k in upon his natural savoir
faire--this chit of a girl. But as they went on through a second half
the spirit of her dancing soul caught him, and he felt more at ease,
quite rhythmic. She drew close and swept him into a strange unison
with herself.

"You dance beautifully," he said.

"I love it," she replied. She was already of an agreeable height for
him.

It was soon over. "I wish you would take me where the ices are," she
said to Cowperwood.

He led her, half amused, half disturbed at her attitude toward him.

"You are having a pleasant time teasing me, aren't you?" he asked.

"I am only tired," she replied. "The evening bores me. Really it
does. I wish we were all home."

"We can go when you say, no doubt."

As they reached the ices, and she took one from his hand, she surveyed
him with those cool, dull blue eyes of hers--eyes that had the flat
quality of unglazed Dutch tiles.

"I wish you would forgive me," she said. "I was rude. I couldn't help
it. I am all out of sorts with myself."

"I hadn't felt you were rude," he observed, lying grandly, his mood
toward her changing entirely.

"Oh yes I was, and I hope you will forgive me. I sincerely wish you
would."

"I do with all my heart--the little that there is to forgive."

He waited to take her back, and yielded her to a youth who was waiting.
He watched her trip away in a dance, and eventually led her mother to
the trap. Berenice was not with them on the home drive; some one else
was bringing her. Cowperwood wondered when she would come, and where
was her room, and whether she was really sorry, and-- As he fell asleep
Berenice Fleming and her slate-blue eyes were filling his mind
completely.

Chapter XLIII

The Planet Mars

The banking hostility to Cowperwood, which in its beginning had made
necessary his trip to Kentucky and elsewhere, finally reached a climax.
It followed an attempt on his part to furnish funds for the building of
elevated roads. The hour for this new form of transit convenience had
struck. The public demanded it. Cowperwood saw one elevated road, the
South Side Alley Line, being built, and another, the West Side
Metropolitan Line, being proposed, largely, as he knew, in order to
create sentiment for the idea, and so to make his opposition to a
general franchise difficult. He was well aware that if he did not
choose to build them others would. It mattered little that electricity
had arrived finally