the financier-第9节

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an　omnibuses；　and　Alfred　Semple　was　privately　considering　investing　in　another　proposed　line　which；　if　it　could　secure　a　franchise　from　the　legislature；　was　to　run　on　Fifth　and　Sixth　streets。

Cowperwood；　Senior；　saw　a　great　future　for　this　thing；　but　he　did　not　see　as　yet　how　the　capital　was　to　be　raised　for　it。　　Frank　believed　that　Tighe　&　Co。　should　attempt　to　become　the　selling　agents　of　this　new　stock　of　the　Fifth　and　Sixth　Street　Company　in　the　event　it　succeeded　in　getting　a　franchise。　　He　understood　that　a　company　was　already　formed；　that　a　large　amount　of　stock　was　to　be　issued　against　the　prospective　franchise；　and　that　these　shares　were　to　be　sold　at　five　dollars；　as　against　an　ultimate　par　value　of　one　hundred。　　He　wished　he　had　sufficient　money　to　take　a　large　block　of　them。

Meanwhile；　Lillian　Semple　caught　and　held　his　interest。　　Just　what　it　was　about　her　that　attracted　him　at　this　age　it　would　be　hard　to　say；　for　she　was　really　not　suited　to　him　emotionally；　intellectually；　or　otherwise。　　He　was　not　without　experience　with　women　or　girls；　and　still　held　a　tentative　relationship　with　Marjorie　Stafford；　but　Lillian　Semple；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　she　was　married　and　that　he　could　have　legitimate　interest　in　her；　seemed　not　wiser　and　saner；　but　more　worth　while。　　She　was　twenty…four　as　opposed　to　Frank's　nineteen；　but　still　young　enough　in　her　thoughts　and　looks　to　appear　of　his　own　age。　　She　was　slightly　taller　than　hethough　he　was　now　his　full　height　（five　feet　ten　and　one…half　inches）and；　despite　her　height；　shapely；　artistic　in　form　and　feature；　and　with　a　certain　unconscious　placidity　of　soul；　which　came　more　from　lack　of　understanding　than　from　force　of　character。　Her　hair　was　the　color　of　a　dried　English　walnut；　rich　and　plentiful；　and　her　complexion　waxencream　wax…with　lips　of　faint　pink；　and　eyes　that　varied　from　gray　to　blue　and　from　gray　to　brown；　according　to　the　light　in　which　you　saw　them。　　Her　hands　were　thin　and　shapely；　her　nose　straight；　her　face　artistically　narrow。　　She　was　not　brilliant；　not　active；　but　rather　peaceful　and　statuesque　without　knowing　it。　　Cowperwood　was　carried　away　by　her　appearance。　Her　beauty　measured　up　to　his　present　sense　of　the　artistic。　　She　was　lovely；　he　thoughtgracious；　dignified。　　If　he　could　have　his　choice　of　a　wife；　this　was　the　kind　of　a　girl　he　would　like　to　have。

As　yet；　Cowperwood's　judgment　of　women　was　temperamental　rather　than　intellectual。　　Engrossed　as　he　was　by　his　desire　for　wealth；　prestige；　dominance；　he　was　confused；　if　not　chastened　by　considerations　relating　to　position；　presentability　and　the　like。　None　the　less；　the　homely　woman　meant　nothing　to　him。　　And　the　passionate　woman　meant　much。　　He　heard　family　discussions　of　this　and　that　sacrificial　soul　among　women；　as　well　as　among　menwomen　who　toiled　and　slaved　for　their　husbands　or　children；　or　both；　who　gave　way　to　relatives　or　friends　in　crises　or　crucial　moments；　because　it　was　right　and　kind　to　do　sobut　somehow　these　stories　did　not　appeal　to　him。　　He　preferred　to　think　of　peopleeven　womenas　honestly；　frankly　self…interested。　　He　could　not　have　told　you　why。　　People　seemed　foolish；　or　at　the　best　very　unfortunate　not　to　know　what　to　do　in　all　circumstances　and　how　to　protect　themselves。　　There　was　great　talk　concerning　morality；　much　praise　of　virtue　and　decency；　and　much　lifting　of　hands　in　righteous　horror　at　people　who　broke　or　were　even　rumored　to　have　broken　the　Seventh　Commandment。　　He　did　not　take　this　talk　seriously。　Already　he　had　broken　it　secretly　many　times。　　Other　young　men　did。　Yet　again；　he　was　a　little　sick　of　the　women　of　the　streets　and　the　bagnio。　　There　were　too　many　coarse；　evil　features　in　connection　with　such　contacts。　　For　a　little　while；　the　false　tinsel…glitter　of　the　house　of　ill　repute　appealed　to　him；　for　there　was　a　certain　force　to　its　luxuryrich；　as　a　rule；　with　red…plush　furniture；　showy　red　hangings；　some　coarse　but　showily…framed　pictures；　and；　above　all；　the　strong…bodied　or　sensuously　lymphatic　women　who　dwelt　there；　to　（as　his　mother　phrased　it）　prey　on　men。　　The　strength　of　their　bodies；　the　lust　of　their　souls；　the　fact　that　they　could；　with　a　show　of　affection　or　good…nature；　receive　man　after　man；　astonished　and　later　disgusted　him。　　After　all；　they　were　not　smart。　There　was　no　vivacity　of　thought　there。　　All　that　they　could　do；　in　the　main；　he　fancied；　was　this　one　thing。　　He　pictured　to　himself　the　dreariness　of　the　mornings　after；　the　stale　dregs　of　things　when　only　sleep　and　thought　of　gain　could　aid　in　the　least；　and　more　than　once；　even　at　his　age；　he　shook　his　head。　　He　wanted　contact　which　was　more　intimate；　subtle；　individual；　personal。

So　came　Lillian　Semple；　who　was　nothing　more　to　him　than　the　shadow　of　an　ideal。　　Yet　she　cleared　up　certain　of　his　ideas　in　regard　to　women。　　She　was　not　physically　as　vigorous　or　brutal　as　those　other　women　whom　he　had　encountered　in　the　lupanars；　thus　farraw；　unashamed　contraveners　of　accepted　theories　and　notionsand　for　that　very　reason　he　liked　her。　　And　his　thoughts　continued　to　dwell　on　her；　notwithstanding　the　hectic　days　which　now　passed　like　flashes　of　light　in　his　new　business　venture。　　For　this　stock　exchange　world　in　which　he　now　found　himself；　primitive　as　it　would　seem　to…day；　was　most　fascinating　to　Cowperwood。　　The　room　that　he　went　to　in　Third　Street；　at　Dock；　where　the　brokers　or　their　agents　and　clerks　gathered　one　hundred　and　fifty　strong；　was　nothing　to　speak　of　artisticallya　square　chamber　sixty　by　sixty；　reaching　from　the　second　floor　to　the　roof　of　a　four…story　building；　but　it　was　striking　to　him。　　The　windows　were　high　and　narrow；　a　large…faced　clock　faced　the　west　entrance　of　the　room　where　you　came　in　from　the　stairs；　a　collection　of　telegraph　instruments；　with　their　accompanying　desks　and　chairs；　occupied　the　northeast　corner。　　On　the　floor；　in　the　early　days　of　the　exchange；　were　rows　of　chairs　where　the　brokers　sat　while　various　lots　of　stocks　were　offered　to　them。　　Later　in　the　history　of　the　exchange　the　chairs　were　removed　and　at　different　points　posts　or　floor…signs　indicating　where　certain　stocks　were　traded　in　were　introduced。　　Around　these　the　men　who　were　interested　gathered　to　do　their　trading。　　From　a　hall　on　the　third　floor　a　door　gave　entrance　to　a　visitor's　gallery；　small　and　poorly　furnished；　and　on　the　west　wall　a　large　blackboard　carried　current　quotations　in　stocks　as　telegraphed　from　New　York　and　Boston。　　A　wicket…like　fence　in　the　center　of　the　room　surrounded　the　desk　and　chair　of　the　official　recorder；　and　a　very　small　gallery　opening　from　the　third　floor　on　the　west　gave　place　for　the　secretary　of　the　board；　when　he　had　any　special　announcement　to　make。　　There　was　a　room　off　the　southwest　corner；　where　reports　and　annual　compendiums　of　chairs　were　removed　and　at　different　signs　indicating　where　certain　stocks　of　various　kinds　were　kept　and　were　available　for　the　use　of　members。

Young　Cowperwood　would　not　have　been　admitted　at　all；　as　either　a　broker　or　broker's　agent　or　assistant；　except　that　Tighe；　feeling　that　he　needed　him　and　believing　that　he　would　be　very　useful；　bought　him　a　seat　on　'changecharging　the　two　thousand　dollars　it　cost　as　a　debt　and　then　ostensibly　taking　him　into　partnership。　It　was　against　the　rules　of　the　exchange　to　sham　a　partnership　in　this　way　in　order　to　put　a　man　on　the　floor；　but　brokers　did　it。　These　men　who　were　known　to　be　minor　partners　and　floor　assistants　were　derisively　called　〃eighth　chasers〃　and　〃two…dollar　brokers；〃　because　they　were　always　seeking　small　orders　and　were　willing　to　buy　or　sell　for　anybody　on　their　commission；　accounting；　of　course；　to　their　firms　for　their　work。　　Cowperwood；　regardless　of　his　intrinsic　merits；　was　originally　counted　one　of　their　number；　and　he　was　put　under　the　direction　of　Mr。　Arthur　Rivers；　the　regular　floor　man　of　Tighe　&　Company。

Rivers　was　an　exceedingly　forceful　man　of　thirty…five；　well…dressed；　well…formed；　with　a　hard；　smooth；　evenly　chiseled　face；　which　was　ornamented　by　a　short；　black　mustache　and　fine；　black；　clearly　penciled　eyebrows。　　His　hair　came　to　an　odd　point　at　the　middle　of　his　forehead；　where　he　divided　it；　and　his　chin　was　faintly　and　attractively　cleft。　　He　had　a　soft　voice；　a　quiet；　conservative　manner；　and　both　in　and　out　of　this　brokerage　and　trading　world　was　controlled　by　good　form。　　Cowperwood　wondered　at　first　why　Rivers　should　work　for　Tighehe　appeared　almost　as　ablebut　afterward　learned　that　he　was　in　the　company。　　Tighe　was　the　organizer　and　general　hand…shaker；　Rivers　the　floor　and　outside　man。

It　was　useless；　as　Frank　soon　found；　to　try　to　figure　out　exactly　why　stocks　rose　and　fell。　　Some　general　reasons　there　were；　of　course；　as　he　was　told　by　Tighe；　but　they　could　not　always　be　depended　on。

〃Sure；　anything　can　make　or　break　a　market〃Tighe　explained　in　his　delicate　brogue〃from　the　failure　of　a　bank　to　the　rumor　that　your　second　cousin's　grandmother　has　a　cold。　　It's　a　most　unusual　world；　Cowperwood。　　No　man　can　explain　it。　　I've　seen　breaks　in　stocks　that　you　could　never　explain　at　allno　one　could。　　It　wouldn't　be　possible　to　find　out　why　they　broke。　　I've　seen　rises　the　same　way。　　My　God；　the　rumors　of　the　stock　exchange！　They　beat　the