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Aileen, deeply moved by all he had just said, was none the less convinced once she had
meditated on it a moment, that her course was best. Her father loved her too much. He would
not do anything to hurt her publicly and so he would not attack Cowperwood through her openly.
More than likely, as she now explained to Frank, he would plead with her to come back. And he,
listening, was compelled to yield. Why argue? She would not leave him anyhow.
He went down in his pocket for the first time since he had known Aileen and produced a layer of
bills. "Here's two hundred dollars, sweet," he said, "until I see or hear from you. I'll see that you
have whatever you need; and now don't think that I don't love you. You know I do. I'm crazy
about you."
Aileen protested that she did not need so much--that she did not really need any--she had some
at home; but he put that aside. He knew that she must have money.
"Don't talk, honey," he said. "I know what you need." She had been so used to receiving money
from her father and mother in comfortable amounts from time to time that she thought nothing of
it. Frank loved her so much that it made everything right between them. She softened in her
mood and they discussed the matter of letters, reaching the conclusion that a private
messenger would be safest. When finally they parted, Aileen, from being sunk in the depths by
his uncertain attitude, was now once more on the heights. She decided that he did love her, and
went away smiling. She had her Frank to fall back on--she would teach her father. Cowperwood
shook his head, following her with his eyes. She represented an additional burden, but give her
up, he certainly could not. Tear the veil from this illusion of affection and make her feel so
wretched when he cared for her so much? No. There was really nothing for him to do but what
he had done. After all, he reflected, it might not work out so badly. Any detective work that
Butler might choose to do would prove that she had not run to him. If at any moment it became
necessary to bring common sense into play to save the situation from a deadly climax, he could
have the Butlers secretly informed as to Aileen's whereabouts. That would show he had little to
do with it, and they could try to persuade Aileen to come home again. Good might result--one
could not tell. He would deal with the evils as they arose. He drove quickly back to his office,
and Aileen returned to her home determined to put her plan into action. Her father had given her
some little time in which to decide--possibly he would give her longer--but she would not wait.
Having always had her wish granted in everything, she could not understand why she was not
to have her way this time. It was about five o'clock now. She would wait until all the members of
the family were comfortably seated at the dinner-table, which would be about seven o'clock, and
then slip out.
On arriving home, however, she was greeted by an unexpected reason for suspending action.
This was the presence of a certain Mr. and Mrs. Steinmetz--the former a well-known engineer
who drew the plans for many of the works which Butler undertook. It was the day before
Thanksgiving, and they were eager to have Aileen and Norah accompany them for a fortnight's
stay at their new home in West Chester--a structure concerning the charm of which Aileen had
heard much. They were exceedingly agreeable people-- comparatively young and surrounded
by a coterie of interesting friends. Aileen decided to delay her flight and go. Her father was most
cordial. The presence and invitation of the Steinmetzes was as much a relief to him as it was to
Aileen. West Chester being forty miles from Philadelphia, it was unlikely that Aileen would
attempt to meet Cowperwood while there.
She wrote Cowperwood of the changed condition and departed, and he breathed a sigh of
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