the financier-第108节

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as　been　said；　was　at　six…thirty；　and　consisted　of　coarse　black　bread　made　of　bran　and　some　white　flour；　and　served　with　black　coffee。　　Dinner　was　at　eleven…thirty；　and　consisted　of　bean　or　vegetable　soup；　with　some　coarse　meat　in　it；　and　the　same　bread。　Supper　was　at　six；　of　tea　and　bread；　very　strong　tea　and　the　same　breadno　butter；　no　milk；　no　sugar。　　Cowperwood　did　not　smoke；　so　the　small　allowance　of　tobacco　which　was　permitted　was　without　value　to　him。　　Steger　called　in　every　day　for　two　or　three　weeks；　and　after　the　second　day；　Stephen　Wingate；　as　his　new　business　associate；　was　permitted　to　see　him　alsoonce　every　day；　if　he　wished；　Desmas　stated；　though　the　latter　felt　he　was　stretching　a　point　in　permitting　this　so　soon。　　Both　of　these　visits　rarely　occupied　more　than　an　hour；　or　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　after　that　the　day　was　long。　　He　was　taken　out　on　several　days　on　a　court　order；　between　nine　and　five；　to　testify　in　the　bankruptcy　proceedings　against　him；　which　caused　the　time　in　the　beginning　to　pass　quickly。

It　was　curious；　once　he　was　in　prison；　safely　shut　from　the　world　for　a　period　of　years　apparently；　how　quickly　all　thought　of　assisting　him　departed　from　the　minds　of　those　who　had　been　most　friendly。　　He　was　done；　so　most　of　them　thought。　　The　only　thing　they　could　do　now　would　be　to　use　their　influence　to　get　him　out　some　time；　how　soon；　they　could　not　guess。　　Beyond　that　there　was　nothing。　　He　would　really　never　be　of　any　great　importance　to　any　one　any　more；　or　so　they　thought。　　It　was　very　sad；　very　tragic；　but　he　was　gonehis　place　knew　him　not。

〃A　bright　young　man；　that；〃　observed　President　Davison　of　the　Girard　National；　on　reading　of　Cowperwood's　sentence　and　incarceration。　〃Too　bad！　Too　bad！　He　made　a　great　mistake。〃

Only　his　parents；　Aileen；　and　his　wifethe　latter　with　mingled　feelings　of　resentment　and　sorrowreally　missed　him。　　Aileen；　because　of　her　great　passion　for　him；　was　suffering　most　of　all。　Four　years　and　three　months；　she　thought。　　If　he　did　not　get　out　before　then　she　would　be　nearing　twenty…nine　and　he　would　be　nearing　forty。　　Would　he　want　her　then？　Would　she　be　so　attractive？　And　would　nearly　five　years　change　his　point　of　view？　He　would　have　to　wear　a　convict　suit　all　that　time；　and　be　known　as　a　convict　forever　after。　　It　was　hard　to　think　about；　but　only　made　her　more　than　ever　determined　to　cling　to　him；　whatever　happened；　and　to　help　him　all　she　could。

Indeed　the　day　after　his　incarceration　she　drove　out　and　looked　at　the　grim；　gray　walls　of　the　penitentiary。　　Knowing　nothing　absolutely　of　the　vast　and　complicated　processes　of　law　and　penal　servitude；　it　seemed　especially　terrible　to　her。　　What　might　not　they　be　doing　to　her　Frank？　Was　he　suffering　much？　Was　he　thinking　of　her　as　she　was　of　him？　Oh；　the　pity　of　it　all！　The　pity！　The　pity　of　herselfher　great　love　for　him！　She　drove　home；　determined　to　see　him；　but　as　he　had　originally　told　her　that　visiting　days　were　only　once　in　three　months；　and　that　he　would　have　to　write　her　when　the　next　one　was；　or　when　she　could　come；　or　when　he　could　see　her　on　the　outside；　she　scarcely　knew　what　to　do。　　Secrecy　was　the　thing。

The　next　day；　however；　she　wrote　him　just　the　same；　describing　the　drive　she　had　taken　on　the　stormy　afternoon　beforethe　terror　of　the　thought　that　he　was　behind　those　grim　gray　wallsand　declaring　her　determination　to　see　him　soon。　　And　this　letter；　under　the　new　arrangement；　he　received　at　once。　　He　wrote　her　in　reply；　giving　the　letter　to　Wingate　to　mail。　　It　ran：

　　My　sweet　girl：I　fancy　you　are　a　little　downhearted　to　think　　　I　cannot　be　with　you　any　more　soon；　but　you　mustn't　be。　　I　　　suppose　you　read　all　about　the　sentence　in　the　paper。　　I　came　　　out　here　the　same　morningnearly　noon。　　If　I　had　time；　dearest；　　　I'd　write　you　a　long　letter　describing　the　situation　so　as　to　　　ease　your　mind；　but　I　haven't。　　It's　against　the　rules；　and　I　　　am　really　doing　this　secretly。　　I'm　here；　though；　safe　enough；　　　and　wish　I　were　out；　of　course。　　Sweetest；　you　must　be　careful　　　how　you　try　to　see　me　at　first。　　You　can't　do　me　much　service　　　outside　of　cheering　me　up；　and　you　may　do　yourself　great　harm。　　　Besides；　I　think　I　have　done　you　far　more　harm　than　I　can　ever　　　make　up　to　you　and　that　you　had　best　give　me　up；　although　I　know　　　you　do　not　think　so；　and　I　would　be　sad；　if　you　did。　　I　am　to　be　　　in　the　Court　of　Special　Pleas；　Sixth　and　Chestnut；　on　Friday　at　　　two　o'clock；　but　you　cannot　see　me　there。　　I'll　be　out　in　charge　　　of　my　counsel。　　You　must　be　careful。　　Perhaps　you'll　think　　　better；　and　not　come　here。

This　last　touch　was　one　of　pure　gloom；　the　first　Cowperwood　had　ever　introduced　into　their　relationship　but　conditions　had　changed　him。　　Hitherto　he　had　been　in　the　position　of　the　superior　being；　the　one　who　was　being　soughtalthough　Aileen　was　and　had　been　well　worth　seekingand　he　had　thought　that　he　might　escape　unscathed；　and　so　grow　in　dignity　and　power　until　she　might　not　possibly　be　worthy　of　him　any　longer。　　He　had　had　that　thought。　　But　here；　in　stripes；　it　was　a　different　matter。　　Aileen's　position；　reduced　in　value　as　it　was　by　her　long；　ardent　relationship　with　him；　was　now；　nevertheless；　superior　to　hisapparently　so。　　For　after　all；　was　she　not　Edward　Butler's　daughter；　and　might　she；　after　she　had　been　away　from　him　a　while；　wish　to　become　a　convict's　bride。　　She　ought　not　to　want　to；　and　she　might　not　want　to；　for　all　he　knew；　she　might　change　her　mind。　　She　ought　not　to　wait　for　him。　　Her　life　was　not　yet　ruined。　　The　public　did　not　know；　so　he　thought　not　generally　anyhowthat　she　had　been　his　mistress。　　She　might　marry。　　Why　not；　and　so　pass　out　of　his　life　forever。　　And　would　not　that　be　sad　for　him？　And　yet　did　he　not　owe　it　to　her；　to　a　sense　of　fair　play　in　himself　to　ask　her　to　give　him　up；　or　at　least　think　over　the　wisdom　of　doing　so？

He　did　her　the　justice　to　believe　that　she　would　not　want　to　give　him　up；　and　in　his　position；　however　harmful　it　might　be　to　her；　it　was　an　advantage；　a　connecting　link　with　the　finest　period　of　his　past　life；　to　have　her　continue　to　love　him。　　He　could　not；　however；　scribbling　this　note　in　his　cell　in　Wingate's　presence；　and　giving　it　to　him　to　mail　（Overseer　Chapin　was　kindly　keeping　a　respectful　distance；　though　he　was　supposed　to　be　present）；　refrain　from　adding；　at　the　last　moment；　this　little　touch　of　doubt　which；　when　she　read　it；　struck　Aileen　to　the　heart。　　She　read　it　as　gloom　on　his　partas　great　depression。　　Perhaps；　after　all；　the　penitentiary　and　so　soon；　was　really　breaking　his　spirit；　and　he　had　held　up　so　courageously　so　long。　　Because　of　this；　now　she　was　madly　eager　to　get　to　him；　to　console　him；　even　though　it　was　difficult；　perilous。　　She　must；　she　said。

In　regard　to　visits　from　the　various　members　of　his　familyhis　mother　and　father；　his　brother；　his　wife；　and　his　sisterCowperwood　made　it　plain　to　them　on　one　of　the　days　on　which　he　was　out　attending　a　bankruptcy　hearing；　that　even　providing　it　could　be　arranged　he　did　not　think　they　should　come　oftener　than　once　in　three　months；　unless　he　wrote　them　or　sent　word　by　Steger。　　The　truth　was　that　he　really　did　not　care　to　see　much　of　any　of　them　at　present。　　He　was　sick　of　the　whole　social　scheme　of　things。　In　fact　he　wanted　to　be　rid　of　the　turmoil　he　had　been　in；　seeing　it　had　proved　so　useless。　　He　had　used　nearly　fifteen　thousand　dollars　thus　far　in　defending　himselfcourt　costs；　family　maintenance；　Steger；　etc。；　but　he　did　not　mind　that。　　He　expected　to　make　some　little　money　working　through　Wingate。　　His　family　were　not　utterly　without　funds；　sufficient　to　live　on　in　a　small　way。　　He　had　advised　them　to　remove　into　houses　more　in　keeping　with　their　reduced　circumstances；　which　they　had　donehis　mother　and　father　and　brothers　and　sister　to　a　three…story　brick　house　of　about　the　caliber　of　the　old　Buttonwood　Street　house；　and　his　wife　to　a　smaller；　less　expensive　two…story　one　on　North　Twenty…first　Street；　near　the　penitentiary；　a　portion　of　the　money　saved　out　of　the　thirty…five　thousand　dollars　extracted　from　Stener　under　false　pretenses　aiding　to　sustain　it。　　Of　course　all　this　was　a　terrible　descent　from　the　Girard　Avenue　mansion　for　the　elder　Cowperwood；　for　here　was　none　of　the　furniture　which　characterized　the　other　somewhat　gorgeous　domicilemerely　store…bought；　ready…made　furniture；　and　neat　but　cheap　hangings　and　fixtures　generally。　The　assignees；　to　whom　all　Cowperwood's　personal　property　belonged；　and　to　whom　Cowperwood；　the　elder；　had　surrendered　all　his　holdings；　would　not　permit　anything　of　importance　to　be　removed。　　It　had　all　to　be　sold　for　the　benefit　of　creditors。　　A　few　very　small　things；　but　only　a　few；　had　been　kept；　as　everything　had　been　inventoried　some　time　before。　　One　of　the　things　which　old　Cowperwood　wanted　was　his　own　desk　which　Frank　had　had　designed　for　him；　but　as　it　was　valued　at　five　hundred　dollars　and　could　not　be　relinquished　by　the　sheriff　except　on　payment　of　that　sum；　or　by　auction；　and　as　Henry　Cowperwood　had　no　such　sum　to　spare；　he　had　to　let　the　desk　go。　　There　were　many　things　they　all　wanted；　and　Anna　Adelaide　had　literally　purloined　a　few　though　she　did　not　admit　the　fact　to　her　parents　until　long　afterward。

There　came　a　day　wh