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custom；　rather　than　to　admit　his　guilt　outright　and　so　seem　not　to　have　had　any　justification　whatsoever。　　This　he　did；　but　he　was　convicted　nevertheless。　　For　the　sake　of　appearances；　a　trumped…up　appeal　was　made　which　was　now　before　the　State　Supreme　Court。

Then；　too；　due　to　one　whisper　and　another；　and　these　originating　with　the　girl　who　had　written　Butler　and　Cowperwood's　wife；　there　was　at　this　time　a　growing　volume　of　gossip　relating　to　the　alleged　relations　of　Cowperwood　with　Butler's　daughter；　Aileen。　　There　had　been　a　house　in　Tenth　Street。　　It　had　been　maintained　by　Cowperwood　for　her。　　No　wonder　Butler　was　so　vindictive。　　This；　indeed；　explained　much。　　And　even　in　the　practical；　financial　world；　criticism　was　now　rather　against　Cowperwood　than　his　enemies。　　For；　was　it　not　a　fact；　that　at　the　inception　of　his　career；　he　had　been　befriended　by　Butler？　And　what　a　way　to　reward　that　friendship！　His　oldest　and　firmest　admirers　wagged　their　heads。　　For　they　sensed　clearly　that　this　was　another　illustration　of　that　innate　〃I　satisfy　myself〃　attitude　which　so　regulated　Cowperwood's　conduct。　He　was　a　strong　man；　surelyand　a　brilliant　one。　　Never　had　Third　Street　seen　a　more　pyrotechnic；　and　yet　fascinating　and　financially　aggressive；　and　at　the　same　time；　conservative　person。　Yet　might　one　not　fairly　tempt　Nemesis　by　a　too　great　daring　and　egotism？　Like　Death；　it　loves　a　shining　mark。　　He　should　not；　perhaps；　have　seduced　Butler's　daughter；　unquestionably　he　should　not　have　so　boldly　taken　that　check；　especially　after　his　quarrel　and　break　with　Stener。　　He　was　a　little　too　aggressive。　　Was　it　not　questionable　whetherwith　such　a　recordhe　could　be　restored　to　his　former　place　here？　The　bankers　and　business　men　who　were　closest　to　him　were　decidedly　dubious。

But　in　so　far　as　Cowperwood　and　his　own　attitude　toward　life　was　concerned；　at　this　timethe　feeling　he　had〃to　satisfy　myself〃　when　combined　with　his　love　of　beauty　and　love　and　women；　still　made　him　ruthless　and　thoughtless。　　Even　now；　the　beauty　and　delight　of　a　girl　like　Aileen　Butler　were　far　more　important　to　him　than　the　good…will　of　fifty　million　people；　if　he　could　evade　the　necessity　of　having　their　good…will。　　Previous　to　the　Chicago　fire　and　the　panic；　his　star　had　been　so　rapidly　ascending　that　in　the　helter…skelter　of　great　and　favorable　events　he　had　scarcely　taken　thought　of　the　social　significance　of　the　thing　he　was　doing。　Youth　and　the　joy　of　life　were　in　his　blood。　　He　felt　so　young；　so　vigorous；　so　like　new　grass　looks　and　feels。　　The　freshness　of　spring　evenings　was　in　him；　and　he　did　not　care。　　After　the　crash；　when　one　might　have　imagined　he　would　have　seen　the　wisdom　of　relinquishing　Aileen　for　the　time　being；　anyhow；　he　did　not　care　to。　　She　represented　the　best　of　the　wonderful　days　that　had　gone　before。　　She　was　a　link　between　him　and　the　past　and　a　still…to…be　triumphant　future。

His　worst　anxiety　was　that　if　he　were　sent　to　the　penitentiary；　or　adjudged　a　bankrupt；　or　both；　he　would　probably　lose　the　privilege　of　a　seat　on　'change；　and　that　would　close　to　him　the　most　distinguished　avenue　of　his　prosperity　here　in　Philadelphia　for　some　time；　if　not　forever。　　At　present；　because　of　his　complications；　his　seat　had　been　attached　as　an　asset；　and　he　could　not　act。　　Edward　and　Joseph；　almost　the　only　employees　he　could　afford；　were　still　acting　for　him　in　a　small　way；　but　the　other　members　on　'change　naturally　suspected　his　brothers　as　his　agents；　and　any　talk　that　they　might　raise　of　going　into　business　for　themselves　merely　indicated　to　other　brokers　and　bankers　that　Cowperwood　was　contemplating　some　concealed　move　which　would　not　necessarily　be　advantageous　to　his　creditors；　and　against　the　law　anyhow。　　Yet　he　must　remain　on　'change；　whatever　happened；　potentially　if　not　actively；　and　so　in　his　quick　mental　searchings　he　hit　upon　the　idea　that　in　order　to　forfend　against　the　event　of　his　being　put　into　prison　or　thrown　into　bankruptcy；　or　both；　he　ought　to　form　a　subsidiary　silent　partnership　with　some　man　who　was　or　would　be　well　liked　on　'change；　and　whom　he　could　use　as　a　cat's…paw　and　a　dummy。

Finally　he　hit　upon　a　man　who　he　thought　would　do。　　He　did　not　amount　to　muchhad　a　small　business；　but　he　was　honest；　and　he　liked　Cowperwood。　　His　name　was　WingateStephen　Wingateand　he　was　eking　out　a　not　too　robust　existence　in　South　Third　Street　as　a　broker。　　He　was　forty…five　years　of　age；　of　medium　height；　fairly　thick…set；　not　at　all　unprepossessing；　and　rather　intelligent　and　active；　but　not　too　forceful　and　pushing　in　spirit。　　He　really　needed　a　man　like　Cowperwood　to　make　him　into　something；　if　ever　he　was　to　be　made。　　He　had　a　seat　on　'change；　and　was　well　thought　of；　respected；　but　not　so　very　prosperous。　　In　times　past　he　had　asked　small　favors　of　Cowperwoodthe　use　of　small　loans　at　a　moderate　rate　of　interest；　tips；　and　so　forth；　and　Cowperwood；　because　he　liked　him　and　felt　a　little　sorry　for　him；　had　granted　them。　　Now　Wingate　was　slowly　drifting　down　toward　a　none　too　successful　old　age；　and　was　as　tractable　as　such　a　man　would　naturally　be。　　No　one　for　the　time　being　would　suspect　him　of　being　a　hireling　of　Cowperwood's；　and　the　latter　could　depend　on　him　to　execute　his　orders　to　the　letter。　　He　sent　for　him　and　had　a　long　conversation　with　him。　　He　told　him　just　what　the　situation　was；　what　he　thought　he　could　do　for　him　as　a　partner；　how　much　of　his　business　he　would　want　for　himself；　and　so　on；　and　found　him　agreeable。

〃I'll　be　glad　to　do　anything　you　say；　Mr。　Cowperwood；〃　he　assured　the　latter。　　〃I　know　whatever　happens　that　you'll　protect　me；　and　there's　nobody　in　the　world　I　would　rather　work　with　or　have　greater　respect　for。　　This　storm　will　all　blow　over；　and　you'll　be　all　right。　We　can　try　it；　anyhow。　　If　it　don't　work　out　you　can　see　what　you　want　to　do　about　it　later。〃

And　so　this　relationship　was　tentatively　entered　into　and　Cowperwood　began　to　act　in　a　small　way　through　Wingate。





Chapter　XLVIII




By　the　time　the　State　Supreme　Court　came　to　pass　upon　Cowperwood's　plea　for　a　reversal　of　the　lower　court　and　the　granting　of　a　new　trial；　the　rumor　of　his　connection　with　Aileen　had　spread　far　and　wide。　　As　has　been　seen；　it　had　done　and　was　still　doing　him　much　damage。　　It　confirmed　the　impression；　which　the　politicians　had　originally　tried　to　create；　that　Cowperwood　was　the　true　criminal　and　Stener　the　victim。　　His　semi…legitimate　financial　subtlety；　backed　indeed　by　his　financial　genius；　but　certainly　on　this　account　not　worse　than　that　being　practiced　in　peace　and　quiet　and　with　much　applause　in　many　other　quarterswas　now　seen　to　be　Machiavellian　trickery　of　the　most　dangerous　type。　　He　had　a　wife　and　two　children；　and　without　knowing　what　his　real　thoughts　had　been　the　fruitfully　imaginative　public　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　he　had　been　on　the　verge　of　deserting　them；　divorcing　Lillian；　and　marrying　Aileen。　　This　was　criminal　enough　in　itself；　from　the　conservative　point　of　view；　but　when　taken　in　connection　with　his　financial　record；　his　trial；　conviction；　and　general　bankruptcy　situation；　the　public　was　inclined　to　believe　that　he　was　all　the　politicians　said　he　was。　　He　ought　to　be　convicted。　　The　Supreme　Court　ought　not　to　grant　his　prayer　for　a　new　trial。　　It　is　thus　that　our　inmost　thoughts　and　intentions　burst　at　times　via　no　known　material　agency　into　public　thoughts。　　People　know；　when　they　cannot　apparently　possibly　know　why　they　know。　　There　is　such　a　thing　as　thought…transference　and　transcendentalism　of　ideas。

It　reached；　for　one　thing；　the　ears　of　the　five　judges　of　the　State　Supreme　Court　and　of　the　Governor　of　the　State。

During　the　four　weeks　Cowperwood　had　been　free　on　a　certificate　of　reasonable　doubt　both　Harper　Steger　and　Dennis　Shannon　appeared　before　the　judges　of　the　State　Supreme　Court；　and　argued　pro　and　con　as　to　the　reasonableness　of　granting　a　new　trial。　　Through　his　lawyer；　Cowperwood　made　a　learned　appeal　to　the　Supreme　Court　judges；　showing　how　he　had　been　unfairly　indicted　in　the　first　place；　how　there　was　no　real　substantial　evidence　on　which　to　base　a　charge　of　larceny　or　anything　else。　　It　took　Steger　two　hours　and　ten　minutes　to　make　his　argument；　and　District…Attorney　Shannon　longer　to　make　his　reply；　during　which　the　five　judges　on　the　bench；　men　of　considerable　legal　experience　but　no　great　financial　understanding；　listened　with　rapt　attention。　　Three　of　them；　Judges　Smithson；　Rainey；　and　Beckwith；　men　most　amenable　to　the　political　feeling　of　the　time　and　the　wishes　of　the　bosses；　were　little　interested　in　this　story　of　Cowperwood's　transaction；　particularly　since　his　relations　with　Butler's　daughter　and　Butler's　consequent　opposition　to　him　had　come　to　them。　　They　fancied　that　in　a　way　they　were　considering　the　whole　matter　fairly　and　impartially；　but　the　manner　in　which　Cowperwood　had　treated　Butler　was　never　out　of　their　minds。　　Two　of　them；　Judges　Marvin　and　Rafalsky；　who　were　men　of　larger　sympathies　and　understanding；　but　of　no　greater　political　freedom；　did　feel　that　Cowperwood　had　been　badly　used　thus　far；　but　they　did　not　see　what　they　could　do　about　it。　　He　had　put　himself　in　a　most　unsatisfactory　position；　politically　and　socially。　　They　understo