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　to　get　on　the　wrong　side　of　Davison。　　I　expected　to　take　in　enough　by　now　to　take　them　up。　　They　ought　to　be　in　the　sinking…fund；　really。〃

The　old　gentleman　saw　the　point　at　once；　and　winced。

〃They　might　cause　you　trouble；　there；　Frank。〃

〃It's　a　technical　question；〃　replied　his　son。　　〃I　might　have　been　intending　to　take　them　up。　　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　will　if　I　can　before　three。　　I've　been　taking　eight　and　ten　days　to　deposit　them　in　the　past。　　In　a　storm　like　this　I'm　entitled　to　move　my　pawns　as　best　I　can。〃

Cowperwood；　the　father；　put　his　hand　over　his　mouth　again。　　He　felt　very　disturbed　about　this。　　He　saw　no　way　out；　however。　　He　was　at　the　end　of　his　own　resources。　　He　felt　the　side…whiskers　on　his　left　cheek。　　He　looked　out　of　the　window　into　the　little　green　court。　　Possibly　it　was　a　technical　question；　who　should　say。　　The　financial　relations　of　the　city　treasury　with　other　brokers　before　Frank　had　been　very　lax。　　Every　banker　knew　that。　　Perhaps　precedent　would　or　should　govern　in　this　case。　　He　could　not　say。　　Still；　it　was　dangerousnot　straight。　　If　Frank　could　get　them　out　and　deposit　them　it　would　be　so　much　better。

〃I'd　take　them　up　if　I　were　you　and　I　could；〃　he　added。

〃I　will　if　I　can。〃

〃How　much　money　have　you？〃

〃Oh；　twenty　thousand；　all　told。　　If　I　suspend；　though；　I'll　have　to　have　a　little　ready　cash。〃

〃I　have　eight　or　ten　thousand；　or　will　have　by　night；　I　hope。〃

He　was　thinking　of　some　one　who　would　give　him　a　second　mortgage　on　his　house。

Cowperwood　looked　quietly　at　him。　　There　was　nothing　more　to　be　said　to　his　father。　　〃I'm　going　to　make　one　more　appeal　to　Stener　after　you　leave　here；〃　be　said。　　〃I'm　going　over　there　with　Harper　Steger　when　he　comes。　　If　he　won't　change　I'll　send　out　notice　to　my　creditors；　and　notify　the　secretary　of　the　exchange。　　I　want　you　to　keep　a　stiff　upper　lip；　whatever　happens。　　I　know　you　will；　though。　　I'm　going　into　the　thing　head　down。　　If　Stener　had　any　sense〃　He　paused。　　〃But　what's　the　use　talking　about　a　damn　fool？〃

He　turned　to　the　window；　thinking　of　how　easy　it　would　have　been；　if　Aileen　and　he　had　not　been　exposed　by　this　anonymous　note；　to　have　arranged　all　with　Butler。　　Rather　than　injure　the　party；　Butler；　in　extremis；　would　have　assisted　him。　　Now。。。！

His　father　got　up　to　go。　　He　was　as　stiff　with　despair　as　though　he　were　suffering　from　cold。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　wearily。

Cowperwood　suffered　intensely　for　him。　　What　a　shame！　His　father！　He　felt　a　great　surge　of　sorrow　sweep　over　him　but　a　moment　later　mastered　it；　and　settled　to　his　quick；　defiant　thinking。　　As　the　old　man　went　out；　Harper　Steger　was　brought　in。　　They　shook　hands；　and　at　once　started　for　Stener's　office。　　But　Stener　had　sunk　in　on　himself　like　an　empty　gas…bag；　and　no　efforts　were　sufficient　to　inflate　him。　　They　went　out；　finally；　defeated。

〃I　tell　you；　Frank；〃　said　Steger；　〃I　wouldn't　worry。　　We　can　tie　this　thing　up　legally　until　election　and　after；　and　that　will　give　all　this　row　a　chance　to　die　down。　　Then　you　can　get　your　people　together　and　talk　sense　to　them。　　They're　not　going　to　give　up　good　properties　like　this；　even　if　Stener　does　go　to　jail。〃

Steger　did　not　know　of　the　sixty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　hypothecated　securities　as　yet。　　Neither　did　he　know　of　Aileen　Butler　and　her　father's　boundless　rage。





Chapter　XXX




There　was　one　development　in　connection　with　all　of　this　of　which　Cowperwood　was　as　yet　unaware。　　The　same　day　that　brought　Edward　Butler　the　anonymous　communication　in　regard　to　his　daughter；　brought　almost　a　duplicate　of　it　to　Mrs。　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood；　only　in　this　case　the　name　of　Aileen　Butler　had　curiously　been　omitted。

　　Perhaps　you　don't　know　that　your　husband　is　running　with　　　another　woman。　　If　you　don't　believe　it；　watch　the　house　at　　　931　North　Tenth　Street。

Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　in　the　conservatory　watering　some　plants　when　this　letter　was　brought　by　her　maid　Monday　morning。　　She　was　most　placid　in　her　thoughts；　for　she　did　not　know　what　all　the　conferring　of　the　night　before　meant。　　Frank　was　occasionally　troubled　by　financial　storms；　but　they　did　not　see　to　harm　him。

〃Lay　it　on　the　table　in　the　library；　Annie。　　I'll　get　it。〃

She　thought　it　was　some　social　note。

In　a　little　while　（such　was　her　deliberate　way）；　she　put　down　her　sprinkling…pot　and　went　into　the　library。　　There　it　was　lying　on　the　green　leather　sheepskin　which　constituted　a　part　of　the　ornamentation　of　the　large　library　table。　　She　picked　it　up；　glanced　at　it　curiously　because　it　was　on　cheap　paper；　and　then　opened　it。　　Her　face　paled　slightly　as　she　read　it；　and　then　her　hand　tremblednot　much。　　Hers　was　not　a　soul　that　ever　loved　passionately；　hence　she　could　not　suffer　passionately。　　She　was　hurt；　disgusted；　enraged　for　the　moment；　and　frightened；　but　she　was　not　broken　in　spirit　entirely。　　Thirteen　years　of　life　with　Frank　Cowperwood　had　taught　her　a　number　of　things。　　He　was　selfish；　she　knew　now；　self…centered；　and　not　as　much　charmed　by　her　as　he　had　been。　　The　fear　she　had　originally　felt　as　to　the　effect　of　her　preponderance　of　years　had　been　to　some　extent　justified　by　the　lapse　of　time。　　Frank　did　not　love　her　as　he　hadhe　had　not　for　some　time；　she　had　felt　it。　　What　was　it？she　had　asked　herself　at　timesalmost；　who　was　it？　Business　was　engrossing　him　so。

Finance　was　his　master。　　Did　this　mean　the　end　of　her　regime；　she　queried。　　Would　he　cast　her　off？　Where　would　she　go？　What　would　she　do？　She　was　not　helpless；　of　course；　for　she　had　money　of　her　own　which　he　was　manipulating　for　her。　　Who　was　this　other　woman？　Was　she　young；　beautiful；　of　any　social　position？　Was　it？　Suddenly　she　stopped。　　Was　it？　Could　it　be；　by　any　chanceher　mouth　openedAileen　Butler？

She　stood　still；　staring　at　this　letter；　for　she　could　scarcely　countenance　her　own　thought。　　She　had　observed　often；　in　spite　of　all　their　caution；　how　friendly　Aileen　had　been　to　him　and　he　to　her。　　He　liked　her；　he　never　lost　a　chance　to　defend　her。　　Lillian　had　thought　of　them　at　times　as　being　curiously　suited　to　each　other　temperamentally。　　He　liked　young　people。　　But；　of　course；　he　was　married；　and　Aileen　was　infinitely　beneath　him　socially；　and　he　had　two　children　and　herself。　　And　his　social　and　financial　position　was　so　fixed　and　stable　that　he　did　not　dare　trifle　with　it。　　Still　she　paused；　for　forty　years　and　two　children；　and　some　slight　wrinkles；　and　the　suspicion　that　we　may　be　no　longer　loved　as　we　once　were；　is　apt　to　make　any　woman　pause；　even　in　the　face　of　the　most　significant　financial　position。　　Where　would　she　go　if　she　left　him？　What　would　people　think？　What　about　the　children？　Could　she　prove　this　liaison？　Could　she　entrap　him　in　a　compromising　situation？　Did　she　want　to？

She　saw　now　that　she　did　not　love　him　as　some　women　love　their　husbands。　　She　was　not　wild　about　him。　　In　a　way　she　had　been　taking　him　for　granted　all　these　years；　had　thought　that　he　loved　her　enough　not　to　be　unfaithful　to　her；　at　least　fancied　that　he　was　so　engrossed　with　the　more　serious　things　of　life　that　no　petty　liaison　such　as　this　letter　indicated　would　trouble　him　or　interrupt　his　great　career。　　Apparently　this　was　not　true。　　What　should　she　do？　What　say？　How　act？　Her　none　too　brilliant　mind　was　not　of　much　service　in　this　crisis。　　She　did　not　know　very　well　how　either　to　plan　or　to　fight。

The　conventional　mind　is　at　best　a　petty　piece　of　machinery。　　It　is　oyster…like　in　its　functioning；　or；　perhaps　better；　clam…like。　It　has　its　little　siphon　of　thought…processes　forced　up　or　down　into　the　mighty　ocean　of　fact　and　circumstance；　but　it　uses　so　little；　pumps　so　faintly；　that　the　immediate　contiguity　of　the　vast　mass　is　not　disturbed。　　Nothing　of　the　subtlety　of　life　is　perceived。　　No　least　inkling　of　its　storms　or　terrors　is　ever　discovered　except　through　accident。　　When　some　crude；　suggestive　fact；　such　as　this　letter　proved　to　be；　suddenly　manifests　itself　in　the　placid　flow　of　events；　there　is　great　agony　or　disturbance　and　clogging　of　the　so…called　normal　processes。　　The　siphon　does　not　work　right。　　It　sucks　in　fear　and　distress。　　There　is　great　grinding　of　maladjusted　partsnot　unlike　sand　in　a　machineand　life；　as　is　so　often　the　case；　ceases　or　goes　lamely　ever　after。

Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　possessed　of　a　conventional　mind。　　She　really　knew　nothing　about　life。　　And　life　could　not　teach　her。　　Reaction　in　her　from　salty　thought…processes　was　not　possible。　　She　was　not　alive　in　the　sense　that　Aileen　Butler　was；　and　yet　she　thought　that　she　was　very　much　alive。　　All　illusion。　　She　wasn't。　　She　was　charming　if　you　loved　placidity。　　If　you　did　not；　she　was　not。　She　was　not　engaging；　brilliant；　or　forceful。　　Frank　Cowperwood　might　well　have　asked　himself　in　the　beginning　why　he　married　her。　He　did　not　do　so　now　because　he　did　not　believe　it　was　wise　to　question　the　past　as　to　one's　failures　and　errors。　　It　was；　according　to　him；　most　unwise　to　regret。　　He　kept　his　face　and　thoughts　to　the　future。

But　Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　truly　distressed　in　her　way；　and　she　went　about　the　house　thinking；　feeling　wretchedly。　　She　decided；　since　the　letter　asked　her　to　see　for　herself；　to　wait。　　She　must　think　how　she　would　watch　this　house；　if　at　all。　　Frank