"I surely did," replied Addison, cheerfully, who, in spite of the
attacks on Cowperwood, was rather pleased than otherwise. It was
quite plain from the concurrent excitement that attended all this
struggle, that Cowperwood must be managing things rather adroitly,
and, best of all, he was keeping his backers' names from view.
"He's a Philadelphian by birth. He came out here several years
ago, and went into the grain and commission business. He's a
banker now. A rather shrewd man, I should say. He has a lot of
money."

"Is it true, as the papers say, that he failed for a million in
Philadelphia in 1871?"

"In so far as I know, it is."

"Well, was he in the penitentiary down there?"

"I think so--yes. I believe it was for nothing really criminal,
though. There appears to have been some political-financial
mix-up, from all I can learn."

"And is he only forty, as the papers say?"

"About that, I should judge. Why?"

"Oh, this scheme of his looks rather pretentious to me--holding
up the old gas companies here. Do you suppose he'll manage to do
it?"