Ing was that the financier and the former city treasurer would

“How are you getting on?”

lose their appeals and eventually be sentenced together. Stener,

“Fine! Fine!” he would reply, cheerfully. “Never better,” in spite of his original intention to plead guilty and take his and he would explain in a general way how his affairs were punishment without comment, had been persuaded by some being handled. He conveyed much of his own optimism to of his political friends that it would be better for his future’s all those who knew him and were interested in his welfare, sake to plead not guilty and claim that his offense had been but of course there were many who were not.

due to custom, rather than to admit his guilt outright and so In these days also, he and Steger were constantly to be met seem not to have had any justification whatsoever. This he with in courts of law, for he was constantly being reexam-did, but he was convicted nevertheless. For the sake of apined in some petition in bankruptcy. They were heartbreak-pearances, a trumped-up appeal was made which was now ing days, but he did not flinch. He wanted to stay in Phila-before the State Supreme Court.

delphia and fight the thing to a finish—putting himself where Then, too, due to one whisper and another, and these origi-376

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nating with the girl who had written Butler and cially after his quarrel and break with Stener. He was a little Cowperwood’s wife, there was at this time a growing volume too aggressive. Was it not questionable whether—with such of gossip relating to the alleged relations of Cowperwood a record—he could be restored to his former place here? The with Butler’s daughter, Aileen. There had been a house in bankers and business men who were closest to him were de-Tenth Street. It had been maintained by Cowperwood for cidedly dubious.

her. No wonder Butler was so vindictive. This, indeed, ex-But in so far as Cowperwood and his own attitude toward plained much. And even in the practical, financial world, life was concerned, at this time—the feeling he had—“to criticism was now rather against Cowperwood than his en-satisfy myself ”—when combined with his love of beauty and emies. For, was it not a fact, that at the inception of his ca-love and women, still made him ruthless and thoughtless.

reer, he had been befriended by Butler? And what a way to Even now, the beauty and delight of a girl like Aileen Butler reward that friendship! His oldest and firmest admirers were far more important to him than the good-will of fifty wagged their heads. For they sensed clearly that this was an-million people, if he could evade the necessity of having their other illustration of that innate “I satisfy myself ” attitude good-will. Previous to the Chicago fire and the panic, his which so regulated Cowperwood’s conduct. He was a strong star had been so rapidly ascending that in the helter-skelter man, surely—and a brilliant one. Never had Third Street of great and favorable events he had scarcely taken thought seen a more pyrotechnic, and yet fascinating and financially of the social significance of the thing he was doing. Youth aggressive, and at the same time, conservative person. Yet and the joy of life were in his blood. He felt so young, so might one not fairly tempt Nemesis by a too great daring vigorous, so like new grass looks and feels. The freshness of and egotism? Like Death, it loves a shining mark. He should spring evenings was in him, and he did not care. After the not, perhaps, have seduced Butler’s daughter; unquestion-crash, when one might have imagined he would have seen ably he should not have so boldly taken that check, espe-the wisdom of relinquishing Aileen for the time being, any-377

The Financier

how, he did not care to. She represented the best of the won-ruptcy, or both, he ought to form a subsidiary silent partner-derful days that had gone before. She was a link between ship with some man who was or would be well liked on him and the past and a still-to-be triumphant future.

‘change, and whom he could use as a cat’s-paw and a dummy.

His worst anxiety was that if he were sent to the peniten-Finally he hit upon a man who he thought would do. He tiary, or adjudged a bankrupt, or both, he would probably did not amount to much—had a small business; but he was lose the privilege of a seat on ‘change, and that would close honest, and he liked Cowperwood. His name was Wingate—

to him the most distinguished avenue of his prosperity here Stephen Wingate—and he was eking out a not too robust in Philadelphia for some time, if not forever. At present, be-existence in South Third Street as a broker. He was forty-five cause of his complications, his seat had been attached as an years of age, of medium height, fairly thick-set, not at all asset, and he could not act. Edward and Joseph, almost the unprepossessing, and rather intelligent and active, but not only employees he could afford, were still acting for him in a too forceful and pushing in spirit. He really needed a man small way; but the other members on ‘change naturally sus-like Cowperwood to make him into something, if ever he pected his brothers as his agents, and any talk that they might was to be made. He had a seat on ‘change, and was well raise of going into business for themselves merely indicated thought of; respected, but not so very prosperous. In times to other brokers and bankers that Cowperwood was con-past he had asked small favors of Cowperwood—the use of templating some concealed move which would not neces-small loans at a moderate rate of interest, tips, and so forth; sarily be advantageous to his creditors, and against the law and Cowperwood, because he liked him and felt a little sorry anyhow. Yet he must remain on ‘change, whatever happened, for him, had granted them. Now Wingate was slowly drift-potentially if not actively; and so in his quick mental ing down toward a none too successful old age, and was as searchings he hit upon the idea that in order to forfend against tractable as such a man would naturally be. No one for the the event of his being put into prison or thrown into bank-time being would suspect him of being a hireling of 378

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Cowperwood’s, and the latter could depend on him to ex-Chapter XLVIII

ecute his orders to the letter. He sent for him and had a long conversation with him. He told him just what the situation BY THE TIME the State Supreme Court came to pass upon was, what he thought he could do for him as a partner, how Cowperwood’s plea for a reversal of the lower court and the much of his business he would want for himself, and so on, granting of a new trial, the rumor of his connection with and found him agreeable.

Aileen had spread far and wide. As has been seen, it had

“I’ll be glad to do anything you say, Mr. Cowperwood,” he done and was still doing him much damage. It confirmed assured the latter. “I know whatever happens that you’ll pro-the impression, which the politicians had originally tried to tect me, and there’s nobody in the world I would rather work create, that Cowperwood was the true criminal and Stener with or have greater respect for. This storm will all blow over, the victim. His semi-legitimate financial subtlety, backed and you’ll be all right. We can try it, anyhow. If it don’t work indeed by his financial genius, but certainly on this account out you can see what you want to do about it later.” not worse than that being practiced in peace and quiet and And so this relationship was tentatively entered into and with much applause in many other quarters—was now seen Cowperwood began to act in a small way through Wingate.

to be Machiavellian trickery of the most dangerous type. He had a wife and two children; and without knowing what his real thoughts had been the fruitfully imaginative public jumped to the conclusion that he had been on the verge of deserting them, divorcing Lillian, and marrying Aileen. This was criminal enough in itself, from the conservative point of view; but when taken in connection with his financial record, his trial, conviction, and general bankruptcy situation, the 379

The Financier

public was inclined to believe that he was all the politicians on the bench, men of considerable legal experience but no said he was. He ought to be convicted. The Supreme Court great financial understanding, listened with rapt attention.

ought not to grant his prayer for a new trial. It is thus that Three of them, Judges Smithson, Rainey, and Beckwith, men our inmost thoughts and intentions burst at times via no most amenable to the political feeling of the time and the known material agency into public thoughts. People know, wishes of the bosses, were little interested in this story of when they cannot apparently possibly know why they know.

Cowperwood’s transaction, particularly since his relations There is such a thing as thought-transference and transcen-with Butler’s daughter and Butler’s consequent opposition dentalism of ideas.

to him had come to them. They fancied that in a way they It reached, for one thing, the ears of the five judges of the were considering the whole matter fairly and impartially; but State Supreme Court and of the Governor of the State.

the manner in which Cowperwood had treated Butler was During the four weeks Cowperwood had been free on a never out of their minds. Two of them, Judges Marvin and certificate of reasonable doubt both Harper Steger and Den-Rafalsky, who were men of larger sympathies and understand-nis Shannon appeared before the judges of the State Supreme ing, but of no greater political freedom, did feel that Court, and argued pro and con as to the reasonableness of Cowperwood had been badly used thus far, but they did not granting a new trial. Through his lawyer, Cowperwood made see what they could do about it. He had put himself in a a learned appeal to the Supreme Court judges, showing how most unsatisfactory position, politically and socially. They he had been unfairly indicted in the first place, how there understood and took into consideration his great financial was no real substantial evidence on which to base a charge of and social losses which Steger described accurately; and one larceny or anything else. It took Steger two hours and ten of them, Judge Rafalsky, because of a similar event in his minutes to make his argument, and District-Attorney Shan-own life in so far as a girl was concerned, was inclined to non longer to make his reply, during which the five judges argue strongly against the conviction of Cowperwood; but, 380

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owing to his political connections and obligations, he real-said: