the titan- 第53部分

〃I　know　Frank　Cowperwood　by　reputation；　anyhow；〃　she　exclaimed；　holding　out　a　small；　white；　jeweled　hand；　the　nails　of　which　at　their　juncture　with　the　flesh　were　tinged　with　henna；　and　the　palms　of　which　were　slightly　rouged。　　Her　eyes　blazed；　and　her　teeth　gleamed。　　〃One　can　scarcely　read　of　anything　else　in　the　Chicago　papers。〃

Cowperwood　returned　his　most　winning　beam。　　〃I'm　delighted　to　meet　you；　Mrs。　Hand。　　I　have　read　of　you；　too。　　But　I　hope　you　don't　believe　all　the　papers　say　about　me。〃

〃And　if　I　did　it　wouldn't　hurt　you　in　my　estimation。　　To　do　is　to　be　talked　about　in　these　days。〃

Cowperwood；　because　of　his　desire　to　employ　the　services　of　Hand；　was　at　his　best。　　He　kept　the　conversation　within　conventional　lines；　but　all　the　while　he　was　exchanging　secret；　unobserved　smiles　with　Mrs。　Hand；　whom　he　realized　at　once　had　married　Hand　for　his　money；　and　was　bent；　under　a　somewhat　jealous　espionage；　to　have　a　good　time　anyhow。　　There　is　a　kind　of　eagerness　that　goes　with　those　who　are　watched　and　wish　to　escape　that　gives　them　a　gay；　electric　awareness　and　sparkle　in　the　presence　of　an　opportunity　for　release。　　Mrs。　Hand　had　this。　　Cowperwood；　a　past　master　in　this　matter　of　femininity；　studied　her　hands；　her　hair；　her　eyes；　her　smile。　　After　some　contemplation　he　decided；　other　things　being　equal；　that　Mrs。　Hand　would　do；　and　that　he　could　be　interested　if　she　were　very　much　interested　in　him。　　Her　telling　eyes　and　smiles；　the　heightened　color　of　her　cheeks　indicated　after　a　time　that　she　was。

Meeting　him　on　the　street　one　day　not　long　after　they　had　first　met；　she　told　him　that　she　was　going　for　a　visit　to　friends　at　Oconomowoc；　in　Wisconsin。

〃I　don't　suppose　you　ever　get　up　that　far　north　in　summer；　do　you？〃　she　asked；　with　an　air；　and　smiled。

〃I　never　have；〃　he　replied；　〃but　there's　no　telling　what　I　might　do　if　I　were　bantered。　　I　suppose　you　ride　and　canoe？〃

〃Oh　yes；　and　play　tennis　and　golf；　too。〃

〃But　where　would　a　mere　idler　like　me　stay？〃

〃Oh；　there　are　several　good　hotels。　　There's　never　any　trouble　about　that。　　I　suppose　you　ride　yourself？〃

〃After　a　fashion；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　who　was　an　expert。

Witness　then　the　casual　encounter　on　horseback；　early　one　Sunday　morning　in　the　painted　hills　of　Wisconsin；　of　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　and　Caroline　Hand。　　A　jaunty；　racing　canter；　side　by　side；　idle　talk　concerning　people；　scenery；　conveniences；　his　usual　direct　suggestions　and　love…making；　and　then；　subsequently

The　day　of　reckoning；　if　such　it　might　be　called；　came　later。

Caroline　Hand　was；　perhaps；　unduly　reckless。　　She　admired　Cowperwood　greatly　without　really　loving　him。　　He　found　her　interesting；　principally　because　she　was　young；　debonair；　sufficienta　new　type。　　They　met　in　Chicago　after　a　time　instead　of　in　Wisconsin；　then　in　Detroit　（where　she　had　friends）；　then　in　Rockford；　where　a　sister　had　gone　to　live。　　It　was　easy　for　him　with　his　time　and　means。　　Finally；　Duane　Kingsland；　wholesale　flour　merchant；　religious；　moral；　conventional；　who　knew　Cowperwood　and　his　repute；　encountered　Mrs。　Hand　and　Cowperwood　first　near　Oconomowoc　one　summer's　day；　and　later　in　Randolph　Street；　near　Cowperwood's　bachelor　rooms。　　Being　the　man　that　he　was　and　knowing　old　Hand　well；　he　thought　it　was　his　duty　to　ask　the　latter　if　his　wife　knew　Cowperwood　intimately。　　There　was　an　explosion　in　the　Hand　home。　　Mrs。　Hand；　when　confronted　by　her　husband；　denied；　of　course；　that　there　was　anything　wrong　between　her　and　Cowperwood。　　Her　elderly　husband；　from　a　certain　telltale　excitement　and　resentment　in　her　manner；　did　not　believe　this。　　He　thought　once　of　confronting　Cowperwood；　but；　being　heavy　and　practical；　he　finally　decided　to　sever　all　business　relationships　with　him　and　fight　him　in　other　ways。　　Mrs。　Hand　was　watched　very　closely；　and　a　suborned　maid　discovered　an　old　note　she　had　written　to　Cowperwood。　　An　attempt　to　persuade　her　to　leave　for　Europeas　old　Butler　had　once　attempted　to　send　Aileen　years　beforeraised　a　storm　of　protest；　but　she　went。　　Hand；　from　being　neutral　if　not　friendly；　became　quite　the　most　dangerous　and　forceful　of　all　Cowperwood's　Chicago　enemies。　　He　was　a　powerful　man。　　His　wrath　was　boundless。　　He　looked　upon　Cowperwood　now　as　a　dark　and　dangerous　manone　of　whom　Chicago　would　be　well　rid。




Chapter　XXXII



A　Supper　Party

Since　the　days　in　which　Aileen　had　been　left　more　or　less　lonely　by　Cowperwood；　however；　no　two　individuals　had　been　more　faithful　in　their　attentions　than　Taylor　Lord　and　Kent　McKibben。　　Both　were　fond　of　her　in　a　general　way；　finding　her　interesting　physically　and　temperamentally；　but；　being　beholden　to　the　magnate　for　many　favors；　they　were　exceedingly　circumspect　in　their　attitude　toward　her；　particularly　during　those　early　years　in　which　they　knew　that　Cowperwood　was　intensely　devoted　to　her。　　Later　they　were　not　so　careful。

It　was　during　this　latter　period　that　Aileen　came　gradually；　through　the　agency　of　these　two　men；　to　share　in　a　form　of　mid…world　life　that　was　not　utterly　dull。　　In　every　large　city　there　is　a　kind　of　social　half　world；　where　artists　and　the　more　adventurous　of　the　socially　unconventional　and　restless　meet　for　an　exchange　of　things　which　cannot　be　counted　mere　social　form　and　civility。　　It　is　the　age…old　world　of　Bohemia。　　Hither　resort　those　〃accidentals〃　of　fancy　that　make　the　stage；　the　drawing…room；　and　all　the　schools　of　artistic　endeavor　interesting　or　peculiar。　　In　a　number　of　studios　in　Chicago　such　as　those　of　Lane　Cross　and　Rhees　Crier；　such　little　circles　were　to　be　found。　　Rhees　Crier；　for　instance；　a　purely　parlor　artist；　with　all　the　airs；　conventions；　and　social　adaptability　of　the　tribe；　had　quite　a　following。　　Here　and　to　several　other　places　by　turns　Taylor　Lord　and　Kent　McKibben　conducted　Aileen；　both　asking　and　obtaining　permission　to　be　civil　to　her　when　Cowperwood　was　away。

Among　the　friends　of　these　two　at　this　time　was　a　certain　Polk　Lynde；　an　interesting　society　figure；　whose　father　owned　an　immense　reaper　works；　and　whose　time　was　spent　in　idling；　racing；　gambling；　socializinganything；　in　short；　that　it　came　into　his　head　to　do。　He　was　tall；　dark；　athletic；　straight；　muscular；　with　a　small　dark　mustache；　dark；　black…brown　eyes；　kinky　black　hair；　and　a　fine；　almost　military　carriagewhich　he　clothed　always　to　the　best　advantage。　　A　clever　philanderer；　it　was　quite　his　pride　that　he　did　not　boast　of　his　conquests。　　One　look　at　him；　however；　by　the　initiated；　and　the　story　was　told。　　Aileen　first　saw　him　on　a　visit　to　the　studio　of　Rhees　Grier。　　Being　introduced　to　him　very　casually　on　this　occasion；　she　was　nevertheless　clearly　conscious　that　she　was　encountering　a　fascinating　man；　and　that　he　was　fixing　her　with　a　warm；　avid　eye。　　For　the　moment　she　recoiled　from　him　as　being　a　little　too　brazen　in　his　stare；　and　yet　she　admired　the　general　appearance　of　him。　　He　was　of　that　smart　world　that　she　admired　so　much；　and　from　which　now　apparently　she　was　hopelessly　debarred。　　That　trig；　bold　air　of　his　realized　for　her　at　last　the　type　of　man；　outside　of　Cowperwood；　whom　she　would　prefer　within　limits　to　admire　her。　　If　she　were　going　to　be　〃bad；〃　as　she　would　have　phrased　it　to　herself；　she　would　be　〃bad〃　with　a　man　such　as　he。　　He　would　be　winsome　and　coaxing；　but　at　the　same　time　strong；　direct；　deliciously　brutal；　like　her　Frank。　　He　had；　too；　what　Cowperwood　could　not　have；　a　certain　social　air　or　swagger　which　came　with　idleness；　much　loafing；　a　sense　of　social　superiority　and　securitya　devil…may…care　insouciance　which　recks　little　of　other　people's　will　or　whims。

When　she　next　saw　him；　which　was　several　weeks　later　at　an　affair　of　the　Courtney　Tabors；　friends　of　Lord's；　he　exclaimed：

〃Oh　yes。　　By　George！　You're　the　Mrs。　Cowperwood　I　met　several　weeks　ago　at　Rhees　Grier's　studio。　　I've　not　forgotten　you。　　I've　seen　you　in　my　eye　all　over　Chicago。　　Taylor　Lord　introduced　me　to　you。　Say；　but　you're　a　beautiful　woman！〃

He　leaned　ingratiatingly；　whimsically；　admiringly　near。

Aileen　realized　that　for　so　early　in　the　afternoon；　and　considering　the　crowd；　he　was　curiously　enthusiastic。　　The　truth　was　that　because　of　some　rounds　he　had　made　elsewhere　he　was　verging　toward　too　much　liquor。　　His　eye　was　alight；　his　color　coppery；　his　air　swagger；　devil…may…care；　bacchanal。　　This　made　her　a　little　cautious；　but　she　rather　liked　his　brown；　hard　face；　handsome　mouth；　and　crisp　Jovian　curls。　　His　compliment　was　not　utterly　improper；　but　she　nevertheless　attempted　coyly　to　avoid　him。

〃Come；　Polk；　here's　an　old　friend　of　yours　over　hereSadie　Boutwell　she　wants　to　meet　you　again；〃　some　one　observed；　catching　him　by　the　arm。

〃No；　you　don't；〃　he　exclaimed；　genially；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　a　little　resentfullythe　kind　of　disjointed　resentment　a　man　who　has　had　the　least　bit　too　much　is　apt　to　feel　on　being　interrupted。　〃I'm　not　going　to　walk　all　over　Chicago　thinking　of　a　woman　I've　seen　somewhere　only　to　be　carried　away　the　first　time　I　do　meet　her。　　I'm　going　to　talk　to　her　first。〃

Aileen　laughed。　　〃It's　charming　of　you；　but　we　can　meet　again；　perhaps。　　Besides；　there's　some　one　here〃Lord　was　tactfully　directing　her　attention　to　another　woman。　　Rhees　Grier　and　McKibben；　who　were　present　also；　came　to　her　assistance。　　In　the　hubbub　that　ensued　Aileen　was　temporarily　extricated　and　Lynde　tactfully　steered　out　of　her　way。　　But　they　had　met　again；　and　it　was　not　to　be　the　last　time。　　Subsequent　to　this　second　meeting；　Lynde　thought　the　matter　over　quite　calmly；　and　decided　that　he　must　make　a　definite　effort　to　become　more　intimate　with　Aileen。　　Though　she　was　not　as　young　as　some　others；　she　suited　his　present　mood　exactly。　　She　was　rich　physicallyvoluptuous　and　sentient。　　She　was　not　of　his　world　precisely；　but　what　of　it？　She　was　the　wife　of　an　eminent　financier；　who　had　been　in　society　once；　and　she　herself　had　a　dramatic　record。　　He　was　sure　of　that。　　He　could　win　her　if　he　wanted　to。　　It　would　be　easy；　knowing　her　as　he　did；　and　knowing　what　he　did　about　her。

So　not　long　after；　Lynde　ventured　to　invite　her；　with　Lord；　McKibben；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Rhees　Grier；　and　a　young　girl　friend　of　Mrs。　Grier　who　was　rather　attractive；　a　Miss　Chrystobel　Lanman；　to　a　theater　and　supper　part