54-40 or Fight Page 32

  CHAPTER XXXII

  PAKENHAM'S PRICE

  The happiest women, like nations, have no history. --_George Eliot_.

  The apartment into which I hurriedly stepped I found to be a long andnarrow hall, heavily draped. A door or so made off on the right-handside, and a closed door also appeared at the farther end; but noneinvited me to enter, and I did not care to intrude. This situation didnot please me, because I must perforce hear all that went on in therooms which I had just left. I heard the thick voice of a man,apparently none the better for wine.

  "My dear," it began, "I--" Some gesture must have warned him.

  "God bless my soul!" he began again. "Who is here, then? What is wrong?"

  "My father is here to-day," I heard her clear voice answer, "and, as yousuggest, it might perhaps be better--"

  "God bless my soul!" he repeated. "But, my dear, then I must go!_To-night_, then! Where is that other key? It would never do, youknow--"

  "No, Sir Richard, it would never do. Go, then!" spoke a low and icyvoice, hers, yet not hers. "Hasten!" I heard her half whisper. "I thinkperhaps my father--"

  But it was my own footsteps they heard. This was something to which Icould not be party. Yet, rapidly as I walked, her visitor was before me.I caught sight only of his portly back, as the street door closed behindhim. She stood, her back against the door, her hand spread out againstthe wall, as though to keep me from passing.

  I paused and looked at her, held by the horror in her eyes. She made noconcealment, offered no apologies, and showed no shame. I repeat that itwas only horror and sadness mingled which I saw upon her face.

  "Madam," I began. And again, "Madam!" and then I turned away.

  "You see," she said, sighing.

  "Yes, I fear I see; but I wish I did not. Can I not--may I not bemistaken?"

  "No, it is true. There is no mistake."

  "What have you done? Why? _Why_?"

  "Did you not always credit me with being the good friend of Mr. Pakenhamyears ago--did not all the city? Well, then I was _not_; but I _am_,now! I was England's agent only--_until last night_. Monsieur, you havecome too soon, too late, too late. Ah, my God! my God! Last night I gaveat last that consent. He comes now to claim, to exact, totake--possession--of me ... Ah, my God!"

  "I can not, of course, understand you, Madam. _What_ is it? Tell me!"

  "For three years England's minister besought me to be his, notEngland's, property. It was not true, what the town thought. It was nottrue in the case either of Yturrio. Intrigue--yes--I loved it. Iintrigued with England and Mexico both, because it was in my nature; butno more than that. No matter what I once was in Europe, I was nothere--not, as I said, until last night. Ah, Monsieur! Ah, Monsieur!" Nowher hands were beating together.

  "But _why_ then? Why _then_? What do you mean?" I demanded.

  "Because no other way sufficed. All this winter, here, alone, I haveplanned and thought about other means. Nothing would do. There was butthe one way. Now you see why I did not go to Mr. Calhoun, why I kept mypresence here secret."

  "But you saw Elisabeth?"

  "Yes, long ago. My friend, you have won! You both have won, and I havelost. She loves you, and is worthy of you. You are worthy of each other,yes. I saw I had lost; and I told you I would pay my wager. I told youI would give you her--and Oregon! Well, then, that last was--hard." Shechoked. "That was--hard to do." She almost sobbed. "But I have--paid!Heart and soul ... and _body_ ... I have ... _paid_! Now, he comes ...for ... the _price_!"

  "But then--but then!" I expostulated. "What does this mean, that I seehere? There was no need for this. Had you no friends among us? Why,though it meant war, I myself to-night would choke that beast Pakenhamwith my own hands!"

  "No, you will not."

  "But did I not hear him say there was a key--_his_ key--to-night?"

  "Yes, England once owned that key. Now, _he_ does. Yes, it is true.Since yesterday. Now, he comes ..."

  "But, Madam--ah, how could you so disappoint my belief in you?"

  "Because"--she smiled bitterly--"in all great causes there aresacrifices."

  "But no cause could warrant this."

  "I was judge of that," was her response. "I saw her--Elisabeth--thatgirl. Then I saw what the future years meant for me. I tell you, I vowedwith her, that night when I thought you two were wedded. I did more. Ivowed myself to a new and wider world that night. Now, I have lost it.After all, seeing I could not now be a woman and be happy,I--Monsieur--I pass on to others, after this, not that torture of life,but that torturing _principle_ of which we so often spoke. Yes, I, evenas I am; because by this--this act--this sacrifice--I can win you forher. And I can win that wider America which you have coveted; which Icovet for you--which I covet _with_ you!"

  I could do no more than remain silent, and allow her to explain what wasnot in the least apparent to me. After a time she went on.

  "Now--now, I say--Pakenham the minister is sunk in Pakenham the man. Hedoes as I demand--because he is a man. He signs what I demand because Iam a woman. I say, to-night--but, see!"

  She hastened now to a little desk, and caught up a folded document whichlay there. This she handed to me, unfolded, and I ran it over with ahasty glance. It was a matter of tremendous importance which lay inthose few closely written lines.

  England's minister offered, over the signature of England, a compromiseof the whole Oregon debate, provided this country would accept the lineof the forty-ninth degree! That, then, was Pakenham's price for this keythat lay here.

  "This--this is all I have been able to do with him thus far," shefaltered. "It is not enough. But I did it for you!"

  "Madam, this is more than all America has been able to do before! Thishas not been made public?"

  "No, no! It is not enough. But to-night I shall make him surrenderall--all north, to the very ice, for America, for the democracy! See,now, I was born to be devoted, immolated, after all, as my mother wasbefore me. That is fate! But I shall make fate pay! Ah, Monsieur! Ah,Monsieur!"

  She flung herself to her feet. "I can get it all for you, you andyours!" she reiterated, holding out her hands, the little pink fingersupturned, as was often her gesture. "You shall go to your chief and tellhim that Mr. Polk was right--that you yourself, who taught Helena vonRitz what life is, taught her that after all she was a woman--are able,because she was a woman, to bring in your own hands all that country,yes, to fifty-four forty, or even farther. I do not know what all can bedone. I only know that a fool will part with everything for the sake ofhis body."

  I stood now looking at her, silent, trying to fathom the vastness ofwhat she said, trying to understand at all their worth the motives whichimpelled her. The largeness of her plan, yes, that could be seen. Thelargeness of her heart and brain, yes, that also. Then, slowly, I sawyet more. At last I understood. What I saw was a horror to my soul.

  "Madam," said I to her, at last, "did you indeed think me so cheap asthat? Come here!" I led her to the central apartment, and motioned herto a seat.

  "Now, then, Madam, much has been done here, as you say. It is all thatever can be done. You shall not see Pakenham to-night, nor ever again!"

  "But think what that will cost you!" she broke out. "This is only part.It should _all_ be yours."

  I flung the document from me. "This has already cost too much," I said."We do not buy states thus."

  "But it will cost you your future! Polk is your enemy, now, as he isCalhoun's. He will not strike you now, but so soon as he dares, he will.Now, if you could do this--if you could take this to Mr. Calhoun, toAmerica, it would mean for you personally all that America could giveyou in honors."

  "Honors without honor, Madam, I do not covet," I replied. Then I wouldhave bit my tongue through when I saw the great pallor cross her face atthe cruelty of my speech.

  "And _myself_?" she said, spreading out her hands again. "But no! I knowyou would not taunt me. I know, in spite of what you say, there must bea sacrifice. Well,
then, I have made it. I have made my atonement. I sayI can give you now, even thus, at least a part of Oregon. I can perhapsgive you _all_ of Oregon--to-morrow! The Pakenhams have always daredmuch to gain their ends. This one will dare even treachery to hiscountry. To-morrow--if I do not kill him--if I do not die--I canperhaps give you all of Oregon--bought--bought and ... paid!" Her voicetrailed off into a whisper which seemed loud as a bugle call to me.

  "No, you can not give us Oregon," I answered. "We are men, not panders.We fight; we do not traffic thus. But you have given me Elisabeth!"

  "My rival!" She smiled at me in spite of all. "But no, not my rival.Yes, I have already given you her and given you to her. To do that--toatone, as I said, for my attempt to part you--well, I will give Mr.Pakenham the key that Sir Richard Pakenham of England lately held. Itold you a woman pays, _body_ and soul! In what coin fate gave me, Iwill pay it. You think my morals mixed. No, I tell you I am clean! Ihave only bought my own peace with my own conscience! Now, at last,Helena von Ritz knows why she was born, to what end! I have a work todo, and, yes, I see it now--my journey to America after all was part ofthe plan of fate. I have learned much--through you, Monsieur."

  Hurriedly she turned and left me, passing through the heavy draperieswhich cut off the room where stood the great satin couch. I saw her castherself there, her arms outflung. Slow, deep and silent sobs shook allher body.

  "Madam! Madam!" I cried to her. "Do not! Do not! What you have done hereis worth a hundred millions of dollars, a hundred thousand of lives,perhaps. Yes, that is true. It means most of Oregon, with honor, andwithout war. That is true, and it is much. But the price paid--it ismore than all this continent is worth, if it cost so much as that Norshall it!"

  Black, with a million pin-points of red, the world swam around me.Millions of dead souls or souls unborn seemed to gaze at me and myunhesitating rage. I caught up the scroll which bore England'ssignature, and with one clutch cast it in two pieces on the floor. As itlay, we gazed at it in silence. Slowly, I saw a great, soft radiancecome upon her face. The red pin-points cleared away from my own vision.