登陆注册
5260400000118

第118章 Chapter XXXV(1)

As time went on Butler grew more and more puzzled and restive as to his duty in regard to his daughter. He was sure by her furtive manner and her apparent desire to avoid him, that she was still in touch with Cowperwood in some way, and that this would bring about a social disaster of some kind. He thought once of going to Mrs. Cowperwood and having her bring pressure to bear on her husband, but afterwards he decided that that would not do. He was not really positive as yet that Aileen was secretly meeting Cowperwood, and, besides, Mrs. Cowperwood might not know of her husband's duplicity. He thought also of going to Cowperwood personally and threatening him, but that would be a severe measure, and again, as in the other case, he lacked proof. He hesitated to appeal to a detective agency, and he did not care to take the other members of the family into his confidence. He did go out and scan the neighborhood of 931 North Tenth Street once, looking at the house; but that helped him little. The place was for rent, Cowperwood having already abandoned his connection with it.

Finally he hit upon the plan of having Aileen invited to go somewhere some distance off--Boston or New Orleans, where a sister of his wife lived. It was a delicate matter to engineer, and in such matters he was not exactly the soul of tact; but he undertook it.

He wrote personally to his wife's sister at New Orleans, and asked her if she would, without indicating in any way that she had heard from him, write his wife and ask if she would not permit Aileen to come and visit her, writing Aileen an invitation at the same time; but he tore the letter up. A little later he learned accidentally that Mrs. Mollenhauer and her three daughters, Caroline, Felicia, and Alta, were going to Europe early in December to visit Paris, the Riviera, and Rome; and he decided to ask Mollenhauer to persuade his wife to invite Norah and Aileen, or Aileen only, to go along, giving as an excuse that his own wife would not leave him, and that the girls ought to go. It would be a fine way of disposing of Aileen for the present. The party was to be gone six months. Mollenhauer was glad to do so, of course. The two families were fairly intimate. Mrs. Mollenhauer was willing--delighted from a politic point of view--and the invitation was extended. Norah was overjoyed. She wanted to see something of Europe, and had always been hoping for some such opportunity.

Aileen was pleased from the point of view that Mrs. Mollenhauer should invite her. Years before she would have accepted in a flash. But now she felt that it only came as a puzzling interruption, one more of the minor difficulties that were tending to interrupt her relations with Cowperwood. She immediately threw cold water on the proposition, which was made one evening at dinner by Mrs. Butler, who did not know of her husband's share in the matter, but had received a call that afternoon from Mrs. Mollenhauer, when the invitation had been extended.

"She's very anxious to have you two come along, if your father don't mind," volunteered the mother, "and I should think ye'd have a fine time. They're going to Paris and the Riveera."

"Oh, fine!" exclaimed Norah. "I've always wanted to go to Paris.

Haven't you, Ai? Oh, wouldn't that be fine?"

"I don't know that I want to go," replied Aileen. She did not care to compromise herself by showing any interest at the start. "It's coming on winter, and I haven't any clothes. I'd rather wait and go some other time."

"Oh, Aileen Butler!" exclaimed Norah. "How you talk! I've heard you say a dozen times you'd like to go abroad some winter. Now when the chance comes--besides you can get your clothes made over there."

"Couldn't you get somethin' over there?" inquired Mrs. Butler.

"Besides, you've got two or three weeks here yet."

"They wouldn't want a man around as a sort of guide and adviser, would they, mother?" put in Callum.

"I might offer my services in that capacity myself," observed Owen, reservedly.

"I'm sure I don't know," returned Mrs. Butler, smiling, and at the same time chewing a lusty mouthful. "You'll have to ast 'em, my sons."

Aileen still persisted. She did not want to go. It was too sudden.

It was this. It was that. Just then old Butler came in and took his seat at the head of the table. Knowing all about it, he was most anxious to appear not to.

"You wouldn't object, Edward, would you?" queried his wife, explaining the proposition in general.

"Object!" he echoed, with a well simulated but rough attempt at gayety. "A fine thing I'd be doing for meself--objectin'. I'd be glad if I could get shut of the whole pack of ye for a time."

"What talk ye have!" said his wife. "A fine mess you'd make of it livin' alone."

"I'd not be alone, belave me," replied Butler. "There's many a place I'd be welcome in this town--no thanks to ye."

"And there's many a place ye wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for me. I'm tellin' ye that," retorted Mrs. Butler, genially.

"And that's not stretchin' the troot much, aither," he answered, fondly.

Aileen was adamant. No amount of argument both on the part of Norah and her mother had any effect whatever. Butler witnessed the failure of his plan with considerable dissatisfaction, but he was not through. When he was finally convinced that there was no hope of persuading her to accept the Mollenhauer proposition, he decided, after a while, to employ a detective.

同类推荐
  • 满清兴亡史

    满清兴亡史

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 荷牐丛谈

    荷牐丛谈

    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。
  • Socialism

    Socialism

    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。
  • 类经

    类经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大毗卢遮那成佛经疏

    大毗卢遮那成佛经疏

    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
  • 佛说七女经

    佛说七女经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 凤逆凰歌倾天下

    凤逆凰歌倾天下

    她是驭兽一流的特工Win王,特工界无坚不摧的神话。穿越异世,她是父母双亡相国夫人的侄女,更是举国皆知,受尽白眼欺凌的废物傻子。当她双眸再次睁开,强大的灵魂注定不会再平凡,肚子里还有可爱强悍的宝宝做后盾。乖巧可爱是她的伪装,腹黑冷酷才是她的本性,坑蒙拐骗偷是她的小手段,驭兽幻术是她的拿手活。在这个弱肉强食的世界,她要强大的活下去,成为这个世界的规则,为了成功她可以不择手段,阴谋阳谋并用着。
  • 重生之祸国毒妃

    重生之祸国毒妃

    前世,她为他付出一切,倾尽全族之力,助他荣登九五,可最终他却是杀尽她族人,儿子死了,她甘愿堕入地狱岩,她说,“若有来生,我会将你对我所做的一切十倍相还,用你和柳曼殊的血染红那千树梅花——”再睁眼,她却回到了与他还未相遇之时,这一世,她要扭转乾坤,要那些伤害过她的人都不得好死。一场皇宴,一句箴言。她成为天下人皆知的‘祸国妖孽’,面对前世丈夫的真心追寻,她却转身助他人夺了他的帝位,与他人俯瞰整个如画江山。她说,“不要想着利用我,永远不要!”他却说:“浅浅,这辈子,我没什么可怕之事,唯一怕的是失去你!”然而,当阴谋与爱情接踵而至,他以她为棋子,深入敌后,横扫千军。她亦以他为棋子,培养暗军,执掌玉玺。棋局终了,他与她是否还如当初的模样?又是谁执她之手,笑看天下?
  • 自觉自愿

    自觉自愿

    自觉自愿地工作比被动地接受工作指令更容易获得成功。当你把公司的每件事情当成自己的事来干,并自觉自愿地把它干好,将是老板最乐于看到的。要知道,没有一个消极、懒惰、寻找借口的员工会成为一个公司成一个组织不可或缺的人物。
  • 穴道按摩治百病(中华传统医学养生精华)

    穴道按摩治百病(中华传统医学养生精华)

    本书所介绍的穴道按摩疗法,正是我国传统医学宝库里的一朵奇葩。根据中国传统医学的经络理论,人体布满各种各样的穴道,它们和人体的各种器官之间有着密切的联系。通过对穴道的多种处治手段,诸如针刺、按摩、挤压等,可以对相关器官起到明显的保健和治疗作用。这一神奇疗法目前已传遍全世界,人们对其显著的疗效啧啧称奇之余,竞相效法。
  • 凌潇剑歌

    凌潇剑歌

    本为普通一少年,却是两度遇奇缘;七年刻苦学绝艺,终是亲手报深仇;修真之路不好走,步步皆为逆天行;愿与红颜共白首,奈何天道不公平!红颜破碎难回天,一缕剑魂伴君行;从此世间无善恶,正邪俱是无区别;回首沧桑成过往,满腔柔情为红颜......
  • 月亮已失眠

    月亮已失眠

    黄梵是当下国内诗坛的一位实力诗人,也是受到广泛关注的“中间代”诗群的代表人物之一。在国内诗坛具有重要的影响力,在读者中具有较大的影响力。他的诗风凝练,富有想象力,对生命有着深刻的感悟。本书收入诗作110首,是黄梵诗歌创作三十余年成果的一次系统总结。
  • 逍遥游

    逍遥游

    “有一天,佛印禅师与苏东坡同游灵隐寺,来到观音菩萨的像前,佛印禅师合掌礼拜。忽然,苏东坡问了佛印禅师一个问题,人人皆念观世音菩萨,为何他的手上也和我们一样,挂着一串念珠?观世音菩萨念谁?佛印禅师回答道,念观世音菩萨。苏东坡就问道,为何亦念观世音菩萨?佛印禅师,他比我们更清楚,求人不如求己。”老和尚的年纪大概六十左右,盘坐在蒲团之上,声如洪钟,眉毛皆是白色,双手合十,一脸慈祥,一团和气。
  • Outlines of Psychology

    Outlines of Psychology

    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。
  • Royalty Restored

    Royalty Restored

    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。