登陆注册
5250800000008

第8章 Chapter III A Chicago Evening(3)

"Do you suppose we will ever have a house as fine as one of these, Frank?" she asked him, longingly.

"I'll tell you what my plan is," he said. "If you like this Michigan Avenue section we'll buy a piece of property out here now and hold it. Just as soon as I make the right connections here and see what I am going to do we'll build a house--something really nice--don't worry. I want to get this divorce matter settled, and then we'll begin. Meanwhile, if we have to come here, we'd better live rather quietly. Don't you think so?"

It was now between five and six, that richest portion of a summer day. It had been very warm, but was now cooling, the shade of the western building-line shadowing the roadway, a moted, wine-like air filling the street. As far as the eye could see were carriages, the one great social diversion of Chicago, because there was otherwise so little opportunity for many to show that they had means. The social forces were not as yet clear or harmonious.

Jingling harnesses of nickel, silver, and even plated gold were the sign manual of social hope, if not of achievement. Here sped homeward from the city--from office and manufactory--along this one exceptional southern highway, the Via Appia of the South Side, all the urgent aspirants to notable fortunes. Men of wealth who had met only casually in trade here nodded to each other. Smart daughters, society-bred sons, handsome wives came down-town in traps, Victorias, carriages, and vehicles of the latest design to drive home their trade-weary fathers or brothers, relatives or friends. The air was gay with a social hope, a promise of youth and affection, and that fine flush of material life that recreates itself in delight. Lithe, handsome, well-bred animals, singly and in jingling pairs, paced each other down the long, wide, grass-lined street, its fine homes agleam with a rich, complaisant materiality.

"Oh!" exclaimed Aileen, all at once, seeing the vigorous, forceful men, the handsome matrons, and young women and boys, the nodding and the bowing, feeling a touch of the romance and wonder of it all. "I should like to live in Chicago. I believe it's nicer than Philadelphia."

Cowperwood, who had fallen so low there, despite his immense capacity, set his teeth in two even rows. His handsome mustache seemed at this moment to have an especially defiant curl. The pair he was driving was physically perfect, lean and nervous, with spoiled, petted faces. He could not endure poor horse-flesh. He drove as only a horse-lover can, his body bolt upright, his own energy and temperament animating his animals. Aileen sat beside him, very proud, consciously erect.

"Isn't she beautiful?" some of the women observed, as they passed, going north. "What a stunning young woman!" thought or said the men.

"Did you see her?" asked a young brother of his sister. "Never mind, Aileen," commented Cowperwood, with that iron determination that brooks no defeat. "We will be a part of this. Don't fret.

You will have everything you want in Chicago, and more besides."

There was tingling over his fingers, into the reins, into the horses, a mysterious vibrating current that was his chemical product, the off-giving of his spirit battery that made his hired horses prance like children. They chafed and tossed their heads and snorted. Aileen was fairly bursting with hope and vanity and longing. Oh, to be Mrs. Frank Algernon Cowperwood here in Chicago, to have a splendid mansion, to have her cards of invitation practically commands which might not be ignored!

"Oh, dear!" she sighed to herself, mentally. "If only it were all true--now."

It is thus that life at its topmost toss irks and pains. Beyond is ever the unattainable, the lure of the infinite with its infinite ache.

"Oh, life! oh, youth! oh, hope! oh, years! Oh pain-winged fancy, beating forth with fears."

同类推荐
  • 武林旧事

    武林旧事

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 秋官司寇

    秋官司寇

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 节韵幼仪

    节韵幼仪

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Well of the Saints

    The Well of the Saints

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 伤寒法祖

    伤寒法祖

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 如意菩提

    如意菩提

    “菩提十书”之《如意菩提》:“没有此世岂有彼世,逃避今生何有来生?”我们日日月月岁岁年年都是悲欣交集的日子,能平安度日时固应欢喜,在忧患时更不应失去感恩之心。智慧第一的文珠菩萨手持如意,启示我们:唯有悲智双运的人能以如意的态度面对世界。本书是林清玄菩提系列的第四部,平安处有禅悦,动乱里何尝没有法喜,能响起我们心中的阳光。
  • 愚谷集

    愚谷集

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绝色丹药师

    绝色丹药师

    苍琦,舞阳城苍家嫡出之女,天才如她却因与魔宗高手决斗身负重伤,沦为废物。清醒之际,功劳被圣宫宫主之女所占,而曾经天才则沦为世人口中欺世盗名骗子。看她再次崛起,绽放光芒,将绝世的一剑削向真正欺世盗名之徒,还她原本清白。看她振作重生,宛如凤凰浴火,惊艳了曾经未婚夫的眉眼。当废物的她遇上那位绝色的尊主,由此开启成为唤灵师契机。从此,她拥有一双洞悉世间脉络的眼,更有一双夺天地造化奥妙的双手。组队,她永远是最可靠伙伴,炼丹,极品元魂丹药在她掌中唤醒铸玄器,一品玄器不稀罕,传说中天器由她亲手铸造完成。绝种药材,由她亲手培育而成,质疑之人为之消声。当自己亲人遭受阴谋而亡的时候,她一步步踏上了复仇争霸之路,势必以牙还牙,以血还血。绝色师尊爱卖萌,强迫定亲的聆家尊者天然呆当小萝莉出落成大美人,似乎桃花运也悄然而来。
  • 韩城暖恋

    韩城暖恋

    十八岁那年,她随着母亲改嫁跃入豪门,与他生活在同一屋檐下。他是继父唯一的儿子,是未来韩氏企业的继承人,拥有着令女人尖叫的相貌,令男人眼红的身家。在他的眼底里,她是继母的拖油瓶,不仅占据了他的豪宅,还会分割他的财产,他对于她的厌恶,从她跨入韩家大门的那一刻开始,与日俱增,变本加厉。面对他的无情与嘲讽,她看向了一边彬彬有礼的男人。端坐在真皮沙发上的男子,如同国画中晕染开来的山水,清雅淡定。一样的笑意融融,唇角、眼角,都带着诱惑,似乎告诉她,嫁给他,真的会幸福。只是在不经意的一瞥间,她知道这个男人高深莫测,看似有情,却不动情。
  • 能说会道最讨人喜欢

    能说会道最讨人喜欢

    “一句话能把人说笑,一句话也能把人说跳。”我们事业的成功与失败,人际关系的亲疏,都与口才有很大的关系。美国杰出的政治活动家和科学家本杰明,富兰克林在自传中有这样一段话;我在约束我自己的言行的时候,在使我日趋成熟,日趋合乎情理的时候,我曾经有一张言行约束检查表。当初那张表上只列着12项美德,后来,有一位朋友告诉我,我有些骄傲,并经常在谈话中表现出来,使人觉得盛气凌人。我立刻注意到这位友人给我的忠告,并相信这足以影响到我的发展前途。由此可见,具有高超的说话水平,是一个人获得社会认同的最快捷、最有效的手段。
  • 造车

    造车

    “我想造车!”韩皓一本正经说道。“就你——”周围的人都笑了,其中有人出言讽刺道。“别人造的汽车都是用钱买,而你韩皓造的汽车得用命买!”面对种种质疑,韩皓依旧不为所动回答。“既然如此,让我第一个试驾,就用我韩皓的命替中国民族汽车产业赌一个未来吧!”
  • 执魔

    执魔

    师父说,上了手的女人,就要一生一世保护好。师父说,修魔很难,一入魔道永不回头。师父说,天圆地方,那圆是圆满,那方是心的棱角,是对命运的忤逆,是对天的不顺从。我的师父叫做宁凡,他不是人,是一只入了魔的蝴蝶。他在找人,没人知道他在找谁,没人知道他还要找多久…
  • 球魂附体

    球魂附体

    “球进了!球进了这一刻他不是一个人在战斗,他不是一个人!球王贝利、马拉多纳灵魂附体!”我能够成为绿茵巨星,因为我热爱足球,这源自于兴趣成长于灵魂,至于怎么成长的,这就要从我莫名其妙的会了神打术,又莫名其妙的请来了一位踢足球的祖师爷上身说起了...
  • 纳兰性德词集

    纳兰性德词集

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 提高青少年思考能力的35种方法

    提高青少年思考能力的35种方法

    思维决定着一个人的行为,决定着一个人的学习、工作和处世的态度,决定着一个人的前途和命运,决定着你我的成败!本书结合现实生活,向青少年朋友介绍了35种实用的思维方法,通过科学的分析和生动的故事案例,帮你解读思维的本质,让正确的思维方法为你的学习、工作和生活导航。