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。　　I　want　a　decent　return　for　investments　I　have　made；　and　I　am　going　to　have　it。　　I　cannot　speak　for　the　others　behind　me；　but　as　long　as　they　deal　through　me　that　is　what　they　will　expect。〃

Mr。　Schryhart　went　angrily　away。　　He　was　exceedingly　wroth。　　This　proposition　as　Cowperwood　now　outlined　it　was　bucaneering　at　its　best。　　He　proposed　for　himself　to　withdraw　from　the　old　companies　if　necessary；　to　close　out　his　holdings　and　let　the　old　companies　deal　with　Cowperwood　as　best　they　could。　　So　long　as　he　had　anything　to　do　with　it；　Cowperwood　should　never　gain　control　of　the　gas　situation。　　Better　to　take　him　at　his　suggestion；　raise　the　money　and　buy　him　out；　even　at　an　exorbitant　figure。　　Then　the　old　gas　companies　could　go　along　and　do　business　in　their　old…fashioned　way　without　being　disturbed。　　This　bucaneer！　This　upstart！　What　a　shrewd；　quick；　forceful　move　he　had　made！　It　irritated　Mr。　Schryhart　greatly。

The　end　of　all　this　was　a　compromise　in　which　Cowperwood　accepted　one…half　of　the　surplus　stock　of　the　new　general　issue；　and　two　for　one　of　every　share　of　stock　for　which　his　new　companies　had　been　organized；　at　the　same　time　selling　out　to　the　old　companies　clearing　out　completely。　　It　was　a　most　profitable　deal；　and　he　was　enabled　to　provide　handsomely　not　only　for　Mr。　McKenty　and　Addison；　but　for　all　the　others　connected　with　him。　　It　was　a　splendid　coup；　as　McKenty　and　Addison　assured　him。　　Having　now　done　so　much；　he　began　to　turn　his　eyes　elsewhere　for　other　fields　to　conquer。

But　this　victory　in　one　direction　brought　with　it　corresponding　reverses　in　another：　the　social　future　of　Cowperwood　and　Aileen　was　now　in　great　jeopardy。　　Schryhart；　who　was　a　force　socially；　having　met　with　defeat　at　the　hands　of　Cowperwood；　was　now　bitterly　opposed　to　him。　　Norrie　Simms　naturally　sided　with　his　old　associates。　But　the　worst　blow　came　through　Mrs。　Anson　Merrill。　　Shortly　after　the　housewarming；　and　when　the　gas　argument　and　the　conspiracy　charges　were　rising　to　their　heights；　she　had　been　to　New　York　and　had　there　chanced　to　encounter　an　old　acquaintance　of　hers；　Mrs。　Martyn　Walker；　of　Philadelphia；　one　of　the　circle　which　Cowperwood　once　upon　a　time　had　been　vainly　ambitious　to　enter。　　Mrs。　Merrill；　aware　of　the　interest　the　Cowperwoods　had　aroused　in　Mrs。　Simms　and　others；　welcomed　the　opportunity　to　find　out　something　definite。

〃By　the　way；　did　you　ever　chance　to　hear　of　a　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　or　his　wife　in　Philadelphia？〃　she　inquired　of　Mrs。　Walker。

〃Why；　my　dear　Nellie；〃　replied　her　friend；　nonplussed　that　a　woman　so　smart　as　Mrs。　Merrill　should　even　refer　to　them；　〃have　those　people　established　themselves　in　Chicago？　His　career　in　Philadelphia　was；　to　say　the　least；　spectacular。　　He　was　connected　with　a　city　treasurer　there　who　stole　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　they　both　went　to　the　penitentiary。　　That　wasn't　the　worst　of　it！　He　became　intimate　with　some　young　girla　Miss　Butler；　the　sister　of　Owen　Butler；　by　the　way；　who　is　now　such　a　power　down　there；　and〃　She　merely　lifted　her　eyes。　　〃While　he　was　in　the　penitentiary　her　father　died　and　the　family　broke　up。　　I　even　heard　it　rumored　that　the　old　gentleman　killed　himself。〃　（She　was　referring　to　Aileen's　father；　Edward　Malia　Butler。）　〃When　he　came　out　of　the　penitentiary　Cowperwood　disappeared；　and　I　did　hear　some　one　say　that　he　had　gone　West；　and　divorced　his　wife　and　married　again。　　His　first　wife　is　still　living　in　Philadelphia　somewhere　with　his　two　children。〃

Mrs。　Merrill　was　properly　astonished；　but　she　did　not　show　it。　　〃Quite　an　interesting　story；　isn't　it？〃　she　commented；　distantly；　thinking　how　easy　it　would　be　to　adjust　the　Cowperwood　situation；　and　how　pleased　she　was　that　she　had　never　shown　any　interest　in　them。　　〃Did　you　ever　see　herhis　new　wife？〃

〃I　think　so；　but　I　forget　where。　　I　believe　she　used　to　ride　and　drive　a　great　deal　in　Philadelphia。〃

〃Did　she　have　red　hair？〃

〃Oh　yes。　　She　was　a　very　striking　blonde。〃

〃I　fancy　it　must　be　the　same　person。　　They　have　been　in　the　papers　recently　in　Chicago。　　I　wanted　to　be　sure。〃

Mrs。　Merrill　was　meditating　some　fine　comments　to　be　made　in　the　future。

〃I　suppose　now　they're　trying　to　get　into　Chicago　society？〃　Mrs。　Walker　smiled　condescendingly　and　contemptuouslyas　much　at　Chicago　society　as　at　the　Cowperwoods。

〃It's　possible　that　they　might　attempt　something　like　that　in　the　East　and　succeedI'm　sure　I　don't　know；〃　replied　Mrs。　Merrill；　caustically；　resenting　the　slur；　〃but　attempting　and　achieving　are　quite　different　things　in　Chicago。〃

The　answer　was　sufficient。　　It　ended　the　discussion。　　When　next　Mrs。　Simms　was　rash　enough　to　mention　the　Cowperwoods；　or；　rather；　the　peculiar　publicity　in　connection　with　him；　her　future　viewpoint　was　definitely　fixed　for　her。

〃If　you　take　my　advice；〃　commented　Mrs。　Merrill；　finally；　〃the　less　you　have　to　do　with　these　friends　of　yours　the　better。　　I　know　all　about　them。　　You　might　have　seen　that　from　the　first。　　They　can　never　be　accepted。〃

Mrs。　Merrill　did　not　trouble　to　explain　why；　but　Mrs。　Simms　through　her　husband　soon　learned　the　whole　truth；　and　she　was　righteously　indignant　and　even　terrified。　　Who　was　to　blame　for　this　sort　of　thing；　anyhow？　she　thought。　　Who　had　introduced　them？　The　Addisons；　of　course。　　But　the　Addisons　were　socially　unassailable；　if　not　all…powerful；　and　so　the　best　had　to　be　made　of　that。　　But　the　Cowperwoods　could　be　dropped　from　the　lists　of　herself　and　her　friends　instantly；　and　that　was　now　done。　　A　sudden　slump　in　their　social　significance　began　to　manifest　itself；　though　not　so　swiftly　but　what　for　the　time　being　it　was　slightly　deceptive。

The　first　evidence　of　change　which　Aileen　observed　was　when　the　customary　cards　and　invitations　for　receptions　and　the　like；　which　had　come　to　them　quite　freely　of　late；　began　to　decline　sharply　in　number；　and　when　the　guests　to　her　own　Wednesday　afternoons；　which　rather　prematurely　she　had　ventured　to　establish；　became　a　mere　negligible　handful。　　At　first　she　could　not　understand　this；　not　being　willing　to　believe　that；　following　so　soon　upon　her　apparent　triumph　as　a　hostess　in　her　own　home；　there　could　be　so　marked　a　decline　in　her　local　importance。　　Of　a　possible　seventy…five　or　fifty　who　might　have　called　or　left　cards；　within　three　weeks　after　the　housewarming　only　twenty　responded。　　A　week　later　it　had　declined　to　ten；　and　within　five　weeks；　all　told；　there　was　scarcely　a　caller。　　It　is　true　that　a　very　few　of　the　unimportantthose　who　had　looked　to　her　for　influence　and　the　self…protecting　Taylor　Lord　and　Kent　McKibben；　who　were　commercially　obligated　to　Cowperwood　were　still　faithful；　but　they　were　really　worse　than　nothing。　Aileen　was　beside　herself　with　disappointment；　opposition；　chagrin；　shame。　　There　are　many　natures；　rhinoceros…bided　and　iron…souled；　who　can　endure　almost　any　rebuff　in　the　hope　of　eventual　victory；　who　are　almost　too　thick…skinned　to　suffer；　but　hers　was　not　one　of　these。　　Already；　in　spite　of　her　original　daring　in　regard　to　the　opinion　of　society　and　the　rights　of　the　former　Mrs。　Cowperwood；　she　was　sensitive　on　the　score　of　her　future　and　what　her　past　might　mean　to　her。　　Really　her　original　actions　could　be　attributed　to　her　youthful　passion　and　the　powerful　sex　magnetism　of　Cowperwood。　Under　more　fortunate　circumstances　she　would　have　married　safely　enough　and　without　the　scandal　which　followed。　　As　it　was　now；　her　social　future　here　needed　to　end　satisfactorily　in　order　to　justify　herself　to　herself；　and；　she　thought；　to　him。

〃You　may　put　the　sandwiches　in　the　ice…box；〃　she　said　to　Louis；　the　butler；　after　one　of　the　earliest　of　the　〃at　home〃　failures；　referring　to　the　undue　supply　of　pink…and…blue…ribboned　titbits　which；　uneaten；　honored　some　fine　Sevres　with　their　presence。　　〃Send　the　flowers　to　the　hospital。　　The　servants　may　drink　the　claret　cup　and　lemonade。　　Keep　some　of　the　cakes　fresh　for　dinner。〃

The　butler　nodded　his　head。　　〃Yes；　Madame；〃　he　said。　　Then；　by　way　of　pouring　oil　on　what　appeared　to　him　to　be　a　troubled　situation；　he　added：　〃Eet's　a　rough　day。　　I　suppose　zat　has　somepsing　to　do　weeth　it。〃

Aileen　was　aflame　in　a　moment。　　She　was　about　to　exclaim：　〃Mind　your　business！〃　but　changed　her　mind。　　〃Yes；　I　presume　so；〃　was　her　answer；　as　she　ascended　to　her　room。　　If　a　single　poor　〃at　home〃　was　to　be　commented　on　by　servants；　things　were　coming　to　a　pretty　pass。　　She　waited　until　the　next　week　to　see　whether　this　was　the　weather　or　a　real　change　in　public　sentiment。　　It　was　worse　than　the　one　before。　　The　singers　she　had　engaged　had　to　be　dismissed　without　performing　the　service　for　which　they　had　come。　　Kent　McKibben　and　Taylor　Lord；　very　well　aware　of　the　rumors　now　flying　about；　called；　but　in　a　remote　and　troubled　spirit。　　Aileen　saw　that；　too。　　An　affair　of　this　kind；　with　only　these　two　and　Mrs。　Webster　Israels　and　Mrs。　Henry　Huddlestone　calling；　was　a　sad　indication　of　something　wrong。　　She　had　to　plead　illness　and　excuse　herself。　　The　third　week；　fearing　a　worse　defeat　than　before；　Aileen　pretended　to　be　ill。　　She　would　see　how　many　cards　were　left。　There　were　just　three。　　That　was　the　end。　　She　realized　that　her　〃at　homes〃　were　a　notable　failure。

At　the　same　time　Cowperwood　was　not　to　be　spared　his　share　in　the　distrust　and　social　opposition　which　was　now　rampant。

His　first　inkling　of　the　true　state　of　affairs　came　in　connection　with　a　dinner　which；　on　the　strength　of　an　old　invitation；　they　unfortunately　attended　at　a　time　when　Aileen　was　still　uncertain。　It　had　been　originally　arranged　by　the　Sunderland　Sledds；　who　were　not　so　much　socially；　and　who　at　the　time　it　occurred　were　as　yet　unaware　of　the　ugly　gossip　going　about；　or　at　least　of　society's　new　attitude　toward　the　Cowperwoods。　　At　this　time　it　was　understood　by　nearly　allthe　Simms；　Candas；　Cottons；　and　Kingslandsthat　a　great　mistake　had　been　made；　and　that　the　Cowperwoods　were　by　no　means　admissible。

To　this　particular　dinner　a　number　of　people；　whom　the　latter　knew；　had　been　invited。　　Uniformly　all；　when　they　learned　or　recalled　that　the　Cowperwoods　were　expected；　sent　eleventh…hour　regrets　〃so　sorry。〃　Outside　the　Sledds　there　was　only　one　other　couple　the　Stanislau　Hoecksemas；　for　whom　the　Cowperwoods　did　not　parti