away from you. Mollenhauer is leading you on. He knows I can't do
what you want--give you back the five hundred thousand dollars. He wants
you to throw your stocks on the market so that he can pick them up.
Depend on it, that's all arranged for already. When you do, he's got me
in his clutches, or he thinks he has--he and Butler and Simpson. They
want to get together on this local street-railway situation, and I know
it, I feel it. I've felt it coming all along. Mollenhauer hasn't any
more intention of helping you than he has of flying. Once you've sold
your stocks he's through with you--mark my word. Do you think he'll
turn a hand to keep you out of the penitentiary once you're out of this
street-railway situation? He will not. And if you think so, you're a
bigger fool than I take you to be, George. Don't go crazy. Don't lose
your head. Be sensible. Look the situation in the face. Let me explain
it to you. If you don't help me now--if you don't let me have three
hundred thousand dollars by to-morrow noon, at the very latest, I'm
through, and so are you. There is not a thing the matter with our
situation. Those stocks of ours are as good to-day as they ever were.
Why, great heavens, man, the railways are there behind them. They're
paying. The Seventeenth and Nineteenth Street line is earning one
thousand dollars a day right now. What better evidence do you want than
that? Green & Coates is earning five hundred dollars. You're frightened,
George. These damned political schemers have scared you. Why, you've as
good a right to loan that money as Bode and Murtagh had before you. They
did it. You've been doing it for Mollenhauer and the others, only so
long as you do it for them it's all right. What's a designated city
depository but a loan?"

Cowperwood was referring to the system under which certain portions of
city money, like the sinking-fund, were permitted to be kept in certain
banks at a low rate of interest or no rate--banks in which Mollenhauer
and Butler and Simpson were interested. This was their safe graft.

"Don't throw your chances away, George. Don't quit now. You'll be worth
millions in a few years, and you won't have to turn a hand. All you will
have to do will be to keep what you have. If you don't help me, mark my
word, they'll throw you over the moment I'm out of this, and they'll let
you go to the penitentiary. Who's going to put up five hundred thousand
dollars for you, George? Where is Mollenhauer goin