"You don't understand me, father," she exclaimed, hopelessly toward the end. "You can't. I have one idea, and you have another. But I don't seem to be able to make you understand now. The fact is, if you want to know it, I don't believe in the Catholic Church any more, so there."
The moment Aileen had said this she wished she had not. It was a slip of the tongue. Butler's face took on an inexpressibly sad, despairing look.
"Ye don't believe in the Church?" he asked.
"No, not exactly--not like you do."
He shook his head.
"The harm that has come to yer soul!" he replied. "It's plain to me, daughter, that somethin' terrible has happened to ye. This man has ruined ye, body and soul. Somethin' must be done. I don't want to be hard on ye, but ye must leave Philadelphy. Ye can't stay here. I can't permit ye. Ye can go to Europe, or ye can go to yer aunt's in New Orleans; but ye must go somewhere. I can't have ye stayin' here--it's too dangerous. It's sure to be comin' out. The papers'll be havin' it next. Ye're young yet. Yer life is before you. I tremble for yer soul; but so long as ye're young and alive ye may come to yer senses. It's me duty to be hard.
It's my obligation to you and the Church. Ye must quit this life.
Ye must lave this man. Ye must never see him any more. I can't permit ye. He's no good. He has no intintion of marrying ye, and it would be a crime against God and man if he did. No, no! Never that! The man's a bankrupt, a scoundrel, a thafe. If ye had him, ye'd soon be the unhappiest woman in the world. He wouldn't be faithful to ye. No, he couldn't. He's not that kind." He paused, sick to the depths of his soul. "Ye must go away. I say it once and for all. I mane it kindly, but I want it. I have yer best interests at heart. I love ye; but ye must. I'm sorry to see ye go--I'd rather have ye here. No one will be sorrier; but ye must.
Ye must make it all seem natcheral and ordinary to yer mother; but ye must go--d'ye hear? Ye must."
He paused, looking sadly but firmly at Aileen under his shaggy eyebrows. She knew he meant this. It was his most solemn, his most religious expression. But she did not answer. She could not.
What was the use? Only she was not going. She knew that--and so she stood there white and tense.
"Now get all the clothes ye want," went on Butler, by no means grasping her true mood. "Fix yourself up in any way you plase.
Say where ye want to go, but get ready."
"But I won't, father," finally replied Aileen, equally solemnly, equally determinedly. "I won't go! I won't leave Philadelphia."
"Ye don't mane to say ye will deliberately disobey me when I'm asking ye to do somethin' that's intended for yer own good, will ye daughter?"
"Yes, I will," replied Aileen, determinedly. "I won't go! I'm sorry, but I won't!"
"Ye really mane that, do ye?" asked Butler, sadly but grimly.
"Yes, I do," replied Aileen, grimly, in return.
"Then I'll have to see what I can do, daughter," replied the old man. "Ye're still my daughter, whatever ye are, and I'll not see ye come to wreck and ruin for want of doin' what I know to be my solemn duty. I'll give ye a few more days to think this over, but go ye must. There's an end of that. There are laws in this land still. There are things that can be done to those who won't obey the law. I found ye this time--much as it hurt me to do it. I'll find ye again if ye try to disobey me. Ye must change yer ways.
I can't have ye goin' on as ye are. Ye understand now. It's the last word. Give this man up, and ye can have anything ye choose.
Ye're my girl--I'll do everything I can in this world to make ye happy. Why, why shouldn't I? What else have I to live for but me children? It's ye and the rest of them that I've been workin' and plannin' for all these years. Come now, be a good girl. Ye love your old father, don't ye? Why, I rocked ye in my arms as a baby, Aileen. I've watched over ye when ye were not bigger than what would rest in me two fists here. I've been a good father to ye--ye can't deny that. Look at the other girls you've seen. Have any of them had more nor what ye have had? Ye won't go against me in this. I'm sure ye won't. Ye can't. Ye love me too much--surely ye do--don't ye?" His voice weakened. His eyes almost filled.
He paused and put a big, brown, horny hand on Aileen's arm. She had listened to his plea not unmoved--really more or less softened--because of the hopelessness of it. She could not give up Cowperwood.
Her father just did not understand. He did not know what love was.
Unquestionably he had never loved as she had.
She stood quite silent while Butler appealed to her.
"I'd like to, father," she said at last and softly, tenderly.
"Really I would. I do love you. Yes, I do. I want to please you; but I can't in this--I can't! I love Frank Cowperwood. You don't understand--really you don't!"
At the repetition of Cowperwood's name Butler's mouth hardened.
He could see that she was infatuated--that his carefully calculated plea had failed. So he must think of some other way.
"Very well, then," he said at last and sadly, oh, so sadly, as Aileen turned away. "Have it yer own way, if ye will. Ye must go, though, willy-nilly. It can't be any other way. I wish to God it could."
Aileen went out, very solemn, and Butler went over to his desk and sat down. "Such a situation!" he said to himself. Such a complication!"
