the titan-第79章

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far。　　Suppose　I　am　in　love？　What　difference　would　it　make　to　you？〃

〃Oh；　I　care。　　You　know　I　care。　　Why　do　you　say　that？〃

〃Yes；　you　care；〃　she　flared。　　〃I　know　how　you　care。　　Well；　I'll　just　tell　you　one　thing〃rage　at　his　indifference　was　driving　her　on〃I　am　in　love　with　Lynde；　and　what's　more；　I'm　his　mistress。　And　I'll　continue　to　be。　　But　what　do　you　care？　　Pshaw！〃

Her　eyes　blazed　hotly；　her　color　rose　high　and　strong。　　She　breathed　heavily。

At　this　announcement；　made　in　the　heat　of　spite　and　rage　generated　by　long　indifference；　Cowperwood　sat　up　for　a　moment；　and　his　eyes　hardened　with　quite　that　implacable　glare　with　which　he　sometimes　confronted　an　enemy。　　He　felt　at　once　there　were　many　things　he　could　do　to　make　her　life　miserable；　and　to　take　revenge　on　Lynde；　but　he　decided　after　a　moment　he　would　not。　　It　was　not　weakness；　but　a　sense　of　superior　power　that　was　moving　him。　　Why　should　he　be　jealous？　Had　he　not　been　unkind　enough？　In　a　moment　his　mood　changed　to　one　of　sorrow　for　Aileen；　for　himself；　for　life；　indeed　its　tangles　of　desire　and　necessity。　　He　could　not　blame　Aileen。　Lynde　was　surely　attractive。　　He　had　no　desire　to　part　with　her　or　to　quarrel　with　himmerely　to　temporarily　cease　all　intimate　relations　with　her　and　allow　her　mood　to　clear　itself　up。　　Perhaps　she　would　want　to　leave　him　of　her　own　accord。　　Perhaps；　if　he　ever　found　the　right　woman；　this　might　prove　good　grounds　for　his　leaving　her。　　The　right　womanwhere　was　she？　He　had　never　found　her　yet。

〃Aileen；〃　he　said；　quite　softly；　〃I　wish　you　wouldn't　feel　so　bitterly　about　this。　　Why　should　you？　When　did　you　do　this？　Will　you　tell　me　that？〃

〃No；　I'll　not　tell　you　that；〃　she　replied；　bitterly。　　〃It's　none　of　your　affair；　and　I'll　not　tell　you。　　Why　should　you　ask？　You　don't　care。〃

〃But　I　do　care；　I　tell　you；〃　he　returned；　irritably；　almost　roughly。　〃When　did　you？　You　can　tell　me　that；　at　least。〃　His　eyes　had　a　hard；　cold　look　for　the　moment；　dying　away；　though；　into　kindly　inquiry。

〃Oh；　not　long　ago。　　About　a　week；〃　Aileen　answered；　as　though　she　were　compelled。

〃How　long　have　you　known　him？〃　he　asked；　curiously。

〃Oh；　four　or　five　months；　now。　　I　met　him　last　winter。〃

〃And　did　you　do　this　deliberatelybecause　you　were　in　love　with　him；　or　because　you　wanted　to　hurt　me？〃

He　could　not　believe　from　past　scenes　between　them　that　she　had　ceased　to　love　him。

Aileen　stirred　irritably。　　〃I　like　that；〃　she　flared。　　〃I　did　it　because　I　wanted　to；　and　not　because　of　any　love　for　youI　can　tell　you　that。　　I　like　your　nerve　sitting　here　presuming　to　question　me　after　the　way　you　have　neglected　me。〃　She　pushed　back　her　plate；　and　made　as　if　to　get　up。

〃Wait　a　minute；　Aileen；〃　he　said；　simply；　putting　down　his　knife　and　fork　and　looking　across　the　handsome　table　where　Sevres；　silver；　fruit；　and　dainty　dishes　were　spread；　and　where　under　silk…shaded　lights　they　sat　opposite　each　other。　　〃I　wish　you　wouldn't　talk　that　way　to　me。　　You　know　that　I　am　not　a　petty；　fourth…rate　fool。　You　know　that；　whatever　you　do；　I　am　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