the financier-第34节

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you。〃

〃Indeed；　they　do。〃　　Her　vanity　prinked　slightly　at　this。

〃They　would　probably　want　to　kill　me；　and　very　promptly；　for　just　this　much。　　What　do　you　think　they　would　want　to　do　ifwell；　if　anything　should　happen；　some　time？〃

He　waited；　watching　her　pretty　face。

〃But　nothing　need　happen。　　We　needn't　go　any　further。〃

〃Aileen！〃

〃I　won't　look　at　you。　　You　needn't　ask。　　I　can't。〃

〃Aileen！　Do　you　mean　that？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　Don't　ask　me；　Frank。〃

〃You　know　it　can't　stop　this　way；　don't　you？　You　know　it。　　This　isn't　the　end。　　Now；　if〃　He　explained　the　whole　theory　of　illicit　meetings；　calmly；　dispassionately。　　〃You　are　perfectly　safe；　except　for　one　thing；　chance　exposure。　　It　might　just　so　happen；　and　then；　of　course；　there　would　be　a　great　deal　to　settle　for。　　Mrs。　Cowperwood　would　never　give　me　a　divorce；　she　has　no　reason　to。　　If　I　should　clean　up　in　the　way　I　hope　toif　I　should　make　a　millionI　wouldn't　mind　knocking　off　now。　　I　don't　expect　to　work　all　my　days。　　I　have　always　planned　to　knock　off　at　thirty…five。　　I'll　have　enough　by　that　time。　　Then　I　want　to　travel。　It　will　only　be　a　few　more　years　now。　　If　you　were　freeif　your　father　and　mother　were　dead〃curiously　she　did　not　wince　at　this　practical　reference〃it　would　be　a　different　matter。〃

He　paused。　　She　still　gazed　thoughtfully　at　the　water　below；　her　mind　running　out　to　a　yacht　on　the　sea　with　him；　a　palace　somewhere　just　they　two。　　Her　eyes；　half　closed；　saw　this　happy　world；　and；　listening　to　him；　she　was　fascinated。

〃Hanged　if　I　see　the　way　out　of　this；　exactly。　　But　I　love　you！〃　He　caught　her　to　him。　　〃I　love　youlove　you！〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　she　replied　intensely；　〃I　want　you　to。　　I'm　not　afraid。〃

〃I've　taken　a　house　in　North　Tenth　Street；〃　he　said　finally；　as　they　walked　over　to　the　horses　and　mounted　them。　　〃It　isn't　furnished　yet；　but　it　will　be　soon。　　I　know　a　woman　who　will　take　charge。〃

〃Who　is　she？〃

〃An　interesting　widow　of　nearly　fifty。　　Very　intelligentshe　is　attractive；　and　knows　a　good　deal　of　life。　　I　found　her　through　an　advertisement。　　You　might　call　on　her　some　afternoon　when　things　are　arranged；　and　look　the　place　over。　　You　needn't　meet　her　except　in　a　casual　way。　　Will　you？〃

She　rode　on；　thinking；　making　no　reply。　　He　was　so　direct　and　practical　in　his　calculations。

〃Will　you？　It　will　be　all　right。　　You　might　know　her。　　She　isn't　objectionable　in　any　way。　　Will　you？〃

〃Let　me　know　when　it　is　ready；〃　was　all　she　said　finally。





Chapter　XXI




The　vagaries　of　passion！　Subtleties！　Risks！　What　sacrifices　are　not　laid　willfully　upon　its　altar！　In　a　little　while　this　more　than　average　residence　to　which　Cowperwood　had　referred　was　prepared　solely　to　effect　a　satisfactory　method　of　concealment。　The　house　was　governed　by　a　seemingly　recently…bereaved　widow；　and　it　was　possible　for　Aileen　to　call　without　seeming　strangely　out　of　place。　　In　such　surroundings；　and　under　such　circumstances；　it　was　not　difficult　to　persuade　her　to　give　herself　wholly　to　her　lover；　governed　as　she　was　by　her　wild　and　unreasoning　affection　and　passion。　　In　a　way；　there　was　a　saving　element　of　love；　for　truly；　above　all　others；　she　wanted　this　man。　　She　had　no　thought　or　feeling　toward　any　other。　　All　her　mind　ran　toward　visions　of　the　future；　when；　somehow；　she　and　he　might　be　together　for　all　time。　　Mrs。　Cowperwood　might　die；　or　he　might　run　away　with　her　at　thirty…five　when　he　had　a　million。　　Some　adjustment　would　be　made；　somehow。　　Nature　had　given　her　this　man。　　She　relied　on　him　implicitly。　　When　he　told　her　that　he　would　take　care　of　her　so　that　nothing　evil　should　befall；　she　believed　him　fully。　　Such　sins　are　the　commonplaces　of　the　confessional。

It　is　a　curious　fact　that　by　some　subtlety　of　logic　in　the　Christian　world；　it　has　come　to　be　believed　that　there　can　be　no　love　outside　the　conventional　process　of　courtship　and　marriage。　　One　life；　one　love；　is　the　Christian　idea；　and　into　this　sluice　or　mold　it　has　been　endeavoring　to　compress　the　whole　world。　　Pagan　thought　held　no　such　belief。　　A　writing　of　divorce　for　trivial　causes　was　the　theory　of　the　elders；　and　in　the　primeval　world　nature　apparently　holds　no　scheme　for　the　unity　of　two　beyond　the　temporary　care　of　the　young。　　That　the　modern　home　is　the　most　beautiful　of　schemes；　when　based　upon　mutual　sympathy　and　understanding　between　two；　need　not　be　questioned。　　And　yet　this　fact　should　not　necessarily　carry　with　it　a　condemnation　of　all　love　not　so　fortunate　as　to　find　so　happy　a　denouement。　　Life　cannot　be　put　into　any　mold；　and　the　attempt　might　as　well　be　abandoned　at　once。　　Those　so　fortunate　as　to　find　harmonious　companionship　for　life　should　congratulate　themselves　and　strive　to　be　worthy　of　it。　　Those　not　so　blessed；　though　they　be　written　down　as　pariahs；　have　yet　some　justification。　And；　besides；　whether　we　will　or　not；　theory　or　no　theory；　the　basic　facts　of　chemistry　and　physics　remain。　　Like　is　drawn　to　like。　Changes　in　temperament　bring　changes　in　relationship。　　Dogma　may　bind　some　minds；　fear；　others。　　But　there　are　always　those　in　whom　the　chemistry　and　physics　of　life　are　large；　and　in　whom　neither　dogma　nor　fear　is　operative。　　Society　lifts　its　hands　in　horror；　but　from　age　to　age　the　Helens；　the　Messalinas；　the　Du　Barrys；　the　Pompadours；　the　Maintenons；　and　the　Nell　Gwyns　flourish　and　point　a　freer　basis　of　relationship　than　we　have　yet　been　able　to　square　with　our　lives。

These　two　felt　unutterably　bound　to　each　other。　　Cowperwood；　once　he　came　to　understand　her；　fancied　that　he　had　found　the　one　person　with　whom　he　could　live　happily　the　rest　of　his　life。　　She　was　so　young；　so　confident；　so　hopeful；　so　undismayed。　　All　these　months　since　they　had　first　begun　to　reach　out　to　each　other　he　had　been　hourly　contrasting　her　with　his　wife。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　dissatisfaction；　though　it　may　be　said　to　have　been　faint　up　to　this　time；　was　now　surely　tending　to　become　real　enough。　　Still；　his　children　were　pleasing　to　him；　his　home　beautiful。　　Lillian；　phlegmatic　and　now　thin；　was　still　not　homely。　　All　these　years　he　had　found　her　satisfactory　enough；　but　now　his　dissatisfaction　with　her　began　to　increase。　　She　was　not　like　Aileennot　young；　not　vivid；　not　as　unschooled　in　the　commonplaces　of　life。　　And　while　ordinarily；　he　was　not　one　who　was　inclined　to　be　querulous；　still　now　on　occasion；　he　could　be。　　He　began　by　asking　questions　concerning　his　wife's　appearanceirritating　little　whys　which　are　so　trivial　and　yet　so　exasperating　and　discouraging　to　a　woman。　　Why　didn't　she　get　a　mauve　hat　nearer　the　shade　of　her　dress？　Why　didn't　she　go　out　more？　Exercise　would　do　her　good。　Why　didn't　she　do　this；　and　why　didn't　she　do　that？　He　scarcely　noticed　that　he　was　doing　this；　but　she　did；　and　she　felt　the　undertonethe　real　significanceand　took　umbrage。

〃Oh；　whywhy？〃　she　retorted；　one　day；　curtly。　　〃Why　do　you　ask　so　many　questions？　You　don't　care　so　much　for　me　any　more；　that's　why。　　I　can　tell。〃

He　leaned　back　startled　by　the　thrust。　　It　had　not　been　based　on　any　evidence　of　anything　save　his　recent　remarks；　but　he　was　not　absolutely　sure。　　He　was　just　the　least　bit　sorry　that　he　had　irritated　her；　and　he　said　so。

〃Oh；　it's　all　right；〃　she　replied。　　〃I　don't　care。　　But　I　notice　that　you　don't　pay　as　much　attention　to　me　as　you　used　to。　　It's　your　business　now；　first；　last；　and　all　the　time。　　You　can't　get　your　mind　off　of　that。〃

He　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief。　　She　didn't　suspect；　then。

But　after　a　little　time；　as　he　grew　more　and　more　in　sympathy　with　Aileen；　he　was　not　so　disturbed　as　to　whether　his　wife　might　suspect　or　not。　　He　began　to　think　on　occasion；　as　his　mind　followed　the　various　ramifications　of　the　situation；　that　it　would　be　better　if　she　did。　　She　was　really　not　of　the　contentious　fighting　sort。　He　now　decided　because　of　various　calculations　in　regard　to　her　character　that　she　might　not　offer　as　much　resistance　to　some　ultimate　rearrangement；　as　he　had　originally　imagined。　　She　might　even　divorce　him。　　Desire；　dreams；　even　in　him　were　evoking　calculations　not　as　sound　as　those　which　ordinarily　generated　in　his　brain。

No；　as　he　now　said　to　himself；　the　rub　was　not　nearly　so　much　in　his　own　home；　as　it　was　in　the　Butler　family。　　His　relations　with　Edward　Malia　Butler　had　become　very　intimate。　　He　was　now　advising　with　him　constantly　in　regard　to　the　handling　of　his　securities；　which　were　numerous。　　Butler　held　stocks　in　such　things　as　the　Pennsylvania　Coal　Company；　the　Delaware　and　Hudson　Canal；　the　Morris　and　Essex　Canal；　the　Reading　Railroad。　　As　the　old　gentleman's　mind　had　broadened　to　the　significance　of　the　local　street…railway　problem　in　Philadelphia；　he　had　decided　to　close　out　his　other　securities　at　such　advantageous　terms　as　he　could；　and　reinvest　the　money　in　local　lines。　　He　knew　that　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　were　doing　this；　and　they　were　excellent　judges　of　the　significance　of　local　affairs。　　Like　Cowperwood；　he　had　the　idea　that　if　he　controlled　sufficient　of　the　local　situation　in　this　field；　he　could　at　last　effect　a　joint　relationship　with　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson。　　Political　legislation；　advantageous　to　the　combined　lines；　could　then　be　so　easily　secured。　　Franchises　and　necessary　extensions　to　existi