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efore　I　am　ready　to　pay　it；　I'll　gut　every　bank　from　here　to　the　river。　　You'll　have　panic；　all　the　panic　you　want。　　Good　evening；　gentlemen。〃

He　drew　out　his　watch；　glanced　at　it；　and　quickly　walked　to　the　door；　putting　on　his　hat　as　he　went。　　As　he　bustled　jauntily　down　the　wide　interior　staircase；　preceded　by　a　footman　to　open　the　door；　a　murmur　of　dissatisfaction　arose　in　the　room　he　had　just　left。

〃The　wrecker！〃　re…exclaimed　Norrie　Simms；　angrily；　astounded　at　this　demonstration　of　defiance。

〃The　scoundrel！〃　declared　Mr。　Blackman。　　〃Where　does　he　get　the　wealth　to　talk　like　that？〃

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Mr。　Arneel；　stung　to　the　quick　by　this　amazing　effrontery；　and　yet　made　cautious　by　the　blazing　wrath　of　Cowperwood；　〃it　is　useless　to　debate　this　question　in　anger。　　Mr。　Cowperwood　evidently　refers　to　loans　which　can　be　controlled　in　his　favor；　and　of　which　I　for　one　know　nothing。　　I　do　not　see　what　can　be　done　until　we　do　know。　　Perhaps　some　of　you　can　tell　us　what　they　are。

But　no　one　could；　and　after　due　calculation　advice　was　borrowed　of　caution。　　The　loans　of　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　were　not　called。




Chapter　L



A　New　York　Mansion

The　failure　of　American　Match　the　next　morning　was　one　of　those　events　that　stirred　the　city　and　the　nation　and　lingered　in　the　minds　of　men　for　years。　　At　the　last　moment　it　was　decided　that　in　lieu　of　calling　Cowperwood's　loans　Hull　&　Stackpole　had　best　be　sacrificed；　the　stock…exchange　closed；　and　all　trading　ended。　　This　protected　stocks　from　at　least　a　quotable　decline　and　left　the　banks　free　for　several　days　（ten　all　told）　in　which　to　repair　their　disrupted　finances　and　buttress　themselves　against　the　eventual　facts。　　Naturally；　the　minor　speculators　throughout　the　citythose　who　had　expected　to　make　a　fortune　out　of　this　crash　raged　and　complained；　but；　being　faced　by　an　adamantine　exchange　directorate；　a　subservient　press；　and　the　alliance　between　the　big　bankers　and　the　heavy　quadrumvirate；　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。　The　respective　bank　presidents　talked　solemnly　of　〃a　mere　temporary　flurry；〃　Hand；　Schryhart；　Merrill；　and　Arneel　went　still　further　into　their　pockets　to　protect　their　interests；　and　Cowperwood；　triumphant；　was　roundly　denounced　by　the　smaller　fry　as　a　〃bucaneer；〃　a　〃pirate；〃　a　〃wolf〃indeed；　any　opprobrious　term　that　came　into　their　minds。　　The　larger　men　faced　squarely　the　fact　that　here　was　an　enemy　worthy　of　their　steel。　　Would　he　master　them？　Was　he　already　the　dominant　money　power　in　Chicago？　Could　he　thus　flaunt　their　helplessness　and　his　superiority　in　their　eyes　and　before　their　underlings　and　go　unwhipped？

〃I　must　give　in！〃　Hosmer　Hand　had　declared　to　Arneel　and　Schryhart；　at　the　close　of　the　Arneel　house　conference　and　as　they　stood　in　consultation　after　the　others　had　departed。　　〃We　seem　to　be　beaten　to…night；　but　I；　for　one；　am　not　through　yet。　　He　has　won　to…night；　but　he　won't　win　always。　　This　is　a　fight　to　a　finish　between　me　and　him。　　The　rest　of　you　can　stay　in　or　drop　out；　just　as　you　wish。〃

〃Hear；　hear！〃　exclaimed　Schryhart；　laying　a　fervently　sympathetic　hand　on　his　shoulder。　　〃Every　dollar　that　I　have　is　at　your　service；　Hosmer。　　This　fellow　can't　win　eventually。　　I'm　with　you　to　the　end。〃

Arneel；　walking　with　Merrill　and　the　others　to　the　door；　was　silent　and　dour。　　He　had　been　cavalierly　affronted　by　a　man　who；　but　a　few　short　years　before；　he　would　have　considered　a　mere　underling。　Here　was　Cowperwood　bearding　the　lion　in　his　den；　dictating　terms　to　the　principal　financial　figures　of　the　city；　standing　up　trig　and　resolute；　smiling　in　their　faces　and　telling　them　in　so　many　words　to　go　to　the　devil。　　Mr。　Arneel　glowered　under　lowering　brows；　but　what　could　he　do？　〃We　must　see；〃　he　said　to　the　others；　〃what　time　will　bring。　　Just　now　there　is　nothing　much　to　do。　　This　crisis　has　been　too　sudden。　　You　say　you　are　not　through　with　him；　Hosmer；　and　neither　am　I。　　But　we　must　wait。　　We　shall　have　to　break　him　politically　in　this　city；　and　I　am　confident　that　in　the　end　we　can　do　it。〃　The　others　were　grateful　for　his　courage　even　though　to…morrow　he　and　they　must　part　with　millions　to　protect　themselves　and　the　banks。　　For　the　first　time　Merrill　concluded　that　he　would　have　to　fight　Cowperwood　openly　from　now　on；　though　even　yet　he　admired　his　courage。　　〃But　he　is　too　defiant；　too　cavalier！　A　very　lion　of　a　man；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃A　man　with　the　heart　of　a　Numidian　lion。〃

It　was　true。

From　this　day　on　for　a　little　while；　and　because　there　was　no　immediate　political　contest　in　sight；　there　was　comparative　peace　in　Chicago；　although　it　more　resembled　an　armed　camp　operating　under　the　terms　of　some　agreed　neutrality　than　it　did　anything　else。　　Schryhart；　Hand；　Arneel；　and　Merrill　were　quietly　watchful。　Cowperwood's　chief　concern　was　lest　his　enemies　might　succeed　in　their　project　of　worsting　him　politically　in　one　or　all　three　of　the　succeeding　elections　which　were　due　to　occur　every　two　years　between　now　and　1903；　at　which　time　his　franchises　would　have　to　be　renewed。　　As　in　the　past　they　had　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　work　against　them　through　bribery　and　perjury；　so　in　ensuing　struggles　they　might　render　it　more　and　more　difficult　for　him　or　his　agents　to　suborn　the　men　elected　to　office。　　The　subservient　and　venal　councilmen　whom　he　now　controlled　might　be　replaced　by　men　who；　if　no　more　honest；　would　be　more　loyal　to　the　enemy；　thus　blocking　the　extension　of　his　franchises。　　Yet　upon　a　renewal　period　of　at　least　twenty　and　preferably　fifty　years　depended　the　fulfilment　of　all　the　colossal　things　he　had　begunhis　art…collection；　his　new　mansion；　his　growing　prestige　as　a　financier；　his　rehabilitation　socially；　and　the　celebration　of　his　triumph　by　a　union；　morganatic　or　otherwise；　with　some　one　who　would　be　worthy　to　share　his　throne。

It　is　curious　how　that　first　and　most　potent　tendency　of　the　human　mind；　ambition；　becomes　finally　dominating。　　Here　was　Cowperwood　at　fifty…seven；　rich　beyond　the　wildest　dream　of　the　average　man；　celebrated　in　a　local　and　in　some　respects　in　a　national　way；　who　was　nevertheless　feeling　that　by　no　means　had　his　true　aims　been　achieved。　　He　was　not　yet　all…powerful　as　were　divers　Eastern　magnates；　or　even　these　four　or　five　magnificently　moneyed　men　here　in　Chicago　who；　by　plodding　thought　and　labor　in　many　dreary　fields　such　as　Cowperwood　himself　frequently　scorned；　had　reaped　tremendous　and　uncontended　profits。　　How　was　it；　he　asked　himself；　that　his　path　had　almost　constantly　been　strewn　with　stormy　opposition　and　threatened　calamity？　Was　it　due　to　his　private　immorality？　Other　men　were　immoral；　the　mass；　despite　religious　dogma　and　fol…de…rol　theory　imposed　from　the　top；　was　generally　so。　　Was　it　not　rather　due　to　his　inability　to　control　without　dominating　personallywithout　standing　out　fully　and　clearly　in　the　sight　of　all　men？　Sometimes　he　thought　so。　　The　humdrum　conventional　world　could　not　brook　his　daring；　his　insouciance；　his　constant　desire　to　call　a　spade　a　spade。　　His　genial　sufficiency　was　a　taunt　and　a　mockery　to　many。　　The　hard　implication　of　his　eye　was　dreaded　by　the　weaker　as　fire　is　feared　by　a　burnt　child。　Dissembling　enough；　he　was　not　sufficiently　oily　and　make…believe。

Well；　come　what　might；　he　did　not　need　to　be　or　mean　to　be　so；　and　there　the　game　must　lie；　but　he　had　not　by　any　means　attained　the　height　of　his　ambition。　　He　was　not　yet　looked　upon　as　a　money　prince。　　He　could　not　rank　as　yet　with　the　magnates　of　the　East　the　serried　Sequoias　of　Wall　Street。　　Until　he　could　stand　with　these　men；　until　he　could　have　a　magnificent　mansion；　acknowledged　as　such　by　all；　until　he　could　have　a　world…famous　gallery；　Berenice；　millionswhat　did　it　avail？

The　character　of　Cowperwood's　New　York　house；　which　proved　one　of　the　central　achievements　of　his　later　years；　was　one　of　those　floweringsout　of　disposition　which　eventuate　in　the　case　of　men　quite　as　in　that　of　plants。　　After　the　passing　of　the　years　neither　a　modified　Gothic　（such　as　his　Philadelphia　house　had　been）；　nor　a　conventionalized　Norman…French；　after　the　style　of　his　Michigan　Avenue　home；　seemed　suitable　to　him。　　Only　the　Italian　palaces　of　medieval　or　Renaissance　origin　which　he　had　seen　abroad　now　appealed　to　him　as　examples　of　what　a　stately　residence　should　be。　　He　was　really　seeking　something　which　should　not　only　reflect　his　private　tastes　as　to　a　home；　but　should　have　the　more　enduring　qualities　of　a　palace　or　even　a　museum；　which　might　stand　as　a　monument　to　his　memory。　　After　much　searching　Cowperwood　had　found　an　architect　in　New　York　who　suited　him　entirelyone　Raymond　Pyne；　rake；　raconteur；　man…about…townwho　was　still　first　and　foremost　an　artist；　with　an　eye　for　the　exceptional　and　the　perfect。　　These　two　spent　days　and　days　together　meditating　on　the　details　of　this　home　museum。　　An　immense　gallery　was　to　occupy　the　west　wing　of　the　house　and　be　devoted　to　pictures；　a　second　gallery　should　occupy　the　south　wing　and　be　given　over　to　sculpture　and　large　whorls　of　art；　and　these　two　wings　were　to　swing　as　an　L　around　the　house　proper；　the　latter　standing　in　the　angle　between　them。　　The　whole　structure　was　to　be　of　a　rich　brownstone；　heavily　carved。　For　its　interior　decoration　the　richest　woods；　silks；　tapestries；　glass；　and　marbles　were　canvassed。　　The　main　rooms　were　to　surround　a　great　central　court　with　a　colonnade　of　pink…veined　alabaster；　and　in　the　center　there　would　be　an　electrically　lighted　fountain　of　alabaster　and　silver。　　Occupying　the　east　wall　a　series　of　hanging　baskets　of　orchids；　or　of　other　fresh　flowers；　were　to　give　a　splendid　glow　of　color；　a　morning…sun　effect；　to　this　richly　artificial　realm。　　One　chambera　lounge　on　the　second　floorwas　to　be　entirely　lined　with　thin…cut　transparent　marble　of　a　peach…blow　hue；　the　lighting　coming　only　through　these　walls　and　from　without。　Here　in　a　perpetual　atmosphere　of　sunrise　were　to　be　racks　for　exotic　birds；　a　trellis　of　vines；　stone　benches；　a　central　pool　of　glistening　water；　and　an　echo　of　music。　　Pyne　assured　him　that　after　his　death　this　room　would　make　an　excellent　chamber　in　which　to　exhibit　porcelains；　jades；　ivories；　and　other　small　objects　of　value。

Cowperwood　was　now　actually　transferring　his　possessions　to　New