the financier-第109节

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　a　few　though　she　did　not　admit　the　fact　to　her　parents　until　long　afterward。

There　came　a　day　when　the　two　houses　in　Girard　Avenue　were　the　scene　of　a　sheriffs　sale；　during　which　the　general　public；　without　let　or　hindrance；　was　permitted　to　tramp　through　the　rooms　and　examine　the　pictures；　statuary；　and　objects　of　art　generally；　which　were　auctioned　off　to　the　highest　bidder。　　Considerable　fame　had　attached　to　Cowperwood's　activities　in　this　field；　owing　in　the　first　place　to　the　real　merit　of　what　he　had　brought　together；　and　in　the　next　place　to　the　enthusiastic　comment　of　such　men　as　Wilton　Ellsworth；　Fletcher　Norton；　Gordon　Strakearchitects　and　art　dealers　whose　judgment　and　taste　were　considered　important　in　Philadelphia。　　All　of　the　lovely　things　by　which　he　had　set　great　storesmall　bronzes；　representative　of　the　best　period　of　the　Italian　Renaissance；　bits　of　Venetian　glass　which　he　had　collected　with　great　carea　full　curio　case；　statues　by　Powers；　Hosmer；　and　Thorwaldsenthings　which　would　be　smiled　at　thirty　years　later；　but　which　were　of　high　value　then；　all　of　his　pictures　by　representative　American　painters　from　Gilbert　to　Eastman　Johnson；　together　with　a　few　specimens　of　the　current　French　and　English　schools；　went　for　a　song。　　Art　judgment　in　Philadelphia　at　this　time　was　not　exceedingly　high；　and　some　of　the　pictures；　for　lack　of　appreciative　understanding；　were　disposed　of　at　much　too　low　a　figure。　　Strake；　Norton；　and　Ellsworth　were　all　present　and　bought　liberally。　　Senator　Simpson；　Mollenhauer；　and　Strobik　came　to　see　what　they　could　see。　　The　small…fry　politicians　were　there；　en　masse。　　But　Simpson；　calm　judge　of　good　art；　secured　practically　the　best　of　all　that　was　offered。　　To　him　went　the　curio　case　of　Venetian　glass；　one　pair　of　tall　blue…and…white　Mohammedan　cylindrical　vases；　fourteen　examples　of　Chinese　jade；　including　several　artists'　water…dishes　and　a　pierced　window…screen　of　the　faintest　tinge　of　green。　　To　Mollenhauer　went　the　furniture　and　decorations　of　the　entry…hall　and　reception…room　of　Henry　Cowperwood's　house；　and　to　Edward　Strobik　two　of　Cowperwood's　bird's…eye　maple　bedroom　suites　for　the　most　modest　of　prices。　　Adam　Davis　was　present　and　secured　the　secretaire　of　buhl　which　the　elder　Cowperwood　prized　so　highly。　To　Fletcher　Norton　went　the　four　Greek　vasesa　kylix；　a　water…jar；　and　two　amphoraewhich　he　had　sold　to　Cowperwood　and　which　he　valued　highly。　　Various　objects　of　art；　including　a　Sevres　dinner　set；　a　Gobelin　tapestry；　Barye　bronzes　and　pictures　by　Detaille；　Fortuny；　and　George　Inness；　went　to　Walter　Leigh；　Arthur　Rivers；　Joseph　Zimmerman；　Judge　Kitchen；　Harper　Steger；　Terrence　Relihan；　Trenor　Drake；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Simeon　Jones；　W。　C。　Davison；　Frewen　Kasson；　Fletcher　Norton；　and　Judge　Rafalsky。

Within　four　days　after　the　sale　began　the　two　houses　were　bare　of　their　contents。　　Even　the　objects　in　the　house　at　931　North　Tenth　Street　had　been　withdrawn　from　storage　where　they　had　been　placed　at　the　time　it　was　deemed　advisable　to　close　this　institution；　and　placed　on　sale　with　the　other　objects　in　the　two　homes。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　senior　Cowperwoods　first　learned　of　something　which　seemed　to　indicate　a　mystery　which　had　existed　in　connection　with　their　son　and　his　wife。　　No　one　of　all　the　Cowperwoods　was　present　during　all　this　gloomy　distribution；　and　Aileen；　reading　of　the　disposition　of　all　the　wares；　and　knowing　their　value　to　Cowperwood；　to　say　nothing　of　their　charm　for　her；　was　greatly　depressed；　yet　she　was　not　long　despondent；　for　she　was　convinced　that　Cowperwood　would　some　day　regain　his　liberty　and　attain　a　position　of　even　greater　significance　in　the　financial　world。　　She　could　not　have　said　why　but　she　was　sure　of　it。





Chapter　LV




In　the　meanwhile　Cowperwood　had　been　transferred　to　a　new　overseer　and　a　new　cell　in　Block　3　on　the　ground　door；　which　was　like　all　the　others　in　size；　ten　by　sixteen；　but　to　which　was　attached　the　small　yard　previously　mentioned。　　Warden　Desmas　came　up　two　days　before　he　was　transferred；　and　had　another　short　conversation　with　him　through　his　cell　door。

〃You'll　be　transferred　on　Monday；〃　he　said；　in　his　reserved；　slow　way。　　〃They'll　give　you　a　yard；　though　it　won't　be　much　good　to　youwe　only　allow　a　half…hour　a　day　in　it。　　I've　told　the　overseer　about　your　business　arrangements。　　He'll　treat　you　right　in　that　matter。　　Just　be　careful　not　to　take　up　too　much　time　that　way；　and　things　will　work　out。　　I've　decided　to　let　you　learn　caning　chairs。　That'll　be　the　best　for　you。　　It's　easy；　and　it'll　occupy　your　mind。〃

The　warden　and　some　allied　politicians　made　a　good　thing　out　of　this　prison　industry。　　It　was　really　not　hard　laborthe　tasks　set　were　simple　and　not　oppressive；　but　all　of　the　products　were　promptly　sold；　and　the　profits　pocketed。　　It　was　good；　therefore；　to　see　all　the　prisoners　working；　and　it　did　them　good。　　Cowperwood　was　glad　of　the　chance　to　do　something；　for　he　really　did　not　care　so　much　for　books；　and　his　connection　with　Wingate　and　his　old　affairs　were　not　sufficient　to　employ　his　mind　in　a　satisfactory　way。　　At　the　same　time；　he　could　not　help　thinking；　if　he　seemed　strange　to　himself；　now；　how　much　stranger　he　would　seem　then；　behind　these　narrow　bars　working　at　so　commonplace　a　task　as　caning　chairs。　　Nevertheless；　he　now　thanked　Desmas　for　this；　as　well　as　for　the　sheets　and　the　toilet　articles　which　had　just　been　brought　in。

〃That's　all　right；〃　replied　the　latter；　pleasantly　and　softly；　by　now　much　intrigued　by　Cowperwood。　　〃I　know　that　there　are　men　and　men　here；　the　same　as　anywhere。　　If　a　man　knows　how　to　use　these　things　and　wants　to　be　clean；　I　wouldn't　be　one　to　put　anything　in　his　way。〃

The　new　overseer　with　whom　Cowperwood　had　to　deal　was　a　very　different　person　from　Elias　Chapin。　　His　name　was　Walter　Bonhag；　and　he　was　not　more　than　thirty…seven　years　of　agea　big；　flabby　sort　of　person　with　a　crafty　mind；　whose　principal　object　in　life　was　to　see　that　this　prison　situation　as　he　found　it　should　furnish　him　a　better　income　than　his　normal　salary　provided。　　A　close　study　of　Bonhag　would　have　seemed　to　indicate　that　he　was　a　stool…pigeon　of　Desmas；　but　this　was　really　not　true　except　in　a　limited　way。　Because　Bonhag　was　shrewd　and　sycophantic；　quick　to　see　a　point　in　his　or　anybody　else's　favor；　Desmas　instinctively　realized　that　he　was　the　kind　of　man　who　could　be　trusted　to　be　lenient　on　order　or　suggestion。　　That　is；　if　Desmas　had　the　least　interest　in　a　prisoner　he　need　scarcely　say　so　much　to　Bonhag；　he　might　merely　suggest　that　this　man　was　used　to　a　different　kind　of　life；　or　that；　because　of　some　past　experience；　it　might　go　hard　with　him　if　be　were　handled　roughly；　and　Bonhag　would　strain　himself　to　be　pleasant。　　The　trouble　was　that　to　a　shrewd　man　of　any　refinement　his　attentions　were　objectionable；　being　obviously　offered　for　a　purpose；　and　to　a　poor　or　ignorant　man　they　were　brutal　and　contemptuous。　　He　had　built　up　an　extra　income　for　himself　inside　the　prison　by　selling　the　prisoners　extra　allowances　of　things　which　he　secretly　brought　into　the　prison。　　It　was　strictly　against　the　rules；　in　theory　at　least；　to　bring　in　anything　which　was　not　sold　in　the　store…roomtobacco；　writing　paper；　pens；　ink；　whisky；　cigars；　or　delicacies　of　any　kind。　　On　the　other　hand；　and　excellently　well　for　him；　it　was　true　that　tobacco　of　an　inferior　grade　was　provided；　as　well　as　wretched　pens；　ink　and　paper；　so　that　no　self…respecting　man；　if　he　could　help　it；　would　endure　them。　　Whisky　was　not　allowed　at　all；　and　delicacies　were　abhorred　as　indicating　rank　favoritism；　nevertheless；　they　were　brought　in。　　If　a　prisoner　had　the　money　and　was　willing　to　see　that　Bonhag　secured　something　for　his　trouble；　almost　anything　would　be　forthcoming。　　Also　the　privilege　of　being　sent　into　the　general　yard　as　a　〃trusty；〃　or　being　allowed　to　stay　in　the　little　private　yard　which　some　cells　possessed；　longer　than　the　half…hour　ordinarily　permitted；　was　sold。

One　of　the　things　curiously　enough　at　this　time；　which　worked　in　Cowperwood's　favor；　was　the　fact　that　Bonhag　was　friendly　with　the　overseer　who　had　Stener　in　charge；　and　Stener；　because　of　his　political　friends；　was　being　liberally　treated；　and　Bonhag　knew　of　this。　　He　was　not　a　careful　reader　of　newspapers；　nor　had　he　any　intellectual　grasp　of　important　events；　but　he　knew　by　now　that　both　Stener　and　Cowperwood　were；　or　had　been；　individuals　of　great　importance　in　the　community；　also　that　Cowperwood　had　been　the　more　important　of　the　two。　　Better　yet；　as　Bonhag　now　heard；　Cowperwood　still　had　money。　　Some　prisoner；　who　was　permitted　to　read　the　paper；　told　him　so。　　And　so；　entirely　aside　from　Warden　Desmas's　recommendation；　which　was　given　in　a　very　quiet；　noncommittal　way；　Bonhag　was　interested　to　see　what　he　could　do　for　Cowperwood　for　a　price。

The　day　Cowperwood　was　installed　in　his　new　cell；　Bonhag　lolled　up　to　the　door；　which　was　open；　and　said；　in　a　semipatronizing　way；　〃Got　all　your　things　over　yet？〃　It　was　his　business　to　lock　the　door　once　Cowperwood　was　inside　it。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　who　had　been　shrewd　enough　to　get　the　new　overseer's　name　from　Chapin；　〃this　is　Mr。　Bonhag；　I　presume？〃

〃That's　me；〃　replied　Bon