the titan- 第12部分

〃Now；　Aileen；　you　and　I　have　to　live　in　Chicago　for　years　and　years；〃　commented　Cowperwood。　　〃Don't　get　wild。　　These　people　don't　care　for　Americans；　can't　you　see　that？　They　wouldn't　accept　us　if　we　were　over　herenot　yet；　anyhow。　　We're　merely　passing　strangers；　being　courteously　entertained。〃　Cowperwood　saw　it　all。

Aileen　was　being　spoiled　in　a　way；　but　there　was　no　help。　　She　dressed　and　dressed。　　The　Englishmen　used　to　look　at　her　in　Hyde　Park；　where　she　rode　and　drove；　at　Claridges'　where　they　stayed；　in　Bond　Street；　where　she　shopped。　　The　Englishwomen；　the　majority　of　them　remote；　ultra…conservative；　simple　in　their　tastes；　lifted　their　eyes。　　Cowperwood　sensed　the　situation；　but　said　nothing。　　He　loved　Aileen；　and　she　was　satisfactory　to　him；　at　least　for　the　present；　anyhow；　beautiful。　　If　he　could　adjust　her　station　in　Chicago；　that　would　be　sufficient　for　a　beginning。　　After　three　weeks　of　very　active　life；　during　which　Aileen　patronized　the　ancient　and　honorable　glories　of　England；　they　went　on　to　Paris。

Here　she　was　quickened　to　a　child…like　enthusiasm。　　〃You　know；〃　she　said　to　Cowperwood；　quite　solemnly；　the　second　morning；　〃the　English　don't　know　how　to　dress。　　I　thought　they　did；　but　the　smartest　of　them　copy　the　French。　　Take　those　men　we　saw　last　night　in　the　Cafe　d'Anglais。　　There　wasn't　an　Englishman　I　saw　that　compared　with　them。〃

〃My　dear；　your　tastes　are　exotic；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　who　was　watching　her　with　pleased　interest　while　he　adjusted　his　tie。　　〃The　French　smart　crowd　are　almost　too　smart；　dandified。　　I　think　some　of　those　young　fellows　had　on　corsets。〃

〃What　of　it？〃　replied　Aileen。　　〃I　like　it。　　If　you're　going　to　be　smart；　why　not　be　very　smart？〃

〃I　know　that's　your　theory；　my　dear；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　can　be　overdone。　　There　is　such　a　thing　as　going　too　far。　　You　have　to　compromise　even　if　you　don't　look　as　well　as　you　might。　　You　can't　be　too　very　conspicuously　different　from　your　neighbors；　even　in　the　right　direction。〃

〃You　know；〃　she　said；　stopping　and　looking　at　him；　〃I　believe　you're　going　to　get　very　conservative　some　daylike　my　brothers。〃

She　came　over　and　touched　his　tie　and　smoothed　his　hair。

〃Well；　one　of　us　ought　to　be；　for　the　good　of　the　family；〃　he　commented；　half　smiling。

〃I'm　not　so　sure；　though；　that　it　will　be　you；　either。〃

〃It's　a　charming　day。　　See　how　nice　those　white…marble　statues　look。　　Shall　we　go　to　the　Cluny　or　Versailles　or　Fontainbleau？　To…night　we　ought　to　see　Bernhardt　at　the　Francaise。〃

Aileen　was　so　gay。　　It　was　so　splendid　to　be　traveling　with　her　true　husband　at　last。

It　was　on　this　trip　that　Cowperwood's　taste　for　art　and　life　and　his　determination　to　possess　them　revived　to　the　fullest。　　He　made　the　acquaintance　in　London；　Paris；　and　Brussels　of　the　important　art　dealers。　　His　conception　of　great　masters　and　the　older　schools　of　art　shaped　themselves。　　By　one　of　the　dealers　in　London；　who　at　once　recognized　in　him　a　possible　future　patron；　he　was　invited　with　Aileen　to　view　certain　private　collections；　and　here　and　there　was　an　artist；　such　as　Lord　Leighton；　Dante　Gabriel　Rossetti；　or　Whistler；　to　whom　he　was　introduced　casually；　an　interested　stranger。　These　men　only　saw　a　strong；　polite；　remote；　conservative　man。　　He　realized　the　emotional；　egotistic；　and　artistic　soul。　　He　felt　on　the　instant　that　there　could　be　little　in　common　between　such　men　and　himself　in　so　far　as　personal　contact　was　concerned；　yet　there　was　mutual　ground　on　which　they　could　meet。　　He　could　not　be　a　slavish　admirer　of　anything；　only　a　princely　patron。　　So　he　walked　and　saw；　wondering　how　soon　his　dreams　of　grandeur　were　to　be　realized。

In　London　he　bought　a　portrait　by　Raeburn；　in　Paris　a　plowing　scene　by　Millet；　a　small　Jan　Steen；　a　battle　piece　by　Meissonier；　and　a　romantic　courtyard　scene　by　Isabey。　　Thus　began　the　revival　of　his　former　interest　in　art；　the　nucleus　of　that　future　collection　which　was　to　mean　so　much　to　him　in　later　years。

On　their　return；　the　building　of　the　new　Chicago　mansion　created　the　next　interesting　diversion　in　the　lives　of　Aileen　and　Cowperwood。　Because　of　some　chateaux　they　saw　in　France　that　form；　or　rather　a　modification　of　it　as　suggested　by　Taylor　Lord；　was　adopted。　　Mr。　Lord　figured　that　it　would　take　all　of　a　year；　perhaps　a　year　and　a　half；　to　deliver　it　in　perfect　order；　but　time　was　of　no　great　importance　in　this　connection。　　In　the　mean　while　they　could　strengthen　their　social　connections　and　prepare　for　that　interesting　day　when　they　should　be　of　the　Chicago　elite。

There　were；　at　this　time；　several　elements　in　Chicagothose　who；　having　grown　suddenly　rich　from　dull　poverty；　could　not　so　easily　forget　the　village　church　and　the　village　social　standards；　those　who；　having　inherited　wealth；　or　migrated　from　the　East　where　wealth　was　old；　understood　more　of　the　savoir　faire　of　the　game；　and　those　who；　being　newly　born　into　wealth　and　seeing　the　drift　toward　a　smarter　American　life；　were　beginning　to　wish　they　might　shine　in　itthese　last　the　very　young　people。　　The　latter　were　just　beginning　to　dream　of　dances　at　Kinsley's；　a　stated　Kirmess；　and　summer　diversions　of　the　European　kind；　but　they　had　not　arrived　as　yet。　　The　first　class；　although　by　far　the　dullest　and　most　bovine；　was　still　the　most　powerful　because　they　were　the　richest；　money　as　yet　providing　the　highest　standard。　　The　functions　which　these　people　provided　were　stupid　to　the　verge　of　distraction；　really　they　were　only　the　week…day　receptions　and　Sunday…afternoon　calls　of　Squeedunk　and　Hohokus　raised　to　the　Nth　power。　　The　purpose　of　the　whole　matter　was　to　see　and　be　seen。　　Novelty　in　either　thought　or　action　was　decidedly　eschewed。　　It　was；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　customariness　of　thought　and　action　and　the　quintessence　of　convention　that　was　desired。　　The　idea　of　introducing　a　〃play　actress；〃　for　instance；　as　was　done　occasionally　in　the　East　or　in　Londonnever；　even　a　singer　or　an　artist　was　eyed　askance。　　One　could　easily　go　too　far！　But　if　a　European　prince　should　have　strayed　to　Chicago　（which　he　never　did）　or　if　an　Eastern　social　magnate　chanced　to　stay　over　a　train　or　two；　then　the　topmost　circle　of　local　wealth　was　prepared　to　strain　itself　to　the　breaking…point。　　Cowperwood　had　sensed　all　this　on　his　arrival；　but　he　fancied　that　if　he　became　rich　and　powerful　enough　he　and　Aileen；　with　their　fine　house　to　help　them；　might　well　be　the　leaven　which　would　lighten　the　whole　lump。　　Unfortunately；　Aileen　was　too　obviously　on　the　qui　vive　for　those　opportunities　which　might　lead　to　social　recognition　and　equality；　if　not　supremacy。　Like　the　savage；　unorganized　for　protection　and　at　the　mercy　of　the　horrific　caprice　of　nature；　she　was　almost　tremulous　at　times　with　thoughts　of　possible　failure。　　Almost　at　once　she　had　recognized　herself　as　unsuited　temperamentally　for　association　with　certain　types　of　society　women。　　The　wife　of　Anson　Merrill；　the　great　dry…goods　prince；　whom　she　saw　in　one　of　the　down…town　stores　one　day；　impressed　her　as　much　too　cold　and　remote。　　Mrs。　Merrill　was　a　woman　of　superior　mood　and　education　who　found　herself；　in　her　own　estimation；　hard　put　to　it　for　suitable　companionship　in　Chicago。　　She　was　Eastern…bred…Bostonand　familiar　in　an　offhand　way　with　the　superior　world　of　London；　which　she　had　visited　several　times。　　Chicago　at　its　best　was　to　her　a　sordid　commercial　mess。　She　preferred　New　York　or　Washington；　but　she　had　to　live　here。　Thus　she　patronized　nearly　all　of　those　with　whom　she　condescended　to　associate；　using　an　upward　tilt　of　the　head；　a　tired　droop　of　the　eyelids；　and　a　fine　upward　arching　of　the　brows　to　indicate　how　trite　it　all　was。

It　was　a　Mrs。　Henry　Huddlestone　who　had　pointed　out　Mrs。　Merrill　to　Aileen。　　Mrs。　Huddlestone　was　the　wife　of　a　soap　manufacturer　living　very　close　to　the　Cowperwoods'　temporary　home；　and　she　and　her　husband　were　on　the　outer　fringe　of　society。　　She　had　heard　that　the　Cowperwoods　were　people　of　wealth；　that　they　were　friendly　with　the　Addisons；　and　that　they　were　going　to　build　a　two…hundred…thousand…dollar　mansion。　　（The　value　of　houses　always　grows　in　the　telling。）　That　was　enough。　　She　had　called；　being　three　doors　away；　to　leave　her　card；　and　Aileen；　willing　to　curry　favor　here　and　there；　had　responded。　　Mrs。　Huddlestone　was　a　little　woman；　not　very　attractive　in　appearance；　clever　in　a　social　way；　and　eminently　practical。

〃Speaking　of　Mrs。　Merrill；〃　commented　Mrs。　Huddlestone；　on　this　particular　day；　〃there　she　isnear　the　dress…goods　counter。　　She　always　carries　that　lorgnette　in　just　that　way。〃

Aileen　turned　and　examined　critically　a　tall；　dark；　slender　woman　of　the　high　world　of　the　West；　very　remote；　disdainful；　superior。

〃You　don't　know　her？〃　questioned　Aileen；　curiously；　surveying　her　at　leisure。

〃No；〃　replied　Mrs。　Huddlestone；　defensively。　　〃They　live　on　the　North　Side；　and　the　different　sets　don't　mingle　so　much。〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　just　the　glory　of　the　principal　families　that　they　were　above　this　arbitrary　division　of　〃sides；〃　and　could　pick　their　associates　from　all　three　divisions。

〃Oh！〃　observed　Aileen；　nonchalantly。　　She　was　secretly　irritated　to　think　that　Mrs。　Huddlestone　should　find　it　necessary　to　point　out　Mrs。　Merrill　to　her　as　a　superior　person。

〃You　know；　she　darkens　her　eyebrows　a　little；　I　think；〃　suggested　Mrs。　Huddlestone；　studying　her　enviously。　　〃Her　husband；　they　say；　isn't　the　most　faithful　person　in　the　world。　　There's　another　woman；　a　Mrs。　Gladdens；　that　lives　very　close　to　them　that　he's　very　much　interested　in。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Aileen；　cautiously。　　After　her　own　Philadelphia　experience　she　had　decided　to　be　on　her　guard　and　not　indulge　in　too　much　gossip。　　Arrows　of　this　particular　kind　could　so　readily　fly　in　her　direction。

〃But　her　set　is　really　much　the　smartest；〃　complimented　Aileen's　companion。

Thereafter　it　was　Aileen's　ambition　to　associate　with　Mrs。　Anson　Merrill；　to　be　fully　and　freely　accepted　by　her。　　She　did　not　know；　although　she　might　have　feared；　that　that　ambition　was　never　to　be　realized。

But　there　were　others　who　had　called　at　the　first　Cowperwood　home；　or　with　whom　the　Cowperwoods　managed　to　form　an　acquaintance。　　There　were　the　Sunderland　Sledds；　Mr。　Sledd　being　general　traffic　manag