The growth of a passion is a very peculiar1 thing. In highly organized intellectual and artistic2 types it is so often apt to begin with keen appreciation3 of certain qualities, modified by many, many mental reservations. The egoist, the intellectual, gives but little of himself and asks much. Nevertheless, the lover of life, male or female, finding himself or herself in sympathetic accord with such a nature, is apt to gain much.
Cowperwood was innately4 and primarily an egoist and intellectual, though blended strongly therewith, was a humane5 and democratic spirit. We think of egoism and intellectualism as closely confined to the arts. Finance is an art. And it presents the operations of the subtlest of the intellectuals and of the egoists. Cowperwood was a financier. Instead of dwelling6 on the works of nature, its beauty and subtlety7, to his material disadvantage, he found a happy mean, owing to the swiftness of his intellectual operations, whereby he could, intellectually and emotionally, rejoice in the beauty of life without interfering8 with his perpetual material and financial calculations. And when it came to women and morals, which involved so much relating to beauty, happiness, a sense of distinction and variety in living, he was but now beginning to suspect for himself at least that apart from maintaining organized society in its present form there was no basis for this one-life, one-love idea. How had it come about that so many people agreed on this single point, that it was good and necessary to marry one woman and cleave9 to her until death? He did not know. It was not for him to bother about the subtleties10 of evolution, which even then was being noised abroad, or to ferret out the curiosities of history in connection with this matter. He had no time. Suffice it that the vagaries11 of temperament12 and conditions with which he came into immediate13 contact proved to him that there was great dissatisfaction with that idea. People did not cleave to each other until death; and in thousands of cases where they did, they did not want to. Quickness of mind, subtlety of idea, fortuitousness of opportunity, made it possible for some people to right their matrimonial and social infelicities; whereas for others, because of dullness of wit, thickness of comprehension, poverty, and lack of charm, there was no escape from the slough14 of their despond. They were compelled by some devilish accident of birth or lack of force or resourcefulness to stew15 in their own juice of wretchedness, or to shuffle16 off this mortal coil — which under other circumstances had such glittering possibilities — via the rope, the knife, the bullet, or the cup of poison.
“I would die, too,” he thought to himself, one day, reading of a man who, confined by disease and poverty, had lived for twelve years alone in a back bedroom attended by an old and probably decrepit17 housekeeper18. A darning-needle forced into his heart had ended his earthly woes19. “To the devil with such a life! Why twelve years? Why not at the end of the second or third?”
Again, it was so very evident, in so many ways, that force was the answer — great mental and physical force. Why, these giants of commerce and money could do as they pleased in this life, and did. He had already had ample local evidence of it in more than one direction. Worse — the little guardians20 of so-called law and morality, the newspapers, the preachers, the police, and the public moralists generally, so loud in their denunciation of evil in humble21 places, were cowards all when it came to corruption22 in high ones. They did not dare to utter a feeble squeak23 until some giant had accidentally fallen and they could do so without danger to themselves. Then, O Heavens, the palaver24! What beatings of tom-toms! What mouthings of pharisaical moralities — platitudes25! Run now, good people, for you may see clearly how evil is dealt with in high places! It made him smile. Such hypocrisy26! Such cant27! Still, so the world was organized, and it was not for him to set it right. Let it wag as it would. The thing for him to do was to get rich and hold his own — to build up a seeming of virtue28 and dignity which would pass muster29 for the genuine thing. Force would do that. Quickness of wit. And he had these. “I satisfy myself,” was his motto; and it might well have been emblazoned upon any coat of arms which he could have contrived30 to set forth31 his claim to intellectual and social nobility.
But this matter of Aileen was up for consideration and solution at this present moment, and because of his forceful, determined32 character he was presently not at all disturbed by the problem it presented. It was a problem, like some of those knotty33 financial complications which presented themselves daily; but it was not insoluble. What did he want to do? He couldn’t leave his wife and fly with Aileen, that was certain. He had too many connections. He had too many social, and thinking of his children and parents, emotional as well as financial ties to bind34 him. Besides, he was not at all sure that he wanted to. He did not intend to leave his growing interests, and at the same time he did not intend to give up Aileen immediately. The unheralded manifestation35 of interest on her part was too attractive. Mrs. Cowperwood was no longer what she should be physically36 and mentally, and that in itself to him was sufficient to justify37 his present interest in this girl. Why fear anything, if only he could figure out a way to achieve it without harm to himself? At the same time he thought it might never be possible for him to figure out any practical or protective program for either himself or Aileen, and that made him silent and reflective. For by now he was intensely drawn38 to her, as he could feel — something chemic and hence dynamic was uppermost in him now and clamoring for expression.
At the same time, in contemplating39 his wife in connection with all this, he had many qualms40, some emotional, some financial. While she had yielded to his youthful enthusiasm for her after her husband’s death, he had only since learned that she was a natural conservator of public morals — the cold purity of the snowdrift in so far as the world might see, combined at times with the murky41 mood of the wanton. And yet, as he had also learned, she was ashamed of the passion that at times swept and dominated her. This irritated Cowperwood, as it would always irritate any strong, acquisitive, direct-seeing temperament. While he had no desire to acquaint the whole world with his feelings, why should there be concealment42 between them, or at least mental evasion43 of a fact which physically she subscribed44 to? Why do one thing and think another? To be sure, she was devoted45 to him in her quiet way, not passionately46 (as he looked back he could not say that she had ever been that), but intellectually. Duty, as she understood it, played a great part in this. She was dutiful. And then what people thought, what the time-spirit demanded — these were the great things. Aileen, on the contrary, was probably not dutiful, and it was obvious that she had no temperamental connection with current convention. No doubt she had been as well instructed as many another girl, but look at her. She was not obeying her instructions.
In the next three months this relationship took on a more flagrant form. Aileen, knowing full well what her parents would think, how unspeakable in the mind of the current world were the thoughts she was thinking, persisted, nevertheless, in so thinking and longing47. Cowperwood, now that she had gone thus far and compromised herself in intention, if not in deed, took on a peculiar charm for her. It was not his body — great passion is never that, exactly. The flavor of his spirit was what attracted and compelled, like the glow of a flame to a moth48. There was a light of romance in his eyes, which, however governed and controlled — was directive and almost all-powerful to her.
When he touched her hand at parting, it was as though she had received an electric shock, and she recalled that it was very difficult for her to look directly into his eyes. Something akin49 to a destructive force seemed to issue from them at times. Other people, men particularly, found it difficult to face Cowperwood’s glazed50 stare. It was as though there were another pair of eyes behind those they saw, watching through thin, obscuring curtains. You could not tell what he was thinking.
And during the next few months she found herself coming closer and closer to Cowperwood. At his home one evening, seated at the piano, no one else being present at the moment, he leaned over and kissed her. There was a cold, snowy street visible through the interstices of the hangings of the windows, and gas-lamps flickering51 outside. He had come in early, and hearing Aileen, he came to where she was seated at the piano. She was wearing a rough, gray wool cloth dress, ornately banded with fringed Oriental embroidery52 in blue and burnt-orange, and her beauty was further enhanced by a gray hat planned to match her dress, with a plume53 of shaded orange and blue. On her fingers were four or five rings, far too many — an opal, an emerald, a ruby54, and a diamond — flashing visibly as she played.
She knew it was he, without turning. He came beside her, and she looked up smiling, the reverie evoked55 by Schubert partly vanishing — or melting into another mood. Suddenly he bent56 over and pressed his lips firmly to hers. His mustache thrilled her with its silky touch. She stopped playing and tried to catch her breath, for, strong as she was, it affected57 her breathing. Her heart was beating like a triphammer. She did not say, “Oh,” or, “You mustn’t,” but rose and walked over to a window, where she lifted a curtain, pretending to look out. She felt as though she might faint, so intensely happy was she.
Cowperwood followed her quickly. Slipping his arms about her waist, he looked at her flushed cheeks, her clear, moist eyes and red mouth.
“You love me?” he whispered, stern and compelling because of his desire.
“Yes! Yes! You know I do.”
He crushed her face to his, and she put up her hands and stroked his hair.
A thrilling sense of possession, mastery, happiness and understanding, love of her and of her body, suddenly overwhelmed him.
“I love you,” he said, as though he were surprised to hear himself say it. “I didn’t think I did, but I do. You’re beautiful. I’m wild about you.”
“And I love you” she answered. “I can’t help it. I know I shouldn’t, but — oh —” Her hands closed tight over his ears and temples. She put her lips to his and dreamed into his eyes. Then she stepped away quickly, looking out into the street, and he walked back into the living-room. They were quite alone. He was debating whether he should risk anything further when Norah, having been in to see Anna next door, appeared and not long afterward58 Mrs. Cowperwood. Then Aileen and Norah left.
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1
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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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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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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innately
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| adv.天赋地；内在地，固有地 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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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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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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cleave
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| v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋 | |
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subtleties
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| 细微( subtlety的名词复数 )； 精细； 巧妙； 细微的差别等 | |
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vagaries
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| n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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slough
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| v.蜕皮，脱落，抛弃 | |
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stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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palaver
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| adj.壮丽堂皇的；n.废话，空话 | |
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platitudes
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| n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子 | |
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hypocrisy
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| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
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cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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30
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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knotty
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| adj.有结的，多节的，多瘤的，棘手的 | |
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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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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39
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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qualms
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| n.不安；内疚 | |
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41
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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42
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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43
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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44
subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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45
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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46
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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47
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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moth
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| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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50
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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51
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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52
embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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53
plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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54
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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56
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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