TherewasanairofcalmandreservedopulenceabouttheWeightmanmansionthatspokenotofmoneysquandered,butofwealthprudentlyapplied。StandingonacorneroftheAvenuenolongerfashionableforresidence,itlookedupontheswellingtideofbusinesswithanexpressionofcomplacencyandhalf-disdain。
Thehousewasnotbeautiful。Therewasnothinginitsstraightfrontofchocolate-coloredstone,itsheavycornices,itsbroad,staringwindowsofplateglass,itscarvedandbronze-bedeckedmahoganydoorsatthetopofthewidestoop,tocharmtheeyeorfascinatetheimagination。
Butitwaseminentlyrespectable,andinitswayimposing。
Itseemedtosaythattheglitteringshopsofthejewelers,themilliners,theconfectioners,theflorists,thepicture-dealers,thefurriers,themakersofrareandcostlyantiquities,retailtradersinluxuriesoflife,werebeneaththenoticeofahousethathaditsfoundationsinthehighfinance,andwasbuiltliterallyandfigurativelyintheshadowofSt。Petronius\'Church。
Atthesametimetherewassomethingself-pleasedandcongratulatoryinthewayinwhichthemansionhelditsownamidthechangingneighborhood。
Italmostseemedtobeliftedupalittle,amongthetallbuildingsnearathand,asifitfelttherisingvalueofthelandonwhichitstood。
JohnWeightmanwaslikethehouseintowhichhehadbuilthimselfthirtyyearsago,andinwhichhisidealsandambitionswereincrusted。
Hewasaself-mademan。Butinmakinghimselfhehadchosenahighlyesteemedpatternandworkedaccordingtotheapprovedrules。
Therewasnothingirregular,questionable,flamboyantabouthim。
Hewassolid,correct,andjustlysuccessful。
Hisminortastes,ofcourse,hadbeencarefullykeptuptodate。
Atthepropertime,picturesoftheBarbizonmasters,oldEnglishplateandportraits,bronzesbyBaryeandmarblesbyRodin,PersiancarpetsandChineseporcelains,hadbeenintroducedtothemansion。
ItcontainedaLouisQuinzereception-room,anEmpiredrawing-room,aJacobeandining-room,andvariousapartmentsdimlyreminiscentofthestylesoffurnitureaffectedbydeceasedmonarchs。Thatthehallwaysweretooshortforthehistoricperspectivedidnotmakemuchdifference。
Americandecorativeartiscapabledetout,itabsorbsallperiods。
OfeachperiodMr。Weightmanwishedtohavesomethingofthebest。
Heunderstooditsvalue,presentasacertificate,andprospectiveasaninvestment。
Itwasonlyinthearchitectureofhistownhousethatheremainedconservative,immovable,onemightalmostsayEarly-Victorian-Christian。HiscountryhouseatDulwich-on-the-SoundwasapalaceoftheItalianRenaissance。Butintownheadheredtoanarchitecturewhichhadmoralassociations,theNineteenth-Century-Brownstoneepoch。Itwasasymbolofhissocialposition,hisreligiousdoctrine,andeven,inaway,ofhisbusinesscreed。
\"Amanoffixedprinciples,\"hewouldsay,\"shouldexpresstheminthelooksofhishouse。NewYorkchangesitsdomesticarchitecturetoorapidly。Itislikedivorce。Itisnotdignified。Idon\'tlikeit。
Extravaganceandficklenessareadvertisedinmostofthesenewhouses。
Iwishtobeknownfordifferentqualities。Dignityandprudencearethethingsthatpeopletrust。EveryoneknowsthatIcanaffordtoliveinthehousethatsuitsme。Itisaguaranteetothepublic。
Itinspiresconfidence。Ithelpsmyinfluence。ThereisatextintheBibleabout\'ahousethathathfoundations。\'Thatistheproperkindofamansionforasolidman。\"
HaroldWeightmanhadoftenlistenedtohisfatherdiscoursinginthisfashiononthefundamentalprinciplesoflife,andalwayswithadividedmind。Headmiredimmenselyhisfather\'stalentsandthesingle-mindedenergywithwhichheimprovedthem。
Butinthepaternalphilosophytherewassomethingthatdisquietedandoppressedtheyoungman,andmadehimgaspinwardlyforfreshairandfreeaction。
Attimes,duringhiscollegecourseandhisyearsatthelawschool,hehadyieldedtothisimpulseandbrokenaway——nowtowardextravaganceanddissipation,andthen,whenthereactioncame,towardaromanticdevotiontoworkamongthepoor。Hehadfelthisfather\'sdisapprovalforbothoftheseformsofimprudence;butiswasneverexpressedinaharshorviolentway,alwayswithacertaintolerantpatience,suchasonemightshowforthemistakesandvagariesoftheveryyoung。
JohnWeightmanwasnothasty,impulsive,inconsiderate,eventowardhisownchildren。Withthem,aswiththerestoftheworld,hefeltthathehadareputationtomaintain,atheorytovindicate。Hecouldaffordtogivethemtimetoseethathewasabsolutelyright。
OneofhisfavoriteScripturequotationswas,\"WaitontheLord。\"
Hehadappliedittorealestateandtopeople,withprofitableresults。
Buttohumanpersonsthesensationofbeingwaitedforisnotalwaysagreeable。Sometimes,especiallywiththeyoung,itproducesavaguerestlessness,adumbresentment,whichisincreasedbythefactthatonecanhardlyexplainorjustifyit。OfthisJohnWeightmanwasnotconscious。Itlaybeyondhishorizon。
Hedidnottakeitintoaccountintheplanoflifewhichhemadeforhimselfandforhisfamilyasthesharersandinheritorsofhissuccess。
\"Fatherplaysus,\"saidHarold,inamomentofirritation,tohismother,\"likepiecesinagameofchess。
\"Mydear,\"saidthatlady,whosefaithinherhusbandwasreligious,\"yououghtnottospeaksoimpatiently。Atleasthewinsthegame。
HeisoneofthemostrespectedmeninNewYork。Andheisverygenerous,too。\"
\"Iwishhewouldbemoregenerousinlettingusbeourselves,\"
saidtheyoungman。\"Healwayshassomethinginviewforusandexpectstomoveusuptoit。\"
\"Butisn\'titalwaysforourbenefit?\"repliedhismother。
\"Lookwhatapositionwehave。Noonecansaythereisanytaintonourmoney。Therearenorumorsaboutyourfather。HehaskeptthelawsofGodandofman。Hehasnevermadeanymistakes。\"
Haroldgotupfromhischairandpokedthefire。Thenhecamebacktotheample,well-gowned,firm-lookinglady,andsatbesideheronthesofa。
Hetookherhandgentlyandlookedatthetworings——athinbandofyellowgold,andasmallsolitairediamond——whichkepttheirplaceonherthirdfingerinmodestdignity,asifnotshamed,butratherjustified,bythesplendoroftheemeraldwhichglitteredbesidethem。
\"Mother,\"hesaid,\"youhaveawonderfulhand。Andfathermadenomistakewhenhewonyou。Butareyousurehehasalwaysbeensoinerrant?\"
\"Harold,\"sheexclaimed,alittlestiffly,\"whatdoyoumean?
Hislifeisanopenbook。\"
\"Oh,\"heanswered,\"Idon\'tmeananythingbad,motherdear。
Iknowthegovernor\'slifeisanopenbook——aledger,ifyoulike,keptinthebestbookkeepinghand,andalwaysreadyforinspection——everypagecorrect,andshowingahandsomebalance。