-
Главная
-
- Книги
-
- Авторы
-
- Теодор Драйзер
-
- Титан
-
- Стр. 49/332
Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа
Купить PRO-доступ
When
Cowperwood
and
McKenty
first
met
,
it
was
on
a
spring
evening
at
the
latter
's
home
.
The
windows
of
the
large
house
were
pleasantly
open
,
though
screened
,
and
the
curtains
were
blowing
faintly
in
a
light
air
.
Along
with
a
sense
of
the
new
green
life
everywhere
came
a
breath
of
stock-yards
.
On
the
presentation
of
Addison
's
letter
and
of
another
,
secured
through
Van
Sickle
from
a
well-known
political
judge
,
Cowperwood
had
been
invited
to
call
.
On
his
arrival
he
was
offered
a
drink
,
a
cigar
,
introduced
to
Mrs.
McKenty
--
who
,
lacking
an
organized
social
life
of
any
kind
,
was
always
pleased
to
meet
these
celebrities
of
the
upper
world
,
if
only
for
a
moment
--
and
shown
eventually
into
the
library
.
Mrs.
McKenty
,
as
he
might
have
observed
if
he
had
had
the
eye
for
it
,
was
plump
and
fifty
,
a
sort
of
superannuated
Aileen
,
but
still
showing
traces
of
a
former
hardy
beauty
,
and
concealing
pretty
well
the
evidences
that
she
had
once
been
a
prostitute
.
It
so
happened
that
on
this
particular
evening
McKenty
was
in
a
most
genial
frame
of
mind
.
There
were
no
immediate
political
troubles
bothering
him
just
now
.
It
was
early
in
May
.
Outside
the
trees
were
budding
,
the
sparrows
and
robins
were
voicing
their
several
moods
.
A
delicious
haze
was
in
the
air
,
and
some
early
mosquitoes
were
reconnoitering
the
screens
which
protected
the
windows
and
doors
.
Cowperwood
,
in
spite
of
his
various
troubles
,
was
in
a
complacent
state
of
mind
himself
.
He
liked
life
--
even
its
very
difficult
complications
--
perhaps
its
complications
best
of
all
.
Nature
was
beautiful
,
tender
at
times
,
but
difficulties
,
plans
,
plots
,
schemes
to
unravel
and
make
smooth
--
these
things
were
what
made
existence
worth
while
.
"
Well
now
,
Mr.
Cowperwood
,
"
McKenty
began
,
when
they
finally
entered
the
cool
,
pleasant
library
,
"
what
can
I
do
for
you
?
"
"
Well
,
Mr.
McKenty
,
"
said
Cowperwood
,
choosing
his
words
and
bringing
the
finest
resources
of
his
temperament
into
play
,
"
it
is
n't
so
much
,
and
yet
it
is
.
I
want
a
franchise
from
the
Chicago
city
council
,
and
I
want
you
to
help
me
get
it
if
you
will
.
I
know
you
may
say
to
me
why
not
go
to
the
councilmen
direct
.
I
would
do
that
,
except
that
there
are
certain
other
elements
--
individuals
--
who
might
come
to
you
.
It
wo
n't
offend
you
,
I
know
,
when
I
say
that
I
have
always
understood
that
you
are
a
sort
of
clearing-house
for
political
troubles
in
Chicago
.
"
Mr.
McKenty
smiled
.
"
That
's
flattering
,
"
he
replied
,
dryly
.
"
Now
,
I
am
rather
new
myself
to
Chicago
,
"
went
on
Cowperwood
,
softly
.
"
I
have
been
here
only
a
year
or
two
.
I
come
from
Philadelphia
.
I
have
been
interested
as
a
fiscal
agent
and
an
investor
in
several
gas
companies
that
have
been
organized
in
Lake
View
,
Hyde
Park
,
and
elsewhere
outside
the
city
limits
,
as
you
may
possibly
have
seen
by
the
papers
lately
.
I
am
not
their
owner
,
in
the
sense
that
I
have
provided
all
or
even
a
good
part
of
the
money
invested
in
them
.
I
am
not
even
their
manager
,
except
in
a
very
general
way
.
I
might
better
be
called
their
promoter
and
guardian
;
but
I
am
that
for
other
people
and
myself
.
"
Mr.
McKenty
nodded
.
"
Now
,
Mr.
McKenty
,
it
was
not
very
long
after
I
started
out
to
get
franchises
to
do
business
in
Lake
View
and
Hyde
Park
before
I
found
myself
confronted
by
the
interests
which
control
the
three
old
city
gas
companies
.
They
were
very
much
opposed
to
our
entering
the
field
in
Cook
County
anywhere
,
as
you
may
imagine
,
although
we
were
not
really
crowding
in
on
their
field
.
Since
then
they
have
fought
me
with
lawsuits
,
injunctions
,
and
charges
of
bribery
and
conspiracy
.
"
