more than a year, or two or three, and if
he does he'll be pardoned out in half the time or less. It would be the
same in your case, if you were convicted. They couldn't keep you in and
let him out. But it will never get that far--take my word for it. We'll
win before a jury, or we'll reverse the judgment of conviction before
the State Supreme Court, certain. Those five judges up there are not
going to sustain any such poppycock idea as this."

Steger actually believed what he said, and Cowperwood was pleased. Thus
far the young lawyer had done excellently well in all of his cases.
Still, he did not like the idea of being hunted down by Butler. It was a
serious matter, and one of which Steger was totally unaware. Cowperwood
could never quite forget that in listening to his lawyer's optimistic
assurances.

The actual beginning of the trial found almost all of the inhabitants
of this city of six hundred thousand "keyed up." None of the women of
Cowperwood's family were coming into court. He had insisted that there
should be no family demonstration for the newspapers to comment upon.
His father was coming, for he might be needed as a witness. Aileen
had written him the afternoon before saying she had returned from West
Chester and wishing him luck. She was so anxious to know what was
to become of him that she could not stay away any longer and had
returned--not to go to the courtroom, for he did not want her to do
that, but to be as near as possible when his fate was decided, adversely
or otherwise. She wanted to run and congratulate him if he won, or to
console with him if he lost. She felt that her return would be likely to
precipitate a collision with her father, but she could not help that.

The position of Mrs. Cowperwood was most anomalous. She had to go
through the formality of seeming affectionate and tender, even when she
knew that Frank did not want her to be. He felt instinctively now that
she knew of Aileen. He was merely awaiting the proper hour in which to
spread the whole matter before her. She put her arms around him at the
door on the fateful morning, in the somewhat formal manner into which
they had dropped these later years, and for a moment, even though she
was keenly aware of his difficulties, she could not kiss him. He did not
want to kiss her, but he did not show it. She did kiss him, though, and
added: "Oh, I do hope things come out all right."

"You needn't worry about that, I think, Lillian," h