the titan-第58章
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not going to quarrel with you。 I know what the trouble is with you。 I know why you are acting this way； and how you will feel afterward if you go on。 It isn't anything I will do〃 He paused； caught by a wave of feeling。
〃Oh； isn't it？〃 she blazed； trying to overcome the emotion that was rising in herself。 The calmness of him stirred up memories of the past。 〃Well； you keep your sympathy for yourself。 I don't need it。 I will get along。 I wish you wouldn't talk to me。〃
She shoved her plate away with such force that she upset a glass in which was champagne； the wine making a frayed； yellowish splotch on the white linen； and； rising； hurried toward the door。 She was choking with anger； pain； shame； regret。
〃Aileen！ Aileen！〃 he called； hurrying after her； regardless of the butler； who； hearing the sound of stirring chairs； had entered。 These family woes were an old story to him。 〃It's love you want not revenge。 I knowI can tell。 You want to be loved by some one completely。 I'm sorry。 You mustn't be too hard on me。 I sha'n't be on you。〃 He seized her by the arm and detained her as they entered the next room。 By this time Aileen was too ablaze with emotion to talk sensibly or understand what he was doing。
〃Let me go！〃 she exclaimed； angrily； hot tears in her eyes。 〃Let me go！ I tell you I don't love you any more。 I tell you I hate you！〃 She flung herself loose and stood erect before him。 〃I don't want you to talk to me！ I don't want you to speak to me！ You're the cause of all my troubles。 You're the cause of whatever I do； when I do it； and don't you dare to deny it！ You'll see！ You'll see！ I'll show you what I'll do！〃
She twisted and turned； but he held her firmly until； in his strong grasp； as usual； she collapsed and began to cry。 〃Oh； I cry；〃 she declared； even in her tears； 〃but it will be just the same。 It's too late！ too late！〃
Chapter XXXVIII
An Hour of Defeat
The stoic Cowperwood； listening to the blare and excitement that went with the fall campaign； was much more pained to learn of Aileen's desertion than to know that he had arrayed a whole social element against himself in Chicago。 He could not forget the wonder of those first days when Aileen was young； and love and hope had been the substance of her being。 The thought ran through all his efforts and cogitations like a distantly orchestrated undertone。 In the main； in spite of his activity； he was an introspective man； and art； drama； and the pathos of broken ideals were not beyond him。 He harbored in no way any grudge against Aileenonly a kind of sorrow over the inevitable consequences of his own ungovernable disposition； the will to freedom within himself。 Change！ Change！ the inevitable passing of things！ Who parts with a perfect thing； even if no more than an unreasoning love； without a touch of self…pity？
But there followed swiftly the sixth of November； with its election； noisy and irrational； and the latter resulted in a resounding defeat。 Out of the thirty…two Democratic aldermen nominated only ten were elected； giving the opposition a full two…thirds majority in council； Messrs。 Tiernan and Kerrigan； of course； being safely in their places。 With them came a Republican mayor and all his Republican associates on the ticket； who were now supposed to carry out the theories of the respectable and the virtuous。 Cowperwood knew what it meant and prepared at once to make overtures to the enemy。 From McKenty and others he learned by degrees the full story of Tiernan's and Kerrigan's treachery； but he did not store it up bitterly against them。 Such was life。 They must be looked after more carefully in future； or caught in some trap and utterly undone。 According to their own accounts； they had barely managed to scrape through。
〃Look at meself！ I only won by three hundred votes；〃 archly declared Mr。 Kerrigan； on divers and sundry occasions。 〃By God； I almost lost me own ward！〃
Mr。 Tiernan was equally emphatic。 〃The police was no good to me；〃 he declared； firmly。 〃They let the other fellows beat up me men。 I only polled six thousand when I should have had nine。〃
But no one believed them。
While McKenty meditated as to how in two years he should be able to undo this temporary victory； and Cowperwood was deciding that conciliation was the best policy for him； Schryhart； Hand； and Arneel； joining hands with young MacDonald； were wondering how they could make sure that this party victory would cripple Cowperwood and permanently prevent him from returning to power。 It was a long； intricate fight that followed； but it involved （before Cowperwood could possibly reach the new aldermen） a proposed reintroduction and passage of the much…opposed General Electric franchise； the granting of rights and privileges in outlying districts to various minor companies； and last and worsta thing which had not previously dawned on Cowperwood as in any way probablethe projection of an ordinance granting to a certain South Side corporation the privilege of erecting and operating an elevated road。 This was as severe a blow as any that had yet been dealt Cowperwood； for it introduced a new factor and complication into the Chicago street…railway situation which had hitherto； for all its troubles； been comparatively simple。
In order to make this plain it should be said that some eighteen or twenty years before in New York there had been devised and erected a series of elevated roads calculated to relieve the congestion of traffic on the lower portion of that long and narrow island； and they had proved an immense success。 Cowperwood had been interested in them； along with everything else which pertained to public street traffic； from the very beginning。 In his various trips to New York he had made a careful physical inspection of them。 He knew all about their incorporation； backers； the expense connected with them； their returns； and so forth。 Personally； in so far as New York was concerned； he considered them an ideal solution of traffic on that crowded island。 Here in Chicago； where the population was as yet comparatively smallverging now toward a million； and widely scattered over a great areahe did not feel that they would be profitablecertainly not for some years to come。 What traffic they gained would be taken from the surface lines； and if he built them he would be merely doubling his expenses to halve his profits。 From time to time he had contemplated the possibility of their being built by other men providing they could secure a franchise； which previous to the late election had not seemed probableand in this connection he had once said to Addison： 〃Let them sink their money； and about the time the population is sufficient to support the lines they will have been driven into the hands of receivers。 That will simply chase the game into my bag； and I can buy them for a mere song。〃 With this conclusion Addison had agreed。 But since this conversation circumstances made the construction of these elevated roads far less problematic。
In the first place； public interest in the idea of elevated roads was increasing。 They were a novelty； a factor in the life of New York； and at this time rivalry with the great cosmopolitan heart was very keen in the mind of the average Chicago citizen。 Public sentiment in this direction； however naive or unworthy； was nevertheless sufficient to make any elevated road in Chicago popular for the time being。 In the second place； it so happened that because of this swelling tide of municipal enthusiasm； this renaissance of the West； Chicago had finally been chosen； at a date shortly preceding the present campaign； as the favored city for an enormous international fairquite the largest ever given in America。 Men such as Hand； Schryhart； Merrill； and Arneel； to say nothing of the various newspaper publishers and editors； had been enthusiastic supporters of the project； and in this Cowperwood had been one with them。 No sooner； however； had the award actually been granted than Cowperwood's enemies made it their first concern to utilize the situation against him。
To begin with； the site of the fair； by aid of the new anti…Cowperwood council； was located on the South Side； at the terminus of the Schryhart line； thus making the whole city pay tribute to that corporation。 Simultaneously the thought suddenly dawned upon the Schryhart faction that it would be an excellent stroke of business if the New York elevated…road idea were now introduced into the citynot so much with the purpose of making money immediately； but in order to bring the hated magnate to an understanding that he had a formidable rival which might invade the territory that he now monopolized； curtailing his and thus making it advisable for him to close out his holdings and depart。 Bland and interesting were the conferences held by Mr。 Schryhart with Mr。 Hand； and by Mr。 Hand with Mr。 Arneel on this subject。 Their plan as first outlined was to build an elevated road on the South Sidesouth of the proposed fair…groundsand once that was popularhaving previously secured franchises which would cover the entire field； West； South； and Northto construct the others at their leisure； and so to bid Mr。 Cowperwood a sweet and smiling adieu。
Cowperwood； awaiting the assembling of the new city council one month after election； did not propose to wait in peace and quiet until the enemy should strike at him unprepared。 Calling those familiar agents； his corporation attorneys； around him； he was shortly informed of the new elevated…road idea； and it gave him a real shock。 Obviously Hand and Schryhart were now in deadly earnest。 At once he dictated a letter to Mr。 Gilgan asking him to call at his office。 At the same time he hurriedly adjured his advisers to use due diligence in discovering what influences could be brought to bear on the new mayor； the honorable Chaffee Thayer Sluss； to cause him to veto the ordinances in case they came before himto effect in him； indeed； a total change of heart。
The Hon。 Chaffee Thayer Sluss； whose attitude in this instance was to prove crucial； was a tall； shapely； somewhat grandiloquent person who took himself and his social and commercial opportunities and doings in the most serious and； as it were； elevated light。 You know； perhaps； the type of man or woman who； raised in an atmosphere of comparative comfort and some small social pretension； and being short of those gray convolutions in the human brain…pan which permit an individual to see life in all its fortuitousness and uncertainty； proceed because of an absence of necessity and the consequent lack of human experience to take themselves and all that they do in the most reverential and Providence…protected spirit。 The Hon。 Chaffee Thayer Sluss reasoned that； because of the splendid ancestry on which he prided himself； he was an essentially honest man。 His father had amassed a small fortune in the wholesale harness business。 The wife whom at the age of twenty…eight he had marrieda pretty but inconsequential type of womanwas the daughter of a pickle manufacturer； whose wares were in some demand and whose children had been considered good 〃catches〃 in the neighborhood from which the Hon。 Chaffee Sluss emanated。 There had been a highly conservat
