Ing wits told her what to do.

“I’ll dress and go down,” he said, when he saw Aileen’s

“No, Frank,” she whispered, excitedly; “if it’s father, you’d pale face. “You stay here. And don’t you worry in any way better let me go. I know how to talk to him. He won’t say for I’ll get you out of this—now, don’t worry. This is my anything to me. You stay here. I’m not afraid—really, I’m affair. I got you in it and I’ll get you out of it.” He went for not. If I want you, I’ll call you.” his hat and coat and added, as he did so, “You go ahead and He had come over and taken her pretty chin in his hands, dress; but let me go first.”

and was looking solemnly into her eyes.

Aileen, the moment the door closed, had begun to put on

“You mustn’t be afraid,” he said. “I’ll go down. If it’s your her clothes swiftly and nervously. Her mind was working father, you can go away with him. I don’t think he’ll do any-like a rapidly moving machine. She was wondering whether thing either to you or to me. If it is he, write me something this really could be her father. Perhaps it was not. Might at the office. I’ll be there. If I can help you in any way, I will.

there be some other Mrs. Montague—a real one? Supposing We can fix up something. There’s no use trying to explain it was her father—he had been so nice to her in not telling this. Say nothing at all.”

the family, in keeping her secret thus far. He loved her—she He had on his coat and overcoat, and was standing with knew that. It makes all the difference in the world in a child’s his hat in his hand. Aileen was nearly dressed, struggling 283

The Financier

with the row of red current-colored buttons which fastened

“There’s a gentleman down-stairs wishes to see the lady,” her dress in the back. Cowperwood helped her. When she said Alderson. “It’s her father, I think,” he added quietly.

was ready—hat, gloves, and all—he said: Cowperwood made way for Aileen, who swept by, furious

“Now let me go first. I want to see.” at the presence of men and this exposure. Her courage had

“No; please, Frank,” she begged, courageously. “Let me, I entirely returned. She was angry now to think her father know it’s father. Who else could it be?” She wondered at the would make a public spectacle of her. Cowperwood started moment whether her father had brought her two brothers to follow.

but would not now believe it. He would not do that, she

“I’d advise you not to go down there right away,” cautioned knew. “You can come if I call.” She went on. “Nothing’s Alderson, sagely. “That’s her father. Butler’s her name, isn’t going to happen, though. I understand him. He won’t do it? He don’t want you so much as he wants her.” anything to me. If you go it will only make him angry. Let Cowperwood nevertheless walked slowly toward the head me go. You stand in the door here. If I don’t call, it’s all right.

of the stairs, listening.

Will you?”

“What made you come here, father?” he heard Aileen ask.

She put her two pretty hands on his shoulders, and he Butler’s reply he could not hear, but he was now at ease for weighed the matter very carefully. “Very well,” he said, “only he knew how much Butler loved his daughter.

I’ll go to the foot of the stairs with you.” Confronted by her father, Aileen was now attempting to They went to the door and he opened it. Outside were stare defiantly, to look reproachful, but Butler’s deep gray Alderson with two other detectives and Mrs. Davis, stand-eyes beneath their shaggy brows revealed such a weight of ing perhaps five feet away.

weariness and despair as even she, in her anger and defiance,

“Well,” said Cowperwood, commandingly, looking at could not openly flaunt. It was all too sad.

Alderson.

“I never expected to find you in a place like this, daugh-284

Dreiser

ter,” he said. “I should have thought you would have thought Chapter XXXVII

better of yourself.” His voice choked and he stopped.

“I know who you’re here with,” he continued, shaking his IN SPITE OF BUTLER’S RAGE and his determination to do many head sadly. “The dog! I’ll get him yet. I’ve had men watchin’

things to the financier, if he could, he was so wrought up you all the time. Oh, the shame of this day! The shame of and shocked by the attitude of Aileen that he could scarcely this day! You’ll be comin’ home with me now.” believe he was the same man he had been twenty-four hours

“That’s just it, father,” began Aileen. “You’ve had men before. She was so nonchalant, so defiant. He had expected watching me. I should have thought—” She stopped, be-to see her wilt completely when confronted with her guilt.

cause he put up his hand in a strange, agonized, and yet Instead, he found, to his despair, after they were once safely dominating way.

out of the house, that he had aroused a fighting quality in

“None of that! none of that!” he said, glowering under his the girl which was not incomparable to his own. She had strange, sad, gray brows. “I can’t stand it! Don’t tempt me!

some of his own and Owen’s grit. She sat beside him in the We’re not out of this place yet. He’s not! You’ll come home little runabout—not his own—in which he was driving her with me now.”

home, her face coloring and blanching by turns, as different Aileen understood. It was Cowperwood he was referring waves of thought swept over her, determined to stand her to. That frightened her.

ground now that her father had so plainly trapped her, to

“I’m ready,” she replied, nervously.

declare for Cowperwood and her love and her position in The old man led the way broken-heartedly. He felt he general. What did she care, she asked herself, what her fa-would never live to forget the agony of this hour.

ther thought now? She was in this thing. She loved Cowperwood; she was permanently disgraced in her father’s eyes. What difference could it all make now? He had fallen 285

The Financier

so low in his parental feeling as to spy on her and expose her the value of the spectacle? And what the value of a scene before other men—strangers, detectives, Cowperwood. What such as this enacted between Aileen and her father?

real affection could she have for him after this? He had made The old man saw nothing for it, as they rode on, save a a mistake, according to her. He had done a foolish and a grim contest between them which could end in what? What contemptible thing, which was not warranted however bad could he do with her? They were riding away fresh from this her actions might have been. What could he hope to accom-awful catastrophe, and she was not saying a word! She had plish by rushing in on her in this way and ripping the veil even asked him why he had come there! How was he to sub-from her very soul before these other men—these crude de-due her, when the very act of trapping her had failed to do tectives? Oh, the agony of that walk from the bedroom to so? His ruse, while so successful materially, had failed so ut-the reception-room! She would never forgive her father for terly spiritually. They reached the house, and Aileen got out.

this—never, never, never! He had now killed her love for The old man, too nonplussed to wish to go further at this him—that was what she felt. It was to be a battle royal betime, drove back to his office. He then went out and walked—

tween them from now on. As they rode—in complete si-a peculiar thing for him to do; he had done nothing like that lence for a while—her hands clasped and unclasped defi-in years and years—walking to think. Coming to an open antly, her nails cutting her palms, and her mouth hardened.

Catholic church, he went in and prayed for enlightenment, It is an open question whether raw opposition ever accom-the growing dusk of the interior, the single everlasting lamp plishes anything of value in this world. It seems so inherent before the repository of the chalice, and the high, white altar in this mortal scheme of things that it appears to have a vast set with candles soothing his troubled feelings.