CHAPTER XIII
NEAERA MAKES NEW ARRANGEMENTS
Neaera left the building in which were the _Liberty_ offices by anentrance on a street other than that which she had seen threatened bythe constables, and hurriedly considered where she could find a certainMasters to whom she had always determined to fly in case of defeat.Masters was a man whose career had greatly contributed to the particularphase of Collectivism which I found prevailing in the New EnglandStates. Originally the state had undertaken to monopolize manufacture,and for a long period--over a hundred years--had succeeded in givinggeneral satisfaction. During the first century of Collectivist existenceso much time was spent in transforming cities that there was no leisurefor individual enterprise; indeed, during this period the majorityworked as hard as they had ever worked under the competitive regime; foralthough a half-day's labor only was exacted to earn a full share in thenational income, another half-day's labor was asked and freely given tomake those changes in the cities and towns which were obviouslynecessary under the new regime. And a certain exchange of occupation hadtaken place, masons and carpenters working all day at their respectivetrades, while others worked all day at theirs, extra wages being paidfor extra work; these extra wages were applicable to the purchase ofluxuries, the most laborious and the most thrifty thus reaping thereward of their labor and thrift. When, however, the cities, towns, andvillages had been so converted as to furnish practically equivalentlodging to all, under conditions that were wholesome and with due regardto the demand for the beautiful that, though expressed in my time onlyby a few, is in fact latent in us all, there was no longer the sameimperious call for extra labor on the part of the state, and the leisureenjoyed in consequence was soon employed in a manner not anticipated bysocialists of my day. And Masters had been the first to inaugurate thenew system. It happened in this way:
The state had exposed itself to much criticism as to many of the thingsfurnished by its factories, and when Masters was still a youth oftwenty-five years, the complaint on this subject became so wide-spreadthat he set himself to correcting the evil. He was employed in awall-paper factory, and wall paper was just one of the articles that hadgiven rise to the greatest dissatisfaction; so one day when an artisticfriend was mocking at the work the state factory turned out, Masterssuggested that they should get a few others to join them in setting up afactory of their own. The experiment was looked upon at first as a pieceof innocent child's play, but when some hundred young men and womenactually succeeded in producing a wall paper so preferable to thatmanufactured by the state that theirs alone was purchased and the statehad to shut down some of the government mills, the question of the rightof individuals to compete with the state was brought up in thelegislature, and the issue became sufficiently serious to drive Mastersinto politics for the purpose of defending what came to be known as"Liberty of Industry."
The principal argument made against this so-called liberty of industrywas that Masters and his fellow-workers were becoming rich. The moneythat formerly was paid to the state factory was now paid to them, andthus the accumulation of wealth became possible which it was theprincipal object of Collectivism to prevent. In vain Masters arguedthat they applied their leisure to the manufacture of wall paper not inorder to become rich, but in order to have paper that suited theirtaste; that the real value of Collectivism was to provide all men withthe necessaries of life so as not to subject poor men to a few rich;that so long as the state provided necessaries against a stipulatedamount of labor it was quite immaterial whether a few chose by voluntarylabor to provide an article that was needed and incidentally increasetheir own wealth; and that such voluntary labor benefited all. The cryagainst accumulation was too powerful to be silenced, and Masters feltsome concession must be made to it; so he consented to a propositionthat all state money should have purchasing power only during a periodof two years; under this system hoarding or accumulation would beprevented, because every two years the money so hoarded would becomevalueless--all money being paper and bearing a date, gold being usedonly by the state in foreign trade.
This compromise was adopted, and the effect of it was to give an immenseimpulse to private industry. While the question was being discussed fewwere willing to embark on an enterprise that might be declared illegaland be appropriated by the state. As soon, however, as privateenterprise was indirectly sanctioned by the passage of this law itbecame clear that any individual might devote his leisure to theproduction of anything not satisfactorily produced by the state, and theresult of this new departure was considerable, for it not only greatlyincreased the total wealth of the community but it stimulated the stateto maintain and improve standards of manufacture, contributing all thatis good in competition without tolerating those features of oppressionand pauperism which had made competition so evil in our day.
And Masters became a great man in the community; for not only was heregarded as the author of private enterprise, but possessing the powersof organization and the judgment in selecting his fellow-workersessential to success, he soon became the head of numerous enterprises;and although he was unable at first to accumulate wealth in the shape ofmoney, he did accumulate it in the shape of products of manufacture.Moreover, the fact that he could not accumulate it in the shape of moneyand that there was a limit to his power to accumulate it in the shape ofproducts of manufacture, drove him to distribute his earnings among hisneighbors with a prodigality so lavish that, possessing a naturallygenerous heart and an attractive manner, he became a man ofenormous--some men said undue--influence in the state. Recently, too,owing to the establishment of a banking system, accumulation in privatemoney became possible.
Masters had never married. His interests were so various and engrossingthat he had not felt the need of a wife. Nor was he ever at a loss for acompanion; the bath was his club; and a short evening--for he was anearly riser--was comfortably spent in the society of those with whom hedined at the common table. But he was by no means insensible to femininecharm, and Neaera had not ineffectually aired her graces for hisbenefit.
Neaera had often decided that Masters was the best match in the countryand had schemed to secure him; but she was aware of his sagacity and hadso far refrained from any overture that might alienate him. She had,however, never failed to improve an opportunity for displaying herattractions in his presence, taking care to keep religiously away fromhim at such times lest he should guess the plot that lay at the bottomof all her performances. On more serious occasions she had had long andconfidential conversations with him, chiefly on political subjects; shehad indeed been one of his political lieutenants, but when engaged inpolitics she had studiously avoided the slightest symptoms of coquetry.Masters, on the contrary, had often allowed her to feel that he wouldgladly have made their relations more intimate. She had seen the bigfish rise--a little lazily, it is true--at her cast; she had felt thatupon a sufficiently dramatic occasion she could land him; and now itsatisfied her sense of antithesis that so signal a defeat as that of herparty that day might be converted by her skill into an individualvictory.
It was about four in the afternoon--the hour when Masters should beleaving his office for his apartment. If she walked in the direction ofthe latter he would possibly overtake her; she did not wish to go tohim; she preferred to meet him accidentally; it would not do for him toimagine she had counted on him. She walked, therefore, slowly and with apretty air of concern along the street he usually took, wonderingwhether she would be favored by fortune before the arrest which she knewwas being prepared for her. She felt that the events of the day would belikely to change the daily routine, even of so methodical a man asMasters, and was beginning to fear she would have to take refuge in hisapartment, when she heard a step overtaking her, and to her great reliefhis big voice said:
"Why, Neaera, what are you doing here? I thought you were in the thickof it?"
Neaera looked up shyly and then down again.
"I am afraid all is over," she said very low.
"And where ar
e you going?"
"I don't know."
"Is there any fear of arrest?"
Neaera brewed up a tear and cast an appealing glance at him. She was oneof those fortunate and dangerous women who could summon a tear to hereye without at the same time bringing blood to her nose and eyelids.
"You must step into my apartment until we can take precautions," hesaid.
"I'm afraid I'll compromise you."
"Compromise _me_!" exclaimed Masters, "never in the world! And as for_you_, I'll send for your mother."
"Will you, indeed?" said Neaera, edging a little closer to him; but shedid not mean that he should do this.
They were at his door then; and touching her lightly on the elbow heguided her past the porter's lodge, up the staircase and into hisrooms.
Masters bade her sit down and tell him how matters stood. Neaera tookcare that her version of the story should, by keeping herself in theshade, throw the whole responsibility on Chairo and Balbus. Masters,however, plied her with questions which she parried with skill. At lastMasters exclaimed:
"But you are blameless in the matter; they cannot mean to arrest you;and if they do, you will be immediately released."
"I am afraid," answered Neaera, "you are inclined to believe others asfrank and generous as yourself."
"I don't understand," said Masters, a little uncomfortable under theflattery implied in Neaera's words--for he liked neither flattery northose who used it.
"I have not lived very long," said she, "but I have lived long enough toknow that failure brings discord between the best of friends. I havebelieved that we could effect our reforms best through constitutionalmeasures; and the very fact that I have been right will unite them allagainst me now. Of course I have done a great deal of thewriting--generally at the dictation of others"; Neaera, as she saidthis, congratulated herself on having utilized the absence of all fromthe offices except herself in destroying every shred of paper that couldcompromise her, and even fabricating some that would exonerate her. Shepaused a little, and then went on: "I don't even know who has survivedthe disaster; some of them I could trust to the end; but others arecapable of any treachery. And then mamma"--Neaera's chin twitched alittle--"mamma does not know how far I am involved in the matter--andshe is so alone----"
And here Neaera's grief became uncontrollable; she jumped up from herchair and burst into a flood of tears. As she stood there, her face inher hands and her soft and rounded figure convulsed by sobs, compassionfilled the heart of Masters; all his nascent fondness for her suddenlyburst into a flame; he went to her, took her by the shoulders, and said:
"Don't cry, Neaera; I am very fond of you; it hurts me to see you cry;tell me about it; let me help you; I can help you and I will--if youwill let me."
As he ejaculated these sentences he gently pressed her shoulders to giveemphasis to them; and Neaera yielded to his pressure, so that at the endshe was very close to him and her bowed head rested against his breast.
When Masters felt the pressure of her head against him, a rush of lovefor her passed beyond his control. Looking down at her he observed thedelicate whorl of a small ear like a pink shell and a soft neck soinviting that, bending his own head, he pressed his lips against it.
Neaera burst away from him and threw herself upon a chair.
"Masters, Masters," she said reproachfully, "you should not have donethat!"
He had often heard stories of Neaera to her disadvantage and at thatculminating moment her reproach became a conviction in him that thosestories were false. She was looking at him now with tearful eyes wideopen; Masters felt contrite; he had taken advantage of her at a timewhen she was at his mercy; of a woman, too, whose talents andconspicuousness had made of her a mark for envy and malice; she was downnow; anyone could hurl a stone at her; she had thrown herself upon hisgenerosity, and he had responded by insulting her. There was only onereparation he could make, and that reparation his heart was alreadyurging him to make.
He threw himself on one knee by the side of Neaera as she sat, put bothhis arms on her lap, and looking straight into her reproachful eyes,said:
"Only one thing could have justified it; I love you, Neaera; have indeedloved you long----"
Neaera bowed her head and said nothing.
There was a long pause. But Neaera allowed him to remain there, veryclose to her, with his arms upon her lap. Then Masters moved his headslowly nearer to her until it rested on her bosom. And Neaera folded hersoft round arms about his neck.
The Woman Who Vowed (The Demetrian) Page 13
