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- Фрэнк Норрис
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“
I
did
not
deny
,
Governor
,
from
the
very
start
that
this
would
mean
bribery
.
But
you
don
’
t
suppose
that
I
like
the
idea
either
.
If
there
was
one
legitimate
hope
that
was
yet
left
untried
,
no
matter
how
forlorn
it
was
,
I
would
try
it
.
But
there
’
s
not
.
It
is
literally
and
soberly
true
that
every
means
of
help
—
every
honest
means
—
has
been
attempted
.
Shelgrim
is
going
to
cinch
us
.
Grain
rates
are
increasing
,
while
,
on
the
other
hand
,
the
price
of
wheat
is
sagging
lower
and
lower
all
the
time
.
If
we
don
’
t
do
something
we
are
ruined
.
”
Osterman
paused
for
a
moment
,
allowing
precisely
the
right
number
of
seconds
to
elapse
,
then
altering
and
lowering
his
voice
,
added
:
“
I
respect
the
Governor
’
s
principles
.
I
admire
them
.
They
do
him
every
degree
of
credit
.
”
Then
,
turning
directly
to
Magnus
,
he
concluded
with
,
“
But
I
only
want
you
to
ask
yourself
,
sir
,
if
,
at
such
a
crisis
,
one
ought
to
think
of
oneself
,
to
consider
purely
personal
motives
in
such
a
desperate
situation
as
this
?
Now
,
we
want
you
with
us
,
Governor
;
perhaps
not
openly
,
if
you
don
’
t
wish
it
,
but
tacitly
,
at
least
.
I
won
’
t
ask
you
for
an
answer
to
-
night
,
but
what
I
do
ask
of
you
is
to
consider
this
matter
seriously
and
think
over
the
whole
business
.
Will
you
do
it
?
”
Osterman
ceased
definitely
to
speak
,
leaning
forward
across
the
table
,
his
eyes
fixed
on
Magnus
’
s
face
.
There
was
a
silence
.
Outside
,
the
rain
fell
continually
with
an
even
,
monotonous
murmur
.
In
the
group
of
men
around
the
table
no
one
stirred
nor
spoke
.
They
looked
steadily
at
Magnus
,
who
,
for
the
moment
,
kept
his
glance
fixed
thoughtfully
upon
the
table
before
him
.
In
another
moment
he
raised
his
head
and
looked
from
face
to
face
around
the
group
.
After
all
,
these
were
his
neighbours
,
his
friends
,
men
with
whom
he
had
been
upon
the
closest
terms
of
association
.
In
a
way
they
represented
what
now
had
come
to
be
his
world
.
His
single
swift
glance
took
in
the
men
,
one
after
another
.
Annixter
,
rugged
,
crude
,
sitting
awkwardly
and
uncomfortably
in
his
chair
,
his
unhandsome
face
,
with
its
outthrust
lower
lip
and
deeply
cleft
masculine
chin
,
flushed
and
eager
,
his
yellow
hair
disordered
,
the
one
tuft
on
the
crown
standing
stiffly
forth
like
the
feather
in
an
Indian
’
s
scalp
lock
;
Broderson
,
vaguely
combing
at
his
long
beard
with
a
persistent
maniacal
gesture
,
distressed
,
troubled
and
uneasy
;
Osterman
,
with
his
comedy
face
,
the
face
of
a
music
-
hall
singer
,
his
head
bald
and
set
off
by
his
great
red
ears
,
leaning
back
in
his
place
,
softly
cracking
the
knuckle
of
a
forefinger
,
and
,
last
of
all
and
close
to
his
elbow
,
his
son
,
his
support
,
his
confidant
and
companion
,
Harran
,
so
like
himself
,
with
his
own
erect
,
fine
carriage
,
his
thin
,
beak
-
like
nose
and
his
blond
hair
,
with
its
tendency
to
curl
in
a
forward
direction
in
front
of
the
ears
,
young
,
strong
,
courageous
,
full
of
the
promise
of
the
future
years
.
His
blue
eyes
looked
straight
into
his
father
’
s
with
what
Magnus
could
fancy
a
glance
of
appeal
.
Magnus
could
see
that
expression
in
the
faces
of
the
others
very
plainly
.
They
looked
to
him
as
their
natural
leader
,
their
chief
who
was
to
bring
them
out
from
this
abominable
trouble
which
was
closing
in
upon
them
,
and
in
them
all
he
saw
many
types
.
They
—
these
men
around
his
table
on
that
night
of
the
first
rain
of
a
coming
season
—
seemed
to
stand
in
his
imagination
for
many
others
—
all
the
farmers
,
ranchers
,
and
wheat
growers
of
the
great
San
Joaquin
.
Their
words
were
the
words
of
a
whole
community
;
their
distress
,
the
distress
of
an
entire
State
,
harried
beyond
the
bounds
of
endurance
,
driven
to
the
wall
,
coerced
,
exploited
,
harassed
to
the
limits
of
exasperation
.
“
I
will
think
of
it
,
”
he
said
,
then
hastened
to
add
,
“
but
I
can
tell
you
beforehand
that
you
may
expect
only
a
refusal
.
”
After
Magnus
had
spoken
,
there
was
a
prolonged
silence
.
The
conference
seemed
of
itself
to
have
come
to
an
end
for
that
evening
.
Presley
lighted
another
cigarette
from
the
butt
of
the
one
he
had
been
smoking
,
and
the
cat
,
Princess
Nathalie
,
disturbed
by
his
movement
and
by
a
whiff
of
drifting
smoke
,
jumped
from
his
knee
to
the
floor
and
picking
her
way
across
the
room
to
Annixter
,
rubbed
gently
against
his
legs
,
her
tail
in
the
air
,
her
back
delicately
arched
.
No
doubt
she
thought
it
time
to
settle
herself
for
the
night
,
and
as
Annixter
gave
no
indication
of
vacating
his
chair
,
she
chose
this
way
of
cajoling
him
into
ceding
his
place
to
her
.
But
Annixter
was
irritated
at
the
Princess
’
s
attentions
,
misunderstanding
their
motive
.
“
Get
out
!
”
he
exclaimed
,
lifting
his
feet
to
the
rung
of
the
chair
.
“
Lord
love
me
,
but
I
sure
do
hate
a
cat
.
”
“
By
the
way
,
”
observed
Osterman
,
“
I
passed
Genslinger
by
the
gate
as
I
came
in
to
-
night
.
Had
he
been
here
?
”
“
Yes
,
he
was
here
,
”
said
Harran
,
“
and
—
”
but
Annixter
took
the
words
out
of
his
mouth
.
