the titan-第6节

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ations　were　so　marked　that　to　a　lover　of　character　like　Cowperwood　he　was　fascinatingbut　Cowperwood　only　used　character。　He　never　idled　over　it　long　artistically。

As　Cowperwood　suspected；　what　old　Laughlin　did　not　know　about　Chicago　financial　conditions；　deals；　opportunities；　and　individuals　was　scarcely　worth　knowing。　　Being　only　a　trader　by　instinct；　neither　an　organizer　nor　an　executive；　he　had　never　been　able　to　make　any　great　constructive　use　of　his　knowledge。　　His　gains　and　his　losses　he　took　with　reasonable　equanimity；　exclaiming　over　and　over；　when　he　lost：　〃Shucks！　I　hadn't　orter　have　done　that；〃　and　snapping　his　fingers。　　When　he　won　heavily　or　was　winning　he　munched　tobacco　with　a　seraphic　smile　and　occasionally　in　the　midst　of　trading　would　exclaim：　〃You　fellers　better　come　in。　　It's　a…gonta　rain　some　more。〃　He　was　not　easy　to　trap　in　any　small　gambling　game；　and　only　lost　or　won　when　there　was　a　free；　open　struggle　in　the　market；　or　when　be　was　engineering　some　little　scheme　of　his　own。

The　matter　of　this　partnership　was　not　arranged　at　once；　although　it　did　not　take　long。　　Old　Peter　Laughlin　wanted　to　think　it　over；　although　he　had　immediately　developed　a　personal　fancy　for　Cowperwood。　In　a　way　he　was　the　latter's　victim　and　servant　from　the　start。　　They　met　day　after　day　to　discuss　various　details　and　terms；　finally；　true　to　his　instincts；　old　Peter　demanded　a　full　half　interest。

〃Now；　you　don't　want　that　much；　Laughlin；〃　Cowperwood　suggested；　quite　blandly。　　They　were　sitting　in　Laughlin's　private　office　between　four　and　five　in　the　afternoon；　and　Laughlin　was　chewing　tobacco　with　the　sense　of　having　a　fine；　interesting　problem　before　him。　　〃I　have　a　seat　on　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　that's　worth　forty　thousand　dollars。　　My　seat　on　the　Philadelphia　exchange　is　worth　more　than　yours　here。　　They　will　naturally　figure　as　the　principal　assets　of　the　firm。　　It's　to　be　in　your　name。　　I'll　be　liberal　with　you；　though。　　Instead　of　a　third；　which　would　be　fair；　I'll　make　it　forty…nine　per　cent。；　and　we'll　call　the　firm　Peter　Laughlin　&　Co。　　I　like　you；　and　I　think　you　can　be　of　a　lot　of　use　to　me。　　I　know　you　will　make　more　money　through　me　than　you　have　alone。　　I　could　go　in　with　a　lot　of　these　silk…stocking　fellows　around　here；　but　I　don't　want　to。　　You'd　better　decide　right　now；　and　let's　get　to　work。

Old　Laughlin　was　pleased　beyond　measure　that　young　Cowperwood　should　want　to　go　in　with　him。　　He　had　become　aware　of　late　that　all　of　the　young；　smug　newcomers　on　'change　considered　him　an　old　fogy。　　Here　was　a　strong；　brave　young　Easterner；　twenty　years　his　junior；　evidently　as　shrewd　as　himselfmore　so；　he　fearedwho　actually　proposed　a　business　alliance。　　Besides；　Cowperwood；　in　his　young；　healthy；　aggressive　way；　was　like　a　breath　of　spring。

〃I　ain't　keerin'　so　much　about　the　name；〃　rejoined　Laughlin。　　〃You　can　fix　it　that…a…way　if　you　want　to。　　Givin'　you　fifty…one　per　cent。　gives　you　charge　of　this　here　shebang。　　All　right；　though；　I　ain't　a…kickin'。　　I　guess　I　can　manage　allus　to　git　what's　a…comin'　to　me。

〃It's　a　bargain；　then；〃　said　Cowperwood。　　〃We'll　want　new　offices；　Laughlin；　don't　you　think？　This　one's　a　little　dark。〃

〃Fix　it　up　any　way　you　like；　Mr。　Cowperwood。　　It's　all　the　same　to　me。　　I'll　be　glad　to　see　how　yer　do　it。〃

In　a　week　the　details　were　completed；　and　two　weeks　later　the　sign　of　Peter　Laughlin　&　Co。；　grain　and　commission　merchants；　appeared　over　the　door　of　a　handsome　suite　of　rooms　on　the　ground　floor　of　a　corner　at　La　Salle　and　Madison；　in　the　heart　of　the　Chicago　financial　district。

〃Get　onto　old　Laughlin；　will　you？〃　one　broker　observed　to　another；　as　they　passed　the　new；　pretentious　commission…house　with　its　splendid　plate…glass　windows；　and　observed　the　heavy；　ornate　bronze　sign　placed　on　either　side　of　the　door；　which　was　located　exactly　on　the　corner。　　〃What's　struck　him？　I　thought　he　was　almost　all　through。　　Who's　the　Company？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　Some　fellow　from　the　East；　I　think。〃

〃Well；　he's　certainly　moving　up。　　Look　at　the　plate　glass；　will　you？〃

It　was　thus　that　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood's　Chicago　financial　career　was　definitely　launched。




Chapter　V



Concerning　A　Wife　And　Family

If　any　one　fancies　for　a　moment　that　this　commercial　move　on　the　part　of　Cowperwood　was　either　hasty　or　ill…considered　they　but　little　appreciate　the　incisive；　apprehensive　psychology　of　the　man。　　His　thoughts　as　to　life　and　control　（tempered　and　hardened　by　thirteen　months　of　reflection　in　the　Eastern　District　Penitentiary）　had　given　him　a　fixed　policy。　　He　could；　should；　and　would　rule　alone。　　No　man　must　ever　again　have　the　least　claim　on　him　save　that　of　a　suppliant。　　He　wanted　no　more　dangerous　combinations　such　as　he　had　had　with　Stener；　the　man　through　whom　he　had　lost　so　much　in　Philadelphia；　and　others。　　By　right　of　financial　intellect　and　courage　he　was　first；　and　would　so　prove　it。　　Men　must　swing　around　him　as　planets　around　the　sun。

Moreover；　since　his　fall　from　grace　in　Philadelphia　he　had　come　to　think　that　never　again；　perhaps；　could　he　hope　to　become　socially　acceptable　in　the　sense　in　which　the　so…called　best　society　of　a　city　interprets　the　phrase；　and　pondering　over　this　at　odd　moments；　he　realized　that　his　future　allies　in　all　probability　would　not　be　among　the　rich　and　socially　importantthe　clannish；　snobbish　elements　of　societybut　among　the　beginners　and　financially　strong　men　who　had　come　or　were　coming　up　from　the　bottom；　and　who　had　no　social　hopes　whatsoever。　　There　were　many　such。　　If　through　luck　and　effort　he　became　sufficiently　powerful　financially　he　might　then　hope　to　dictate　to　society。　　Individualistic　and　even　anarchistic　in　character；　and　without　a　shred　of　true　democracy；　yet　temperamentally　he　was　in　sympathy　with　the　mass　more　than　he　was　with　the　class；　and　he　understood　the　mass　better。　　Perhaps　this；　in　a　way；　will　explain　his　desire　to　connect　himself　with　a　personality　so　naive　and　strange　as　Peter　Laughlin。　　He　had　annexed　him　as　a　surgeon　selects　a　special　knife　or　instrument　for　an　operation；　and；　shrewd　as　old　Laughlin　was；　he　was　destined　to　be　no　more　than　a　tool　in　Cowperwood's　strong　hands；　a　mere　hustling　messenger；　content　to　take　orders　from　this　swiftest　of　moving　brains。　　For　the　present　Cowperwood　was　satisfied　to　do　business　under　the　firm　name　of　Peter　Laughlin　&　Co。as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　preferred　it；　for　he　could　thus　keep　himself　sufficiently　inconspicuous　to　avoid　undue　attention；　and　gradually　work　out　one　or　two　coups　by　which　he　hoped　to　firmly　fix　himself　in　the　financial　future　of　Chicago。

As　the　most　essential　preliminary　to　the　social　as　well　as　the　financial　establishment　of　himself　and　Aileen　in　Chicago；　Harper　Steger；　Cowperwood's　lawyer；　was　doing　his　best　all　this　while　to　ingratiate　himself　in　the　confidence　of　Mrs。　Cowperwood；　who　had　no　faith　in　lawyers　any　more　than　she　had　in　her　recalcitrant　husband。　　She　was　now　a　tall；　severe；　and　rather　plain　woman；　but　still　bearing　the　marks　of　the　former　passive　charm　that　had　once　interested　Cowperwood。　　Notable　crows'…feet　had　come　about　the　corners　of　her　nose；　mouth；　and　eyes。　　She　had　a　remote；　censorious；　subdued；　self…righteous；　and　even　injured　air。

The　cat…like　Steger；　who　had　all　the　graceful　contemplative　air　of　a　prowling　Tom；　was　just　the　person　to　deal　with　her。　　A　more　suavely　cunning　and　opportunistic　soul　never　was。　　His　motto　might　well　have　been；　speak　softly　and　step　lightly。

〃My　dear　Mrs。　Cowperwood；〃　he　argued；　seated　in　her　modest　West　Philadelphia　parlor　one　spring　afternoon；　〃I　need　not　tell　you　what　a　remarkable　man　your　husband　is；　nor　how　useless　it　is　to　combat　him。　　Admitting　all　his　faultsand　we　can　agree；　if　you　please；　that　they　are　many〃Mrs。　Cowperwood　stirred　with　irritation〃still　it　is　not　worth　while　to　attempt　to　hold　him　to　a　strict　account。　　You　know〃and　Mr。　Steger　opened　his　thin；　artistic　hands　in　a　deprecatory　way〃what　sort　of　a　man　Mr。　Cowperwood　is；　and　whether　he　can　be　coerced　or　not。　　He　is　not　an　ordinary　man；　Mrs。　Cowperwood。　　No　man　could　have　gone　through　what　he　has　and　be　where　he　is　to…day；　and　be　an　average　man。　　If　you　take　my　advice　you　will　let　him　go　his　way。　　Grant　him　a　divorce。　　He　is　willing；　even　anxious　to　make　a　definite　provision　for　you　and　your　children。　　He　will；　I　am　sure；　look　liberally　after　their　future。　　But　he　is　becoming　very　irritable　over　your　unwillingness　to　give　him　a　legal　separation；　and　unless　you　do　I　am　very　much　afraid　that　the　whole　matter　will　be　thrown　into　the　courts。　　If；　before　it　comes　to　that；　I　could　effect　an　arrangement　agreeable　to　you；　I　would　be　much　pleased。　　　As　you　know；　I　have　been　greatly　grieved　by　the　whole　course　of　your　recent　affairs。　　I　am　intensely　sorry　that　things　are　as　they　are。〃

Mr。　Steger　lifted　his　eyes　in　a　very　pained；　deprecatory　way。　　He　regretted　deeply　the　shifty　currents　of　this　troubled　world。

Mrs。　Cowperwood　for　perhaps　the　fifteenth　or　twentieth　time　heard　him　to　the　end　in　patience。　　Cowperwood　would　not　return。　　Steger　was　as　much　her　friend　as　any　other　lawyer　would　be。　　Besides；　he　was　socially　agreeable　to　her。　　Despite　his　Machiavellian　profession；　she　half　believed　him。　　H