the titan-第94节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


her　than　for　the　purpose　of　assisting　themselves。　　Such　phrases　as；　〃Oh；　Mr。　Hand！　Marvelous　man！　Marvelous！〃　or；　〃Mr。　Schryhartvery　ablevery　able　indeed！〃　or；　〃You　may　depend　on　it　these　men　are　not　going　to　allow　anything　serious　to　overtake　the　affairs　of　the　city　at　this　time；〃　were　heard　on　every　hand。　The　fact　that　immense　quantities　of　cash　or　paper　were　involved　in　behalf　of　one　or　other　of　these　four　was　secretly　admitted　by　one　banker　to　another。　　No　rumor　that　Cowperwood　or　his　friends　had　been　profiting　or　were　in　any　way　involved　had　come　to　any　one　presentnot　as　yet。

At　eight…thirty　exactly　Mr。　Arneel　first　ambled　in　quite　informally；　Hand；　Schryhart；　and　Merrill　appearing　separately　very　shortly　after。　　Rubbing　their　hands　and　mopping　their　faces　with　their　handkerchiefs；　they　looked　about　them；　making　an　attempt　to　appear　as　nonchalant　and　cheerful　as　possible　under　such　trying　circumstances。　There　were　many　old　acquaintances　and　friends　to　greet；　inquiries　to　be　made　as　to　the　health　of　wives　and　children。　　Mr。　Arneel；　clad　in　yellowish　linen；　with　a　white　silk　shirt　of　lavender　stripe；　and　carrying　a　palm…leaf　fan；　seemed　quite　refreshed；　his　fine　expanse　of　neck　and　bosom　looked　most　paternal；　and　even　Abrahamesque。　His　round；　glistening　pate　exuded　beads　of　moisture。　　Mr。　Schryhart；　on　the　contrary；　for　all　the　heat；　appeared　quite　hard　and　solid；　as　though　he　might　be　carved　out　of　some　dark　wood。　　Mr。　Hand；　much　of　Mr。　Arneel's　type；　but　more　solid　and　apparently　more　vigorous；　had　donned　for　the　occasion　a　blue　serge　coat　with　trousers　of　an　almost　gaudy；　bright　stripe。　　His　ruddy；　archaic　face　was　at　once　encouraging　and　serious；　as　though　he　were　saying；　〃My　dear　children；　this　is　very　trying；　but　we　will　do　the　best　we　can。〃　Mr。　Merrill　was　as　cool　and　ornate　and　lazy　as　it　was　possible　for　a　great　merchant　to　be。　　To　one　person　and　another　he　extended　a　cool；　soft　hand；　nodding　and　smiling　half　the　time　in　silence。　　To　Mr。　Arneel　as　the　foremost　citizen　and　the　one　of　largest　wealth　fell　the　duty　（by　all　agreed　as　most　appropriate）　of　assuming　the　chairwhich　in　this　case　was　an　especially　large　one　at　the　head　of　the　table。

There　was　a　slight　stir　as　he　finally；　at　the　suggestion　of　Schryhart；　went　forward　and　sat　down。　　The　other　great　men　found　seats。

〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　began　Mr。　Arneel；　dryly　（he　had　a　low；　husky　voice）；　〃I'll　be　as　brief　as　I　can。　　This　is　a　very　unusual　occasion　which　brings　us　together。　　I　suppose　you　all　know　how　it　is　with　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole。　　American　Match　is　likely　to　come　down　with　a　crash　in　the　morning　if　something　very　radical　isn't　done　to…night。　　It　is　at　the　suggestion　of　a　number　of　men　and　banks　that　this　meeting　is　called。〃

Mr。　Arneel　had　an　informal；　tete…a…tete　way　of　speaking　as　if　he　were　sitting　on　a　chaise…longue　with　one　other　person。

〃The　failure；〃　he　went　on；　firmly；　〃if　it　comes；　as　I　hope　it　won't；　will　make　a　lot　of　trouble　for　a　number　of　banks　and　private　individuals　which　we　would　like　to　avoid；　I　am　sure。　　The　principal　creditors　of　American　Match　are　our　local　banks　and　some　private　individuals　who　have　loaned　money　on　the　stock。　　I　have　a　list　of　them　here；　along　with　the　amounts　for　which　they　are　responsible。　It　is　in　the　neighborhood　of　ten　millions　of　dollars。〃

Mr。　Arneel；　with　the　unconscious　arrogance　of　wealth　and　power；　did　not　trouble　to　explain　how　he　got　the　list；　neither　did　he　show　the　slightest　perturbation。　　He　merely　fished　down　in　one　pocket　in　a　heavy　way　and　produced　it；　spreading　it　out　on　the　table　before　him。　　The　company　wondered　whose　names　and　what　amounts　were　down；　and　whether　it　was　his　intention　to　read　it。

〃Now；〃　resumed　Mr。　Arneel；　seriously；　〃I　want　to　say　here　that　Mr。　Stackpole；　Mr。　Merrill；　Mr。　Hand；　and　myself　have　been　to　a　certain　extent　investors　in　this　stock；　and　up　to　this　afternoon　we　felt　it　to　be　our　duty；　not　so　much　to　ourselves　as　to　the　various　banks　which　have　accepted　this　stock　as　collateral　and　to　the　city　at　large；　to　sustain　it　as　much　as　possible。　　We　believed　in　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole。　　We　might　have　gone　still　further　if　there　had　been　any　hope　that　a　number　of　others　could　carry　the　stock　without　seriously　injuring　themselves；　but　in　view　of　recent　developments　we　know　that　this　can't　be　done。　　For　some　time　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole　and　the　various　bank　officers　have　had　reason　to　think　that　some　one　has　been　cutting　the　ground　from　under　them；　and　now　they　know　it。　　It　is　because　of　this；　and　because　only　concerted　action　on　the　part　of　banks　and　individuals　can　save　the　financial　credit　of　the　city　at　this　time；　that　this　meeting　is　called。　Stocks　are　going　to　continue　to　be　thrown　on　the　market。　　It　is　possible　that　Hull　&　Stackpole　may　have　to　liquidate　in　some　way。　One　thing　is　certain：　unless　a　large　sum　of　money　is　gathered　to　meet　the　claim　against　them　in　the　morning；　they　will　fail。　　The　trouble　is　due　indirectly；　of　course；　to　this　silver　agitation；　but　it　is　due　a　great　deal　more；　we　believe；　to　a　piece　of　local　sharp　dealing　which　has　just　come　to　light；　and　which　has　really　been　the　cause　of　putting　the　financial　community　in　the　tight　place　where　it　stands　to…night。　　I　might　as　well　speak　plainly　as　to　this　matter。　　It　is　the　work　of　one　manMr。　Cowperwood。　　American　Match　might　have　pulled　through　and　the　city　been　have　spared　the　danger　which　now　confronts　it　if　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole　had　not　made　the　mistake　of　going　to　this　man。〃

Mr。　Arneel　paused；　and　Mr。　Norrie　Simms；　more　excitable　than　most　by　temperament；　chose　to　exclaim；　bitterly：　〃The　wrecker！〃　A　stir　of　interest　passed　over　the　others　accompanied　by　murmurs　of　disapproval。

〃The　moment　he　got　the　stock　in　his　hands　as　collateral；〃　continued　Mr。　Arneel；　solemnly；　〃and　in　the　face　of　an　agreement　not　to　throw　a　share　on　the　market；　he　has　been　unloading　steadily。　　That　is　what　has　been　happening　yesterday　and　to…day。　　Over　fifteen　thousand　shares　of　this　stock；　which　cannot　very　well　be　traced　to　outside　sources；　have　been　thrown　on　the　market；　and　we　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　all　of　it　comes　from　the　same　place。　　The　result　is　that　American　Match；　and　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole；　are　on　the　verge　of　collapse。〃

〃The　scoundrel！〃　repeated　Mr。　Norrie　Simms；　bitterly；　almost　rising　to　his　feet。　　The　Douglas　Trust　Company　was　heavily　interested　in　American　Match。

〃What　an　outrage！〃　commented　Mr。　Lawrence；　of　the　Prairie　National；　which　stood　to　lose　at　least　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　shrinkage　of　values　on　hypothecated　stock　alone。　　To　this　bank　that　Cowperwood　owed　at　least　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　on　call。

〃Depend　on　it　to　find　his　devil's　hoof　in　it　somewhere；〃　observed　Jordan　Jules；　who　had　never　been　able　to　make　any　satisfactory　progress　in　his　fight　on　Cowperwood　in　connection　with　the　city　council　and　the　development　of　the　Chicago　General　Company。　　The　Chicago　Central；　of　which　he　was　now　a　director；　was　one　of　the　banks　from　which　Cowperwood　had　judiciously　borrowed。

〃It's　a　pity　he　should　be　allowed　to　go　on　bedeviling　the　town　in　this　fashion；〃　observed　Mr。　Sunderland　Sledd　to　his　neighbor；　Mr。　Duane　Kingsland；　who　was　a　director　in　a　bank　controlled　by　Mr。　Hand。

The　latter；　as　well　as　Schryhart；　observed　with　satisfaction　the　effect　of　Mr。　Arneel's　words　on　the　company。

Mr。　Arneel　now　again　fished　in　his　pocket　laboriously；　and　drew　forth　a　second　slip　of　paper　which　he　spread　out　before　him。　　〃This　is　a　time　when　frankness　must　prevail；〃　he　went　on；　solemnly；　〃if　anything　is　to　be　done；　and　I　am　in　hopes　that　we　can　do　something。　I　have　here　a　memorandum　of　some　of　the　loans　which　the　local　banks　have　made　to　Mr。　Cowperwood　and　which　are　still　standing　on　their　books。　　I　want　to　know　if　there　are　any　further　loans　of　which　any　of　you　happen　to　know　and　which　you　are　willing　to　mention　at　this　time。〃

He　looked　solemnly　around。

Immediately　several　loans　were　mentioned　by　Mr。　Cotton　and　Mr。　Osgood　which　had　not　been　heard　of　previously。　　The　company　was　now　very　well　aware；　in　a　general　way；　of　what　was　coming。

〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　continued　Mr。　Arneel；　〃I　have；　previous　to　this　meeting；　consulted　with　a　number　of　our　leading　men。　　They　agree　with　me　that；　since　so　many　banks　are　in　need　of　funds　to　carry　this　situation；　and　since　there　is　no　particular　obligation　on　anybody's　part　to　look　after　the　interests　of　Mr。　Cowperwood；　it　might　be　just　as　well　if　these　loans　of　his；　which　are　outstanding；　were　called　and　the　money　used　to　aid　the　banks　and　the　men　who　have　been　behind　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole。　　I　have　no　personal　feeling　against　Mr。　Cowperwoodthat　is；　he　has　never　done　me　any　direct　injurybut　naturally　I　cannot　approve　of　the　course　he　has　seen　fit　to　take　in　this　case。　　Now；　if　there　isn't　money　available　from　some　source　to　enable　you　gentlemen　to　turn　around；　there　will　be　a　number　of　other　failures。　　Runs　may　be　started　on　a　half…dozen　banks。　　Time　is　the　essence　of　a　situation　like　this；　and　we　haven't　any　time。〃

Mr。　Arneel　paused　and　looked　around。　　A　slight　buzz　of　conversation　sprang　up；　mostly　bitter　and　destructive　criticism　of　Cowperwood。

〃It　would　be　only　just　if　he　could　be　made　to　pay　for　this；〃　comm