the titan-第105部分

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！


　could；　if　he　chose；　serve　the　cause　of　the　anti…Cowperwood　struggle　exceedingly　well　indeed。

Cowperwood；　disturbed；　visits　the　mayor　in　his　office。

〃Mr。　Lucas；　what　is　it　you　personally　want？　What　can　I　do　for　you？　Is　it　future　political　preferment　you　are　after？〃

〃Mr。　Cowperwood；　there　isn't　anything　you　can　do　for　me。　　You　do　not　understand　me；　and　I　do　not　understand　you。　　You　cannot　understand　me　because　I　am　an　honest　man。〃

〃Ye　gods！〃　replied　Cowperwood。　　〃This　is　certainly　a　case　of　self…esteem　and　great　knowledge。　　Good　afternoon。〃

Shortly　thereafter　the　mayor　was　approached　by　one　Mr。　Carker；　who　was　the　shrewd；　cold；　and　yet　magnetic　leader　of　Democracy　in　the　state　of　New　York。　　Said　Carker：

〃You　see；　Mr。　Lucas；　the　great　money　houses　of　the　East　are　interested　in　this　local　contest　here　in　Chicago。　　For　example；　Haeckelheimer；　Gotloeb　&　Co。　would　like　to　see　a　consolidation　of　all　the　lines　on　a　basis　that　will　make　them　an　attractive　investment　for　buyers　generally　and　will　at　the　same　time　be　fair　and　right　to　the　city。　　A　twenty…year　contract　is　much　too　short　a　term　in　their　eyes。　　Fifty　is　the　least　they　could　comfortably　contemplate；　and　they　would　prefer　a　hundred。　　It　is　little　enough　for　so　great　an　outlay。　　The　policy　now　being　pursued　here　can　lead　only　to　the　public　ownership　of　public　utilities；　and　that　is　something　which　the　national　Democratic　party　at　large　can　certainly　not　afford　to　advocate　at　present。　　It　would　antagonize　the　money　element　from　coast　to　coast。　　Any　man　whose　political　record　was　definitely　identified　with　such　a　movement　would　have　no　possible　chance　at　even　a　state　nomination；　let　alone　a　national　one。　　He　could　never　be　elected。　　I　make　myself　clear；　do　I　not？〃

〃You　do。〃

〃A　man　can　just　as　easily　be　taken　from　the　mayor's　office　in　Chicago　as　from　the　governor's　office　at　Springfield；〃　pursued　Mr。　Carker。　　〃Mr。　Haeckelheimer　and　Mr。　Fishel　have　personally　asked　me　to　call　on　you。　　If　you　want　to　be　mayor　of　Chicago　again　for　two　years　or　governor　next　year；　until　the　time　for　picking　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency　arrives；　suit　yourself。　　In　the　mean　time　you　will　be　unwise；　in　my　judgment；　to　saddle　yourself　with　this　public…ownership　idea。　　The　newspapers　in　fighting　Mr。　Cowperwood　have　raised　an　issue　which　never　should　have　been　raised。〃

After　Mr。　Carker's　departure；　arrived　Mr。　Edward　Arneel；　of　local　renown；　and　then　Mr。　Jacob　Bethal；　the　Democratic　leader　in　San　Francisco；　both　offering　suggestions　which　if　followed　might　result　in　mutual　support。　　There　were　in　addition　delegations　of　powerful　Republicans　from　Minneapolis　and　from　Philadelphia。　　Even　the　president　of　the　Lake　City　Bank　and　the　president　of　the　Prairie　Nationalonce　anti…Cowperwoodarrived　to　say　what　had　already　been　said。　　So　it　went。　　Mr。　Lucas　was　greatly　nonplussed。　　A　political　career　was　surely　a　difficult　thing　to　effect。　　Would　it　pay　to　harry　Mr。　Cowperwood　as　he　had　set　out　to　do？　Would　a　steadfast　policy　advocating　the　cause　of　the　people　get　him　anywhere？　Would　they　be　grateful？　Would　they　remember？　Suppose　the　current　policy　of　the　newspapers　should　be　modified；　as　Mr。　Carker　had　suggested　that　it　might　be。　　What　a　mess　and　tangle　politics　really　were！

〃Well；　Bessie；〃　he　inquired　of　his　handsome；　healthy；　semi…blonde　wife；　one　evening；　〃what　would　you　do　if　you　were　I？〃

She　was　gray…eyed；　gay；　practical；　vain；　substantially　connected　in　so　far　as　family　went；　and　proud　of　her　husband's　position　and　future。　　He　had　formed　the　habit　of　talking　over　his　various　difficulties　with　her。

〃Well；　I'll　tell　you；　Wally；〃　she　replied。　　〃You've　got　to　stick　to　something。　　It　looks　to　me　as　though　the　winning　side　was　with　the　people　this　time。　　I　don't　see　how　the　newspapers　can　change　now　after　all　they've　done。　　You　don't　have　to　advocate　public　ownership　or　anything　unfair　to　the　money　element；　but　just　the　same　I'd　stick　to　my　point　that　the　fifty…year　franchise　is　too　much。　　You　ought　to　make　them　pay　the　city　something　and　get　their　franchise　without　bribery。　　They　can't　do　less　than　that。　　I'd　stick　to　the　course　you've　begun　on。　　You　can't　get　along　without　the　people；　Wally。　　You　just　must　have　them。　　If　you　lose　their　good　will　the　politicians　can't　help　you　much；　nor　anybody　else。〃

Plainly　there　were　times　when　the　people　had　to　be　considered。　　They　just　had　to　be！




Chapter　LX



The　Net

The　storm　which　burst　in　connection　with　Cowperwood's　machinations　at　Springfield　early　in　1897；　and　continued　without　abating　until　the　following　fall；　attracted　such　general　attention　that　it　was　largely　reported　in　the　Eastern　papers。　　F。　A。　Cowperwood　versus　the　state　of　Illinoisthus　one　New　York　daily　phrased　the　situation。　The　magnetizing　power　of　fame　is　great。　　Who　can　resist　utterly　the　luster　that　surrounds　the　individualities　of　some　men；　causing　them　to　glow　with　a　separate　and　special　effulgence？　Even　in　the　case　of　Berenice　this　was　not　without　its　value。　　In　a　Chicago　paper　which　she　found　lying　one　day　on　a　desk　which　Cowperwood　had　occupied　was　an　extended　editorial　which　interested　her　greatly。　　After　reciting　his　various　misdeeds；　particularly　in　connection　with　the　present　state　legislature；　it　went　on　to　say：　〃He　has　an　innate；　chronic；　unconquerable　contempt　for　the　rank　and　file。　　Men　are　but　slaves　and　thralls　to　draw　for　him　the　chariot　of　his　greatness。　　Never　in　all　his　history　has　he　seen　fit　to　go　to　the　people　direct　for　anything。　　In　Philadelphia；　when　he　wanted　public…franchise　control；　he　sought　privily　and　by　chicane　to　arrange　his　affairs　with　a　venal　city　treasurer。　　In　Chicago　he　has　uniformly　sought　to　buy　and　convert　to　his　own　use　the　splendid　privileges　of　the　city；　which　should　really　redound　to　the　benefit　of　all。　　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　does　not　believe　in　the　people；　he　does　not　trust　them。　　To　him　they　constitute　no　more　than　a　field　upon　which　corn　is　to　be　sown；　and　from　which　it　is　to　be　reaped。　　They　present　but　a　mass　of　bent　backs；　their　knees　and　faces　in　the　mire；　over　which　as　over　a　floor　he　strides　to　superiority。　　His　private　and　inmost　faith　is　in　himself　alone。　　Upon　the　majority　he　shuts　the　gates　of　his　glory　in　order　that　the　sight　of　their　misery　and　their　needs　may　not　disturb　nor　alloy　his　selfish　bliss。　　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　does　not　believe　in　the　people。〃

This　editorial　battle…cry；　flung　aloft　during　the　latter　days　of　the　contest　at　Springfield　and　taken　up　by　the　Chicago　papers　generally　and　by　those　elsewhere；　interested　Berenice　greatly。　　As　she　thought　of　himwaging　his　terrific　contests；　hurrying　to　and　fro　between　New　York　and　Chicago；　building　his　splendid　mansion；　collecting　his　pictures；　quarreling　with　Aileenhe　came　by　degrees　to　take　on　the　outlines　of　a　superman；　a　half…god　or　demi…gorgon。　How　could　the　ordinary　rules　of　life　or　the　accustomed　paths　of　men　be　expected　to　control　him？　They　could　not　and　did　not。　　And　here　he　was　pursuing　her；　seeking　her　out　with　his　eyes；　grateful　for　a　smile；　waiting　as　much　as　he　dared　on　her　every　wish　and　whim。

Say　what　one　will；　the　wish　buried　deep　in　every　woman's　heart　is　that　her　lover　should　be　a　hero。　　Some；　out　of　the　veriest　stick　or　stone；　fashion　the　idol　before　which　they　kneel；　others　demand　the　hard　reality　of　greatness；　but　in　either　case　the　illusion　of　paragon…worship　is　maintained。

Berenice；　by　no　means　ready　to　look　upon　Cowperwood　as　an　accepted　lover；　was　nevertheless　gratified　that　his　erring　devotion　was　the　tribute　of　one　able　apparently　to　command　thought　from　the　whole　world。　　Moreover；　because　the　New　York　papers　had　taken　fire　from　his　great　struggle　in　the　Middle　West　and　were　charging　him　with　bribery；　perjury；　and　intent　to　thwart　the　will　of　the　people；　Cowperwood　now　came　forward　with　an　attempt　to　explain　his　exact　position　to　Berenice　and　to　justify　himself　in　her　eyes。　　During　visits　to　the　Carter　house　or　in　entr'actes　at　the　opera　or　the　theater；　he　recounted　to　her　bit　by　bit　his　entire　history。　　He　described　the　characters　of　Hand；　Schryhart；　Arneel；　and　the　motives　of　jealousy　and　revenge　which　had　led　to　their　attack　upon　him　in　Chicago。　　〃No　human　being　could　get　anything　through　the　Chicago　City　Council　without　paying　for　it；〃　he　declared。　　〃It's　simply　a　question　of　who's　putting　up　the　money。〃　He　told　how　Truman　Leslie　MacDonald　had　once　tried　to　〃shake　him　down〃　for　fifty　thousand　dollars；　and　how　the　newspapers　had　since　found　it　possible　to　make　money；　to　increase　their　circulation；　by　attacking　him。　　He　frankly　admitted　the　fact　of　his　social　ostracism；　attributing　it　partially　to　Aileen's　deficiencies　and　partially　to　his　own　attitude　of　Promethean　defiance；　which　had　never　yet　brooked　defeat。

〃And　I　will　defeat　them　now；〃　he　said；　solemnly；　to　Berenice　one　day　over　a　luncheon…table　at　the　Plaza　when　the　room　was　nearly　empty。　　His　gray　eyes　were　a　study　in　colossal　enigmatic　spirit。　　〃The　governor　hasn't　signed　my　fifty…year　franchise　bill〃　（this　was　before　the　closing　events　at　Springfield）；　〃but　he　will　sign　it。　　Then　I　have　one　more　fight　ahead　of　me。　　I'm　going　to　combine　all　the　traffic　lines　out　there　under　one　general　system。　　I　am　the　logical　person　to　provide　it。　　Later　on；　if　public　ownership　ever　arrives；　the　city　can　buy　it。〃

〃And　then〃　asked　Berenice　sweetly；　flattered　by　his　confidences。

〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　　I　suppose　I'll　live　abroad。　　You　don't　seem　to　be　very　much　interested　in　me。　　I'll　finish　my　picture　collection〃

〃But　supposing　you　should　lose？〃

〃I　don't　contemplate　losing；〃　he　remarked；　coolly。　　〃Whatever　happens；　I'll　have　enough　to　live　on。　　I'm　a　little　tired　of　contest。〃

He　smiled；　but　Berenice　saw　that　the　thought　of　defeat　was　a　gray　one。　　With　victory　was　his　heart；　and　only　there。　　Owing　to　the　national　publicity　being　given　to　Cowperwood's　affairs　at　this　time　the　effect　upon　Berenice　of　these　conversations　with　him　was　considerable。　　At　the　same　time　another　and　somewhat　sinister　influence　was　working　in　his　favor。　　By　slow　degrees　she　and　her　mother　were　coming　to　learn　that　the　ultra…conservatives　of　society　were　no　longer　willing　to　accept　them。　　Berenice　had　become　at　last　too　individual　a　figure　to　be　overlooked。　　At　an　important　lunc