the financier-第88节

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derson；　mounting　the　steps　of　his　rostrum；　his　frizzled　hair　standing　out　in　a　strange；　attractive　way；　his　familiar　bailiff　rapping　for　order。　　He　did　not　look　at　Cowperwoodit　would　not　be　courteous　but　at　the　jury；　who　gazed　at　him　in　return。　　At　the　words　of　the　clerk；　〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury；　have　you　agreed　upon　a　verdict？〃　the　foreman　spoke　up；　〃We　have。〃

〃Do　you　find　the　defendant　guilty　or　not　guilty？〃

〃We　find　the　defendant　guilty　as　charged　in　the　indictment。〃

How　had　they　come　to　do　this？　Because　he　had　taken　a　check　for　sixty　thousand　dollars　which　did　not　belong　to　him？　But　in　reality　it　did。　　Good　Lord；　what　was　sixty　thousand　dollars　in　the　sum　total　of　all　the　money　that　had　passed　back　and　forth　between　him　and　George　W。　Stener？　Nothing；　nothing！　A　mere　bagatelle　in　its　way；　and　yet　here　it　had　risen　up；　this　miserable；　insignificant　check；　and　become　a　mountain　of　opposition；　a　stone　wall；　a　prison…wall　barring　his　further　progress。　　It　was　astonishing。　He　looked　around　him　at　the　court…room。　　How　large　and　bare　and　cold　it　was！　Still　he　was　Frank　A。　Cowperwood。　　Why　should　he　let　such　queer　thoughts　disturb　him？　His　fight　for　freedom　and　privilege　and　restitution　was　not　over　yet。　　Good　heavens！　It　had　only　begun。　In　five　days　he　would　be　out　again　on　bail。　　Steger　would　take　an　appeal。　　He　would　be　out；　and　he　would　have　two　long　months　in　which　to　make　an　additional　fight。　　He　was　not　down　yet。　　He　would　win　his　liberty。　　This　jury　was　all　wrong。　　A　higher　court　would　say　so。　　It　would　reverse　their　verdict；　and　he　knew　it。　　He　turned　to　Steger；　where　the　latter　was　having　the　clerk　poll　the　jury；　in　the　hope　that　some　one　juror　had　been　over…persuaded；　made　to　vote　against　his　will。

〃Is　that　your　verdict？〃　he　heard　the　clerk　ask　of　Philip　Moultrie；　juror　No。　1。

〃It　is；〃　replied　that　worthy；　solemnly。

〃Is　that　your　verdict？〃　The　clerk　was　pointing　to　Simon　Glassberg。

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Is　that　your　verdict？〃　He　pointed　to　Fletcher　Norton。

〃Yes。〃

So　it　went　through　the　whole　jury。　　All　the　men　answered　firmly　and　clearly；　though　Steger　thought　it　might　barely　be　possible　that　one　would　have　changed　his　mind。　　The　judge　thanked　them　and　told　them　that　in　view　of　their　long　services　this　night；　they　were　dismissed　for　the　term。　　The　only　thing　remaining　to　be　done　now　was　for　Steger　to　persuade　Judge　Payderson　to　grant　a　stay　of　sentence　pending　the　hearing　of　a　motion　by　the　State　Supreme　Court　for　a　new　trial。

The　Judge　looked　at　Cowperwood　very　curiously　as　Steger　made　this　request　in　proper　form；　and　owing　to　the　importance　of　the　case　and　the　feeling　he　had　that　the　Supreme　Court　might　very　readily　grant　a　certificate　of　reasonable　doubt　in　this　case；　he　agreed。　There　was　nothing　left；　therefore；　but　for　Cowperwood　to　return　at　this　late　hour　with　the　deputy　sheriff　to　the　county　jail；　where　he　must　now　remain　for　five　days　at　leastpossibly　longer。

The　jail　in　question；　which　was　known　locally　as　Moyamensing　Prison；　was　located　at　Tenth　and　Reed　Streets；　and　from　an　architectural　and　artistic　point　of　view　was　not　actually　displeasing　to　the　eye。　It　consisted　of　a　central　portionprison；　residence　for　the　sheriff　or　what　you　willthree　stories　high；　with　a　battlemented　cornice　and　a　round　battlemented　tower　about　one…third　as　high　as　the　central　portion　itself；　and　two　wings；　each　two　stories　high；　with　battlemented　turrets　at　either　end；　giving　it　a　highly　castellated　and　consequently；　from　the　American　point　of　view；　a　very　prison…like　appearance。　　The　facade　of　the　prison；　which　was　not　more　than　thirty…five　feet　high　for　the　central　portion；　nor　more　than　twenty…five　feet　for　the　wings；　was　set　back　at　least　a　hundred　feet　from　the　street；　and　was　continued　at　either　end；　from　the　wings　to　the　end　of　the　street　block；　by　a　stone　wall　all　of　twenty　feet　high。　　The　structure　was　not　severely　prison…like；　for　the　central　portion　was　pierced　by　rather　large；　unbarred　apertures　hung　on　the　two　upper　stories　with　curtains；　and　giving　the　whole　front　a　rather　pleasant　and　residential　air。　　The　wing　to　the　right；　as　one　stood　looking　in　from　the　street；　was　the　section　known　as　the　county　jail　proper；　and　was　devoted　to　the　care　of　prisoners　serving　short…term　sentences　on　some　judicial　order。　　The　wing　to　the　left　was　devoted　exclusively　to　the　care　and　control　of　untried　prisoners。　　The　whole　building　was　built　of　a　smooth；　light…colored　stone；　which　on　a　snowy　night　like　this；　with　the　few　lamps　that　were　used　in　it　glowing　feebly　in　the　dark；　presented　an　eery；　fantastic；　almost　supernatural　appearance。

It　was　a　rough　and　blowy　night　when　Cowperwood　started　for　this　institution　under　duress。　　The　wind　was　driving　the　snow　before　it　in　curious；　interesting　whirls。　　Eddie　Zanders；　the　sheriff's　deputy　on　guard　at　the　court　of　Quarter　Sessions；　accompanied　him　and　his　father　and　Steger。　　Zanders　was　a　little　man；　dark；　with　a　short；　stubby　mustache；　and　a　shrewd　though　not　highly　intelligent　eye。　　He　was　anxious　first　to　uphold　his　dignity　as　a　deputy　sheriff；　which　was　a　very　important　position　in　his　estimation；　and　next　to　turn　an　honest　penny　if　he　could。　　He　knew　little　save　the　details　of　his　small　world；　which　consisted　of　accompanying　prisoners　to　and　from　the　courts　and　the　jails；　and　seeing　that　they　did　not　get　away。　　He　was　not　unfriendly　to　a　particular　type　of　prisonerthe　well…to…do　or　moderately　prosperousfor　he　had　long　since　learned　that　it　paid　to　be　so。　　To…night　he　offered　a　few　sociable　suggestionsviz。；　that　it　was　rather　rough；　that　the　jail　was　not　so　far　but　that　they　could　walk；　and　that　Sheriff　Jaspers　would；　in　all　likelihood；　be　around　or　could　be　aroused。　Cowperwood　scarcely　heard。　　He　was　thinking　of　his　mother　and　his　wife　and　of　Aileen。

When　the　jail　was　reached　he　was　led　to　the　central　portion；　as　it　was　here　that　the　sheriff；　Adlai　Jaspers；　had　his　private　office。　Jaspers　had　recently　been　elected　to　office；　and　was　inclined　to　conform　to　all　outward　appearances；　in　so　far　as　the　proper　conduct　of　his　office　was　concerned；　without　in　reality　inwardly　conforming。　Thus　it　was　generally　known　among　the　politicians　that　one　way　he　had　of　fattening　his　rather　lean　salary　was　to　rent　private　rooms　and　grant　special　privileges　to　prisoners　who　had　the　money　to　pay　for　the　same。　　Other　sheriffs　had　done　it　before　him。　　In　fact；　when　Jaspers　was　inducted　into　office；　several　prisoners　were　already　enjoying　these　privileges；　and　it　was　not　a　part　of　his　scheme　of　things　to　disturb　them。　　The　rooms　that　he　let　to　the　〃right　parties；〃　as　he　invariably　put　it；　were　in　the　central　portion　of　the　jail；　where　were　his　own　private　living　quarters。　　They　were　unbarred；　and　not　at　all　cell…like。　　There　was　no　particular　danger　of　escape；　for　a　guard　stood　always　at　his　private　door　instructed　〃to　keep　an　eye〃　on　the　general　movements　of　all　the　inmates。　　A　prisoner　so　accommodated　was　in　many　respects　quite　a　free　person。　His　meals　were　served　to　him　in　his　room；　if　he　wished。　　He　could　read　or　play　cards；　or　receive　guests；　and　if　he　had　any　favorite　musical　instrument；　that　was　not　denied　him。　　There　was　just　one　rule　that　had　to　be　complied　with。　　If　he　were　a　public　character；　and　any　newspaper　men　called；　he　had　to　be　brought　down…stairs　into　the　private　interviewing　room　in　order　that　they　might　not　know　that　he　was　not　confined　in　a　cell　like　any　other　prisoner。

Nearly　all　of　these　facts　had　been　brought　to　Cowperwood's　attention　beforehand　by　Steger；　but　for　all　that；　when　he　crossed　the　threshold　of　the　jail　a　peculiar　sensation　of　strangeness　and　defeat　came　over　him。　　He　and　his　party　were　conducted　to　a　little　office　to　the　left　of　the　entrance；　where　were　only　a　desk　and　a　chair；　dimly　lighted　by　a　low…burning　gas…jet。　　Sheriff　Jaspers；　rotund　and　ruddy；　met　them；　greeting　them　in　quite　a　friendly　way。　Zanders　was　dismissed；　and　went　briskly　about　his　affairs。

〃A　bad　night；　isn't　it？〃　observed　Jaspers；　turning　up　the　gas　and　preparing　to　go　through　the　routine　of　registering　his　prisoner。　Steger　came　over　and　held　a　short；　private　conversation　with　him　in　his　corner；　over　his　desk　which　resulted　presently　in　the　sheriff's　face　lighting　up。

〃Oh；　certainly；　certainly！　That's　all　right；　Mr。　Steger；　to　be　sure！　Why；　certainly！〃

Cowperwood；　eyeing　the　fat　sheriff　from　his　position；　understood　what　it　was　all　about。　　He　had　regained　completely　his　critical　attitude；　his　cool；　intellectual　poise。　　So　this　was　the　jail；　and　this　was　the　fat　mediocrity　of　a　sheriff　who　was　to　take　care　of　him。　　Very　good。　　He　would　make　the　best　of　it。　　He　wondered　whether　he　was　to　be　searchedprisoners　usually　werebut　he　soon　discovered　that　he　was　not　to　be。

〃That's　all　right；　Mr。　Cowperwood；〃　said　Jaspers；　getting　up。　〃I　guess　I　can　make　you　comfortable；　after　a　fashion。　　We're　not　running　a　hotel　here；　as　you　know〃he　chuckled　to　himself〃but　I　guess　I　can　make　you　comfortable。　　John；〃　he　called　to　a　sleepy　factotum；　who　appeared　from　another　room；　rubbing　his　eyes；　〃is　the　key　to　Number　Six　down　here？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Let　me　have　it。〃

John　disappeared　and　returned；　while　Steger　explained　to　Cowperwood　that　anything　he　wanted　in　the　way　of　clothing；　etc。；　could