登陆注册
15468600000007

第7章 Chapter III A Chicago Evening(2)

For another short period he might have been found living at the Tremont in Chicago, avoiding for the time being, because of Aileen's company, anything more than a nodding contact with the important men he had first met, while he looked quietly into the matter of a Chicago brokerage arrangement--a partnership with some established broker who, without too much personal ambition, would bring him a knowledge of Chicago Stock Exchange affairs, personages, and Chicago ventures. On one occasion he took Aileen with him to Fargo, where with a haughty, bored insouciance she surveyed the state of the growing city.

"Oh, Frank!" she exclaimed, when she saw the plain, wooden, four-story hotel, the long, unpleasing business street, with its motley collection of frame and brick stores, the gaping stretches of houses, facing in most directions unpaved streets. Aileen in her tailored spick-and-spanness, her self-conscious vigor, vanity, and tendency to over-ornament, was a strange contrast to the rugged self-effacement and indifference to personal charm which characterized most of the men and women of this new metropolis. "You didn't seriously think of coming out here to live, did you?"

She was wondering where her chance for social exchange would come in--her opportunity to shine. Suppose her Frank were to be very rich; suppose he did make very much money--much more than he had ever had even in the past--what good would it do her here? In Philadelphia, before his failure, before she had been suspected of the secret liaison with him, he had been beginning (at least) to entertain in a very pretentious way. If she had been his wife then she might have stepped smartly into Philadelphia society.

Out here, good gracious! She turned up her pretty nose in disgust.

"What an awful place!" was her one comment at this most stirring of Western boom towns.

When it came to Chicago, however, and its swirling, increasing life, Aileen was much interested. Between attending to many financial matters Cowperwood saw to it that she was not left alone.

He asked her to shop in the local stores and tell him about them; and this she did, driving around in an open carriage, attractively arrayed, a great brown hat emphasizing her pink-and-white complexion and red-gold hair. On different afternoons of their stay he took her to drive over the principal streets. When Aileen was permitted for the first time to see the spacious beauty and richness of Prairie Avenue, the North Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, and the new mansions on Ashland Boulevard, set in their grassy spaces, the spirit, aspirations, hope, tang of the future Chicago began to work in her blood as it had in Cowperwood's. All of these rich homes were so very new. The great people of Chicago were all newly rich like themselves. She forgot that as yet she was not Cowperwood's wife; she felt herself truly to be so. The streets, set in most instances with a pleasing creamish-brown flagging, lined with young, newly planted trees, the lawns sown to smooth green grass, the windows of the houses trimmed with bright awnings and hung with intricate lace, blowing in a June breeze, the roadways a gray, gritty macadam--all these things touched her fancy. On one drive they skirted the lake on the North Shore, and Aileen, contemplating the chalky, bluish-green waters, the distant sails, the gulls, and then the new bright homes, reflected that in all certitude she would some day be the mistress of one of these splendid mansions.

How haughtily she would carry herself; how she would dress! They would have a splendid house, much finer, no doubt, than Frank's old one in Philadelphia, with a great ball-room and dining-room where she could give dances and dinners, and where Frank and she would receive as the peers of these Chicago rich people.

同类推荐
  • 剑侠奇中奇全传

    剑侠奇中奇全传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 诃利帝母真言法

    诃利帝母真言法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天禄阁外史

    天禄阁外史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Iphigenia in Tauris

    Iphigenia in Tauris

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 证治准绳·杂病

    证治准绳·杂病

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 男神暖心:恋上星辰爱上你

    男神暖心:恋上星辰爱上你

    无赖呆萌女与暖心男神会擦出怎样的火花呢?又有谁说过早的开花会很快的凋谢呢?松树可是不开花呢!看男神是如何拐带女扮男装的她。“星愿,我饿了!”“今天的你已经吃完咯!::>_<::“诶,吃可以,不过我也饿了耶”
  • 冒牌郡主:王爷,我先走一步

    冒牌郡主:王爷,我先走一步

    外表怂萌的冒牌郡主VS看似高贵冷艳的暴力王爷:一遭被雷劈,苏仪不幸身穿,因与丰国公郡主长的一模一样,被迫顶上对方身份,临时的!!随时可能会被要求走人!且没有任何福利,没有任何保险!心塞简直不止一点点,只能安慰自己,好歹能吃香的喝辣的。却哪里想到一路刀剑浪口,险象环生!正苦中作乐:天将降大任于斯人也……偏又好死不死招惹了一个年轻貌美却武力值爆表的王爷!王爷有蛇精病,整天以为她想偷窥他,引诱他,摸摸他,亲亲他……“丰仪雪,你没救了,居然敢偷本王的亵裤!”“……我明明是捡到的。”——君本佳人,奈何弃疗啊!
  • 千魂行

    千魂行

    身为大学毕业生的我在一件杂志社工作,作为一个无神论者我是绝对不相信这世界存在那种东西的,但是,最近我的身边却是接连发生怪事,我经常看见的那些奇怪的现象,神秘的电话,还有身边那些不断死去的人...
  • 渺角

    渺角

    这是一个发生在农村的故事几个天真的孩子身边发生的一切和他们干过荒唐的事,和快乐的事,当然还有惊险的事。夏天是孩子的季节带上小伙伴光着屁股在水渠里游泳,做弹弓打麻雀,上树抓知了。玩游戏就,魂斗罗,超级玛丽,赤色要塞,双截龙,一大群孩子围着一台黑白电视机玩的满头大汗却不知疲惫。跳皮筋,捉迷藏。没有完成作业一个的男生全部罚站。本文主要讲述主人公的身边的事物,包括农村的家庭生活和农村的环境。这个题材我准备了很久始终没能写出来,现在受到了很多的鼓舞才来到这个网站。感谢网络给了每个人同样的机会和平台。
  • 傲世琴灵师:冷情邪尊,请自重!

    傲世琴灵师:冷情邪尊,请自重!

    一代杀手之王,被未婚夫背叛杀死,一朝穿越,成神幻大陆南风国将军府废物小姐。废物?看我手持上古神器,走天下;无德无才?看我一曲,倾天下;高级丹药?神级丹药我都当糖豆;高级灵兽?神兽是我的坐骑;秘籍?我空间里垫桌角的好像就是上品灵技………话说,这个长的惊为天人的男人为什么一直缠着我,还很有理呢?在某男第N次动手动脚以后,沐紫月怒了:“流氓,你在干嘛?”某男挑眉:“哦?流氓?既然娘子你这样说,我们就去落实这个词吧!”说罢,将沐紫月抱起,向房间走去。沐紫月:“放开我,放开我!”【男主无限宠女主,无殇绝对不会弃坑,各位放心入坑~】
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 佛说阿难陀目佉尼呵离陀邻尼经

    佛说阿难陀目佉尼呵离陀邻尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 仙古道君

    仙古道君

    冥心归太虚,天地与同寿,一人,一蜗牛,一葫芦,踏上修仙途。
  • 娇妻宝贝,我会守着你

    娇妻宝贝,我会守着你

    从小到大,受尽苦难,以为终于遇见免我苦难之人,可是不过只是匆匆路人。她逃跑应聘进入海澜国际度假村酒店。以为可以安静度日,积极向上,相信终会守得月开见月明。他家世显赫,许多世家名媛都想成为他的女人,他却冷漠自制,可却偏偏爱上底层的一个小小员工。她自卑却努力,希望能遇见一个平凡的人能相爱到老。他看见她和好友慢慢走到一起,终于忍不住像一只伏击的豹子,背后一击,终于守得美人心。不是我想破坏你的幸福,而是你要的幸福,只有我能给
  • 南北客

    南北客

    远方的旅行,一直是时雨阳的向往,科举秋试,他差点落榜,阴差阳错,被迫选了一趟远北的旅行,机缘巧合,他遇到了一群奇葩的旅友,命运捉弄,目睹了令人费解的社会怪象,旅行生活给他带来偶有的喜悦,难得的自由,但也有不请自来的烦恼,奇人异事,他乡异客……