the financier-第18节

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eeded　to　listen　to　his　recital　of　what　he　hoped　to　accomplish。

〃Well；　now；　that　isn't　so　easy；〃　he　commented　at　the　end。　　〃You　ought　to　know　more　about　that　than　I　do。　　I'm　not　a　financier；　as　you　well　know。〃　　And　he　grinned　apologetically。

〃It's　a　matter　of　influence；〃　went　on　Cowperwood。　　〃And　favoritism。　That　I　know。　　Drexel　&　Company　and　Cooke　&　Company　have　connections　at　Harrisburg。　　They　have　men　of　their　own　looking　after　their　interests。　　The　attorney…general　and　the　State　treasurer　are　hand　in　glove　with　them。　　Even　if　I　put　in　a　bid；　and　can　demonstrate　that　I　can　handle　the　loan；　it　won't　help　me　to　get　it。　　Other　people　have　done　that。　　I　have　to　have　friendsinfluence。　　You　know　how　it　is。〃

〃Them　things；〃　Butler　said；　〃is　easy　enough　if　you　know　the　right　parties　to　approach。　　Now　there's　Jimmy　Oliverhe　ought　to　know　something　about　that。〃　　Jimmy　Oliver　was　the　whilom　district　attorney　serving　at　this　time；　and　incidentally　free　adviser　to　Mr。　Butler　in　many　ways。　　He　was　also；　accidentally；　a　warm　personal　friend　of　the　State　treasurer。

〃How　much　of　the　loan　do　you　want？〃

〃Five　million。〃

〃Five　million！〃　Butler　sat　up。　　〃Man；　what　are　you　talking　about？　That's　a　good　deal　of　money。　　Where　are　you　going　to　sell　all　that？〃

〃I　want　to　bid　for　five　million；〃　assuaged　Cowperwood；　softly。　　〃I　only　want　one　million　but　I　want　the　prestige　of　putting　in　a　bona　fide　bid　for　five　million。　　It　will　do　me　good　on　the　street。〃

Butler　sank　back　somewhat　relieved。

〃Five　million！　Prestige！　You　want　one　million。　　Well；　now；　that's　different。　　That's　not　such　a　bad　idea。　　We　ought　to　be　able　to　get　that。〃

He　rubbed　his　chin　some　more　and　stared　into　the　fire。

And　Cowperwood　felt　confident　when　he　left　the　house　that　evening　that　Butler　would　not　fail　him　but　would　set　the　wheels　working。　Therefore；　he　was　not　surprised；　and　knew　exactly　what　it　meant；　when　a　few　days　later　he　was　introduced　to　City　Treasurer　Julian　Bode；　who　promised　to　introduce　him　to　State　Treasurer　Van　Nostrand　and　to　see　that　his　claims　to　consideration　were　put　before　the　people。　　〃Of　course；　you　know；〃　he　said　to　Cowperwood；　in　the　presence　of　Butler；　for　it　was　at　the　latter's　home　that　the　conference　took　place；　〃this　banking　crowd　is　very　powerful。　　You　know　who　they　are。　　They　don't　want　any　interference　in　this　bond　issue　business。　　I　was　talking　to　Terrence　Relihan；　who　represents　them　up　there〃meaning　Harrisburg；　the　State　capital〃and　he　says　they　won't　stand　for　it　at　all。　　You　may　have　trouble　right　here　in　Philadelphia　after　you　get　itthey're　pretty　powerful；　you　know。　　Are　you　sure　just　where　you　can　place　it？〃

〃Yes；　I'm　sure；〃　replied　Cowperwood。

〃Well；　the　best　thing　in　my　judgment　is　not　to　say　anything　at　all。　　Just　put　in　your　bid。　　Van　Nostrand；　with　the　governor's　approval；　will　make　the　award。　　We　can　fix　the　governor；　I　think。　After　you　get　it　they　may　talk　to　you　personally；　but　that's　your　business。〃

Cowperwood　smiled　his　inscrutable　smile。　　There　were　so　many　ins　and　outs　to　this　financial　life。　　It　was　an　endless　network　of　underground　holes；　along　which　all　sorts　of　influences　were　moving。　A　little　wit；　a　little　nimbleness；　a　little　luck…time　and　opportunitythese　sometimes　availed。　　Here　he　was；　through　his　ambition　to　get　on；　and　nothing　else；　coming　into　contact　with　the　State　treasurer　and　the　governor。　　They　were　going　to　consider　his　case　personally；　because　he　demanded　that　it　be　considerednothing　more。　　Others　more　influential　than　himself　had　quite　as　much　right　to　a　share；　but　they　didn't　take　it。　　Nerve；　ideas；　aggressiveness；　how　these　counted　when　one　had　luck！

He　went　away　thinking　how　surprised　Drexel　&　Co。　and　Cooke　&　Co。　would　be　to　see　him　appearing　in　the　field　as　a　competitor。　　In　his　home；　in　a　little　room　on　the　second　floor　next　his　bedroom；　which　he　had　fixed　up　as　an　office　with　a　desk；　a　safe；　and　a　leather　chair；　he　consulted　his　resources。　　There　were　so　many　things　to　think　of。　　He　went　over　again　the　list　of　people　whom　he　had　seen　and　whom　he　could　count　on　to　subscribe；　and　in　so　far　as　that　was　concernedthe　award　of　one　million　dollarshe　was　safe。　　He　figured　to　make　two　per　cent。　on　the　total　transaction；　or　twenty　thousand　dollars。　　If　he　did　he　was　going　to　buy　a　house　out　on　Girard　Avenue　beyond　the　Butlers'；　or；　better　yet；　buy　a　piece　of　ground　and　erect　one；　mortgaging　house　and　property　so　to　do。　　His　father　was　prospering　nicely。　　He　might　want　to　build　a　house　next　to　him；　and　they　could　live　side　by　side。　　His　own　business；　aside　from　this　deal；　would　yield　him　ten　thousand　dollars　this　year。　　His　street…car　investments；　aggregating　fifty　thousand；　were　paying　six　per　cent。　　His　wife's　property；　represented　by　this　house；　some　government　bonds；　and　some　real　estate　in　West　Philadelphia　amounted　to　forty　thousand　more。　Between　them　they　were　rich；　but　he　expected　to　be　much　richer。　All　he　needed　now　was　to　keep　cool。　　If　he　succeeded　in　this　bond…issue　matter；　he　could　do　it　again　and　on　a　larger　scale。　There　would　be　more　issues。　　He　turned　out　the　light　after　a　while　and　went　into　his　wife's　boudoir；　where　she　was　sleeping。　　The　nurse　and　the　children　were　in　a　room　beyond。

〃Well；　Lillian；〃　he　observed；　when　she　awoke　and　turned　over　toward　him；　〃I　think　I　have　that　bond　matter　that　I　was　telling　you　about　arranged　at　last。　　I　think　I'll　get　a　million　of　it；　anyhow。　That'll　mean　twenty　thousand。　　If　I　do　we'll　build　out　on　Girard　Avenue。　　That's　going　to　be　the　street。　　The　college　is　making　that　neighborhood。〃

〃That'll　be　fine；　won't　it；　Frank！〃　she　observed；　and　rubbed　his　arm　as　he　sat　on　the　side　of　the　bed。

Her　remark　was　vaguely　speculative。

〃We'll　have　to　show　the　Butlers　some　attention　from　now　on。　　He's　been　very　nice　to　me　and　he's　going　to　be　usefulI　can　see　that。　He　asked　me　to　bring　you　over　some　time。　　We　must　go。　　Be　nice　to　his　wife。　　He　can　do　a　lot　for　me　if　he　wants　to。　　He　has　two　daughters；　too。　　We'll　have　to　have　them　over　here。〃

〃I'll　have　them　to　dinner　sometime；〃　she　agreed　cheerfully　and　helpfully；　〃and　I'll　stop　and　take　Mrs。　Butler　driving　if　she'll　go；　or　she　can　take　me。〃

She　had　already　learned　that　the　Butlers　were　rather　showythe　younger　generationthat　they　were　sensitive　as　to　their　lineage；　and　that　money　in　their　estimation　was　supposed　to　make　up　for　any　deficiency　in　any　other　respect。　　〃Butler　himself　is　a　very　presentable　man；〃　Cowperwood　had　once　remarked　to　her；　〃but　Mrs。　Butlerwell；　she's　all　right；　but　she's　a　little　commonplace。　She's　a　fine　woman；　though；　I　think；　good…natured　and　good…hearted。〃　He　cautioned　her　not　to　overlook　Aileen　and　Norah；　because　the　Butlers；　mother　and　father；　were　very　proud　of　them。

Mrs。　Cowperwood　at　this　time　was　thirty…two　years　old；　Cowperwood　twenty…seven。　　The　birth　and　care　of　two　children　had　made　some　difference　in　her　looks。　　She　was　no　longer　as　softly　pleasing；　more　angular。　　Her　face　was　hollow…cheeked；　like　so　many　of　Rossetti's　and　Burne…Jones's　women。　　Her　health　was　really　not　as　good　as　it　had　beenthe　care　of　two　children　and　a　late　undiagnosed　tendency　toward　gastritis　having　reduced　her。　　In　short　she　was　a　little　run　down　nervously　and　suffered　from　fits　of　depression。　　Cowperwood　had　noticed　this。　　He　tried　to　be　gentle　and　considerate；　but　he　was　too　much　of　a　utilitarian　and　practical…minded　observer　not　to　realize　that　he　was　likely　to　have　a　sickly　wife　on　his　hands　later。　　Sympathy　and　affection　were　great　things；　but　desire　and　charm　must　endure　or　one　was　compelled　to　be　sadly　conscious　of　their　loss。　　So　often　now　he　saw　young　girls　who　were　quite　in　his　mood；　and　who　were　exceedingly　robust　and　joyous。　　It　was　fine；　advisable；　practical；　to　adhere　to　the　virtues　as　laid　down　in　the　current　social　lexicon；　but　if　you　had　a　sickly　wife　　And　anyhow；　was　a　man　entitled　to　only　one　wife？　Must　he　never　look　at　another　woman？　Supposing　he　found　some　one？　He　pondered　those　things　between　hours　of　labor；　and　concluded　that　it　did　not　make　so　much　difference。　　If　a　man　could；　and　not　be　exposed；　it　was　all　right。　　He　had　to　be　careful；　though。　　Tonight；　as　he　sat　on　the　side　of　his　wife's　bed；　he　was　thinking　somewhat　of　this；　for　he　had　seen　Aileen　Butler　again；　playing　and　singing　at　her　piano　as　he　passed　the　parlor　door。　She　was　like　a　bright　bird　radiating　health　and　enthusiasma　reminder　of　youth　in　general。

〃It's　a　strange　world；〃　he　thought；　but　his　thoughts　were　his　own；　and　he　didn't　propose　to　tell　any　one　about　them。

The　bond　issue；　when　it　came；　was　a　curious　compromise；　for；　although　it　netted　him　his　twenty　thousand　dollars　and　more　and　served　to　introduce　him　to　the　financial　notice　of　Philadelphia　and　the　State　of　Pennsylvania；　it　did　not　permit　him　to　manipulate　the　subscriptions　as　he　had　planned。　　The　State　treasurer　was　seen　by　him　at　the　office　of　a　local　lawyer　of　great　repute；　where　he　worked　when　in　the　city。　　He　was　gracious　to　Cowperwood；　because　he　had　to　be。　　He　explained　to　him　just　how　things　were　regulated　at　Harrisburg。　　The　big　financiers　were　looked　to　for　campaign　funds。　　They　were　represented　by　henchmen　in　the　State　assembly　and　senate。　　The　governor　and　the　treasurer　were　foot…free；　but　there　were　oth