the financier-第77节

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　is　strengthened。

Payderson；　as　Steger　had　indicated；　could　scarcely　be　pointed　to　as　an　unjust　judge。　　He　was　a　party　judgeRepublican　in　principle；　or　rather　belief；　beholden　to　the　dominant　party　councils　for　his　personal　continuance　in　office；　and　as　such　willing　and　anxious　to　do　whatever　he　considered　that　he　reasonably　could　do　to　further　the　party　welfare　and　the　private　interests　of　his　masters。　　Most　people　never　trouble　to　look　into　the　mechanics　of　the　thing　they　call　their　conscience　too　closely。　　Where　they　do；　too　often　they　lack　the　skill　to　disentangle　the　tangled　threads　of　ethics　and　morals。　　Whatever　the　opinion　of　the　time　is；　whatever　the　weight　of　great　interests　dictates；　that　they　conscientiously　believe。　Some　one　has　since　invented　the　phrase　〃a　corporation…minded　judge。〃　There　are　many　such。

Payderson　was　one。　　He　fairly　revered　property　and　power。　　To　him　Butler　and　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　were　great　menreasonably　sure　to　be　right　always　because　they　were　so　powerful。　　This　matter　of　Cowperwood's　and　Stener's　defalcation　he　had　long　heard　of。　　He　knew　by　associating　with　one　political　light　and　another　just　what　the　situation　was。　　The　party；　as　the　leaders　saw　it；　had　been　put　in　a　very　bad　position　by　Cowperwood's　subtlety。　　He　had　led　Stener　astraymore　than　an　ordinary　city　treasurer　should　have　been　led　astrayand；　although　Stener　was　primarily　guilty　as　the　original　mover　in　the　scheme；　Cowperwood　was　more　so　for　having　led　him　imaginatively　to　such　disastrous　lengths。　　Besides；　the　party　needed　a　scapegoatthat　was　enough　for　Payderson；　in　the　first　place。　　Of　course；　after　the　election　had　been　won；　and　it　appeared　that　the　party　had　not　suffered　so　much；　he　did　not　understand　quite　why　it　was　that　Cowperwood　was　still　so　carefully　included　in　the　Proceedings；　but　he　had　faith　to　believe　that　the　leaders　had　some　just　grounds　for　not　letting　him　off。　　From　one　source　and　another　he　learned　that　Butler　had　some　private　grudge　against　Cowperwood。　　What　it　was　no　one　seemed　to　know　exactly。　　The　general　impression　was　that　Cowperwood　had　led　Butler　into　some　unwholesome　financial　transactions。　　Anyhow；　it　was　generally　understood　that　for　the　good　of　the　party；　and　in　order　to　teach　a　wholesome　lesson　to　dangerous　subordinatesit　had　been　decided　to　allow　these　several　indictments　to　take　their　course。　　Cowperwood　was　to　be　punished　quite　as　severely　as　Stener　for　the　moral　effect　on　the　community。　　Stener　was　to　be　sentenced　the　maximum　sentence　for　his　crime　in　order　that　the　party　and　the　courts　should　appear　properly　righteous。　　Beyond　that　he　was　to　be　left　to　the　mercy　of　the　governor；　who　could　ease　things　up　for　him　if　he　chose；　and　if　the　leaders　wished。　　In　the　silly　mind　of　the　general　public　the　various　judges　of　Quarter　Sessions；　like　girls　incarcerated　in　boarding…schools；　were　supposed　in　their　serene　aloofness　from　life　not　to　know　what　was　going　on　in　the　subterranean　realm　of　politics；　but　they　knew　well　enough；　and；　knowing　particularly　well　from　whence　came　their　continued　position　and　authority；　they　were　duly　grateful。





Chapter　XL




When　Cowperwood　came　into　the　crowded　courtroom　with　his　father　and　Steger；　quite　fresh　and　jaunty　（looking　the　part　of　the　shrewd　financier；　the　man　of　affairs）；　every　one　stared。　　It　was　really　too　much　to　expect；　most　of　them　thought；　that　a　man　like　this　would　be　convicted。　　He　was；　no　doubt；　guilty；　but；　also；　no　doubt；　he　had　ways　and　means　of　evading　the　law。　　His　lawyer；　Harper　Steger；　looked　very　shrewd　and　canny　to　them。　　It　was　very　cold；　and　both　men　wore　long；　dark；　bluish…gray　overcoats；　cut　in　the　latest　mode。　　Cowperwood　was　given　to　small　boutonnieres　in　fair　weather；　but　to…day　he　wore　none。　　His　tie；　however；　was　of　heavy；　impressive　silk；　of　lavender　hue；　set　with　a　large；　clear；　green　emerald。　　He　wore　only　the　thinnest　of　watch…chains；　and　no　other　ornament　of　any　kind。　　He　always　looked　jaunty　and　yet　reserved；　good…natured；　and　yet　capable　and　self…sufficient。　　Never　had　he　looked　more　so　than　he　did　to…day。

He　at　once　took　in　the　nature　of　the　scene；　which　had　a　peculiar　interest　for　him。　　Before　him　was　the　as　yet　empty　judge's　rostrum；　and　at　its　right　the　empty　jury…box；　between　which；　and　to　the　judge's　left；　as　he　sat　facing　the　audience；　stood　the　witness…chair　where　he　must　presently　sit　and　testify。　　Behind　it；　already　awaiting　the　arrival　of　the　court；　stood　a　fat　bailiff；　one　John　Sparkheaver　whose　business　it　was　to　present　the　aged；　greasy　Bible　to　be　touched　by　the　witnesses　in　making　oath；　and　to　say；　〃Step　this　way；〃　when　the　testimony　was　over。　　There　were　other　bailiffsone　at　the　gate　giving　into　the　railed　space　before　the　judge's　desk；　where　prisoners　were　arraigned；　lawyers　sat　or　pleaded；　the　defendant　had　a　chair；　and　so　on；　another　in　the　aisle　leading　to　the　jury…room；　and　still　another　guarding　the　door　by　which　the　public　entered。　　Cowperwood　surveyed　Stener；　who　was　one　of　the　witnesses；　and　who　now；　in　his　helpless　fright　over　his　own　fate；　was　without　malice　toward　any　one。　　He　had　really　never　borne　any。　He　wished　if　anything　now　that　he　had　followed　Cowperwood's　advice；　seeing　where　he　now　was；　though　he　still　had　faith　that　Mollenhauer　and　the　political　powers　represented　by　him　would　do　something　for　him　with　the　governor；　once　he　was　sentenced。　　He　was　very　pale　and　comparatively　thin。　　Already　he　had　lost　that　ruddy　bulk　which　had　been　added　during　the　days　of　his　prosperity。　　He　wore　a　new　gray　suit　and　a　brown　tie；　and　was　clean…shaven。　　When　his　eye　caught　Cowperwood's　steady　beam；　it　faltered　and　drooped。　　He　rubbed　his　ear　foolishly。　　Cowperwood　nodded。

〃You　know；〃　he　said　to　Steger；　〃I　feel　sorry　for　George。　　He's　such　a　fool。　　Still　I　did　all　I　could。〃

Cowperwood　also　watched　Mrs。　Stener　out　of　the　tail　of　his　eye　an　undersized；　peaked；　and　sallow　little　woman；　whose　clothes　fitted　her　abominably。　　It　was　just　like　Stener　to　marry　a　woman　like　that；　he　thought。　　The　scrubby　matches　of　the　socially　unelect　or　unfit　always　interested；　though　they　did　not　always　amuse；　him。　Mrs。　Stener　had　no　affection　for　Cowperwood；　of　course；　looking　on　him；　as　she　did；　as　the　unscrupulous　cause　of　her　husband's　downfall。　They　were　now　quite　poor　again；　about　to　move　from　their　big　house　into　cheaper　quarters；　and　this　was　not　pleasing　for　her　to　contemplate。

Judge　Payderson　came　in　after　a　time；　accompanied　by　his　undersized　but　stout　court　attendant；　who　looked　more　like　a　pouter…pigeon　than　a　human　being；　and　as　they　came；　Bailiff　Sparkheaver　rapped　on　the　judge's　desk；　beside　which　he　had　been　slumbering；　and　mumbled；　〃Please　rise！〃　The　audience　arose；　as　is　the　rule　of　all　courts。　　Judge　Payderson　stirred　among　a　number　of　briefs　that　were　lying　on　his　desk；　and　asked；　briskly；　〃What's　the　first　case；　Mr。　Protus？〃　He　was　speaking　to　his　clerk。

During　the　long　and　tedious　arrangement　of　the　day's　docket　and　while　the　various　minor　motions　of　lawyers　were　being　considered；　this　courtroom　scene　still　retained　interest　for　Cowperwood。　　He　was　so　eager　to　win；　so　incensed　at　the　outcome　of　untoward　events　which　had　brought　him　here。　　He　was　always　intensely　irritated；　though　he　did　not　show　it；　by　the　whole　process　of　footing　delays　and　queries　and　quibbles；　by　which　legally　the　affairs　of　men　were　too　often　hampered。　　Law；　if　you　had　asked　him；　and　he　had　accurately　expressed　himself；　was　a　mist　formed　out　of　the　moods　and　the　mistakes　of　men；　which　befogged　the　sea　of　life　and　prevented　plain　sailing　for　the　little　commercial　and　social　barques　of　men；　it　was　a　miasma　of　misinterpretation　where　the　ills　of　life　festered；　and　also　a　place　where　the　accidentally　wounded　were　ground　between　the　upper　and　the　nether　millstones　of　force　or　chance；　it　was　a　strange；　weird；　interesting；　and　yet　futile　battle　of　wits　where　the　ignorant　and　the　incompetent　and　the　shrewd　and　the　angry　and　the　weak　were　made　pawns　and　shuttlecocks　for　menlawyers；　who　were　playing　upon　their　moods；　their　vanities；　their　desires；　and　their　necessities。　　It　was　an　unholy　and　unsatisfactory　disrupting　and　delaying　spectacle；　a　painful　commentary　on　the　frailties　of　life；　and　men；　a　trick；　a　snare；　a　pit　and　gin。　　In　the　hands　of　the　strong；　like　himself　when　he　was　at　his　best；　the　law　was　a　sword　and　a　shield；　a　trap　to　place　before　the　feet　of　the　unwary；　a　pit　to　dig　in　the　path　of　those　who　might　pursue。　　It　was　anything　you　might　choose　to　make　of　ita　door　to　illegal　opportunity；　a　cloud　of　dust　to　be　cast　in　the　eyes　of　those　who　might　choose；　and　rightfully；　to　see；　a　veil　to　be　dropped　arbitrarily　between　truth　and　its　execution；　justice　and　its　judgment；　crime　and　punishment。　　Lawyers　in　the　main　were　intellectual　mercenaries　to　be　bought　and　sold　in　any　cause。　　It　amused　him　to　hear　the　ethical　and　emotional　platitudes　of　lawyers；　to　see　how　readily　they　would　lie；　steal；　prevaricate；　misrepresent　in　almost　any　cause　and　for　any　purpose。　　Great　lawyers　were　merely　great　unscrupulous　subtleties；　like　himself；　sitting　back　in　dark；　close…woven　lairs　like　spiders　and　awaiting　the　approach　of　unwary　human　flies。　　Life　was　at　best　a　dark；　inhuman；　unkind；　unsympathetic　struggle　built　of　cruelties　a