the financier-第46节

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〃Things　look　rather　dark　to…night；　Mr。　Butler；〃　he　said；　smartly；　〃but　I　still　think　I'll　come　through。　　I　hope　so；　anyhow。　　I'm　sorry　to　have　put　you　to　so　much　trouble。　　I　wish；　of　course；　that　you　gentlemen　could　see　your　way　clear　to　assist　me；　but　if　you　can't；　you　can't。　　I　have　a　number　of　things　that　I　can　do。　　I　hope　that　you　will　leave　your　loan　as　long　as　you　can。〃

He　went　briskly　out；　and　Butler　meditated。　　〃A　clever　young　chap　that；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　too　bad。　　But　he　may　come　out　all　right　at　that。〃

Cowperwood　hurried　to　his　own　home　only　to　find　his　father　awake　and　brooding。　　To　him　he　talked　with　that　strong　vein　of　sympathy　and　understanding　which　is　usually　characteristic　of　those　drawn　by　ties　of　flesh　and　blood。　　He　liked　his　father。　　He　sympathized　with　his　painstaking　effort　to　get　up　in　the　world。　　He　could　not　forget　that　as　a　boy　he　had　had　the　loving　sympathy　and　interest　of　his　father。　　The　loan　which　he　had　from　the　Third　National；　on　somewhat　weak　Union　Street　Railway　shares　he　could　probably　replace　if　stocks　did　not　drop　too　tremendously。　　He　must　replace　this　at　all　costs。　　But　his　father's　investments　in　street…railways；　which　had　risen　with　his　own　ventures；　and　which　now　involved　an　additional　two　hundred　thousandhow　could　he　protect　those？　The　shares　were　hypothecated　and　the　money　was　used　for　other　things。　Additional　collateral　would　have　to　be　furnished　the　several　banks　carrying　them。　　It　was　nothing　except　loans；　loans；　loans；　and　the　need　of　protecting　them。　　If　he　could　only　get　an　additional　deposit　of　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　from　Stener。　　But　that；　in　the　face　of　possible　financial　difficulties；　was　rank　criminality。　All　depended　on　the　morrow。

Monday；　the　ninth；　dawned　gray　and　cheerless。　　He　was　up　with　the　first　ray　of　light；　shaved　and　dressed；　and　went　over；　under　the　gray…green　pergola；　to　his　father's　house。　　He　was　up；　also；　and　stirring　about；　for　he　had　not　been　able　to　sleep。　　His　gray　eyebrows　and　gray　hair　looked　rather　shaggy　and　disheveled；　and　his　side…whiskers　anything　but　decorative。　　The　old　gentleman's　eyes　were　tired；　and　his　face　was　gray。　　Cowperwood　could　see　that　he　was　worrying。　　He　looked　up　from　a　small；　ornate　escritoire　of　buhl；　which　Ellsworth　had　found　somewhere；　and　where　he　was　quietly　tabulating　a　list　of　his　resources　and　liabilities。　　Cowperwood　winced。　　He　hated　to　see　his　father　worried；　but　he　could　not　help　it。　　He　had　hoped　sincerely；　when　they　built　their　houses　together；　that　the　days　of　worry　for　his　father　had　gone　forever。

〃Counting　up？〃　he　asked；　familiarly；　with　a　smile。　　He　wanted　to　hearten　the　old　gentleman　as　much　as　possible。

〃I　was　just　running　over　my　affairs　again　to　see　where　I　stood　in　case〃　He　looked　quizzically　at　his　son；　and　Frank　smiled　again。

〃I　wouldn't　worry；　father。　　I　told　you　how　I　fixed　it　so　that　Butler　and　that　crowd　will　support　the　market。　　I　have　Rivers　and　Targool　and　Harry　Eltinge　on　'change　helping　me　sell　out；　and　they　are　the　best　men　there。　　They'll　handle　the　situation　carefully。　　I　couldn't　trust　Ed　or　Joe　in　this　case；　for　the　moment　they　began　to　sell　everybody　would　know　what　was　going　on　with　me。　　This　way　my　men　will　seem　like　bears　hammering　the　market；　but　not　hammering　too　hard。　　I　ought　to　be　able　to　unload　enough　at　ten　points　off　to　raise　five　hundred　thousand。　　The　market　may　not　go　lower　than　that。　　You　can't　tell。　　It　isn't　going　to　sink　indefinitely。　　If　I　just　knew　what　the　big　insurance　companies　were　going　to　do！　The　morning　paper　hasn't　come　yet；　has　it？〃

He　was　going　to　pull　a　bell；　but　remembered　that　the　servants　would　scarcely　be　up　as　yet。　　He　went　to　the　front　door　himself。　There　were　the　Press　and　the　Public　Ledger　lying　damp　from　the　presses。　　He　picked　them　up　and　glanced　at　the　front　pages。　　His　countenance　fell。　　On　one；　the　Press；　was　spread　a　great　black　map　of　Chicago；　a　most　funereal…looking　thing；　the　black　portion　indicating　the　burned　section。　　He　had　never　seen　a　map　of　Chicago　before　in　just　this　clear；　definite　way。　　That　white　portion　was　Lake　Michigan；　and　there　was　the　Chicago　River　dividing　the　city　into　three　almost　equal　portionsthe　north　side；　the　west　side；　the　south　side。　　He　saw　at　once　that　the　city　was　curiously　arranged；　somewhat　like　Philadelphia；　and　that　the　business　section　was　probably　an　area　of　two　or　three　miles　square；　set　at　the　juncture　of　the　three　sides；　and　lying　south　of　the　main　stem　of　the　river；　where　it　flowed　into　the　lake　after　the　southwest　and　northwest　branches　had　united　to　form　it。　　This　was　a　significant　central　area；　but；　according　to　this　map；　it　was　all　burned　out。　　〃Chicago　in　Ashes〃　ran　a　great　side…heading　set　in　heavily　leaded　black　type。　　It　went　on　to　detail　the　sufferings　of　the　homeless；　the　number　of　the　dead；　the　number　of　those　whose　fortunes　had　been　destroyed。　　Then　it　descanted　upon　the　probable　effect　in　the　East。　Insurance　companies　and　manufacturers　might　not　be　able　to　meet　the　great　strain　of　all　this。

〃Damn！〃　said　Cowperwood　gloomily。　　〃I　wish　I　were　out　of　this　stock…jobbing　business。　　I　wish　I　had　never　gotten　into　it。〃　　He　returned　to　his　drawing…room　and　scanned　both　accounts　most　carefully。

Then；　though　it　was　still　early；　he　and　his　father　drove　to　his　office。　　There　were　already　messages　awaiting　him；　a　dozen　or　more；　to　cancel　or　sell。　　While　he　was　standing　there　a　messenger…boy　brought　him　three　more。　　One　was　from　Stener　and　said　that　he　would　be　back　by　twelve　o'clock；　the　very　earliest　he　could　make　it。　Cowperwood　was　relieved　and　yet　distressed。　　He　would　need　large　sums　of　money　to　meet　various　loans　before　three。　　Every　hour　was　precious。　　He　must　arrange　to　meet　Stener　at　the　station　and　talk　to　him　before　any　one　else　should　see　him。　　Clearly　this　was　going　to　be　a　hard；　dreary；　strenuous　day。

Third　Street；　by　the　time　he　reached　there；　was　stirring　with　other　bankers　and　brokers　called　forth　by　the　exigencies　of　the　occasion。　There　was　a　suspicious　hurrying　of　feetthat　intensity　which　makes　all　the　difference　in　the　world　between　a　hundred　people　placid　and　a　hundred　people　disturbed。　　At　the　exchange；　the　atmosphere　was　feverish。　　At　the　sound　of　the　gong；　the　staccato　uproar　began。　Its　metallic　vibrations　were　still　in　the　air　when　the　two　hundred　men　who　composed　this　local　organization　at　its　utmost　stress　of　calculation；　threw　themselves　upon　each　other　in　a　gibbering　struggle　to　dispose　of　or　seize　bargains　of　the　hour。　　The　interests　were　so　varied　that　it　was　impossible　to　say　at　which　pole　it　was　best　to　sell　or　buy。

Targool　and　Rivers　had　been　delegated　to　stay　at　the　center　of　things；　Joseph　and　Edward　to　hover　around　on　the　outside　and　to　pick　up　such　opportunities　of　selling　as　might　offer　a　reasonable　return　on　the　stock。　　The　〃bears〃　were　determined　to　jam　things　down；　and　it　all　depended　on　how　well　the　agents　of　Mollenhauer；　Simpson；　Butler；　and　others　supported　things　in　the　street…railway　world　whether　those　stocks　retained　any　strength　or　not。　　The　last　thing　Butler　had　said　the　night　before　was　that　they　would　do　the　best　they　could。　　They　would　buy　up　to　a　certain　point。　　Whether　they　would　support　the　market　indefinitely　he　would　not　say。　　He　could　not　vouch　for　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson。　　Nor　did　he　know　the　condition　of　their　affairs。

While　the　excitement　was　at　its　highest　Cowperwood　came　in。　　As　he　stood　in　the　door　looking　to　catch　the　eye　of　Rivers；　the　'change　gong　sounded；　and　trading　stopped。　　All　the　brokers　and　traders　faced　about　to　the　little　balcony；　where　the　secretary　of　the　'change　made　his　announcements；　and　there　he　stood；　the　door　open　behind　him；　a　small；　dark；　clerkly　man　of　thirty…eight　or　forty；　whose　spare　figure　and　pale　face　bespoke　the　methodic　mind　that　knows　no　venturous　thought。　　In　his　right　hand　he　held　a　slip　of　white　paper。

〃The　American　Fire　Insurance　Company　of　Boston　announces　its　inability　to　meet　its　obligations。〃　　The　gong　sounded　again。

Immediately　the　storm　broke　anew；　more　voluble　than　before；　because；　if　after　one　hour　of　investigation　on　this　Monday　morning　one　insurance　company　had　gone　down；　what　would　four　or　five　hours　or　a　day　or　two　bring　forth？　It　meant　that　men　who　had　been　burned　out　in　Chicago　would　not　be　able　to　resume　business。　　It　meant　that　all　loans　connected　with　this　concern　had　been；　or　would　be　called　now。　　And　the　cries　of　frightened　〃bulls〃　offering　thousand　and　five　thousand　lot　holdings　in　Northern　Pacific；　Illinois　Central；　Reading；　Lake　Shore；　Wabash；　in　all　the　local　streetcar　lines；　and　in　Cowperwood's　city　loans　at　constantly　falling　prices　was　sufficient　to　take　the　heart　out　of　all　concerned。　　He　hurried　to　Arthur　Rivers's　side　in　the　lull；　but　there　was　little　he　could　say。

〃It　looks　as　though　the　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　crowds　aren't　doing　much　for　the　market；〃　he　observed；　gravely。

〃They've　had　advices　from　New　York；〃　explained　Rivers　solemnly。　〃It　can't　be　supported　very　well。　　There　are　three　insurance　companies　over　there　on　the　verge　of　quitting；　I　understand。　　I　expect　to　see　them　posted　any　minute。〃

They　stepped　apart　from　the　pandemonium；　to　discuss　ways　and　means。　Under　his　agreement　with　Stener；　Cowperwood　could　buy　up