第58章

But one of Magnus's strongest instincts, one of his keenest desires, was to be, if only for a short time, the master.To control men had ever been his ambition; submission of any kind, his greatest horror.His energy stirred within him, goaded by the lash of his anger, his sense of indignity, of insult.Oh for one moment to be able to strike back, to crush his enemy, to defeat the railroad, hold the Corporation in the grip of his fist, put down S.Behrman, rehabilitate himself, regain his self-respect.To be once more powerful, to command, to dominate.His thin lips pressed themselves together; the nostrils of his prominent hawk-like nose dilated, his erect, commanding figure stiffened unconsciously.For a moment, he saw himself controlling the situation, the foremost figure in his State, feared, respected, thousands of men beneath him, his ambition at length gratified; his career, once apparently brought to naught, completed; success a palpable achievement.What if this were his chance, after all, come at last after all these years.His chance! The instincts of the old-time gambler, the most redoubtable poker player of El Dorado County, stirred at the word.Chance! To know it when it came, to recognise it as it passed fleet as a wind-flurry, grip at it, catch at it, blind, reckless, staking all upon the hazard of the issue, that was genius.Was this his Chance? All of a sudden, it seemed to him that it was.But his honour! His cherished, lifelong integrity, the unstained purity of his principles? At this late date, were they to be sacrificed? Could he now go counter to all the firm built fabric of his character? How, afterward, could he bear to look Harran and Lyman in the face? And, yet--and, yet--back swung the pendulum--to neglect his Chance meant failure; a life begun in promise, and ended in obscurity, perhaps in financial ruin, poverty even.To seize it meant achievement, fame, influence, prestige, possibly great wealth.

"I am so sorry to interrupt," said Mrs.Derrick, as she came up.

"I hope Mr.Annixter will excuse me, but I want Magnus to open the safe for me.I have lost the combination, and I must have some money.Phelps is going into town, and I want him to pay some bills for me.Can't you come right away, Magnus? Phelps is ready and waiting."Annixter struck his heel into the ground with a suppressed oath.

Always these fool feemale women came between him and his plans, mixing themselves up in his affairs.Magnus had been on the very point of saying something, perhaps committing himself to some course of action, and, at precisely the wrong moment, his wife had cut in.The opportunity was lost.The three returned toward the ranch house; but before saying good-bye, Annixter had secured from Magnus a promise to the effect that, before coming to a definite decision in the matter under discussion, he would talk further with him.

Presley met him at the porch.He was going into town with Phelps, and proposed to Annixter that he should accompany them.

"I want to go over and see old Broderson," Annixter objected.

But Presley informed him that Broderson had gone to Bonneville earlier in the morning.He had seen him go past in his buckboard.The three men set off, Phelps and Annixter on horseback, Presley on his bicycle.

When they had gone, Mrs.Derrick sought out her husband in the office of the ranch house.She was at her prettiest that morning, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her innocent, wide-open eyes almost girlish.She had fastened her hair, still moist, with a black ribbon tied at the back of her head, and the soft mass of light brown reached to below her waist, making her look very young.

"What was it he was saying to you just now," she exclaimed, as she came through the gate in the green-painted wire railing of the office."What was Mr.Annixter saying? I know.He was trying to get you to join him, trying to persuade you to be dishonest, wasn't that it? Tell me, Magnus, wasn't that it?"Magnus nodded.

His wife drew close to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"But you won't, will you? You won't listen to him again; you won't so much as allow him--anybody--to even suppose you would lend yourself to bribery? Oh, Magnus, I don't know what has come over you these last few weeks.Why, before this, you would have been insulted if any one thought you would even consider anything like dishonesty.Magnus, it would break my heart if you joined Mr.Annixter and Mr.Osterman.Why, you couldn't be the same man to me afterward; you, who have kept yourself so clean till now.

And the boys; what would Lyman say, and Harran, and every one who knows you and respects you, if you lowered yourself to be just a political adventurer!"For a moment, Derrick leaned his head upon his hand, avoiding her gaze.At length, he said, drawing a deep breath: "I am troubled, Annie.These are the evil days.I have much upon my mind.""Evil days or not," she insisted, "promise me this one thing, that you will not join Mr.Annixter's scheme."She had taken his hand in both of hers and was looking into his face, her pretty eyes full of pleading.

"Promise me," she repeated; "give me your word.Whatever happens, let me always be able to be proud of you, as I always have been.Give me your word.I know you never seriously thought of joining Mr.Annixter, but I am so nervous and frightened sometimes.Just to relieve my mind, Magnus, give me your word.""Why--you are right," he answered."No, I never thought seriously of it.Only for a moment, I was ambitious to be--Idon't know what--what I had hoped to be once--well, that is over now.Annie, your husband is a disappointed man.""Give me your word," she insisted."We can talk about other things afterward."Again Magnus wavered, about to yield to his better instincts and to the entreaties of his wife.He began to see how perilously far he had gone in this business.He was drifting closer to it every hour.Already he was entangled, already his foot was caught in the mesh that was being spun.Sharply he recoiled.