"Prodigious conception! I never saw such ahead for seeing with a lightning glance all the outlying ramifications and possibilities of a central idea.""It is nothing; it comes natural to me.When his time is out in one jail he goes to the next and the next, and we shall have nothing to do but collect the rewards as he goes along.It is a perfectly steady income as long as we live, Hawkins.And much better than other kinds of investments, because he is indestructible.""It looks--it really does look the way you say; it does indeed.""Look?--why it is.It will not be denied that I have had a pretty wide and comprehensive financial experience, and I do not hesitate to say that I consider this one of the most valuable properties I have ever controlled.""Do you really think so?"
"I do, indeed."
"O, Colonel, the wasting grind and grief of poverty! If we could realize immediately.I don't mean sell it all, but sell part-enough, you know, to--""See how you tremble with excitement.That comes of lack of experience.
My boy, when you have been familiar with vast operations as long as Ihave, you'll be different.Look at me; is my eye dilated? do you notice a quiver anywhere? Feel my pulse: plunk-plunk-plunk--same as if I were asleep.And yet, what is passing through my calm cold mind? Aprocession of figures which would make a financial novice drunk just the sight of them.Now it is by keeping cool, and looking at a thing all around, that a man sees what's really in it, and saves himself from the novice's unfailing mistake--the one you've just suggested--eagerness to realize.Listen to me.Your idea is to sell a part of him for ready cash.Now mine is--guess.""I haven't an idea.What is it?"
"Stock him--of course."
"Well, I should never have thought of that.""Because you are not a financier.Say he has committed a thousand crimes.Certainly that's a low estimate.By the look of him, even in his unfinished condition, he has committed all of a million.But call it only a thousand to be perfectly safe; five thousand reward, multiplied by a thousand, gives us a dead sure cash basis of--what? Five million dollars!""Wait--let me get my breath."
"And the property indestructible.Perpetually fruitful--perpetually; for a property with his disposition will go on committing crimes and winning rewards.""You daze me, you make my head whirl!"
"Let it whirl, it won't do it any harm.Now that matter is all fixed--leave it alone.I'll get up the company and issue the stock, all in good time.Just leave it in my hands.I judge you don't doubt my ability to work it up for all it is worth.".
"Indeed I don't.I can say that with truth.""All right, then.That's disposed of.Everything in its turn.We old operators, go by order and system--no helter-skelter business with us.
What's the next thing on the docket? The carrying on of the materialization--the bringing it down to date.I will begin on that at once.I think--"Look here, Rossmore.You didn't lock It in.A hundred to one it has escaped!""Calm yourself, as to that; don't give yourself any uneasiness.""But why shouldn't it escape?"
"Let it, if it wants to? What of it?"
"Well, I should consider it a pretty serious calamity.""Why, my dear boy, once in my power, always in my power.It may go and come freely.I can produce it here whenever I want it, just by the exercise of my will.""Well, I am truly glad to hear that, I do assure you.""Yes, I shall give it all the painting it wants to do, and we and the family will make it as comfortable and contented as we can.No occasion to restrain its movements.I hope to persuade it to remain pretty quiet, though, because a materialization which is in a state of arrested development must of necessity be pretty soft and flabby and substanceless, and--er--by the way, I wonder where It comes from?""How? What do you mean?"
The earl pointed significantly--and interrogatively toward the sky.
Hawkins started; then settled into deep reflection; finally shook his head sorrowfully and pointed downwards.
"What makes you think so, Washington?"
"Well, I hardly know, but really you can see, yourself, that he doesn't seem to be pining for his last place.""It's well thought! Soundly deduced.We've done that Thing a favor.
But I believe I will pump it a little, in a quiet way, and find out if we are right.""How long is it going to take to finish him off and fetch him down to date, Colonel?""I wish I knew, but I don't.I am clear knocked out by this new detail--this unforeseen necessity of working a subject down gradually from his condition of ancestor to his ultimate result as posterity.But I'll make him hump himself, anyway.""Rossmore!"
"Yes, dear.We're in the laboratory.Come--Hawkins is here.Mind, now Hawkins--he's a sound, living, human being to all the family--don't forget that.Here she comes.""Keep your seats, I'm not coming in.I just wanted to ask, who is it that's painting down there?""That? Oh, that's a young artist; young Englishman, named Tracy; very promising--favorite pupil of Hans Christian Andersen or one of the other old masters--Andersen I'm pretty sure it is; he's going to half-sole some of our old Italian masterpieces.Been talking to him?""Well, only a word.I stumbled right in on him without expecting anybody was there.I tried to be polite to him; offered him a snack"--(Sellers delivered a large wink to Hawkins from behind his hand), "but he declined, and said he wasn't hungry" (another sarcastic wink); "so Ibrought some apples" (doublewink), "and he ate a couple of--""What!" and the colonel sprang some yards toward the ceiling and came down quaking with astonishment.
Lady Rossmore was smitten dumb with amazement.She gazed at the sheepish relic of Cherokee Strip, then at her husband, and then at the guest again.Finally she said:
"What is the matter with you, Mulberry?"
He did not answer immediately.His back was turned; he was bending over his chair, feeling the seat of it.But he answered next moment, and said:
"Ah, there it is; it was a tack."
The lady contemplated him doubtfully a moment, then said, pretty snappishly:
"All that for a tack! Praise goodness it wasn't a shingle nail, it would have landed you in the Milky Way.I do hate to have my nerves shook up so." And she turned on her heel and went her way.
As soon as she was safely out, the Colonel said, in a suppressed voice:
"Come--we must see for ourselves.It must be a mistake."They hurried softly down and peeped in.Sellers whispered, in a sort of despair--It is eating! What a grisly spectacle! Hawkins it's horrible! Take me away--I can't stand--They tottered back to the laboratory.
