the financier-第47部分

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ere　〃just　five　cents'　worth；〃　they　were　so　little。　The　child　admired　her　father　and　would　often　stand　by　his　chair　in　the　library　or　the　sitting…room；　or　his　desk　in　his　private　office；　or　by　his　seat　at　the　table；　asking　him　questions。

This　attitude　toward　his　own　daughter　made　him　see　clearly　how　Butler　might　feel　toward　Aileen。　　He　wondered　how　he　would　feel　if　it　were　his　own　little　Lillian；　and　still　he　did　not　believe　he　would　make　much　fuss　over　the　matter；　either　with　himself　or　with　her；　if　she　were　as　old　as　Aileen。　　Children　and　their　lives　were　more　or　less　above　the　willing　of　parents；　anyhow；　and　it　would　be　a　difficult　thing　for　any　parent　to　control　any　child；　unless　the　child　were　naturally　docile…minded　and　willing　to　be　controlled。

It　also　made　him　smile；　in　a　grim　way；　to　see　how　fate　was　raining　difficulties　on　him。　　The　Chicago　fire；　Stener's　early　absence；　Butler；　Mollenhauer；　and　Simpson's　indifference　to　Stener's　fate　and　his。　　And　now　this　probable　revelation　in　connection　with　Aileen。　　He　could　not　be　sure　as　yet；　but　his　intuitive　instincts　told　him　that　it　must　be　something　like　this。

Now　he　was　distressed　as　to　what　Aileen　would　do；　say　if　suddenly　she　were　confronted　by　her　father。　　If　he　could　only　get　to　her！　But　if　he　was　to　meet　Butler's　call　for　his　loan；　and　the　others　which　would　come　yet　to…day　or　on　the　morrow；　there　was　not　a　moment　to　lose。　　If　he　did　not　pay　he　must　assign　at　once。　　Butler's　rage；　Aileen；　his　own　danger；　were　brushed　aside　for　the　moment。　His　mind　concentrated　wholly　on　how　to　save　himself　financially。

He　hurried　to　visit　George　Waterman；　David　Wiggin；　his　wife's　brother；　who　was　now　fairly　well　to　do；　Joseph　Zimmerman；　the　wealthy　dry…goods　dealer　who　had　dealt　with　him　in　the　past；　Judge　Kitchen；　a　private　manipulator　of　considerable　wealth；　Frederick　Van　Nostrand；　the　State　treasurer；　who　was　interested　in　local　street…railway　stocks；　and　others。　　Of　all　those　to　whom　he　appealed　one　was　actually　not　in　a　position　to　do　anything　for　him；　another　was　afraid；　a　third　was　calculating　eagerly　to　drive　a　hard　bargain；　a　fourth　was　too　deliberate；　anxious　to　have　much　time。　　All　scented　the　true　value　of　his　situation；　all　wanted　time　to　consider；　and　he　had　no　time　to　consider。　　Judge　Kitchen　did　agree　to　lend　him　thirty　thousand　dollarsa　paltry　sum。　　Joseph　Zimmerman　would　only　risk　twenty…five　thousand　dollars。　　He　could　see　where；　all　told；　he　might　raise　seventy…five　thousand　dollars　by　hypothecating　double　the　amount　in　shares；　but　this　was　ridiculously　insufficient。　He　had　figured　again；　to　a　dollar；　and　he　must　have　at　least　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　above　all　his　present　holdings；　or　he　must　close　his　doors。　　To…morrow　at　two　o'clock　he　would　know。　　If　he　didn't　he　would　be　written　down　as　〃failed〃　on　a　score　of　ledgers　in　Philadelphia。

What　a　pretty　pass　for　one　to　come　to　whose　hopes　had　so　recently　run　so　high！　There　was　a　loan　of　one　hundred　thousand　dollars　from　the　Girard　National　Bank　which　he　was　particularly　anxious　to　clear　off。　　This　bank　was　the　most　important　in　the　city；　and　if　he　retained　its　good　will　by　meeting　this　loan　promptly　he　might　hope　for　favors　in　the　future　whatever　happened。　　Yet；　at　the　moment；　he　did　not　see　how　he　could　do　it。　　He　decided；　however；　after　some　reflection；　that　he　would　deliver　the　stocks　which　Judge　Kitchen；　Zimmerman；　and　others　had　agreed　to　take　and　get　their　checks　or　cash　yet　this　night。　　Then　he　would　persuade　Stener　to　let　him　have　a　check　for　the　sixty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　city　loan　he　had　purchased　this　morning　on　'change。　　Out　of　it　he　could　take　twenty…five　thousand　dollars　to　make　up　the　balance　due　the　bank；　and　still　have　thirty…five　thousand　for　himself。

The　one　unfortunate　thing　about　such　an　arrangement　was　that　by　doing　it　he　was　building　up　a　rather　complicated　situation　in　regard　to　these　same　certificates。　　Since　their　purchase　in　the　morning；　he　had　not　deposited　them　in　the　sinking…fund；　where　they　belonged　（they　had　been　delivered　to　his　office　by　half　past　one　in　the　afternoon）；　but；　on　the　contrary；　had　immediately　hypothecated　them　to　cover　another　loan。　　It　was　a　risky　thing　to　have　done；　considering　that　he　was　in　danger　of　failing　and　that　he　was　not　absolutely　sure　of　being　able　to　take　them　up　in　time。

But；　he　reasoned；　he　had　a　working　agreement　with　the　city　treasurer　（illegal　of　course）；　which　would　make　such　a　transaction　rather　plausible；　and　almost　all　right；　even　if　he　failed；　and　that　was　that　none　of　his　accounts　were　supposed　necessarily　to　be　put　straight　until　the　end　of　the　month。　　If　he　failed；　and　the　certificates　were　not　in　the　sinking…fund；　he　could　say；　as　was　the　truth；　that　he　was　in　the　habit　of　taking　his　time；　and　had　forgotten。　　This　collecting　of　a　check；　therefore；　for　these　as　yet　undeposited　certificates　would　be　technically；　if　not　legally　and　morally；　plausible。　　The　city　would　be　out　only　an　additional　sixty　thousand　dollarsmaking　five　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　dollars　all　told；　which　in　view　of　its　probable　loss　of　five　hundred　thousand　did　not　make　so　much　difference。　　But　his　caution　clashed　with　his　need　on　this　occasion；　and　he　decided　that　he　would　not　call　for　the　check　unless　Stener　finally　refused　to　aid　him　with　three　hundred　thousand　more；　in　which　case　he　would　claim　it　as　his　right。　　In　all　likelihood　Stener　would　not　think　to　ask　whether　the　certificates　were　in　the　sinking…fund　or　not。　　If　he　did；　he　would　have　to　liethat　was　all。

He　drove　rapidly　back　to　his　office；　and；　finding　Butler's　note；　as　he　expected；　wrote　a　check　on　his　father's　bank　for　the　one　hundred　thousand　dollars　which　had　been　placed　to　his　credit　by　his　loving　parent；　and　sent　it　around　to　Butler's　office。　　There　was　another　note；　from　Albert　Stires；　Stener's　secretary；　advising　him　not　to　buy　or　sell　any　more　city　loanthat　until　further　notice　such　transactions　would　not　be　honored。　　Cowperwood　immediately　sensed　the　source　of　this　warning。　　Stener　had　been　in　conference　with　Butler　or　Mollenhauer；　and　had　been　warned　and　frightened。　Nevertheless；　he　got　in　his　buggy　again　and　drove　directly　to　the　city　treasurer's　office。

Since　Cowperwood's　visit　Stener　had　talked　still　more　with　Sengstack；　Strobik；　and　others；　all　sent　to　see　that　a　proper　fear　of　things　financial　had　been　put　in　his　heart。　　The　result　was　decidedly　one　which　spelled　opposition　to　Cowperwood。

Strobik　was　considerably　disturbed　himself。　　He　and　Wycroft　and　Harmon　had　also　been　using　money　out　of　the　treasurymuch　smaller　sums；　of　course；　for　they　had　not　Cowperwood's　financial　imagination　and　were　disturbed　as　to　how　they　would　return　what　they　owed　before　the　storm　broke。　　If　Cowperwood　failed；　and　Stener　was　short　in　his　accounts；　the　whole　budget　might　be　investigated；　and　then　their　loans　would　be　brought　to　light。　　The　thing　to　do　was　to　return　what　they　owed；　and　then；　at　least；　no　charge　of　malfeasance　would　lie　against　them。

〃Go　to　Mollenhauer；〃　Strobik　had　advised　Stener；　shortly　after　Cowperwood　had　left　the　latter's　office；　〃and　tell　him　the　whole　story。　　He　put　you　here。　　He　was　strong　for　your　nomination。　　Tell　him　just　where　you　stand　and　ask　him　what　to　do。　　He'll　probably　be　able　to　tell　you。　　Offer　him　your　holdings　to　help　you　out。　You　have　to。　　You　can't　help　yourself。　　Don't　loan　Cowperwood　another　damned　dollar；　whatever　you　do。　　He's　got　you　in　so　deep　now　you　can　hardly　hope　to　get　out。　　Ask　Mollenhauer　if　he　won't　help　you　to　get　Cowperwood　to　put　that　money　back。　　He　may　be　able　to　influence　him。〃

There　was　more　in　this　conversation　to　the　same　effect；　and　then　Stener　hurried　as　fast　as　his　legs　could　carry　him　to　Mollenhauer's　office。　　He　was　so　frightened　that　he　could　scarcely　breathe；　and　he　was　quite　ready　to　throw　himself　on　his　knees　before　the　big　German…American　financier　and　leader。　　Oh；　if　Mr。　Mollenhauer　would　only　help　him！　If　he　could　just　get　out　of　this　without　going　to　jail！

〃Oh；　Lord！　Oh；　Lord！　Oh；　Lord！〃　he　repeated；　over　and　over　to　himself；　as　he　walked。　　〃What　shall　I　do？〃

The　attitude　of　Henry　A。　Mollenhauer；　grim；　political　boss　that　he　wastrained　in　a　hard　schoolwas　precisely　the　attitude　of　every　such　man　in　all　such　trying　circumstances。

He　was　wondering；　in　view　of　what　Butler　had　told　him；　just　how　much　he　could　advantage　himself　in　this　situation。　　If　he　could；　he　wanted　to　get　control　of　whatever　street…railway　stock　Stener　now　had；　without　in　any　way　compromising　himself。　　Stener's　shares　could　easily　be　transferred　on　'change　through　Mollenhauer's　brokers　to　a　dummy；　who　would　eventually　transfer　them　to　himself　（Mollenhauer）。　　Stener　must　be　squeezed　thoroughly；　though；　this　afternoon；　and　as　for　his　five　hundred　thousand　dollars'　indebtedness　to　the　treasury；　Mollenhauer　did　not　see　what　could　be　done　about　that。　　If　Cowperwood　could　not　pay　it；　the　city　would　have　to　lose　it；　but　the　scandal　must　be　hushed　up　until　after　election。　　Stener；　unless　the　various　party　leaders　had　more　generosity　than　Mollenhauer　imagined；　would　have　to　suffer　exposure；　arrest；　trial；　confiscation　of　his　property；　and　possibly　sentence　to　the　penitentiary；　though　this　might　easily　be　commuted　by　the　governor；　once　public　excitement　died　down。　　He　did　not　trouble　to　think　whether　Cowperwood　was　criminally　involved　or　not。　　A　hundred　to　one　he　was　not。　　Trust　a　shrewd　man　like　that　to　take　care　of　himself。　　But　if　there　was　any　way　to　shoulder　the　blame　on　to　Cowperwood；　and　so　clear　the　treasurer　and　the　skirts　of　the　party；　he　would　not　object　to　that。　He　wanted　to　hear　the　full　story　of　Stener's　relations　with　the　broker　first。　　Meanwhile；　the　thing　to　do　was　to　seize　what　Stener　had　to　yield。

The　troubled　city　treasurer；　on　being　shown　in　Mr。　Mollenhauer's　presence；　at　once　sank　feebly　in　a　chair　and　collapsed。　　He　was　entirely　done　for　mentally。　　His　nerve　was　gone；　his　courage　exhausted　like　a　breath。

〃Well；　Mr。　Stener？〃　queried　Mr。　Mollenhauer；　impressively；　pretending　not　to　know　what　brought　him。

〃I　came　about　this　matter　of　my　loans　to　Mr。　Cowperwood。〃

〃Well；　what　about　them？〃

〃Well；　he　owes　me；　or　the　city　treasury　rather；　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　I　understand　that　he　is　going　to