the financier-第1节

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The　Financier

by　Theodore　Dreiser





Chapter　I

The　Philadelphia　into　which　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　was　born　was　a　city　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　and　more。　　It　was　set　with　handsome　parks；　notable　buildings；　and　crowded　with　historic　memories。　　Many　of　the　things　that　we　and　he　knew　later　were　not　then　in　existencethe　telegraph；　telephone；　express　company；　ocean　steamer；　city　delivery　of　mails。　　There　were　no　postage…stamps　or　registered　letters。　　The　street　car　had　not　arrived。　　In　its　place　were　hosts　of　omnibuses；　and　for　longer　travel　the　slowly　developing　railroad　system　still　largely　connected　by　canals。

Cowperwood's　father　was　a　bank　clerk　at　the　time　of　Frank's　birth；　but　ten　years　later；　when　the　boy　was　already　beginning　to　turn　a　very　sensible；　vigorous　eye　on　the　world；　Mr。　Henry　Worthington　Cowperwood；　because　of　the　death　of　the　bank's　president　and　the　consequent　moving　ahead　of　the　other　officers；　fell　heir　to　the　place　vacated　by　the　promoted　teller；　at　the；　to　him；　munificent　salary　of　thirty…five　hundred　dollars　a　year。　　At　once　he　decided；　as　he　told　his　wife　joyously；　to　remove　his　family　from　21　Buttonwood　Street　to　124　New　Market　Street；　a　much　better　neighborhood；　where　there　was　a　nice　brick　house　of　three　stories　in　height　as　opposed　to　their　present　two…storied　domicile。　　There　was　the　probability　that　some　day　they　would　come　into　something　even　better；　but　for　the　present　this　was　sufficient。　　He　was　exceedingly　grateful。

Henry　Worthington　Cowperwood　was　a　man　who　believed　only　what　he　saw　and　was　content　to　be　what　he　wasa　banker；　or　a　prospective　one。　　He　was　at　this　time　a　significant　figuretall；　lean；　inquisitorial；　clerklywith　nice；　smooth；　closely…cropped　side　whiskers　coming　to　almost　the　lower　lobes　of　his　ears。　　His　upper　lip　was　smooth　and　curiously　long；　and　he　had　a　long；　straight　nose　and　a　chin　that　tended　to　be　pointed。　　His　eyebrows　were　bushy；　emphasizing　vague；　grayish…green　eyes；　and　his　hair　was　short　and　smooth　and　nicely　parted。　　He　wore　a　frock…coat　always　it　was　quite　the　thing　in　financial　circles　in　those　daysand　a　high　hat。　　And　he　kept　his　hands　and　nails　immaculately　clean。　His　manner　might　have　been　called　severe；　though　really　it　was　more　cultivated　than　austere。

Being　ambitious　to　get　ahead　socially　and　financially；　he　was　very　careful　of　whom　or　with　whom　he　talked。　　He　was　as　much　afraid　of　expressing　a　rabid　or　unpopular　political　or　social　opinion　as　he　was　of　being　seen　with　an　evil　character；　though　he　had　really　no　opinion　of　great　political　significance　to　express。　　He　was　neither　anti…　nor　pro…slavery；　though　the　air　was　stormy　with　abolition　sentiment　and　its　opposition。　　He　believed　sincerely　that　vast　fortunes　were　to　be　made　out　of　railroads　if　one　only　had　the　capital　and　that　curious　thing；　a　magnetic　personalitythe　ability　to　win　the　confidence　of　others。　He　was　sure　that　Andrew　Jackson　was　all　wrong　in　his　opposition　to　Nicholas　Biddle　and　the　United　States　Bank；　one　of　the　great　issues　of　the　day；　and　he　was　worried；　as　he　might　well　be；　by　the　perfect　storm　of　wildcat　money　which　was　floating　about　and　which　was　constantly　coming　to　his　bankdiscounted；　of　course；　and　handed　out　again　to　anxious　borrowers　at　a　profit。　　His　bank　was　the　Third　National　of　Philadelphia；　located　in　that　center　of　all　Philadelphia　and　indeed；　at　that　time；　of　practically　all　national　financeThird　Streetand　its　owners　conducted　a　brokerage　business　as　a　side　line。　　There　was　a　perfect　plague　of　State　banks；　great　and　small；　in　those　days；　issuing　notes　practically　without　regulation　upon　insecure　and　unknown　assets　and　failing　and　suspending　with　astonishing　rapidity；　and　a　knowledge　of　all　these　was　an　important　requirement　of　Mr。　Cowperwood's　position。　As　a　result；　he　had　become　the　soul　of　caution。　　Unfortunately；　for　him；　he　lacked　in　a　great　measure　the　two　things　that　are　necessary　for　distinction　in　any　fieldmagnetism　and　vision。　　He　was　not　destined　to　be　a　great　financier；　though　he　was　marked　out　to　be　a　moderately　successful　one。

Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　of　a　religious　temperamenta　small　woman；　with　light…brown　hair　and　clear；　brown　eyes；　who　had　been　very　attractive　in　her　day；　but　had　become　rather　prim　and　matter…of…fact　and　inclined　to　take　very　seriously　the　maternal　care　of　her　three　sons　and　one　daughter。　　The　former；　captained　by　Frank；　the　eldest；　were　a　source　of　considerable　annoyance　to　her；　for　they　were　forever　making　expeditions　to　different　parts　of　the　city；　getting　in　with　bad　boys；　probably；　and　seeing　and　hearing　things　they　should　neither　see　nor　hear。

Frank　Cowperwood；　even　at　ten；　was　a　natural…born　leader。　　At　the　day　school　he　attended；　and　later　at　the　Central　High　School；　he　was　looked　upon　as　one　whose　common　sense　could　unquestionably　be　trusted　in　all　cases。　　He　was　a　sturdy　youth；　courageous　and　defiant。　　From　the　very　start　of　his　life；　he　wanted　to　know　about　economics　and　politics。　　He　cared　nothing　for　books。　　He　was　a　clean；　stalky；　shapely　boy；　with　a　bright；　clean…cut；　incisive　face；　large；　clear；　gray　eyes；　a　wide　forehead；　short；　bristly；　dark…brown　hair。　　He　had　an　incisive；　quick…motioned；　self…sufficient　manner；　and　was　forever　asking　questions　with　a　keen　desire　for　an　intelligent　reply。　　He　never　had　an　ache　or　pain；　ate　his　food　with　gusto；　and　ruled　his　brothers　with　a　rod　of　iron。　　〃Come　on；　Joe！〃　〃Hurry；　Ed！〃　These　commands　were　issued　in　no　rough　but　always　a　sure　way；　and　Joe　and　Ed　came。　　They　looked　up　to　Frank　from　the　first　as　a　master；　and　what　he　had　to　say　was　listened　to　eagerly。

He　was　forever　pondering；　ponderingone　fact　astonishing　him　quite　as　much　as　anotherfor　he　could　not　figure　out　how　this　thing　he　had　come　intothis　lifewas　organized。　　How　did　all　these　people　get　into　the　world？　What　were　they　doing　here？　Who　started　things；　anyhow？　His　mother　told　him　the　story　of　Adam　and　Eve；　but　he　didn't　believe　it。　　There　was　a　fish…market　not　so　very　far　from　his　home；　and　there；　on　his　way　to　see　his　father　at　the　bank；　or　conducting　his　brothers　on　after…school　expeditions；　he　liked　to　look　at　a　certain　tank　in　front　of　one　store　where　were　kept　odd　specimens　of　sea…life　brought　in　by　the　Delaware　Bay　fishermen。　He　saw　once　there　a　sea…horsejust　a　queer　little　sea…animal　that　looked　somewhat　like　a　horseand　another　time　he　saw　an　electric　eel　which　Benjamin　Franklin's　discovery　had　explained。　　One　day　he　saw　a　squid　and　a　lobster　put　in　the　tank；　and　in　connection　with　them　was　witness　to　a　tragedy　which　stayed　with　him　all　his　life　and　cleared　things　up　considerably　intellectually。　　The　lobster；　it　appeared　from　the　talk　of　the　idle　bystanders；　was　offered　no　food；　as　the　squid　was　considered　his　rightful　prey。　　He　lay　at　the　bottom　of　the　clear　glass　tank　on　the　yellow　sand；　apparently　seeing　nothingyou　could　not　tell　in　which　way　his　beady；　black　buttons　of　eyes　were　lookingbut　apparently　they　were　never　off　the　body　of　the　squid。　　The　latter；　pale　and　waxy　in　texture；　looking　very　much　like　pork　fat　or　jade；　moved　about　in　torpedo　fashion；　but　his　movements　were　apparently　never　out　of　the　eyes　of　his　enemy；　for　by　degrees　small　portions　of　his　body　began　to　disappear；　snapped　off　by　the　relentless　claws　of　his　pursuer。　The　lobster　would　leap　like　a　catapult　to　where　the　squid　was　apparently　idly　dreaming；　and　the　squid；　very　alert；　would　dart　away；　shooting　out　at　the　same　time　a　cloud　of　ink；　behind　which　it　would　disappear。　　It　was　not　always　completely　successful；　however。　　Small　portions　of　its　body　or　its　tail　were　frequently　left　in　the　claws　of　the　monster　below。　　Fascinated　by　the　drama；　young　Cowperwood　came　daily　to　watch。

One　morning　he　stood　in　front　of　the　tank；　his　nose　almost　pressed　to　the　glass。　　Only　a　portion　of　the　squid　remained；　and　his　ink…bag　was　emptier　than　ever。　　In　the　corner　of　the　tank　sat　the　lobster；　poised　apparently　for　action。

The　boy　stayed　as　long　as　he　could；　the　bitter　struggle　fascinating　him。　　Now；　maybe；　or　in　an　hour　or　a　day；　the　squid　might　die；　slain　by　the　lobster；　and　the　lobster　would　eat　him。　　He　looked　again　at　the　greenish…copperish　engine　of　destruction　in　the　corner　and　wondered　when　this　would　be。　　To…night；　maybe。　　He　would　come　back　to…night。

He　returned　that　night；　and　lo！　the　expected　had　happened。　　There　was　a　little　crowd　around　the　tank。　　The　lobster　was　in　the　corner。　Before　him　was　the　squid　cut　in　two　and　partially　devoured。

〃He　got　him　at　last；〃　observed　one　bystander。　　〃I　was　standing　right　here　an　hour　ago；　and　up　he　leaped　and　grabbed　him。　　The　squid　was　too　tired。　　He　wasn't　quick　enough。　　He　did　back　up；　but　that　lobster　he　calculated　on　his　doing　that。　　He's　been　figuring　on　his　movements　for　a　long　time　now。　　He　got　him　to…day。〃

Frank　only　stared。　　Too　bad　he　had　missed　this。　　The　least　touch　of　sorrow　for　the　squid　came　to　him　as　he　stared　at　it　slain。　Then　he　gazed　at　the　victor。

〃That's　the　way　it　has　to　be；　I　guess；〃　he　commented　to　himself。　〃That　squid　wasn't　quick　enough。〃　　He　figured　it　out。

〃The　squid　couldn't　kill　the　lobsterhe　had　no　weapon。　　The　lobster　could　kill　the　squidhe　was　heavily　armed。　　There　was　nothing　for　the　squid　to　feed　on；　the　lobster　had　the　squid