the financier-第115节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


kly　separated；　sides　were　taken　by　the　friends　of　each；　excited　explanations　attempted　and　defied。　　Callum　was　examining　the　knuckles　of　his　left　hand；　which　were　cut　from　the　blow　he　had　delivered。　　He　maintained　a　gentlemanly　calm。　　Hibbs；　very　much　flustered　and　excited；　insisted　that　he　had　been　most　unreasonably　used。　　The　idea　of　attacking　him　here。　　And；　anyhow；　as　he　maintained　now；　Pethick　had　been　both　eavesdropping　and　lying　about　him。　Incidentally；　the　latter　was　protesting　to　others　that　he　had　done　the　only　thing　which　an　honorable　friend　could　do。　　It　was　a　nine　days'　wonder　in　the　club；　and　was　only　kept　out　of　the　newspapers　by　the　most　strenuous　efforts　on　the　part　of　the　friends　of　both　parties。　　Callum　was　so　outraged　on　discovering　that　there　was　some　foundation　for　the　rumor　at　the　club　in　a　general　rumor　which　prevailed　that　he　tendered　his　resignation；　and　never　went　there　again。

〃I　wish　to　heaven　you　hadn't　struck　that　fellow；〃　counseled　Owen；　when　the　incident　was　related　to　him。　　〃It　will　only　make　more　talk。　She　ought　to　leave　this　place；　but　she　won't。　　She's　struck　on　that　fellow　yet；　and　we　can't　tell　Norah　and　mother。　　We　will　never　hear　the　last　of　this；　you　and　Ibelieve　me。〃

〃Damn　it；　she　ought　to　be　made　to　go；〃　exclaimed　Callum。

〃Well；　she　won't；〃　replied　Owen。　　〃Father　has　tried　making　her；　and　she　won't　go。　　Just　let　things　stand。　　He's　in　the　penitentiary　now；　and　that's　probably　the　end　of　him。　　The　public　seem　to　think　that　father　put　him　there；　and　that's　something。　　Maybe　we　can　persuade　her　to　go　after　a　while。　　I　wish　to　God　we　had　never　had　sight　of　that　fellow。　　If　ever　he　comes　out；　I've　a　good　notion　to　kill　him。〃

〃Oh；　I　wouldn't　do　anything　like　that；〃　replied　Callum。　　〃It's　useless。　　It　would　only　stir　things　up　afresh。　　He's　done　for；　anyhow。〃

They　planned　to　urge　Norah　to　marry　as　soon　as　possible。　　And　as　for　their　feelings　toward　Aileen；　it　was　a　very　chilly　atmosphere　which　Mrs。　Butler　contemplated　from　now　on；　much　to　her　confusion；　grief；　and　astonishment。

In　this　divided　world　it　was　that　Butler　eventually　found　himself；　all　at　sea　as　to　what　to　think　or　what　to　do。　　He　had　brooded　so　long　now；　for　months；　and　as　yet　had　found　no　solution。　　And　finally；　in　a　form　of　religious　despair；　sitting　at　his　desk；　in　his　business　chair；　he　had　collapseda　weary　and　disconsolate　man　of　seventy。　　A　lesion　of　the　left　ventricle　was　the　immediate　physical　cause；　although　brooding　over　Aileen　was　in　part　the　mental　one。　　His　death　could　not　have　been　laid　to　his　grief　over　Aileen　exactly；　for　he　was　a　very　large　manapoplectic　and　with　sclerotic　veins　and　arteries。　　For　a　great　many　years　now　he　had　taken　very　little　exercise；　and　his　digestion　had　been　considerably　impaired　thereby。　　He　was　past　seventy；　and　his　time　had　been　reached。　　They　found　him　there　the　next　morning；　his　hands　folded　in　his　lap；　his　head　on　his　bosom；　quite　cold。

He　was　buried　with　honors　out　of　St。　Timothy's　Church；　the　funeral　attended　by　a　large　body　of　politicians　and　city　officials；　who　discussed　secretly　among　themselves　whether　his　grief　over　his　daughter　had　anything　to　do　with　his　end。　　All　his　good　deeds　were　remembered；　of　course；　and　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　sent　great　floral　emblems　in　remembrance。　　They　were　very　sorry　that　he　was　gone；　for　they　had　been　a　cordial　three。　　But　gone　he　was；　and　that　ended　their　interest　in　the　matter。　　He　left　all　of　his　property　to　his　wife　in　one　of　the　shortest　wills　ever　recorded　locally。

〃I　give　and　bequeath　to　my　beloved　wife；　Norah；　all　my　property　of　whatsoever　kind　to　be　disposed　of　as　she　may　see　fit。〃

There　was　no　misconstruing　this。　　A　private　paper　drawn　secretly　for　her　sometime　before　by　Butler；　explained　how　the　property　should　be　disposed　of　by　her　at　her　death。　　It　was　Butler's　real　will　masquerading　as　hers；　and　she　would　not　have　changed　it　for　worlds；　but　he　wanted　her　left　in　undisturbed　possession　of　everything　until　she　should　die。　　Aileen's　originally　assigned　portion　had　never　been　changed。　　　According　to　her　father's　will；　which　no　power　under　the　sun　could　have　made　Mrs。　Butler　alter；　she　was　left　250；000　to　be　paid　at　Mrs。　Butler's　death。　　Neither　this　fact　nor　any　of　the　others　contained　in　the　paper　were　communicated　by　Mrs。　Butler；　who　retained　it　to　be　left　as　her　will。　　Aileen　often　wondered；　but　never　sought　to　know；　what　had　been　left　her。　　Nothing　she　fanciedbut　felt　that　she　could　not　help　this。

Butler's　death　led　at　once　to　a　great　change　in　the　temper　of　the　home。　　After　the　funeral　the　family　settled　down　to　a　seemingly　peaceful　continuance　of　the　old　life；　but　it　was　a　matter　of　seeming　merely。　　The　situation　stood　with　Callum　and　Owen　manifesting　a　certain　degree　of　contempt　for　Aileen；　which　she；　understanding；　reciprocated。　　　She　was　very　haughty。　　Owen　had　plans　of　forcing　her　to　leave　after　Butler's　death；　but　he　finally　asked　himself　what　was　the　use。　　Mrs。　Butler；　who　did　not　want　to　leave　the　old　home；　was　very　fond　of　Aileen；　so　therein　lay　a　reason　for　letting　her　remain。　　Besides；　any　move　to　force　her　out　would　have　entailed　an　explanation　to　her　mother；　which　was　not　deemed　advisable。　Owen　himself　was　interested　in　Caroline　Mollenhauer；　whom　he　hoped　some　day　to　marryas　much　for　her　prospective　wealth　as　for　any　other　reason；　though　he　was　quite　fond　of　her。　　In　the　January　following　Butler's　death；　which　occurred　in　August；　Norah　was　married　very　quietly；　and　the　following　spring　Callum　embarked　on　a　similar　venture。

In　the　meanwhile；　with　Butler's　death；　the　control　of　the　political　situation　had　shifted　considerably。　　A　certain　Tom　Collins；　formerly　one　of　Butler's　henchmen；　but　latterly　a　power　in　the　First；　Second；　Third；　and　Fourth　Wards；　where　he　had　numerous　saloons　and　control　of　other　forms　of　vice；　appeared　as　a　claimant　for　political　recognition。　　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　had　to　consult　him；　as　he　could　make　very　uncertain　the　disposition　of　some　hundred　and　fifteen　thousand　votes；　a　large　number　of　which　were　fraudulent；　but　which　fact　did　not　modify　their　deadly　character　on　occasion。　Butler's　sons　disappeared　as　possible　political　factors；　and　were　compelled　to　confine　themselves　to　the　street…railway　and　contracting　business。　　The　pardon　of　Cowperwood　and　Stener；　which　Butler　would　have　opposed；　because　by　keeping　Stener　in　he　kept　Cowperwood　in；　became　a　much　easier　matter。　　The　scandal　of　the　treasury　defalcation　was　gradually　dying　down；　the　newspapers　had　ceased　to　refer　to　it　in　any　way。　　Through　Steger　and　Wingate；　a　large　petition　signed　by　all　important　financiers　and　brokers　had　been　sent　to　the　Governor　pointing　out　that　Cowperwood's　trial　and　conviction　had　been　most　unfair；　and　asking　that　he　be　pardoned。　　There　was　no　need　of　any　such　effort；　so　far　as　Stener　was　concerned；　whenever　the　time　seemed　ripe　the　politicians　were　quite　ready　to　say　to　the　Governor　that　he　ought　to　let　him　go。　　It　was　only　because　Butler　had　opposed　Cowperwood's　release　that　they　had　hesitated。　　It　was　really　not　possible　to　let　out　the　one　and　ignore　the　other；　and　this　petition；　coupled　with　Butler's　death；　cleared　the　way　very　nicely。

Nevertheless；　nothing　was　done　until　the　March　following　Butler's　death；　when　both　Stener　and　Cowperwood　had　been　incarcerated　thirteen　monthsa　length　of　time　which　seemed　quite　sufficient　to　appease　the　anger　of　the　public　at　large。　　In　this　period　Stener　had　undergone　a　considerable　change　physically　and　mentally。　　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　a　number　of　the　minor　aldermen；　who　had　profited　in　various　ways　by　his　largess；　called　to　see　him　occasionally；　and　that　he　had　been　given；　as　it　were；　almost　the　liberty　of　the　place；　and　that　his　family　had　not　been　allowed　to　suffer；　nevertheless　he　realized　that　his　political　and　social　days　were　over。　　Somebody　might　now　occasionally　send　him　a　basket　of　fruit　and　assure　him　that　he　would　not　be　compelled　to　suffer　much　longer；　but　when　he　did　get　out；　he　knew　that　he　had　nothing　to　depend　on　save　his　experience　as　an　insurance　agent　and　real…estate　dealer。　　That　had　been　precarious　enough　in　the　days　when　he　was　trying　to　get　some　small　political　foothold。　　How　would　it　be　when　he　was　known　only　as　the　man　who　had　looted　the　treasury　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　and　been　sent　to　the　penitentiary　for　five　years？　Who　would　lend　him　the　money　wherewith　to　get　a　little　start；　even　so　much　as　four　or　five　thousand　dollars？　The　people　who　were　calling　to　pay　their　respects　now　and　then；　and　to　assure　him　that　he　had　been　badly　treated？　Never。　　All　of　them　could　honestly　claim　that　they　had　not　so　much　to　spare。　　If　he　had　good　security　to　offeryes；　but　if　he　had　good　security　he　would　not　need　to　go　to　them　at　all。　The　man　who　would　have　actually　helped　him　if　he　had　only　known　was　Frank　A。　Cowperwood。　　Stener　could　have　confessed　his　mistake；　as　Cowperwood　saw　it；　and　Cowperwood　would　have　given　him　the　money　gladly；　without　any　thought　of　return。　　But　by　his　poor　understanding　of　human　nature；　Stener　considered　that　Cowperwood　must　be　an　enemy　of　his；　and　he　would　not　have　had　either　the　courage　or　the　business　judgment　to　approach　him。

During　his　incarceration　Cowperwood　had　been　slowly　accumulating　a