the titan- 第68部分

Mr。　Gilgan's　face　was　an　aggrieved　question…mark。

〃But　you　had　the　picking　of　these　men；〃　insisted　Mr。　Hand；　aggressively。　　〃Every　one　of　them　had　your　personal　indorsement。　　You　made　the　deals　with　them。　　You　don't　mean　to　say　they're　going　back　on　their　sacred　agreement　to　fight　Cowperwood　tooth　and　nail？　There　can't　be　any　misunderstanding　on　their　part　as　to　what　they　were　elected　to　do。　　The　newspapers　have　been　full　of　the　fact　that　nothing　favorable　to　Cowperwood　was　to　be　put　through。〃

〃That's　all　true　enough；〃　replied　Mr。　Gilgan；　〃but　I　can't　be　held　responsible　for　the　private　honesty　of　everybody。　　Sure　I　selected　these　men。　　Sure　I　did！　But　I　selected　them　with　the　help　of　the　rest　of　the　Republicans　and　some　of　the　Democrats。　　I　had　to　make　the　best　terms　I　couldto　pick　the　men　that　could　win。　　As　far　as　I　can　find　out　most　of　'em　are　satisfied　not　to　do　anything　for　Cowperwood。　　It's　passing　these　ordinances　in　favor　of　other　people　that's　stirring　up　the　trouble。〃

Mr。　Hand's　broad　forehead　wrinkled；　and　his　blue　eyes　surveyed　Mr。　Gilgan　with　suspicion。　　〃Who　are　these　men；　anyhow？〃　he　inquired。　〃I'd　like　to　get　a　list　of　them。〃

Mr。　Gilgan；　safe　in　his　own　subtlety；　was　ready　with　a　toll　of　the　supposed　recalcitrants。　　They　must　fight　their　own　battles。　　Mr。　Hand　wrote　down　the　names；　determining　meanwhile　to　bring　pressure　to　bear。　　He　decided　also　to　watch　Mr。　Gilgan。　　If　there　should　prove　to　be　a　hitch　in　the　programme　the　newspapers　should　be　informed　and　commanded　to　thunder　appropriately。　　Such　aldermen　as　proved　unfaithful　to　the　great　trust　imposed　on　them　should　be　smoked　out；　followed　back　to　the　wards　which　had　elected　them；　and　exposed　to　the　people　who　were　behind　them。　　Their　names　should　be　pilloried　in　the　public　press。　　The　customary　hints　as　to　Cowperwood's　deviltry　and　trickery　should　be　redoubled。

But　in　the　mean　time　Messrs。　Stimson；　Avery；　McKibben；　Van　Sickle；　and　others　were　on　Cowperwood's　behalf　acting　separately　upon　various　unattached　aldermenthose　not　temperamentally　and　chronically　allied　with　the　reform　ideaand　making　them　understand　that　if　they　could　find　it　possible　to　refrain　from　supporting　anti…Cowperwood　measures　for　the　next　two　years；　a　bonus　in　the　shape　of　an　annual　salary　of　two　thousand　dollars　or　a　gift　in　some　other　formperhaps　a　troublesome　note　indorsed　or　a　mortgage　taken　care　ofwould　be　forthcoming；　together　with　a　guarantee　that　the　general　public　should　never　know。　　In　no　case　was　such　an　offer　made　direct。　　Friends　or　neighbors；　or　suave　unidentified　strangers；　brought　mysterious　messages。　　By　this　method　some　eleven　aldermenquite　apart　from　the　ten　regular　Democrats　who；　because　of　McKenty　and　his　influence；　could　be　counted　uponhad　been　already　suborned。　　Although　Schryhart；　Hand；　and　Arneel　did　not　know　it；　their　plans　even　as　they　plannedwere　being　thus　undermined；　and；　try　as　they　would；　the　coveted　ordinance　for　a　blanket　franchise　persistently　eluded　them。　　They　had　to　content　themselves　for　the　time　being　with　a　franchise　for　a　single　'L'　road　line　on　the　South　Side　in　Schryhart's　own　territory；　and　with　a　franchise　to　the　General　Electric　covering　only　one　unimportant　line；　which　it　would　be　easy　for　Cowperwood；　if　he　continued　in　power；　to　take　over　at　some　later　time。




Chapter　XL



A　Trip　to　Louisville

The　most　serious　difficulty　confronting　Cowperwood　from　now　on　was　really　not　so　much　political　as　financial。　　In　building　up　and　financing　his　Chicago　street…railway　enterprises　he　had；　in　those　days　when　Addison　was　president　of　the　Lake　City　National；　used　that　bank　as　his　chief　source　of　supply。　　Afterward；　when　Addison　had　been　forced　to　retire　from　the　Lake　City　to　assume　charge　of　the　Chicago　Trust　Company；　Cowperwood　had　succeeded　in　having　the　latter　designated　as　a　central　reserve　and　in　inducing　a　number　of　rural　banks　to　keep　their　special　deposits　in　its　vaults。　　However；　since　the　war　on　him　and　his　interests　had　begun　to　strengthen　through　the　efforts　of　Hand　and　Arneelmen　most　influential　in　the　control　of　the　other　central…reserve　banks　of　Chicago；　and　in　close　touch　with　the　money　barons　of　New　York　there　were　signs　not　wanting　that　some　of　the　country　banks　depositing　with　the　Chicago　Trust　Company　had　been　induced　to　withdraw　because　of　pressure　from　outside　inimical　forces；　and　that　more　were　to　follow。　　It　was　some　time　before　Cowperwood　fully　realized　to　what　an　extent　this　financial　opposition　might　be　directed　against　himself。　　In　its　very　beginning　it　necessitated　speedy　hurryings　to　New　York；　Philadelphia；　Cincinnati；　Baltimore；　Bostoneven　London　at　timeson　the　chance　that　there　would　be　loose　and　ready　cash　in　someone's　possession。　　It　was　on　one　of　these　peregrinations　that　he　encountered　a　curious　personality　which　led　to　various　complications　in　his　life；　sentimental　and　otherwise；　which　he　had　not　hitherto　contemplated。

In　various　sections　of　the　country　Cowperwood　had　met　many　men　of　wealth；　some　grave；　some　gay；　with　whom　he　did　business；　and　among　these　in　Louisville；　Kentucky；　he　encountered　a　certain　Col。　Nathaniel　Gillis；　very　wealthy；　a　horseman；　inventor；　roue；　from　whom　he　occasionally　extracted　loans。　　The　Colonel　was　an　interesting　figure　in　Kentucky　society；　and；　taking　a　great　liking　to　Cowperwood；　he　found　pleasure；　during　the　brief　periods　in　which　they　were　together；　in　piloting　him　about。　　On　one　occasion　in　Louisville　he　observed：　〃To…night；　Frank；　with　your　permission；　I　am　going　to　introduce　you　to　one　of　the　most　interesting　women　I　know。　　She　isn't　good；　but　she's　entertaining。　　She　has　had　a　troubled　history。　She　is　the　ex…wife　of　two　of　my　best　friends；　both　dead；　and　the　ex…mistress　of　another。　　I　like　her　because　I　knew　her　father　and　mother；　and　because　she　was　a　clever　little　girl　and　still　is　a　nice　woman；　even　if　she　is　getting　along。　　She　keeps　a　sort　of　house　of　convenience　here　in　Louisville　for　a　few　of　her　old　friends。　You　haven't　anything　particular　to　do　to…night；　have　you？　Suppose　we　go　around　there？〃

Cowperwood；　who　was　always　genially　sportive　when　among　strong　mena　sort　of　bounding　collieand　who　liked　to　humor　those　who　could　be　of　use　to　him；　agreed。

〃It　sounds　interesting　to　me。　　Certainly　I'll　go。　　Tell　me　more　about　her。　　Is　she　good…looking？〃

〃Rather。　　But　better　yet；　she　is　connected　with　a　number　of　women　who　are。〃　The　Colonel；　who　had　a　small；　gray　goatee　and　sportive　dark　eyes；　winked　the　latter　solemnly。

Cowperwood　arose。

〃Take　me　there；〃　he　said。

It　was　a　rainy　night。　　The　business　on　which　he　was　seeing　the　Colonel　required　another　day　to　complete。　　There　was　little　or　nothing　to　do。　　On　the　way　the　Colonel　retailed　more　of　the　life　history　of　Nannie　Hedden；　as　he　familiarly　called　her；　and　explained　that；　although　this　was　her　maiden　name；　she　had　subsequently　become　first　Mrs。　John　Alexander　Fleming；　then；　after　a　divorce；　Mrs。　Ira　George　Carter；　and　now；　alas！　was　known　among　the　exclusive　set　of　fast　livers；　to　which　he　belonged；　as　plain　Hattie　Starr；　the　keeper　of　a　more　or　less　secret　house　of　ill　repute。　　Cowperwood　did　not　take　so　much　interest　in　all　this　until　he　saw　her；　and　then　only　because　of　two　children　the　Colonel　told　him　about；　one　a　girl　by　her　first　marriage；　Berenice　Fleming；　who　was　away　in　a　New　York　boarding…school；　the　other　a　boy；　Rolfe　Carter；　who　was　in　a　military　school　for　boys　somewhere　in　the　West。

〃That　daughter　of　hers；〃　observed　the　Colonel；　〃is　a　chip　of　the　old　block；　unless　I　miss　my　guess。　　I　only　saw　her　two　or　three　times　a　few　years　ago　when　I　was　down　East　at　her　mother's　summer　home；　but　she　struck　me　as　having　great　charm　even　for　a　girl　of　ten。　　She's　a　lady　born；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　How　her　mother　is　to　keep　her　straight；　living　as　she　does；　is　more　than　I　know。　How　she　keeps　her　in　that　school　is　a　mystery。　　There's　apt　to　be　a　scandal　here　at　any　time。　　I'm　very　sure　the　girl　doesn't　know　anything　about　her　mother's　business。　　She　never　lets　her　come　out　here。〃

〃Berenice　Fleming；〃　Cowperwood　thought　to　himself。　　〃What　a　pleasing　name；　and　what　a　peculiar　handicap　in　life。〃

〃How　old　is　the　daughter　now？〃　he　inquired。

〃Oh；　she　must　be　about　fifteennot　more　than　that。〃

When　they　reached　the　house；　which　was　located　in　a　rather　somber；　treeless　street；　Cowperwood　was　surprised　to　find　the　interior　spacious　and　tastefully　furnished。　　Presently　Mrs。　Carter；　as　she　was　generally　known　in　society；　or　Hattie　Starr；　as　she　was　known　to　a　less　satisfying　world；　appeared。　　Cowperwood　realized　at　once　that　he　was　in　the　presence　of　a　woman　who；　whatever　her　present　occupation；　was　not　without　marked　evidences　of　refinement。　　She　was　exceedingly　intelligent；　if　not　highly　intellectual；　trig；　vivacious；　anything　but　commonplace。　　A　certain　spirited　undulation　in　her　walk；　a　seeming　gay；　frank　indifference　to　her　position　in　life；　an　obvious　accustomedness　to　polite　surroundings　took　his　fancy。　　Her　hair　was　built　up　in　a　loose　Frenchy　way；　after　the　fashion　of　the　empire；　and　her　cheeks　were　slightly　mottled　with　red　veins。　　Her　color　was　too　high；　and　yet　it　was　not　utterly　unbecoming。　　She　had　friendly　gray…blue　eyes；　which　went　well　with　her　light…brown　hair；　along　with　a　pink　flowered　house…gown；　which　became　her　fulling　figure；　she　wore　pearls。

〃The　widow　of　two　husbands；〃　thought　Cowperwood；　〃the　mother　of　two　children！〃　With　the　Colonel's　easy　introduction　began　a　light　conversation。　　Mrs。　Carter　gracefully　persisted　that　she　had　known　of　Cowperwood　for　some　time。　　His　strenuous　street…railway　operations　were　more　or　less　familiar　to　her。

〃It　would　be　nice；〃　she　suggested；　〃since　Mr。　Cowperwood　is　here；　if　we　invited　Grace　Deming　to　call。〃

The　latter　was　a　favorite　of　the　Colonel's。

〃I　would　be　very　glad　if　I　could　talk　to　Mrs。　Carter；〃　gallantly　volunteered　Cowperwoodhe　scarcely　knew　why。　　He　was　curious　to　learn　more　of　her　history。　　On　subsequent　occasions；　and　in　more　extended　conversation　with　the　Colonel；　it　was　retailed　to　him　in　full。

Nannie　Hedden；　or　Mrs。　John　Alexander　Fleming；　or　Mrs。　Ira　George　Carter；　or　Hattie　Starr；　was　by　birth　a　descendant　of　a　long　line　of　Virginia　and　Kentucky　Heddens　and　Colters；　related　in　a　definite　or　vague　way　to