the financier-第120节

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It　was　with　this　thought　that　he　went　to　visit　Aileen；　and　to　plan　for　the　future。

It　was　only　three　months　later　that　a　train；　speeding　through　the　mountains　of　Pennsylvania　and　over　the　plains　of　Ohio　and　Indiana；　bore　to　Chicago　and　the　West　the　young　financial　aspirant　who；　in　spite　of　youth　and　wealth　and　a　notable　vigor　of　body；　was　a　solemn；　conservative　speculator　as　to　what　his　future　might　be。　　The　West；　as　he　had　carefully　calculated　before　leaving；　held　much。　　He　had　studied　the　receipts　of　the　New　York　Clearing　House　recently　and　the　disposition　of　bank…balances　and　the　shipment　of　gold；　and　had　seen　that　vast　quantities　of　the　latter　metal　were　going　to　Chicago。　He　understood　finance　accurately。　　The　meaning　of　gold　shipments　was　clear。　　Where　money　was　going　trade　wasa　thriving；　developing　life。　　He　wished　to　see　clearly　for　himself　what　this　world　had　to　offer。

Two　years　later；　following　the　meteoric　appearance　of　a　young　speculator　in　Duluth；　and　after　Chicago　had　seen　the　tentative　opening　of　a　grain　and　commission　company　labeled　Frank　A。　Cowperwood　&　Co。；　which　ostensibly　dealt　in　the　great　wheat　crops　of　the　West；　a　quiet　divorce　was　granted　Mrs。　Frank　A。　Cowperwood　in　Philadelphia；　because　apparently　she　wished　it。　　Time　had　not　seemingly　dealt　badly　with　her。　　Her　financial　affairs；　once　so　bad；　were　now　apparently　all　straightened　out；　and　she　occupied　in　West　Philadelphia；　near　one　of　her　sisters；　a　new　and　interesting　home　which　was　fitted　with　all　the　comforts　of　an　excellent　middle…class　residence。　　She　was　now　quite　religious　once　more。　　The　two　children；　Frank　and　Lillian；　were　in　private　schools；　returning　evenings　to　their　mother。　〃Wash〃　Sims　was　once　more　the　negro　general　factotum。　　Frequent　visitors　on　Sundays　were　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Henry　Worthington　Cowperwood；　no　longer　distressed　financially；　but　subdued　and　wearied；　the　wind　completely　gone　from　their　once　much…favored　sails。　　Cowperwood；　senior；　had　sufficient　money　wherewith　to　sustain　himself；　and　that　without　slaving　as　a　petty　clerk；　but　his　social　joy　in　life　was　gone。　　He　was　old；　disappointed；　sad。　　He　could　feel　that　with　his　quondam　honor　and　financial　glory；　he　was　the　sameand　he　was　not。　　His　courage　and　his　dreams　were　gone；　and　he　awaited　death。

Here；　too；　came　Anna　Adelaide　Cowperwood　on　occasion；　a　clerk　in　the　city　water　office；　who　speculated　much　as　to　the　strange　vicissitudes　of　life。　　She　had　great　interest　in　her　brother；　who　seemed　destined　by　fate　to　play　a　conspicuous　part　in　the　world；　but　she　could　not　understand　him。　　Seeing　that　all　those　who　were　near　to　him　in　any　way　seemed　to　rise　or　fall　with　his　prosperity；　she　did　not　understand　how　justice　and　morals　were　arranged　in　this　world。　　There　seemed　to　be　certain　general　principlesor　people　assumed　there　werebut　apparently　there　were　exceptions。　Assuredly　her　brother　abided　by　no　known　rule；　and　yet　he　seemed　to　be　doing　fairly　well　once　more。　　What　did　this　mean？　Mrs。　Cowperwood；　his　former　wife；　condemned　his　actions；　and　yet　accepted　of　his　prosperity　as　her　due。　　What　were　the　ethics　of　that？

Cowperwood's　every　action　was　known　to　Aileen　Butler；　his　present　whereabouts　and　prospects。　　Not　long　after　his　wife's　divorce；　and　after　many　trips　to　and　from　this　new　world　in　which　he　was　now　living；　these　two　left　Philadelphia　together　one　afternoon　in　the　winter。　　Aileen　explained　to　her　mother；　who　was　willing　to　go　and　live　with　Norah；　that　she　had　fallen　in　love　with　the　former　banker　and　wished　to　marry　him。　　The　old　lady；　gathering　only　a　garbled　version　of　it　at　first；　consented。

Thus　ended　forever　for　Aileen　this　long…continued　relationship　with　this　older　world。　　Chicago　was　before　hera　much　more　distinguished　career；　Frank　told　her；　than　ever　they　could　have　had　in　Philadelphia。

〃Isn't　it　nice　to　be　finally　going？〃　she　commented。

〃It　is　advantageous；　anyhow；〃　he　said。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Concerning　Mycteroperca　Bonaci

There　is　a　certain　fish；　the　scientific　name　of　which　is　Mycteroperca　Bonaci；　its　common　name　Black　Grouper；　which　is　of　considerable　value　as　an　afterthought　in　this　connection；　and　which　deserves　to　be　better　known。　　It　is　a　healthy　creature；　growing　quite　regularly　to　a　weight　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　and　lives　a　comfortable；　lengthy　existence　because　of　its　very　remarkable　ability　to　adapt　itself　to　conditions。　　That　very　subtle　thing　which　we　call　the　creative　power；　and　which　we　endow　with　the　spirit　of　the　beatitudes；　is　supposed　to　build　this　mortal　life　in　such　fashion　that　only　honesty　and　virtue　shall　prevail。　Witness；　then；　the　significant　manner　in　which　it　has　fashioned　the　black　grouper。　　One　might　go　far　afield　and　gather　less　forceful　indictmentsthe　horrific　spider　spinning　his　trap　for　the　unthinking　fly；　the　lovely　Drosera　（Sundew）　using　its　crimson　calyx　for　a　smothering…pit　in　which　to　seal　and　devour　the　victim　of　its　beauty；　the　rainbow…colored　jellyfish　that　spreads　its　prismed　tentacles　like　streamers　of　great　beauty；　only　to　sting　and　torture　all　that　falls　within　their　radiant　folds。　　Man　himself　is　busy　digging　the　pit　and　fashioning　the　snare；　but　he　will　not　believe　it。　　His　feet　are　in　the　trap　of　circumstance；　his　eyes　are　on　an　illusion。

Mycteroperca　moving　in　its　dark　world　of　green　waters　is　as　fine　an　illustration　of　the　constructive　genius　of　nature；　which　is　not　beatific；　as　any　which　the　mind　of　man　may　discover。　　Its　great　superiority　lies　in　an　almost　unbelievable　power　of　simulation；　which　relates　solely　to　the　pigmentation　of　its　skin。　　In　electrical　mechanics　we　pride　ourselves　on　our　ability　to　make　over　one　brilliant　scene　into　another　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　and　flash　before　the　gaze　of　an　onlooker　picture　after　picture；　which　appear　and　disappear　as　we　look。　　The　directive　control　of　Mycteroperca　over　its　appearance　is　much　more　significant。　　You　cannot　look　at　it　long　without　feeling　that　you　are　witnessing　something　spectral　and　unnatural；　so　brilliant　is　its　power　to　deceive。　　From　being　black　it　can　become　instantly　white；　from　being　an　earth…colored　brown　it　can　fade　into　a　delightful　water…colored　green。　　Its　markings　change　as　the　clouds　of　the　sky。　　One　marvels　at　the　variety　and　subtlety　of　its　power。

Lying　at　the　bottom　of　a　bay；　it　can　simulate　the　mud　by　which　it　is　surrounded。　　Hidden　in　the　folds　of　glorious　leaves；　it　is　of　the　same　markings。　　Lurking　in　a　flaw　of　light；　it　is　like　the　light　itself　shining　dimly　in　water。　　Its　power　to　elude　or　strike　unseen　is　of　the　greatest。

What　would　you　say　was　the　intention　of　the　overruling；　intelligent；　constructive　force　which　gives　to　Mycteroperca　this　ability？　To　fit　it　to　be　truthful？　To　permit　it　to　present　an　unvarying　appearance　which　all　honest　life…seeking　fish　may　know？　Or　would　you　say　that　subtlety；　chicanery；　trickery；　were　here　at　work？　An　implement　of　illusion　one　might　readily　suspect　it　to　be；　a　living　lie；　a　creature　whose　business　it　is　to　appear　what　it　is　not；　to　simulate　that　with　which　it　has　nothing　in　common；　to　get　its　living　by　great　subtlety；　the　power　of　its　enemies　to　forefend　against　which　is　little。　　The　indictment　is　fair。

Would　you　say；　in　the　face　of　this；　that　a　beatific；　beneficent　creative；　overruling　power　never　wills　that　which　is　either　tricky　or　deceptive？　Or　would　you　say　that　this　material　seeming　in　which　we　dwell　is　itself　an　illusion？　If　not；　whence　then　the　Ten　Commandments　and　the　illusion　of　justice？　Why　were　the　Beatitudes　dreamed　of　and　how　do　they　avail？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Magic　Crystal

If　you　had　been　a　mystic　or　a　soothsayer　or　a　member　of　that　mysterious　world　which　divines　by　incantations；　dreams；　the　mystic　bowl；　or　the　crystal　sphere；　you　might　have　looked　into　their　mysterious　depths　at　this　time　and　foreseen　a　world　of　happenings　which　concerned　these　two；　who　were　now　apparently　so　fortunately　placed。　　In　the　fumes　of　the　witches'　pot；　or　the　depths　of　the　radiant　crystal；　might　have　been　revealed　cities；　cities；　cities；　a　world　of　mansions；　carriages；　jewels；　beauty；　a　vast　metropolis　outraged　by　the　power　of　one　man；　a　great　state　seething　with　indignation　over　a　force　it　could　not　control；　vast　halls　of　priceless　pictures；　a　palace　unrivaled　for　its　magnificence；　a　whole　world　reading　with　wonder；　at　times；　of　a　given　name。　　And　sorrow；　sorrow；　sorrow。

The　three　witches　that　hailed　Macbeth　upon　the　blasted　heath　might　in　turn　have　called　to　Cowperwood；　〃Hail　to　you；　Frank　Cowperwood；　master　of　a　great　railway　system！　Hail　to　you；　Frank　Cowperwood；　builder　of　a　priceless　mansion！　Hail　to　you；　Frank　Cowperwood；　patron　of　arts　and　possessor　of　endless　riches！　You　shall　be　famed　hereafter。〃　　But　like　the　Weird　Sisters；　they　would　have　lied；　for　in　the　glory　was　also　the　ashes　of　Dead　Sea　fruitan　understanding　that　could　neither　be　inflamed　by　desire　nor　satisfied　by　luxury；　a　heart　that　was　long　since　wearied　by　experience；　a　soul　that　was　as　bereft　of　illusion　as　a　windless　moon。　　And　to　Aileen；　as　to　Macduff；　they　might　have　spoken　a　more　pathetic　promise；　one　that　concerned　hope　and　failure。　　To　have　and　not　to　have！　All　the　seeming；　and　yet　the　sorrow　of　not　having！　Brilliant　society　that　shone　in　a　mirage；　yet　locked