spoke　of　with　the　greatest　nonchalance。　　Her　ears　tingled　sometimes　at　his　frankness　in　disposing　of　a　social　situation；　but　she　thought　this　must　be　characteristic　of　notable　men；　and　so　there　was　nothing　to　be　said　about　it。　　Certain　men　did　as　they　pleased；　society　did　not　seem　to　be　able　to　deal　with　them　in　any　way。　　Perhaps　God　would；　latershe　was　not　sure。　　Anyhow；　bad　as　he　was；　direct　as　he　was；　forceful　as　he　was；　he　was　far　more　interesting　than　most　of　the　more　conservative　types　in　whom　the　social　virtues　of　polite　speech　and　modest　thoughts　were　seemingly　predominate。
  〃I　know；〃　she　said；　rather　peacefully；　although　with　a　touch　of　anger　and　resentment　in　her　voice。　　〃I've　known　all　about　it　all　this　time。　　I　expected　you　would　say　something　like　this　to　me　some　day。　　It's　a　nice　reward　for　all　my　devotion　to　you；　but　it's　just　like　you；　Frank。　　When　you　are　set　on　something；　nothing　can　stop　you。　　It　wasn't　enough　that　you　were　getting　along　so　nicely　and　had　two　children　whom　you　ought　to　love；　but　you　had　to　take　up　with　this　Butler　creature　until　her　name　and　yours　are　a　by…word　throughout　the　city。　　I　know　that　she　comes　to　this　prison。　　I　saw　her　out　here　one　day　as　I　was　coming　in；　and　I　suppose　every　one　else　knows　it　by　now。　　She　has　no　sense　of　decency　and　she　does　not　carethe　wretched；　vain　thingbut　I　would　have　thought　that　you　would　be　ashamed；　Frank；　to　go　on　the　way　that　you　have；　when　you　still　have　me　and　the　children　and　your　father　and　mother　and　when　you　are　certain　to　have　such　a　hard　fight　to　get　yourself　on　your　feet；　as　it　is。　　If　she　had　any　sense　of　decency　she　would　not　have　anything　to　do　with　youthe　shameless　thing。〃
  Cowperwood　looked　at　his　wife　with　unflinching　eyes。　　He　read　in　her　remarks　just　what　his　observation　had　long　since　confirmed　that　she　was　sympathetically　out　of　touch　with　him。　　She　was　no　longer　so　attractive　physically；　and　intellectually　she　was　not　Aileen's　equal。　　Also　that　contact　with　those　women　who　had　deigned　to　grace　his　home　in　his　greatest　hour　of　prosperity　had　proved　to　him　conclusively　she　was　lacking　in　certain　social　graces。　Aileen　was　by　no　means　so　vastly　better；　still　she　was　young　and　amenable　and　adaptable；　and　could　still　be　improved。　　Opportunity　as　he　now　chose　to　think；　might　make　Aileen；　whereas　for　Lillian　or　at　least；　as　he　now　saw　itit　could　do　nothing。
  〃I'll　tell　you　how　it　is；　Lillian；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　not　sure　that　you　are　going　to　get　what　I　mean　exactly；　but　you　and　I　are　not　at　all　well　suited　to　each　other　any　more。〃
  〃You　didn't　seem　to　think　that　three　or　four　years　ago；〃　interrupted　his　wife；　bitterly。
  〃I　married　you　when　I　was　twenty…one；〃　went　on　Cowperwood；　quite　brutally；　not　paying　any　attention　to　her　interruption；　〃and　I　was　really　too　young　to　know　what　I　was　doing。　　I　was　a　mere　boy。　It　doesn't　make　so　much　difference　about　that。　　I　am　not　using　that　as　an　excuse。　　The　point　that　I　am　trying　to　make　is　this　that　right　or　wrong；　important　or　not　important；　I　have　changed　my　mind　since。　　I　don't　love　you　any　more；　and　I　don't　feel　that　I　want　to　keep　up　a　relationship；　however　it　may　look　to　the　public；　that　is　not　satisfactory　to　me。　　You　have　one　point　of　view　about　life；　and　I　have　another。　　You　think　your　point　of　view　is　the　right　one；　and　there　are　thousands　of　people　who　will　agree　with　you；　but　I　don't　think　so。　　We　have　never　quarreled　about　these　things；　because　I　didn't　think　it　was　important　to　quarrel　about　them。　　I　don't　see　under　the　circumstances　that　I　am　doing　you　any　great　injustice　when　I　ask　you　to　let　me　go。　　I　don't　intend　to　desert　you　or　the　childrenyou　will　get　a　good　living…income　from　me　as　long　as　I　have　the　money　to　give　it　to　youbut　I　want　my　personal　freedom　when　I　come　out　of　here；　if　ever　I　do；　and　I　want　you　to　let　me　have　it。　　The　money　that　you　had　and　a　great　deal　more；　once　I　am　out　of　here；　you　will　get　back　when　I　am　on　my　feet　again。　　But　not　if　you　oppose　meonly　if　you　help　me。　　I　want；　and　intend　to　help　you　alwaysbut　in　my　way。〃
  He　smoothed　the　leg　of　his　prison　trousers　in　a　thoughtful　way；　and　plucked　at　the　sleeve　of　his　coat。　　Just　now　he　looked　very　much　like　a　highly　intelligent　workman　as　he　sat　here；　rather　than　like　the　important　personage　that　he　was。　　Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　very　resentful。
  〃That's　a　nice　way　to　talk　to　me；　and　a　nice　way　to　treat　me！〃　she　exclaimed　dramatically；　rising　and　walking　the　short　space　some　two　stepsthat　lay　between　the　wall　and　the　bed。　　〃I　might　have　known　that　you　were　too　young　to　know　your　own　mind　when　you　married　me。　　Money；　of　course；　that's　all　you　think　of　and　your　own　gratification。　　I　don't　believe　you　have　any　sense　of　justice　in　you。　　I　don't　believe　you　ever　had。　　You　only　think　of　yourself；　Frank。　　I　never　saw　such　a　man　as　you。　　You　have　treated　me　like　a　dog　all　through　this　affair；　and　all　the　while　you　have　been　running　with　that　little　snip　of　an　Irish　thing；　and　telling　her　all　about　your　affairs；　I　suppose。　　You　let　me　go　on　believing　that　you　cared　for　me　up　to　the　last　moment；　and　then　you　suddenly　step　up　and　tell　me　that　you　want　a　divorce。　　I'll　not　do　it。　I'll　not　give　you　a　divorce；　and　you　needn't　think　it。〃
  Cowperwood　listened　in　silence。　　His　position；　in　so　far　as　this　marital　tangle　was　concerned；　as　he　saw；　was　very　advantageous。　He　was　a　convict；　constrained　by　the　exigencies　of　his　position　to　be　out　of　personal　contact　with　his　wife　for　a　long　period　of　time　to　come；　which　should　naturally　tend　to　school　her　to　do　without　him。　　When　he　came　out；　it　would　be　very　easy　for　her　to　get　a　divorce　from　a　convict；　particularly　if　she　could　allege　misconduct　with　another　woman；　which　he　would　not　deny。　　At　the　same　time；　he　hoped　to　keep　Aileen's　name　out　of　it。　　Mrs。　Cowperwood；　if　she　would；　could　give　any　false　name　if　he　made　no　contest。　　Besides；　she　was　not　a　very　strong　person；　intellectually　speaking。　　He　could　bend　her　to　his　will。　　There　was　no　need　of　saying　much　more　now；　the　ice　had　been　broken；　the　situation　had　been　put　before　her；　and　time　should　do　the　rest。
  〃Don't　be　dramatic；　Lillian；〃　he　commented；　indifferently。　　〃I'm　not　such　a　loss　to　you　if　you　have　enough　to　live　on。　　I　don't　think　I　want　to　live　in　Philadelphia　if　ever　I　come　out　of　here。　My　idea　now　is　to　go　west；　and　I　think　I　want　to　go　alone。　　I　sha'n't　get　married　right　away　again　even　if　you　do　give　me　a　divorce。　　I　don't　care　to　take　anybody　along。　　It　would　be　better　for　the　children　if　you　would　stay　here　and　divorce　me。　　The　public　would　think　better　of　them　and　you。〃
  〃I'll　not　do　it；〃　declared　Mrs。　Cowperwood；　emphatically。　　〃I'll　never　do　it；　never；　so　there！　You　can　say　what　you　choose。　　You　owe　it　to　me　to　stick　by　me　and　the　children　after　all　I've　done　for　you；　and　I'll　not　do　it。　　You　needn't　ask　me　any　more；　I'll　not　do　it。〃
  〃Very　well；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　quietly；　getting　up。　　〃We　needn't　talk　about　it　any　more　now。　　Your　time　is　nearly　up；　anyhow。〃　（Twenty　minutes　was　supposed　to　be　the　regular　allotment　for　visitors。）　　〃Perhaps　you'll　change　your　mind　sometime。〃
  She　gathered　up　her　muff　and　the　shawl…strap　in　which　she　had　carried　her　gifts；　and　turned　to　go。　　It　had　been　her　custom　to　kiss　Cowperwood　in　a　make…believe　way　up　to　this　time；　but　now　she　was　too　angry　to　make　this　pretense。　　And　yet　she　was　sorry；　too　sorry　for　herself　and；　she　thought；　for　him。
  〃Frank；〃　she　declared；　dramatically；　at　the　last　moment；　〃I　never　saw　such　a　man　as　you。　　I　don't　believe　you　have　any　heart。　　You're　not　worthy　of　a　good　wife。　　You're　worthy　of　just　such　a　woman　as　you're　getting。　　The　idea！〃　Suddenly　tears　came　to　her　eyes；　and　she　flounced　scornfully　and　yet　sorrowfully　out。
  Cowperwood　stood　there。　　At　least　there　would　be　no　more　useless　kissing　between　them；　he　congratulated　himself。　　It　was　hard　in　a　way；　but　purely　from　an　emotional　point　of　view。　　He　was　not　doing　her　any　essential　injustice；　he　reasonednot　an　economic　onewhich　was　the　important　thing。　　She　was　angry　to…day；　but　she　would　get　over　it；　and　in　time　might　come　to　see　his　point　of　view。　　Who　could　tell？　At　any　rate　he　had　made　it　plain　to　her　what　he　intended　to　do　and　that　was　something　as　he　saw　it。　　He　reminded　one　of　nothing　so　much；　as　he　stood　there；　as　of　a　young　chicken　picking　its　way　out　of　the　shell　of　an　old　estate。　　Although　he　was　in　a　cell　of　a　penitentiary；　with　nearly　four　years　more　to　serve；　yet　obviously　he　felt；　within　himself；　that　the　whole　world　was　still　before　him。　　He　could　go　west　if　he　could　not　reestablish　himself　in　Philadelphia；　but　he　must　stay　here　long　enough　to　win　the　approval　of　those　who　had　known　him　formerly　to　obtain；　as　it　were；　a　letter　of　credit　which　he　could　carry　to　other　parts。
  〃Hard　words　break　no　bones；〃　he　said　to　himself；　as　his　wife　went　out。　　〃A　man's　never　done　till　he's　done。　　I'll　show　some　of　these　people　yet。〃　　Of　Bonhag；　who　came　to　close　the　cell　door；　he　asked　whether　it　was　going　to　rain；　it　looked　so　dark　in　the　hall。
  〃It's　sure　to　before　night；〃　replied　Bonhag；　who　was　always　wondering　over　Cowperwood's　tangled　affairs　as　he　heard　them　retailed　here　and　there。
  Chapter　LVII
  The　time　that　Cowperwood　spent　in　the　Eastern　Penitentiary　of　Penn