the financier-第44节

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ious　to　save　himself　and　do　the　square　thing　by　meby　us；　if　he　can。〃　Butler　paused。

Mollenhauer；　sly　and　secretive　himself；　was　apparently　not　at　all　moved　by　this　unexpected　development。　　At　the　same　time；　never　having　thought　of　Stener　as　having　any　particular　executive　or　financial　ability；　he　was　a　little　stirred　and　curious。　　So　his　treasurer　was　using　money　without　his　knowing　it；　and　now　stood　in　danger　of　being　prosecuted！　Cowperwood　he　knew　of　only　indirectly；　as　one　who　had　been　engaged　to　handle　city　loan。　　He　had　profited　by　his　manipulation　of　city　loan。　　Evidently　the　banker　had　made　a　fool　of　Stener；　and　had　used　the　money　for　street…railway　shares！　He　and　Stener　must　have　quite　some　private　holdings　then。　　That　did　interest　Mollenhauer　greatly。

〃Five　hundred　thousand　dollars！〃　he　repeated；　when　Butler　had　finished。　　〃That　is　quite　a　little　money。　　If　merely　supporting　the　market　would　save　Cowperwood　we　might　do　that；　although　if　it's　a　severe　panic　I　do　not　see　how　anything　we　can　do　will　be　of　very　much　assistance　to　him。　　If　he's　in　a　very　tight　place　and　a　severe　slump　is　coming；　it　will　take　a　great　deal　more　than　our　merely　supporting　the　market　to　save　him。　　I've　been　through　that　before。　　You　don't　know　what　his　liabilities　are？〃

〃I　do　not；〃　said　Butler。

〃He　didn't　ask　for　money；　you　say？〃

〃He　wants　me　to　l'ave　a　hundred　thousand　he　has　of　mine　until　he　sees　whether　he　can　get　through　or　not。〃

〃Stener　is　really　out　of　town；　I　suppose？〃　Mollenhauer　was　innately　suspicious。

〃So　Cowperwood　says。　　We　can　send　and　find　out。〃

Mollenhauer　was　thinking　of　the　various　aspects　of　the　case。　Supporting　the　market　would　be　all　very　well　if　that　would　save　Cowperwood；　and　the　Republican　party　and　his　treasurer。　　At　the　same　time　Stener　could　then　be　compelled　to　restore　the　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　to　the　city　treasury；　and　release　his　holdings　to　some　onepreferably　to　himMollenhauer。　　But　here　was　Butler　also　to　be　considered　in　this　matter。　　What　might　he　not　want？　He　consulted　with　Butler　and　learned　that　Cowperwood　had　agreed　to　return　the　five　hundred　thousand　in　case　he　could　get　it　together。　　The　various　street…car　holdings　were　not　asked　after。　　But　what　assurance　had　any　one　that　Cowperwood　could　be　so　saved？　And　could；　or　would　get　the　money　together？　And　if　he　were　saved　would　he　give　the　money　back　to　Stener？　If　he　required　actual　money；　who　would　loan　it　to　him　in　a　time　like　thisin　case　a　sharp　panic　was　imminent？　What　security　could　he　give？　On　the　other　hand；　under　pressure　from　the　right　parties　he　might　be　made　to　surrender　all　his　street…railway　holdings　for　a　songhis　and　Stener's。　　If　he　（Mollenhauer）　could　get　them　he　would　not　particularly　care　whether　the　election　was　lost　this　fall　or　not；　although　he　felt　satisfied；　as　had　Owen；　that　it　would　not　be　lost。　It　could　be　bought；　as　usual。　　The　defalcationif　Cowperwood's　failure　made　Stener's　loan　into　onecould　be　concealed　long　enough；　Mollenhauer　thought；　to　win。　　Personally　as　it　came　to　him　now　he　would　prefer　to　frighten　Stener　into　refusing　Cowperwood　additional　aid；　and　then　raid　the　latter's　street…railway　stock　in　combination　with　everybody　else's；　for　that　matterSimpson's　and　Butler's　included。　　One　of　the　big　sources　of　future　wealth　in　Philadelphia　lay　in　these　lines。　　For　the　present；　however；　he　had　to　pretend　an　interest　in　saving　the　party　at　the　polls。

〃I　can't　speak　for　the　Senator；　that's　sure；〃　pursued　Mollenhauer；　reflectively。　　〃I　don't　know　what　he　may　think。　　As　for　myself；　I　am　perfectly　willing　to　do　what　I　can　to　keep　up　the　price　of　stocks；　if　that　will　do　any　good。　　I　would　do　so　naturally　in　order　to　protect　my　loans。　　The　thing　that　we　ought　to　be　thinking　about；　in　my　judgment；　is　how　to　prevent　exposure；　in　case　Mr。　Cowperwood　does　fail；　until　after　election。　　We　have　no　assurance；　of　course；　that　however　much　we　support　the　market　we　will　be　able　to　sustain　it。〃

〃We　have　not；〃　replied　Butler；　solemnly。

Owen　thought　he　could　see　Cowperwood's　approaching　doom　quite　plainly。　　At　that　moment　the　door…bell　rang。　　A　maid；　in　the　absence　of　the　footman；　brought　in　the　name　of　Senator　Simpson。

〃Just　the　man；〃　said　Mollenhauer。　　〃Show　him　up。　　You　can　see　what　he　thinks。〃

〃Perhaps　I　had　better　leave　you　alone　now；〃　suggested　Owen　to　his　father。　　〃Perhaps　I　can　find　Miss　Caroline；　and　she　will　sing　for　me。　　I'll　wait　for　you；　father；〃　he　added。

Mollenhauer　cast　him　an　ingratiating　smile；　and　as　he　stepped　out　Senator　Simpson　walked　in。

A　more　interesting　type　of　his　kind　than　Senator　Mark　Simpson　never　flourished　in　the　State　of　Pennsylvania；　which　has　been　productive　of　interesting　types。　　Contrasted　with　either　of　the　two　men　who　now　greeted　him　warmly　and　shook　his　hand；　he　was　physically　unimpressive。　　He　was　smallfive　feet　nine　inches；　to　Mollenhauer's　six　feet　and　Butler's　five　feet　eleven　inches　and　a　half；　and　then　his　face　was　smooth；　with　a　receding　jaw。　　In　the　other　two　this　feature　was　prominent。　　Nor　were　his　eyes　as　frank　as　those　of　Butler；　nor　as　defiant　as　those　of　Mollenhauer；　but　for　subtlety　they　were　unmatched　by　eitherdeep；　strange；　receding；　cavernous　eyes　which　contemplated　you　as　might　those　of　a　cat　looking　out　of　a　dark　hole；　and　suggesting　all　the　artfulness　that　has　ever　distinguished　the　feline　family。　　He　had　a　strange　mop　of　black　hair　sweeping　down　over　a　fine；　low；　white　forehead；　and　a　skin　as　pale　and　bluish　as　poor　health　might　make　it；　but　there　was；　nevertheless；　resident　here　a　strange；　resistant；　capable　force　that　ruled　menthe　subtlety　with　which　he　knew　how　to　feed　cupidity　with　hope　and　gain　and　the　ruthlessness　with　which　he　repaid　those　who　said　him　nay。　　He　was　a　still　man；　as　such　a　man　might　well　have　beenfeeble　and　fish…like　in　his　handshake；　wan　and　slightly　lackadaisical　in　his　smile；　but　speaking　always　with　eyes　that　answered　for　every　defect。

〃Av'nin'；　Mark；　I'm　glad　to　see　you；〃　was　Butler's　greeting。

〃How　are　you；　Edward？〃　came　the　quiet　reply。

〃Well；　Senator；　you're　not　looking　any　the　worse　for　wear。　　Can　I　pour　you　something？〃

〃Nothing　to…night；　Henry；〃　replied　Simpson。　　〃I　haven't　long　to　stay。　　I　just　stopped　by　on　my　way　home。　　My　wife's　over　here　at　the　Cavanaghs'；　and　I　have　to　stop　by　to　fetch　her。〃

〃Well；　it's　a　good　thing　you　dropped　in；　Senator；　just　when　you　did；〃　began　Mollenhauer；　seating　himself　after　his　guest。　　〃Butler　here　has　been　telling　me　of　a　little　political　problem　that　has　arisen　since　I　last　saw　you。　　I　suppose　you've　heard　that　Chicago　is　burning？〃

〃Yes；　Cavanagh　was　just　telling　me。　　It　looks　to　be　quite　serious。　I　think　the　market　will　drop　heavily　in　the　morning。〃

〃I　wouldn't　be　surprised　myself；〃　put　in　Mollenhauer；　laconically。

〃Here's　the　paper　now；〃　said　Butler；　as　John；　the　servant；　came　in　from　the　street　bearing　the　paper　in　his　hand。　　Mollenhauer　took　it　and　spread　it　out　before　them。　　It　was　among　the　earliest　of　the　〃extras〃　that　were　issued　in　this　country；　and　contained　a　rather　impressive　spread　of　type　announcing　that　the　conflagration　in　the　lake　city　was　growing　hourly　worse　since　its　inception　the　day　before。

〃Well；　that　is　certainly　dreadful；〃　said　Simpson。　　〃I'm　very　sorry　for　Chicago。　　I　have　many　friends　there。　　I　shall　hope　to　hear　that　it　is　not　so　bad　as　it　seems。〃

The　man　had　a　rather　grandiloquent　manner　which　he　never　abandoned　under　any　circumstances。

〃The　matter　that　Butler　was　telling　me　about；〃　continued　Mollenhauer；　〃has　something　to　do　with　this　in　a　way。　　You　know　the　habit　our　city　treasurers　have　of　loaning　out　their　money　at　two　per　cent。？〃

〃Yes？〃　said　Simpson；　inquiringly。

〃Well；　Mr。　Stener；　it　seems；　has　been　loaning　out　a　good　deal　of　the　city's　money　to　this　young　Cowperwood；　in　Third　Street；　who　has　been　handling　city　loans。〃

〃You　don't　say！〃　said　Simpson；　putting　on　an　air　of　surprise。　　〃Not　much；　I　hope？〃　The　Senator；　like　Butler　and　Mollenhauer；　was　profiting　greatly　by　cheap　loans　from　the　same　source　to　various　designated　city　depositories。

〃Well；　it　seems　that　Stener　has　loaned　him　as　much　as　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　if　by　any　chance　Cowperwood　shouldn't　be　able　to　weather　this　storm；　Stener　is　apt　to　be　short　that　amount；　and　that　wouldn't　look　so　good　as　a　voting　proposition　to　the　people　in　November；　do　you　think？　Cowperwood　owes　Mr。　Butler　here　one　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　because　of　that　he　came　to　see　him　to…night。　　He　wanted　Butler　to　see　if　something　couldn't　be　done　through　us　to　tide　him　over。　　If　not〃he　waved　one　hand　suggestively〃well；　he　might　fail。〃

Simpson　fingered　his　strange；　wide　mouth　with　his　delicate　hand。　〃What　have　they　been　doing　with　the　five　hundred　thousand　dollars？〃　he　asked。

〃Oh；　the　boys　must　make　a　little　somethin'　on　the　side；〃　said　Butler；　cheerfully。　　〃I　think　they've　been　buyin'　up　street…railways；　for　one　thing。〃　　He　stuck　his　thumbs　in　the　armholes　of　his　vest。　Both　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　smiled　wan　smiles。

〃Quite　so；〃　said　Mollenhauer。　　Senator　Simpson　merely　looked　the　deep　things　that　he　thought。

He；　too；　was　thinking　how　useless　it　was　for　any　one　to　approach　a　group　of　politicians　with　a　proposition　like　this；　particularly　in　a　crisis　suc