of both the District and the Metropolitan, which shares, up to ?500,000 he had orders from Cowperwood to buy, but under various names. Also to work up, among the old directors, knowledge of as well as enthusiasm for Cowperwood and his proposed plans. As for Stane, he was to buy as many more shares of these old companies as he could obtain, with a view to voting with Cowperwood in his new undertaking, and he, too, where possible, was to bring his personal influence to bear on all such as he knew.
As a result of these activities, a veritable landslide of investors descended upon Cowperwood. And many American as well as English financiers, realizing the importance of the properties which he was gathering in, now also attempted to get franchises for themselves, which franchises by that time were most difficult to obtain. One of those who became interested was no less a person than Stanford Drake, also an American financier, who made applications to Parliament for franchises for lines which, if built, would have paralleled the Cowperwood lines for a very considerable distance, and thus, practically split the income for these territories.
This disturbed Cowperwood not a little, for it had to be stopped without arousing English opposition to both men, since the English were opposed to American entrance into this field, whether it be the entrance of Mr. Drake or Mr. Cowperwood. In consequence, the usual legal battles on the part of each ensued. For each pointed out the assumed defects of the other and each minimized the import of what his rival was trying to do.
For his part, Cowperwood pointed out that the Drake line as planned would run, in part, through fairly good residence sections, but it would also be compelled to run through open fields for a distance of ten miles before it would reach paying territory. He also pointed out that the Drake line was to be a single-track line, one track in a tunnel, while his system would be double-track throughout. At the same time, the Drake interests proceeded to counter with the claim that Cowperwood’s roads were under the Thames embankment, while their roads were under the Strand and other business streets; that Mr. Cowperwood’s roads were away from trade, and theirs would take people to trade. However, Cowperwood added that parallel lines were mutually destructive, did not pay, for he knew if the Drake crowd succeeded in getting franchises for their system, no matter how it was developed, his own line would be affected to a considerable extent. This, of course, he did not admit at the time; instead, he announced that he could not understand why the House of Drake would indulge in any such venture. And to make matters as smooth as possible, he said he believed that Mr. Drake’s London branch, rather than Mr. Drake himself, was responsible for the error. He went on to say further that Mr. Drake was a great man, and he believed eventually, when the matter was made clear to him, he would not put any money into it.
Yet in spite of all these sweet words, Mr. Drake’s lawyers, going before Parliament, introduced a bill seeking a franchise, and Mr. Cowperwood’s lawyers introduced a rival bill for the lines he wanted to build. The result was that Parliament put both bills off until the following November and did not favor either one, which delay was a kind of victory for Cowperwood, he being so much further ahead in the development of his over-all scheme. In fact, he was heard to say that he did not enjoy going into any project unless there was some opposition, and, as everything was fair in love and war, he was prepared to oppose the Drake interests to the last ditch.
But the interest of Stanford Drake was aroused to the necessity for a real battle with Cowperwood. Having vast funds at his disposal, he made Cowperwood an offer of $5,000,000 for the privilege of sharing the Piccadilly Circus Station, which belonged to Cowperwood and which would obviously be needed by Drake in his system. At the same time he also offered Cowperwood $2,500,000 if he would call off his army of lawyers who were then and there preparing to fight Drake’s application to Parliament for permission to build his proposed road. Of course, the offers were refused by Cowperwood.
At the same time there was the London United Company which was planning to build a road from Hyde Park Corner to Shepherd’s Bush, the preliminary negotiations for which they had worked out. They went to Drake and offered to unite their line with his, and asked for a franchise from the city. They also asked Drake to operate the line as a whole if and when completed. Drake refused. Then they asked to be permitted to operate their section. Again Drake refused. Whereupon they offered their section to Cowperwood, although they had as yet no franchise for it. Cowperwood notified them to see Speyer & Company, a financing concern that operated not only in England and America but throughout Europe. This firm, after looking into the matter and seeing that they might, by benefiting Cowperwood, eventually benefit themselves, decided to buy all the existing rights which this particular company owned, after which they proceeded to syndicate the entire block of shares. Their counsel, then and there before the Parliament Tubes Committee on other matters, asked to withdraw their request for a franchise. As Drake had been pleading for only one total franchise for a year, this invalidated the whole plea. Drake returned with a request to be allowed a franchise for their section. But as their original request had called for no such thing, and there was no such bill before the committee, Cowperwood’s counsel argued that the whole matter must be thrown out. And Mr. Drake’s scheme was withdrawn.
The dramatic conclusion of this fight between two such outstanding adversaries was reported in detail by both English and American newspapers, and the London County Council, which favored a system of transit development which would make travel convenient for all London, enthused over the victory of Mr. Cowperwood, citing him as a man of broad and valuable social qualities which deserved a most favorable reception everywhere.
Cowperwood, taking advantage of this sentiment, made much of the social benefits that would result from his vast enterprise. His system, he announced, would ultimately carry as many as 200,000,000 passengers a year, would have one class of coach, a uniform five-cent fare, and be a fully connected system which would enable a traveler to go all the way by subway, thereby providing an object lesson in rapid transit, cheap fares, and frequent service.
Personally, at this time, Cowperwood was prospering so enormously that he was able to attend to matters other than those concerning the gathering of shares and profits. For instance, for mere publicity purposes, he bought Turner’s painting, “Rockets and Blue Lights,” for $78,000, and hung it in his office.
Chapter 52
For all of his success, however, there was a new and difficult situation arising in connection with Aileen that was about to descend on Cowperwood with full force.
Aileen had returned to Paris and was again being entertained and amused by Tollifer and his friends. The fact was, however, that Marigold Brainerd, noting that Aileen favored Tollifer to such an extent that she might even wish to marry him eventually, decided that it was time for her to check this growing interest. Aware of his connection with Cowperwood, she believed she had a weapon that might easily clear the field for her. For Tollifer had confessed as much to her one night on the yachting cruise, when he had had too much to drink. And accordingly at her first opportunity she acted.
It was at a party that Tollifer gave at the studio of one of his friends, a celebration in honor of their return to Paris, that Marigold, having consumed more than her share of alcohol and noting how gayly Aileen was trifling with Tollifer, suddenly turned on her.
“If you knew as much as I do about your friend, you might not be so eager to have him at your heels all the time,” she said, sarcastically.
“Well, if you know anything that is so certain to annoy me,” said Aileen, “why don’t you come out with it instead of insinuating? Or is it just your jealousy that is getting the best of you?”
“Jealousy! Me jealous of Tollifer and you! I happen to know what’s back of all these attentions he’s showering on you, that’s all!”
Startled and irritated by this sudden assertion, Aileen exclaimed: “Just what are you driving at? Come on, tell me! Otherwise, turn your jealousy on someone else!”
“Jealousy! How silly! I’m sure it never occurred to you that your attentive friend might be pursuing you for reasons other than your personal charm. And besides, where do you suppose he gets all the money that he spends on you? I’ve known him for years, and he’s never had a shilling of his own, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know. But please come out with what you want to say,” said Aileen.
“I suggest that you ask Mr. Tollifer, or, better yet, your husband. I’m sure he could enlighten you,” concluded Marigold, as she edged away from Aileen.
Whereupon, intensely wrought up, Aileen left the room, got her wraps, and returned to her apartment, but not to dismiss the subject from her mind. Tollifer! The peculiar energy with which he had thrust himself into her life!
