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Cowperwood　laughed　even　as　she　laughed；　for　he　knew　she　was　right　and　he　felt　sorry　for　her。　　At　the　same　time　her　biting　humor　pleased　him。　　He　knew　that　she　did　not　really　suspect　him　of　actual　infidelity；　he　was　obviously　so　fond　of　her。　　But　she　also　knew　that　he　was　innately　attractive　to　women；　and　that　there　were　enough　of　the　philandering　type　to　want　to　lead　him　astray　and　make　her　life　a　burden。　　Also　that　he　might　prove　a　very　willing　victim。

Sex　desire　and　its　fruition　being　such　an　integral　factor　in　the　marriage　and　every　other　sex　relation；　the　average　woman　is　prone　to　study　the　periodic　manifestations　that　go　with　it　quite　as　one　dependent　on　the　weathera　sailor；　or　examplemight　study　the　barometer。　　In　this　Aileen　was　no　exception。　　She　was　so　beautiful　herself；　and　had　been　so　much　to　Cowperwood　physically；　that　she　had　followed　the　corresponding　evidences　of　feeling　in　him　with　the　utmost　interest；　accepting　the　recurring　ebullitions　of　his　physical　emotions　as　an　evidence　of　her　own　enduring　charm。　　As　time　went　on；　howeverand　that　was　long　before　Mrs。　Sohlberg　or　any　one　else　had　appearedthe　original　flare　of　passion　had　undergone　a　form　of　subsidence；　though　not　noticeable　enough　to　be　disturbing。　　Aileen　thought　and　thought；　but　she　did　not　investigate。　　Indeed；　because　of　the　precariousness　of　her　own　situation　as　a　social　failure　she　was　afraid　to　do　so。

With　the　arrival　of　Mrs。　Sohlberg　and　then　of　Antoinette　Nowak　as　factors　in　the　potpourri；　the　situation　became　more　difficult。　　Humanly　fond　of　Aileen　as　Cowperwood　was；　and　because　of　his　lapses　and　her　affection；　desirous　of　being　kind；　yet　for　the　time　being　he　was　alienated　almost　completely　from　her。　　He　grew　remote　according　as　his　clandestine　affairs　were　drifting　or　blazing；　without；　however；　losing　his　firm　grip　on　his　financial　affairs；　and　Aileen　noticed　it。　　It　worried　her。　　She　was　so　vain　that　she　could　scarcely　believe　that　Cowperwood　could　long　be　indifferent；　and　for　a　while　her　sentimental　interest　in　Sohlberg's　future　and　unhappiness　of　soul　beclouded　her　judgment；　but　she　finally　began　to　feel　the　drift　of　affairs。　　The　pathos　of　all　this　is　that　it　so　quickly　descends　into　the　realm　of　the　unsatisfactory；　the　banal；　the　pseudo　intimate。　　Aileen　noticed　it　at　once。　　She　tried　protestations。　　〃You　don't　kiss　me　the　way　you　did　once；〃　and　then　a　little　later；　〃You　haven't　noticed　me　hardly　for　four　whole　days。　What's　the　matter？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　easily；　〃I　guess　I　want　you　as　much　as　ever。　　I　don't　see　that　I　am　any　different。〃　He　took　her　in　his　arms　and　petted　and　caressed　her；　but　Aileen　was　suspicious；　nervous。

The　psychology　of　the　human　animal；　when　confronted　by　these　tangles；　these　ripping　tides　of　the　heart；　has　little　to　do　with　so…called　reason　or　logic。　　It　is　amazing　how　in　the　face　of　passion　and　the　affections　and　the　changing　face　of　life　all　plans　and　theories　by　which　we　guide　ourselves　fall　to　the　ground。　　Here　was　Aileen　talking　bravely　at　the　time　she　invaded　Mrs。　Lillian　Cowperwood's　domain　of　the　necessity　of　〃her　Frank〃　finding　a　woman　suitable　to　his　needs；　tastes；　abilities；　but　now　that　the　possibility　of　another　woman　equally　or　possibly　better　suited　to　him　was　looming　in　the　offingalthough　she　had　no　idea　who　it　might　beshe　could　not　reason　in　the　same　way。　　Her　ox；　God　wot；　was　the　one　that　was　being　gored。　　What　if　he　should　find　some　one　whom　he　could　want　more　than　he　did　her？　Dear　heaven；　how　terrible　that　would　be！　What　would　she　do？　she　asked　herself；　thoughtfully。　　She　lapsed　into　the　blues　one　afternoonalmost　criedshe　could　scarcely　say　why。　　Another　time　she　thought　of　all　the　terrible　things　she　would　do；　how　difficult　she　would　make　it　for　any　other　woman　who　invaded　her　preserves。　　However；　she　was　not　sure。　　Would　she　declare　war　if　she　discovered　another？　She　knew　she　would　eventually；　and　yet　she　knew；　too；　that　if　she　did；　and　Cowperwood　were　set　in　his　passion；　thoroughly　alienated；　it　would　do　no　good。　　It　would　be　terrible；　but　what　could　she　do　to　win　him　back？　That　was　the　issue。　　Once　warned；　however；　by　her　suspicious　questioning；　Cowperwood　was　more　mechanically　attentive　than　ever。　　He　did　his　best　to　conceal　his　altered　moodhis　enthusiasms　for　Mrs。　Sohlberg；　his　interest　in　Antoinette　Nowakand　this　helped　somewhat。

But　finally　there　was　a　detectable　change。　　Aileen　noticed　it　first　after　they　had　been　back　from　Europe　nearly　a　year。　　At　this　time　she　was　still　interested　in　Sohlberg；　but　in　a　harmlessly　flirtatious　way。　　She　thought　he　might　be　interesting　physically；　but　would　he　be　as　delightful　as　Cowperwood？　Never！　When　she　felt　that　Cowperwood　himself　might　he　changing　she　pulled　herself　up　at　once；　and　when　Antoinette　appearedthe　carriage　incidentSohlberg　lost　his；　at　best；　unstable　charm。　　She　began　to　meditate　on　what　a　terrible　thing　it　would　be　to　lose　Cowperwood；　seeing　that　she　had　failed　to　establish　herself　socially。　　Perhaps　that　had　something　to　do　with　his　defection。　　No　doubt　it　had。　　Yet　she　could　not　believe；　after　all　his　protestations　of　affection　in　Philadelphia；　after　all　her　devotion　to　him　in　those　dark　days　of　his　degradation　and　punishment；　that　he　would　really　turn　on　her。　　No；　he　might　stray　momentarily；　but　if　she　protested　enough；　made　a　scene；　perhaps；　he　would　not　feel　so　free　to　injure　herhe　would　remember　and　be　loving　and　devoted　again。　　　After　seeing　him；　or　imagining　she　had　seen　him；　in　the　carriage；　she　thought　at　first　that　she　would　question　him；　but　later　decided　that　she　would　wait　and　watch　more　closely。　　Perhaps　he　was　beginning　to　run　around　with　other　women。　　There　was　safety　in　numbersthat　she　knew。　　Her　heart；　her　pride；　was　hurt；　but　not　broken。




Chapter　XVIII



The　Clash

The　peculiar　personality　of　Rita　Sohlberg　was　such　that　by　her　very　action　she　ordinarily　allayed　suspicion；　or　rather　distracted　it。　　Although　a　novice；　she　had　a　strange　ease；　courage；　or　balance　of　soul　which　kept　her　whole　and　self…possessed　under　the　most　trying　of　circumstances。　　She　might　have　been　overtaken　in　the　most　compromising　of　positions；　but　her　manner　would　always　have　indicated　ease；　a　sense　of　innocence；　nothing　unusual；　for　she　had　no　sense　of　moral　degradation　in　this　matterno　troublesome　emotion　as　to　what　was　to　flow　from　a　relationship　of　this　kind；　no　worry　as　to　her　own　soul；　sin；　social　opinion；　or　the　like。　　She　was　really　interested　in　art　and　lifea　pagan；　in　fact。　　Some　people　are　thus　hardily　equipped。　　It　is　the　most　notable　attribute　of　the　hardier　type　of　personalitiesnot　necessarily　the　most　brilliant　or　successful。　　You　might　have　said　that　her　soul　was　naively　unconscious　of　the　agony　of　others　in　loss。　　She　would　have　taken　any　loss　to　herself　with　an　amazing　equablenesssome　qualms；　of　course；　but　not　manybecause　her　vanity　and　sense　of　charm　would　have　made　her　look　forward　to　something　better　or　as　good。

She　had　called　on　Aileen　quite　regularly　in　the　past；　with　or　without　Harold；　and　had　frequently　driven　with　the　Cowperwoods　or　joined　them　at　the　theater　or　elsewhere。　　She　had　decided；　after　becoming　intimate　with　Cowperwood；　to　study　art　again；　which　was　a　charming　blind；　for　it　called　for　attendance　at　afternoon　or　evening　classes　which　she　frequently　skipped。　　Besides；　since　Harold　had　more　money　he　was　becoming　gayer；　more　reckless　and　enthusiastic　over　women；　and　Cowperwood　deliberately　advised　her　to　encourage　him　in　some　liaison　which；　in　case　exposure　should　subsequently　come　to　them；　would　effectually　tie　his　hands。

〃Let　him　get　in　some　affair；〃　Cowperwood　told　Rita。　　〃We'll　put　detectives　on　his　trail　and　get　evidence。　　He　won't　have　a　word　to　say。〃

〃We　don't　really　need　to　do　that；〃　she　protested　sweetly；　naively。　〃He's　been　in　enough　scrapes　as　it　is。　　He's　given　me　some　of　the　letters〃（she　pronounced　it　〃lettahs〃）〃written　him。〃

〃But　we'll　need　actual　witnesses　if　we　ever　need　anything　at　all。　Just　tell　me　when　he's　in　love　again；　and　I'll　do　the　rest。〃

〃You　know　I　think；〃　she　drawled；　amusingly；　〃that　he　is　now。　　I　saw　him　on　the　street　the　other　day　with　one　of　his　studentsrather　a　pretty　girl；　too。〃

Cowperwood　was　pleased。　　Under　the　circumstances　he　would　almost　have　been　willingnot　quitefor　Aileen　to　succumb　to　Sohlberg　in　order　to　entrap　her　and　make　his　situation　secure。　　Yet　he　really　did　not　wish　it　in　the　last　analysiswould　have　been　grieved　temporarily　if　she　had　deserted　him。　　However；　in　the　case　of　Sohlberg；　detectives　were　employed；　the　new　affair　with　the　flighty　pupil　was　unearthed　and　sworn　to　by　witnesses；　and　this；　combined　with　the　〃lettahs〃　held　by　Rita；　constituted　ample　material　wherewith　to　〃hush　up〃　the　musician　if　ever　he　became　unduly　obstreperous。　　So　Cowperwood　and　Rita's　state　was　quite　comfortable。

But　Aileen；　meditating　over　Antoinette　Nowak；　was　beside　herself　with　curiosity；　doubt；　worry。　　She　did　not　want　to　injure　Cowperwood　in　any　way　after　his　bitter　Philadelphia　experience；　and　yet　when　she　thought　of　his　deserting　her　in　this　way　she　fell　into　a　great　rage。　　Her　vanity；　as　much　as　her　love；　was　hurt。　　What　could　she　do　to　justify　or　set　at　rest　her　suspicions？　Watch　him　personally？　She　was　too　digni