The Financier / Финансист. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Then came meetings, public and stirring, and riots; the incident of John Brown’s[59 - John Brown – Джон Браун (1800–1859), борец за освобождение чернокожих рабов в США; в 1859 г. поднял восстание в Виргинии; потерпел поражение, был взят в плен и казнен] body; the arrival of Lincoln[60 - Lincoln – Авраам Линкольн (1809–1865), 16 президент США (с 1861 по 1965 г.

)], the great commoner, on his way from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington via Philadelphia, to take the oath of office[61 - to take the oath of office – принести присягу]; the battle of Bull Run; the battle of Vicksburg; the battle of Gettysburg, and so on. Cowperwood was only twenty-five at the time, a cool, determined youth, who thought the slave agitation might be well founded in human rights – no doubt was – but exceedingly dangerous to trade. He hoped the North would win; but it might go hard with him personally and other financiers. He did not care to fight. That seemed silly for the individual man to do. Others might – there were many poor, thin-minded, half-baked creatures who would put themselves up to be shot; but they were only fit to be commanded or shot down. As for him, his life was sacred to himself and his family and his personal interests. He recalled seeing, one day, in one of the quiet side streets, as the working-men were coming home from their work, a small enlisting squad of soldiers in blue marching enthusiastically along, the Union flag flying, the drummers drumming, the fifes blowing, the idea being, of course, to so impress the hitherto indifferent or wavering citizen, to exalt him to such a pitch, that he would lose his sense of proportion, of self-interest, and, forgetting all – wife, parents, home, and children – and seeing only the great need of the country, fall in behind and enlist. He saw one workingman swinging his pail, and evidently not contemplating any such denouement to his day’s work, pause, listen as the squad approached, hesitate as it drew close, and as it passed, with a peculiar look of uncertainty or wonder in his eyes, fall in behind and march solemnly away to the enlisting quarters. What was it that had caught this man, Frank asked himself. How was he overcome so easily? He had not intended to go.