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l　figures　of　considerable　significanceItalian　countesses；　English　ladies　of　high　degree；　talented　American　women　of　strong　artistic　and　social　proclivities。　　As　a　rule　they　were　quick　to　recognize　the　charm　of　his　manner；　the　incisiveness　and　grip　of　his　mind；　and　to　estimate　at　all　its　worth　the　high　individuality　of　his　soul；　but　he　could　also　always　see　that　Aileen　was　not　so　acceptable。　　She　was　too　rich　in　her　entourage；　too　showy。　　Her　glowing　health　and　beauty　was　a　species　of　affront　to　the　paler；　more　sublimated　souls　of　many　who　were　not　in　themselves　unattractive。

〃Isn't　that　the　typical　American　for　you；〃　he　heard　a　woman　remark；　at　one　of　those　large；　very　general　court　receptions　to　which　so　many　are　freely　admitted；　and　to　which　Aileen　had　been　determined　to　go。　　He　was　standing　aside　talking　to　an　acquaintance　he　had　madean　English…speaking　Greek　banker　stopping　at　the　Grand　Hotel　while　Aileen　promenaded　with　the　banker's　wife。　　The　speaker　was　an　Englishwoman。　　〃So　gaudy；　so　self…conscious；　and　so　naive！〃

Cowperwood　turned　to　look。　　It　was　Aileen；　and　the　lady　speaking　was　undoubtedly　well　bred；　thoughtful；　good…looking。　　He　had　to　admit　that　much　that　she　said　was　true；　but　how　were　you　to　gage　a　woman　like　Aileen；　anyhow？　She　was　not　reprehensible　in　any　wayjust　a　full…blooded　animal　glowing　with　a　love　of　life。　　She　was　attractive　to　him。　　It　was　too　bad　that　people　of　obviously　more　conservative　tendencies　were　so　opposed　to　her。　　Why　could　they　not　see　what　he　sawa　kind　of　childish　enthusiasm　for　luxury　and　show　which　sprang；　perhaps；　from　the　fact　that　in　her　youth　she　had　not　enjoyed　the　social　opportunities　which　she　needed　and　longed　for。　　He　felt　sorry　for　her。　　At　the　same　time　he　was　inclined　to　feel　that　perhaps　now　another　type　of　woman　would　be　better　for　him　socially。　　If　he　had　a　harder　type；　one　with　keener　artistic　perceptions　and　a　penchant　for　just　the　right　social　touch　or　note；　how　much　better　he　would　do！　He　came　home　bringing　a　Perugino；　brilliant　examples　of　Luini；　Previtali；　and　Pinturrichio　（this　last　a　portrait　of　Caesar　Borgia）；　which　he　picked　up　in　Italy；　to　say　nothing　of　two　red　African　vases　of　great　size　that　he　found　in　Cairo；　a　tall　gilt　Louis　Fifteenth　standard　of　carved　wood　that　he　discovered　in　Rome；　two　ornate　candelabra　from　Venice　for　his　walls；　and　a　pair　of　Italian　torcheras　from　Naples　to　decorate　the　corners　of　his　library。　　It　was　thus　by　degrees　that　his　art　collection　was　growing。

At　the　same　time　it　should　be　said；　in　the　matter　of　women　and　the　sex　question；　his　judgment　and　views　had　begun　to　change　tremendously。　When　he　had　first　met　Aileen　he　had　many　keen　intuitions　regarding　life　and　sex；　and　above　all　clear　faith　that　he　had　a　right　to　do　as　he　pleased。　　Since　he　had　been　out　of　prison　and　once　more　on　his　upward　way　there　had　been　many　a　stray　glance　cast　in　his　direction；　he　had　so　often　had　it　clearly　forced　upon　him　that　he　was　fascinating　to　women。　　Although　he　had　only　so　recently　acquired　Aileen　legally；　yet　she　was　years　old　to　him　as　a　mistress；　and　the　first　engrossingit　had　been　almost　all…engrossingenthusiasm　was　over。　　He　loved　her　not　only　for　her　beauty；　but　for　her　faithful　enthusiasm；　but　the　power　of　others　to　provoke　in　him　a　momentary　interest；　and　passion　even；　was　something　which　he　did　not　pretend　to　understand；　explain；　or　moralize　about。　　So　it　was　and　so　he　was。　　He　did　not　want　to　hurt　Aileen's　feelings　by　letting　her　know　that　his　impulses　thus　wantonly　strayed　to　others；　but　so　it　was。

Not　long　after　he　had　returned　from　the　European　trip　he　stopped　one　afternoon　in　the　one　exclusive　drygoods　store　in　State　Street　to　purchase　a　tie。　　As　he　was　entering　a　woman　crossed　the　aisle　before　him；　from　one　counter　to　anothera　type　of　woman　which　he　was　coming　to　admire；　but　only　from　a　rather　distant　point　of　view；　seeing　them　going　here　and　there　in　the　world。　　She　was　a　dashing　type；　essentially　smart　and　trig；　with　a　neat　figure；　dark　hair　and　eyes；　an　olive　skin；　small　mouth；　quaint　noseall　in　all　quite　a　figure　for　Chicago　at　the　time。　　She　had；　furthermore；　a　curious　look　of　current　wisdom　in　her　eyes；　an　air　of　saucy　insolence　which　aroused　Cowperwood's　sense　of　mastery；　his　desire　to　dominate。　To　the　look　of　provocation　and　defiance　which　she　flung　him　for　the　fraction　of　a　second　he　returned　a　curiously　leonine　glare　which　went　over　her　like　a　dash　of　cold　water。　　It　was　not　a　hard　look；　however；　merely　urgent　and　full　of　meaning。　　She　was　the　vagrom…minded　wife　of　a　prosperous　lawyer　who　was　absorbed　in　his　business　and　in　himself。　　She　pretended　indifference　for　a　moment　after　the　first　glance；　but　paused　a　little　way　off　as　if　to　examine　some　laces。　　Cowperwood　looked　after　her　to　catch　a　second　fleeting；　attracted　look。　　He　was　on　his　way　to　several　engagements　which　he　did　not　wish　to　break；　but　he　took　out　a　note…book；　wrote　on　a　slip　of　paper　the　name　of　a　hotel；　and　underneath：　〃Parlor；　second　floor；　Tuesday；　1　P。M。〃　Passing　by　where　she　stood；　he　put　it　into　her　gloved　hand；　which　was　hanging　by　her　side。　　The　fingers　closed　over　it　automatically。　　She　had　noted　his　action。　　On　the　day　and　hour　suggested　she　was　there；　although　he　had　given　no　name。　　That　liaison；　while　delightful　to　him；　was　of　no　great　duration。　　The　lady　was　interesting；　but　too　fanciful。

Similarly；　at　the　Henry　Huddlestones'；　one　of　their　neighbors　at　the　first　Michigan　Avenue　house　they　occupied；　he　encountered　one　evening　at　a　small　dinner…party　a　girl　of　twenty…three　who　interested　him　greatlyfor　the　moment。　　Her　name　was　not　very　attractive　Ella　F。　Hubby；　as　he　eventually　learnedbut　she　was　not　unpleasing。　　Her　principal　charm　was　a　laughing；　hoydenish　countenance　and　roguish　eyes。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　well…to…do　commission　merchant　in　South　Water　Street。　　That　her　interest　should　have　been　aroused　by　that　of　Cowperwood　in　her　was　natural　enough。　　She　was　young；　foolish；　impressionable；　easily　struck　by　the　glitter　of　a　reputation；　and　Mrs。　Huddlestone　had　spoken　highly　of　Cowperwood　and　his　wife　and　the　great　things　he　was　doing　or　was　going　to　do。　When　Ella　saw　him；　and　saw　that　he　was　still　young…looking；　with　the　love　of　beauty　in　his　eyes　and　a　force　of　presence　which　was　not　at　all　hard　where　she　was　concerned；　she　was　charmed；　and　when　Aileen　was　not　looking　her　glance　kept　constantly　wandering　to　his　with　a　laughing　signification　of　friendship　and　admiration。　　It　was　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world　for　him　to　say　to　her；　when　they　had　adjourned　to　the　drawing…room；　that　if　she　were　in　the　neighborhood　of　his　office　some　day　she　might　care　to　look　in　on　him。　　The　look　he　gave　her　was　one　of　keen　understanding；　and　brought　a　look　of　its　own　kind；　warm　and　flushing；　in　return。　　She　came；　and　there　began　a　rather　short　liaison。　　It　was　interesting　but　not　brilliant。　　The　girl　did　not　have　sufficient　temperament　to　bind　him　beyond　a　period　of　rather　idle　investigation。

There　was　still；　for　a　little　while；　another　woman；　whom　he　had　knowna　Mrs。　Josephine　Ledwell；　a　smart　widow；　who　came　primarily　to　gamble　on　the　Board　of　Trade；　but　who　began　to　see　at　once；　on　introduction；　the　charm　of　a　flirtation　with　Cowperwood。　　She　was　a　woman　not　unlike　Aileen　in　type；　a　little　older；　not　so　good…looking；　and　of　a　harder；　more　subtle　commercial　type　of　mind。　　She　rather　interested　Cowperwood　because　she　was　so　trig；　self…sufficient；　and　careful。　　She　did　her　best　to　lure　him　on　to　a　liaison　with　her；　which　finally　resulted；　her　apartment　on　the　North　Side　being　the　center　of　this　relationship。　　It　lasted　perhaps　six　weeks。　Through　it　all　he　was　quite　satisfied　that　he　did　not　like　her　so　very　well。　　Any　one　who　associated　with　him　had　Aileen's　present　attractiveness　to　contend　with；　as　well　as　the　original　charm　of　his　first　wife。　　It　was　no　easy　matter。

It　was　during　this　period　of　social　dullness；　however；　which　somewhat　resembled；　though　it　did　not　exactly　parallel　his　first　years　with　his　first　wife；　that　Cowperwood　finally　met　a　woman　who　was　destined　to　leave　a　marked　impression　on　his　life。　　He　could　not　soon　forget　her。　　Her　name　was　Rita　Sohlberg。　　She　was　the　wife　of　Harold　Sohlberg；　a　Danish　violinist　who　was　then　living　in　Chicago；　a　very　young　man；　but　she　was　not　a　Dane；　and　he　was　by　no　means　a　remarkable　violinist；　though　he　had　unquestionably　the　musical　temperament。

You　have　perhaps　seen　the　would…be's；　the　nearly's；　the　pretenders　in　every　fieldinteresting　people　alldevoted　with　a　kind　of　mad　enthusiasm　to　the　thing　they　wish　to　do。　　They　manifest　in　some　ways　all　the　externals　or　earmarks　of　their　professional　traditions；　and　yet　are　as　sounding　brass　and　tinkling　cymbals。　　You　would　have　had　to　know　Harold　Sohlberg　only　a　little　while　to　appreciate　that　he　belonged　to　this　order　of　artists。　　He　had　a　wild；　stormy；　November　eye；　a　wealth　of　loose；　brownish…black　hair　combed　upward　from　the　temples；　with　one　lock　straggling　Napoleonically　down　toward　the　eyes；　cheeks　that　had　almost　a　babyish　tint　to　them；　lips　much　too　rich；　red；　and　sensuous；　a　nose　that　was　fine　and　large　and　full；　but　only　faintly　aquiline；　and　eyebrows　and　mustache　that　somehow　seemed　to　flare　quite　like　his　errant　and　foolish　soul。　　He　had　been　sent　away　from　Denmark　（Copenhagen）　because　he　had　been　a　never…do…well　up　to　twenty…five　and　because　he　was　constantly　falling　in　love　with　women　who　would　not　have　anything　to　do　with　him。　　Here　in　Chicago　as　a　teacher；　with　his　small　pension　of　forty　dollars　a　month　sent　him　by　his　mother；　he　had　gained　a　few　pupils；　and　by　practising　a　kind　of　erratic　economy；　which　kept　him　well　dressed　or　hungry　by　turns；　he　had　managed　to　make　an　interesting　showing　and　pull　himself　through。　　He　was　only　twenty…eight　at　the　time　he　met　Rita　Greenough；　of　Wichita；　Kansas；　and　at　the　time　they　met　Cowperwood　Harold　was　thirty…four　and　she　twenty…seven。

She　had　been　a　student　at　the　Chicago　Fine　Arts　School；　and　at　various　student　affairs　had　encountered　Harold　when　he　seemed　to　play　divinely；　and　when　life　was　all　romance　and　art。　　Given　the　spring；　the　sunshine　on　the　lake；　white　sails　of　ships；　a　few　walks　and　talks　on　pensive　afternoons　when　the　city　swam　in　a　golden　haze；　and　the　thing　was　done。　　Ther