the time it occurred were as yet unaware of
the ugly gossip going about, or at least of society's new attitude
toward the Cowperwoods. At this time it was understood by nearly
all--the Simms, Candas, Cottons, and Kingslands--that a great mistake
had been made, and that the Cowperwoods were by no means admissible.

To this particular dinner a number of people, whom the latter knew, had
been invited. Uniformly all, when they learned or recalled that the
Cowperwoods were expected, sent eleventh-hour regrets--"so sorry."
Outside the Sledds there was only one other couple--the Stanislau
Hoecksemas, for whom the Cowperwoods did not particularly care. It was
a dull evening. Aileen complained of a headache, and they went home.

Very shortly afterward, at a reception given by their neighbors, the
Haatstaedts, to which they had long since been invited, there was an
evident shyness in regard to them, quite new in its aspect, although
the hosts themselves were still friendly enough. Previous to this,
when strangers of prominence had been present at an affair of this kind
they were glad to be brought over to the Cowperwoods, who were always
conspicuous because of Aileen's beauty. On this day, for no reason
obvious to Aileen or Cowperwood (although both suspected),
introductions were almost uniformly refused. There were a number who
knew them, and who talked casually, but the general tendency on the
part of all was to steer clear of them. Cowperwood sensed the
difficulty at once. "I think we'd better leave early," he remarked to
Aileen, after a little while. "This isn't very interesting."

They returned to their own home, and Cowperwood to avoid discussion
went down-town. He did not care to say what he thought of this as yet.

It was previous to a reception given by the Union League that the first
real blow was struck at him personally, and that in a roundabout way.
Addison, talking to him at the Lake National Bank one morning, had said
quite confidentially, and out of a clear sky:

"I want to tell you something, Cowperwood. You know by now something
about Chicago society. You also know where I stand in regard to some
things you told me about your past when I first met you. Well, there's
a lot of talk going around about you now in regard to all that, and
these two clubs to which you and I belong are filled with a lot of
two-faced, double-breasted hypocrites who've been stirred up by this
talk of conspiracy in the pap