the titan-第83节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



He　looked　at　Mr。　Hand　quite　as　one　advocate　of　righteousness　should　look　at　another；　and　the　rich　promoter　went　away　satisfied　that　the　reins　of　government　were　in　safe　hands。　　Immediately　afterward　Mr。　Sluss　gave　out　an　interview　in　which　he　served　warning　on　all　aldermen　and　councilmen　that　no　such　ordinance　as　the　one　in　question　would　ever　be　signed　by　him　as　mayor。

At　half　past　ten　on　the　same　morning　on　which　the　interview　appeared　the　hour　at　which　Mr。　Sluss　usually　reached　his　officehis　private　telephone　bell　rang；　and　an　assistant　inquired　if　he　would　be　willing　to　speak　with　Mr。　Frank　A。　Cowperwood。　　Mr。　Sluss；　somehow　anticipating　fresh　laurels　of　victory；　gratified　by　the　front…page　display　given　his　announcement　in　the　morning　papers；　and　swelling　internally　with　civic　pride；　announced；　solemnly：　〃Yes；　connect　me。〃

〃Mr。　Sluss；〃　began　Cowperwood；　at　the　other　end；　〃this　is　Frank　A。　Cowperwood。〃

〃Yes。　　What　can　I　do　for　you；　Mr。　Cowperwood？〃

〃I　see　by　the　morning　papers　that　you　state　that　you　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　any　proposed　ordinance　which　looks　to　giving　me　a　franchise　for　any　elevated　road　on　the　North　or　West　Side？〃

〃That　is　quite　true；〃　replied　Mr。　Sluss；　loftily。　　〃I　will　not。〃

〃Don't　you　think　it　is　rather　premature；　Mr。　Sluss；　to　denounce　something　which　has　only　a　rumored　existence？〃　（Cowperwood；　smiling　sweetly　to　himself；　was　quite　like　a　cat　playing　with　an　unsuspicious　mouse。）　〃I　should　like　very　much　to　talk　this　whole　matter　over　with　you　personally　before　you　take　an　irrevocable　attitude。　　It　is　just　possible　that　after　you　have　heard　my　side　you　may　not　be　so　completely　opposed　to　me。　　From　time　to　time　I　have　sent　to　you　several　of　my　personal　friends；　but　apparently　you　do　not　care　to　receive　them。〃

〃Quite　true；〃　replied　Mr。　Sluss；　loftily；　〃but　you　must　remember　that　I　am　a　very　busy　man；　Mr。　Cowperwood；　and；　besides；　I　do　not　see　how　I　can　serve　any　of　your　purposes。　　You　are　working　for　a　set　of　conditions　to　which　I　am　morally　and　temperamentally　opposed。　I　am　working　for　another。　　I　do　not　see　that　we　have　any　common　ground　on　which　to　meet。　　In　fact；　I　do　not　see　how　I　can　be　of　any　service　to　you　whatsoever。〃

〃Just　a　moment；　please；　Mr。　Mayor；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　still　very　sweetly；　and　fearing　that　Sluss　might　choose　to　hang　up　the　receiver；　so　superior　was　his　tone。　　〃There　may　be　some　common　ground　of　which　you　do　not　know。　　Wouldn't　you　like　to　come　to　lunch　at　my　residence　or　receive　me　at　yours？　Or　let　me　come　to　your　office　and　talk　this　matter　over。　　I　believe　you　will　find　it　the　part　of　wisdom　as　well　as　of　courtesy　to　do　this。〃

〃I　cannot　possibly　lunch　with　you　to…day；〃　replied　Sluss；　〃and　I　cannot　see　you；　either。　　There　are　a　number　of　things　pressing　for　my　attention。　　I　must　say　also　that　I　cannot　hold　any　back…room　conferences　with　you　or　your　emissaries。　　If　you　come　you　must　submit　to　the　presence　of　others。〃

〃Very　well；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　cheerfully。　　〃I　will　not　come　to　your　office。　　But　unless　you　come　to　mine　before　five　o'clock　this　afternoon　you　will　face　by　noon　to…morrow　a　suit　for　breach　of　promise；　and　your　letters　to　Mrs。　Brandon　will　be　given　to　the　public。　　I　wish　to　remind　you　that　an　election　is　coming　on；　and　that　Chicago　favors　a　mayor　who　is　privately　moral　as　well　as　publicly　so。　　Good　morning。〃

Mr。　Cowperwood　hung　up　his　telephone　receiver　with　a　click；　and　Mr。　Sluss　sensibly　and　visibly　stiffened　and　paled。　　Mrs。　Brandon！　The　charming；　lovable；　discreet　Mrs。　Brandon　who　had　so　ungenerously　left　him！　Why　should　she　be　thinking　of　suing　him　for　breach　of　promise；　and　how　did　his　letter　to　her　come　to　be　in　Cowperwood's　hands？　Good　heavensthose　mushy　letters！　His　wife！　His　children！　His　church　and　the　owlish　pastor　thereof！　Chicago！　And　its　conventional；　moral；　religious　atmosphere！　Come　to　think　of　it；　Mrs。　Brandon　had　scarcely　if　ever　written　him　a　note　of　any　kind。　He　did　not　even　know　her　history。

At　the　thought　of　Mrs。　Slussher　hard；　cold；　blue　eyesMr。　Sluss　arose；　tall　and　distrait；　and　ran　his　hand　through　his　hair。　　He　walked　to　the　window；　snapping　his　thumb　and　middle　finger　and　looking　eagerly　at　the　floor。　　He　thought　of　the　telephone　switchboard　just　outside　his　private　office；　and　wondered　whether　his　secretary；　a　handsome　young　Presbyterian　girl；　had　been　listening；　as　usual。　Oh；　this　sad；　sad　world！　If　the　North　Side　ever　learned　of　this　Hand；　the　newspapers；　young　MacDonaldwould　they　protect　him？　They　would　not。　　Would　they　run　him　for　mayor　again？　Never！　Could　the　public　be　induced　to　vote　for　him　with　all　the　churches　fulminating　against　private　immorality；　hypocrites；　and　whited　sepulchers？　Oh；　Lord！　Oh；　Lord！　And　he　was　so　very；　very　much　respected　and　looked　up　tothat　was　the　worst　of　it　all。　　This　terrible　demon　Cowperwood　had　descended　on　him；　and　he　had　thought　himself　so　secure。　　He　had　not　even　been　civil　to　Cowperwood。　What　if　the　latter　chose　to　avenge　the　discourtesy？

Mr。　Sluss　went　back　to　his　chair；　but　he　could　not　sit　in　it。　　He　went　for　his　coat；　took　it　down；　hung　it　up　again；　took　it　down；　announced　over　the　'phone　that　he　could　not　see　any　one　for　several　hours；　and　went　out　by　a　private　door。　　Wearily　he　walked　along　North　Clark　Street；　looking　at　the　hurly…burly　of　traffic；　looking　at　the　dirty；　crowded　river；　looking　at　the　sky　and　smoke　and　gray　buildings；　and　wondering　what　he　should　do。　　The　world　was　so　hard　at　times；　it　was　so　cruel。　　His　wife；　his　family；　his　political　career。　　He　could　not　conscientiously　sign　any　ordinances　for　Mr。　Cowperwoodthat　would　be　immoral；　dishonest；　a　scandal　to　the　city。　　Mr。　Cowperwood　was　a　notorious　traitor　to　the　public　welfare。　At　the　same　time　he　could　not　very　well　refuse；　for　here　was　Mrs。　Brandon；　the　charming　and　unscrupulous　creature；　playing　into　the　hands　of　Cowperwood。　　If　he　could　only　meet　her；　beg　of　her；　plead；　but　where　was　she？　He　had　not　seen　her　for　months　and　months。　　Could　he　go　to　Hand　and　confess　all？　But　Hand　was　a　hard；　cold；　moral　man　also。　　Oh；　Lord！　Oh；　Lord！　He　wondered　and　thought；　and　sighed　and　ponderedall　without　avail。

Pity　the　poor　earthling　caught　in　the　toils　of　the　moral　law。　　In　another　country；　perhaps；　in　another　day；　another　age；　such　a　situation　would　have　been　capable　of　a　solution；　one　not　utterly　destructive　to　Mr。　Sluss；　and　not　entirely　favorable　to　a　man　like　Cowperwood。　　But　here　in　the　United　States；　here　in　Chicago；　the　ethical　verities　would　all；　as　he　knew；　be　lined　up　against　him。　What　Lake　View　would　think；　what　his　pastor　would　think；　what　Hand　and　all　his　moral　associates　would　thinkah；　these　were　the　terrible；　the　incontrovertible　consequences　of　his　lapse　from　virtue。

At　four　o'clock；　after　Mr。　Sluss　had　wandered　for　hours　in　the　snow　and　cold；　belaboring　himself　for　a　fool　and　a　knave；　and　while　Cowperwood　was　sitting　at　his　desk　signing　papers；　contemplating　a　glowing　fire；　and　wondering　whether　the　mayor　would　deem　it　advisable　to　put　in　an　appearance；　his　office　door　opened　and　one　of　his　trim　stenographers　entered　announcing　Mr。　Chaffee　Thayer　Sluss。　　Enter　Mayor　Sluss；　sad；　heavy；　subdued；　shrunken；　a　very　different　gentleman　from　the　one　who　had　talked　so　cavalierly　over　the　wires　some　five　and　a　half　hours　before。　　Gray　weather；　severe　cold；　and　much　contemplation　of　seemingly　irreconcilable　facts　had　reduced　his　spirits　greatly。　　He　was　a　little　pale　and　a　little　restless。　　Mental　distress　has　a　reducing；　congealing　effect；　and　Mayor　Sluss　seemed　somewhat　less　than　his　usual　self　in　height；　weight；　and　thickness。　　Cowperwood　had　seen　him　more　than　once　on　various　political　platforms；　but　he　had　never　met　him。　　When　the　troubled　mayor　entered　he　arose　courteously　and　waved　him　to　a　chair。

〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　he　said；　genially。　　〃It's　a　disagreeable　day　out；　isn't　it？　I　suppose　you　have　come　in　regard　to　the　matter　we　were　discussing　this　morning？〃

Nor　was　this　cordiality　wholly　assumed。　　One　of　the　primal　instincts　of　Cowperwood's　naturefor　all　his　chicane　and　subtletywas　to　take　no　rough　advantage　of　a　beaten　enemy。　　In　the　hour　of　victory　he　was　always　courteous；　bland；　gentle；　and　even　sympathetic；　he　was　so　to…day；　and　quite　honestly；　too。

Mayor　Sluss　put　down　the　high　sugar…loaf　hat　he　wore　and　said；　grandiosely；　as　was　his　manner　even　in　the　direst　extremity：　〃Well；　you　see；　I　am　here；　Mr。　Cowperwood。　　What　is　it　you　wish　me　to　do；　exactly？〃

〃Nothing　unreasonable；　I　assure　you；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　replied　Cowperwood。　〃Your　manner　to　me　this　morning　was　a　little　brusque；　and；　as　I　have　always　wanted　to　have　a　sensible　private　talk　with　you；　I　took　this　way　of　getting　it。　　I　should　like　you　to　dismiss　from　your　mind　at　once　the　thought　that　I　am　going　to　take　an　unfair　advantage　of　you　in　any　way。　　I　have　no　present　intention　of　publishing　your　correspondence　with　Mrs。　Brandon。〃　（As　he　said　this　he　took　from　his　drawer　a　bundle　of　letters　which　Mayor　Sluss　recognized　at　once　as　the　enthusiastic　missives　which　he　had　sometime　before　penned　to　the　fair　Claudia。　　Mr。　Sluss　groaned　as　he　beheld　this　incriminating　evidence。）　〃I　am　not　trying；〃　continued　Cowperwood；　〃to　wreck　your　career；　nor　to　make　you　do　anything　which　you　do　not　feel　that　you　c