the financier-第68节

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tood　behind　one　of　the　heavy　curtains　which　had　already　been　put　up　for　the　winter；　pretending　to　look　out　into　the　street。

〃Did　any　one　drive　Sissy　this　mornin'？〃　asked　Butler　of　Aileen；　inquiring　after　a　favorite　family　horse。　　Butler's　plan；　in　case　the　detective　was　seen；　was　to　give　the　impression　that　he　was　a　horseman　who　had　come　either　to　buy　or　to　sell。　　His　name　was　Jonas　Alderson；　and　be　looked　sufficiently　like　a　horsetrader　to　be　one。

〃I　don't　think　so；　father；〃　replied　Aileen。　　〃I　didn't。　　I'll　find　out。〃

〃Never　mind。　　What　I　want　to　know　is　did　you　intend　using　her　to…morrow？〃

〃No；　not　if　you　want　her。　　Jerry　suits　me　just　as　well。〃

〃Very　well；　then。　　Leave　her　in　the　stable。〃　　Butler　quietly　closed　the　door。　　Aileen　concluded　at　once　that　it　was　a　horse　conference。　She　knew　he　would　not　dispose　of　any　horse　in　which　she　was　interested　without　first　consulting　her；　and　so　she　thought　no　more　about　it。

After　she　was　gone　Alderson　stepped　out　and　declared　that　he　was　satisfied。　　〃That's　all　I　need　to　know；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　let　you　know　in　a　few　days　if　I　find　out　anything。〃

He　departed；　and　within　thirty…six　hours　the　house　and　office　of　Cowperwood；　the　house　of　Butler；　the　office　of　Harper　Steger；　Cowperwood's　lawyer；　and　Cowperwood　and　Aileen　separately　and　personally　were　under　complete　surveillance。　　It　took　six　men　to　do　it　at　first；　and　eventually　a　seventh；　when　the　second　meeting…place；　which　was　located　in　South　Sixth　Street；　was　discovered。　　All　the　detectives　were　from　New　York。　　In　a　week　all　was　known　to　Alderson。　　It　bad　been　agreed　between　him　and　Butler　that　if　Aileen　and　Cowperwood　were　discovered　to　have　any　particular　rendezvous　Butler　was　to　be　notified　some　time　when　she　was　there；　so　that　he　might　go　immediately　and　confront　her　in　person；　if　he　wished。　　He　did　not　intend　to　kill　Cowperwoodand　Alderson　would　have　seen　to　it　that　he　did　not　in　his　presence　at　least；　but　he　would　give　him　a　good　tongue…lashing；　fell　him　to　the　floor；　in　all　likelihood；　and　march　Aileen　away。　　There　would　be　no　more　lying　on　her　part　as　to　whether　she　was　or　was　not　going　with　Cowperwood。　She　would　not　be　able　to　say　after　that　what　she　would　or　would　not　do。　　Butler　would　lay　down　the　law　to　her。　　She　would　reform；　or　he　would　send　her　to　a　reformatory。　　Think　of　her　influence　on　her　sister；　or　on　any　good　girlknowing　what　she　knew；　or　doing　what　she　was　doing！　She　would　go　to　Europe　after　this；　or　any　place　he　chose　to　send　her。

In　working　out　his　plan　of　action　it　was　necessary　for　Butler　to　take　Alderson　into　his　confidence　and　the　detective　made　plain　his　determination　to　safeguard　Cowperwood's　person。

〃We　couldn't　allow　you　to　strike　any　blows　or　do　any　violence；〃　Alderson　told　Butler；　when　they　first　talked　about　it。　　〃It's　against　the　rules。　　You　can　go　in　there　on　a　search…warrant；　if　we　have　to　have　one。　　I　can　get　that　for　you　without　anybody's　knowing　anything　about　your　connection　with　the　case。　　We　can　say　it's　for　a　girl　from　New　York。　　But　you'll　have　to　go　in　in　the　presence　of　my　men。　　They　won't　permit　any　trouble。　　You　can　get　your　daughter　all　rightwe'll　bring　her　away；　and　him；　too；　if　you　say　so；　but　you'll　have　to　make　some　charge　against　him；　if　we　do。　　Then　there's　the　danger　of　the　neighbors　seeing。　　You　can't　always　guarantee　you　won't　collect　a　crowd　that　way。〃　　Butler　had　many　misgivings　about　the　matter。　　It　was　fraught　with　great　danger　of　publicity。　　Still　he　wanted　to　know。　　He　wanted　to　terrify　Aileen　if　he　couldto　reform　her　drastically。


Within　a　week　Alderson　learned　that　Aileen　and　Cowperwood　were　visiting　an　apparently　private　residence；　which　was　anything　but　that。　　The　house　on　South　Sixth　Street　was　one　of　assignation　purely；　but　in　its　way　it　was　superior　to　the　average　establishment　of　its　kindof　red　brick；　white…stone　trimmings；　four　stories　high；　and　all　the　rooms；　some　eighteen　in　number；　furnished　in　a　showy　but　cleanly　way。　　It's　patronage　was　highly　exclusive；　only　those　being　admitted　who　were　known　to　the　mistress；　having　been　introduced　by　others。　　This　guaranteed　that　privacy　which　the　illicit　affairs　of　this　world　so　greatly　required。　　The　mere　phrase；　〃I　have　an　appointment；〃　was　sufficient；　where　either　of　the　parties　was　known；　to　cause　them　to　be　shown　to　a　private　suite。　　Cowperwood　had　known　of　the　place　from　previous　experiences；　and　when　it　became　necessary　to　abandon　the　North　Tenth　Street　house；　he　had　directed　Aileen　to　meet　him　here。

The　matter　of　entering　a　place　of　this　kind　and　trying　to　find　any　one　was；　as　Alderson　informed　Butler　on　hearing　of　its　character；　exceedingly　difficult。　　It　involved　the　right　of　search；　which　was　difficult　to　get。　　To　enter　by　sheer　force　was　easy　enough　in　most　instances　where　the　business　conducted　was　in　contradistinction　to　the　moral　sentiment　of　the　community；　but　sometimes　one　encountered　violent　opposition　from　the　tenants　themselves。　　It　might　be　so　in　this　case。　　The　only　sure　way　of　avoiding　such　opposition　would　be　to　take　the　woman　who　ran　the　place　into　one's　confidence；　and　by　paying　her　sufficiently　insure　silence。　　〃But　I　do　not　advise　that　in　this　instance；〃　Alderson　had　told　Butler；　〃for　I　believe　this　woman　is　particularly　friendly　to　your　man。　It　might　be　better；　in　spite　of　the　risk；　to　take　it　by　surprise。〃　To　do　that；　he　explained；　it　would　be　necessary　to　have　at　least　three　men　in　addition　to　the　leaderperhaps　four；　who；　once　one　man　had　been　able　to　make　his　entrance　into　the　hallway；　on　the　door　being　opened　in　response　to　a　ring；　would　appear　quickly　and　enter　with　and　sustain　him。　　Quickness　of　search　was　the　next　thing　the　prompt　opening　of　all　doors。　　The　servants；　if　any；　would　have　to　be　overpowered　and　silenced　in　some　way。　　Money　sometimes　did　this；　force　accomplished　it　at　other　times。　　Then　one　of　the　detectives　simulating　a　servant　could　tap　gently　at　the　different　doorsButler　and　the　others　standing　byand　in　case　a　face　appeared　identify　it　or　not；　as　the　case　might　be。　　If　the　door　was　not　opened　and　the　room　was　not　empty；　it　could　eventually　be　forced。　　The　house　was　one　of　a　solid　block；　so　that　there　was　no　chance　of　escape　save　by　the　front　and　rear　doors；　which　were　to　be　safe…guarded。　　It　was　a　daringly　conceived　scheme。　　In　spite　of　all　this；　secrecy　in　the　matter　of　removing　Aileen　was　to　be　preserved。

When　Butler　heard　of　this　he　was　nervous　about　the　whole　terrible　procedure。　　He　thought　once　that　without　going　to　the　house　he　would　merely　talk　to　his　daughter　declaring　that　he　knew　and　that　she　could　not　possibly　deny　it。　　He　would　then　give　her　her　choice　between　going　to　Europe　or　going　to　a　reformatory。　　But　a　sense　of　the　raw　brutality　of　Aileen's　disposition；　and　something　essentially　coarse　in　himself；　made　him　eventually　adopt　the　other　method。　　He　ordered　Alderson　to　perfect　his　plan；　and　once　he　found　Aileen　or　Cowperwood　entering　the　house　to　inform　him　quickly。　　He　would　then　drive　there；　and　with　the　assistance　of　these　men　confront　her。

It　was　a　foolish　scheme；　a　brutalizing　thing　to　do；　both　from　the　point　of　view　of　affection　and　any　corrective　theory　he　might　have　had。　　No　good　ever　springs　from　violence。　　But　Butler　did　not　see　that。　　He　wanted　to　frighten　Aileen；　to　bring　her　by　shock　to　a　realization　of　the　enormity　of　the　offense　she　was　committing。　　He　waited　fully　a　week　after　his　word　had　been　given；　and　then；　one　afternoon；　when　his　nerves　were　worn　almost　thin　from　fretting；　the　climax　came。　　Cowperwood　had　already　been　indicted；　and　was　now　awaiting　trial。　　Aileen　had　been　bringing　him　news；　from　time　to　time；　of　just　how　she　thought　her　father　was　feeling　toward　him。　She　did　not　get　this　evidence　direct　from　Butler；　of　coursehe　was　too　secretive；　in　so　far　as　she　was　concerned；　to　let　her　know　how　relentlessly　he　was　engineering　Cowperwood's　final　downfall　but　from　odd　bits　confided　to　Owen；　who　confided　them　to　Callum；　who　in　turn；　innocently　enough；　confided　them　to　Aileen。　　For　one　thing；　she　had　learned　in　this　way　of　the　new　district　attorney　electhis　probable　attitudefor　he　was　a　constant　caller　at　the　Butler　house　or　office。　　Owen　had　told　Callum　that　he　thought　Shannon　was　going　to　do　his　best　to　send　Cowperwood　〃up〃that　the　old　man　thought　he　deserved　it。

In　the　next　place　she　had　learned　that　her　father　did　not　want　Cowperwood　to　resume　businessdid　not　feel　he　deserved　to　be　allowed　to。　　〃It　would　be　a　God's　blessing　if　the　community　were　shut　of　him；〃　he　had　said　to　Owen　one　morning；　apropos　of　a　notice　in　the　papers　of　Cowperwood's　legal　struggles；　and　Owen　had　asked　Callum　why　he　thought　the　old　man　was　so　bitter。　　The　two　sons　could　not　understand　it。　　Cowperwood　heard　all　this　from　her；　and　morebits　about　Judge　Payderson；　the　judge　who　was　to　try　him；　who　was　a　friend　of　Butler'salso　about　the　fact　that　Stener　might　be　sent　up　for　the　full　term　of　his　crime；　but　that　be　would　be　pardoned　soon　afterward。

Apparently　Cowperwood　was　not　very　much　frightened。　　He　told　her　that　he　had　powerful　financial　friends　who　would　appeal　to　the　governor　to　pardon　him　in　case　he　was　convicted；　and；　anyhow；　that　he　did　not　think　that　the　evidence　was　strong　enough　to　convict　him。　　He　was　merely　a　politi