t, that Cowperwood achieved a keen realization of what
it would mean to spend the rest of his days in social isolation, or at
least confined in his sources of entertainment to a circle or element
which constantly reminded him of the fact that he was not identified
with the best, or, at least, not the most significant, however dull
that might be. When he had first attempted to introduce Aileen into
society it was his idea that, however tame they might chance to find it
to begin with, they themselves, once admitted, could make it into
something very interesting and even brilliant. Since the time the
Cowperwoods had been repudiated, however, they had found it necessary,
if they wished any social diversion at all, to fall back upon such
various minor elements as they could scrape an acquaintance
with--passing actors and actresses, to whom occasionally they could
give a dinner; artists and singers whom they could invite to the house
upon gaining an introduction; and, of course, a number of the socially
unimportant, such as the Haatstaedts, Hoecksemas, Videras, Baileys, and
others still friendly and willing to come in a casual way. Cowperwood
found it interesting from time to time to invite a business friend, a
lover of pictures, or some young artist to the house to dinner or for
the evening, and on these occasions Aileen was always present. The
Addisons called or invited them occasionally. But it was a dull game,
the more so since their complete defeat was thus all the more plainly
indicated.

This defeat, as Cowperwood kept reflecting, was really not his fault at
all. He had been getting along well enough personally. If Aileen had
only been a somewhat different type of woman! Nevertheless, he was in
no way prepared to desert or reproach her. She had clung to him through
his stormy prison days. She had encouraged him when he needed
encouragement. He would stand by her and see what could be done a
little later; but this ostracism was a rather dreary thing to endure.
Besides, personally, he appeared to be becoming more and more
interesting to men and to women. The men friends he had made he
retained--Addison, Bailey, Videra, McKibben, Rambaud, and others.
There were women in society, a number of them, who regretted his
disappearance if not that of Aileen. Occasionally the experiment would
be tried of inviting him without his wife. At first he refused
invariably; later he went alone occasionally to a dinner-party wit