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　defects；　weaknesses。　　She　was　not　unsympathetic；　he　thought；　just　weary　of　a　state　that　was　not　properly　balanced　either　in　love；　ability；　or　insight。　　Cowperwood　had　suggested　that　she　could　take　a　larger　studio　for　herself　and　Harolddo　away　with　the　petty　economies　that　had　hampered　her　and　himand　explain　it　all　on　the　grounds　of　a　larger　generosity　on　the　part　of　her　family。　　At　first　she　objected；　but　Cowperwood　was　tactful　and　finally　brought　it　about。　　He　again　suggested　a　little　while　later　that　she　should　persuade　Harold　to　go　to　Europe。　　There　would　be　the　same　ostensible　reasonadditional　means　from　her　relatives。　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　thus　urged；　petted；　made　over；　assured；　came　finally　to　accept　his　liberal　ruleto　bow　to　him；　she　became　as　contented　as　a　cat。　　With　caution　she　accepted　of　his　largess；　and　made　the　cleverest　use　of　it　she　could。　　For　something　over　a　year　neither　Sohlberg　nor　Aileen　was　aware　of　the　intimacy　which　had　sprung　up。　Sohlberg；　easily　bamboozled；　went　back　to　Denmark　for　a　visit；　then　to　study　in　Germany。　　Mrs。　Sohlberg　followed　Cowperwood　to　Europe　the　following　year。　　At　Aix…les…Bains；　Biarritz；　Paris；　even　London；　Aileen　never　knew　that　there　was　an　additional　figure　in　the　background。　　Cowperwood　was　trained　by　Rita　into　a　really　finer　point　of　view。　　He　came　to　know　better　music；　books；　even　the　facts。　　She　encouraged　him　in　his　idea　of　a　representative　collection　of　the　old　masters；　and　begged　him　to　be　cautious　in　his　selection　of　moderns。　　He　felt　himself　to　be　delightfully　situated　indeed。

The　difficulty　with　this　situation；　as　with　all　such　where　an　individual　ventures　thus　bucaneeringly　on　the　sea　of　sex；　is　the　possibility　of　those　storms　which　result　from　misplaced　confidence；　and　from　our　built…up　system　of　ethics　relating　to　property　in　women。　　To　Cowperwood；　however；　who　was　a　law　unto　himself；　who　knew　no　law　except　such　as　might　be　imposed　upon　him　by　his　lack　of　ability　to　think；　this　possibility　of　entanglement；　wrath；　rage；　pain；　offered　no　particular　obstacle。　　It　was　not　at　all　certain　that　any　such　thing　would　follow。　　Where　the　average　man　might　have　found　one　such　liaison　difficult　to　manage；　Cowperwood；　as　we　have　seen；　had　previously　entered　on　several　such　affairs　almost　simultaneously；　and　now　he　had　ventured　on　yet　another；　in　the　last　instance　with　much　greater　feeling　and　enthusiasm。　　The　previous　affairs　had　been　emotional　makeshifts　at　bestmore　or　less　idle　philanderings　in　which　his　deeper　moods　and　feelings　were　not　concerned。　　In　the　case　of　Mrs。　Sohlberg　all　this　was　changed。　　For　the　present　at　least　she　was　really　all　in　all　to　him。　　But　this　temperamental　characteristic　of　his　relating　to　his　love　of　women；　his　artistic　if　not　emotional　subjection　to　their　beauty；　and　the　mystery　of　their　personalities　led　him　into　still　a　further　affair；　and　this　last　was　not　so　fortunate　in　its　outcome。

Antoinette　Nowak　had　come　to　him　fresh　from　a　West　Side　high　school　and　a　Chicago　business　college；　and　had　been　engaged　as　his　private　stenographer　and　secretary。　　This　girl　had　blossomed　forth　into　something　exceptional；　as　American　children　of　foreign　parents　are　wont　to　do。　　You　would　have　scarcely　believed　that　she；　with　her　fine；　lithe　body；　her　good　taste　in　dress；　her　skill　in　stenography；　bookkeeping；　and　business　details；　could　be　the　daughter　of　a　struggling　Pole；　who　had　first　worked　in　the　Southwest　Chicago　Steel　Mills；　and　who　had　later　kept　a　fifth…rate　cigar；　news；　and　stationery　store　in　the　Polish　district；　the　merchandise　of　playing…cards　and　a　back　room　for　idling　and　casual　gaming　being　the　principal　reasons　for　its　existence。　　Antoinette；　whose　first　name　had　not　been　Antoinette　at　all；　but　Minka　（the　Antoinette　having　been　borrowed　by　her　from　an　article　in　one　of　the　Chicago　Sunday　papers）；　was　a　fine　dark；　brooding　girl；　ambitious　and　hopeful；　who　ten　days　after　she　had　accepted　her　new　place　was　admiring　Cowperwood　and　following　his　every　daring　movement　with　almost　excited　interest。　　To　be　the　wife　of　such　a　man；　she　thoughtto　even　command　his　interest；　let　alone　his　affection　must　be　wonderful。　　After　the　dull　world　she　had　knownit　seemed　dull　compared　to　the　upper；　rarefied　realms　which　she　was　beginning　to　glimpse　through　himand　after　the　average　men　in　the　real…estate　office　over　the　way　where　she　had　first　worked；　Cowperwood；　in　his　good　clothes；　his　remote　mood；　his　easy；　commanding　manner；　touched　the　most　ambitious　chords　of　her　being。　　One　day　she　saw　Aileen　sweep　in　from　her　carriage；　wearing　warm　brown　furs；　smart　polished　boots；　a　street…suit　of　corded　brown　wool；　and　a　fur　toque　sharpened　and　emphasized　by　a　long　dark…red　feather　which　shot　upward　like　a　dagger　or　a　quill　pen。　　Antoinette　hated　her。　　She　conceived　herself　to　be　better；　or　as　good　at　least。　　Why　was　life　divided　so　unfairly？　What　sort　of　a　man　was　Cowperwood；　anyhow？　One　night　after　she　had　written　out　a　discreet　but　truthful　history　of　himself　which　he　had　dictated　to　her；　and　which　she　had　sent　to　the　Chicago　newspapers　for　him　soon　after　the　opening　of　his　brokerage　office　in　Chicago；　she　went　home　and　dreamed　of　what　he　had　told　her；　only　altered；　of　course；　as　in　dreams。　　She　thought　that　Cowperwood　stood　beside　her　in　his　handsome　private　office　in　La　Salle　Street　and　asked　her：

〃Antoinette；　what　do　you　think　of　me？〃　Antoinette　was　nonplussed；　but　brave。　　In　her　dream　she　found　herself　intensely　interested　in　him。

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　what　to　think。　　I'm　so　sorry；〃　was　her　answer。　　Then　he　laid　his　hand　on　hers；　on　her　cheek；　and　she　awoke。　　She　began　thinking；　what　a　pity；　what　a　shame　that　such　a　man　should　ever　have　been　in　prison。　　He　was　so　handsome。　　He　had　been　married　twice。　　Perhaps　his　first　wife　was　very　homely　or　very　mean…spirited。　She　thought　of　this；　and　the　next　day　went　to　work　meditatively。　Cowperwood；　engrossed　in　his　own　plans；　was　not　thinking　of　her　at　present。　　He　was　thinking　of　the　next　moves　in　his　interesting　gas　war。　　And　Aileen；　seeing　her　one　day；　merely　considered　her　an　underling。　　The　woman　in　business　was　such　a　novelty　that　as　yet　she　was　declasse。　　Aileen　really　thought　nothing　of　Antoinette　at　all。

Somewhat　over　a　year　after　Cowperwood　had　become　intimate　with　Mrs。　Sohlberg　his　rather　practical　business　relations　with　Antoinette　Nowak　took　on　a　more　intimate　color。　　What　shall　we　say　of　this　that　he　had　already　wearied　of　Mrs。　Sohlberg？　Not　in　the　least。　He　was　desperately　fond　of　her。　　Or　that　he　despised　Aileen；　whom　he　was　thus　grossly　deceiving？　Not　at　all。　　She　was　to　him　at　times　as　attractive　as　everperhaps　more　so　for　the　reason　that　her　self…imagined　rights　were　being　thus　roughly　infringed　upon。　He　was　sorry　for　her；　but　inclined　to　justify　himself　on　the　ground　that　these　other　relationswith　possibly　the　exception　of　Mrs。　Sohlhergwere　not　enduring。　　If　it　had　been　possible　to　marry　Mrs。　Sohlberg　he　might　have　done　so；　and　he　did　speculate　at　times　as　to　whether　anything　would　ever　induce　Aileen　to　leave　him；　but　this　was　more　or　less　idle　speculation。　　He　rather　fancied　they　would　live　out　their　days　together；　seeing　that　he　was　able　thus　easily　to　deceive　her。　　But　as　for　a　girl　like　Antoinette　Nowak；　she　figured　in　that　braided　symphony　of　mere　sex　attraction　which　somehow　makes　up　that　geometric　formula　of　beauty　which　rules　the　world。　　She　was　charming　in　a　dark　way；　beautiful；　with　eyes　that　burned　with　an　unsatisfied　fire；　and　Cowperwood；　although　at　first　only　in　the　least　moved　by　her；　became　by　degrees　interested　in　her；　wondering　at　the　amazing；　transforming　power　of　the　American　atmosphere。

〃Are　your　parents　English；　Antoinette？〃　he　asked　her；　one　morning；　with　that　easy　familiarity　which　he　assumed　to　all　underlings　and　minor　intellectsan　air　that　could　not　be　resented　in　him；　and　which　was　usually　accepted　as　a　compliment。

Antoinette；　clean　and　fresh　in　a　white　shirtwaist；　a　black　walking…skirt；　a　ribbon　of　black　velvet　about　her　neck；　and　her　long；　black　hair　laid　in　a　heavy　braid　low　over　her　forehead　and　held　close　by　a　white　celluloid　comb；　looked　at　him　with　pleased　and　grateful　eyes。　　She　had　been　used　to　such　different　types　of　menthe　earnest；　fiery；　excitable；　sometimes　drunken　and　swearing　men　of　her　childhood；　always　striking；　marching；　praying　in　the　Catholic　churches；　and　then　the　men　of　the　business　world；　crazy　over　money；　and　with　no　understanding　of　anything　save　some　few　facts　about　Chicago　and　its　momentary　possibilities。　　In　Cowperwood's　office；　taking　his　letters　and　hearing　him　talk　in　his　quick；　genial　way　with　old　Laughlin；　Sippens；　and　others；　she　had　learned　more　of　life　than　she　had　ever　dreamed　existed。　　He　was　like　a　vast　open　window　out　of　which　she　was　looking　upon　an　almost　illimitable　landscape。

〃No；　sir；〃　she　replied；　dropping　her　slim；　firm；　white　hand；　holding　a　black　lead…pencil　restfully　on　her　notebook。　　She　smiled　quite　innocently　because　she　was　pleased。

〃I　thought　not；〃　he　said；　〃and　yet　you're　American　enough。〃

〃I　don't　know　how　it　is；〃　she　said；　quite　solemnly。　　〃I　have　a　brother　who　is　quite　as　American　as　I　am。　　We　don't　either　of　us　look　like　our　father　or　mother。〃

〃What　does　your　brother　do？〃　he　asked；　indifferently。

〃He's　one　of　the　weighers　at　Arneel　&　Co。　　He　expects　to　be　a　manager　sometime。〃　She　smiled。

Cowperwood　looked　at　her　speculatively；　and　after　a　momentary　return　glance　she　dropped　her　eyes。　　Slowly；　in　spite　of　herself；　a　telltale　flush　rose　and　mantled　her　brown　cheeks。　　　It　always　did　when　he　looked　at　her。

〃Take　this　letter　to　General　Van　Sickle；〃　he　began；　on　this　occasion　quite　helpfully；　and　in　a　few　minutes　she　had　recovered。　　She　could　not　be　near　Cowperwood　for　long　at　a　time；　however；　without　being　stirred　by　a　feeling　which　was　not　of　her　own　willing。　　He　fascinated　and　suffused　her　with　a　dull　fire。　　She　sometimes　wondered　whether　a　man　so　remarkable　would　ever　be　interested　in　a　girl　like　her。

The　end　of　this　essential　interest；　of　course；　was　the　eventual　assumption　of　Antoinette。　　One　might　go　through　all　the　dissolving　details　of　days　in　which　she　sat　taking　dictation；　receiving　instructions；　going　about　her　office　duties　in　a　state　of　apparently　chill；　practical；　commercial　single…mindedness；　but