the financier-第11节

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relatives　and　a　few　neighborhood　friends　visiting。　　Lillian　Wiggin；　that　was　her　maiden　namehad　two　brothers　and　one　sister；　all　living　in　Philadelphia　and　all　married　at　this　time。　　They　thought　she　had　done　very　well　in　her　marriage。

It　could　not　be　said　that　she　had　wildly　loved　Mr。　Semple　at　any　time。　　Although　she　had　cheerfully　married　him；　he　was　not　the　kind　of　man　who　could　arouse　a　notable　passion　in　any　woman。　　He　was　practical；　methodic；　orderly。　　His　shoe　store　was　a　good　one　well…stocked　with　styles　reflecting　the　current　tastes　and　a　model　of　cleanliness　and　what　one　might　term　pleasing　brightness。　　He　loved　to　talk；　when　he　talked　at　all；　of　shoe　manufacturing；　the　development　of　lasts　and　styles。　　The　ready…made　shoemachine…made　to　a　certain　extentwas　just　coming　into　its　own　slowly；　and　outside　of　these；　supplies　of　which　he　kept；　he　employed　bench…making　shoemakers；　satisfying　his　customers　with　personal　measurements　and　making　the　shoes　to　order。

Mrs。　Semple　read　a　littlenot　much。　　She　had　a　habit　of　sitting　and　apparently　brooding　reflectively　at　times；　but　it　was　not　based　on　any　deep　thought。　　She　had　that　curious　beauty　of　body；　though；　that　made　her　somewhat　like　a　figure　on　an　antique　vase；　or　out　of　a　Greek　chorus。　　It　was　in　this　light；　unquestionably；　that　Cowperwood　saw　her；　for　from　the　beginning　he　could　not　keep　his　eyes　off　her。　　In　a　way；　she　was　aware　of　this　but　she　did　not　attach　any　significance　to　it。　　Thoroughly　conventional；　satisfied　now　that　her　life　was　bound　permanently　with　that　of　her　husband；　she　had　settled　down　to　a　staid　and　quiet　existence。

At　first；　when　Frank　called；　she　did　not　have　much　to　say。　　She　was　gracious；　but　the　burden　of　conversation　fell　on　her　husband。　Cowperwood　watched　the　varying　expression　of　her　face　from　time　to　time；　and　if　she　had　been　at　all　psychic　she　must　have　felt　something。　　Fortunately　she　was　not。　　Semple　talked　to　him　pleasantly；　because　in　the　first　place　Frank　was　becoming　financially　significant；　was　suave　and　ingratiating；　and　in　the　next　place　he　was　anxious　to　get　richer　and　somehow　Frank　represented　progress　to　him　in　that　line。　　One　spring　evening　they　sat　on　the　porch　and　talkednothing　very　importantslavery；　street…cars；　the　panicit　was　on　then；　that　of　1857the　development　of　the　West。　　Mr。　Semple　wanted　to　know　all　about　the　stock　exchange。　　In　return　Frank　asked　about　the　shoe　business；　though　he　really　did　not　care。　　All　the　while；　inoffensively；　he　watched　Mrs。　Semple。　Her　manner；　he　thought；　was　soothing；　attractive；　delightful。　　She　served　tea　and　cake　for　them。　　They　went　inside　after　a　time　to　avoid　the　mosquitoes。　　She　played　the　piano。　　At　ten　o'clock　he　left。

Thereafter；　for　a　year　or　so；　Cowperwood　bought　his　shoes　of　Mr。　Semple。　　Occasionally　also　he　stopped　in　the　Chestnut　Street　store　to　exchange　the　time　of　the　day。　　Semple　asked　his　opinion　as　to　the　advisability　of　buying　some　shares　in　the　Fifth　and　Sixth　Street　line；　which；　having　secured　a　franchise；　was　creating　great　excitement。　　Cowperwood　gave　him　his　best　judgment。　　It　was　sure　to　be　profitable。　　He　himself　had　purchased　one　hundred　shares　at　five　dollars　a　share；　and　urged　Semple　to　do　so。　　But　he　was　not　interested　in　him　personally。　　He　liked　Mrs。　Semple；　though　he　did　not　see　her　very　often。

About　a　year　later；　Mr。　Semple　died。　　It　was　an　untimely　death；　one　of　those　fortuitous　and　in　a　way　insignificant　episodes　which　are；　nevertheless；　dramatic　in　a　dull　way　to　those　most　concerned。　He　was　seized　with　a　cold　in　the　chest　late　in　the　fallone　of　those　seizures　ordinarily　attributed　to　wet　feet　or　to　going　out　on　a　damp　day　without　an　overcoatand　had　insisted　on　going　to　business　when　Mrs。　Semple　urged　him　to　stay　at　home　and　recuperate。　He　was　in　his　way　a　very　determined　person；　not　obstreperously　so；　but　quietly　and　under　the　surface。　　Business　was　a　great　urge。　　He　saw　himself　soon　to　be　worth　about　fifty　thousand　dollars。　　Then　this　coldnine　more　days　of　pneumoniaand　he　was　dead。　　The　shoe　store　was　closed　for　a　few　days；　the　house　was　full　of　sympathetic　friends　and　church　people。　　There　was　a　funeral；　with　burial　service　in　the　Callowhill　Presbyterian　Church；　to　which　they　belonged；　and　then　he　was　buried。　　Mrs。　Semple　cried　bitterly。　The　shock　of　death　affected　her　greatly　and　left　her　for　a　time　in　a　depressed　state。　　A　brother　of　hers；　David　Wiggin；　undertook　for　the　time　being　to　run　the　shoe　business　for　her。　　There　was　no　will；　but　in　the　final　adjustment；　which　included　the　sale　of　the　shoe　business；　there　being　no　desire　on　anybody's　part　to　contest　her　right　to　all　the　property；　she　received　over　eighteen　thousand　dollars。　　She　continued　to　reside　in　the　Front　Street　house；　and　was　considered　a　charming　and　interesting　widow。

Throughout　this　procedure　young　Cowperwood；　only　twenty　years　of　age；　was　quietly　manifest。　　He　called　during　the　illness。　　He　attended　the　funeral。　　He　helped　her　brother；　David　Wiggin；　dispose　of　the　shoe　business。　　He　called　once　or　twice　after　the　funeral；　then　stayed　away　for　a　considerable　time。　　In　five　months　he　reappeared；　and　thereafter　he　was　a　caller　at　stated　intervals　periods　of　a　week　or　ten　days。

Again；　it　would　be　hard　to　say　what　he　saw　in　Semple。　　Her　prettiness；　wax…like　in　its　quality；　fascinated　him；　her　indifference　aroused　perhaps　his　combative　soul。　　He　could　not　have　explained　why；　but　he　wanted　her　in　an　urgent；　passionate　way。　　He　could　not　think　of　her　reasonably；　and　he　did　not　talk　of　her　much　to　any　one。　　His　family　knew　that　he　went　to　see　her；　but　there　had　grown　up　in　the　Cowperwood　family　a　deep　respect　for　the　mental　force　of　Frank。　He　was　genial；　cheerful；　gay　at　most　times；　without　being　talkative；　and　he　was　decidedly　successful。　　Everybody　knew　he　was　making　money　now。　　His　salary　was　fifty　dollars　a　week；　and　he　was　certain　soon　to　get　more。　　Some　lots　of　his　in　West　Philadelphia；　bought　three　years　before；　had　increased　notably　in　value。　　His　street…car　holdings；　augmented　by　still　additional　lots　of　fifty　and　one　hundred　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　shares　in　new　lines　incorporated；　were　slowly　rising；　in　spite　of　hard　times；　from　the　initiative　five　dollars　in　each　case　to　ten；　fifteen；　and　twenty…five　dollars　a　shareall　destined　to　go　to　par。　　He　was　liked　in　the　financial　district　and　he　was　sure　that　he　had　a　successful　future。　　Because　of　his　analysis　of　the　brokerage　situation　he　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　he　did　not　want　to　be　a　stock　gambler。　　Instead；　he　was　considering　the　matter　of　engaging　in　bill…brokering；　a　business　which　he　had　observed　to　be　very　profitable　and　which　involved　no　risk　as　long　as　one　had　capital。　　Through　his　work　and　his　father's　connections　he　had　met　many　peoplemerchants；　bankers；　traders。　　He　could　get　their　business；　or　a　part　of　it；　he　knew。　People　in　Drexel　&　Co。　and　Clark　&　Co。　were　friendly　to　him。　　Jay　Cooke；　a　rising　banking　personality；　was　a　personal　friend　of　his。

Meanwhile　he　called　on　Mrs。　Semple；　and　the　more　he　called　the　better　he　liked　her。　　There　was　no　exchange　of　brilliant　ideas　between　them；　but　he　had　a　way　of　being　comforting　and　social　when　he　wished。　　He　advised　her　about　her　business　affairs　in　so　intelligent　a　way　that　even　her　relatives　approved　of　it。　　She　came　to　like　him；　because　he　was　so　considerate；　quiet；　reassuring；　and　so　ready　to　explain　over　and　over　until　everything　was　quite　plain　to　her。　　She　could　see　that　he　was　looking　on　her　affairs　quite　as　if　they　were　his　own；　trying　to　make　them　safe　and　secure。

〃You're　so　very　kind；　Frank；〃　she　said　to　him；　one　night。　　〃I'm　awfully　grateful。　　I　don't　know　what　I　would　have　done　if　it　hadn't　been　for　you。〃

She　looked　at　his　handsome　face；　which　was　turned　to　hers；　with　child…like　simplicity。

〃Not　at　all。　　Not　at　all。　　I　want　to　do　it。　　I　wouldn't　have　been　happy　if　I　couldn't。〃

His　eyes　had　a　peculiar；　subtle　ray　in　themnot　a　gleam。　　She　felt　warm　toward　him；　sympathetic；　quite　satisfied　that　she　could　lean　on　him。

〃Well；　I　am　very　grateful　just　the　same。　　You've　been　so　good。　Come　out　Sunday　again；　if　you　want　to；　or　any　evening。　　I'll　be　home。〃

It　was　while　he　was　calling　on　her　in　this　way　that　his　Uncle　Seneca　died　in　Cuba　and　left　him　fifteen　thousand　dollars。　　This　money　made　him　worth　nearly　twenty…five　thousand　dollars　in　his　own　right；　and　he　knew　exactly　what　to　do　with　it。　　A　panic　had　come　since　Mr。　Semple　had　died；　which　had　illustrated　to　him　very　clearly　what　an　uncertain　thing　the　brokerage　business　was。　　There　was　really　a　severe　business　depression。　　Money　was　so　scarce　that　it　could　fairly　be　said　not　to　exist　at　all。　　Capital；　frightened　by　uncertain　trade　and　money　conditions；　everywhere；　retired　to　its　hiding…places　in　banks；　vaults；　tea…kettles；　and　stockings。　The　country　seemed　to　be　going　to　the　dogs。　　War　with　the　South　or　secession　was　vaguely　looming　up　in　the　distance。　　The　temper　of　the　whole　nation　was　nervous。　　People　dumped　their　holdings　on　the　market　in　order　to　get　money。　　Tighe　discharged　three　of　his　clerks。　　He　cut　down　his　expenses　in　every　possible　way；　and　used　up　all　his　private　savings　to　protect　his　private　holdings。　　He　mortgaged　his　house；　his　land　holdingseverything；　and　in　many