按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
There was danger in moving about； one could not be sure of not upsetting something； and one felt that the least damage that could be done there would be an appallingly expensive matter。
Before that cavernous fireplace posed General Siddall。 He was a tiny mite of a man with a thin wiry body supporting the head of a professional barber。 His black hair was glossy and most romantically arranged。 His black mustache and imperial were waxed and brilliantined。 There was no mistaking the liberal use of dye； also。 From the rather thin； very sharp face looked a pair of small； muddy； brown…green eyes dull； crafty； cold； cruel。 But the little man was so insignificant and so bebarbered and betailored that one could not take him seriously。 Never had there been so new； so carefully pressed； so perfectly fitting evening clothes； never a shirt so expensively got together； or jeweled studs； waistcoat buttons and links so high priced。 From every part of the room； from every part of the little man's perfumed and groomed person； every individual article seemed to be shrieking； ‘‘The best is not too good for Bill Siddall！''
Mildred was agreeably surprisedshe was looking with fierce determination for agreeable surprises when the costly little man spoke； in a quiet； pleasant voice with an elusive； attractive foreign accent。
‘‘My； but this is grandgrand； General Siddall！'' said Presbury in the voice of the noisy flatterer。 ‘‘Princely！ Royal！''
Mildred glanced nervously at Siddall。 She feared that Presbury had taken the wrong tone。 She saw in the unpleasant eyes a glance of gratified vanity。 Said he：
‘‘Not so bad； not so bad。 I saw the house in Paris； when I was taking a walk one day。 I went to the American ambassador and asked for the best architect in Paris。 I went to him； told him about the house and here it is。''
‘‘Decorations； furniture； and all！'' exclaimed Presbury。
‘‘No； just the house。 I picked up the interiors in different parts of Europehad everything reproduced where I couldn't buy outright。 I want to enjoy my money while I'm still young。 I didn't care what it cost to get the proper surroundings。 As I said to my architect and to my staff of artists； I expected to be cheated； but I wanted the goods。 And I got the goods。 I'll show you through the house after dinner。 It's on this same scale throughout。 And they're putting me together a country placesame sort of thing。'' He threw back his little shoulders and protruded his little chest。 ‘‘And the joke of it is that the whole business isn't costing me a cent。''
‘‘Not a cent less than half a dozen or a dozen millions；'' said Presbury。
‘‘Not so much as thatnot quite；'' protested the delightedly sparkling little general。 ‘‘But what I meant was that； as fast as these fellows spend； I go down…town and make。 Fact is； I'm a little better off than I was when I started in to build。''
‘‘Well； you didn't get any of MY money；'' laughed Presbury。 ‘‘But I suppose pretty much everybody else in the country must have contributed。''
General Siddall smiled。 Mildred wondered whether the points of his mustache and imperial would crack and break of； if he should touch them。 She noted that his hair was roached absurdly high above the middle of his forehead and that he was wearing the tallest heels she had ever seen。 She calculated that； with his hair flat and his feet on the ground； he would hardly come to her shoulderand she was barely of woman's medium height。 She caught sight of his handsthe square； stubby hands of a working man； the fingers permanently slightly curved as by the handle of shovel and pick； the skin shriveled but white with a ghastly； sickening bleached white； the nails repulsively manicured into long white curves。 ‘‘If he should touch me； I'd scream；'' she thought。 And then she looked at Presburyand around her at the evidences of enormous wealth。
The generalshe wondered where he had got that titleled her mother in to dinner； Presbury gave her his arm。 On the way he found opportunity to mutter：
‘‘Lay it on thick！ Flatter the fool。 You can't offend him。 Tell him he's divinely handsomea Louis Fourteen； a Napoleon。 Praise everythingnapkins； tablecloth； dishes； food。 Rave over the wine。''
But Mildred could not adopt this obviously excellent advice。 She sat silent and cold； while Presbury and her mother raved and drew out the general to talk of himselfthe only subject in the whole world that seemed to him thoroughly worth while。 As Mildred listened and furtively observed； it seemed to her that this tiny fool； so obviously pleased by these coarse and insulting flatteries； could not possibly have had the brains to amass the vast fortune he apparently possessed。 But presently she noted that behind the personality that was pleased by this gross fawning and bootlicking there laylay in wait and on guard another personality； one that despised these guests of his； estimating them at their true value and using them contemptuously for the gratification of his coarse appetites。 In the glimpse she caught of that deeper and real personality； she liked it even less than she liked the one upon the surface。
It was evidence of superior acumen that she saw even vaguely the real Bill Siddall； the money…maker； beneath the General William Siddall； raw and ignorant and vulgarmore vulgar in his refinement than the most shocking bum at home and at ease in foul…smelling stew。 Every man of achievement hides beneath his surface personality this second and real man； who makes the fortune； discovers the secret of chemistry； fights the battle； carries the election； paints the picture； commits the frightful murder； evolves the divine sermon or poem or symphony。 Thus； when we meet a man of achievement； we invariably have a sense of disappointment。 ‘‘Why； that's not the man！'' we exclaim。 ‘‘There must be some mistake。'' And it is； indeed； not the man。 Him we are incapable of seeing。 We have only eyes for surfaces； and； not being doers of extraordinary deeds； but mere plodders in the routines of existence； we cannot believe that there is any more to another than there is to ourselves。 The pleasant or unpleasant surface for the conventional relations of life is about all there is to us； therefore it is all there is to human nature。 Well； there's no help for it。 In measuring our fellow beings we can use only the measurements of our own selves； we have no others； and if others are given to us we are as foozled as one knowing only feet and inches who has a tape marked off in meters and centimeters。
It so happened that in her social excursions Mildred had never been in any of the numerous homes of the suddenly and vastly rich of humble origin。 She was used toand regarded as proper and elegantthe ordinary ostentations and crudities of the rich of conventional society。 No more than you or I was she moved to ridicule or disdain by the silliness and the tawdry vulgarity of the life of palace and liveried lackey and empty ceremonial； by the tedious entertainments； by the displays of costly and poisonous food。 But General Siddall's establishment presented a new phase to herand she thought it unique in dreadfulness and absurdity。
The general had had a