登陆注册
15446900000089

第89章 XIX(1)

IT was not many minutes after ten when Tetlow hurried into Norman's office. "Galloway's coming at eleven!" said he, with an air of triumph.

"So you mulled over what I said and decided that I was not altogether drunk?"

"I wasn't sure of that," replied Tetlow. "But I was afraid you'd be offended if I didn't try to get him.

He gave me no trouble at all. As soon as I told him you'd be glad to see him at your office, he astounded me by saying he'd come."

"He and I have had dealings," said Norman.

"He understood at once. I always know my way when I'm dealing with a big man. It's only the little people that are muddled and complex. I hope you'll not forget this lesson, Billy."

"I shan't," promised Tetlow.

"We are to be partners," pursued Norman. "We shall be intimately associated for years. You'll save me a vast amount of time and energy and yourself a vast amount of fuming and fretting, if you'll simply accept what I say, without discussion. When I want discussion I'll ask your advice."

"I'm afraid you don't think it's worth much," said Tetlow humbly, "and I guess it isn't."

"On the contrary, invaluable," declared Norman with flattering emphasis. "Where you lack and I excel is in decision and action. I'll often get you to tell me what ought to be done, and then I'll make you do it--which you'd never dare, by yourself."

At eleven sharp Galloway came, looking as nearly like a dangerous old eagle as a human being well could.

Rapacious, merciless, tyrannical; a famous philanthropist.

Stingy to pettiness; a giver away of millions.

Rigidly honest, yet absolutely unscrupulous; faithful to the last letter of his given word, yet so treacherous where his sly mind could nose out a way to evade the spirit of his agreements that his name was a synonym for unfaithfulness.

An assiduous and groveling snob, yet so militantly democratic that, unless his interest compelled, he would not employ any member of the "best families" in any important capacity. He seemed a bundle of contradictions. In fact he was profoundly consistent.

That is to say, he steadily pursued in every thought and act the gratification of his two passions--wealth and power. He lost no seen opportunity, however shameful, to add to his fortune or to amuse himself with the human race, which he regarded with the unpitying contempt characteristic of every cold nature born or risen to success.

His theory of life--and it is the theory that explains most great financial successes, however they may pretend or believe--his theory of life was that he did not need friends because the friends of a strong man weaken and rob him, but that he did need enemies because he could grow rich and powerful destroying and despoiling them. To him friends suggested the birds living in a tree. They might make the tree more romantic to the unthinking observer; but they in fact ate its budding leaves and its fruit and rotted its bough joints with their filthy nests.

We Americans are probably nearest to children of any race in civilization. The peculiar conditions of life--their almost Arcadian simplicity--up to a generation or so ago, gave us a false training in the study of human nature. We believe what the good preacher, the novelist and the poet, all as ignorant of life as nursery books, tell us about the human heart. We fancy that in a social system modeled upon the cruel and immoral system of Nature, success is to the good and kind. Life is like the pious story in the Sunday-school library; evil is the exception and to practice the simple virtues is to tread with sure step the highway to riches and fame. This sort of ignorance is taught, is proclaimed, is apparently accepted throughout the world. Literature and the drama, representing life as it is dreamed by humanity, life as it perhaps may be some day, create an impression which defies the plain daily and hourly mockings of experience. Because weak and petty of-fenders are often punished, the universe is pictured as sternly enforcing the criminal codes enacted by priests or lawyers. But, while all the world half inclines to this agreeable mendacity about life, only in America of all civilization is the mendacity accepted as gospel, and suspicion about it frowned upon as the heresy of cynicism. So the Galloways prosper and are in high moral repute. Some day we shall learn that a social system which is merely a slavish copy of Nature's barbarous and wasteful sway of the survival of the toughest could be and ought to be improved upon by the intelligence of the human race. Some day we shall put Nature in its proper place as kindergarten teacher, and drop it from godship and erect enlightened human understanding instead. But that is a long way off. Meanwhile the Galloways will reign, and will assure us that they won their success by the Decalogue and the Golden Rule--and will be believed by all who seek to assure for themselves in advance almost certain failure at material success in the arena of action.

But they will not be believed by men of ambition, pushing resolutely for power and wealth. So Frederick Norman knew precisely what he was facing when Galloway's tall gaunt figure and face of the bird of prey appeared before him. Galloway had triumphed and was triumphing not through obedience to the Sunday sermons and the silly novels, poems, plays, and the nonsense chattered by the obscure multitudes whom the mighty few exploit, but through obedience to the conditions imposed by our social system. If he raised wages a little, it was in order that he might have excuse for raising prices a great deal. If he gave away millions, it was for his fame, and usually to quiet the scandal over some particularly wicked wholesale robbery.

同类推荐
  • 释净土群疑论

    释净土群疑论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 画继

    画继

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天台山记

    天台山记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Ninth Vibration

    The Ninth Vibration

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Zanoni

    Zanoni

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 重生之美腻人生

    重生之美腻人生

    发病逝世的倾落意外重生,回到三年级的时候。上一世,她骄纵任性,这一世她要守护她真爱的一切!可是……真的有那么顺利吗?
  • 茅山武道门

    茅山武道门

    本书已码完,只要人气跟得上,随时可加快更新。茅山武道门为不收费免费小说,只求人气,收藏,推荐。新书在准备当中,更新完就可上新书,望大家支持。
  • 凤倪苍穹

    凤倪苍穹

    她琉弥月是万众瞩目的宠儿,一次穿越,她遇见她命中的劫。他风华绝代却独独对她情有独钟,他一笑天地失色却甘愿因她为奴,他中有傲骨却为她放下身价,他单纯无知却宁死护她周全。
  • 听风挽歌

    听风挽歌

    最美不过乐嘉仪。与最爱的人的虐心童话是留?亦或是去。
  • 绽放在初辰的沐雪

    绽放在初辰的沐雪

    前几天得知自己三年暗恋对象,有了自己的归宿。原本就快要疯掉的何沐雪偏偏在这时候遇到了绝世冤家——伊初辰。可惜人家是国民校草有木有。完了,说好的好好学习,天天向上呢......事实上不论他们之间发生了什么表示作者大大已被剧情整疯(沐雪:没事没事,只要我和我家小初辰幸福就好,不然的话,嘿嘿嘿~~~)表示无语......
  • 契约帝后

    契约帝后

    周周因一场车祸穿到了青海国,结识了皇帝的弟弟,他国的王爷,帮派的老大。但在深宫里却处处受人猜忌,受人陷害。还要无私的帮助自己的皇帝丈夫坐稳了江山。爱情终使人反目,周周为了自己爱的人,步步为营,步步为他人做嫁衣。最后等待她的是善良后的美满,还是依旧的不尽人意。
  • 江葵传

    江葵传

    若世上无我一席之地,何惧以死相拼;若赢了你输了全世界,死又何足惜。
  • 单身租客

    单身租客

    缘分这东西很难让人琢磨,它的出现总是在不经意间,可能是你无意间拨出的一个电话,也可能是你一次未知的旅行,更甚至是一次不小心的碰撞,而让你收获的却是伟大而又甜蜜的爱情。
  • 地底的永生

    地底的永生

    关乎生命的起源,对于真理的追寻。看向时间的尽头,一切的开始。
  • 本尊噬魂

    本尊噬魂

    神尊下落不明,冥魂肆无忌惮,一个怪病缠身的孩子,为了变得强大,踏上了一条不同寻常的路。