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He looked at Mr。 Hand quite as one advocate of righteousness should look at another； and the rich promoter went away satisfied that the reins of government were in safe hands。 Immediately afterward Mr。 Sluss gave out an interview in which he served warning on all aldermen and councilmen that no such ordinance as the one in question would ever be signed by him as mayor。
At half past ten on the same morning on which the interview appeared the hour at which Mr。 Sluss usually reached his officehis private telephone bell rang； and an assistant inquired if he would be willing to speak with Mr。 Frank A。 Cowperwood。 Mr。 Sluss； somehow anticipating fresh laurels of victory； gratified by the front…page display given his announcement in the morning papers； and swelling internally with civic pride； announced； solemnly： 〃Yes； connect me。〃
〃Mr。 Sluss；〃 began Cowperwood； at the other end； 〃this is Frank A。 Cowperwood。〃
〃Yes。 What can I do for you； Mr。 Cowperwood？〃
〃I see by the morning papers that you state that you will have nothing to do with any proposed ordinance which looks to giving me a franchise for any elevated road on the North or West Side？〃
〃That is quite true；〃 replied Mr。 Sluss； loftily。 〃I will not。〃
〃Don't you think it is rather premature； Mr。 Sluss； to denounce something which has only a rumored existence？〃 （Cowperwood； smiling sweetly to himself； was quite like a cat playing with an unsuspicious mouse。） 〃I should like very much to talk this whole matter over with you personally before you take an irrevocable attitude。 It is just possible that after you have heard my side you may not be so completely opposed to me。 From time to time I have sent to you several of my personal friends； but apparently you do not care to receive them。〃
〃Quite true；〃 replied Mr。 Sluss； loftily； 〃but you must remember that I am a very busy man； Mr。 Cowperwood； and； besides； I do not see how I can serve any of your purposes。 You are working for a set of conditions to which I am morally and temperamentally opposed。 I am working for another。 I do not see that we have any common ground on which to meet。 In fact； I do not see how I can be of any service to you whatsoever。〃
〃Just a moment； please； Mr。 Mayor；〃 replied Cowperwood； still very sweetly； and fearing that Sluss might choose to hang up the receiver； so superior was his tone。 〃There may be some common ground of which you do not know。 Wouldn't you like to come to lunch at my residence or receive me at yours？ Or let me come to your office and talk this matter over。 I believe you will find it the part of wisdom as well as of courtesy to do this。〃
〃I cannot possibly lunch with you to…day；〃 replied Sluss； 〃and I cannot see you； either。 There are a number of things pressing for my attention。 I must say also that I cannot hold any back…room conferences with you or your emissaries。 If you come you must submit to the presence of others。〃
〃Very well； Mr。 Sluss；〃 replied Cowperwood； cheerfully。 〃I will not come to your office。 But unless you come to mine before five o'clock this afternoon you will face by noon to…morrow a suit for breach of promise； and your letters to Mrs。 Brandon will be given to the public。 I wish to remind you that an election is coming on； and that Chicago favors a mayor who is privately moral as well as publicly so。 Good morning。〃
Mr。 Cowperwood hung up his telephone receiver with a click； and Mr。 Sluss sensibly and visibly stiffened and paled。 Mrs。 Brandon！ The charming； lovable； discreet Mrs。 Brandon who had so ungenerously left him！ Why should she be thinking of suing him for breach of promise； and how did his letter to her come to be in Cowperwood's hands？ Good heavensthose mushy letters！ His wife！ His children！ His church and the owlish pastor thereof！ Chicago！ And its conventional； moral； religious atmosphere！ Come to think of it； Mrs。 Brandon had scarcely if ever written him a note of any kind。 He did not even know her history。
At the thought of Mrs。 Slussher hard； cold； blue eyesMr。 Sluss arose； tall and distrait； and ran his hand through his hair。 He walked to the window； snapping his thumb and middle finger and looking eagerly at the floor。 He thought of the telephone switchboard just outside his private office； and wondered whether his secretary； a handsome young Presbyterian girl； had been listening； as usual。 Oh； this sad； sad world！ If the North Side ever learned of this Hand； the newspapers； young MacDonaldwould they protect him？ They would not。 Would they run him for mayor again？ Never！ Could the public be induced to vote for him with all the churches fulminating against private immorality； hypocrites； and whited sepulchers？ Oh； Lord！ Oh； Lord！ And he was so very； very much respected and looked up tothat was the worst of it all。 This terrible demon Cowperwood had descended on him； and he had thought himself so secure。 He had not even been civil to Cowperwood。 What if the latter chose to avenge the discourtesy？
Mr。 Sluss went back to his chair； but he could not sit in it。 He went for his coat； took it down； hung it up again； took it down； announced over the 'phone that he could not see any one for several hours； and went out by a private door。 Wearily he walked along North Clark Street； looking at the hurly…burly of traffic； looking at the dirty； crowded river； looking at the sky and smoke and gray buildings； and wondering what he should do。 The world was so hard at times； it was so cruel。 His wife； his family； his political career。 He could not conscientiously sign any ordinances for Mr。 Cowperwoodthat would be immoral； dishonest； a scandal to the city。 Mr。 Cowperwood was a notorious traitor to the public welfare。 At the same time he could not very well refuse； for here was Mrs。 Brandon； the charming and unscrupulous creature； playing into the hands of Cowperwood。 If he could only meet her； beg of her； plead； but where was she？ He had not seen her for months and months。 Could he go to Hand and confess all？ But Hand was a hard； cold； moral man also。 Oh； Lord！ Oh； Lord！ He wondered and thought； and sighed and ponderedall without avail。
Pity the poor earthling caught in the toils of the moral law。 In another country； perhaps； in another day； another age； such a situation would have been capable of a solution； one not utterly destructive to Mr。 Sluss； and not entirely favorable to a man like Cowperwood。 But here in the United States； here in Chicago； the ethical verities would all； as he knew； be lined up against him。 What Lake View would think； what his pastor would think； what Hand and all his moral associates would thinkah； these were the terrible； the incontrovertible consequences of his lapse from virtue。
At four o'clock； after Mr。 Sluss had wandered for hours in the snow and cold； belaboring himself for a fool and a knave； and while Cowperwood was sitting at his desk signing papers； contemplating a glowing fire； and wondering whether the mayor would deem it advisable to put in an appearance； his office door opened and one of his trim stenographers entered announcing Mr。 Chaffee Thayer Sluss。 Enter Mayor Sluss； sad； heavy； subdued； shrunken； a very different gentleman from the one who had talked so cavalierly over the wires some five and a half hours before。 Gray weather； severe cold； and much contemplation of seemingly irreconcilable facts had reduced his spirits greatly。 He was a little pale and a little restless。 Mental distress has a reducing； congealing effect； and Mayor Sluss seemed somewhat less than his usual self in height； weight； and thickness。 Cowperwood had seen him more than once on various political platforms； but he had never met him。 When the troubled mayor entered he arose courteously and waved him to a chair。
〃Sit down； Mr。 Sluss；〃 he said； genially。 〃It's a disagreeable day out； isn't it？ I suppose you have come in regard to the matter we were discussing this morning？〃
Nor was this cordiality wholly assumed。 One of the primal instincts of Cowperwood's naturefor all his chicane and subtletywas to take no rough advantage of a beaten enemy。 In the hour of victory he was always courteous； bland； gentle； and even sympathetic； he was so to…day； and quite honestly； too。
Mayor Sluss put down the high sugar…loaf hat he wore and said； grandiosely； as was his manner even in the direst extremity： 〃Well； you see； I am here； Mr。 Cowperwood。 What is it you wish me to do； exactly？〃
〃Nothing unreasonable； I assure you； Mr。 Sluss；〃 replied Cowperwood。 〃Your manner to me this morning was a little brusque； and； as I have always wanted to have a sensible private talk with you； I took this way of getting it。 I should like you to dismiss from your mind at once the thought that I am going to take an unfair advantage of you in any way。 I have no present intention of publishing your correspondence with Mrs。 Brandon。〃 （As he said this he took from his drawer a bundle of letters which Mayor Sluss recognized at once as the enthusiastic missives which he had sometime before penned to the fair Claudia。 Mr。 Sluss groaned as he beheld this incriminating evidence。） 〃I am not trying；〃 continued Cowperwood； 〃to wreck your career； nor to make you do anything which you do not feel that you c