Theodore Dreiser - The Stoic

Yet in spite of all these sweet words, Mr. Drake’s lawyers, going before Parliament, introduced a bill seeking a franchise, and Mr. Cowperwood’s lawyers introduced a rival bill for the lines he wanted to build. The result was that Parliament put both bills off until the following November and did not favor either one, which delay was a kind of victory for Cowperwood, he being so much further ahead in the development of his over-all scheme. In fact, he was heard to say that he did not enjoy going into any project unless there was some opposition, and, as everything was fair in love and war, he was prepared to oppose the Drake interests to the last ditch.

But the interest of Stanford Drake was aroused to the necessity for a real battle with Cowperwood. Having vast funds at his disposal, he made Cowperwood an offer of $5,000,000 for the privilege of sharing the Piccadilly Circus Station, which belonged to Cowperwood and which would obviously be needed by Drake in his system. At the same time he also offered Cowperwood $2,500,000 if he would call off his army of lawyers who were then and there preparing to fight Drake’s application to Parliament for permission to build his proposed road. Of course, the offers were refused by Cowperwood.

At the same time there was the London United Company which was planning to build a road from Hyde Park Corner to Shepherd’s Bush, the preliminary negotiations for which they had worked out. They went to Drake and offered to unite their line with his, and asked for a franchise from the city. They also asked Drake to operate the line as a whole if and when completed. Drake refused. Then they asked to be permitted to operate their section. Again Drake refused. Whereupon they offered their section to Cowperwood, although they had as yet no franchise for it. Cowperwood notified them to see Speyer & Company, a financing concern that operated not only in England and America but throughout Europe. This firm, after looking into the matter and seeing that they might, by benefiting Cowperwood, eventually benefit themselves, decided to buy all the existing rights which this particular company owned, after which they proceeded to syndicate the entire block of shares. Their counsel, then and there before the Parliament Tubes Committee on other matters, asked to withdraw their request for a franchise. As Drake had been pleading for only one total franchise for a year, this invalidated the whole plea. Drake returned with a request to be allowed a franchise for their section. But as their original request had called for no such thing, and there was no such bill before the committee, Cowperwood’s counsel argued that the whole matter must be thrown out. And Mr. Drake’s scheme was withdrawn.

The dramatic conclusion of this fight between two such outstanding adversaries was reported in detail by both English and American newspapers, and the London County Council, which favored a system of transit development which would make travel convenient for all London, enthused over the victory of Mr. Cowperwood, citing him as a man of broad and valuable social qualities which deserved a most favorable reception everywhere.

Cowperwood, taking advantage of this sentiment, made much of the social benefits that would result from his vast enterprise. His system, he announced, would ultimately carry as many as 200,000,000 passengers a year, would have one class of coach, a uniform five-cent fare, and be a fully connected system which would enable a traveler to go all the way by subway, thereby providing an object lesson in rapid transit, cheap fares, and frequent service.

Personally, at this time, Cowperwood was prospering so enormously that he was able to attend to matters other than those concerning the gathering of shares and profits. For instance, for mere publicity purposes, he bought Turner’s painting, “Rockets and Blue Lights,” for $78,000, and hung it in his office.

For all of his success, however, there was a new and difficult situation arising in connection with Aileen that was about to descend on Cowperwood with full force.

Aileen had returned to Paris and was again being entertained and amused by Tollifer and his friends. The fact was, however, that Marigold Brainerd, noting that Aileen favored Tollifer to such an extent that she might even wish to marry him eventually, decided that it was time for her to check this growing interest. Aware of his connection with Cowperwood, she believed she had a weapon that might easily clear the field for her. For Tollifer had confessed as much to her one night on the yachting cruise, when he had had too much to drink. And accordingly at her first opportunity she acted.

It was at a party that Tollifer gave at the studio of one of his friends, a celebration in honor of their return to Paris, that Marigold, having consumed more than her share of alcohol and noting how gayly Aileen was trifling with Tollifer, suddenly turned on her.

“If you knew as much as I do about your friend, you might not be so eager to have him at your heels all the time,” she said, sarcastically.

“Well, if you know anything that is so certain to annoy me,” said Aileen, “why don’t you come out with it instead of insinuating? Or is it just your jealousy that is getting the best of you?”

“Jealousy! Me jealous of Tollifer and you! I happen to know what’s back of all these attentions he’s showering on you, that’s all!”

Startled and irritated by this sudden assertion, Aileen exclaimed: “Just what are you driving at? Come on, tell me! Otherwise, turn your jealousy on someone else!”

“Jealousy! How silly! I’m sure it never occurred to you that your attentive friend might be pursuing you for reasons other than your personal charm. And besides, where do you suppose he gets all the money that he spends on you? I’ve known him for years, and he’s never had a shilling of his own, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know. But please come out with what you want to say,” said Aileen.

“I suggest that you ask Mr. Tollifer, or, better yet, your husband. I’m sure he could enlighten you,” concluded Marigold, as she edged away from Aileen.

Whereupon, intensely wrought up, Aileen left the room, got her wraps, and returned to her apartment, but not to dismiss the subject from her mind. Tollifer! The peculiar energy with which he had thrust himself into her life! Penniless, and yet spending so much money! And why Cowperwood’s willingness to encourage this friendship between them, even occasionally crossing over to Paris to attend these parties given by Tollifer? The darkest aspect of Marigold’s suggestion suddenly struck her with great force: that he had used this man to clear her out of his life! She must get to the bottom of this; she must know.

Within the hour, Tollifer, having missed her at the party, called her on the telephone, whereupon she demanded that he come to see her at once, there was something she must discuss with him immediately. And, upon his appearance, a stormy scene. Whose idea was it that he should invite her to Paris and pay her so much attention and at the same time spend so much money on her? Her husband’s or his own?

What nonsense! Why should he spend money on her if he did not care for her personally? To which Aileen replied that she heard that he had no money of his own, and never had had any. And, come to think of it, what did he really do to earn money, unless it was for service of some personal nature, such as that of dancing attendance on those who were able to spend their time playing but would not trouble to bother with all the tiresome details? This was an insult that cut him to the bone, since it placed him in the servant class.

“That’s not true,” he said, weakly.

But there was something in the tone of his voice that made Aileen doubt him, and this awakened a fury in her. To think that any man should stoop to such degrading employment! To think that she, Frank Algernon Cowperwood’s wife, due to her husband’s plotting, should be the victim of it! To be thus publicly displayed as an unwanted wife, one so distasteful to her husband that he had to hire help to get rid of her!