Full Text Archive

Full Text Archive
https://www.fulltextarchive.com
overlook Aileen and Norah, because the Butlers, mother and father, were very proud of them.
Mrs. Cowperwood at this time was thirty-two years old; Cowperwood twenty-seven. The birth
and care of two children had made some difference in her looks. She was no longer as softly
pleasing, more angular. Her face was hollow-cheeked, like so many of Rossetti's and Burne-
Jones's women. Her health was really not as good as it had been--the care of two children and
a late undiagnosed tendency toward gastritis having reduced her. In short she was a little run
down nervously and suffered from fits of depression. Cowperwood had noticed this. He tried to
be gentle and considerate, but he was too much of a utilitarian and practical-minded observer
not to realize that he was likely to have a sickly wife on his hands later. Sympathy and affection
were great things, but desire and charm must endure or one was compelled to be sadly
conscious of their loss. So often now he saw young girls who were quite in his mood, and who
were exceedingly robust and joyous. It was fine, advisable, practical, to adhere to the virtues as
laid down in the current social lexicon, but if you had a sickly wife-- And anyhow, was a man
entitled to only one wife? Must he never look at another woman? Supposing he found some
one? He pondered those things between hours of labor, and concluded that it did not make so
much difference. If a man could, and not be exposed, it was all right. He had to be careful,
though. Tonight, as he sat on the side of his wife's bed, he was thinking somewhat of this, for he
had seen Aileen Butler again, playing and singing at her piano as he passed the parlor door.
She was like a bright bird radiating health and enthusiasm--a reminder of youth in general.
"It's a strange world," he thought; but his thoughts were his own, and he didn't propose to tell
any one about them.
The bond issue, when it came, was a curious compromise; for, although it netted him his twenty
thousand dollars and more and served to introduce him to the financial notice of Philadelphia
and the State of Pennsylvania, it did not permit him to manipulate the subscriptions as he had
planned. The State treasurer was seen by him at the office of a local lawyer of great repute,
where he worked when in the city. He was gracious to Cowperwood, because he had to be. He
explained to him just how things were regulated at Harrisburg. The big financiers were looked to
for campaign funds. They were represented by henchmen in the State assembly and senate.
The governor and the treasurer were foot-free; but there were other influences--prestige,
friendship, social power, political ambitions, etc. The big men might constitute a close
corporation, which in itself was unfair; but, after all, they were the legitimate sponsors for big
money loans of this kind. The State had to keep on good terms with them, especially in times
like these. Seeing that Mr. Cowperwood was so well able to dispose of the million he expected
to get, it would be perfectly all right to award it to him; but Van Nostrand had a counter-
proposition to make. Would Cowperwood, if the financial crowd now handling the matter so
desired, turn over his award to them for a consideration--a sum equal to what he expected to
make--in the event the award was made to him? Certain financiers desired this. It was
dangerous to oppose them. They were perfectly willing he should put in a bid for five million and
get the prestige of that; to have him awarded one million and get the prestige of that was well
enough also, but they desired to handle the twenty-three million dollars in an unbroken lot. It
looked better. He need not be advertised as having withdrawn. They would be content to have
him achieve the glory of having done what he started out to do. Just the same the example was
bad. Others might wish to imitate him. If it were known in the street privately that he had been
coerced, for a consideration, into giving up, others would be deterred from imitating him in the
future. Besides, if he refused, they could cause him trouble. His loans might be called. Various
banks might not be so friendly in the future. His constituents might be warned against him in
51 / 312

---