could not.  Tear the veil from this illusion of affection and make her feel so wretched when he cared for her so much?  No.  There was really nothing for him to do but what he had done.  After all, he reflected, it might not work out so badly.  Any detective work that Butler might choose to do would prove that she had not run to him.  If at any moment it became necessary to bring common sense into play to save the situation from a deadly climax, he could have the Butlers secretly informed as to Aileen’s whereabouts.  That would show he had little to do with it, and they could try to persuade Aileen to come home again.  Good might result—­one could not tell.  He would deal with the evils as they arose.  He drove quickly back to his office, and Aileen returned to her home determined to put her plan into action.  Her father had given her some little time in which to decide—­possibly he would give her longer—­but she would not wait.  Having always had her wish granted in everything, she could not understand why she was not to have her way this time.  It was about five o’clock now.  She would wait until all the members of the family were comfortably seated at the dinner-table, which would be about seven o’clock, and then slip out.

On arriving home, however, she was greeted by an unexpected reason for suspending action.  This was the presence of a certain Mr. and Mrs. Steinmetz—­the former a well-known engineer who drew the plans for many of the works which Butler undertook.  It was the day before Thanksgiving, and they were eager to have Aileen and Norah accompany them for a fortnight’s stay at their new home in West Chester—­a structure concerning the charm of which Aileen had heard much.  They were exceedingly agreeable people—­comparatively young and surrounded by a coterie of interesting friends.  Aileen decided to delay her flight and go.  Her father was most cordial.  The presence and invitation of the Steinmetzes was as much a relief to him as it was to Aileen.  West Chester being forty miles from Philadelphia, it was unlikely that Aileen would attempt to meet Cowperwood while there.

She wrote Cowperwood of the changed condition and departed, and he breathed a sigh of relief, fancying at the time that this storm had permanently blown over.

Chapter XXXIX

In the meanwhile the day of Cowperwood’s trial was drawing near.  He was under the impression that an attempt was going to be made to convict him whether the facts warranted it or not.  He did not see any way out of his dilemma, however, unless it was to abandon everything and leave Philadelphia for good, which was impossible.  The only way to guard his future and retain his financial friends was to stand trial as quickly as possible, and trust them to assist him to his feet in the future in case he failed.  He discussed the possibilities of an unfair trial with Steger, who did not seem to think that there was so much to that.  In the first