er　ardent　sympathy　that　he　was　afraid　of。　　He　was　so　glad　that　Bonhag　had　suggested　that　she　might　enter　the　cell；　for　it　would　be　a　grim　procedure　talking　to　her　through　a　barred　door。
  When　Aileen　arrived　she　asked　for　Mr。　Bonhag；　and　was　permitted　to　go　to　the　central　rotunda；　where　he　was　sent　for。　　When　he　came　she　murmured：　〃I　wish　to　see　Mr。　Cowperwood；　if　you　please〃；　and　he　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　yes；　just　come　with　me。〃　　As　he　came　across　the　rotunda　floor　from　his　corridor　he　was　struck　by　the　evident　youth　of　Aileen；　even　though　he　could　not　see　her　face。　　This　now　was　something　in　accordance　with　what　he　had　expected　of　Cowperwood。　A　man　who　could　steal　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　and　set　a　whole　city　by　the　ears　must　have　wonderful　adventures　of　all　kinds；　and　Aileen　looked　like　a　true　adventure。　　He　led　her　to　the　little　room　where　he　kept　his　desk　and　detained　visitors；　and　then　bustled　down　to　Cowperwood's　cell；　where　the　financier　was　working　on　one　of　his　chairs　and　scratching　on　the　door　with　his　key；　called：　〃There's　a　young　lady　here　to　see　you。　　Do　you　want　to　let　her　come　inside？〃
  〃Thank　you；　yes；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　and　Bonhag　hurried　away；　unintentionally　forgetting；　in　his　boorish　incivility；　to　unlock　the　cell　door；　so　that　he　had　to　open　it　in　Aileen's　presence。　The　long　corridor；　with　its　thick　doors；　mathematically　spaced　gratings　and　gray…stone　pavement；　caused　Aileen　to　feel　faint　at　heart。　　A　prison；　iron　cells！　And　he　was　in　one　of　them。　　It　chilled　her　usually　courageous　spirit。　　What　a　terrible　place　for　her　Frank　to　be！　What　a　horrible　thing　to　have　put　him　here！　Judges；　juries；　courts；　laws；　jails　seemed　like　so　many　foaming　ogres　ranged　about　the　world；　glaring　down　upon　her　and　her　love…affair。　The　clank　of　the　key　in　the　lock；　and　the　heavy　outward　swinging　of　the　door；　completed　her　sense　of　the　untoward。　　And　then　she　saw　Cowperwood。
  Because　of　the　price　he　was　to　receive；　Bonhag；　after　admitting　her；　strolled　discreetly　away。　　Aileen　looked　at　Cowperwood　from　behind　her　veil；　afraid　to　speak　until　she　was　sure　Bonhag　had　gone。　　And　Cowperwood；　who　was　retaining　his　self…possession　by　an　effort；　signaled　her　but　with　difficulty　after　a　moment　or　two。　〃It's　all　right；〃　he　said。　　〃He's　gone　away。〃　　She　lifted　her　veil；　removed　her　cloak；　and　took　in；　without　seeming　to；　the　stuffy；　narrow　thickness　of　the　room；　his　wretched　shoes；　the　cheap；　misshapen　suit；　the　iron　door　behind　him　leading　out　into　the　little　yard　attached　to　his　cell。　　Against　such　a　background；　with　his　partially　caned　chairs　visible　at　the　end　of　the　bed；　he　seemed　unnatural；　weird　even。　　Her　Frank！　And　in　this　condition。　She　trembled　and　it　was　useless　for　her　to　try　to　speak。　　She　could　only　put　her　arms　around　him　and　stroke　his　head；　murmuring：　〃My　poor　boymy　darling。　　Is　this　what　they　have　done　to　you？　Oh；　my　poor　darling。〃　　She　held　his　head　while　Cowperwood；　anxious　to　retain　his　composure；　winced　and　trembled；　too。　　Her　love　was　so　fullso　genuine。　　It　was　so　soothing　at　the　same　time　that　it　was　unmanning；　as　now　he　could　see；　making　of　him　a　child　again。　　And　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　some　inexplicable　trick　of　chemistry　that　chemistry　of　the　body；　of　blind　forces　which　so　readily　supersedes　reason　at　timeshe　lost　his　self…control。　　The　depth　of　Aileen's　feelings；　the　cooing　sound　of　her　voice；　the　velvety　tenderness　of　her　hands；　that　beauty　that　had　drawn　him　all　the　timemore　radiant　here　perhaps　within　these　hard　walls；　and　in　the　face　of　his　physical　misery；　than　it　had　ever　been　before　completely　unmanned　him。　　He　did　not　understand　how　it　could；　he　tried　to　defy　the　moods；　but　he　could　not。　　When　she　held　his　head　close　and　caressed　it；　of　a　sudden；　in　spite　of　himself；　his　breast　felt　thick　and　stuffy；　and　his　throat　hurt　him。　　He　felt；　for　him；　an　astonishingly　strange　feeling；　a　desire　to　cry；　which　he　did　his　best　to　overcome；　it　shocked　him　so。　　There　then　combined　and　conspired　to　defeat　him　a　strange；　rich　picture　of　the　great　world　he　had　so　recently　lost；　of　the　lovely；　magnificent　world　which　he　hoped　some　day　to　regain。　　He　felt　more　poignantly　at　this　moment　than　ever　he　had　before　the　degradation　of　the　clog　shoes；　the　cotton　shirt；　the　striped　suit；　the　reputation　of　a　convict；　permanent　and　not　to　be　laid　aside。　　He　drew　himself　quickly　away　from　her；　turned　his　back；　clinched　his　hands；　drew　his　muscles　taut；　but　it　was　too　late。　　He　was　crying；　and　he　could　not　stop。
  〃Oh；　damn　it！〃　he　exclaimed；　half　angrily；　half　self…commiseratingly；　in　combined　rage　and　shame。　　〃Why　should　I　cry？　What　the　devil's　the　matter　with　me；　anyhow？〃
  Aileen　saw　it。　　She　fairly　flung　herself　in　front　of　him；　seized　his　head　with　one　hand；　his　shabby　waist　with　the　other；　and　held　him　tight　in　a　grip　that　he　could　not　have　readily　released。
  〃Oh；　honey；　honey；　honey！〃　she　exclaimed；　pityingly　feverishly。　〃I　love　you；　I　adore　you。　　They　could　cut　my　body　into　bits　if　it　would　do　you　any　good。　　To　think　that　they　should　make　you　cry！　Oh；　my　sweet；　my　sweet；　my　darling　boy！〃
  She　pulled　his　still　shaking　body　tighter；　and　with　her　free　hand　caressed　his　head。　　She　kissed　his　eyes；　his　hair；　his　cheeks。　　He　pulled　himself　loose　again　after　a　moment；　exclaiming；　〃What　the　devil's　got　into　me？〃　but　she　drew　him　back。
  〃Never　mind；　honey　darling；　don't　you　be　ashamed　to　cry。　　Cry　here　on　my　shoulder。　　Cry　here　with　me。　　My　babymy　honey　pet！〃
  He　quieted　down　after　a　few　moments；　cautioning　her　against　Bonhag；　and　regaining　his　former　composure；　which　he　was　so　ashamed　to　have　lost。
  〃You're　a　great　girl；　pet；〃　he　said；　with　a　tender　and　yet　apologetic　smile。　　〃You're　all　rightall　that　I　needa　great　help　to　me；　but　don't　worry　any　longer　about　me；　dear。　　I'm　all　right。　　It　isn't　as　bad　as　you　think。　　How　are　you？〃
  Aileen　on　her　part　was　not　to　be　soothed　so　easily。　　His　many　woes；　including　his　wretched　position　here；　outraged　her　sense　of　justice　and　decency。　　To　think　her　fine；　wonderful　Frank　should　be　compelled　to　come　to　thisto　cry。　　She　stroked　his　head；　tenderly；　while　wild；　deadly；　unreasoning　opposition　to　life　and　chance　and　untoward　opposition　surged　in　her　brain。　　Her　fatherdamn　him！　Her　family　pooh！　What　did　she　care？　Her　Frankher　Frank。　　How　little　all　else　mattered　where　he　was　concerned。　　Never；　never；　never　would　she　desert　himnevercome　what　might。　　And　now　she　clung　to　him　in　silence　while　she　fought　in　her　brain　an　awful　battle　with　life　and　law　and　fate　and　circumstance。　　Lawnonsense！　People　they　were　brutes；　devils；　enemies；　hounds！　She　was　delighted；　eager；　crazy　to　make　a　sacrifice　of　herself。　　She　would　go　anywhere　for　or　with　her　Frank　now。　　She　would　do　anything　for　him。　　Her　family　was　nothinglife　nothing；　nothing；　nothing。　　She　would　do　anything　he　wished；　nothing　more；　nothing　less；　anything　she　could　do　to　save　him；　to　make　his　life　happier；　but　nothing　for　any　one　else。
  Chapter　LVI
  The　days　passed。　　　Once　the　understanding　with　Bonhag　was　reached；　Cowperwood's　wife；　mother　and　sister　were　allowed　to　appear　on　occasions。　　His　wife　and　the　children　were　now　settled　in　the　little　home　for　which　he　was　paying；　and　his　financial　obligations　to　her　were　satisfied　by　Wingate；　who　paid　her　one　hundred　and　twenty　five　dollars　a　month　for　him。　　He　realized　that　he　owed　her　more；　but　he　was　sailing　rather　close　to　the　wind　financially；　these　days。　　The　final　collapse　of　his　old　interests　had　come　in　March；　when　he　had　been　legally　declared　a　bankrupt；　and　all　his　properties　forfeited　to　satisfy　the　claims　against　him。　　The　city's　claim　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　would　have　eaten　up　more　than　could　have　been　realized　at　the　time；　had　not　a　pro　rata　payment　of　thirty　cents　on　the　dollar　been　declared。　　Even　then　the　city　never　received　its　due；　for　by　some　hocus…pocus　it　was　declared　to　have　forfeited　its　rights。　　Its　claims　had　not　been　made　at　the　proper　time　in　the　proper　way。　　This　left　larger　portions　of　real　money　for　the　others。
  Fortunately　by　now　Cowperwood　had　begun　to　see　that　by　a　little　experimenting　his　business　relations　with　Wingate　were　likely　to　prove　profitable。　　The　broker　had　made　it　clear　that　he　intended　to　be　perfectly　straight　with　him。　　He　had　employed　Cowperwood's　two　brothers；　at　very　moderate　salariesone　to　take　care　of　the　books　and　look　after　the　office；　and　the　other　to　act　on　'change　with　him；　for　their　seats　in　that　organization　had　never　been　sold。　And　also；　by　considerable　effort；　he　had　succeeded　in　securing　Cowperwood；　Sr。；　a　place　as　a　clerk　in　a　bank。　　For　the　latter；　since　the　day　of　his　resignation　from　the　Third　National　had　been　in　a　deep；　sad　quandary　as　to　what　further　to　do　with　his　life。　His　son's　disgrace！　The　horror　of　his　trial　and　incarceration。　Since　the　day　of　Frank's　indictment　and　more　so；　since　his　sentence　and　commitment　to　the　Eastern　Penitentiary；　he　was　as　one　who　walked　in　a　dream。　　That　trial！　That　charge　against　Frank！　His　own　son；　a　convict　in　stripesand　after　he　and　Frank　had　walked　so　proudly　in　the　front　rank　of　the　successful　and　respected　here。　Like　so　many　others　in　his　hour　of　distress；　he　had　taken　to　reading　the　Bible；　looking　into　its　pages　for　something　of　that　mind　consolation　t