he dealers in London, who at once
recognized in him a possible future patron, he was invited with Aileen
to view certain private collections, and here and there was an artist,
such as Lord Leighton, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, or Whistler, to whom he
was introduced casually, an interested stranger. These men only saw a
strong, polite, remote, conservative man. He realized the emotional,
egotistic, and artistic soul. He felt on the instant that there could
be little in common between such men and himself in so far as personal
contact was concerned, yet there was mutual ground on which they could
meet. He could not be a slavish admirer of anything, only a princely
patron. So he walked and saw, wondering how soon his dreams of
grandeur were to be realized.

In London he bought a portrait by Raeburn; in Paris a plowing scene by
Millet, a small Jan Steen, a battle piece by Meissonier, and a romantic
courtyard scene by Isabey. Thus began the revival of his former
interest in art; the nucleus of that future collection which was to
mean so much to him in later years.

On their return, the building of the new Chicago mansion created the
next interesting diversion in the lives of Aileen and Cowperwood.
Because of some chateaux they saw in France that form, or rather a
modification of it as suggested by Taylor Lord, was adopted. Mr. Lord
figured that it would take all of a year, perhaps a year and a half, to
deliver it in perfect order, but time was of no great importance in
this connection. In the mean while they could strengthen their social
connections and prepare for that interesting day when they should be of
the Chicago elite.

There were, at this time, several elements in Chicago--those who,
having grown suddenly rich from dull poverty, could not so easily
forget the village church and the village social standards; those who,
having inherited wealth, or migrated from the East where wealth was
old, understood more of the savoir faire of the game; and those who,
being newly born into wealth and seeing the drift toward a smarter
American life, were beginning to wish they might shine in it--these
last the very young people. The latter were just beginning to dream of
dances at Kinsley's, a stated Kirmess, and summer diversions of the
European kind, but they had not arrived as yet. The first class,
although by far the dullest and most bovine, was still the most
powerful because they were the richest, money as yet providing