the financier-第59部分

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Since　the　fatal　morning；　for　instance；　when　Lillian　Cowperwood　had　received　that　utterly　destructive　note；　like　a　cannonball　ripping　through　her　domestic　affairs；　she　had　been　walking　like　one　in　a　trance。　　Each　day　now　for　weeks　she　had　been　going　about　her　duties　placidly　enough　to　all　outward　seeming；　but　inwardly　she　was　running　with　a　troubled　tide　of　thought。　　She　was　so　utterly　unhappy。　Her　fortieth　year　had　come　for　her　at　a　time　when　life　ought　naturally　to　stand　fixed　and　firm　on　a　solid　base；　and　here　she　was　about　to　be　torn　bodily　from　the　domestic　soil　in　which　she　was　growing　and　blooming；　and　thrown　out　indifferently　to　wither　in　the　blistering　noonday　sun　of　circumstance。

As　for　Cowperwood；　Senior；　his　situation　at　his　bank　and　elsewhere　was　rapidly　nearing　a　climax。　　As　has　been　said；　he　had　had　tremendous　faith　in　his　son；　but　he　could　not　help　seeing　that　an　error　had　been　committed；　as　he　thought；　and　that　Frank　was　suffering　greatly　for　it　now。　　He　considered；　of　course；　that　Frank　had　been　entitled　to　try　to　save　himself　as　he　had；　but　he　so　regretted　that　his　son　should　have　put　his　foot　into　the　trap　of　any　situation　which　could　stir　up　discussion　of　the　sort　that　was　now　being　aroused。　　Frank　was　wonderfully　brilliant。　　He　need　never　have　taken　up　with　the　city　treasurer　or　the　politicians　to　have　succeeded　marvelously。　　Local　street…railways　and　speculative　politicians　were　his　undoing。　　The　old　man　walked　the　floor　all　of　the　days；　realizing　that　his　sun　was　setting；　that　with　Frank's　failure　he　failed；　and　that　this　disgracethese　public　charges　meant　his　own　undoing。　　His　hair　had　grown　very　gray　in　but　a　few　weeks；　his　step　slow；　his　face　pallid；　his　eyes　sunken。　　His　rather　showy　side…whiskers　seemed　now　like　flags　or　ornaments　of　a　better　day　that　was　gone。　　His　only　consolation　through　it　all　was　that　Frank　had　actually　got　out　of　his　relationship　with　the　Third　National　Bank　without　owing　it　a　single　dollar。　　Still　as　he　knew　the　directors　of　that　institution　could　not　possibly　tolerate　the　presence　of　a　man　whose　son　had　helped　loot　the　city　treasury；　and　whose　name　was　now　in　the　public　prints　in　this　connection。　Besides；　Cowperwood；　Sr。；　was　too　old。　　He　ought　to　retire。

The　crisis　for　him　therefore　came　on　the　day　when　Frank　was　arrested　on　the　embezzlement　charge。　　The　old　man；　through　Frank；　who　had　it　from　Steger；　knew　it　was　coming；　still　had　the　courage　to　go　to　the　bank　but　it　was　like　struggling　under　the　weight　of　a　heavy　stone　to　do　it。　　But　before　going；　and　after　a　sleepless　night；　he　wrote　his　resignation　to　Frewen　Kasson；　the　chairman　of　the　board　of　directors；　in　order　that　he　should　be　prepared　to　hand　it　to　him；　at　once。　　Kasson；　a　stocky；　well…built；　magnetic　man　of　fifty；　breathed　an　inward　sigh　of　relief　at　the　sight　of　it。

〃I　know　it's　hard；　Mr。　Cowperwood；〃　he　said；　sympathetically。　〃Weand　I　can　speak　for　the　other　members　of　the　boardwe　feel　keenly　the　unfortunate　nature　of　your　position。　　We　know　exactly　how　it　is　that　your　son　has　become　involved　in　this　matter。　　He　is　not　the　only　banker　who　has　been　involved　in　the　city's　affairs。　By　no　means。　　It　is　an　old　system。　　We　appreciate；　all　of　us；　keenly；　the　services　you　have　rendered　this　institution　during　the　past　thirty…five　years。　　If　there　were　any　possible　way　in　which　we　could　help　to　tide　you　over　the　difficulties　at　this　time；　we　would　be　glad　to　do　so；　but　as　a　banker　yourself　you　must　realize　just　how　impossible　that　would　be。　　Everything　is　in　a　turmoil。　If　things　were　settledif　we　knew　how　soon　this　would　blow　over〃　He　paused；　for　he　felt　that　he　could　not　go　on　and　say　that　he　or　the　bank　was　sorry　to　be　forced　to　lose　Mr。　Cowperwood　in　this　way　at　present。　　Mr。　Cowperwood　himself　would　have　to　speak。

During　all　this　Cowperwood；　Sr。；　had　been　doing　his　best　to　pull　himself　together　in　order　to　be　able　to　speak　at　all。　　He　had　gotten　out　a　large　white　linen　handkerchief　and　blown　his　nose；　and　had　straightened　himself　in　his　chair；　and　laid　his　hands　rather　peacefully　on　his　desk。　　Still　he　was　intensely　wrought　up。

〃I　can't　stand　this！〃　he　suddenly　exclaimed。　　〃I　wish　you　would　leave　me　alone　now。〃

Kasson；　very　carefully　dressed　and　manicured；　arose　and　walked　out　of　the　room　for　a　few　moments。　　He　appreciated　keenly　the　intensity　of　the　strain　he　had　just　witnessed。　　The　moment　the　door　was　closed　Cowperwood　put　his　head　in　his　hands　and　shook　convulsively。　　〃I　never　thought　I'd　come　to　this；〃　he　muttered。　〃I　never　thought　it。〃　　Then　he　wiped　away　his　salty　hot　tears；　and　went　to　the　window　to　look　out　and　to　think　of　what　else　to　do　from　now　on。





Chapter　XXXV




As　time　went　on　Butler　grew　more　and　more　puzzled　and　restive　as　to　his　duty　in　regard　to　his　daughter。　　He　was　sure　by　her　furtive　manner　and　her　apparent　desire　to　avoid　him；　that　she　was　still　in　touch　with　Cowperwood　in　some　way；　and　that　this　would　bring　about　a　social　disaster　of　some　kind。　　He　thought　once　of　going　to　Mrs。　Cowperwood　and　having　her　bring　pressure　to　bear　on　her　husband；　but　afterwards　he　decided　that　that　would　not　do。　　He　was　not　really　positive　as　yet　that　Aileen　was　secretly　meeting　Cowperwood；　and；　besides；　Mrs。　Cowperwood　might　not　know　of　her　husband's　duplicity。　　He　thought　also　of　going　to　Cowperwood　personally　and　threatening　him；　but　that　would　be　a　severe　measure；　and　again；　as　in　the　other　case；　he　lacked　proof。　　He　hesitated　to　appeal　to　a　detective　agency；　and　he　did　not　care　to　take　the　other　members　of　the　family　into　his　confidence。　　He　did　go　out　and　scan　the　neighborhood　of　931　North　Tenth　Street　once；　looking　at　the　house；　but　that　helped　him　little。　　The　place　was　for　rent；　Cowperwood　having　already　abandoned　his　connection　with　it。

Finally　he　hit　upon　the　plan　of　having　Aileen　invited　to　go　somewhere　some　distance　offBoston　or　New　Orleans；　where　a　sister　of　his　wife　lived。　　It　was　a　delicate　matter　to　engineer；　and　in　such　matters　he　was　not　exactly　the　soul　of　tact；　but　he　undertook　it。　He　wrote　personally　to　his　wife's　sister　at　New　Orleans；　and　asked　her　if　she　would；　without　indicating　in　any　way　that　she　had　heard　from　him；　write　his　wife　and　ask　if　she　would　not　permit　Aileen　to　come　and　visit　her；　writing　Aileen　an　invitation　at　the　same　time；　but　he　tore　the　letter　up。　　A　little　later　he　learned　accidentally　that　Mrs。　Mollenhauer　and　her　three　daughters；　Caroline；　Felicia；　and　Alta；　were　going　to　Europe　early　in　December　to　visit　Paris；　the　Riviera；　and　Rome；　and　he　decided　to　ask　Mollenhauer　to　persuade　his　wife　to　invite　Norah　and　Aileen；　or　Aileen　only；　to　go　along；　giving　as　an　excuse　that　his　own　wife　would　not　leave　him；　and　that　the　girls　ought　to　go。　　It　would　be　a　fine　way　of　disposing　of　Aileen　for　the　present。　　The　party　was　to　be　gone　six　months。　　Mollenhauer　was　glad　to　do　so；　of　course。　　The　two　families　were　fairly　intimate。　　Mrs。　Mollenhauer　was　willing　delighted　from　a　politic　point　of　viewand　the　invitation　was　extended。　　Norah　was　overjoyed。　　She　wanted　to　see　something　of　Europe；　and　had　always　been　hoping　for　some　such　opportunity。　Aileen　was　pleased　from　the　point　of　view　that　Mrs。　Mollenhauer　should　invite　her。　　Years　before　she　would　have　accepted　in　a　flash。　　But　now　she　felt　that　it　only　came　as　a　puzzling　interruption；　one　more　of　the　minor　difficulties　that　were　tending　to　interrupt　her　relations　with　Cowperwood。　　She　immediately　threw　cold　water　on　the　proposition；　which　was　made　one　evening　at　dinner　by　Mrs。　Butler；　who　did　not　know　of　her　husband's　share　in　the　matter；　but　had　received　a　call　that　afternoon　from　Mrs。　Mollenhauer；　when　the　invitation　had　been　extended。

〃She's　very　anxious　to　have　you　two　come　along；　if　your　father　don't　mind；〃　volunteered　the　mother；　〃and　I　should　think　ye'd　have　a　fine　time。　　They're　going　to　Paris　and　the　Riveera。〃

〃Oh；　fine！〃　exclaimed　Norah。　　〃I've　always　wanted　to　go　to　Paris。　Haven't　you；　Ai？　Oh；　wouldn't　that　be　fine？〃

〃I　don't　know　that　I　want　to　go；〃　replied　Aileen。　　She　did　not　care　to　compromise　herself　by　showing　any　interest　at　the　start。　　〃It's　coming　on　winter；　and　I　haven't　any　clothes。　　I'd　rather　wait　and　go　some　other　time。〃

〃Oh；　Aileen　Butler！〃　exclaimed　Norah。　　〃How　you　talk！　I've　heard　you　say　a　dozen　times　you'd　like　to　go　abroad　some　winter。　　Now　when　the　chance　comesbesides　you　can　get　your　clothes　made　over　there。〃

〃Couldn't　you　get　somethin'　over　there？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Butler。　〃Besides；　you've　got　two　or　three　weeks　here　yet。〃

〃They　wouldn't　want　a　man　around　as　a　sort　of　guide　and　adviser；　would　they；　mother？〃　put　in　Callum。

〃I　might　offer　my　services　in　that　capacity　myself；〃　observed　Owen；　reservedly。

〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know；〃　returned　Mrs。　Butler；　smiling；　and　at　the　same　time　chewing　a　lusty　mouthful。　　〃You'll　have　to　ast　'em；　my　sons。〃

Aileen　still　persisted。　　She　did　not　want　to　go。　　It　was　too　sudden。　It　was　this。　　It　was　that。　　Just　then　old　Butler　came　in　and　took　his　seat　at　the　head　of　the　table。　　Knowing　all　about　it；　he　was　most　anxious　to　appear　not　to。

〃You　wouldn't　object；　Edward；　would　you？〃　queried　his　wife；　explaining　the　proposition　in　general。

〃Object！〃　he　echoed；　with　a　well　simulated　but　rough　attempt　at　gayety。　　〃A　fine　thing　I'd　be　doing　for　meselfobjectin'。　　I'd　be　glad　if　I　could　get　shut　of　the　whole　pack　of　ye　for　a　time。〃

〃What　talk　ye　have！〃　said　his　wife。　　〃A　fine　mess　you'd　make　of　it　livin'　alone。〃

〃I'd　not　be　alone；　belave　me；〃　replied　Butler。　　〃There's　many　a　place　I'd　be　welcome　in　this　townno　thanks　to　ye。〃

〃And　there's　many　a　place　ye　wouldn't　have　been　if　it　hadn't　been　for　me。　　I'm　tellin'　ye　that；〃　retorted　Mrs。　Butler；　genially。

〃And　that's　not　stretchin'　the　troot　much；　aither；〃　he　answered；　fondly。

Aileen　was　adamant。　　No　amount　of　argument　both　on　the　part　of　Norah　and　her　mother　had　any　effect　whatever。　　Butler　witnessed　the　failure　of　his　plan　with　considerable　dissatisfaction；　but　he　was　not　through。　　When　he　was　finally　convinced　that　there　was　no　hope　of　persuading　her　to　accept　the　Mollenhauer　proposition；　he　decided；　after　a　while；　to　employ　a　detective。

At　that　time；　the　reputation　of　William　A。　Pinkerton；　of　detective　fame；　and　of　his　agency　was　great。　　The　man　had　come　up　fr