the financier-第13节

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〃But　I　don't　want　to；〃　she　smiled。

He　arose　and　came　over　to　her；　looking　into　her　eyes。

〃Well？〃　she　asked；　nervously；　quizzically。

He　merely　looked　at　her。

〃Well？〃　she　queried；　more　flustered。

He　stooped　down　to　take　her　arms；　but　she　got　up。

〃Now　you　must　not　come　near　me；〃　she　pleaded；　determinedly。　　〃I'll　go　in　the　house；　and　I'll　not　let　you　come　any　more。　　It's　terrible！　You're　silly！　You　mustn't　interest　yourself　in　me。〃

She　did　show　a　good　deal　of　determination；　and　he　desisted。　　But　for　the　time　being　only。　　He　called　again　and　again。　　Then　one　night；　when　they　had　gone　inside　because　of　the　mosquitoes；　and　when　she　had　insisted　that　he　must　stop　coming　to　see　her；　that　his　attentions　were　noticeable　to　others；　and　that　she　would　be　disgraced；　he　caught　her；　under　desperate　protest；　in　his　arms。

〃Now；　see　here！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　told　you！　It's　silly！　You　mustn't　kiss　me！　How　dare　you！　Oh！　oh！　oh！〃

She　broke　away　and　ran　up　the　near…by　stairway　to　her　room。　Cowperwood　followed　her　swiftly。　　As　she　pushed　the　door　to　he　forced　it　open　and　recaptured　her。　　He　lifted　her　bodily　from　her　feet　and　held　her　crosswise；　lying　in　his　arms。

〃Oh；　how　could　you！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　will　never　speak　to　you　any　more。　　I　will　never　let　you　come　here　any　more　if　you　don't　put　me　down　this　minute。　　Put　me　down！〃

〃I'll　put　you　down；　sweet；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　take　you　down；〃　at　the　same　time　pulling　her　face　to　him　and　kissing　her。　　He　was　very　much　aroused；　excited。

While　she　was　twisting　and　protesting；　he　carried　her　down　the　stairs　again　into　the　living…room；　and　seated　himself　in　the　great　armchair；　still　holding　her　tight　in　his　arms。

〃Oh！〃　she　sighed；　falling　limp　on　his　shoulder　when　he　refused　to　let　her　go。　　Then；　because　of　the　set　determination　of　his　face；　some　intense　pull　in　him；　she　smiled。　　〃How　would　I　ever　explain　if　I　did　marry　you？〃　she　asked；　weakly。　　〃Your　father！　Your　mother！〃

〃You　don't　need　to　explain。　　I'll　do　that。　　And　you　needn't　worry　about　my　family。　　They　won't　care。〃

〃But　mine；〃　she　recoiled。

〃Don't　worry　about　yours。　　I'm　not　marrying　your　family。　　I'm　marrying　you。　　We　have　independent　means。〃

She　relapsed　into　additional　protests；　but　he　kissed　her　the　more。　There　was　a　deadly　persuasion　to　his　caresses。　　Mr。　Semple　had　never　displayed　any　such　fire。　　He　aroused　a　force　of　feeling　in　her　which　had　not　previously　been　there。　　She　was　afraid　of　it　and　ashamed。

〃Will　you　marry　me　in　a　month？〃　he　asked；　cheerfully；　when　she　paused。

〃You　know　I　won't！〃　she　exclaimed；　nervously。　　〃The　idea！　Why　do　you　ask？〃

〃What　difference　does　it　make？　We're　going　to　get　married　eventually。〃　He　was　thinking　how　attractive　he　could　make　her　look　in　other　surroundings。　　Neither　she　nor　his　family　knew　how　to　live。

〃Well；　not　in　a　month。　　Wait　a　little　while。　　I　will　marry　you　after　a　whileafter　you　see　whether　you　want　me。〃

He　caught　her　tight。　〃I'll　show　you；〃　he　said。

〃Please　stop。　　You　hurt　me。〃

〃How　about　it？　Two　months？〃

〃Certainly　not。〃

〃Three？〃

〃Well；　maybe。〃

〃No　maybe　in　that　case。　　We　marry。〃

〃But　you're　only　a　boy。〃

〃Don't　worry　about　me。　　You'll　find　out　how　much　of　a　boy　I　am。〃

He　seemed　of　a　sudden　to　open　up　a　new　world　to　her；　and　she　realized　that　she　had　never　really　lived　before。　　This　man　represented　something　bigger　and　stronger　than　ever　her　husband　had　dreamed　of。　　In　his　young　way　he　was　terrible；　irresistible。

〃Well；　in　three　months　then；〃　she　whispered；　while　he　rocked　her　cozily　in　his　arms。





Chapter　IX




Cowperwood　started　in　the　note　brokerage　business　with　a　small　office　at　No。　64　South　Third　Street；　where　he　very　soon　had　the　pleasure　of　discovering　that　his　former　excellent　business　connections　remembered　him。　　He　would　go　to　one　house；　where　he　suspected　ready　money　might　be　desirable；　and　offer　to　negotiate　their　notes　or　any　paper　they　might　issue　bearing　six　per　cent。　interest　for　a　commission　and　then　he　would　sell　the　paper　for　a　small　commission　to　some　one　who　would　welcome　a　secure　investment。　Sometimes　his　father；　sometimes　other　people；　helped　him　with　suggestions　as　to　when　and　how。　　Between　the　two　ends　he　might　make　four　and　five　per　cent。　on　the　total　transaction。　　In　the　first　year　he　cleared　six　thousand　dollars　over　and　above　all　expenses。　　That　wasn't　much；　but　he　was　augmenting　it　in　another　way　which　he　believed　would　bring　great　profit　in　the　future。

Before　the　first　street…car　line；　which　was　a　shambling　affair；　had　been　laid　on　Front　Street；　the　streets　of　Philadelphia　had　been　crowded　with　hundreds　of　springless　omnibuses　rattling　over　rough；　hard；　cobblestones。　　Now；　thanks　to　the　idea　of　John　Stephenson；　in　New　York；　the　double　rail　track　idea　had　come；　and　besides　the　line　on　Fifth　and　Sixth　Streets　（the　cars　running　out　one　street　and　back　on　another）　which　had　paid　splendidly　from　the　start；　there　were　many　other　lines　proposed　or　under　way。　　The　city　was　as　eager　to　see　street…cars　replace　omnibuses　as　it　was　to　see　railroads　replace　canals。　　There　was　opposition；　of　course。　There　always　is　in　such　cases。　　The　cry　of　probable　monopoly　was　raised。　　Disgruntled　and　defeated　omnibus　owners　and　drivers　groaned　aloud。

Cowperwood　had　implicit　faith　in　the　future　of　the　street　railway。　In　support　of　this　belief　he　risked　all　he　could　spare　on　new　issues　of　stock　shares　in　new　companies。　　He　wanted　to　be　on　the　inside　wherever　possible；　always；　though　this　was　a　little　difficult　in　the　matter　of　the　street…railways；　he　having　been　so　young　when　they　started　and　not　having　yet　arranged　his　financial　connections　to　make　them　count　for　much。　　The　Fifth　and　Sixth　Street　line；　which　had　been　but　recently　started；　was　paying　six　hundred　dollars　a　day。　　A　project　for　a　West　Philadelphia　line　（Walnut　and　Chestnut）　was　on　foot；　as　were　lines　to　occupy　Second　and　Third　Streets；　Race　and　Vine；　Spruce　and　Pine；　Green　and　Coates；　Tenth　and　Eleventh；　and　so　forth。　　They　were　engineered　and　backed　by　some　powerful　capitalists　who　had　influence　with　the　State　legislature　and　could；　in　spite　of　great　public　protest；　obtain　franchises。　Charges　of　corruption　were　in　the　air。　　It　was　argued　that　the　streets　were　valuable；　and　that　the　companies　should　pay　a　road　tax　of　a　thousand　dollars　a　mile。　　Somehow；　however；　these　splendid　grants　were　gotten　through；　and　the　public；　hearing　of　the　Fifth　and　Sixth　Street　line　profits；　was　eager　to　invest。　　Cowperwood　was　one　of　these；　and　when　the　Second　and　Third　Street　line　was　engineered；　he　invested　in　that　and　in　the　Walnut　and　Chestnut　Street　line　also。　　He　began　to　have　vague　dreams　of　controlling　a　line　himself　some　day；　but　as　yet　he　did　not　see　exactly　how　it　was　to　be　done；　since　his　business　was　far　from　being　a　bonanza。

In　the　midst　of　this　early　work　he　married　Mrs。　Semple。　　There　was　no　vast　to…do　about　it；　as　he　did　not　want　any　and　his　bride…to…be　was　nervous；　fearsome　of　public　opinion。　　His　family　did　not　entirely　approve。　　She　was　too　old；　his　mother　and　father　thought；　and　then　Frank；　with　his　prospects；　could　have　done　much　better。　His　sister　Anna　fancied　that　Mrs。　Semple　was　designing；　which　was；　of　course；　not　true。　　His　brothers；　Joseph　and　Edward；　were　interested；　but　not　certain　as　to　what　they　actually　thought；　since　Mrs。　Semple　was　good…looking　and　had　some　money。

It　was　a　warm　October　day　when　he　and　Lillian　went　to　the　altar；　in　the　First　Presbyterian　Church　of　Callowhill　Street。　　His　bride；　Frank　was　satisfied；　looked　exquisite　in　a　trailing　gown　of　cream　lacea　creation　that　had　cost　months　of　labor。　　His　parents；　Mrs。　Seneca　Davis；　the　Wiggin　family；　brothers　and　sisters；　and　some　friends　were　present。　　He　was　a　little　opposed　to　this　idea；　but　Lillian　wanted　it。　　He　stood　up　straight　and　correct　in　black　broadcloth　for　the　wedding　ceremonybecause　she　wished　it；　but　later　changed　to　a　smart　business　suit　for　traveling。　　He　had　arranged　his　affairs　for　a　two　weeks'　trip　to　New　York　and　Boston。　They　took　an　afternoon　train　for　New　York；　which　required　five　hours　to　reach。　　When　they　were　finally　alone　in　the　Astor　House；　New　York；　after　hours　of　make…believe　and　public　pretense　of　indifference；　he　gathered　her　in　his　arms。

〃Oh；　it's　delicious；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃to　have　you　all　to　myself。〃

She　met　his　eagerness　with　that　smiling；　tantalizing　passivity　which　he　had　so　much　admired　but　which　this　time　was　tinged　strongly　with　a　communicated　desire。　　He　thought　he　should　never　have　enough　of　her；　her　beautiful　face；　her　lovely　arms；　her　smooth；　lymphatic　body。　　They　were　like　two　children；　billing　and　cooing；　driving；　dining；　seeing　the　sights。　　He　was　curious　to　visit　the　financial　sections　of　both　cities。　　New　York　and　Boston　appealed　to　him　as　commercially　solid。　　He　wondered；　as　he　observed　the　former；　whether　he　should　ever　leave　Philadelphia。　　He　was　going　to　be　very　happy　there　now；　he　thought；　with　Lillian　and　possibly　a　brood　of　young　Cowperwoods。　　He　was　going　to　work　hard　and　make　money。　　With　his　means　and　hers　now　at　his　command；　he　might　become；　very　readily；　notably　wealthy。





Chapter　X




The　home　atmosphere　which　they　established　when　they　returned　from　their　honeymoon　was　a　gr