按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Alderman Winkler （pro…Cowperwood）。 〃If the chair pleases； I think something ought to be done to restore order in the gallery and keep these proceedings from being disturbed。 It seems to me an outrage； that； on an occasion of this kind； when the interests of the people require the most careful attention〃
A Voice。 〃The interests of the people！〃
Another Voice。 〃Sit down。 You're bought！〃
Alderman Winkler。 〃If the chair pleases〃
The Mayor。 〃I shall have to ask the audience in the gallery to keep quiet in order that the business in hand may be considered。〃 （Applause； and the gallery lapses into silence。）
Alderman Guigler （to Alderman Sumulsky）。 〃Well trained； eh？〃
Alderman Ballenberg （pro…Cowperwood； getting uplarge； brown； florid； smooth…faced）。 〃Before calling up an ordinance which bears my name I should like to ask permission of the council to make a statement。 When I introduced this ordinance last week I said〃
A Voice。 〃We know what you said。〃
Alderman Ballenberg。 〃I said that I did so by request。 I want to explain that it was at the request of a number of gentlemen who have since appeared before the committee of this council that now has this ordinance〃
A Voice。 〃That's all right； Ballenberg。 We know by whose request you introduced it。 You've said your little say。〃
Alderman Ballenberg。 〃If the chair pleases〃
A Voice。 〃Sit down； Ballenberg。 Give some other boodler a chance。〃
The Mayor。 〃Will the gallery please stop interrupting。〃
Alderman Horanek （jumping to his feet）。 〃This is an outrage。 The gallery is packed with people come here to intimidate us。 Here is a great public corporation that has served this city for years； and served it well； and when it comes to this body with a sensible proposition we ain't even allowed to consider it。 The mayor packs the gallery with his friends； and the papers stir up people to come down here by thousands and try to frighten us。 I for one〃
A Voice。 〃What's the matter； Billy？ Haven't you got your money yet？〃
Alderman Hvranek （Polish…American； intelligent； even artistic looking； shaking his fist at the gallery）。 〃You dare not come down here and say that； you coward！〃
A Chorus of Fifty Voices。 〃Rats！〃 （also） 〃Billy； you ought to have wings。〃
Alderman Tiernan （rising）。 〃I say now； Mr。 Mayor； don't you think we've had enough of this？〃
A Voice。 〃Well； look who's here。 If it ain't Smiling Mike。〃
Another Voice。 〃How much do you expect to get； Mike？〃
Alderman Tiernan （turning to gallery）。 〃I want to say I can lick any man that wants to come down here and talk to me to my face。 I'm not afraid of no ropes and no guns。 These corporations have done everything for the city〃
A Voice。 〃Aw！〃
Alderman Tiernan。 〃If it wasn't for the street…car companies we wouldn't have any city。〃
Ten Voices。 〃Aw！〃
Alderman Tiernan （bravely）。 〃My mind ain't the mind of some people。〃
A Voice。 〃I should say not。〃
Alderman Tiernan。 〃I'm talking for compensation for the privileges we expect to give。〃
A Voice。 〃You're talking for your pocket…book。〃
Alderman Tiernan。 〃I don't give a damn for these cheap skates and cowards in the gallery。 I say treat these corporations right。 They have helped make the city。〃
A Chorus of Fifty Voices。 〃Aw！ You want to treat yourself right； that's what you want。 You vote right to…night or you'll be sorry。〃
By now the various aldermen outside of the most hardened characters were more or less terrified by the grilling contest。 It could do no good to battle with this gallery or the crowd outside。 Above them sat the mayor； before them reporters； ticking in shorthand every phrase and word。 〃I don't see what we can do；〃 said Alderman Pinski to Alderman Hvranek； his neighbor。 〃It looks to me as if we might just as well not try。〃
At this point arose Alderman Gilleran； small； pale； intelligent； anti…Cowperwood。 By prearrangement he had been scheduled to bring the second； and as it proved； the final test of strength to the issue。 〃If the chair pleases；〃 he said； 〃I move that the vote by which the Ballenberg fifty…year ordinance was referred to the joint committee of streets and alleys be reconsidered； and that instead it be referred to the committee on city hall。〃
This was a committee that hitherto had always been considered by members of council as of the least importance。 Its principal duties consisted in devising new names for streets and regulating the hours of city…hall servants。 There were no perquisites； no graft。 In a spirit of ribald defiance at the organization of the present session all the mayor's friendsthe reformersthose who could not be trustedhad been relegated to this committee。 Now it was proposed to take this ordinance out of the hands of friends and send it here； from whence unquestionably it would never reappear。 The great test had come。
Alderman Hoberkorn （mouthpiece for his gang because the most skilful in a parliamentary sense）。 〃The vote cannot be reconsidered。〃 He begins a long explanation amid hisses。
A Voice。 〃How much have you got？〃
A Second Voice。 〃You've been a boodler all your life。〃
Alderman Hoberkorn （turning to the gallery； a light of defiance in his eye）。 〃You come here to intimidate us； but you can't do it。 You're too contemptible to notice。〃
A Voice。 〃You hear the drums； don't you？〃
A Second Voice。 〃Vote wrong； Hoberkorn； and see。 We know you。〃
Alderman Tiernan （to himself）。 〃Say； that's pretty rough； ain't it？〃
The Mayor。 〃Motion overruled。 The point is not well taken。〃
Alderman Guigler （rising a little puzzled）。 〃Do we vote now on the Gilleran resolution？〃
A Voice。 〃You bet you do； and you vote right。〃
The Mayor。 〃Yes。 The clerk will call the roll。〃
The Clerk （reading the names； beginning with the A's）。 〃Altvast？〃 （pro…Cowperwood）。
Alderman Altvast。 〃Yea。〃 Fear had conquered him。
Alderman Tiernan （to Alderman Kerrigan）。 〃Well； there's one baby down。〃
Alderman Kerrigan。 〃Yep。〃
〃Ballenberg？〃 （Pro…Cowperwood； the man who had introduced the ordinance。）
〃Yea。〃
Alderman Tiernan。 〃Say； has Ballenberg weakened？〃
Alderman Kerrigan。 〃It looks that way。〃
〃Canna？〃
〃Yea。〃
〃Fogarty？〃
〃Yea。〃
Alderman Tiernan （nervously）。 〃There goes Fogarty。〃
〃Hvranek？〃
〃Yea。〃
Alderman Tiernan。 〃And Hvranek！〃
Alderman Kerrigan （referring to the courage of his colleagues）。 〃It's coming out of their hair。〃
In exactly eighty seconds the roll…call was in and Cowperwood had lost41 to 25。 It was plain that the ordinance could never be revived。
Chapter LXII
The Recompense
You have seen； perhaps； a man whose heart was weighted by a great woe。 You have seen the eye darken； the soul fag； and the spirit congeal under the breath of an icy disaster。 At ten…thirty of this particular evening Cowperwood； sitting alone in the library of his Michigan Avenue house； was brought face to face with the fact that he had lost。 He had built so much on the cast of this single die。 It was useless to say to himself that he could go into the council a week later with a modified ordinance or could wait until the storm had died out。 He refused himself these consolations。 Already he had battled so long and so vigorously； by every resource and subtlety which his mind had been able to devise。 All week long on divers occasions he had stood in the council…chamber where the committee had been conducting its hearings。 Small comfort to know that by suits； injunctions； appeals； and writs to intervene he could tie up this transit situation and leave it for years and years the prey of lawyers； the despair of the city； a hopeless muddle which would not be unraveled until he and his enemies should long be dead。 This contest had been so long in the brewing； he had gone about it with such care years before。 And now the enemy had been heartened by a great victory。 His aldermen； powerful； hungry； fighting men alllike those picked soldiers of the ancient Roman emperorsruthless； conscienceless； as desperate as himself； had in their last redoubt of personal privilege fallen； weakened； yielded。 How could he hearten them to another strugglehow face the blazing wrath of a mighty populace that had once learned how to win？ Others might enter here Haeckelheimer； Fishel； any one of a half…dozen Eastern giants and smooth out the ruffled surface of the angry sea that he had blown to fury。 But as for him； he was tired； sick of Chicago； sick of this interminable contest。 Only recently he had promised himself that if he were to turn this great trick he would never again attempt anything so desperate or requiring so much effort。 He would not need to。 The size of his fortune made it of little worth。 Besides； in spite of his tremendous vigor； he was getting on。
Since he had alienated Aileen he was quite alone； out of touch with any one identified with the earlier years of his life。 His all…desired Berenice still evaded him。 True； she had shown lately a kind of warming sympathy； but what was it？ Gracious tolerance； perhapsa sense of obligation？ Certainly little more； he felt。 He looked into the future； deciding heavily that he must fight on； whatever happened； and then
While he sat