“I haven’t picked one yet, but I will. I’m looking around for the right man now.
“Well, of course, I needn’t tell you how important that is. There is one man, old General Van Sickle4, who has had considerable training in these matters. He’s fairly reliable.”
The entrance of Gen. Judson P. Van Sickle threw at the very outset a suggestive light on the whole situation. The old soldier, over fifty, had been a general of division during the Civil War, and had got his real start in life by filing false titles to property in southern Illinois, and then bringing suits to substantiate5 his fraudulent claims before friendly associates. He was now a prosperous go-between, requiring heavy retainers, and yet not over-prosperous. There was only one kind of business that came to the General—this kind; and one instinctively6 compared him to that decoy sheep at the stock-yards that had been trained to go forth7 into nervous, frightened flocks of its fellow-sheep, balking8 at being driven into the slaughtering-pens, and lead them peacefully into the shambles9, knowing enough always to make his own way quietly to the rear during the onward11 progress and thus escape. A dusty old lawyer, this, with Heaven knows what welter of altered wills, broken promises, suborned juries, influenced judges, bribed13 councilmen and legislators, double-intentioned agreements and contracts, and a whole world of shifty legal calculations and false pretenses14 floating around in his brain. Among the politicians, judges, and lawyers generally, by reason of past useful services, he was supposed to have some powerful connections. He liked to be called into any case largely because it meant something to do and kept him from being bored. When compelled to keep an appointment in winter, he would slip on an old greatcoat of gray twill that he had worn until it was shabby, then, taking down a soft felt hat, twisted and pulled out of shape by use, he would pull it low over his dull gray eyes and amble10 forth. In summer his clothes looked as crinkled as though he had slept in them for weeks. He smoked. In cast of countenance15 he was not wholly unlike General Grant, with a short gray beard and mustache which always seemed more or less unkempt and hair that hung down over his forehead in a gray mass. The poor General! He was neither very happy nor very unhappy—a doubting Thomas without faith or hope in humanity and without any particular affection for anybody.
“I’ll tell you how it is with these small councils, Mr. Cowperwood,” observed Van Sickle, sagely16, after the preliminaries of the first interview had been dispensed17 with.
“They’re worse than the city council almost, and that’s about as bad as it can be. You can’t do anything without money where these little fellows are concerned. I don’t like to be too hard on men, but these fellows—” He shook his head.
“I understand,” commented Cowperwood. “They’re not very pleasing, even after you make all allowances.”
“Most of them,” went on the General, “won’t stay put when you think you have them. They sell out. They’re just as apt as not to run to this North Side Gas Company and tell them all about the whole thing before you get well under way. Then you have to pay them more money, rival bills will be introduced, and all that.” The old General pulled a long face. “Still, there are one or two of them that are all right,” he added, “if you can once get them interested—Mr. Duniway and Mr. Gerecht.”
“I’m not so much concerned with how it has to be done, General,” suggested Cowperwood, amiably18, “but I want to be sure that it will be done quickly and quietly. I don’t want to be bothered with details. Can it be done without too much publicity19, and about what do you think it is going to cost?”
“Well, that’s pretty hard to say until I look into the matter,” said the General, thoughtfully. “It might cost only four and it might cost all of forty thousand dollars—even more. I can’t tell. I’d like to take a little time and look into it.” The old gentleman was wondering how much Cowperwood was prepared to spend.
“Well, we won’t bother about that now. I’m willing to be as liberal as necessary. I’ve sent for Mr. Sippens, the president of the Lake View Gas and Fuel Company, and he’ll be here in a little while. You will want to work with him as closely as you can.” The energetic Sippens came after a few moments, and he and Van Sickle, after being instructed to be mutually helpful and to keep Cowperwood’s name out of all matters relating to this work, departed together. They were an odd pair—the dusty old General phlegmatic20, disillusioned21, useful, but not inclined to feel so; and the smart, chipper Sippens, determined22 to wreak23 a kind of poetic24 vengeance25 on his old-time enemy, the South Side Gas Company, via this seemingly remote Northside conspiracy26. In ten minutes they were hand in glove, the General describing to Sippens the penurious27 and unscrupulous brand of Councilman Duniway’s politics and the friendly but expensive character of Jacob Gerecht. Such is life.
In the organization of the Hyde Park company Cowperwood, because he never cared to put all his eggs in one basket, decided28 to secure a second lawyer and a second dummy29 president, although he proposed to keep De Soto Sippens as general practical adviser30 for all three or four companies. He was thinking this matter over when there appeared on the scene a very much younger man than the old General, one Kent Barrows McKibben, the only son of ex-Judge Marshall Scammon McKibben, of the State Supreme31 Court. Kent McKibben was thirty-three years old, tall, athletic32, and, after a fashion, handsome. He was not at all vague intellectually—that is, in the matter of the conduct of his business—but dandified and at times remote. He had an office in one of the best blocks in Dearborn Street, which he reached in a reserved, speculative33 mood every morning at nine, unless something important called him down-town earlier. It so happened that he had drawn34 up the deeds and agreements for the real-estate company that sold Cowperwood his lots at Thirty-seventh Street and Michigan Avenue, and when they were ready he journeyed to the latter’s office to ask if there were any additional details which Cowperwood might want to have taken into consideration. When he was ushered35 in, Cowperwood turned to him his keen, analytical36 eyes and saw at once a personality he liked. McKibben was just remote and artistic37 enough to suit him. He liked his clothes, his agnostic unreadableness, his social air. McKibben, on his part, caught the significance of the superior financial atmosphere at once. He noted38 Cowperwood’s light-brown suit picked out with strands39 of red, his maroon40 tie, and small cameo cuff-links. His desk, glass-covered, looked clean and official. The woodwork of the rooms was all cherry, hand-rubbed and oiled, the pictures interesting steel-engravings of American life, appropriately framed. The typewriter—at that time just introduced—was in evidence, and the stock-ticker—also new—was ticking volubly the prices current. The secretary who waited on Cowperwood was a young Polish girl named Antoinette Nowak, reserved, seemingly astute41, dark, and very attractive.
“What sort of business is it you handle, Mr. McKibben?” asked Cowperwood, quite casually42, in the course of the conversation. And after listening to McKibben’s explanation he added, idly: “You might come and see me some time next week. It is just possible that I may have something in your line.”
In another man McKibben would have resented this remote suggestion of future aid. Now, instead, he was intensely pleased. The man before him gripped his imagination. His remote intellectuality relaxed. When he came again and Cowperwood indicated the nature of the work he might wish to have done McKibben rose to the bait like a fish to a fly.
“I wish you would let me undertake that, Mr. Cowperwood,” he said, quite eagerly. “It’s something I’ve never done, but I’m satisfied I can do it. I live out in Hyde Park and know most of the councilmen. I can bring considerable influence to bear for you.”
Cowperwood smiled pleasantly.
So a second company, officered by dummies43 of McKibben’s selection, was organized. De Soto Sippens, without old General Van Sickle’s knowledge, was taken in as practical adviser. An application for a franchise44 was drawn up, and Kent Barrows McKibben began silent, polite work on the South Side, coming into the confidence, by degrees, of the various councilmen.
There was still a third lawyer, Burton Stimson, the youngest but assuredly not the least able of the three, a pale, dark-haired Romeoish youth with burning eyes, whom Cowperwood had encountered doing some little work for Laughlin, and who was engaged to work on the West Side with old Laughlin as ostensible45 organizer and the sprightly46 De Soto Sippens as practical adviser. Stimson was no mooning Romeo, however, but an eager, incisive47 soul, born very poor, eager to advance himself. Cowperwood detected that pliability48 of intellect which, while it might spell disaster to some, spelled success for him. He wanted the intellectual servants. He was willing to pay them handsomely, to keep them busy, to treat them with almost princely courtesy, but he must have the utmost loyalty49. Stimson, while maintaining his calm and reserve, could have kissed the arch-episcopal hand. Such is the subtlety50 of contact.
Behold51 then at once on the North Side, the South Side, the West Side—dark goings to and fro and walkings up and down in the earth. In Lake View old General Van Sickle and De Soto Sippens, conferring with shrewd Councilman Duniway, druggist, and with Jacob Gerecht, ward12 boss and wholesale52 butcher, both of whom were agreeable but exacting53, holding pleasant back-room and drug-store confabs with almost tabulated54 details of rewards and benefits. In Hyde Park, Mr. Kent Barrows McKibben, smug and well dressed, a Chesterfield among lawyers, and with him one J. J. Bergdoll, a noble hireling, long-haired and dusty, ostensibly president of the Hyde Park Gas and Fuel Company, conferring with Councilman Alfred B. Davis, manufacturer of willow55 and rattan56 ware57, and Mr. Patrick Gilgan, saloon-keeper, arranging a prospective58 distribution of shares, offering certain cash consideration, lots, favors, and the like. Observe also in the village of Douglas and West Park on the West Side, just over the city line, the angular, humorous Peter Laughlin and Burton Stimson arranging a similar deal or deals.
The enemy, the city gas companies, being divided into three factions59, were in no way prepared for what was now coming. When the news finally leaked out that applications for franchises60 had been made to the several corporate61 village bodies each old company suspected the other of invasion, treachery, robbery. Pettifogging lawyers were sent, one by each company, to the village council in each particular territory involved, but no one of the companies had as yet the slightest idea who was back of it all or of the general plan of operations. Before any one of them could reasonably protest, before it could decide that it was willing to pay a very great deal to have the suburb adjacent to its particular territory left free, before it could organize a legal fight, councilmanic ordinances62 were introduced giving the applying company what it sought; and after a single reading in each case and one open hearing, as the law compelled, they were almost unanimously passed. There were loud cries of dismay from minor64 suburban65 papers which had almost been forgotten in the arrangement of rewards. The large city newspapers cared little at first, seeing these were outlying districts; they merely made the comment that the villages were beginning well, following in the steps of the city council in its distinguished66 career of crime.
Cowperwood smiled as he saw in the morning papers the announcement of the passage of each ordinance63 granting him a franchise. He listened with comfort thereafter on many a day to accounts by Laughlin, Sippens, McKibben, and Van Sickle of overtures made to buy them out, or to take over their franchises. He worked on plans with Sippens looking to the actual introduction of gas-plants. There were bond issues now to float, stock to be marketed, contracts for supplies to be awarded, actual reservoirs and tanks to be built, and pipes to be laid. A pumped-up public opposition67 had to be smoothed over. In all this De Soto Sippens proved a trump68. With Van Sickle, McKibben, and Stimson as his advisers69 in different sections of the city he would present tabloid70 propositions to Cowperwood, to which the latter had merely to bow his head in assent71 or say no. Then De Soto would buy, build, and excavate72. Cowperwood was so pleased that he was determined to keep De Soto with him permanently73. De Soto was pleased to think that he was being given a chance to pay up old scores and to do large things; he was really grateful.
“We’re not through with those sharpers,” he declared to Cowperwood, triumphantly74, one day. “They’ll fight us with suits. They may join hands later. They blew up my gas-plant. They may blow up ours.”
“Let them blow,” said Cowperwood. “We can blow, too, and sue also. I like lawsuits75. We’ll tie them up so that they’ll beg for quarter.” His eyes twinkled cheerfully.
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1
overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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sickle
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| n.镰刀 | |
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substantiate
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| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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balking
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| n.慢行，阻行v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的现在分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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shambles
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| n.混乱之处；废墟 | |
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amble
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| vi.缓行，漫步 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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13
bribed
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| v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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pretenses
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| n.借口（pretense的复数形式） | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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sagely
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| adv. 贤能地，贤明地 | |
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dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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phlegmatic
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| adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的 | |
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disillusioned
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| a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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wreak
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| v.发泄；报复 | |
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poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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penurious
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| adj.贫困的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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analytical
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| adj.分析的；用分析法的 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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40
maroon
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| v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的 | |
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41
astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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42
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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43
dummies
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| n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 )；橡皮奶头；笨蛋；假传球 | |
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44
franchise
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| n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权 | |
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45
ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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46
sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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47
incisive
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| adj.敏锐的，机敏的，锋利的，切入的 | |
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48
pliability
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| n.柔韧性；可弯性 | |
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49
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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50
subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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51
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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52
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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54
tabulated
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| 把（数字、事实）列成表( tabulate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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rattan
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| n.藤条，藤杖 | |
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57
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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58
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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59
factions
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| 组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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60
franchises
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| n.（尤指选举议员的）选举权( franchise的名词复数 )；参政权；获特许权的商业机构（或服务）；（公司授予的）特许经销权v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 ) | |
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corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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ordinances
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| n.条例，法令( ordinance的名词复数 ) | |
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ordinance
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| n.法令；条令；条例 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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66
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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68
trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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69
advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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70
tabloid
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| adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘 | |
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71
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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72
excavate
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| vt.挖掘，挖出 | |
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73
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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74
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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lawsuits
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| n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 ) | |
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