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The　attitude　of　Henry　A。　Mollenhauer；　grim；　political　boss　that　he　wastrained　in　a　hard　schoolwas　precisely　the　attitude　of　every　such　man　in　all　such　trying　circumstances。

He　was　wondering；　in　view　of　what　Butler　had　told　him；　just　how　much　he　could　advantage　himself　in　this　situation。　　If　he　could；　he　wanted　to　get　control　of　whatever　street…railway　stock　Stener　now　had；　without　in　any　way　compromising　himself。　　Stener's　shares　could　easily　be　transferred　on　'change　through　Mollenhauer's　brokers　to　a　dummy；　who　would　eventually　transfer　them　to　himself　（Mollenhauer）。　　Stener　must　be　squeezed　thoroughly；　though；　this　afternoon；　and　as　for　his　five　hundred　thousand　dollars'　indebtedness　to　the　treasury；　Mollenhauer　did　not　see　what　could　be　done　about　that。　　If　Cowperwood　could　not　pay　it；　the　city　would　have　to　lose　it；　but　the　scandal　must　be　hushed　up　until　after　election。　　Stener；　unless　the　various　party　leaders　had　more　generosity　than　Mollenhauer　imagined；　would　have　to　suffer　exposure；　arrest；　trial；　confiscation　of　his　property；　and　possibly　sentence　to　the　penitentiary；　though　this　might　easily　be　commuted　by　the　governor；　once　public　excitement　died　down。　　He　did　not　trouble　to　think　whether　Cowperwood　was　criminally　involved　or　not。　　A　hundred　to　one　he　was　not。　　Trust　a　shrewd　man　like　that　to　take　care　of　himself。　　But　if　there　was　any　way　to　shoulder　the　blame　on　to　Cowperwood；　and　so　clear　the　treasurer　and　the　skirts　of　the　party；　he　would　not　object　to　that。　He　wanted　to　hear　the　full　story　of　Stener's　relations　with　the　broker　first。　　Meanwhile；　the　thing　to　do　was　to　seize　what　Stener　had　to　yield。

The　troubled　city　treasurer；　on　being　shown　in　Mr。　Mollenhauer's　presence；　at　once　sank　feebly　in　a　chair　and　collapsed。　　He　was　entirely　done　for　mentally。　　His　nerve　was　gone；　his　courage　exhausted　like　a　breath。

〃Well；　Mr。　Stener？〃　queried　Mr。　Mollenhauer；　impressively；　pretending　not　to　know　what　brought　him。

〃I　came　about　this　matter　of　my　loans　to　Mr。　Cowperwood。〃

〃Well；　what　about　them？〃

〃Well；　he　owes　me；　or　the　city　treasury　rather；　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　I　understand　that　he　is　going　to　fail　and　that　he　can't　pay　it　back。〃

〃Who　told　you　that？〃

〃Mr。　Sengstack；　and　since　then　Mr。　Cowperwood　has　been　to　see　me。　He　tells　me　he　must　have　more　money　or　he　will　fail　and　he　wants　to　borrow　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　more。　　He　says　he　must　have　it。〃

〃So！〃　said　Mr。　Mollenhauer；　impressively；　and　with　an　air　of　astonishment　which　he　did　not　feel。　　〃You　would　not　think　of　doing　that；　of　course。　　You're　too　badly　involved　as　it　is。　　If　he　wants　to　know　why；　refer　him　to　me。　　Don't　advance　him　another　dollar。　If　you　do；　and　this　case　comes　to　trial；　no　court　would　have　any　mercy　on　you。　　It's　going　to　be　difficult　enough　to　do　anything　for　you　as　it　is。　　However；　if　you　don't　advance　him　any　morewe　will　see。　　It　may　be　possible；　I　can't　say；　but　at　any　rate；　no　more　money　must　leave　the　treasury　to　bolster　up　this　bad　business。　It's　much　too　difficult　as　it　now　is。〃　　He　stared　at　Stener　warningly。　And　he；　shaken　and　sick；　yet　because　of　the　faint　suggestion　of　mercy　involved　somewhere　in　Mollenhauer's　remarks；　now　slipped　from　his　chair　to　his　knees　and　folded　his　hands　in　the　uplifted　attitude　of　a　devotee　before　a　sacred　image。

〃Oh；　Mr。　Mollenhauer；〃　he　choked；　beginning　to　cry；　〃I　didn't　mean　to　do　anything　wrong。　　Strobik　and　Wycroft　told　me　it　was　all　right。　　You　sent　me　to　Cowperwood　in　the　first　place。　　I　only　did　what　I　thought　the　others　had　been　doing。　　Mr。　Bode　did　it；　just　like　I　have　been　doing。　　He　dealt　with　Tighe　and　Company。　I　have　a　wife　and　four　children；　Mr。　Mollenhauer。　　My　youngest　boy　is　only　seven　years　old。　　Think　of　them；　Mr。　Mollenhauer！　Think　of　what　my　arrest　will　mean　to　them！　I　don't　want　to　go　to　jail。　　I　didn't　think　I　was　doing　anything　very　wronghonestly　I　didn't。　I'll　give　up　all　I've　got。　　You　can　have　all　my　stocks　and　houses　and　lotsanythingif　you'll　only　get　me　out　of　this。　　You　won't　let　'em　send　me　to　jail；　will　you？〃

His　fat；　white　lips　were　tremblingwabbling　nervouslyand　big　hot　tears　were　coursing　down　his　previously　pale　but　now　flushed　cheeks。　　He　presented　one　of　those　almost　unbelievable　pictures　which　are　yet　so　intensely　human　and　so　true。　　If　only　the　great　financial　and　political　giants　would　for　once　accurately　reveal　the　details　of　their　lives！

Mollenhauer　looked　at　him　calmly；　meditatively。　　How　often　had　he　seen　weaklings　no　more　dishonest　than　himself；　but　without　his　courage　and　subtlety；　pleading　to　him　in　this　fashion；　not　on　their　knees　exactly；　but　intellectually　so！　Life　to　him；　as　to　every　other　man　of　large　practical　knowledge　and　insight；　was　an　inexplicable　tangle。　　What　were　you　going　to　do　about　the　so…called　morals　and　precepts　of　the　world？　This　man　Stener　fancied　that　he　was　dishonest；　and　that　he；　Mollenhauer；　was　honest。　　He　was　here；　self…convicted　of　sin；　pleading　to　him；　Mollenhauer；　as　he　would　to　a　righteous；　unstained　saint。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Mollenhauer　knew　that　he　was　simply　shrewder；　more　far…seeing；　more　calculating；　not　less　dishonest。　　Stener　was　lacking　in　force　and　brainsnot　morals。　　This　lack　was　his　principal　crime。　　There　were　people　who　believed　in　some　esoteric　standard　of　rightsome　ideal　of　conduct　absolutely　and　very　far　removed　from　practical　life；　but　he　had　never　seen　them　practice　it　save　to　their　own　financial　（not　moral　he　would　not　say　that）　destruction。　　They　were　never　significant；　practical　men　who　clung　to　these　fatuous　ideals。　　They　were　always　poor；　nondescript；　negligible　dreamers。　　He　could　not　have　made　Stener　understand　all　this　if　he　had　wanted　to；　and　he　certainly　did　not　want　to。　　It　was　too　bad　about　Mrs。　Stener　and　the　little　Steners。　　No　doubt　she　had　worked　hard；　as　had　Stener；　to　get　up　in　the　world　and　be　somethingjust　a　little　more　than　miserably　poor；　and　now　this　unfortunate　complication　had　to　arise　to　undo　themthis　Chicago　fire。　　What　a　curious　thing　that　was！　If　any　one　thing　more　than　another　made　him　doubt　the　existence　of　a　kindly；　overruling　Providence；　it　was　the　unheralded　storms　out　of　clear　skiesfinancial；　social；　anything　you　choosethat　so　often　brought　ruin　and　disaster　to　so　many。

〃Get　Up；　Stener；〃　he　said；　calmly；　after　a　few　moments。　　〃You　mustn't　give　way　to　your　feelings　like　this。　　You　must　not　cry。　These　troubles　are　never　unraveled　by　tears。　　You　must　do　a　little　thinking　for　yourself。　　Perhaps　your　situation　isn't　so　bad。〃

As　he　was　saying　this　Stener　was　putting　himself　back　in　his　chair；　getting　out　his　handkerchief；　and　sobbing　hopelessly　in　it。

〃I'll　do　what　I　can；　Stener。　　I　won't　promise　anything。　　I　can't　tell　you　what　the　result　will　be。　　There　are　many　peculiar　political　forces　in　this　city。　　I　may　not　be　able　to　save　you；　but　I　am　perfectly　willing　to　try。　　You　must　put　yourself　absolutely　under　my　direction。　　You　must　not　say　or　do　anything　without　first　consulting　with　me。　　I　will　send　my　secretary　to　you　from　time　to　time。　　He　will　tell　you　what　to　do。　　You　must　not　come　to　me　unless　I　send　for　you。　　Do　you　understand　that　thoroughly？〃

〃Yes；　Mr。　Mollenhauer。〃

〃Well；　now；　dry　your　eyes。　　I　don't　want　you　to　go　out　of　this　office　crying。　　Go　back　to　your　office；　and　I　will　send　Sengstack　to　see　you。　　He　will　tell　you　what　to　do。　　Follow　him　exactly。　And　whenever　I　send　for　you　come　at　once。〃

He　got　up；　large；　self…confident；　reserved。　　Stener；　buoyed　up　by　the　subtle　reassurance　of　his　remarks；　recovered　to　a　degree　his　equanimity。　　Mr。　Mollenhauer；　the　great；　powerful　Mr。　Mollenhauer　was　going　to　help　him　out　of　his　scrape。　　He　might　not　have　to　go　to　jail　after　all。　　He　left　after　a　few　moments；　his　face　a　little　red　from　weeping；　but　otherwise　free　of　telltale　marks；　and　returned　to　his　office。

Three…quarters　of　an　hour　later；　Sengstack　called　on　him　for　the　second　time　that　dayAbner　Sengstack；　small；　dark…faced；　club…footed；　a　great　sole　of　leather　three　inches　thick　under　his　short；　withered　right　leg；　his　slightly　Slavic；　highly　intelligent　countenance　burning　with　a　pair　of　keen；　piercing；　inscrutable　black　eyes。　Sengstack　was　a　fit　secretary　for　Mollenhauer。　　You　could　see　at　one　glance　that　he　would　make　Stener　do　exactly　what　Mollenhauer　suggested。　　His　business　was　to　induce　Stener　to　part　with　his　street…railway　holdings　at　once　through　Tighe　&　Co。；　Butler's　brokers；　to　the　political　sub…agent　who　would　eventually　transfer　them　to　Mollenhauer。　　What　little　Stener　received　for　them　might　well　go　into　the　treasury。　　Tighe　&　Co。　would　manage　the　〃'change〃　subtleties　of　this　without　giving　any　one　else　a　chance　to　bid；　while　at　the　same　time　making　it　appear　an　open…market　transaction。　At　the　same　time　Sengstack　went　carefully　into　the　state　of　the　treasurer's　office　for　his　master's　benefitfinding　out　what　it　was　that　Strobik；　Wycroft；　and　Harmon　had　been　doing　with　their　loans。　　Via　another　source　they　were　ordered　to　disgorge　at　once　or　face　prosecution。　　They　were　a　part　of　Mollenhauer's　political　machine。　　Then；　having　cautioned　Stener　not　to　set　over　the　remainder　of　his　property　to　any　one；　and　not　to　listen　to　any　one；　most　of　all　to　the　Machiavellian　counsel　of　Cowperwood；　Sengs