the financier-第14节

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The　home　atmosphere　which　they　established　when　they　returned　from　their　honeymoon　was　a　great　improvement　in　taste　over　that　which　had　characterized　the　earlier　life　of　Mrs。　Cowperwood　as　Mrs。　Semple。　　They　had　decided　to　occupy　her　house；　on　North　Front　Street；　for　a　while　at　least。　　Cowperwood；　aggressive　in　his　current　artistic　mood；　had　objected　at　once　after　they　were　engaged　to　the　spirit　of　the　furniture　and　decorations；　or　lack　of　them；　and　had　suggested　that　he　be　allowed　to　have　it　brought　more　in　keeping　with　his　idea　of　what　was　appropriate。　　During　the　years　in　which　he　had　been　growing　into　manhood　he　had　come　instinctively　into　sound　notions　of　what　was　artistic　and　refined。　　He　had　seen　so　many　homes　that　were　more　distinguished　and　harmonious　than　his　own。　　One　could　not　walk　or　drive　about　Philadelphia　without　seeing　and　being　impressed　with　the　general　tendency　toward　a　more　cultivated　and　selective　social　life。　　Many　excellent　and　expensive　houses　were　being　erected。　　The　front　lawn；　with　some　attempt　at　floral　gardening；　was　achieving　local　popularity。　　In　the　homes　of　the　Tighes；　the　Leighs；　Arthur　Rivers；　and　others；　he　had　noticed　art　objects　of　some　distinctionbronzes；　marbles；　hangings；　pictures；　clocks；　rugs。

It　seemed　to　him　now　that　his　comparatively　commonplace　house　could　be　made　into　something　charming　and　for　comparatively　little　money。　The　dining…room　for　instance　which；　through　two　plain　windows　set　in　a　hat　side　wall　back　of　the　veranda；　looked　south　over　a　stretch　of　grass　and　several　trees　and　bushes　to　a　dividing　fence　where　the　Semple　property　ended　and　a　neighbor's　began；　could　be　made　so　much　more　attractive。　　That　fencesharp…pointed；　gray　palings　could　be　torn　away　and　a　hedge　put　in　its　place。　　The　wall　which　divided　the　dining…room　from　the　parlor　could　be　knocked　through　and　a　hanging　of　some　pleasing　character　put　in　its　place。　　A　bay…window　could　be　built　to　replace　the　two　present　oblong　windowsa　bay　which　would　come　down　to　the　floor　and　open　out　on　the　lawn　via　swiveled；　diamond…shaped；　lead…paned　frames。　　All　this　shabby；　nondescript　furniture；　collected　from　heaven　knows　where　partly　inherited　from　the　Semples　and　the　Wiggins　and　partly　boughtcould　be　thrown　out　or　sold　and　something　better　and　more　harmonious　introduced。　　He　knew　a　young　man　by　the　name　of　Ellsworth；　an　architect　newly　graduated　from　a　local　school；　with　whom　he　had　struck　up　an　interesting　friendshipone　of　those　inexplicable　inclinations　of　temperament。　　Wilton　Ellsworth　was　an　artist　in　spirit；　quiet；　meditative；　refined。　　From　discussing　the　quality　of　a　certain　building　on　Chestnut　Street　which　was　then　being　erected；　and　which　Ellsworth　pronounced　atrocious；　they　had　fallen　to　discussing　art　in　general；　or　the　lack　of　it；　in　America。　　And　it　occurred　to　him　that　Ellsworth　was　the　man　to　carry　out　his　decorative　views　to　a　nicety。　　When　he　suggested　the　young　man　to　Lillian；　she　placidly　agreed　with　him　and　also　with　his　own　ideas　of　how　the　house　could　be　revised。

So　while　they　were　gone　on　their　honeymoon　Ellsworth　began　the　revision　on　an　estimated　cost　of　three　thousand　dollars；　including　the　furniture。　　It　was　not　completed　for　nearly　three　weeks　after　their　return；　but　when　finished　made　a　comparatively　new　house。　The　dining…room　bay　hung　low　over　the　grass；　as　Frank　wished；　and　the　windows　were　diamond…paned　and　leaded；　swiveled　on　brass　rods。　The　parlor　and　dining…room　were　separated　by　sliding　doors；　but　the　intention　was　to　hang　in　this　opening　a　silk　hanging　depicting　a　wedding　scene　in　Normandy。　　Old　English　oak　was　used　in　the　dining…room；　an　American　imitation　of　Chippendale　and　Sheraton　for　the　sitting…room　and　the　bedrooms。　　There　were　a　few　simple　water…colors　hung　here　and　there；　some　bronzes　of　Hosmer　and　Powers；　a　marble　venus　by　Potter；　a　now　forgotten　sculptor；　and　other　objects　of　artnothing　of　any　distinction。　　Pleasing；　appropriately　colored　rugs　covered　the　floor。　　Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　shocked　by　the　nudity　of　the　Venus　which　conveyed　an　atmosphere　of　European　freedom　not　common　to　America；　but　she　said　nothing。　It　was　all　harmonious　and　soothing；　and　she　did　not　feel　herself　capable　to　judge。　　Frank　knew　about　these　things　so　much　better　than　she　did。　Then　with　a　maid　and　a　man　of　all　work　installed；　a　program　of　entertaining　was　begun　on　a　small　scale。

Those　who　recall　the　early　years　of　their　married　life　can　best　realize　the　subtle　changes　which　this　new　condition　brought　to　Frank；　for；　like　all　who　accept　the　hymeneal　yoke；　he　was　influenced　to　a　certain　extent　by　the　things　with　which　he　surrounded　himself。　Primarily；　from　certain　traits　of　his　character；　one　would　have　imagined　him　called　to　be　a　citizen　of　eminent　respectability　and　worth。　　He　appeared　to　be　an　ideal　home　man。　　He　delighted　to　return　to　his　wife　in　the　evenings；　leaving　the　crowded　downtown　section　where　traffic　clamored　and　men　hurried。　　Here　he　could　feel　that　he　was　well…stationed　and　physically　happy　in　life。　　The　thought　of　the　dinner…table　with　candles　upon　it　（his　idea）；　the　thought　of　Lillian　in　a　trailing　gown　of　pale…blue　or　green　silkhe　liked　her　in　those　colors；　the　thought　of　a　large　fireplace　flaming　with　solid　lengths　of　cord…wood；　and　Lillian　snuggling　in　his　arms；　gripped　his　immature　imagination。　　As　has　been　said　before；　he　cared　nothing　for　books；　but　life；　pictures；　trees；　physical　contactthese；　in　spite　of　his　shrewd　and　already　gripping　financial　calculations；　held　him。　　To　live　richly；　joyously；　fullyhis　whole　nature　craved　that。

And　Mrs。　Cowperwood；　in　spite　of　the　difference　in　their　years；　appeared　to　be　a　fit　mate　for　him　at　this　time。　　She　was　once　awakened；　and　for　the　time　being；　clinging；　responsive；　dreamy。　His　mood　and　hers　was　for　a　baby；　and　in　a　little　while　that　happy　expectation　was　whispered　to　him　by　her。　　She　had　half　fancied　that　her　previous　barrenness　was　due　to　herself；　and　was　rather　surprised　and　delighted　at　the　proof　that　it　was　not　so。　It　opened　new　possibilitiesa　seemingly　glorious　future　of　which　she　was　not　afraid。　　He　liked　it；　the　idea　of　self…duplication。　It　was　almost　acquisitive；　this　thought。　　For　days　and　weeks　and　months　and　years；　at　least　the　first　four　or　five；　he　took　a　keen　satisfaction　in　coming　home　evenings；　strolling　about　the　yard；　driving　with　his　wife；　having　friends　in　to　dinner；　talking　over　with　her　in　an　explanatory　way　the　things　he　intended　to　do。　　She　did　not　understand　his　financial　abstrusities；　and　he　did　not　trouble　to　make　them　clear。

But　love；　her　pretty　body；　her　lips；　her　quiet　mannerthe　lure　of　all　these　combined；　and　his　two　children；　when　they　cametwo　in　four　yearsheld　him。　　He　would　dandle　Frank；　Jr。；　who　was　the　first　to　arrive；　on　his　knee；　looking　at　his　chubby　feet；　his　kindling　eyes；　his　almost　formless　yet　bud…like　mouth；　and　wonder　at　the　process　by　which　children　came　into　the　world。　　There　was　so　much　to　think　of　in　this　connectionthe　spermatozoic　beginning；　the　strange　period　of　gestation　in　women；　the　danger　of　disease　and　delivery。　　He　had　gone　through　a　real　period　of　strain　when　Frank；　Jr。；　was　born；　for　Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　frightened。　　He　feared　for　the　beauty　of　her　bodytroubled　over　the　danger　of　losing　her；　and　he　actually　endured　his　first　worry　when　he　stood　outside　the　door　the　day　the　child　came。　　Not　muchhe　was　too　self…sufficient；　too　resourceful；　and　yet　he　worried；　conjuring　up　thoughts　of　death　and　the　end　of　their　present　state。　　Then　word　came；　after　certain　piercing；　harrowing　cries；　that　all　was　well；　and　he　was　permitted　to　look　at　the　new　arrival。　　The　experience　broadened　his　conception　of　things；　made　him　more　solid　in　his　judgment　of　life。　　That　old　conviction　of　tragedy　underlying　the　surface　of　things；　like　wood　under　its　veneer；　was　emphasized。　Little　Frank；　and　later　Lillian；　blue…eyed　and　golden…haired；　touched　his　imagination　for　a　while。　　There　was　a　good　deal　to　this　home　idea；　after　all。　　That　was　the　way　life　was　organized；　and　properly　soits　cornerstone　was　the　home。

It　would　be　impossible　to　indicate　fully　how　subtle　were　the　material　changes　which　these　years　involvedchanges　so　gradual　that　they　were；　like　the　lap　of　soft　waters；　unnoticeable。　Considerablea　great　deal；　considering　how　little　he　had　to　begin　withwealth　was　added　in　the　next　five　years。　　He　came；　in　his　financial　world；　to　know　fairly　intimately；　as　commercial　relationships　go；　some　of　the　subtlest　characters　of　the　steadily　enlarging　financial　world。　　In　his　days　at　Tighe's　and　on　the　exchange；　many　curious　figures　had　been　pointed　out　to　himState　and　city　officials　of　one　grade　and　another　who　were　〃making　something　out　of　politics；〃　and　some　national　figures　who　came　from　Washington　to　Philadelphia　at　times　to　see　Drexel　&　Co。；　Clark　&　Co。；　and　even　Tighe　&　Co。　　These　men；　as　he　learned；　had　tips　or　advance　news　of　legislative　or　economic　changes　which　were　sure　to　affect　certain　stocks　or　trade　opportunities。　　A　young　clerk　had　once　pulled　his　sleeve　at　Tighe's。

〃See　that　man　going　in　to　see　Tighe？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃That's　Murtagh；　the　city　treasurer。　　Say；　he　don't　do　anything　but　play　a　fine　game。　　All　that　money　to　invest；　and　he　don't　have　to　account　for　anything　except　the　pri