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<v Speaker 1>This is section forty one of The Gilded Age. This

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<v Speaker 1>LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Gilded Age,

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<v Speaker 1>A Tale of to Day by Mark Twain and C. D. Warner,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter forty one. Henry Brierly was at the Dilworthies constantly,

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<v Speaker 1>and on such terms of intimacy that he came and

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<v Speaker 1>went without question. The Senator was not an inhospitable man.

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<v Speaker 1>He liked to have guests in his house, and Harry's

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<v Speaker 1>gay humor and rattling way entertained him. For even the

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<v Speaker 1>most devout men and busy statesmen must have hours of relaxation.

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<v Speaker 1>Harry himself believed that he was of great service in

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<v Speaker 1>the university business, and that the success of the scheme

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<v Speaker 1>depended upon him. To a great degree. He spent many

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<v Speaker 1>hours in talking it over with the Senator. After dinner.

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<v Speaker 1>He went so far as to consider whether it would

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<v Speaker 1>be worth his while to take the professorship of Civil

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<v Speaker 1>Engineering in the new institution. But it was not the

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<v Speaker 1>Senator's society nor his dinners at which this scapegate remarked

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<v Speaker 1>that there was too much grace and too little wine

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<v Speaker 1>which attracted him to the house. The fact was the

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<v Speaker 1>poor fellow hung around there day after day for the

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<v Speaker 1>chance of seeing Laura for five minutes at a time,

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<v Speaker 1>for her presence at dinner, he would endure the long

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<v Speaker 1>bore of the senator's talk. Afterwards, while Laura was off

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<v Speaker 1>at some assembly or excused herself on the plea of fatigue.

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<v Speaker 1>Now and then he accompanied her to some reception, And

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<v Speaker 1>rarely on off nights he was blessed with her company

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<v Speaker 1>in the parlor when he sang and was chatty and vivacious,

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<v Speaker 1>and performed a hundred little tricks of imitation and ventriloquism,

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<v Speaker 1>and made himself as entertaining as a man could be.

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<v Speaker 1>It puzzled him not a little that all his fascinations

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<v Speaker 1>seemed to go for so little with Laura. It was

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<v Speaker 1>beyond his experience with women. Sometimes Laura was exceedingly kind

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<v Speaker 1>and petted him a little, and took the trouble to

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<v Speaker 1>exert her powers of pleasing and to entangle him deeper

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<v Speaker 1>and deeper. But this it angered him afterwards to think

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<v Speaker 1>was in private. In public, she was beyond his reach,

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<v Speaker 1>and never gave occasion to the suspicion that she had

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<v Speaker 1>any affair with him. He was never permitted to achieve

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<v Speaker 1>the dignity of a serious flirtation with her in public.

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<v Speaker 1>Why do you treat me so, he once said? Reproachfully?

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<v Speaker 1>Treat you? How, asked Laura in a sweet voice, lifting

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<v Speaker 1>her eyebrows. You know well enough you let other fellows

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<v Speaker 1>monopolize you in society, and you are as indifferent to

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<v Speaker 1>me as if we were strangers. Can I help it

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<v Speaker 1>if they are attentive? Can I be rude? But we

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<v Speaker 1>are such old friends, mister Brierly, that I didn't suppose

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<v Speaker 1>you would be jealous. I think I must be a

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<v Speaker 1>very old friend. Then, by your conduct towards me, by

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<v Speaker 1>the same rule, I should judge that Colonel Selby must

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<v Speaker 1>be very new. Laura looked up quickly, as if about

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<v Speaker 1>to return an indignant answer to such impertinence, but she

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<v Speaker 1>only said, well, what of colonel Selby sauce box? Nothing?

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<v Speaker 1>Probably you'll care for your being with him so much

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<v Speaker 1>as the town talk. That's all. What do people say,

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<v Speaker 1>asked Laura calmly. Oh, they say a good many things.

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<v Speaker 1>You were offended, though to have me speak of it

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<v Speaker 1>not in the least. You are my true friend. I

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<v Speaker 1>feel that I can trust you. You wouldn't deceive me, Harry,

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<v Speaker 1>throwing into her eyes a look of trust and tenderness

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<v Speaker 1>that melted away all his petulance and distrust. What do

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<v Speaker 1>you say? Some say that you've lost your head about him,

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<v Speaker 1>Others that you don't care any more for him than

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<v Speaker 1>you do for a dozen others, but that he is

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<v Speaker 1>completely fascinated with you and about to desert his wife.

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<v Speaker 1>And others say it is nonsense to suppose you would

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<v Speaker 1>entangle yourself with a married man, and that your intimacy

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<v Speaker 1>only arises from the matter of the cotton claims, for

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<v Speaker 1>which he wants your influence with Dilworthy. But you know

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<v Speaker 1>everybody has talked about more or less in Washington. I

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<v Speaker 1>shouldn't care, but I wish you wouldn't have so much

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<v Speaker 1>to do with Selby, Laura continued Harry, fancying that he

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<v Speaker 1>was now upon such terms that his advice would be heeded,

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<v Speaker 1>and you believed these slanders. I don't believe anything against you, Laura,

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<v Speaker 1>but Colonel Selby does not mean you any good. I

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<v Speaker 1>know you wouldn't be seen with him if you knew

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<v Speaker 1>his reputation. Do you know him, Laura asked, as indifferently

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<v Speaker 1>as she could, Only a little. I was at his

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<v Speaker 1>lodgings in Georgetown a day or two ago with Colonel Sellers.

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<v Speaker 1>Sellers wanted to talk with him about some patent remedy

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<v Speaker 1>he has I water or something of that sort, which

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<v Speaker 1>he wants to introduce into Europe. Selby is going abroad

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<v Speaker 1>very soon, Laura started, in spite of her self control.

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<v Speaker 1>And his wife does he take his family? Did you

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<v Speaker 1>see his wife? Yes, a dark little woman, rather worn,

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<v Speaker 1>must have been pretty once though, has three or four children,

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<v Speaker 1>one of them a baby. They'll all go, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>She said, she should be glad enough to get away

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<v Speaker 1>from Washington. You know, Selby has got his claim aloud,

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<v Speaker 1>and they say he has had a run of luck lately.

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<v Speaker 1>At Morrissey's. Laura heard all this in a kind of stupor,

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<v Speaker 1>looking straight at Harry without seeing him. Is it possible?

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<v Speaker 1>She was thinking that this base wretch, after all his promises,

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<v Speaker 1>will take his wife and children and leave me. Is

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<v Speaker 1>it possible the town is saying all these things about me,

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<v Speaker 1>and a look of bitterness coming into her face. Does

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<v Speaker 1>the fool think he can escape? So you are angry

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<v Speaker 1>with me, Laura said Harry, not comprehending. In the least

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<v Speaker 1>what was going on in her mind. Angry, she said,

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<v Speaker 1>forcing herself to come back to his presence with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh no, I am angry with the cruel world which

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<v Speaker 1>pursues an independent woman as it never does a man.

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<v Speaker 1>Ungrateful to you, Harry, ungrateful to you for telling me

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<v Speaker 1>of that odious man. And she rose from her chair

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<v Speaker 1>and gave him her pretty hand, which the silly fellow

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<v Speaker 1>took and kissed and clung to, and he said many

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<v Speaker 1>silly things before she disengaged herself gently and left him,

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<v Speaker 1>saying it was time to dress for dinner. And Harry

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<v Speaker 1>went away excited and a little hopeful, but only a little.

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<v Speaker 1>The happiness was only a gleam which departed and left

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<v Speaker 1>him thoroughly miserable. She never would love him, and she

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<v Speaker 1>was going to be the devil. Besides, he couldn't shut

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<v Speaker 1>his eyes to what he saw, nor his ears to

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<v Speaker 1>what he heard of her. What had come over this

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<v Speaker 1>thrilling young lady killer? It was a pity to see

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<v Speaker 1>such a gay butterfly broken on a wheel? Was there

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<v Speaker 1>something good in him? After all that had been touched?

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<v Speaker 1>He was, in fact madly in love with this woman.

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<v Speaker 1>It is not for us to analyze the passion and

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<v Speaker 1>say whether it was a worthy one. It absorbed his

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<v Speaker 1>whole nature and made him wretched enough if he deserved punishment,

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<v Speaker 1>what more would you have? Perhaps this love was kindling

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<v Speaker 1>a new heroism in him. He saw the road on

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<v Speaker 1>which Laura was going clearly enough, though he did not

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<v Speaker 1>believe the worst he heard of her. He loved her

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<v Speaker 1>too passionately to credit that for a moment, and it

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<v Speaker 1>seemed to him that if he could compel her to

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<v Speaker 1>recognize her position and his own devotion, she might love him,

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<v Speaker 1>and that he could save her. His love was so

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<v Speaker 1>far ennobled and become a very different thing from its

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<v Speaker 1>beginning in Hawkeye. Whether he ever thought that if he

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<v Speaker 1>could save her from ruin, he could give her up

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<v Speaker 1>himself as doubtful. Such a pitch of virtue does not

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<v Speaker 1>occur often in real life, especially in such natures as Harry's,

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<v Speaker 1>whose generosity and unselfishness were matters of temperament rather than

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<v Speaker 1>habits or principles. He wrote a long letter to Laura,

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<v Speaker 1>an incoherent, passionate letter, pouring out his love as he

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<v Speaker 1>could not do in her presence, and warning her as

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<v Speaker 1>plainly as he dared of the dangers that surrounded her

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<v Speaker 1>and the risks she ran, of compromising herself in many ways.

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<v Speaker 1>Laura read the letter with a little sigh, maybe as

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<v Speaker 1>she thought of other days, but with contempt also, and

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<v Speaker 1>she put it into the fire with the thought they

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<v Speaker 1>are all alike. Harry was in the habit of writing

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<v Speaker 1>to Philip freely and boasting also about his doings, as

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<v Speaker 1>he could not help doing, and remain himself mixed up

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<v Speaker 1>with his own exploits and his daily triumphs as a lobbyist,

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<v Speaker 1>especially in the matter of the new university in which

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<v Speaker 1>Harry was to have something handsome, were amusing sketches of

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<v Speaker 1>Washington society, hints about dilworthy, stories about Colonel Sellers, who

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<v Speaker 1>had become a well known character, and wise remarks upon

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<v Speaker 1>the machinery of private legislation for the public good which

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<v Speaker 1>greatly entertained Philip in his convalescence. Laura's name occurred very

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<v Speaker 1>often in these letters, at first in casual mention as

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<v Speaker 1>the bell of the season, carrying everything before her with

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<v Speaker 1>her wit and beauty, and then more seriously, as if

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<v Speaker 1>Harry did not exactly like so much general admiration of

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<v Speaker 1>her and was a little nettled by her treatment of him.

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<v Speaker 1>This was so different from Harry's usual tone about women

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<v Speaker 1>that Philip wondered a good deal over it. Could it

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<v Speaker 1>be possible that he was seriously affected? Then came stories

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<v Speaker 1>about Laura town talk gossip, which Harry denied the truth

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<v Speaker 1>of indignantly, But he was evidently uneasy, and at length

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<v Speaker 1>wrote in such miserable spirits that Philip asked him squarely

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<v Speaker 1>what the trouble was? Was he in love? Upon this,

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<v Speaker 1>Harry made a clean breast of it and told Philip

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<v Speaker 1>all he knew about the Selby affair and Laura's treatment

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<v Speaker 1>of him, sometimes encouraging him and then throwing him off,

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<v Speaker 1>And finally his belief that she would go to the

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<v Speaker 1>bad if something was not done to arouse you her

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<v Speaker 1>from her infatuation. He wished Philip was in Washington. He

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<v Speaker 1>knew Laura, and she had a great respect for his character,

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<v Speaker 1>his opinions, his judgment. Perhaps he as an uninterested person

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<v Speaker 1>in whom she would have some confidence, and as one

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<v Speaker 1>of the public, could say something to her that would

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<v Speaker 1>show her where she stood. Philip saw the situation clearly enough.

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<v Speaker 1>Of Laura, he knew not much except that she was

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<v Speaker 1>a woman of uncommon fascination, and he thought, from what

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<v Speaker 1>he had seen of her in Hawkeye, her conduct towards

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<v Speaker 1>him and towards Harry of not too much principle. Of course,

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<v Speaker 1>he knew nothing of her history. He knew nothing seriously

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<v Speaker 1>against her, And if Harry was desperately enamored of her,

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<v Speaker 1>why should he not win her if he could? If, however,

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<v Speaker 1>she had already become what Harry uneasily felt she might become.

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<v Speaker 1>Was it not his duty to go to the rescue

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<v Speaker 1>of his friend and try to save him from any

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<v Speaker 1>rash act on account of a woman that might prove

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<v Speaker 1>to be entirely unworthy of him. For trifler and visionary

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<v Speaker 1>as he was, Harry deserved a better fate than this.

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<v Speaker 1>Philip determined to go to Washington and see for himself.

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<v Speaker 1>He had other reasons. Also. He began to know enough

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<v Speaker 1>of mister Bolton's affairs to be uneasy. Pennybacker had been

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<v Speaker 1>there several times during the winter, and he suspected that

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<v Speaker 1>he was involving mister Bolton in some doubtful scheme. Pennybacker

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<v Speaker 1>was in Washington, and Philip thought he might perhaps find

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<v Speaker 1>out something about him and his plans that would be

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<v Speaker 1>of service to mister Bolton. Philip had enjoyed his winter

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<v Speaker 1>very well. For a man with his arm broken and

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<v Speaker 1>his head smashed with two such nurses as Ruth and Alice,

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<v Speaker 1>illness seemed to him rather a nice holiday, and every

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<v Speaker 1>moment of his convalescence had been precious and all too

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<v Speaker 1>fleeting with a young fellow of the habits of Philip.

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<v Speaker 1>Such injuries cannot be counted on to tarry long, even

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<v Speaker 1>for the purpose of love making, and Philip found himself

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<v Speaker 1>getting strong with even disagreeable rapidity during his first weeks

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<v Speaker 1>of pain and weakness. Ruth was unceasing in her ministrations.

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<v Speaker 1>She quietly took charge of him, and with a gentle firmness,

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<v Speaker 1>resisted all attempts of Alice or anyone else to share

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<v Speaker 1>to any great extent the burden with her. She was clear, decisive,

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<v Speaker 1>and peremptory in whatever she did. But often when Philip

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<v Speaker 1>opened his eyes in those first days of suffering and

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<v Speaker 1>found her standing by his bedside, he saw a look

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<v Speaker 1>of tenderness in her anxious face that quickened his already

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<v Speaker 1>feverish pulse, a look that remained in his heart long

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<v Speaker 1>after he closed his eyes. Sometimes he felt her hand

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<v Speaker 1>on his forehead and did not open his eyes for

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<v Speaker 1>fear she would take it away. He watched for her

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<v Speaker 1>coming to his chamber. He could distinguish her light footstep

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<v Speaker 1>from all others. If this is what is meant by

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<v Speaker 1>women practicing medicine, thought Philip to himself. I Ruth, said

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<v Speaker 1>he one day, when he was getting to be quite himself.

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<v Speaker 1>I believe in it. Believe in what? Why in women physicians?

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<v Speaker 1>Then I'd better call in missus doctor Longstreet. Oh, no

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<v Speaker 1>one will do one at a time. I think I

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<v Speaker 1>should be well tomorrow. If I thought I should never

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<v Speaker 1>have any other. The physician thinks THEE mustn't talk, Philip,

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<v Speaker 1>said Ruth, putting her finger on his lips. But Ruth,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to tell you that I should wish I

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<v Speaker 1>never got well. If there there THEE must not talk.

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<v Speaker 1>THEE is wandering again. And Ruth closed his lips with

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<v Speaker 1>a smile on her own that broadened into a merry

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<v Speaker 1>laugh as she ran away. Philip was not weary, however,

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<v Speaker 1>of making these attempts. He rather enjoyed it. But whenever

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<v Speaker 1>he inclined to be sentimental, Ruth would cut him off

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<v Speaker 1>with some such gravely conceived speech, as does THEE think

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<v Speaker 1>that thy physician will take advance of the condition of

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<v Speaker 1>a man who is as weak as THEE is. I

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<v Speaker 1>will call Alice if he has any dying confessions to make.

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<v Speaker 1>As Philip convalesced, Alice more and more took Ruth's place

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<v Speaker 1>as his entertainer and read to him by the hour

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<v Speaker 1>when he did not want to talk to talk about Ruth,

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<v Speaker 1>as he did a good deal at the time. Nor

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<v Speaker 1>was this altogether unsatisfactory to Philip. He was always happy

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<v Speaker 1>and contented with Alice. She was the most RESTful person

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<v Speaker 1>he knew, better informed than Ruth, and with a much

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<v Speaker 1>more varied culture, and bright and sympathetic. He was never

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<v Speaker 1>weary of her company, if he was not greatly excited

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<v Speaker 1>by it. She had upon his mind that peaceful influence

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<v Speaker 1>that Missus Bolton had when occasionally she sat by his

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<v Speaker 1>bedside with her work. Some people have this influence, which

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<v Speaker 1>is like an emanation. They bring peace to a house.

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<v Speaker 1>They diffuse serene content in a room full of mixed company,

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<v Speaker 1>though they may say very little and are apparently unconscious

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<v Speaker 1>of their own power. Not that Philip did not long

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<v Speaker 1>for Ruth's presence all the time, since he was well

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<v Speaker 1>enough to be about the house. She was busy again

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<v Speaker 1>with her studies. Now and then her teasing humor came again.

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<v Speaker 1>She always had a playful shield against his sentiment. Philip

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<v Speaker 1>used sometimes to declare that she had no sentiment, and

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<v Speaker 1>then he doubted if he should be pleased with her,

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<v Speaker 1>after all, if she were at all sentimental. And he

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<v Speaker 1>rejoiced that she had in such matters what he called

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<v Speaker 1>the airy grace of sanity. She was the most gay,

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<v Speaker 1>serious person he ever saw. Perhaps he was not so

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<v Speaker 1>much at rest or so contented with her as with Alice,

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<v Speaker 1>But then he loved her, And what have rest and

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<v Speaker 1>contentment to do with love? End of chapter forty one.