the financier-第49节

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own。　　Why；　look　at　meI've　helped　you；　haven't　I？　Haven't　I　handled　your　affairs　satisfactorily　for　you　up　to　now？　What　in　Heaven's　name　has　got　into　you？　What　have　you　to　be　afraid　of？〃

Stener　was　just　about　to　make　another　weak　rejoinder　when　the　door　from　the　outer　office　opened；　and　Albert　Stires；　Stener's　chief　clerk；　entered。　　Stener　was　too　flustered　to　really　pay　any　attention　to　Stires　for　the　moment；　but　Cowperwood　took　matters　in　his　own　hands。

〃What　is　it；　Albert？〃　he　asked；　familiarly。

〃Mr。　Sengstack　from　Mr。　Mollenhauer　to　see　Mr。　Stener。〃

At　the　sound　of　this　dreadful　name　Stener　wilted　like　a　leaf。　Cowperwood　saw　it。　　He　realized　that　his　last　hope　of　getting　the　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　was　now　probably　gone。　　Still　he　did　not　propose　to　give　up　as　yet。

〃Well；　George；〃　he　said；　after　Albert　had　gone　out　with　instructions　that　Stener　would　see　Sengstack　in　a　moment。　　〃I　see　how　it　is。　This　man　has　got　you　mesmerized。　　You　can't　act　for　yourself　now　you're　too　frightened。　　I'll　let　it　rest　for　the　present；　I'll　come　back。　　But　for　Heaven's　sake　pull　yourself　together。　　Think　what　it　means。　　I'm　telling　you　exactly　what's　going　to　happen　if　you　don't。　　You'll　be　independently　rich　if　you　do。　　You'll　be　a　convict　if　you　don't。〃

And　deciding　he　would　make　one　more　effort　in　the　street　before　seeing　Butler　again；　he　walked　out　briskly；　jumped　into　his　light　spring　runabout　waiting　outsidea　handsome　little　yellow…glazed　vehicle；　with　a　yellow　leather　cushion　seat；　drawn　by　a　young；　high…stepping　bay　mareand　sent　her　scudding　from　door　to　door；　throwing　down　the　lines　indifferently　and　bounding　up　the　steps　of　banks　and　into　office　doors。

But　all　without　avail。　　All　were　interested；　considerate；　but　things　were　very　uncertain。　　The　Girard　National　Bank　refused　an　hour's　grace；　and　he　had　to　send　a　large　bundle　of　his　most　valuable　securities　to　cover　his　stock　shrinkage　there。　　Word　came　from　his　father　at　two　that　as　president　of　the　Third　National　he　would　have　to　call　for　his　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　due　there。　The　directors　were　suspicious　of　his　stocks。　　He　at　once　wrote　a　check　against　fifty　thousand　dollars　of　his　deposits　in　that　bank；　took　twenty…five　thousand　of　his　available　office　funds；　called　a　loan　of　fifty　thousand　against　Tighe　&　Co。；　and　sold　sixty　thousand　Green　&　Coates；　a　line　he　had　been　tentatively　dabbling　in；　for　one…third　their　valueand；　combining　the　general　results；　sent　them　all　to　the　Third　National。　　His　father　was　immensely　relieved　from　one　point　of　view；　but　sadly　depressed　from　another。　　He　hurried　out　at　the　noon…hour　to　see　what　his　own　holdings　would　bring。　　He　was　compromising　himself　in　a　way　by　doing　it；　but　his　parental　heart；　as　well　as　is　own　financial　interests；　were　involved。　By　mortgaging　his　house　and　securing　loans　on　his　furniture；　carriages；　lots；　and　stocks；　he　managed　to　raise　one　hundred　thousand　in　cash；　and　deposited　it　in　his　own　bank　to　Frank's　credit；　but　it　was　a　very　light　anchor　to　windward　in　this　swirling　storm；　at　that。　Frank　had　been　counting　on　getting　all　of　his　loans　extended　three　or　four　days　at　least。　　Reviewing　his　situation　at　two　o'clock　of　this　Monday　afternoon；　he　said　to　himself　thoughtfully　but　grimly：　〃Well；　Stener　has　to　loan　me　three　hundred　thousandthat's　all　there　is　to　it。　　And　I'll　have　to　see　Butler　now；　or　he'll　be　calling　his　loan　before　three。〃

He　hurried　out；　and　was　off　to　Butler's　house；　driving　like　mad。





Chapter　XXVI




Things　had　changed　greatly　since　last　Cowperwood　had　talked　with　Butler。　　Although　most　friendly　at　the　time　the　proposition　was　made　that　he　should　combine　with　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　to　sustain　the　market；　alas；　now　on　this　Monday　morning　at　nine　o'clock；　an　additional　complication　had　been　added　to　the　already　tangled　situation　which　had　changed　Butler's　attitude　completely。　　As　he　was　leaving　his　home　to　enter　his　runabout；　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　this　same　day　in　which　Cowperwood　was　seeking　Stener's　aid；　the　postman；　coming　up；　had　handed　Butler　four　letters；　all　of　which　he　paused　for　a　moment　to　glance　at。　　One　was　from　a　sub…contractor　by　the　name　of　O'Higgins；　the　second　was　from　Father　Michel；　his　confessor；　of　St。　Timothy's；　thanking　him　for　a　contribution　to　the　parish　poor　fund；　a　third　was　from　Drexel　&　Co。　relating　to　a　deposit；　and　the　fourth　was　an　anonymous　communication；　on　cheap　stationery　from　some　one　who　was　apparently　not　very　literatea　woman　most　likelywritten　in　a　scrawling　hand；　which　read：

　　　　　DEAR　SIRThis　is　to　warn　you　that　your　daughter　　　　　　Aileen　is　running　around　with　a　man　that　she　shouldn't；　　　　　　Frank　A。　Cowperwood；　the　banker。　　If　you　don't　believe　　　　　　it；　watch　the　house　at　931　North　Tenth　Street。　　Then　you　　　　　　can　see　for　yourself。

There　was　neither　signature　nor　mark　of　any　kind　to　indicate　from　whence　it　might　have　come。　　Butler　got　the　impression　strongly　that　it　might　have　been　written　by　some　one　living　in　the　vicinity　of　the　number　indicated。　　His　intuitions　were　keen　at　times。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　written　by　a　girl；　a　member　of　St。　Timothy's　Church；　who　did　live　in　the　vicinity　of　the　house　indicated；　and　who　knew　Aileen　by　sight　and　was　jealous　of　her　airs　and　her　position。　She　was　a　thin；　anemic；　dissatisfied　creature　who　had　the　type　of　brain　which　can　reconcile　the　gratification　of　personal　spite　with　a　comforting　sense　of　having　fulfilled　a　moral　duty。　　Her　home　was　some　five　doors　north　of　the　unregistered　Cowperwood　domicile　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　street；　and　by　degrees；　in　the　course　of　time；　she　made　out；　or　imagined　that　she　had；　the　significance　of　this　institution；　piecing　fact　to　fancy　and　fusing　all　with　that　keen　intuition　which　is　so　closely　related　to　fact。　　The　result　was　eventually　this　letter　which　now　spread　clear　and　grim　before　Butler's　eyes。

The　Irish　are　a　philosophic　as　well　as　a　practical　race。　　Their　first　and　strongest　impulse　is　to　make　the　best　of　a　bad　situation　to　put　a　better　face　on　evil　than　it　normally　wears。　　On　first　reading　these　lines　the　intelligence　they　conveyed　sent　a　peculiar　chill　over　Butler's　sturdy　frame。　　His　jaw　instinctively　closed；　and　his　gray　eyes　narrowed。　　Could　this　be　true？　If　it　were　not；　would　the　author　of　the　letter　say　so　practically；　〃If　you　don't　believe　it；　watch　the　house　at　931　North　Tenth　Street〃？　Wasn't　that　in　itself　proof　positivethe　hard；　matter…of…fact　realism　of　it？　And　this　was　the　man　who　had　come　to　him　the　night　before　seeking　aidwhom　he　had　done　so　much　to　assist。　　There　forced　itself　into　his　naturally　slow…moving　but　rather　accurate　mind　a　sense　of　the　distinction　and　charm　of　his　daughtera　considerably　sharper　picture　than　he　had　ever　had　before；　and　at　the　same　time　a　keener　understanding　of　the　personality　of　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood。　　How　was　it　he　had　failed　to　detect　the　real　subtlety　of　this　man？　How　was　it　he　had　never　seen　any　sign　of　it；　if　there　had　been　anything　between　Cowperwood　and　Aileen？

Parents　are　frequently　inclined；　because　of　a　time…flattered　sense　of　security；　to　take　their　children　for　granted。　　Nothing　ever　has　happened；　so　nothing　ever　will　happen。　　They　see　their　children　every　day；　and　through　the　eyes　of　affection；　and　despite　their　natural　charm　and　their　own　strong　parental　love；　the　children　are　apt　to　become　not　only　commonplaces；　but　ineffably　secure　against　evil。　　Mary　is　naturally　a　good　girla　little　wild；　but　what　harm　can　befall　her？　John　is　a　straight…forward；　steady…going　boyhow　could　he　get　into　trouble？　The　astonishment　of　most　parents　at　the　sudden　accidental　revelation　of　evil　in　connection　with　any　of　their　children　is　almost　invariably　pathetic。　　〃My　John！　My　Mary！　Impossible！〃　But　it　is　possible。　　Very　possible。　Decidedly　likely。　　Some；　through　lack　of　experience　or　understanding；　or　both；　grow　hard　and　bitter　on　the　instant。　　They　feel　themselves　astonishingly　abased　in　the　face　of　notable　tenderness　and　sacrifice。　Others　collapse　before　the　grave　manifestation　of　the　insecurity　and　uncertainty　of　lifethe　mystic　chemistry　of　our　being。　　Still　others；　taught　roughly　by　life；　or　endowed　with　understanding　or　intuition；　or　both；　see　in　this　the　latest　manifestation　of　that　incomprehensible　chemistry　which　we　call　life　and　personality；　and；　knowing　that　it　is　quite　vain　to　hope　to　gainsay　it；　save　by　greater　subtlety；　put　the　best　face　they　can　upon　the　matter　and　call　a　truce　until　they　can　think。　　We　all　know　that　life　is　unsolvable　we　who　think。　　The　remainder　imagine　a　vain　thing；　and　are　full　of　sound　and　fury　signifying　nothing。

So　Edward　Butler；　being　a　man　of　much　wit　and　hard；　grim　experience；　stood　there　on　his　doorstep　holding　in　his　big；　rough　hand　his　thin　slip　of　cheap　paper　which　contained　such　a　terrific　indictment　of　his　daughter。　　There　came　to　him　now　a　picture　of　her　as　she　was　when　she　was　a　very　little　girlshe　was　his　first　baby　girland　how　keenly　he　had　felt　about　her　all　these　years。　　She　had　been　a　beautiful　childher　red…gold　hair　had　been　pillowed　on　his　breast　many　a　time；　and　his　hard；　rough　fingers　had　stroked　her　soft　cheeks；　lo；　these　thousands　of　times。　　Aileen；　his　lovely；　dashing　daughter　of　twenty…three！　He　was　lo