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you　do　not　feel　that　you　can　conscientiously　undertake。　　The　letters　that　I　have　here；　let　me　say；　have　come　to　me　quite　by　accident。　I　did　not　seek　them。　　But；　since　I　do　have　them；　I　thought　I　might　as　well　mention　them　as　a　basis　for　a　possible　talk　and　compromise　between　us。〃

Cowperwood　did　not　smile。　　He　merely　looked　thoughtfully　at　Sluss；　then；　by　way　of　testifying　to　the　truthfulness　of　what　he　had　been　saying；　thumped　the　letters　up　and　down；　just　to　show　that　they　were　real。

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Sluss；　heavily；　〃I　see。〃

He　studied　the　bundlea　small；　solid　affairwhile　Cowperwood　looked　discreetly　elsewhere。　　He　contemplated　his　own　shoes；　the　floor。　　He　rubbed　his　hands　and　then　his　knees。

Cowperwood　saw　how　completely　he　had　collapsed。　　It　was　ridiculous；　pitiable。

〃Come；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　said　Cowperwood；　amiably；　〃cheer　up。　　Things　are　not　nearly　as　desperate　as　you　think。　　I　give　you　my　word　right　now　that　nothing　which　you　yourself；　on　mature　thought；　could　say　was　unfair　will　be　done。　　You　are　the　mayor　of　Chicago。　　I　am　a　citizen。　　I　merely　wish　fair　play　from　you。　　I　merely　ask　you　to　give　me　your　word　of　honor　that　from　now　on　you　will　take　no　part　in　this　fight　which　is　one　of　pure　spite　against　me。　　If　you　cannot　conscientiously　aid　me　in　what　I　consider　to　be　a　perfectly　legitimate　demand　for　additional　franchises；　you　will；　at　least；　not　go　out　of　your　way　to　publicly　attack　me。　　I　will　put　these　letters　in　my　safe；　and　there　they　will　stay　until　the　next　campaign　is　over；　when　I　will　take　them　out　and　destroy　them。　　I　have　no　personal　feeling　against　younone　in　the　world。　　I　do　not　ask　you　to　sign　any　ordinance　which　the　council　may　pass　giving　me　elevated…road　rights。　　What　I　do　wish　you　to　do　at　this　time　is　to　refrain　from　stirring　up　public　sentiment　against　me；　especially　if　the　council　should　see　fit　to　pass　an　ordinance　over　your　veto。　Is　that　satisfactory？〃

〃But　my　friends？　The　public？　The　Republican　party？　Don't　you　see　it　is　expected　of　me　that　I　should　wage　some　form　of　campaign　against　you？〃　queried　Sluss；　nervously。

〃No；　I　don't；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　succinctly；　〃and；　anyhow；　there　are　ways　and　ways　of　waging　a　public　campaign。　　Go　through　the　motions；　if　you　wish；　but　don't　put　too　much　heart　in　it。　　And；　anyhow；　see　some　one　of　my　lawyers　from　time　to　time　when　they　call　on　you。　　Judge　Dickensheets　is　an　able　and　fair　man。　　So　is　General　Van　Sickle。　　Why　not　confer　with　them　occasionally？not　publicly；　of　course；　but　in　some　less　conspicuous　way。　　You　will　find　both　of　them　most　helpful。〃

Cowperwood　smiled　encouragingly；　quite　beneficently；　and　Chaffee　Thayer　Sluss；　his　political　hopes　gone　glimmering；　sat　and　mused　for　a　few　moments　in　a　sad　and　helpless　quandary。

〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　at　last；　rubbing　his　hands　feverishly。　　〃It　is　what　I　might　have　expected。　　I　should　have　known。　　There　is　no　other　way；　but〃　Hardly　able　to　repress　the　hot　tears　now　burning　beneath　his　eyelids；　the　Hon。　Mr。　Sluss　picked　up　his　hat　and　left　the　room。　　Needless　to　add　that　his　preachings　against　Cowperwood　were　permanently　silenced。




Chapter　XLV



Changing　Horizons

The　effect　of　all　this　was　to　arouse　in　Cowperwood　the　keenest　feelings　of　superiority　he　had　ever　yet　enjoyed。　　Hitherto　he　had　fancied　that　his　enemies　might　worst　him；　but　at　last　his　path　seemed　clear。　　He　was　now　worth；　all　in　all；　the　round　sum　of　twenty　million　dollars。　　His　art…collection　had　become　the　most　important　in　the　Westperhaps　in　the　nation；　public　collections　excluded。　　He　began　to　envision　himself　as　a　national　figure；　possibly　even　an　international　one。　　And　yet　he　was　coming　to　feel　that；　no　matter　how　complete　his　financial　victory　might　ultimately　be；　the　chances　were　that　he　and　Aileen　would　never　be　socially　accepted　here　in　Chicago。　　He　had　done　too　many　boisterous　things　alienated　too　many　people。　　He　was　as　determined　as　ever　to　retain　a　firm　grip　on　the　Chicago　street…railway　situation。　　But　he　was　disturbed　for　a　second　time　in　his　life　by　the　thought　that；　owing　to　the　complexities　of　his　own　temperament；　he　had　married　unhappily　and　would　find　the　situation　difficult　of　adjustment。　　Aileen；　whatever　might　be　said　of　her　deficiencies；　was　by　no　means　as　tractable　or　acquiescent　as　his　first　wife。　　And；　besides；　he　felt　that　he　owed　her　a　better　turn。　　By　no　means　did　he　actually　dislike　her　as　yet；　though　she　was　no　longer　soothing；　stimulating；　or　suggestive　to　him　as　she　had　formerly　been。　　Her　woes；　because　of　him；　were　too　many；　her　attitude　toward　him　too　censorious。　　He　was　perfectly　willing　to　sympathize　with　her；　to　regret　his　own　change　of　feeling；　but　what　would　you？　He　could　not　control　his　own　temperament　any　more　than　Aileen　could　control　hers。

The　worst　of　this　situation　was　that　it　was　now　becoming　complicated　on　Cowperwood's　part　with　the　most　disturbing　thoughts　concerning　Berenice　Fleming。　　Ever　since　the　days　when　he　had　first　met　her　mother　he　had　been　coming　more　and　more　to　feel　for　the　young　girl　a　soul…stirring　passionand　that　without　a　single　look　exchanged　or　a　single　word　spoken。　　There　is　a　static　something　which　is　beauty；　and　this　may　be　clothed　in　the　habiliments　of　a　ragged　philosopher　or　in　the　silks　and　satins　of　pampered　coquetry。　　It　was　a　suggestion　of　this　beauty　which　is　above　sex　and　above　age　and　above　wealth　that　shone　in　the　blowing　hair　and　night…blue　eyes　of　Berenice　Fleming。　　His　visit　to　the　Carter　family　at　Pocono　had　been　a　disappointment　to　him；　because　of　the　apparent　hopelessness　of　arousing　Berenice's　interest；　and　since　that　time；　and　during　their　casual　encounters；　she　had　remained　politely　indifferent。　Nevertheless；　he　remained　true　to　his　persistence　in　the　pursuit　of　any　game　he　had　fixed　upon。　　　　Mrs。　Carter；　whose　relations　with　Cowperwood　had　in　the　past　been　not　wholly　platonic；　nevertheless　attributed　much　of　his　interest　in　her　to　her　children　and　their　vital　chance。　　Berenice　and　Rolfe　themselves　knew　nothing　concerning　the　nature　of　their　mother's　arrangements　with　Cowperwood。　　True　to　his　promise　of　protectorship　and　assistance；　he　had　established　her　in　a　New　York　apartment　adjacent　to　her　daughter's　school；　and　where　he　fancied　that　he　himself　might　spend　many　happy　hours　were　Berenice　but　near。　　Proximity　to　Berenice！　The　desire　to　arouse　her　interest　and　command　her　favor！　Cowperwood　would　scarcely　have　cared　to　admit　to　himself　how　great　a　part　this　played　in　a　thought　which　had　recently　been　creeping　into　his　mind。　　It　was　that　of　erecting　a　splendid　house　in　New　York。

By　degrees　this　idea　of　building　a　New　York　house　had　grown　upon　him。　　His　Chicago　mansion　was　a　costly　sepulcher　in　which　Aileen　sat　brooding　over　the　woes　which　had　befallen　her。　　Moreover；　aside　from　the　social　defeat　which　it　represented；　it　was　becoming　merely　as　a　structure；　but　poorly　typical　of　the　splendor　and　ability　of　his　imaginations。　　This　second　dwelling；　if　he　ever　achieved　it；　should　be　resplendent；　a　monument　to　himself。　　In　his　speculative　wanderings　abroad　he　had　seen　many　such　great　palaces；　designed　with　the　utmost　care；　which　had　housed　the　taste　and　culture　of　generations　of　men。　　His　art…collection；　in　which　he　took　an　immense　pride；　had　been　growing；　until　it　was　the　basis　if　not　the　completed　substance　for　a　very　splendid　memorial。　　Already　in　it　were　gathered　paintings　of　all　the　important　schools；　to　say　nothing　of　collections　of　jade；　illumined　missals；　porcelains；　rugs；　draperies；　mirror　frames；　and　a　beginning　at　rare　originals　of　sculpture。　　The　beauty　of　these　strange　things；　the　patient　laborings　of　inspired　souls　of　various　times　and　places；　moved　him；　on　occasion；　to　a　gentle　awe。　　Of　all　individuals　he　respected；　indeed　revered；　the　sincere　artist。　　Existence　was　a　mystery；　but　these　souls　who　set　themselves　to　quiet　tasks　of　beauty　had　caught　something　of　which　he　was　dimly　conscious。　　Life　had　touched　them　with　a　vision；　their　hearts　and　souls　were　attuned　to　sweet　harmonies　of　which　the　common　world　knew　nothing。　　Sometimes；　when　he　was　weary　after　a　strenuous　day；　he　would　enterlate　in　the　night　his　now　silent　gallery；　and　turning　on　the　lights　so　that　the　whole　sweet　room　stood　revealed；　he　would　seat　himself　before　some　treasure；　reflecting　on　the　nature；　the　mood；　the　time；　and　the　man　that　had　produced　it。　　Sometimes　it　would　be　one　of　Rembrandt's　melancholy　headsthe　sad　〃Portrait　of　a　Rabbi〃or　the　sweet　introspection　of　a　Rousseau　stream。　　A　solemn　Dutch　housewife；　rendered　with　the　bold　fidelity　and　resonant　enameled　surfaces　of　a　Hals　or　the　cold　elegance　of　an　Ingres；　commanded　his　utmost　enthusiasm。　　So　he　would　sit　and　wonder　at　the　vision　and　skill　of　the　original　dreamer；　exclaiming　at　times：　〃A　marvel！　A　marvel！〃

At　the　same　time；　so　far　as　Aileen　was　concerned　things　were　obviously　shaping　up　for　additional　changes。　　She　was　in　that　peculiar　state　which　has　befallen　many　a　womantrying　to　substitute　a　lesser　ideal　for　a　greater；　and　finding　that　the　effort　is　useless　or　nearly　so。　　In　regard　to　her　affair　with　Lynde；　aside　from　the　temporary　relief　and　diversion　it　had　afforded　her；　she　was　beginning　to　feel　that　she　had　made　a　serious　mistake。　　Lynde　was　delightful；　after　his　fashion。　　He　could　a