Maggie and Mr. Smith faced the thing squarely.
"Of course," he began with a sigh, "I'm really not out of the woods at all. Blissfully happy as I am, I'm really deeper in the woods than ever, for now I've got you there with me, to look out for. However successfully John Smith might dematerialize into nothingness—Maggie Duff can't."
"No, I know she can't," admitted Miss Maggie soberly.
"Yet if she marries John Smith she'll have to—and if she doesn't marry him, how's Stanley G. Fulton going to do his courting? He can't come here."
"But he must!" Miss Maggie looked up with startled eyes. "Why, Mr. Smith, you'll HAVE to tell them—who you are. You'll have to tell them right away."
"I shall be glad," he observed, "when I shan't have to be held off at the end of a 'Mr.'! However, we'll let that pass—until we settle the other matter. Have you given any thought as to HOW I'm going to tell Cousin Frank and Cousin James and Cousin Flora2 that I am Stanley G. Fulton?"
"No—except that you must do it," she answered decidedly. "I don't think you ought to deceive them another minute—not another minute."
"Hm-m." Mr. Smith's eyes grew reflective. "And had you thought—as to what would happen when I did tell them?"
"Why, n-no, not particularly, except that—that they naturally wouldn't like it, at first, and that you'd have to explain—just as you did to me—why you did it."
"And do you think they'll like it any better—when I do explain? Think!"
Miss Maggie meditated3; then, a little tremulously she drew in her breath. She lifted startled eyes to his face.
"Why, you'd have to tell them that—that you did it for a test, wouldn't you?"
"If I told the truth—yes."
"And they'd know—they couldn't help knowing—that they had failed to meet it adequately."
"Yes. And would that help matters any—make things any happier, all around?"
"No—oh, no," she frowned despairingly.
"Would it do anybody any REAL good, now? Think of that."
"N-no," she admitted reluctantly, "except that—that you'd be doing right."
"But WOULD I be doing right? And another thing—aside from the mortification4, dismay, and anger of my good cousins, have you thought what I'd be bringing on you?"
"ME!"
"Yes. In less than half a dozen hours after the Blaisdells knew that Mr. John Smith was Stanley G. Fulton, Hillerton would know it. And in less than half a dozen more hours, Boston, New York, Chicago,—to say nothing of a dozen lesser5 cities,—would know it—if there didn't happen to be anything bigger on foot. Headlines an inch high would proclaim the discovery of the missing Stanley G. Fulton, and the fine print below would tell everything that happened, and a great deal that didn't happen, in the carrying-out of the eccentric multi-millionaire's extraordinary scheme of testing his relatives with a hundred thousand dollars apiece to find a suitable heir. Your picture would adorn6 the front page of the yellowest of yellow journals, and—"
"Oh, yes, yes," smiled the man imperturbably9. "You'll be in it, too.
Aren't you the affianced bride of Mr. Stanley G. Fulton? I can see them
now: 'In Search of an Heir and Finds a Wife.'—'Charming Miss Maggie
Duff Falls in Love with Plain John Smith,' and—"
"Oh, no, no," moaned Miss Maggie, shrinking back as if already the lurid10 headlines were staring her in the face.
Mr. Smith laughed.
"Oh, well, it might not be so bad as that, of course. But you never can tell. Undoubtedly11 there are elements for a pretty good story in the case, and some man, with nothing more important to write up, is bound to make the most of it somewhere. Then other papers will copy. There's sure to be unpleasant publicity12, my dear, if the truth once leaks out."
"Well, I HAD planned something like this: pretty quick, now, Mr. Smith was to announce the completion of his Blaisdell data, and, with properly grateful farewells, take his departure from Hillerton. He would go to South America. There he would go inland on some sort of a simple expedition with a few native guides and carriers, but no other companion. Somewhere in the wilderness15 he would shed his beard and his name, and would emerge in his proper person of Stanley G. Fulton and promptly16 take passage for the States. Of course, upon the arrival in Chicago of Mr. Stanley G. Fulton, there would be a slight flurry at his appearance, and a few references to the hundred-thousand-dollar gifts to the Eastern relatives, and sundry17 speculations18 as to the why and how of the exploring trip. There would be various rumors19 and alleged20 interviews; but Mr. Stanley G. Fulton never was noted21 for his communicativeness, and, after a very short time, the whole thing would be dismissed as probably another of the gentleman's well-known eccentricities22. And there it would end."
"Oh, I see," murmured Miss Maggie, in very evident relief. "That would be better—in some ways; only it does seem terrible not to—to tell them who you are."
"But we have just proved that to do that wouldn't bring happiness anywhere, and would bring misery23 everywhere, haven't we?"
"Y-yes."
"Then why do it?—particularly as by not doing it I am not defrauding24 anybody in the least. No; that part isn't worrying me a bit now—but there is one point that does worry me very much."
"What do you mean? What is it?"
"Yourself. My scheme gets Stanley G. Fulton back to life and Chicago very nicely; but it doesn't get Maggie Duff there worth a cent! Maggie Duff can't marry Mr. John Smith in Hillerton and arrive in Chicago as the wife of Stanley G. Fulton, can she?"
"N-no, but he—he can come back and get her—if he wants her." Miss
Maggie blushed.
"If he wants her, indeed!" (Miss Maggie blushed all the more at the method and the fervor25 of Mr. Smith's answer to this.) "Come back as Mr. Stanley G. Fulton, you mean?" went on Mr. Smith, smiling at Miss Maggie's hurried efforts to smooth her ruffled26 hair. "Too risky27, my dear! He'd look altogether too much like—like Mr. John Smith."
"But your beard will be gone—I wonder how I shall like you without a beard." She eyed him critically.
"That's what comes of courting as one man and marrying as another," he groaned29. Then, sternly: "I'll warn you right now, Maggie Duff, that Stanley G. Fulton is going to be awfully30 jealous of John Smith if you don't look out."
"He should have thought of that before," retorted Miss Maggie, her eyes mischievous31. "But, tell me, wouldn't you EVER dare to come—in your proper person?"
"Never!—or, at least, not for some time. The beard would be gone, to be sure; but there'd be all the rest to tattle—eyes, voice, size, manner, walk—everything; and smoked glasses couldn't cover all that, you know. Besides, glasses would be taboo32, anyway. They'd only result in making me look more like John Smith than ever. John Smith, you remember, wore smoked glasses for some time to hide Mr. Stanley G. Fulton from the ubiquitous reporter. No, Mr. Stanley G. Fulton can't come to Hillerton. So, as Mahomet can't go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mahomet."
"That you will have to come to Chicago—yes."
"And court you? No, sir—thank you!"
"I love you with your head tilted35 that way." (Miss Maggie promptly tilted it the other.) "Or that, either, for that matter," continued Mr. Smith genially36. "However, speaking of courting—Mr. Fulton will do that, all right, and endeavor to leave nothing lacking, either as to quantity or quality. Think, now. Don't you know any one in Chicago? Haven't you got some friend that you can visit?"
"No!" Miss Maggie's answer was prompt and emphatic37—too prompt and too emphatic for unquestioning acceptance.
"Oh, yes, you have," asserted the man cheerfully. "I don't know her name—but she's there. She's Waving a red flag from your face this minute! Now, listen. Well, turn your head away, if you like—if you can listen better that way," he went on tranquilly38 paying no attention to her little gasp7. "Well, all you have to do is to write the lady you're coming, and go. Never mind who she is—Mr. Stanley G. Fulton will find a way to meet her. Trust him for that! Then he'll call and meet you—and be so pleased to see you! The rest will be easy. There'll be a regular whirlwind courtship then—calls, dinners, theaters, candy, books, flowers! Then Mr. Stanley G. Fulton will propose marriage. You'll be immensely surprised, of course, but you'll accept. Then we'll get married," he finished with a deep sigh of satisfaction.
"MR. SMITH!" ejaculated Miss Maggie faintly.
"Say, CAN'T you call me anything—" he began wrathfully, but interrupted himself. "However, it's better that you don't, after all. Because I've got to be 'Mr. Smith' as long as I stay here. But you wait till you meet Mr. Stanley G. Fulton in Chicago! Now, what's her name, and where does she live?"
Miss Maggie laughed in spite of herself, as she said severely39: "Her name, indeed! I'm afraid Mr. Stanley G. Fulton is so in the habit of having his own way that he forgets he is still Mr. John Smith. However, there IS an old schoolmate," she acknowledged demurely40.
"Of course there is! Now, write her at once, and tell her you're coming."
"But she—she may not be there."
"Then get her there. She's GOT to be there. And, listen. I think you'd better plan to go pretty soon after I go to South America. Then you can be there when Mr. Stanley G. Fulton arrives in Chicago and can write the news back here to Hillerton. Oh, they'll get it in the papers, in time, of course; but I think it had better come from you first. You see—the reappearance on this earth of Mr. Stanley G. Fulton is going to be of—of some moment to them, you know. There is Mrs. Hattie, for instance, who is counting on the rest of the money next November."
"Yes, I know, it will mean a good deal to them, of course. Still, I don't believe Hattie is really expecting the money. At any rate, she hasn't said anything about it very lately—perhaps because she's been too busy bemoaning41 the pass the present money has brought them to."
"No, no—I didn't mean to bring that up," apologized Miss Maggie quickly, with an apprehensive43 glance into his face. "And it wasn't miserable money a bit! Besides, Hattie has—has learned her lesson, I'm sure, and she'll do altogether differently in the new home. But, Mr. Smith, am I never to—to come back here? Can't we come back—ever?"
"Indeed we can—some time, by and by, when all this has blown over, and they've forgotten how Mr. Smith looks. We can come back then. Meanwhile, you can come alone—a VERY little. I shan't let you leave me very much. But I understand; you'll have to come to see your friends. Besides, there are all those playgrounds for the babies and cleaner milk for the streets, and—"
"Cleaner milk for the streets, indeed!"
"Eh? What? Oh, yes, it WAS the milk for the babies, wasn't it?" he teased. "Well, however that may be you'll have to come back to superintend all those things you've been wanting to do so long. But"—his face grew a little wistful—"you don't want to spend too much time here. You know—Chicago has a few babies that need cleaner milk."
"It isn't charity," she interrupted with suddenly flashing eyes. "Oh, how I hate that word—the way it's used, I mean. Of course, the real charity means love. Love, indeed! I suppose it was LOVE that made John Daly give one hundred dollars to the Pension Fund Fair—after he'd jewed it out of those poor girls behind his counters! And Mrs. Morse went around everywhere telling how kind dear Mr. Daly was to give so much to charity! CHARITY! Nobody wants charity—except a few lazy rascals46 like those beggars of Flora's! But we all want our RIGHTS. And if half the world gave the other half its rights there wouldn't BE any charity, I believe."
"Dear, dear! What have we here? A rabid little Socialist47?" Mr. Smith held up both hands in mock terror. "I shall be petitioning her for my bread and butter, yet!"
"Nonsense! But, honestly, Mr. Smith, when I think of all that money"—her eyes began to shine again—"and of what we can do with it, I—I just can't believe it's so!"
"But you aren't expecting that twenty millions are going to right all the wrongs in the world, are you?" Mr. Smith's eyes were quizzical.
"No, oh, no; but we can help SOME that we know about. But it isn't that I just want to GIVE, you know. We must get behind things—to the causes. We must—"
"We must make the Mr. Dalys pay more to their girls before they pay anything to pension funds, eh?" laughed Mr. Smith, as Miss Maggie came to a breathless pause.
"Exactly!" nodded Miss Maggie earnestly. "Oh, can't you SEE what we can do—with that twenty million dollars?"
Mr. Smith, his gaze on Miss Maggie's flushed cheeks and shining eyes, smiled tenderly. Then with mock severity he frowned.
"I see—that I'm being married for my money—after all!" he scolded.
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1
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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8
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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9
imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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13
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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14
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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defrauding
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| v.诈取，骗取( defraud的现在分词 ) | |
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fervor
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| n.热诚；热心；炽热 | |
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ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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40
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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41
bemoaning
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| v.为（某人或某事）抱怨( bemoan的现在分词 )；悲悼；为…恸哭；哀叹 | |
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42
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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44
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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45
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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46
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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47
socialist
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| n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的 | |
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48
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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