you change a word."
Wheeler buttoned his coat against the east wind and smiled tolerantly at the woman's fervor49.
"Will that be all, Everett?" she asked a little defiantly50.
"For the present," he replied after a pause, and then he nodded good-by.
"What did he mean?" she asked her husband, as they threaded the crowded street leading to the North Side bridge.
"That they will hold me to the Grand Jury, I suppose."
Her hand which clasped his arm tightened51 involuntarily at the words, and they continued their way silently to the old Ohio Street house.
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1
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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wane
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| n.衰微，亏缺，变弱；v.变小，亏缺，呈下弦 | |
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offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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pneumonia
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| n.肺炎 | |
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soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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treasurer
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| n.司库，财务主管 | |
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pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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unearthed
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| 出土的（考古） | |
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specifications
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| n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述 | |
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21
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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alterations
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| n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变 | |
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discrepancies
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| n.差异，不符合（之处），不一致（之处）( discrepancy的名词复数 ) | |
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contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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31
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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32
evasions
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| 逃避( evasion的名词复数 )； 回避； 遁辞； 借口 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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34
wrangle
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| vi.争吵 | |
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ordinance
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| n.法令；条令；条例 | |
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ordinances
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| n.条例，法令( ordinance的名词复数 ) | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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eliciting
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| n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式 | |
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41
inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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43
contractors
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| n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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44
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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45
violations
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| 违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸 | |
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46
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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48
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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49
fervor
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| n.热诚；热心；炽热 | |
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50
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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51
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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