“Begad,” said Buler, with a keen sense of humor, “it looks to me as if I’d better be gettin’ in my one hundred thousand dollars.  That’s the first business of the early mornin’.”  Neither Simpson nor Mollenhauer condescended on this occasion to smile even the wan smile they had smiled before.  They merely looked wise and solemn.

“But this matter of the city treasury, now,” said Senator Simpson, after the atmosphere had been allowed to settle a little, “is something to which we shall have to devote a little thought.  If Mr. Cowperwood should fail, and the treasury lose that much money, it would embarrass us no little.  What lines are they,” he added, as an afterthought, “that this man has been particularly interested in?”

“I really don’t know,” replied Butler, who did not care to say what Owen had told him on the drive over.

“I don’t see,” said Mollenhauer, “unless we can make Stener get the money back before this man Cowperwood fails, how we can save ourselves from considerable annoyance later; but if we did anything which would look as though we were going to compel restitution, he would probably shut up shop anyhow.  So there’s no remedy in that direction.  And it wouldn’t be very kind to our friend Edward here to do it until we hear how he comes out on his affair.”  He was referring to Butler’s loan.

“Certainly not,” said Senator Simpson, with true political sagacity and feeling.

“I’ll have that one hundred thousand dollars in the mornin’,” said Butler, “and never fear.”

“I think,” said Simpson, “if anything comes of this matter that we will have to do our best to hush it up until after the election.  The newspapers can just as well keep silent on that score as not.  There’s one thing I would suggest”—­and he was now thinking of the street-railway properties which Cowperwood had so judiciously collected—­“and that is that the city treasurer be cautioned against advancing any more money in a situation of this kind.  He might readily be compromised into advancing much more.  I suppose a word from you, Henry, would prevent that.”

“Yes; I can do that,” said Mollenhauer, solemnly.

“My judgement would be,” said Butler, in a rather obscure manner, thinking of Cowperwood’s mistake in appealing to these noble protectors of the public, “that it’s best to let sleepin’ dogs run be thimselves.”

Thus ended Frank Cowperwood’s dreams of what Butler and his political associates might do for him in his hour of distress.

The energies of Cowperwood after leaving Butler were devoted to the task of seeing others who might be of some assistance to him.  He had left word with Mrs. Stener that if any message came from her husband he was to be notified at once.  He hunted up Walter Leigh, of Drexel & Co., Avery Stone of Jay Cooke & Co., and President Davison of the Girard National Bank.  He wanted to see what they thought of the situation and to negotiate a loan with President Davison covering all his real and personal property.