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the fortune hunter-第8部分
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‘‘I want to ask about Mr。 Feuerstein;'' replied Sophie。
The girl's pert; prematurely…wrinkled face took on a quizzical smile。 ‘‘Oh!'' she said。 ‘‘You can go up to his room。 Third floor; back。 Knock hardhe's a heavy sleeper。''
Sophie climbed the stairs and knocked loudly。 ‘‘Come!'' was the answer in German; in Mr。 Feuerstein's deep stage…voice。
She opened the door a few inches and said through the crack: ‘‘It's me; Mr。 FeuersteinSophie Liebersfrom down in Avenue AHilda's friend。''
‘‘Come in;'' was Mr。 Feuerstein's reply; in a weary voice; after a pause。 From Ganser's he had come straight home and had been sitting there ever since; depressed; angry; perplexed。
Sophie pushed the door wide and stood upon the threshold。 ‘‘Hilda's over in Stuyvesant Square;'' she said。 ‘‘She thought you might be sick; so we came。 But if you go to her; you must pretend you came by accident and didn't see me。''
Mr。 Feuerstein reflected; but not so deeply that he neglected to pose before Sophie as a tragedy…king。 And it called for little pretense; so desperate and forlorn was he feeling。 Should he go or should he send Sophie about her business? There was no hope that the rich brewer would take him in; there was every reason to suspect that Peter would arrange to have the marriage quietly annulled。 At most he could get a few thousands; perhaps only hundreds; by threatening a scandal。 Yes; it would be wise; on the whole; to keep little Hilda on the string。
‘‘I am very ill;'' he said gloomily; ‘‘but I will go。''
Sophie felt hopeful and energetic again。 ‘‘I won't come up to her till you leave her。''
‘‘You are a good girla noble creature。'' Mr。 Feuerstein took her hand and pretended to be profoundly moved by her friendship。
Sophie gave him a look of simplicity and warm…heartedness。 Her talent for acting had not been spoiled by a stage experience。 ‘‘Hilda's my friend;'' she said earnestly。 ‘‘And I want to see her happy。''
‘‘Noble creature !'' exclaimed Mr。 Feuerstein。 ‘‘May God reward you!'' And he dashed his hand across his eyes。
He went to the mirror on his bureau; carefully arranged the yellow aureole; carefully adjusted the soft light hat。 Then with feeble step he descended the stairs。 As he moved down the street his face was mournful and his shoulders were droopeda stage invalid。 When Hilda saw him coming she started up and gave a little cry of delight; but as she noted his woebegone appearance; a very real paleness came to her cheeks and very real tears to her great dark eyes。
Mr。 Feuerstein sank slowly into the seat beside her。 ‘‘Soul's wife;'' he murmured。 ‘‘Ahbut I have been near to death。 The strain of the interview with your father the anguishthe hopeoh; what a curse it is to have a sensitive soul! And my old trouble''he laid his hand upon his heart and slowly shook his head‘‘returned。 It will end me some day。''
Hilda was trembling with sympathy。 She put her hand upon his。 ‘‘If you had only sent word; dear;'' she said reproachfully; ‘‘I would have come。 OhI do love you so; Carl! I could hardly eat or sleepand''
‘‘The truth would have been worse than silence;'' he said in a hollow voice。 He did not intend the double meaning of his remark; the Gansers were for the moment out of his mind; which was absorbed in his acting。 ‘‘But it is over for the present yes; over; my priceless pearl。 I can come to see you soon。 If I am worse I shall send you word。''
‘‘But can't I come to see you?''
‘‘No; bride of my dreams。 It would not besuitable。 We must respect the little conventions。 You must wait until I come。''
His tone was decided。 She felt that he knew best。 In a few minutes he rose。 ‘‘I must return to my room;'' he said wearily。 ‘‘Ah; heart's delight; it is terrible for a strong man to find himself thus weak。 Pity me。 Pray for me。''
He noted with satisfaction her look of love and anxiety。 It was some slight salve to his cruelly wounded vanity。 He walked feebly away; but it was pure acting; as he no longer felt so downcast。 He had soon put Hilda into the background and was busy with his plans for revenge upon Ganser‘‘a vulgar animal who insulted me when I honored him by marrying his ugly gosling。'' Before he fell asleep that night he had himself wrought up to a state of righteous indignation。 Ganser had cheated; had outraged himhim; the great; the noble; the eminent。
Early the next morning he went down to a dingy frame building that cowered meanly in the shadow of the Criminal Court House。 He mounted a creaking flight of stairs and went in at a low door on which ‘‘Loeb; Lynn; Levy and McCafferty'' was painted in black letters。 In the narrow entrance he brushed against a man on the way out; a man with a hangdog look and short bristling hair and the pastily…pallid skin that comes from living long away from the sunlight。 Feuerstein shivered slightlywas it at the touch of such a creature or at the suggestions his appearance started? In front of him was a ground…glass partition with five doors in it。 At a dirty greasy pine table sat a boyone of those child veterans the big city develops。 He had a long and extremely narrow head。 His eyes were close together; sharp and shifty。 His expression was sophisticated and cynical。 ‘‘Well; sir!'' he said with curt impudence; giving Feuerstein a gimlet…glance。
‘‘I want to see Mr。 Loeb。'' Feuerstein produced a cardit was one of his last remaining half…dozen and was pocket…worn。
The office boy took it with unveiled sarcasm in his eyes and in the corners of his mouth。 He disappeared through one of the five doors; almost immediately reappeared at another; closed it mysteriously behind him and went to a third door。 He threw it open and stood aside。 ‘‘At the end of the hall;'' he said。 ‘‘The door with Mr。 Loeb's name on it。 Knock and walk right in。''
Feuerstein followed the directions and found himself in a dingy little room; smelling of mustiness and stale tobacco; and lined with law books; almost all on crime and divorce。 Loeb; Lynn; Levy and McCafferty were lawyers to the lower grades of the criminal and shady only。 They defended thieves and murderers; they prosecuted or defended scandalous divorce cases; they packed juries and suborned perjury and they tutored false witnesses in the way to withstand cross…examination。 In private life they were four home…loving; law…abiding citizens。
Loeb looked up from his writing and said with contemptuous cordiality: ‘‘Oh Mr。 Feuerstein。 Glad to see youAGAIN。 What's the troubleNOW?''
At ‘‘again'' and ‘‘now'' Feuerstein winced slightly。 He looked nervously at Loeb。
‘‘It's beenlet me seeat least seven years since I saw you;'' continued Loeb; who was proud of his amazing memory。 He was a squat; fat man; with a coarse brown skin and heavy features。 He was carefully groomed and villainously perfumed and his clothes were in the extreme of the loudest fashion。 A diamond of great size was in his bright…blue scarf; another; its match; loaded down his fat little finger。 Both could be unscrewed and set in a hair ornament which his wife wore at first nights or when they dined in state at Delmonico's。 As he studied Feuerstein; his face had its famous smile; made by shutting his teeth together and drawing his puffy lips back tightly from them。
‘‘That is all past and gone;'' said Feuerstein。 ‘‘As a lad I was saved by you from the consequences of boyish folly。 And now; a man grown; I come to you to enlist your aid in avenging an insult to my honor; an''
‘‘Be as brief as possible;'' cut in Loeb。 ‘‘My time is much occupied。 The bald facts; pleaseFACTS; and BALD。''
Feuerstein settled himself and prepared to relate his story as if he were on the stage; with the orchestra playing low and sweet。 ‘‘I met a woman and loved her;'' he began in a deep; intense voice with a passionate tremolo。
‘‘A bad start;'' interrupted Loeb。 ‘‘If you go on that way; we'll never get anywhere。 You're a frightful fakir and liar; Feuerstein。 You were; seven years ago; of course; the habit's grown on you。 Speak out! What do you want? As your lawyer; I must know things exactly as they are。''
‘‘I ran away with a girlthe daughter of the brewer; Peter Ganser;'' said Feuerstein; sullen but terse。 ‘‘And her father wouldn't receive meshut her upput me out。''
‘‘And you want your wife?''
‘‘I want revenge。''
‘‘Of coursecash。 Well; Ganser's a rich man。 I should say he'd give up a good deal to get rid of YOU。'' Loeb gave that mirthless and mirth…strangling smile as he accented the ‘‘you。''
‘‘He's got to give up!'' said Feuerstein fiercely。
‘‘Slowly! Slowly!'' Loeb leaned forward and looked into Feuerstein's face。 ‘‘You mustn't forget。''
Feuerstein's eyes shifted rapidly as he said in a false voice: ‘‘She got a divorce years ago。''
‘‘M…m…m;'' said Loeb。
‘‘Anyhow; she's away off in Russia。''
‘‘I don't want you to confess a crime you haven't come to me about;'' said Loeb; adding with peculiar emphasis: ‘‘Of course; if we KNEW you were still married to the Mrs。 Feuerstein of seven years ago we couldn't take the present case。 As it isthe best way is to bluff the old brewer。 He doesn't want publicity; neither do you。 But you know he doesn't; and he doesn't know that you love quiet。''
‘‘Ganser treated me infamously。 He must sweat for it。 I'm nothing if not a good hater。''
‘‘No doubt;'' said Loeb dryly。 ‘‘And you have rights which the law safeguards。''
‘‘What shall I do?''
‘‘Leave that to us。 How much do you wanthow much damages?''
‘‘He ought to pay at least twenty…five thousand。''
Loeb shrugged his shoulders。 ‘‘Ridiculous!'' he said。 ‘‘Possibly the five without the twenty。 And how do you expect to pay us?''
‘‘I'm somewhat pressed just at the moment。 But I thought''Feuerstein halted。
‘‘That we'd take the case as a speculation? Well; to oblige an old client; we will。 But you must agree to give us all we can get over and above five thousandhalf what we get if it's below that。''
‘‘Those are hard terms;'' remonstrated Feuerstein。 The more he had thought on his case; the larger his expectations had become。
‘‘Very generous terms; in the circumstances。 You can take it or leave it。''
‘‘I can't do anything without y
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