the financier-第31部分

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ild　and　unreasoning　affection　and　passion。　　In　a　way；　there　was　a　saving　element　of　love；　for　truly；　above　all　others；　she　wanted　this　man。　　She　had　no　thought　or　feeling　toward　any　other。　　All　her　mind　ran　toward　visions　of　the　future；　when；　somehow；　she　and　he　might　be　together　for　all　time。　　Mrs。　Cowperwood　might　die；　or　he　might　run　away　with　her　at　thirty…five　when　he　had　a　million。　　Some　adjustment　would　be　made；　somehow。　　Nature　had　given　her　this　man。　　She　relied　on　him　implicitly。　　When　he　told　her　that　he　would　take　care　of　her　so　that　nothing　evil　should　befall；　she　believed　him　fully。　　Such　sins　are　the　commonplaces　of　the　confessional。

It　is　a　curious　fact　that　by　some　subtlety　of　logic　in　the　Christian　world；　it　has　come　to　be　believed　that　there　can　be　no　love　outside　the　conventional　process　of　courtship　and　marriage。　　One　life；　one　love；　is　the　Christian　idea；　and　into　this　sluice　or　mold　it　has　been　endeavoring　to　compress　the　whole　world。　　Pagan　thought　held　no　such　belief。　　A　writing　of　divorce　for　trivial　causes　was　the　theory　of　the　elders；　and　in　the　primeval　world　nature　apparently　holds　no　scheme　for　the　unity　of　two　beyond　the　temporary　care　of　the　young。　　That　the　modern　home　is　the　most　beautiful　of　schemes；　when　based　upon　mutual　sympathy　and　understanding　between　two；　need　not　be　questioned。　　And　yet　this　fact　should　not　necessarily　carry　with　it　a　condemnation　of　all　love　not　so　fortunate　as　to　find　so　happy　a　denouement。　　Life　cannot　be　put　into　any　mold；　and　the　attempt　might　as　well　be　abandoned　at　once。　　Those　so　fortunate　as　to　find　harmonious　companionship　for　life　should　congratulate　themselves　and　strive　to　be　worthy　of　it。　　Those　not　so　blessed；　though　they　be　written　down　as　pariahs；　have　yet　some　justification。　And；　besides；　whether　we　will　or　not；　theory　or　no　theory；　the　basic　facts　of　chemistry　and　physics　remain。　　Like　is　drawn　to　like。　Changes　in　temperament　bring　changes　in　relationship。　　Dogma　may　bind　some　minds；　fear；　others。　　But　there　are　always　those　in　whom　the　chemistry　and　physics　of　life　are　large；　and　in　whom　neither　dogma　nor　fear　is　operative。　　Society　lifts　its　hands　in　horror；　but　from　age　to　age　the　Helens；　the　Messalinas；　the　Du　Barrys；　the　Pompadours；　the　Maintenons；　and　the　Nell　Gwyns　flourish　and　point　a　freer　basis　of　relationship　than　we　have　yet　been　able　to　square　with　our　lives。

These　two　felt　unutterably　bound　to　each　other。　　Cowperwood；　once　he　came　to　understand　her；　fancied　that　he　had　found　the　one　person　with　whom　he　could　live　happily　the　rest　of　his　life。　　She　was　so　young；　so　confident；　so　hopeful；　so　undismayed。　　All　these　months　since　they　had　first　begun　to　reach　out　to　each　other　he　had　been　hourly　contrasting　her　with　his　wife。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　dissatisfaction；　though　it　may　be　said　to　have　been　faint　up　to　this　time；　was　now　surely　tending　to　become　real　enough。　　Still；　his　children　were　pleasing　to　him；　his　home　beautiful。　　Lillian；　phlegmatic　and　now　thin；　was　still　not　homely。　　All　these　years　he　had　found　her　satisfactory　enough；　but　now　his　dissatisfaction　with　her　began　to　increase。　　She　was　not　like　Aileennot　young；　not　vivid；　not　as　unschooled　in　the　commonplaces　of　life。　　And　while　ordinarily；　he　was　not　one　who　was　inclined　to　be　querulous；　still　now　on　occasion；　he　could　be。　　He　began　by　asking　questions　concerning　his　wife's　appearanceirritating　little　whys　which　are　so　trivial　and　yet　so　exasperating　and　discouraging　to　a　woman。　　Why　didn't　she　get　a　mauve　hat　nearer　the　shade　of　her　dress？　Why　didn't　she　go　out　more？　Exercise　would　do　her　good。　Why　didn't　she　do　this；　and　why　didn't　she　do　that？　He　scarcely　noticed　that　he　was　doing　this；　but　she　did；　and　she　felt　the　undertonethe　real　significanceand　took　umbrage。

〃Oh；　whywhy？〃　she　retorted；　one　day；　curtly。　　〃Why　do　you　ask　so　many　questions？　You　don't　care　so　much　for　me　any　more；　that's　why。　　I　can　tell。〃

He　leaned　back　startled　by　the　thrust。　　It　had　not　been　based　on　any　evidence　of　anything　save　his　recent　remarks；　but　he　was　not　absolutely　sure。　　He　was　just　the　least　bit　sorry　that　he　had　irritated　her；　and　he　said　so。

〃Oh；　it's　all　right；〃　she　replied。　　〃I　don't　care。　　But　I　notice　that　you　don't　pay　as　much　attention　to　me　as　you　used　to。　　It's　your　business　now；　first；　last；　and　all　the　time。　　You　can't　get　your　mind　off　of　that。〃

He　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief。　　She　didn't　suspect；　then。

But　after　a　little　time；　as　he　grew　more　and　more　in　sympathy　with　Aileen；　he　was　not　so　disturbed　as　to　whether　his　wife　might　suspect　or　not。　　He　began　to　think　on　occasion；　as　his　mind　followed　the　various　ramifications　of　the　situation；　that　it　would　be　better　if　she　did。　　She　was　really　not　of　the　contentious　fighting　sort。　He　now　decided　because　of　various　calculations　in　regard　to　her　character　that　she　might　not　offer　as　much　resistance　to　some　ultimate　rearrangement；　as　he　had　originally　imagined。　　She　might　even　divorce　him。　　Desire；　dreams；　even　in　him　were　evoking　calculations　not　as　sound　as　those　which　ordinarily　generated　in　his　brain。

No；　as　he　now　said　to　himself；　the　rub　was　not　nearly　so　much　in　his　own　home；　as　it　was　in　the　Butler　family。　　His　relations　with　Edward　Malia　Butler　had　become　very　intimate。　　He　was　now　advising　with　him　constantly　in　regard　to　the　handling　of　his　securities；　which　were　numerous。　　Butler　held　stocks　in　such　things　as　the　Pennsylvania　Coal　Company；　the　Delaware　and　Hudson　Canal；　the　Morris　and　Essex　Canal；　the　Reading　Railroad。　　As　the　old　gentleman's　mind　had　broadened　to　the　significance　of　the　local　street…railway　problem　in　Philadelphia；　he　had　decided　to　close　out　his　other　securities　at　such　advantageous　terms　as　he　could；　and　reinvest　the　money　in　local　lines。　　He　knew　that　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　were　doing　this；　and　they　were　excellent　judges　of　the　significance　of　local　affairs。　　Like　Cowperwood；　he　had　the　idea　that　if　he　controlled　sufficient　of　the　local　situation　in　this　field；　he　could　at　last　effect　a　joint　relationship　with　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson。　　Political　legislation；　advantageous　to　the　combined　lines；　could　then　be　so　easily　secured。　　Franchises　and　necessary　extensions　to　existing　franchises　could　be　added。　　This　conversion　of　his　outstanding　stock　in　other　fields；　and　the　picking　up　of　odd　lots　in　the　local　street…railway；　was　the　business　of　Cowperwood。　Butler；　through　his　sons；　Owen　and　Callum；　was　also　busy　planning　a　new　line　and　obtaining　a　franchise；　sacrificing；　of　course；　great　blocks　of　stock　and　actual　cash　to　others；　in　order　to　obtain　sufficient　influence　to　have　the　necessary　legislation　passed。　Yet　it　was　no　easy　matter；　seeing　that　others　knew　what　the　general　advantages　of　the　situation　were；　and　because　of　this　Cowperwood；　who　saw　the　great　source　of　profit　here；　was　able；　betimes；　to　serve　himselfbuying　blocks；　a　part　of　which　only　went　to　Butler；　Mollenhauer　or　others。　　In　short　he　was　not　as　eager　to　serve　Butler；　or　any　one　else；　as　he　was　to　serve　himself　if　he　could。

In　this　connection；　the　scheme　which　George　W。　Stener　had　brought　forward；　representing　actually　in　the　background　Strobik；　Wycroft；　and　Harmon；　was　an　opening　wedge　for　himself。　　Stener's　plan　was　to　loan　him　money　out　of　the　city　treasury　at　two　per　cent。；　or；　if　he　would　waive　all　commissions；　for　nothing　（an　agent　for　self…protective　purposes　was　absolutely　necessary）；　and　with　it　take　over　the　North　Pennsylvania　Company's　line　on　Front　Street；　which；　because　of　the　shortness　of　its　length；　one　mile　and　a　half；　and　the　brevity　of　the　duration　of　its　franchise；　was　neither　doing　very　well　nor　being　rated　very　high。　　Cowperwood　in　return　for　his　manipulative　skill　was　to　have　a　fair　proportion　of　the　stocktwenty　per　cent。　　Strobik　and　Wycroft　knew　the　parties　from　whom　the　bulk　of　the　stock　could　be　secured　if　engineered　properly。　　Their　plan　was　then；　with　this　borrowed　treasury　money；　to　extend　its　franchise　and　then　the　line　itself；　and　then　later　again；　by　issuing　a　great　block　of　stock　and　hypothecating　it　with　a　favored　bank；　be　able　to　return　the　principal　to　the　city　treasury　and　pocket　their　profits　from　the　line　as　earned。　　There　was　no　trouble　in　this；　in　so　far　as　Cowperwood　was　concerned；　except　that　it　divided　the　stock　very　badly　among　these　various　individuals；　and　left　him　but　a　comparatively　small　sharefor　his　thought　and　pains。

But　Cowperwood　was　an　opportunist。　　And　by　this　time　his　financial　morality　had　become　special　and　local　in　its　character。　He　did　not　think　it　was　wise　for　any　one　to　steal　anything　from　anybody　where　the　act　of　taking　or　profiting　was　directly　and　plainly　considered　stealing。　　That　was　unwisedangeroushence　wrong。　　There　were　so　many　situations　wherein　what　one　might　do　in　the　way　of　taking　or　profiting　was　open　to　discussion　and　doubt。　Morality　varied；　in　his　mind　at　least；　with　conditions；　if　not　climates。　　Here；　in　Philadelphia；　the　tradition　（politically；　mind　younot　generally）　was　that　the　city　treasurer　might　use　the　money　of　the　city　without　interest　so　long　as　he　returned　the　principal　intact。　　The　city　treasury　and　the　city　treasurer　were　like　a　honey…laden　hive　and　a　queen　bee　around　which　the　dronesthe　politiciansswarmed　in　the　hope　of　profit。　　The　one　disagreeable　thing　in　connection　with　this　transaction　with　Stener　was　that　neither　Butler；　Mollenhauer　nor　Simpson；　who　were　the　actual　superiors　of　Stener　and　Strobik；　knew　anything　about　it。　　Stener　and　those　behind　him　were；　through　him；　acting　for　themselves。　If　the　larger　powers　heard　of　this；　it　might　alienate　them。　　He　had　to　think　of　this。　　Still；　if　he　refused　to　make　advantageous　deals　with　Stener　or　any　other　man　influential　in　local　affairs；　he　was　cutting　off　his　nose　to　spite　his　face；　for　other　bankers　and　brokers　would；　and　gladly。　　And　besides　it　was　not　at　all　certain　that　Butler；　Mollenhauer；　and　Simpson　would　ever　hear。

In　this　connection；　there　was　another　line；　which　he　rode　on　occasionally；　the　Seventeenth　and　Nineteenth　Street　line；　which　he　felt　was　a　much　more　interesting　thing　for　him　to　think　about；　if　he　could　raise　the　money。　　It　had　been　originally　capitalized　for　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　but　there　had　been　a　series　of　bonds　to　the　value　of　two　hundred　and　fi