the titan-第58节

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erwood；　might　attempt　to　make　you　suffer　in　another　way。　　I　presume　that　you　have　no　children　of　your　own；　or　that　if　you　have　you　lack　the　parental　instinct；　otherwise　you　could　not　have　injured　me　in　this　fashion。　　I　believe　that　you　will　live　to　see　that　this　policy　does　not　pay　in　Chicago　or　anywhere　else。〃

Haguenin　turned　slowly　on　his　heel　toward　his　desk。　　Cowperwood；　who　had　listened　very　patiently　and　very　fixedly；　without　a　tremor　of　an　eyelash；　merely　said：　〃There　seems　to　be　no　common　intellectual　ground；　Mr。　Haguenin；　upon　which　you　and　I　can　meet　in　this　matter。　You　cannot　understand　my　point　of　view。　　I　could　not　possibly　adopt　yours。　　However；　as　you　wish　it；　the　stock　will　be　returned　to　you　upon　receipt　of　my　indorsements。　　I　cannot　say　more　than　that。〃

He　turned　and　walked　unconcernedly　out；　thinking　that　it　was　too　bad　to　lose　the　support　of　so　respectable　a　man；　but　also　that　he　could　do　without　it。　　It　was　silly　the　way　parents　insisted　on　their　daughters　being　something　that　they　did　not　wish　to　be。

Haguenin　stood　by　his　desk　after　Cowperwood　had　gone；　wondering　where　he　should　get　one　hundred　thousand　dollars　quickly；　and　also　what　he　should　do　to　make　his　daughter　see　the　error　of　her　ways。　It　was　an　astonishing　blow　he　had　received；　he　thought；　in　the　house　of　a　friend。　　It　occurred　to　him　that　Walter　Melville　Hyssop；　who　was　succeeding　mightily　with　his　two　papers；　might　come　to　his　rescue；　and　that　later　he　could　repay　him　when　the　Press　was　more　prosperous。　　He　went　out　to　his　house　in　a　quandary　concerning　life　and　chance；　while　Cowperwood　went　to　the　Chicago　Trust　Company　to　confer　with　Videra；　and　later　out　to　his　own　home　to　consider　how　he　should　equalize　this　loss。　　The　state　and　fate　of　Cecily　Haguenin　was　not　of　so　much　importance　as　many　other　things　on　his　mind　at　this　time。

Far　more　serious　were　his　cogitations　with　regard　to　a　liaison　he　had　recently　ventured　to　establish　with　Mrs。　Hosmer　Hand；　wife　of　an　eminent　investor　and　financier。　　Hand　was　a　solid；　phlegmatic；　heavy…thinking　person　who　had　some　years　before　lost　his　first　wife；　to　whom　he　had　been　eminently　faithful。　　After　that；　for　a　period　of　years　he　had　been　a　lonely　speculator；　attending　to　his　vast　affairs；　but　finally　because　of　his　enormous　wealth；　his　rather　presentable　appearance　and　social　rank；　he　had　been　entrapped　by　much　social　attention　on　the　part　of　a　Mrs。　Jessie　Drew　Barrett　into　marrying　her　daughter　Caroline；　a　dashing　skip　of　a　girl　who　was　clever；　incisive；　calculating；　and　intensely　gay。　　Since　she　was　socially　ambitious；　and　without　much　heart；　the　thought　of　Hand's　millions；　and　how　advantageous　would　be　her　situation　in　case　he　should　die；　had　enabled　her　to　overlook　quite　easily　his　heavy；　unyouthful　appearance　and　to　see　him　in　the　light　of　a　lover。　　There　was　criticism；　of　course。　　Hand　was　considered　a　victim；　and　Caroline　and　her　mother　designing　minxes　and　cats；　but　since　the　wealthy　financier　was　truly　ensnared　it　behooved　friends　and　future　satellites　to　be　courteous；　and　so　they　were。　　The　wedding　was　very　well　attended。　　Mrs。　Hand　began　to　give　house…parties；　teas；　musicales；　and　receptions　on　a　lavish　scale。

Cowperwood　never　met　either　her　or　her　husband　until　he　was　well　launched　on　his　street…car　programme。　　Needing　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　in　a　hurry；　and　finding　the　Chicago　Trust　Company；　the　Lake　City　Bank；　and　other　institutions　heavily　loaded　with　his　securities；　he　turned　in　a　moment　of　inspirational　thought　to　Hand。　　Cowperwood　was　always　a　great　borrower。　　His　paper　was　out　in　large　quantities。　　He　introduced　himself　frequently　to　powerful　men　in　this　way；　taking　long　or　short　loans　at　high　or　low　rates　of　interest；　as　the　case　might　be；　and　sometimes　finding　some　one　whom　he　could　work　with　or　use。　　In　the　case　of　Hand；　though　the　latter　was　ostensibly　of　the　enemies'　campthe　Schryhart…Union…Gas…Douglas…Trust…Company　crowdnevertheless　Cowperwood　had　no　hesitation　in　going　to　him。　　He　wished　to　overcome　or　forestall　any　unfavorable　impression。　　Though　Hand；　a　solemn　man　of　shrewd　but　honest　nature；　had　heard　a　number　of　unfavorable　rumors；　he　was　inclined　to　be　fair　and　think　the　best。　　Perhaps　Cowperwood　was　merely　the　victim　of　envious　rivals。

When　the　latter　first　called　on　him　at　his　office　in　the　Rookery　Building；　he　was　most　cordial。　　〃Come　in；　Mr。　Cowperwood；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　heard　a　great　deal　about　you　from　one　person　and　another　mostly　from　the　newspapers。　　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃

Cowperwood　exhibited　five　hundred　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　West　Chicago　Street　Railway　stock。　　〃I　want　to　know　if　I　can　get　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　on　those　by　to…morrow　morning。〃

Hand；　a　placid　man；　looked　at　the　securities　peacefully。　　〃What's　the　matter　with　your　own　bank？〃　He　was　referring　to　the　Chicago　Trust　Company。　　〃Can't　it　take　care　of　them　for　you？〃

〃Loaded　up　with　other　things　just　now；〃　smiled　Cowperwood；　ingratiatingly。

〃Well；　if　I　can　believe　all　the　papers　say；　you're　going　to　wreck　these　roads　or　Chicago　or　yourself；　but　I　don't　live　by　the　papers。　How　long　would　you　want　it　for？〃

〃Six　months；　perhaps。　　A　year；　if　you　choose。〃

Hand　turned　over　the　securities；　eying　their　gold　seals。　　〃Five　hundred　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　six　per　cent。　West　Chicago　preferred；〃　he　commented。　　〃Are　you　earning　six　per　cent。？〃

〃We're　earning　eight　right　now。　　You'll　live　to　see　the　day　when　these　shares　will　sell　at　two　hundred　dollars　and　pay　twelve　per　cent。　at　that。〃

〃And　you've　quadrupled　the　issue　of　the　old　company？　Well；　Chicago's　growing。　　Leave　them　here　until　to…morrow　or　bring　them　back。　　Send　over　or　call　me；　and　I'll　tell　you。〃

They　talked　for　a　little　while　on　street…railway　and　corporation　matters。　　Hand　wanted　to　know　something　concerning　West　Chicago　landa　region　adjoining　Ravenswood。　　Cowperwood　gave　him　his　best　advice。

The　next　day　he　'phoned；　and　the　stocks；　so　Hand　informed　him；　were　available。　　He　would　send　a　check　over。　　So　thus　a　tentative　friendship　began；　and　it　lasted　until　the　relationship　between　Cowperwood　and　Mrs。　Hand　was　consummated　and　discovered。

In　Caroline　Barrett；　as　she　occasionally　preferred　to　sign　herself；　Cowperwood　encountered　a　woman　who　was　as　restless　and　fickle　as　himself；　but　not　so　shrewd。　　Socially　ambitious；　she　was　anything　but　socially　conventional；　and　she　did　not　care　for　Hand。　　Once　married；　she　had　planned　to　repay　herself　in　part　by　a　very　gay　existence。　　The　affair　between　her　and　Cowperwood　had　begun　at　a　dinner　at　the　magnificent　residence　of　Hand　on　the　North　Shore　Drive　overlooking　the　lake。　　Cowperwood　had　gone　to　talk　over　with　her　husband　various　Chicago　matters。　　Mrs。　Hand　was　excited　by　his　risque　reputation。　　A　little　woman　in　stature；　with　intensely　white　teeth；　red　lips　which　she　did　not　hesitate　to　rouge　on　occasion；　brown　hair；　and　small　brown　eyes　which　had　a　gay；　searching；　defiant　twinkle　in　them；　she　did　her　best　to　be　interesting；　clever；　witty；　and　she　was。

〃I　know　Frank　Cowperwood　by　reputation；　anyhow；〃　she　exclaimed；　holding　out　a　small；　white；　jeweled　hand；　the　nails　of　which　at　their　juncture　with　the　flesh　were　tinged　with　henna；　and　the　palms　of　which　were　slightly　rouged。　　Her　eyes　blazed；　and　her　teeth　gleamed。　　〃One　can　scarcely　read　of　anything　else　in　the　Chicago　papers。〃

Cowperwood　returned　his　most　winning　beam。　　〃I'm　delighted　to　meet　you；　Mrs。　Hand。　　I　have　read　of　you；　too。　　But　I　hope　you　don't　believe　all　the　papers　say　about　me。〃

〃And　if　I　did　it　wouldn't　hurt　you　in　my　estimation。　　To　do　is　to　be　talked　about　in　these　days。〃

Cowperwood；　because　of　his　desire　to　employ　the　services　of　Hand；　was　at　his　best。　　He　kept　the　conversation　within　conventional　lines；　but　all　the　while　he　was　exchanging　secret；　unobserved　smiles　with　Mrs。　Hand；　whom　he　realized　at　once　had　married　Hand　for　his　money；　and　was　bent；　under　a　somewhat　jealous　espionage；　to　have　a　good　time　anyhow。　　There　is　a　kind　of　eagerness　that　goes　with　those　who　are　watched　and　wish　to　escape　that　gives　them　a　gay；　electric　awareness　and　sparkle　in　the　presence　of　an　opportunity　for　release。　　Mrs。　Hand　had　this。　　Cowperwood；　a　past　master　in　this　matter　of　femininity；　studied　her　hands；　her　hair；　her　eyes；　her　smile。　　After　some　contemplation　he　decided；　other　things　being　equal；　that　Mrs。　Hand　would　do；　and　that　he　could　be　interested　if　she　were　very　much　interested　in　him。　　Her　telling　eyes　and　smiles；　the　heightened　color　of　her　cheeks　indicated　after　a　time　that　she　was。

Meeting　him　on　the　street　one　day　not　long　after　they　had　first　met；　she　told　him　that　she　was　going　for　a　visit　to　friends　at　Oconomowoc；　in　Wisconsin。

〃I　don't　suppose　you　ever　get　up　that　far　north　in　summer；　do　you？〃　she　asked；　with　an　air；　and　smiled。

〃I　never　have；〃　he　replied；　〃but　there's　no　telling　what　I　might　do　if　I　were　bantered。　　I　suppose　you　ride　and　canoe？〃

〃Oh　yes；　and　play　tennis　and　golf；　too。〃

〃But　where　would　a　mere　idler　like　me　stay？〃

〃Oh；　there　are　several　good　hotels。　　There's　never　any　trouble　about　that。　　I　suppose　you　ride　yourself？〃

〃After　a　fashion；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　who　was　an　expert。

Witness　then　the　casual　encounter　on　hor