profit. The future
of Chicago was all in his favor. He decided to invest as much as
thirty thousand dollars in pictures, if he could find the right ones,
and to have Aileen's portrait painted while she was still so beautiful.
This matter of art was again beginning to interest him immensely.
Addison had four or five good pictures--a Rousseau, a Greuze, a
Wouverman, and one Lawrence--picked up Heaven knows where. A hotel-man
by the name of Collard, a dry-goods and real-estate merchant, was said
to have a very striking collection. Addison had told him of one Davis
Trask, a hardware prince, who was now collecting. There were many
homes, he knew where art was beginning to be assembled. He must begin,
too.

Cowperwood, once the franchises had been secured, had installed Sippens
in his own office, giving him charge for the time being. Small rented
offices and clerks were maintained in the region where practical
plant-building was going on. All sorts of suits to enjoin, annul, and
restrain had been begun by the various old companies, but McKibben,
Stimson, and old General Van Sickle were fighting these with Trojan
vigor and complacency. It was a pleasant scene. Still no one knew
very much of Cowperwood's entrance into Chicago as yet. He was a very
minor figure. His name had not even appeared in connection with this
work. Other men were being celebrated daily, a little to his envy.
When would he begin to shine? Soon, now, surely. So off they went in
June, comfortable, rich, gay, in the best of health and spirits, intent
upon enjoying to the full their first holiday abroad.

It was a wonderful trip. Addison was good enough to telegraph flowers
to New York for Mrs. Cowperwood to be delivered on shipboard. McKibben
sent books of travel. Cowperwood, uncertain whether anybody would send
flowers, ordered them himself--two amazing baskets, which with
Addison's made three--and these, with attached cards, awaited them in
the lobby of the main deck. Several at the captain's table took pains
to seek out the Cowperwoods. They were invited to join several
card-parties and to attend informal concerts. It was a rough passage,
however, and Aileen was sick. It was hard to make herself look just
nice enough, and so she kept to her room. She was very haughty, distant
to all but a few, and to these careful of her conversation. She felt
herself coming to be a very important person.

Before leaving she had almost exhausted the re