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- Теодор Драйзер
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By
eight
o'clock
,
at
which
hour
the
conference
was
set
,
the
principal
financial
personages
of
Chicago
were
truly
in
a
great
turmoil
.
Messrs.
Hand
,
Schryhart
,
Merrill
,
and
Arneel
were
personally
interested
!
What
would
you
?
As
early
as
seven-thirty
there
was
a
pattering
of
horses
'
hoofs
and
a
jingle
of
harness
,
as
splendid
open
carriages
were
drawn
up
in
front
of
various
exclusive
mansions
and
a
bank
president
,
or
a
director
at
least
,
issued
forth
at
the
call
of
one
of
the
big
quadrumvirate
to
journey
to
the
home
of
Mr.
Arneel
.
Such
interesting
figures
as
Samuel
Blackman
,
once
president
of
the
old
Chicago
Gas
Company
,
and
now
a
director
of
the
Prairie
National
;
Hudson
Baker
,
once
president
of
the
West
Chicago
Gas
Company
,
and
now
a
director
of
the
Chicago
Central
National
;
Ormonde
Ricketts
,
publisher
of
the
Chronicle
and
director
of
the
Third
National
;
Norrie
Simms
,
president
of
the
Douglas
Trust
Company
;
Walter
Rysam
Cotton
,
once
an
active
wholesale
coffee-broker
,
but
now
a
director
principally
of
various
institutions
,
were
all
en
route
.
It
was
a
procession
of
solemn
,
superior
,
thoughtful
gentlemen
,
and
all
desirous
of
giving
the
right
appearance
and
of
making
the
correct
impression
.
For
,
be
it
known
,
of
all
men
none
are
so
proud
or
vainglorious
over
the
minor
trappings
of
materialism
as
those
who
have
but
newly
achieved
them
.
It
is
so
essential
apparently
to
fulfil
in
manner
and
air
,
if
not
in
fact
,
the
principle
of
"
presence
"
which
befits
the
role
of
conservator
of
society
and
leader
of
wealth
.
Every
one
of
those
named
and
many
more
--
to
the
number
of
thirty
--
rode
thus
loftily
forth
in
the
hot
,
dry
evening
air
and
were
soon
at
the
door
of
the
large
and
comfortable
home
of
Mr.
Timothy
Arneel
.
That
important
personage
was
not
as
yet
present
to
receive
his
guests
,
and
neither
were
Messrs.
Schryhart
,
Hand
,
nor
Merrill
.
It
would
not
be
fitting
for
such
eminent
potentates
to
receive
their
underlings
in
person
on
such
an
occasion
.
At
the
hour
appointed
these
four
were
still
in
their
respective
offices
,
perfecting
separately
the
details
of
the
plan
upon
which
they
had
agreed
and
which
,
with
a
show
of
informality
and
of
momentary
inspiration
,
they
would
later
present
.
For
the
time
being
their
guests
had
to
make
the
best
of
their
absence
.
Drinks
and
liquors
were
served
,
but
these
were
of
small
comfort
.
A
rack
provided
for
straw
hats
was
for
some
reason
not
used
,
every
one
preferring
to
retain
his
own
head-gear
.
Against
the
background
of
wood
panneling
and
the
chairs
covered
with
summer
linen
the
company
presented
a
galleryesque
variety
and
interest
.
Messrs.
Hull
and
Stackpole
,
the
corpses
or
victims
over
which
this
serious
gathering
were
about
to
sit
in
state
,
were
not
actually
present
within
the
room
,
though
they
were
within
call
in
another
part
of
the
house
,
where
,
if
necessary
,
they
could
be
reached
and
their
advice
or
explanations
heard
.
This
presumably
brilliant
assemblage
of
the
financial
weight
and
intelligence
of
the
city
appeared
as
solemn
as
owls
under
the
pressure
of
a
rumored
impending
financial
crisis
.
Before
Arneel
's
appearance
there
was
a
perfect
buzz
of
minor
financial
gossip
,
such
as
:
"
You
do
n't
say
?
"
"
Is
it
as
serious
as
that
?
"
"
I
knew
things
were
pretty
shaky
,
but
I
was
by
no
means
certain
how
shaky
.
"
"
Fortunately
,
we
are
not
carrying
much
of
that
stock
.
"
(
This
from
one
of
the
few
really
happy
bankers
.
)
"
This
is
a
rather
serious
occasion
,
is
n't
it
?
"
"
You
do
n't
tell
me
!
"
