the financier-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


angings；　table　ornaments；　and　pictures　inclined　to　gorgeousness；　which　did　not　go　well　with　the　rest　of　the　house。

Aileen　always　reminded　Cowperwood　of　a　high…stepping　horse　without　a　check…rein。　　He　met　her　at　various　times；　shopping　with　her　mother；　out　driving　with　her　father；　and　he　was　always　interested　and　amused　at　the　affected；　bored　tone　she　assumed　before　himthe　〃Oh；　dear！　Oh；　dear！　Life　is　so　tiresome；　don't　you　know；〃　when；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　every　moment　of　it　was　of　thrilling　interest　to　her。　　Cowperwood　took　her　mental　measurement　exactly。　　A　girl　with　a　high　sense　of　life　in　her；　romantic；　full　of　the　thought　of　love　and　its　possibilities。　　As　he　looked　at　her　he　had　the　sense　of　seeing　the　best　that　nature　can　do　when　she　attempts　to　produce　physical　perfection。　　The　thought　came　to　him　that　some　lucky　young　dog　would　marry　her　pretty　soon　and　carry　her　away；　but　whoever　secured　her　would　have　to　hold　her　by　affection　and　subtle　flattery　and　attention　if　he　held　her　at　all。

〃The　little　snip〃she　was　not　at　all〃she　thinks　the　sun　rises　and　sets　in　her　father's　pocket；〃　Lillian　observed　one　day　to　her　husband。　　〃To　hear　her　talk；　you'd　think　they　were　descended　from　Irish　kings。　　Her　pretended　interest　in　art　and　music　amuses　me。〃

〃Oh；　don't　be　too　hard　on　her；〃　coaxed　Cowperwood　diplomatically。　He　already　liked　Aileen　very　much。　　〃She　plays　very　well；　and　she　has　a　good　voice。〃

〃Yes；　I　know；　but　she　has　no　real　refinement。　　How　could　she　have？　Look　at　her　father　and　mother。〃

〃I　don't　see　anything　so　very　much　the　matter　with　her；〃　insisted　Cowperwood。　　〃She's　bright　and　good…looking。　　Of　course；　she's　only　a　girl；　and　a　little　vain；　but　she'll　come　out　of　that。　　She　isn't　without　sense　and　force；　at　that。〃

Aileen；　as　he　knew；　was　most　friendly　to　him。　　She　liked　him。　　She　made　a　point　of　playing　the　piano　and　singing　for　him　in　his　home；　and　she　sang　only　when　he　was　there。　　There　was　something　about　his　steady；　even　gait；　his　stocky　body　and　handsome　head；　which　attracted　her。　　In　spite　of　her　vanity　and　egotism；　she　felt　a　little　overawed　before　him　at　timeskeyed　up。　　She　seemed　to　grow　gayer　and　more　brilliant　in　his　presence。

The　most　futile　thing　in　this　world　is　any　attempt；　perhaps；　at　exact　definition　of　character。　　All　individuals　are　a　bundle　of　contradictionsnone　more　so　than　the　most　capable。

In　the　case　of　Aileen　Butler　it　would　be　quite　impossible　to　give　an　exact　definition。　　Intelligence；　of　a　raw；　crude　order　she　had　certainlyalso　a　native　force；　tamed　somewhat　by　the　doctrines　and　conventions　of　current　society；　still　showed　clear　at　times　in　an　elemental　and　not　entirely　unattractive　way。　　At　this　time　she　was　only　eighteen　years　of　agedecidedly　attractive　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　man　of　Frank　Cowperwood's　temperament。　　She　supplied　something　he　had　not　previously　known　or　consciously　craved。　　Vitality　and　vivacity。　　No　other　woman　or　girl　whom　he　had　ever　known　had　possessed　so　much　innate　force　as　she。　　Her　red…gold　hairnot　so　red　as　decidedly　golden　with　a　suggestion　of　red　in　itlooped　itself　in　heavy　folds　about　her　forehead　and　sagged　at　the　base　of　her　neck。　　She　had　a　beautiful　nose；　not　sensitive；　but　straight…cut　with　small　nostril　openings；　and　eyes　that　were　big　and　yet　noticeably　sensuous。　　They　were；　to　him；　a　pleasing　shade　of　blue…gray…blue；　and　her　toilet；　due　to　her　temperament；　of　course；　suggested　almost　undue　luxury；　the　bangles；　anklets；　ear…rings；　and　breast…plates　of　the　odalisque；　and　yet；　of　course；　they　were　not　there。　　She　confessed　to　him　years　afterward　that　she　would　have　loved　to　have　stained　her　nails　and　painted　the　palms　of　her　hands　with　madder…red。　　Healthy　and　vigorous；　she　was　chronically　interested　in　menwhat　they　would　think　of　herand　how　she　compared　with　other　women。

The　fact　that　she　could　ride　in　a　carriage；　live　in　a　fine　home　on　Girard　Avenue；　visit　such　homes　as　those　of　the　Cowperwoods　and　others；　was　of　great　weight；　and　yet；　even　at　this　age；　she　realized　that　life　was　more　than　these　things。　　Many　did　not　have　them　and　lived。

But　these　facts　of　wealth　and　advantage　gripped　her；　and　when　she　sat　at　the　piano　and　played　or　rode　in　her　carriage　or　walked　or　stood　before　her　mirror；　she　was　conscious　of　her　figure；　her　charms；　what　they　meant　to　men；　how　women　envied　her。　　Sometimes　she　looked　at　poor；　hollow…chested　or　homely…faced　girls　and　felt　sorry　for　them；　at　other　times　she　flared　into　inexplicable　opposition　to　some　handsome　girl　or　woman　who　dared　to　brazen　her　socially　or　physically。　　There　were　such　girls　of　the　better　families　who；　in　Chestnut　Street；　in　the　expensive　shops；　or　on　the　drive；　on　horseback　or　in　carriages；　tossed　their　heads　and　indicated　as　well　as　human　motions　can　that　they　were　better…bred　and　knew　it。　　When　this　happened　each　stared　defiantly　at　the　other。　　She　wanted　ever　so　much　to　get　up　in　the　world；　and　yet　namby…pamby　men　of　better　social　station　than　herself　did　not　attract　her　at　all。　　She　wanted　a　man。　　Now　and　then　there　was　one　〃something　like；〃　but　not　entirely；　who　appealed　to　her；　but　most　of　them　were　politicians　or　legislators；　acquaintances　of　her　father；　and　socially　nothing　at　alland　so　they　wearied　and　disappointed　her。　　Her　father　did　not　know　the　truly　elite。　　But　Mr。　Cowperwoodhe　seemed　so　refined；　so　forceful；　and　so　reserved。　She　often　looked　at　Mrs。　Cowperwood　and　thought　how　fortunate　she　was。





Chapter　XIV




The　development　of　Cowperwood　as　Cowperwood　&　Co。　following　his　arresting　bond　venture；　finally　brought　him　into　relationship　with　one　man　who　was　to　play　an　important　part　in　his　life；　morally；　financially；　and　in　other　ways。　　This　was　George　W。　Stener；　the　new　city　treasurer…elect；　who；　to　begin　with；　was　a　puppet　in　the　hands　of　other　men；　but　who；　also　in　spite　of　this　fact；　became　a　personage　of　considerable　importance；　for　the　simple　reason　that　he　was　weak。　　Stener　had　been　engaged　in　the　real　estate　and　insurance　business　in　a　small　way　before　he　was　made　city　treasurer。　He　was　one　of　those　men；　of　whom　there　are　so　many　thousands　in　every　large　community；　with　no　breadth　of　vision；　no　real　subtlety；　no　craft；　no　great　skill　in　anything。　　You　would　never　hear　a　new　idea　emanating　from　Stener。　　He　never　had　one　in　his　life。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　was　not　a　bad　fellow。　　He　had　a　stodgy；　dusty；　commonplace　look　to　him　which　was　more　a　matter　of　mind　than　of　body。　　His　eye　was　of　vague　gray…blue；　his　hair　a　dusty　light…brown　and　thin。　　His　mouththere　was　nothing　impressive　there。　　He　was　quite　tall；　nearly　six　feet；　with　moderately　broad　shoulders；　but　his　figure　was　anything　but　shapely。　　He　seemed　to　stoop　a　little；　his　stomach　was　the　least　bit　protuberant；　and　he　talked　commonplaces　the　small　change　of　newspaper　and　street　and　business　gossip。　People　liked　him　in　his　own　neighborhood。　　He　was　thought　to　be　honest　and　kindly；　and　he　was；　as　far　as　he　knew。　　His　wife　and　four　children　were　as　average　and　insignificant　as　the　wives　and　children　of　such　men　usually　are。

Just　the　same；　and　in　spite　of；　or　perhaps；　politically　speaking；　because　of　all　this；　George　W。　Stener　was　brought　into　temporary　public　notice　by　certain　political　methods　which　had　existed　in　Philadelphia　practically　unmodified　for　the　previous　half　hundred　years。　　First；　because　he　was　of　the　same　political　faith　as　the　dominant　local　political　party；　he　had　become　known　to　the　local　councilman　and　ward…leader　of　his　ward　as　a　faithful　soulone　useful　in　the　matter　of　drumming　up　votes。　　And　nextalthough　absolutely　without　value　as　a　speaker；　for　he　had　no　ideasyou　could　send　him　from　door　to　door；　asking　the　grocer　and　the　blacksmith　and　the　butcher　how　he　felt　about　things　and　he　would　make　friends；　and　in　the　long　run　predict　fairly　accurately　the　probable　vote。　　Furthermore；　you　could　dole　him　out　a　few　platitudes　and　he　would　repeat　them。　　The　Republican　party；　which　was　the　new…born　party　then；　but　dominant　in　Philadelphia；　needed　your　vote；　it　was　necessary　to　keep　the　rascally　Democrats　outhe　could　scarcely　have　said　why。　　They　had　been　for　slavery。　　They　were　for　free　trade。　　It　never　once　occurred　to　him　that　these　things　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　local　executive　and　financial　administration　of　Philadelphia。　　Supposing　they　didn't？　What　of　it？

In　Philadelphia　at　this　time　a　certain　United　States　Senator；　one　Mark　Simpson；　together　with　Edward　Malia　Butler　and　Henry　A。　Mollenhauer；　a　rich　coal　dealer　and　investor；　were　supposed　to；　and　did；　control　jointly　the　political　destiny　of　the　city。　　They　had　representatives；　benchmen；　spies；　toolsa　great　company。　　Among　them　was　this　same　Stenera　minute　cog　in　the　silent　machinery　of　their　affairs。

In　scarcely　any　other　city　save　this；　where　the　inhabitants　were　of　a　deadly　average　in　so　far　as　being　commonplace　was　concerned；　could　such　a　man　as　Stener　have　been　elected　city　treasurer。　　The　rank　and　file　did　not；　except　in　rare　instances；　make　up　their　political　program。　　An　inside　ring　had　this　matter　in　charge。　Certain　positions　were　allotted　to　such　and　such　men　or　to　such　and　such　factions　of　the　party　for　such　and　such　services　rendered　but　who　does　not　know　politics？

In　due　course　of　time；　therefore；　G