The next morning they went together to Mr. Blessing2's residence. That gentleman still wore a crimson3 velvet4 dressing-gown, and the odor of the cigar, which he puffed5 in a rear room, called the library (the books were mostly Patent Office and Agricultural Reports, with Faublas and the Decamerone), breathed plainly of the Vuelte Abajo.
"My dear boy!" he cried, jumping up and extending his arms, "Asten of Asten Hall! After all your moving accidents by flood and field; back again! This is—is—what shall I say? compensation for many a blow of fate! And my brave Knight6 with the Iron Hand, sit down, though it be in Carthage, and let me refresh my eyes with your faces!"
"Not Carthage yet, I hope," said Joseph.
"Not quite, if I adhere strictly7 to facts," Mr. Blessing replied; "although it threatens to be my Third Punic War.
"There is even a slight upward tendency in the Amaranth shares, and if the company were in my hands, we should soon float upon the topmost wave. But what can I do? The Honorable Whaley and the Reverend Dr. Lellifant were retained on account of their names; Whaley made president, and I—being absent at the time developing the enterprise, not only pars9 magna but totus teres atque rotundus, ha! ha!—I was put off with a director's place. Now I must stand by, and see the work of my hands overthrown10. But 'tis ever thus!"
He heaved a deep sigh. Philip, most heroically repressing a tendency to shriek11 with laughter, drew him on to state the particulars, and soon discovered, as he had already suspected, that Mr. Blessing's sanguine12 temperament13 was the real difficulty; it was still possible for him to withdraw, and secure a moderate success.
When this had been made clear, Joseph interposed.
"Mr. Blessing," said he, "I cannot forget how recklessly, in my disappointment, I charged you with dishonesty. I know also that you have not forgotten it. Will you give me an opportunity of atoning14 for my injustice15?—not that you require it, but that I may, henceforth, have less cause for self-reproach."
"Your words are enough!" Mr. Blessing exclaimed. "I excused you long ago. You, in your pastoral seclusion—"
"But I have not been secluded16 for eighteen months past," said Joseph, smiling. "It is the better knowledge of men which has opened my eyes. Besides, you have no right to refuse me; it is Mrs. Blessing whom I shall have to consult."
He laid the papers on the table, explaining that half the amount realized from his shares of the Amaranth had been invested, on trust, for the benefit of Mrs. Eliza Blessing.
"You have conquered—vincisti!" cried Mr. Blessing, shedding tears. "What can I do? Generosity17 is so rare a virtue18 in the world, that it would be a crime to suppress it!"
Philip took advantage of the milder mood, and plied8 his arguments so skilfully19 that at last the exuberant20 pride of the De Belsain blood gave way.
"What shall I do, without an object,—a hope, a faith in possibilities?" Mr. Blessing cried. "The amount you have estimated, with Joseph's princely provision, is a competence21 for my old days; but how shall I fill out those days? The sword that is never drawn22 from the scabbard rusts23."
"But," said Philip, gravely, "you forget the field for which you were destined24 by nature. These operations in stocks require only a low order of intellect; you were meant to lead and control multitudes of men. With your fluency25 of speech, your happy faculty26 of illustration, your power of presenting facts and probabilities, you should confine yourself exclusively to the higher arena27 of politics. Begin as an Alderman; then, a Member of the Assembly; then, the State Senate; then—"
"Member of Congress!" cried Mr. Blessing, rising, with flushed face and flashing eyes. "You are right! I have allowed the necessity of the moment to pull me down from my proper destiny! You are doubly right! My creature comforts once secured, I can give my time, my abilities, my power of swaying the minds of men,—come, let us withdraw, realize, consolidate28, invest, at once!"
They took him at his word, and before night a future, free from want, was secured to him. While Philip and Joseph were on their way to the country by a late train, Mr. Blessing was making a speech of an hour and a half at one of the primary political meetings.
There was welcome through the valley when Joseph's arrival was known. For two or three days the neighbors flocked to the farm to see the man whose adventures, in a very marvellous form, had been circulating among them for a year past. Even Mr. Chaffinch called, and was so conciliated by his friendly reception, that he, thenceforth, placed Joseph in the ranks of those "impracticable" men, who might be nearer the truth than they seemed: it was not for us to judge.
Every evening, however, Joseph took his saddle-horse and rode up the valley to Philip's Forge. It was not only the inexpressible charm of the verdure to which he had so long been a stranger,—not only the richness of the sunset on the hills, the exquisite29 fragrance30 of the meadow-grasses in the cool air,—nay31, not entirely32 the dear companionship of Philip which drew him thither33. A sentiment so deep and powerful that it was yet unrecognized,—a hope so faint that it had not yet taken form,—was already in his heart. Philip saw, and was silent.
But, one night, when the moon hung over the landscape, edging with sparkling silver the summits of the trees below them, when the air was still and sweet and warm, and filled with the diffused34 murmurs35 of the stream, and Joseph and Madeline stood side by side, on the curving shoulder of the knoll36, Philip, watching them from the open window, said to himself: "They are swiftly coming to the knowledge of each other; will it take Joseph further from my heart, or bring him nearer? It ought to fill me with perfect joy, yet there is a little sting of pain somewhere. My life had settled down so peacefully into what seemed a permanent form; with Madeline to make a home and brighten it for me, and Joseph to give me the precious intimacy37 of a man's love, so different from woman's, yet so pure and perfect! They have destroyed my life, although they do not guess it. Well, I must be vicariously happy, warmed in my lonely sphere by the far radiation of their nuptial38 bliss39, seeing a faint reflection of some parts of myself in their children, nay, claiming and making them mine as well, if it is meant that my own blood should not beat in other hearts. But will this be sufficient? No! either sex is incomplete alone, and a man's full life shall be mine! Ah, you unconscious lovers, you simple-souled children, that know not what you are doing, I shall be even with you in the end! The world is a failure, God's wonderful system is imperfect, if there is not now living a noble woman to bless me with her love, strengthen me with her self-sacrifice, purify me with her sweeter and clearer faith! I will wait: but I shall find her!"
The End
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1
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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3
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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5
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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9
pars
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| n.部，部分；平均( par的名词复数 )；平价；同等；（高尔夫球中的）标准杆数 | |
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overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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atoning
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| v.补偿，赎（罪）( atone的现在分词 )；补偿，弥补，赎回 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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competence
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| n.能力，胜任，称职 | |
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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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rusts
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| n.铁锈( rust的名词复数 )；（植物的）锈病，锈菌v.（使）生锈( rust的第三人称单数 ) | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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consolidate
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| v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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nuptial
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| adj.婚姻的，婚礼的 | |
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39
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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