“He says just what Mollenhauer does, that I mustn’t loan any more money under any circumstances, and he says I ought to get that five hundred thousand back as quickly as possible.”

“And you think Mollenhauer wants to help you, do you?” inquired Cowperwood, finding it hard to efface the contempt which kept forcing itself into his voice.

“I think he does, yes.  I don’t know who else will, Frank, if he don’t.  He’s one of the big political forces in this town.”

“Listen to me,” began Cowperwood, eyeing him fixedly.  Then he paused.  “What did he say you should do about your holdings?”

“Sell them through Tighe & Company and put the money back in the treasury, if you won’t take them.”

“Sell them to whom?” asked Cowperwood, thinking of Stener’s last words.

“To any one on ’change who’ll take them, I suppose.  I don’t know.”

“I thought so,” said Cowperwood, comprehendingly.  “I might have known as much.  They’re working you, George.  They’re simply trying to get your stocks 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.