The Stoic tod-3 Page 11

  And thereafter, the day of sailing. And Aileen walking the deck with the air of one to whom supremacy in all things was a mere commonplace.

  As for Tollifer, now that he was aboard and faced with his real task, he was both physically and mentally tense. Cowperwood, observing him here and there, paid no least attention to him nor gave any sign of knowing him. Conscious of this, Tollifer paraded the decks, observing Aileen without appearing to, and noting that she observed him, and with interest. She was too showy, too lacking in taste and restraint, to his way of thinking. He occupied a minor stateroom on B deck, but dined at the captain’s table, while Aileen and Cowperwood dined together in their own suite. But the captain, very much aware of the presence of the Cowperwoods and anxious to make capital of the fact for himself as well as the ship, and quickly discovering that Tollifer was a most engaging person, impressed upon him the significance of these distinguished passengers and offered to arrange an introduction to them.

  Therefore, on the second day out, Captain Heinrich Schreiber sent his compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Cowperwood, asking if he could be of any service. Perhaps Mr. Cowperwood might like to be escorted over the ship. There were several admirers whom he would like to present, along with himself—at the convenience of Mr. Cowperwood, of course.

  Whereupon Cowperwood, sensing the possible machinations of Tollifer, agreed with Aileen that it might be pleasant to receive the interested passengers, and welcomed the arrival of the captain, along with Mr. Wilson Styles, playwright; C. B. Courtright, Governor of Arkansas; Mr. Bruce Tollifer, New York society man; and Alassandra Givens, of the same city, sailing to join her sister in London. Recalling her father as a man of some social importance, and noting that Alassandra was exceedingly attractive, Tollifer had introduced himself to her as a friend of some of her friends, and Alassandra, captivated, was pleased to allow the lie.

  The impromptu reception delighted Aileen. As they entered the suite, she rose from a chair in which she had been sitting reading a magazine, and stood beside her husband to greet the party. Cowperwood’s eyes immediately noted Tollifer, also his companion, Miss Givens, whose smart appearance and unmistakable air of breeding impressed him. Aileen quickly singled out Tollifer, who took his introduction to the Cowperwoods as if to total strangers.

  “It’s such a pleasure to meet the wife of so remarkable a man as Mr. Cowperwood,” he told Aileen. “I suppose you are off for the Continent.”

  “We’re going to London first,” replied Aileen, “and later to Paris and the Continent. My husband always has a lot of financial affairs to look after wherever he goes.”

  “Quite likely, from all I have read.” He smiled captivatingly. “Living with so versatile a man must be a great experience, Mrs. Cowperwood. By George, almost a business!”

  “You are certainly right there,” said Aileen. “It is almost a business.” And flattered by her seeming importance, she evoked a confiding smile in return.

  “Will you be spending a few days in Paris?” he queried.

  “Oh, yes, indeed! I don’t know just what my husband’s plans will be after he gets to London, but I intend to run over for a few days.”

  “I am going to Paris for the races, myself. Maybe I’ll see you there. Perhaps if you are there at the same time and free, we could spend an afternoon together.”

  “Oh, that would be delightful!” Aileen’s eyes were alight because of his interest. The attention of such an attractive man as this must certainly tend to raise her in the esteem of Cowperwood. “But you haven’t talked to my husband. Shall we go over?” And with Tollifer beside her she walked across the room to where Cowperwood was standing talking with the captain and Mr. Courtright.

  “Listen, Frank,” she said, lightly, “here’s another of your admirers.” And to Tollifer: “I find it’s impossible to keep the spotlight from him, Mr. Tollifer.”

  Cowperwood bent on him the blandest of glances, saying: “Well, one can’t have too many admirers. Are you a part of the spring flight to the Continent, Mr. Tollifer?” There was no least suggestion of acting. And suiting his method to Cowperwood’s, Tollifer smiled and replied easily:

  “Yes, I suppose I am. I have friends in London and Paris, and I’ve been thinking of doing some of the watering places later on. A friend of mine has a place in Brittany.” And turning to Aileen, he added: “By the way, you should really see that, Mrs. Cowperwood. It’s very lovely.”

  “Well, I’d certainly like to,” said Aileen, looking at Cowperwood. “Do you suppose our plans could be made to include Brittany this summer, Frank?”

  “Possibly. Hardly for me, though, with all I have to do. Still, we might arrange for a short visit,” he added, encouragingly. “How long are you to be in London, Mr. Tollifer?”

  “Just at the moment my plans are a little uncertain,” Tollifer answered, calmly. “It may be a week, or a little longer.”

  At this point, Alassandra, bored by Mr. Styles, who was trying to make an impression, came forward, determined to end this visit. She walked up to Tollifer, and said:

  “Aren’t you forgetting our engagement, Bruce?”

  “Oh, yes. Will you excuse us? We really must leave.” And turning to Aileen, he added: “I hope we shall see more of each other, Mrs. Cowperwood.”

  To which Aileen, venomously irritated by the aloofness and presumptuous manner of this much too attractive young lady, exclaimed: “Oh, yes, indeed, Mr. Tollifer, it will be a pleasure!” And then noting a supercilious smile on the face of Miss Givens, she added: “Sorry you have to leave, Miss . . . ah . . . Miss . . .” whereupon Tollifer instantly interjected: “Miss Givens.”

  “Oh, yes,” continued Aileen, “I didn’t get the name.”

  But Alassandra, dismissing the snub with a lift of her eyebrows, took Tollifer’s arm and, smiling a farewell to Cowperwood, left the room.

  Once they were alone, Aileen began at once to unburden her feelings. “I hate these little social upstarts, without a thing except their family connections, so ready to upstage everybody else, or try to, at least!” she exclaimed.

  “But, Aileen,” soothed Cowperwood, “how often have I told you, everyone makes the most of what he has. In her case, she attaches great significance to her social position, and that’s why she’s so vicious about it. She’s not really important, just silly. Why let her irritate you? Please don’t.”

  At the moment he was mentally contrasting Aileen with Berenice. How completely Berenice would have disposed of Alassandra!

  “Well, anyhow,” concluded Aileen, defiantly, “Mr. Tollifer is gracious and charming enough. And his position is quite as good as hers, I should judge. Don’t you think so?”

  “I certainly haven’t any reason to think otherwise,” replied Cowperwood, inwardly smiling, and yet not so much ironically as sadly, because of Aileen’s simplicity and innocence in regard to all this. “At least Miss Givens appears to admire Mr. Tollifer. So if you accept her as socially somebody, I suppose you will have to accept him in the same way,” he said.

  “Well, he has sense enough to be polite, and that’s more than she has, or almost any woman when it comes to another woman!”

  “The trouble with women, Aileen, is that they are all in the same line of business. Men, or rather their interests, are more diversified.”

  “Just the same, I like Mr. Tollifer, and I certainly don’t like that girl at all!”

  “Well, you don’t have to know her. And as for him, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be agreeable to him, if you wish. Remember, I want you to be happy on this trip.” And here he smiled on her engagingly.

  Slyly he contemplated her an hour later as she was changing her dress for an afternoon walk on the upper deck. She was now so plainly interested in herself and in life. It was really wonderful, he thought, how much one could accomplish with another by taking due thought and consideration of the other’s weaknesses, tastes, and dreams.

  But was it not possible that Berenice was working on him in exactly
the same way? She was entirely capable of it. And he would admire her for it as now, in a light way, he was admiring himself.

  Chapter 22

  The few remaining days on the boat were spent by Tollifer in planning and executing such moves as might insinuate himself into Aileen’s good graces. Among other things, he arranged two card parties, being careful to exclude Miss Givens. He did include, however, a rather well-known actress, a young western banker who was by no means averse to meeting Cowperwood’s wife, and a young widow from Buffalo who was sure that she was improving her social connections by associating with anyone of Tollifer’s looks and manners, and in consequence anyone whom he considered worth while.

  To say that Aileen was heartened by this pleasant and most unexpected social development, and in particular the obvious interest of Tollifer, is rather less than the truth. And all the more so because Cowperwood, while not participating, appeared to consider the connection satisfactory enough. In fact, he suggested that perhaps after they arrived in London and were settled at the Cecil, she might like to invite Tollifer and some of his friends for tea or dinner. He would not mind stopping in for a moment, if he had the time. And Aileen, grateful for the opportunity, seized upon it, not so much in the manner or mood of one seeking to develop a liaison, but rather as if she were eager to prove that she was still capable of such contacts and associations as might be pleasing to him.

  Plainly, thought Cowperwood, Tollifer might well be left to his own devices. For obviously he was very clever, diplomatic, and versed in all necessary social graces. Supposing he did go so far as to make love to Aileen with the idea of estranging her and capturing some portion of her personal wealth by marriage? He did not believe he would be successful; Aileen would never fall seriously in love with anyone else.

  As for Tollifer, plagued at times by the underhandedness of the intrigue, he felt it to be one of the luckiest breaks that had thus far come into his frustrated life. For if he could share the wages of actresses, as he so recently had done, most surely he could take money for playing social mentor, guide, and companion to this woman. To be sure, she was gauche, likely to do the wrong thing at times, too anxious to please, and might certainly be more tastefully dressed and coached in certain airs and pretensions which would stand her in good stead. But at least she was friendly and grateful, and it was entirely possible that he might do much for her.

  Before starting on this trip he had inquired around and discovered that in Cowperwood’s absence Aileen was accustomed to indulge in decidedly commonplace philanderings, which, regardless of her neutral social position, could only tend to degrade both Cowperwood and herself. How was it, he asked himself, that Cowperwood should be willing to allow this? Yet after meeting her, and thinking over the history of her husband, he was inclined to feel that after all Cowperwood was taking the wisest course. For she was certainly a woman of force and determination, and in any struggle for freedom which her husband might undertake, she would probably leave no stone unturned to defeat if not intentionally injure him.

  On the other hand, of course, there was the possibility that Cowperwood might one day turn on him and, for real or trumped-up reasons, accuse him of relations with her which would furnish him the means of getting rid of her. And yet, if he could prove that Cowperwood had suborned him to this scheme, the revelation would certainly not be any more pleasant for Cowperwood than it would be for him. So what, personally, had he to lose? Most certainly he could arrange his conduct and Aileen’s in such a way as to avoid charges on the part of her husband.

  And, he could do much for her. He had noticed on this trip that she liked to drink rather freely. He would have to guard her against such a weakness. Next, there was the matter of her clothes. There were dressmakers in Paris who would be grateful to him for the privilege of dressing her properly. Lastly, and, of course, with her money, it would not be difficult to arrange amusing adventures for her—Aix-les-Bains, Biarritz, Dieppe, Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo—assuming that she came to have faith in him. He could invite old friends, pay old debts, make new contacts!

  Lying in his stateroom, smoking a cigarette and sipping a highball, he speculated as to all this. This cabin! This $200-a-week job! And the $3,000!

  Chapter 23

  The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse landed the passengers for Southampton on a hazy April morning, the sun dimly Piercing an English fog. From an upper deck, Cowperwood, wearing a smart gray business suit, surveyed the quiet harbor and the placid houses on the shore beyond.

  Aileen stood beside him, dressed in her best spring finery. Hovering about were her maid, Williams; Cowperwood’s valet; and his personal secretary, Jamieson. On the dock below stood Jarkins and Kloorfain, also a group of reporters anxious to question Cowperwood concerning a rumor—concocted by Jarkins—that he was coming to England to buy a distinguished art collection, the property of a peer of whom Cowperwood had never heard.

  At the last moment Tollifer had announced—a very tactful move on his part, as Cowperwood felt—that he was not leaving the boat with them but was going on to Cherbourg and then to Paris. However, as he also explained in his most casual manner, and for Aileen’s benefit, he would come to London the following Monday or Tuesday, when he hoped to have the pleasure of seeing the Cowperwoods before they left for the Continent. At this Aileen looked at Cowperwood for a glance of approval, and, receiving it, said they would be glad to have him call on them at the Cecil.

  At this moment Cowperwood was enjoying to the fullest extent the sense of importance and well-being surrounding him. Once he had landed and disposed of Aileen, there would be Berenice, with her mother, at Claridge’s awaiting him. He actually felt young: Ulysses upon a new and truly mysterious voyage! His feelings were heightened also by the fact that in the midst of all this there arrived a messenger with a telegram in Spanish: “The sun shines on the England you step upon. It is a silver door that opens upon your greatest achievement and your greatest fame. The sea has been grey without you, Oro del Oro.” It was from Berenice, of course, and he smiled to himself at the thought of seeing her.

  And now the reporters. “Where was he bound for?” “Had he divested himself of all of his Chicago holdings?” “Was it true that he had come to England to buy a famous private art collection, as had been rumored?” To all of which questions, he vouchsafed guarded but smiling replies. To be exact, he was seeking a holiday of some duration, since it had been so long since he had had one, he explained. No, he had not gotten rid of his Chicago holdings; he was merely rearranging them. No, he had not come to buy the Fairbanks collection. He had once seen it and admired it enormously. But he had not even heard that it was for sale.

  Throughout all this Aileen posed near at hand, pleased at the revival of her former grandeur. The Illustrated News had sent a man to make a sketch of her.

  At the first lull in the buzz of talk, however, Jarkins, with Kloorfain at his elbow, rushed forward to pay his respects and to ask Cowperwood not to make any statements until he had an opportunity to talk to him. To which Cowperwood replied, “Very well, if you wish.”

  After that, at the hotel, Jamieson reporting on various telegrams which had been received. Also, there was Mr. Sippens in Room 741, waiting to be called. Then there was a message from Lord Haddonfield, whom Cowperwood had met years before in Chicago—he would like to have the pleasure of entertaining the Cowperwoods over the week end. Also, a certain distinguished South African banker—a Jewish gentleman—then in London, asked him to luncheon in order to talk of important matters relating to South Africa. The German Ambassador sent his compliments and would be happy if Mr. Cowperwood would have dinner with him at the Embassy at his convenience. From Paris a message from Mr. Dolan, of Philadelphia: “If you go through this burg without doing the town with me, I’ll have you stopped at the border. Remember, I know as much about you as you know about me.”

  The wings of fortune could be heard whirring over his head.

  Later, having seen Aileen comfortably est
ablished in her suite, he sent for Sippens and learned from him all that he had to report. There was no doubt, Sippens said, eager and birdlike in a new spring suit, that Greaves and Henshaw were at their wits’ end. And yet there was no better opening wedge for Cowperwood than the act for the line which they controlled. He would go over the proposed route with him the next day. Far more important, though, was the ultimate control of this central loop, since on that depended any general system. The Charing Cross could most profitably be joined with the loop, and if he owned or controlled that, he would be in a far better position to move in connection with the loop and some other lines. Besides, there were many acts floating about, which had been secured by speculators with the hope of finding operators and investors afterward, and these might all be investigated.

  “It’s a question, yes, of how to go about all this,” said Cowperwood, thoughtfully. “You say Greaves and Henshaw are in a mess, but they haven’t approached me yet. In the meantime, Jarkins has apparently talked to this fellow Johnson, of Traffic Electrical, and Johnson agreed with him that if I did nothing until he had a chance to bring together a group that appears to be interested in this central loop—your man, Stane, I assume, is one of them—he would arrange for me to meet them all and talk this over, the entire loop scheme, I suppose. But that would mean, I assume, that I would have to ignore Greaves and Henshaw and let this Charing Cross line drop back into Traffic Electrical by default, which is just what I don’t want to do. It would give them an extra club to swing over me.”