ming collection of landscapes. You're interested in pictures, I
know. Your husband has some of the finest."

Instantly Aileen understood what was meant--quite by instinct. The
alleged studio must be private bachelor quarters.

"Not this afternoon," she replied, quite wrought up and disturbed. "Not
to-day. Another time. And I must be going now. But I will see you."

"And this?" he asked, picking up the necklace.

"You keep it until I do come," she replied. "I may take it then."

She relaxed a little, pleased that she was getting safely away; but her
mood was anything but antagonistic, and her spirits were as shredded as
wind-whipped clouds. It was time she wanted--a little time--that was
all.

Chapter XXXIV

Enter Hosmer Hand

It is needless to say that the solemn rage of Hand, to say nothing of
the pathetic anger of Haguenin, coupled with the wrath of Redmond
Purdy, who related to all his sad story, and of young MacDonald and his
associates of the Chicago General Company, constituted an atmosphere
highly charged with possibilities and potent for dramatic results. The
most serious element in this at present was Hosmer Hand, who, being
exceedingly wealthy and a director in a number of the principal
mercantile and financial institutions of the city, was in a position to
do Cowperwood some real financial harm. Hand had been extremely fond
of his young wife. Being a man of but few experiences with women, it
astonished and enraged him that a man like Cowperwood should dare to
venture on his preserves in this reckless way, should take his dignity
so lightly. He burned now with a hot, slow fire of revenge.

Those who know anything concerning the financial world and its great
adventures know how precious is that reputation for probity,
solidarity, and conservatism on which so many of the successful
enterprises of the world are based. If men are not absolutely honest
themselves they at least wish for and have faith in the honesty of
others. No set of men know more about each other, garner more
carefully all the straws of rumor which may affect the financial and
social well being of an individual one way or another, keep a tighter
mouth concerning their own affairs and a sharper eye on that of their
neighbors. Cowperwood's credit had hitherto been good because it was
known that he had a "soft thing" in the Chicago street-railway field,
that he paid his interest charges promptly, that he had organize