the titan-第75部分

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round　on　which　to　meet。　　In　fact；　I　do　not　see　how　I　can　be　of　any　service　to　you　whatsoever。〃

〃Just　a　moment；　please；　Mr。　Mayor；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　still　very　sweetly；　and　fearing　that　Sluss　might　choose　to　hang　up　the　receiver；　so　superior　was　his　tone。　　〃There　may　be　some　common　ground　of　which　you　do　not　know。　　Wouldn't　you　like　to　come　to　lunch　at　my　residence　or　receive　me　at　yours？　Or　let　me　come　to　your　office　and　talk　this　matter　over。　　I　believe　you　will　find　it　the　part　of　wisdom　as　well　as　of　courtesy　to　do　this。〃

〃I　cannot　possibly　lunch　with　you　to…day；〃　replied　Sluss；　〃and　I　cannot　see　you；　either。　　There　are　a　number　of　things　pressing　for　my　attention。　　I　must　say　also　that　I　cannot　hold　any　back…room　conferences　with　you　or　your　emissaries。　　If　you　come　you　must　submit　to　the　presence　of　others。〃

〃Very　well；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　cheerfully。　　〃I　will　not　come　to　your　office。　　But　unless　you　come　to　mine　before　five　o'clock　this　afternoon　you　will　face　by　noon　to…morrow　a　suit　for　breach　of　promise；　and　your　letters　to　Mrs。　Brandon　will　be　given　to　the　public。　　I　wish　to　remind　you　that　an　election　is　coming　on；　and　that　Chicago　favors　a　mayor　who　is　privately　moral　as　well　as　publicly　so。　　Good　morning。〃

Mr。　Cowperwood　hung　up　his　telephone　receiver　with　a　click；　and　Mr。　Sluss　sensibly　and　visibly　stiffened　and　paled。　　Mrs。　Brandon！　The　charming；　lovable；　discreet　Mrs。　Brandon　who　had　so　ungenerously　left　him！　Why　should　she　be　thinking　of　suing　him　for　breach　of　promise；　and　how　did　his　letter　to　her　come　to　be　in　Cowperwood's　hands？　Good　heavensthose　mushy　letters！　His　wife！　His　children！　His　church　and　the　owlish　pastor　thereof！　Chicago！　And　its　conventional；　moral；　religious　atmosphere！　Come　to　think　of　it；　Mrs。　Brandon　had　scarcely　if　ever　written　him　a　note　of　any　kind。　He　did　not　even　know　her　history。

At　the　thought　of　Mrs。　Slussher　hard；　cold；　blue　eyesMr。　Sluss　arose；　tall　and　distrait；　and　ran　his　hand　through　his　hair。　　He　walked　to　the　window；　snapping　his　thumb　and　middle　finger　and　looking　eagerly　at　the　floor。　　He　thought　of　the　telephone　switchboard　just　outside　his　private　office；　and　wondered　whether　his　secretary；　a　handsome　young　Presbyterian　girl；　had　been　listening；　as　usual。　Oh；　this　sad；　sad　world！　If　the　North　Side　ever　learned　of　this　Hand；　the　newspapers；　young　MacDonaldwould　they　protect　him？　They　would　not。　　Would　they　run　him　for　mayor　again？　Never！　Could　the　public　be　induced　to　vote　for　him　with　all　the　churches　fulminating　against　private　immorality；　hypocrites；　and　whited　sepulchers？　Oh；　Lord！　Oh；　Lord！　And　he　was　so　very；　very　much　respected　and　looked　up　tothat　was　the　worst　of　it　all。　　This　terrible　demon　Cowperwood　had　descended　on　him；　and　he　had　thought　himself　so　secure。　　He　had　not　even　been　civil　to　Cowperwood。　What　if　the　latter　chose　to　avenge　the　discourtesy？

Mr。　Sluss　went　back　to　his　chair；　but　he　could　not　sit　in　it。　　He　went　for　his　coat；　took　it　down；　hung　it　up　again；　took　it　down；　announced　over　the　'phone　that　he　could　not　see　any　one　for　several　hours；　and　went　out　by　a　private　door。　　Wearily　he　walked　along　North　Clark　Street；　looking　at　the　hurly…burly　of　traffic；　looking　at　the　dirty；　crowded　river；　looking　at　the　sky　and　smoke　and　gray　buildings；　and　wondering　what　he　should　do。　　The　world　was　so　hard　at　times；　it　was　so　cruel。　　His　wife；　his　family；　his　political　career。　　He　could　not　conscientiously　sign　any　ordinances　for　Mr。　Cowperwoodthat　would　be　immoral；　dishonest；　a　scandal　to　the　city。　　Mr。　Cowperwood　was　a　notorious　traitor　to　the　public　welfare。　At　the　same　time　he　could　not　very　well　refuse；　for　here　was　Mrs。　Brandon；　the　charming　and　unscrupulous　creature；　playing　into　the　hands　of　Cowperwood。　　If　he　could　only　meet　her；　beg　of　her；　plead；　but　where　was　she？　He　had　not　seen　her　for　months　and　months。　　Could　he　go　to　Hand　and　confess　all？　But　Hand　was　a　hard；　cold；　moral　man　also。　　Oh；　Lord！　Oh；　Lord！　He　wondered　and　thought；　and　sighed　and　ponderedall　without　avail。

Pity　the　poor　earthling　caught　in　the　toils　of　the　moral　law。　　In　another　country；　perhaps；　in　another　day；　another　age；　such　a　situation　would　have　been　capable　of　a　solution；　one　not　utterly　destructive　to　Mr。　Sluss；　and　not　entirely　favorable　to　a　man　like　Cowperwood。　　But　here　in　the　United　States；　here　in　Chicago；　the　ethical　verities　would　all；　as　he　knew；　be　lined　up　against　him。　What　Lake　View　would　think；　what　his　pastor　would　think；　what　Hand　and　all　his　moral　associates　would　thinkah；　these　were　the　terrible；　the　incontrovertible　consequences　of　his　lapse　from　virtue。

At　four　o'clock；　after　Mr。　Sluss　had　wandered　for　hours　in　the　snow　and　cold；　belaboring　himself　for　a　fool　and　a　knave；　and　while　Cowperwood　was　sitting　at　his　desk　signing　papers；　contemplating　a　glowing　fire；　and　wondering　whether　the　mayor　would　deem　it　advisable　to　put　in　an　appearance；　his　office　door　opened　and　one　of　his　trim　stenographers　entered　announcing　Mr。　Chaffee　Thayer　Sluss。　　Enter　Mayor　Sluss；　sad；　heavy；　subdued；　shrunken；　a　very　different　gentleman　from　the　one　who　had　talked　so　cavalierly　over　the　wires　some　five　and　a　half　hours　before。　　Gray　weather；　severe　cold；　and　much　contemplation　of　seemingly　irreconcilable　facts　had　reduced　his　spirits　greatly。　　He　was　a　little　pale　and　a　little　restless。　　Mental　distress　has　a　reducing；　congealing　effect；　and　Mayor　Sluss　seemed　somewhat　less　than　his　usual　self　in　height；　weight；　and　thickness。　　Cowperwood　had　seen　him　more　than　once　on　various　political　platforms；　but　he　had　never　met　him。　　When　the　troubled　mayor　entered　he　arose　courteously　and　waved　him　to　a　chair。

〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　he　said；　genially。　　〃It's　a　disagreeable　day　out；　isn't　it？　I　suppose　you　have　come　in　regard　to　the　matter　we　were　discussing　this　morning？〃

Nor　was　this　cordiality　wholly　assumed。　　One　of　the　primal　instincts　of　Cowperwood's　naturefor　all　his　chicane　and　subtletywas　to　take　no　rough　advantage　of　a　beaten　enemy。　　In　the　hour　of　victory　he　was　always　courteous；　bland；　gentle；　and　even　sympathetic；　he　was　so　to…day；　and　quite　honestly；　too。

Mayor　Sluss　put　down　the　high　sugar…loaf　hat　he　wore　and　said；　grandiosely；　as　was　his　manner　even　in　the　direst　extremity：　〃Well；　you　see；　I　am　here；　Mr。　Cowperwood。　　What　is　it　you　wish　me　to　do；　exactly？〃

〃Nothing　unreasonable；　I　assure　you；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　replied　Cowperwood。　〃Your　manner　to　me　this　morning　was　a　little　brusque；　and；　as　I　have　always　wanted　to　have　a　sensible　private　talk　with　you；　I　took　this　way　of　getting　it。　　I　should　like　you　to　dismiss　from　your　mind　at　once　the　thought　that　I　am　going　to　take　an　unfair　advantage　of　you　in　any　way。　　I　have　no　present　intention　of　publishing　your　correspondence　with　Mrs。　Brandon。〃　（As　he　said　this　he　took　from　his　drawer　a　bundle　of　letters　which　Mayor　Sluss　recognized　at　once　as　the　enthusiastic　missives　which　he　had　sometime　before　penned　to　the　fair　Claudia。　　Mr。　Sluss　groaned　as　he　beheld　this　incriminating　evidence。）　〃I　am　not　trying；〃　continued　Cowperwood；　〃to　wreck　your　career；　nor　to　make　you　do　anything　which　you　do　not　feel　that　you　can　conscientiously　undertake。　　The　letters　that　I　have　here；　let　me　say；　have　come　to　me　quite　by　accident。　I　did　not　seek　them。　　But；　since　I　do　have　them；　I　thought　I　might　as　well　mention　them　as　a　basis　for　a　possible　talk　and　compromise　between　us。〃

Cowperwood　did　not　smile。　　He　merely　looked　thoughtfully　at　Sluss；　then；　by　way　of　testifying　to　the　truthfulness　of　what　he　had　been　saying；　thumped　the　letters　up　and　down；　just　to　show　that　they　were　real。

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Sluss；　heavily；　〃I　see。〃

He　studied　the　bundlea　small；　solid　affairwhile　Cowperwood　looked　discreetly　elsewhere。　　He　contemplated　his　own　shoes；　the　floor。　　He　rubbed　his　hands　and　then　his　knees。

Cowperwood　saw　how　completely　he　had　collapsed。　　It　was　ridiculous；　pitiable。

〃Come；　Mr。　Sluss；〃　said　Cowperwood；　amiably；　〃cheer　up。　　Things　are　not　nearly　as　desperate　as　you　think。　　I　give　you　my　word　right　now　that　nothing　which　you　yourself；　on　mature　thought；　could　say　was　unfair　will　be　done。　　You　are　the　mayor　of　Chicago。　　I　am　a　citizen。　　I　merely　wish　fair　play　from　you。　　I　merely　ask　you　to　give　me　your　word　of　honor　that　from　now　on　you　will　take　no　part　in　this　fight　which　is　one　of　pure　spite　against　me。　　If　you　cannot　conscientiously　aid　me　in　what　I　consider　to　be　a　perfectly　legitimate　demand　for　additional　franchises；　you　will；　at　least；　not　go　out　of　your　way　to　publicly　attack　me。　　I　will　put　these　letters　in　my　safe；　and　there　they　will　stay　until　the　next　campaign　is　over；　when　I　will　take　them　out　and　destroy　them。　　I　have　no　personal　feeling　against　younone　in　the　world。　　I　do　not　ask　you　to　sign　any　ordinance　which　the　council　may　pass　giving　me　elevated…road　rights。　　What　I　do　wish　you　to　do　at　this　time　is　to　refrain　from　stirring　up　public　sentiment　against　me；　especially　if　the　council　should　see　fit　to　pass　an　ordinance　over　your　veto。　Is　that　satisfactory？〃

〃But　my　friends？　The　public？　The　Republican　party？　Don't　you　see　it　is　expected　of　me　that　I　should　wage　some　form　of　campaign　against　you？〃　queried　Sluss；　nervously。

〃No；　I　don't；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　succinctly；　〃and；　anyhow；　there　are　ways　and　ways　of　waging　a　public　campaign。　　Go　through　the　motions；　if　you　wish；　but　don't　put　too　much　heart　in　it。　　And；　anyhow；　see　some　one　of　my　lawyers　from　time　to　time　when　they　call　on　you。　　Judge　Dickensheets　is　an　able　and　fair　man。　　So　is　General　Van　Sickle。　　Why　not　confer　with　them　occasionally？not　publicly；　of　course；　but　in　some　less　conspicuous　way。　　You　will　find　both　of　them　most　helpful。〃

Cowperwood　smiled　encouragingly；　quite　beneficently；　and　Chaffee　Thayer　Sluss；　his　political　hopes　gone　glimmering；　sat　and　mused　for　a　few　moments　in　a　sad　and　helpless　quandary。

〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　at　last；　rubbing　his　hands　feverishly。　　〃It　is　what　I　might　have　expected。　　I　should　have　known。　　There　is　no　other　way；　but〃　Hardly　able　to　repress　the　hot　tears　now　burning　beneath　his　eyelids；　the　Hon。　Mr。　Sluss　picked　up　his　hat　and　left　the　room。　　Needless　to　add　that　his　preachings　against　Cowperwood　were　permanently　silenced。




Chapter　XLV



Changing　Horizons