CHAPTER LX.
A CONUNDRUM.
Mr. Pierce was preparing to talk. Usually Mr. Pierce was talking. Mr.Pierce had been talking already, but it had been to single listenersonly, and for quite a time in the last three hours Mr. Pierce had beencompelled to be silent. But at last Mr. Pierce believed his moment hadcome. Mr. Pierce thought he had an audience, and a plastic audience atthat. And these three circumstances in combination made Mr. Piercefairly bubbling with words. No longer would he have to waste hisprecious wit and wisdom, _tete-a-tete,_ or on himself.
At first blush Mr. Pierce seemed right in his conjecture. Seated--intruth, collapsed, on chairs and lounges, in a disarranged anduntidy-looking drawing-room, were nearly twenty very tired-lookingpeople. The room looked as if there had just been a free fight there,and the people looked as if they had been the participants. But themultitude of flowers and the gay dresses proved beyond question thatsomething else had made the disorder of the room and had put thatexhausted look upon the faces.
Experienced observers would have understood it at a glimpse. From thework and fatigues of this world, people had gathered for a littleenjoyment of what we call society. It is true that both the room and itsoccupants did not indicate that there had been much recreation. But,then, one can lay it down as an axiom that the people who work forpleasure are the hardest-working people in the world; and, as it is thatfor which society labors, this scene is but another proof that they getvery much fatigued over their pursuit of happiness and enjoyment,considering that they hunt for it in packs, and entirely exclude themost delicious intoxicant known--usually called oxygen--from their listof supplies from the caterer. Certainly this particular group did lookexhausted far beyond the speech-making point. But this, too, was adeception. These limp-looking individuals had only remained in thisdrawing-room for the sole purpose of "talking it over," and Mr. Piercehad no walk-over before him.
Mr. Pierce cleared his throat and remarked: "The development of marriagecustoms and ceremonies from primeval days is one of the most curiousand--"
"What a lovely wedding it has been!" said Dorothy, heaving a sigh offatigue and pleasure combined.
"Wasn't it!" went up a chorus from the whole party, except Mr. Pierce,who looked eminently disgusted.
"As I was remarking--" began Mr. Pierce again.
"But the best part," said Watts, who was lolling on one of the lounges,"was those 'sixt' ward presents. As Mr. Moriarty said; 'Begobs, it'shard it would be to find the equal av that tureen!' He was right! Itsequal for ugliness is inconceivable."
"Yet the poor beggars spent eight hundred dollars on it" sighedLispenard, wearily.
"Relative to the subject--" said Mr. Pierce.
"And Leonore told me," said a charmingly-dressed girl, "that she likedit better than any other present she had received."
"Oh, she was more enthusiastic," laughed Watts, "over all the 'sixt'ward and political presents than she was over what we gave her. Weweren't in it at all with the Micks. She has come out as much aworshipper of hoi-polloi as Peter."
"I don't believe she cares a particle for them," said our old friend,the gentlemanly scoundrel; "but she worships them because they worshiphim."
"Well," sighed Lispenard, "that's the way things go in life. There'sthat fellow gets worshipped by every one, from the Irish saloon-keeperup to Leonore. While look at me! I'm a clever, sweet-tempered, friendlysort of a chap, but nobody worships me. There isn't any one who gives asecond thought for yours truly. I seem good for nothing, except beingbest man to much luckier chaps. While look at Peter! He's won the loveof a lovely girl, who worships him to a degree simply inconceivable. Inever saw such idealization."
"Then you haven't been watching Peter," said Mrs. D'Alloi, who, as amother, had no intention of having it supposed that Leonore was not moreloved than loving.
"Taking modern marriage as a basis--" said Mr. Pierce.
"Oh," laughed Dorothy, "there's no doubt they are a pair, and I'm veryproud of it, because I did it."
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" crowed Ray.
"I did," said Dorothy, "and my own husband is not the one to castreflection on my statement."
"He's the only one who dares," said Ogden.
"Well, I did. Leonore would never have cared for such a silent, seriousman if I hadn't shown her that other women did, and--"
"Nonsense," laughed Ogden. "It was Podds did it. Dynamite is famous forthe uncertainty of the direction in which it will expend its force, andin this case it blew in a circle, and carried Leonore's heart clear fromNewport to Peter."
"Or, to put it scientifically," said Lispenard, "along the line of leastresistance."
"It seems to me that Peter was the one who did it," said Le Grand. "Butof course, as a bachelor, I can't expect my opinion to be accepted."
"No," said Dorothy. "He nearly spoiled it by cheapening himself. No girlwill think a man is worth much who lets her tramp on him."
"Still," said Lispenard, "few girls can resist the flattery of beingtreated by a man as if she is the only woman worth considering in theworld, and Peter did that to an extent which was simply disgraceful. Itwas laughable to see the old hermit become social the moment sheappeared, and to see how his eyes and attention followed her. And hislearning to dance! That showed how things were."
"He began long before any of you dreamed," said Mrs. D'Alloi. "Didn'the, Watts?"
"Undoubtedly," laughed Watts. "And so did she. I really think Leonoredid quite as much in her way, as Peter did. I never saw her treat anyone quite as she behaved to Peter from the very first. I remember hercoming in after her runaway, wild with enthusiasm over him, and sayingto me 'Oh, I'm so happy. I've got a new friend, and we are going to besuch friends always!'"
"That raises the same question," laughed Ogden, "that the Irishman didabout the street-fight, when he asked 'Who throwed that last brickfirst?'"
"Really, if it didn't seem too absurd," said Watts, "I should say theybegan it the moment they met."
"I don't think that at all absurd," said a gray-haired, refined lookingwoman who was the least collapsed of the group, or was perhaps so wellbred as to conceal her feelings. "I myself think it began before theyeven met. Leonore was half in love with Peter when she was in Europe,and Peter, though he knew nothing of her, was the kind of a man whoimagines an ideal and loves that. She happened to be his ideal."
"Really, Miss De Voe," said Mr. Pierce, "you must have misjudged him.Though Peter is now my grandson, I am still able to know what he is. Heis not at all the kind of man who allows himself to be controlled by anideal."
"I do not feel that I have ever known Peter. He does not let peopleperceive what is underneath," said Miss De Voe. "But of one thing I amsure. Nearly everything he does is done from sentiment. At heart he isan idealist."
"Oh!" cried several.
"That is a most singular statement," said Mr. Pierce. "There is not aman I know who has less of the sentimental and ideal in him. An idealistis a man of dreams and romance. Peter is far too sensible a fellow tobe that. There is nothing heroic or romantic in him."
"Nonsense, _Paternus_," said Watts. "You don't know anything about theold chap. You've only seen him as a cool clever lawyer. If your olddefinition of romance is right: that it is 'Love, and the battle betweengood and evil,' Peter has had more true romance than all the rest of usput together."
"No," said Mr. Pierce. "You have merely seen Peter in love, and so youall think he is romantic. He isn't. He is a cool man, who never actswithout weighing his actions, and therein has lain the secret of hissuccess. He calmly marks out his line of life, and, regardless ofeverything else, pursues it. He disregards everything not to hispurpose, and utilizes everything that serves. I predicted great successfor him many years ago when he was fresh from college, simply from astudy of his mental characteristics and I have proved myself a prophet.He has never made a slip, legally, politically, or socially. To use ayachting expression, he has 'made everything draw.' An idealist, or aman of romance and fire and
impulse could never succeed as he has done.It is his entire lack of feeling which has led to his success. Indeed--"
"I can't agree with you," interrupted Dorothy, sitting up from hercollapse as if galvanized into life and speech by Mr. Pierce'smonologue. "You don't understand Peter. He is a man of great feeling.Think of that speech of his about those children! Think of his conductto his mother as long as she lived! Think of the goodness and kindnesshe showed to the poor! Why, Ray says he has refused case after case forwant of time in recent years, while doing work for people in his wardwhich was worth nothing. If--"
"They were worth votes," interjected Mr. Pierce.
"Look at his buying the Costell place in Westchester when Mr. Costelldied so poor, and giving it to Mrs. Costell," continued Dorothy, warmingwith her subject. "Look at his going to those strikers' families, andarranging to help them. Were those things done for votes? If I couldonly tell you of something he once did for me, you would not say that hewas a man without feeling."
"I have no doubt," said Mr. Pierce blandly, "that he did many thingswhich, on their face, seemed admirable and to indicate feeling. But ifcarefully examined, they would be found to have been advantageous tohim. Any service he could have done to Mrs. Rivington surely did notharm him. His purchase of Costell's place pleased the political friendsof the dead leader. His aiding the strikers' families placated the men,and gained him praise from the press. I dislike greatly to oppose thisrose-colored view of Peter, but, from my own knowledge of the man, Imust. He is without feeling, and necessarily makes no mistakes, nor ishe led off from his own ambitions by sentiment of any kind. When we hadthat meeting with the strikers, he sat there, while all New York wasseething, with mobs and dead just outside the walls, as cool andimpassive as a machine. He was simply determined that we shouldcompromise, because his own interests demanded it, and he carried hispoint merely because he was the one cool man at that meeting. If he hadhad feeling he could not have been cool. That one incident shows thekey-note of his success."
"And I say his strong sympathies and feeling were the key-note,"reiterated Dorothy.
"I think," said Pell, "that Peter's great success lay in his ability tomake friends. It was simply marvellous. I've seen it, over and overagain, both in politics and society. He never seemed to excite envy orbitterness. He had a way of doing things which made people like him.Every one he meets trusts him. Yet nobody understands him. So heinterests people, without exciting hostility. I've heard person afterperson say that he was an uninteresting, ordinary man, and yet nobodyever seemed to forget him. Every one of us feels, I am sure, that, asMiss De Voe says, he had within something he never showed people. I havenever been able to see why he did or did not do hundreds of things. Yetit always turned out that what he did was right. He makes me think ofthe Frenchwoman who said to her sister, 'I don't know why it is, sister,but I never meet any one who's always right but myself.'"
"You have hit it," said Ogden Ogden, "and I can prove that you have byPeter's own explanation of his success. I spoke to him once of a rathercurious line of argument, as it seemed to me, which he was taking in acase, and he said: 'Ogden, I take that course because it is the wayJudge Potter's mind acts. If you want to convince yourself, take thearguments which do that best, but when you have to deal with judges orjuries, take the lines which fit their capacities. People talk about myunusual success in winning cases. It's simply because I am not certainthat my way and my argument are the only way and the only argument. I'vestudied the judges closely, so that I know what lines to take, and Ialways notice what seems to interest the jury most, in each case. But,more important than this study, is the fact that I can comprehend abouthow the average man will look at a certain thing. You see I am the sonof plain people. Then I am meeting all grades of mankind, and hearingwhat they say, and getting their points of view. I have never sat in acloset out of touch with the world and decided what is right for others,and then spent time trying to prove it to them. In other words, I havesucceeded, because I am merely the normal or average man, and therefoream understood by normal or average people, or by majorities, to put itin another way.'"
"But Mr. Stirling isn't a commonplace man," said another of thecharmingly dressed girls. "He is very silent, and what he says isn't atall clever, but he's very unusual and interesting."
"Nevertheless," said Ogden, "I believe he was right. He has a way ofknowing what the majority of people think or feel about things. And thatis the secret of his success, and not his possession or lack offeeling."
"You none of you have got at the true secret of Peter's success," saidRay. "It was his wonderful capacity for work. To a lazy beggar likemyself it is marvellous. I've known that man to work from nine in themorning till one at night, merely stopping for meals."
"Yet he did not seem an ambitious man," said Le Grand. "He cared nothingfor social success, he never has accepted office till now, and he hasrefused over and over again law work which meant big money."
"No," said Ray. "Peter worked hard in law and politics. Yet he didn'twant office or money. He could more than once have been a judge, andCostell wanted him governor six years ago. He took the nomination thisyear against his own wishes. He cared as little for money or reputationin law, as he cared for society, and would compromise cases which wouldhave added greatly to his reputation if he had let them go to trial. Hemight have been worth double what he is to-day, if he had merelyinvested his money, instead of letting it lie in savings banks or trustcompanies. I've spoken about it repeatedly to him, but he only said thathe wasn't going to spend time taking care of money, for money ceased tobe valuable when it had to be taken care of; its sole use to him beingto have it take care of him. I think he worked for the sake of working."
"That explains Peter, certainly. His one wish was to help others," saidMiss De Voe. "He had no desire for reputation or money, and so did notcare to increase either."
"And mark my words," said Lispenard. "From this day, he'll set no limitto his endeavors to obtain both."
"He can't work harder than he has to get political power," said anusher. "Think of how anxious he must have been to get it, when he wouldspend so much time in the slums and saloons! He couldn't have liked themen he met there."
"I've taken him to task about that, and told him he had no business towaste his time so," said Ogden; "but he said that he was not taking careof other people's money or trying to build up a great business, and thatif he chose to curtail his practice, so as to have some time to work inpolitics, it was a matter of personal judgment."
"I once asked Peter," said Miss De Voe, "how he could bear, with histastes and feelings, to go into saloons, and spend so much time withpoliticians, and with the low, uneducated people of his district. Hesaid, 'That is my way of trying to do good, and it is made enjoyable tome by helping men over rough spots, or by preventing political wrong. Ihave taken the world and humanity as it is, and have done what I could,without stopping to criticise or weep over shortcomings and sins. Iadmire men who stand for noble impossibilities. But I have given my ownlife to the doing of small possibilities. I don't say the way is thebest. But it is my way, for I am a worker, not a preacher. And justbecause I have been willing to do things as the world is willing to havethem done, power and success have come to me to do more.' I believe itwas because Peter had no wish for worldly success, that it came to him."
"You are all wrong," groaned Lispenard. "I love Peter as much as I lovemy own kin, with due apology to those of it who are present, but I mustsay that his whole career has been the worst case of sheer, downrightluck of which I ever saw or heard."
"Luck!" exclaimed Dorothy.
"Yes, luck!" said Lispenard. "Look at it. He starts in like all the restof us. And Miss Luck calls him in to look at a sick kitten die. Veryordinary occurrence that! Health-board report several hundred everyweek. But Miss Luck knew what she was about and called him in to justthe right kind of a kitten to make a big speech about. Thereupon hemakes it, blackguarding and wiping the floor up with a millionair
ebrewer. Does the brewer wait for his turn to get even with him? Not abit. Miss Luck takes a hand in and the brewer falls on Peter'sbreast-bone, and loves him ever afterwards. My cousin writes him, and hesnubs her. Does she annihilate him as she would have other men? No. MissLuck has arranged all that, and they become the best of friends."
"Lispenard--" Miss De Voe started to interrupt indignantly, butLispenard continued, "Hold on till I finish. One at a time. Well. MissLuck gets him chosen to a convention by a fluke and Peter votes againstCostell's wishes. What happens? Costell promptly takes him up and pusheshim for all he's worth. He snubs society, and society concludes that aman who is more snubby and exclusive than itself must be a man tocultivate. He refuses to talk, and every one promptly says: 'Howinteresting he is!' He gets in the way of a dynamite bomb. Does it killhim? Certainly not. Miss Luck has put an old fool there, to protect him.He swears a bad word. Does it shock respectable people? No! Every onebreathes easier, and likes him the better. He enrages and shoots thestrikers. Does he lose votes? Not one. Miss Luck arranges that thedirectors shall yield things which they had sworn not to yield; and thestrikers are reconciled and print a card in praise of him. He runs foroffice. Do the other parties make a good fight of it? No. They promptlynominate a scoundrelly demagogue and a nonentity who thinks votes arewon by going about in shirtsleeves. So he is elected by the biggestplurality the State has ever given. Has Miss Luck done enough? No. Sheat once sets every one predicting that he'll get the presidentialnomination two years from now, if he cares for it. Be it friend orenemy, intentional or unintentional, every one with whom he comes incontact gives him a boost. While look at me! There isn't a soul who evergave me help. It's been pure, fire-with-your-eyes-shut luck.
"Was this morning luck too?" asked a bridesmaid.
"Absolutely," sighed Lispenard. "And what luck! I always said that Peterwould never marry, because he would insist on taking women seriously,and because at heart he was afraid of them to a woeful degree, andshowed it in such a way, as simply to make women think he didn't likethem individually. But Miss Luck wouldn't allow that. Oh, no! Miss Luckisn't content even that Peter shall take his chance of getting a wife,with the rest of us. She's not going to have any accidents for him. Soshe takes the loveliest of girls and trots her all over Europe, so thatshe shan't have friends, or even know men well. She arranges too, thatthe young girl shall have her head filled with Peter by a lot ofadmiring women, who are determined to make him into a sad, unfortunatehero, instead of the successful man he is. A regular conspiracy todelude a young girl. Then before the girl has seen anything of theworld, she trots her over here. Does she introduce them at a dance, sothat Peter shall be awkward and silent? Not she! She puts him where helooks his best--on a horse. She starts the thing off romantically, sothat he begins on the most intimate footing, before another man has lefthis pasteboard. So he's way ahead of the pack when they open cry. Isthat enough? No! At the critical moment he is called to the aid of hiscountry. Gets lauded for his pluck. Gets blown up. Gets everything tomake a young girl worship him. Pure luck! It doesn't matter what Petersays or does. Miss Luck always arranges that it turn up the winningcard."
"There is no luck in it," cried Mr. Pierce. "It was all due to hisforesight and shrewdness. He plans things beforehand, and merely pressesthe button. Why, look at his marriage alone? Does he fall in love earlyin life, and hamper himself with a Miss Nobody? Not he! He waits tillhe has achieved a position where he can pick from the best, and then hedoes exactly that, if you'll pardon a doating grandfather's saying it."
"Well," said Watts, "we have all known Peter long enough to have foundout what he is, yet there seems to be a slight divergence of opinion.Are we fools, or is Peter a gay deceiver?"
"He is the most outspoken man I ever knew," said Miss De Voe.
"But he tells nothing," said an usher.
"Yes. He is absolutely silent," said a bridesmaid.
"Except when he's speechifying," said Ray.
"And Leonore says he talks and jokes a great deal," said Watts.
"I never knew any one who is deceiving herself so about a man," saidDorothy. "It's terrible. What do you think she had the face to say to meto-day?"
"What?"
"She was speaking of their plans after returning from the weddingjourney, and she said: 'I am going to have Peter keep up his bachelorquarters.' 'Does he say he'll do it?' I asked. 'I haven't spoken tohim,' she replied, 'but of course he will.' I said: 'Leonore, all womenthink they rule their husbands, but they don't in reality, and Peterwill be less ruled than any man I know.' Then what do you think shesaid?"
"Don't keep us in suspense."
"She said: 'None of you ever understood Peter. But I do.' Think of it!From that little chit, who's known Peter half the number of months thatI've known him years!"
"I don't know," sighed Lispenard. "I'm not prepared to say it isn't so.Indeed, after seeing Peter, who never seemed able to understand womentill this one appeared on the scene, develop into a regulation lover, Iam quite prepared to believe that every one knows more than I do. At thesame time, I can't afford to risk my reputation for discrimination andinsight over such a simple thing as Peter's character. You've all triedto say what Peter is. Now I'll tell you in two words and you'll all findyou are right, and you'll all find you are wrong."
"You are as bad as Leonore," cried Dorothy.
"Well," said Watts, "we are all listening. What is Peter?"
"He is an extreme type of a man far from uncommon in this country, yetwho has never been understood by foreigners, and by few Americans."
"Well?"
"Peter is a practical idealist"
The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him Page 60
