第15章

"Idon"tknow。Dryfoosthoughtofhavingladies，butitseemsyourinfallibleFulkersonoverruledhim。TheirpresencemighthavekeptLindauandourhostinbounds。"

IthadbecomepartoftheMarches"conjugaljokeforhimtopretendthatshecouldallownothingwronginFulkerson，andhenowlaughedwithamockingairofhavingexpecteditwhenshesaid:"Well，then，ifMr。

Fulkersonsayshewillseethatitallcomesoutright，Isupposeyoumusttrusthistact。Iwouldn"ttrustyours，Basil。ThefirstwrongstepwastakenwhenMr。Lindauwasaskedtohelponthemagazine。"

"Well，itwasyourinfallibleFulkersonthattookthestep，oratleastsuggestedit。I"mhappytosayIhadtotallyforgottenmyearlyfriend。"

Mrs。Marchwasdauntedandsilencedforamoment。Thenshesaid:"Oh，pshaw!Youknowwellenoughhedidittopleaseyou。"

"I"mverygladhedidn"tdoittopleaseyou，Isabel，"saidherhusband，withaffectedseriousness。"Thoughperhapshedid。"

Hebegantolookatthehumorousaspectoftheaffair，whichitcertainlyhad，andtocommentonthesingularincongruitieswhich"EveryOtherWeek"wasdestinedtoinvolveateverymomentofitscareer。

"IwonderifI"mmistakeninsupposingthatnootherperiodicalwaseverlikeit。Perhapsallperiodicalsarelikeit。ButIdon"tbelievethere"sanotherpublicationinNewYorkthatcouldbringtogether，inhonorofitself，afraternityandequalitycranklikepooroldLindau，andabelatedsociologicalcranklikeWoodburn，andatruculentspeculatorlikeoldDryfoos，andahumanitariandreamerlikeyoungDryfoos，andasentimentalistlikeme，andanondescriptlikeBeaton，andapureadvertisingessencelikeFulkerson，andasocietyspiritlikeKendricks。Ifwecouldonlyallowoneanothertotalkuninterruptedlyallthetime，thedinnerwouldbethegreatestsuccessintheworld，andweshouldcomehomefullofthehighestmutualrespect。ButI

suspectwecan"tmanagethat——evenyourinfallibleFulkersoncouldn"tworkit——andI"mafraidthatthere"llbesomelisteningthat"llspoilthepleasureofthetime。"

MarchwassowellpleasedwiththisviewofthecasethathesuggestedtheideainvolvedtoFulkerson。Fulkersonwastoogoodafellownottolaughatanotherman"sjoke，buthelaughedalittleruefully，andheseemedwornwithmorethanonekindofcareintheintervalthatpassedbetweenthepresenttimeandthenightofthedinner。

Dryfoosnecessarilydependeduponhimforadviceconcerningthescopeandnatureofthedinner，buthereceivedtheadvicesuspiciously，andcontestedpointsofobviousproprietywithpertinaciousstupidity。

Fulkersonsaidthatwhenitcametothepointhewouldratherhavehadthething，ashecalledit，atDelmonico"sorsomeotherrestaurant；butwhenhefoundthatDryfoos"spridewasboundupinhavingitathisownhouse，hegavewaytohim。Dryfoosalsowantedhiswoman-cooktopreparethedinner，butFulkersonpersuadedhimthatthiswouldnotdo；hemusthaveitfromacaterer。ThenDryfooswantedhismaidstowaitattable，butFulkersonconvincedhimthatthiswouldbeincongruousataman"sdinner。ItwasdecidedthatthedinnershouldbesentinfromFrescobaldi"s，andDryfooswentwithFulkersontodiscussitwiththecaterer。Heinsisteduponhavingeverythingexplainedtohim，andthereasonforhavingit，andnotsomethingelseinitsplace；andhetreatedFulkersonandFrescobaldiasiftheywereinleaguetoimposeuponhim。

ThereweremomentswhenFulkersonsawthevarnishofprofessionalpolitenesscrackingontheNeapolitan"svolcanicsurface，andcaughtaglimpseofthelavafiresofthecook"snaturebeneath；hetrembledforDryfoos，whowaswalkingrough-shodoverhiminthesecurityofanAmericanwhohadknownhowtomakehismoney，andmustknowhowtospendit；buthegothimsafelyawayatlast，andgaveFrescobaldiawinkofsympathyforhisshrugofexhaustionastheyturnedtoleavehim。

ItwasatfirstareliefandthenananxietywithFulkersonthatLindaudidnotcomeaboutafteracceptingtheinvitationtodinner，untilheappearedatDryfoos"shouse，prompttothehour。Therewas，tobesure，nothingtobringhim；butFulkersonwasuneasilyawarethatDryfoosexpectedtomeethimattheoffice，andperhapsreceivesomeverbalacknowledgmentofthehonordonehim。Dryfoos，hecouldsee，thoughthewasdoingallhisinvitedguestsafavor；andwhilehestoodinacertainaweofthemaspeopleofmuchgreatersocialexperiencethanhimself，regardedthemwithakindofcontempt，aspeoplewhoweregoingtohaveabetterdinnerathishousethantheycouldeveraffordtohaveattheirown。Hehadfinallynotsparedexpenseuponit；afterpushingFrescobalditothepointoferuptionwithhismisgivingsandsuspicionsatthefirstinterview，hehadgonetohimasecondtimealone，andtoldhimnottoletthemoneystandbetweenhimandanythinghewouldliketodo。IntheabsenceofFrescobaldi"sfellow-conspiratorherestoredhimselfinthecaterer"sesteembyaddingwhateverhesuggested；andFulkerson，aftertremblingfortheoldman"sniggardliness，wasnowafraidofafantasticprofusioninthefeast。Dryfooshadreducedthescaleofthebanquetasregardedthenumberofguests，butaconfusingremembranceofwhatFulkersonhadwishedtodoremainedwithhiminpart，anduptothedayofthedinnerhedroppedinatFrescobaldi"sandorderedmoredishesandmoreofthem。HeimpressedtheItalianasanAmericanoriginalofanovelkind；andwhenheaskedFulkersonhowDryfooshadmadehismoney，andlearnedthatitwasprimarilyinnaturalgas，hemadenoteofsomeofhiseccentrictastesaspeculiaritiesthatweretobecaressedinanyfuturenatural-gasmillionairewhomightfallintohishands。HedidnotbegrudgethetimehehadtogiveinexplainingtoDryfoostherelationofthedifferentwinestothedifferentdishes；Dryfooswasapttosubstituteacostlierwinewherehecouldforacheaperone，andhegaveFrescobaldicarteblancheforthedecorationofthetablewithpiecesofartisticconfectionery。Amongthesethecatererdesignedoneforasurprisetohispatronandadelicaterecognitionofthesourceofhiswealth，whichhefoundDryfoosverywillingtotalkabout，whenheintimatedthatheknewwhatitwas。

DryfoosleftittoFulkersontoinvitetheguests，andhefoundreadyacceptanceofhispolitenessfromKendricks，whorightlyregardedthedinnerasapartofthe"EveryOtherWeek"business，andwastoosweetandkind-hearted，anyway，nottoseemverygladtocome。Marchwasamatterofcourse；butinColonelWoodburn，Fulkersonencounteredareluctancewhichembarrassedhimthemorebecausehewasconsciousofhaving，formotivesofhisown，ratherstrainedapointinsuggestingthecoloneltoDryfoosasafitsubjectforinvitation。Therehadbeenonlyoneofthecolonel"sarticlesprintedasyet，andthoughithadmadeasensationinitsway，andstartedthetalkaboutthatnumber，stillitdidnotfairlyconstitutehimamemberofthestaff，orevenentitlehimtorecognitionasaregularcontributor。FulkersonfeltsosureofpleasinghimwithDryfoos"smessagethathedelivereditinfullfamilycouncilatthewidow"s。HisdaughterreceiveditwithalltheenthusiasmthatFulkersonhadhopedfor，butthecolonelsaid，stiffly，"IhavenotthepleasureofknowingMr。Dryfoos。"MissWoodburnappearedreadytofalluponhimatthis，butcontrolledherself，asifawarethatfilialauthorityhaditslimits，andpressedherlipstogetherwithoutsayinganything。

"Yes，Iknow，"Fulkersonadmitted。"Butitisn"tausualcase。Mr。

Dryfoosdon"tgoinmuchfortheconventionalities；Ireckonhedon"tknowmuchabout"em，cometoboilitdown；andhehoped"——hereFulkersonfeltthenecessityofinventingalittle——"thatyouwouldexcuseanywantofceremony；it"stobesuchaninformalaffair，anyway；we"reallgoinginbusinessdress，andthereain"tgoingtobeanyladies。He"dhavecomehimselftoaskyou，buthe"sakindofabashfuloldfellow。It"sallright，ColonelWoodburn。"

"Itakeitthatitis，sir，"saidthecolonel，courteously，butwithunabatedstate，"comingfromyou。Butinthesematterswehavenorighttoburdenourfriendswithourdecisions。"

"Ofcourse，ofcourse，"saidFulkerson，feelingthathehadbeendelicatelytoldtomindhisownbusiness。

"Iunderstand，"thecolonelwenton，"therelationthatMr。Dryfoosbearstotheperiodicalinwhichyouhavedonemethehonortoprintmypapah，butthisisaquestionofpassingtheboundsofapurelybusinessconnection，andofeatingthesaltofamanwhomyoudonotdefinitelyknowtobeagentleman。"

"Mahgoodness!"hisdaughterbrokein。"Ifyoubahyourownsaltwithhismoney——"

"ItissupposedthatIearnhismoneybeforeIbuymysaltwithit，"

returnedherfather，severely。"Andinthesetimes，whenmoneyisgotinheaps，throughthenaturaldecayofournefariouscommercialism，itbehoovesagentlemantobescrupulousthatthehospitalityofferedhimisnottheprofusionofathiefwithhisbooty。Idon"tsaythatMr。

Dryfoos"sgood-fortuneisnothonest。IsimplysaythatIknownothingaboutit，andthatIshouldprefertoknowsomethingbeforeIsatdownathisboard。"

"You"reallright，colonel，"saidFulkerson，"andsoisMr。Dryfoos。

Igiveyoumywordthattherearenofliesonhispersonalintegrity，ifthat"swhatyoumean。He"shard，andhe"dpushanadvantage，butI

don"tbelievehewouldtakeanunfairone。He"sspeculatedandmademoneyeverytime，butIneverheardofhiswreckingarailroadorbelongingtoanyswindlingcompanyoranygrindingmonopoly。Hedoeschanceitinstocks，buthe"salwaysplayedonthesquare，ifyoucallstocksgambling。"

"MayI，thinkthisovertillmorning?"askedthecolonel。

"Oh，certainly，certainly，"saidFulkerson，eagerly。"Idon"tknowasthere"sanyhurry。"

MissWoodburnfoundachancetomurmurtohimbeforehewent:"He"llcome。AndAh"msomuchoblahged，Mr。Fulkerson。Ahjostknowit"sallyou"doing，anditwillgivepapaachancetotoaktosomenewpeople，andgetawayfromusevahlastin"womenforonce。"

"Idon"tseewhyanyoneshouldwanttodothat，"saidFulkerson，withgratefulgallantry。"ButI"llbedogged，"hesaidtoMarchwhenhetoldhimaboutthisoddexperience，"ifIeverexpectedtofindColonelWoodburnonoldLindau"sground。Hedidcomeroundhandsomelythismorningatbreakfastandapologizedfortakingtimetothinktheinvitationoverbeforeheaccepted。"Youunderstand，"hesays，"thatifithadbeentothetableofsomefriendnotsoprosperousasMr。Dryfoos——yourfriendMr。March，forinstance——itwouldhavebeensufficienttoknowthathewasyourfriend。Butinthesedaysitisadutythatagentlemanoweshimselftoconsiderwhetherhewishestoknowarichmanornot。Thechancesofmakingmoneydisreputablyaresogreatthatthechancesareagainstamanwhohasmademoneyifhe"smadeagreatdealofit。""

Marchlistenedwithafaceofironicalinsinuation。"Thatwasverygood；

andheseemstohavehadagooddealofconfidenceinyourpatienceandinyoursenseofhisimportancetotheoccasion——"

"No，no，"Fulkersonprotested，"there"snoneofthatkindofthingaboutthecolonel。Itoldhimtotaketimetothinkitover；he"sthesimplest-heartedoldfellowintheworld。"

"Ishouldsayso。Afterall，hedidn"tgiveanyreasonhehadforaccepting。Butperhapstheyoungladyhadthereason。"

"Pshaw，March!"saidFulkerson。

VI。

SofarastheDryfoosfamilywasconcerned，thedinnermightaswellhavebeengivenatFrescobaldi"srooms。Noneoftheladiesappeared。Mrs。

Dryfooswasgladtoescapetoherownchamber，whereshesatbeforeanautumnalfire，shakingherheadandtalkingtoherselfattimes，withtheforebodingofevilwhicholdwomenlikehermakepartoftheirreligion。

Thegirlsstoodjustoutofsightattheheadofthestairs，anddisputedwhichguestitwasateacharrival；Mrs。Mandelhadgonetoherroomtowriteletters，afterbeseechingthemnottostandthere。WhenKendrickscame，ChristinegaveMelaalittlepinch，equivalenttoalittlemockingshriek；for，onthegroundofhislongtalkwithMelaatMrs。Horn"s，intheabsenceofanyotheradmirer，theybasedasuperstitionofhisinterestinher；whenBeatoncame，Melareturnedthepinch，butawkwardly，sothatithurt，andthenChristineinvoluntarilystruckher。

Frescobaldi"smenwereinpossessioneverywheretheyhadturnedthecookoutofherkitchenandthewaitressoutofherpantry；thereluctantIrishmanatthedoorwassupplementedbyavividItalian，whospokeFrenchwiththeguests，andsaid，"Bien，Monsieur，"and"toutesuite，"

and"Merci!"toall，ashetooktheirhatsandcoats，andeffusedahospitalitythatneedednolanguagebutthegleamofhiseyesandteethandtheplayofhiseloquenthands。Fromhisprofessionaldress-coat，lustrouswiththegreasespottedonitatformerdinnersandparties，theypassedtothefrocksoftheelderandyoungerDryfoosinthedrawing-room，whichassumedinformalityfortheaffair，butdidnotputtheirwearerswhollyattheirease。Thefather"scoatwasofblackbroadcloth，andheworeitunbuttoned；theskirtswerelong，andthesleevescamedowntohisknuckles；heshookhandswithhisguests，andthesamedrynessseemedtobeinhispalmandthroat，ashehuskilyaskedeachtotakeachair。Conrad"scoatwasofmoderntextureandcut，andwasbuttonedabouthimasifitconcealedabadconsciencewithinitslapels；hemetMarchwithhisentreatingsmile，andheseemednomorecapableofcopingwiththesituationthanhisfather。TheybothwaitedforFulkerson，whowentaboutanddidhisbesttokeeplifeinthepartyduringthehalf-hourthatpassedbeforetheysatdownatdinner。Beatonstoodgloomilyaloof，asifwaitingtobeapproachedontherightbasisbeforeyieldinganinchofhisground；ColonelWoodburn，awaitingthemomentwhenhecouldsallyoutonhishobby，kepthimselfintrenchedwithinthedignityofagentleman，andexaminedaskancethefigureofoldLindauashestaredabouttheroom，withhisfineheadup，andhisemptysleevedanglingoverhiswrist。Marchfeltobligedtohimforwearinganewcoatinthemidstofthathostileluxury，andhewasgladtoseeDryfoosmakeuptohimandbegintotalkwithhim，asifhewishedtoshowhimparticularrespect，thoughitmighthavebeenbecausehewaslessafraidofhimthanoftheothers。HeheardLindausaying，"Boat，thenameisChoarman?"andDryfoosbeginningtoexplainhisPennsylvaniaDutchorigin，andhesufferedhimself，withasighofrelief，tofallintotalkwithKendricks，whowasalwayspleasant；hewaswillingtotalkaboutsomethingbesideshimself，andhadnoopinionsthathewasnotreadytoholdinabeyanceforthetimebeingoutofkindnesstoothers。

Inthatgroupofimpassionedindividualities，Marchfelthimarefugeandcomfort——withhisharmlessdilettanteintentionofsomedaywritinganovel，andhisbeliefthathewasmeantimecollectingmaterialforit。

Fulkerson，whilebreakingtheiceforthewholecompany，wasmainlyengagedinkeepingColonelWoodburnthawedout。HetookKendricksawayfromMarchandpresentedhimtothecolonelasapersonwho，likehimself，waslookingintosocialconditions；heputonehandonKendricks"sshoulder，andoneonthecolonel"s，andmadesomeflatteringjoke，apparentlyattheexpenseoftheyoungfellow，andthenleftthem。

MarchheardKendricksprotestinvain，andthecolonelsay，gravely:

"Idonotwonder，sir，thatthesethingsinterestyou。Theyconstituteaproblemwhichsocietymustsolveorwhichwilldissolvesociety，"andheknewfromthatformula，whichthecolonelhad，onceusedwithhim，thathewaslayingoutaroadfortheexhibitionofthehobby"spaceslater。

FulkersoncamebacktoMarch，whohadturnedtowardConradDryfoos，andsaid，"Ifwedon"tgetthisthinggoingprettysoon，it"llbethedeathofme，"andjustthenFrescobaldi"sbutlercameinandannouncedtoDryfoosthatdinnerwasserved。TheoldmanlookedtowardFulkersonwithatroubledglance，asifhedidnotknowwhattodo；hemadeagesturetotouchLindau"selbow。Fulkersoncalledout，"Here"sColonelWoodburn，Mr。Dryfoos，"asifDryfooswerelookingforhim；andhesettheexampleofwhathewastodobytakingLindau"sarmhimself。"Mr。Lindauisgoingtositatmyendofthetable，alongsideofMarch。Standnotupontheorderofyourgoing，gentlemen，butfallinatonce。"HecontrivedtogetDryfoosandthecolonelbeforehim，andheletMarchfollowwithKendricks。ConradcamelastwithBeaton，whohadbeenturningoverthemusicatthepiano，andchafinginwardlyatthewholeaffair。AtthetableColonelWoodburnwasplacedonDryfoos"sright，andMarchonhisleft。MarchsatonFulkerson"sright，withLindaunexthim；andtheyoungmenoccupiedtheotherseats。

"PutyounexttoMarch，Mr。Lindau，"saidFulkerson，"soyoucanbegintoputApollinarisinhischampagne-glassattherightmoment；youknowhislittleweaknessofold；sorrytosayit"sgrownonhim。"

MarchlaughedwithkindlyacquiescenceinFulkerson"swishtostartthegayety，andLindaupattedhimontheshoulder。"Iknowhissveakness。

Ifheligesaclassofvine，itissbegausehisloafingludesefenhissenemy，asShakespearegalledit。"

"Ah，butShakespearecouldn"thavebeenthinkingofchampagne，"saidKendricks。

"Isuppose，sir，"ColonelWoodburninterposed，withloftycourtesy，"champagnecouldhardlyhavebeenknowninhisday。"

"Isupposenot，colonel，"returnedtheyoungerman，deferentially。

"Heseemedtothinkthatsackandsugarmightbeafault；buthedidn"tmentionchampagne。"

"Perhapshefelttherewasnoquestionaboutthat，"suggestedBeaton，whothenfeltthathehadnotdonehimselfjusticeinthesally。

"Iwonderjustwhenchampagnedidcomein，"saidMarch。

"Iknowwhenitoughttocomein，"saidFulkerson。"Beforethesoup!"

Theyalllaughed，andgavethemselvestheairofdrinkingchampagneoutoftumblerseveryday，asmenliketodo。Dryfooslisteneduneasily；hedidnotquiteunderstandtheallusions，thoughheknewwhatShakespearewas，wellenough；Conrad"sfaceexpressedagentledeprecationofjokingonsuchasubject，buthesaidnothing。

Thetalkranonbrisklythroughthedinner。Theyoungmentossedtheballbackandforth；theymadesomewildshots，buttheykeptitgoing，andtheylaughedwhentheywerehit。ThewineloosedColonelWoodburn"stongue；hebecameverycompanionablewiththeyoungfellows；withthefeelingthataliterarydinneroughttohaveadidacticscope，hepraisedScottandAddisonastheonlyauthorsfittoformthemindsofgentlemen。

Kendricksagreedwithhim，butwishedtoaddthenameofFlaubertasamasterofstyle。"Style，youknow，"headded，"istheman。"

"Verytrue，sir；youarequiteright，sir，"thecolonelassented；hewonderedwhoFlaubertwas。

BeatonpraisedBaudelaireandMaupassant；hesaidthesewerethemasters。

HerecitedsomeluridversesfromBaudelaire；Lindaupronouncedthemadisgracetohumannature，andgaveapassagefromVictorHugoonLouisNapoleon，withhisheavyGermanaccent，andthenhequotedSchiller。

"Ach，boatthatisapeaudifool!Notzo?"hedemandedofMarch。

"Yes，beautiful；but，ofcourse，youknowIthinkthere"snobodylikeHeine!"

Lindauthrewbackhisgreatoldheadandlaughed，showingawantofteethunderhismustache。HeputhishandonMarch"sback。"Thispoy——hewasapoyden——warssogracytopekinreadingHeinethathegommencewiththetictionarybevoreheknowsanyGrammar，andvebickitoutvortbyvorttogeder。"

"Hewasaprettycaypoyinthosedays，heigh，Lindau?"askedFulkerson，burlesquingtheoldman"saccent，withanimpudentwinkthatmadeLindauhimselflaugh。"Butinthedarkages，Imean，thereinIndianapolis。Justhowlongagodidyouoldcodgersmeetthere，anyway?"

FulkersonsawtherestivenessinDryfoos"seyeatthepurelyliterarycoursethetalkhadtaken；hehadintendedittoleadupthatwaytobusiness，to"EveryOtherWeek；"buthesawthatitwasleavingDryfoostoofarout，andhewishedtogetitonthepersonalground，whereeverybodyisathome。

"Ledtmezee，"musedLindau。"Wassitinfifty-nineorzixty，Passil?

Idtwassayearordwopeforethewarprokeoudt，anyway。"

"Thosewereexcitingtimes，"saidDryfoos，makinghisfirstentryintothegeneraltalk。"IwentdowntoIndianapoliswiththefirstcompanyfromourplace，andIsawthered-shirtspouringineverywhere。Theyhadasong，"Oh，nevermindtheweather，butgitoverdoubletrouble，Forwe"reboundforthelandofCanaan。"

Thefellowslockedarmsandwentsingin"itupanddownfourorfiveabreastinthemoonlight；crowdedeverybody"elseoffthesidewalk。"

"Iremember，Iremember，"saidLindau，noddinghisheadslowlyupanddown。"AcoodtmanyoffthemnefergomepackfromthatlandtofGanaan，Mr。Dryfoos?"

"You"reright，Mr。Lindau。ButIreckonitwasworthit——thecountrywe"vegotnow。Here，youngman!"Hecaughtthearmofthewaiterwhowasgoingroundwiththechampagnebottle。"FillupMr。Lindau"sglass，there。Iwanttodrinkthehealthofthoseoldtimeswithhim。Here"stoyouremptysleeve，Mr。Lindau。Godblessit!Nooffencetoyou，ColonelWoodburn，"saidDryfoos，turningtohimbeforehedrank。

"Notatall，sir，notatall，"saidthecolonel。"Iwilldrinkwithyou，ifyouwillpermitme。"

"We"llalldrink-standing!"criedFulkerson。"HelpMarchtogetup，somebody!FillhighthebowlwithSamianApollinarisforCoonrod!Now，then，hurrahforLindau!"

Theycheered，andhammeredonthetablewiththebuttsoftheirknife-

handles。Lindauremainedseated。Thetearscameintohiseyes；hesaid，"Ithankyou，chendlemen，"andhiccoughed。

"I"d"a"wentintothewarmyself，"saidDryfoos，"butIwasraisin"

afamilyofyoungchildren，andIdidn"tseehowIcouldleavemyfarm。

ButIhelpedtofillupthequotaateverycall，andwhenthevolunteeringstoppedIwentroundwiththesubscriptionpapermyself；

andweofferedasgoodbountiesasanyintheState。Mysubstitutewaskilledinoneofthelastskirmishes——infact，afterLee"ssurrender——

andI"vetookcareofhisfamily，moreorless，eversince。"

"By-the-way，March，"saidFulkerson，"whatsortofanideawoulditbetohaveagoodwarstory——mightbeaserial——inthemagazine?Thewarhasneverfullypannedoutinfictionyet。Itwasusedagooddealjustafteritwasover，andthenitwasdropped。Ithinkit"stimetotakeitupagain。Ibelieveitwouldbeacard。"

ItwasrunninginMarch"smindthatDryfooshadanoldranklingshameinhisheartfornothavinggoneintothewar，andthathehadoftenmadethatexplanationofhiscoursewithouthavingeverbeensatisfiedwithit。Hefeltsorryforhim；thefactseemedpathetic；itsuggestedadormantnoblenessintheman。

BeatonwassayingtoFulkerson:"Youmightgetaseriesofsketchesbysubstitutes；thesubstituteshaven"tbeenmuchheardfrominthewarliterature。Howwould"TheAutobiographyofaSubstitute"do?Youmightfollowhimuptothemomenthewaskilledintheotherman"splace，andinquirewhetherhehadanyrighttothefeelingsofaherowhenhewasonlyhiredintheplaceofone。Mightcallit"TheCareerofaDeputyHero。""

"Ifancy，"saidMarch，"thattherewasagreatdealofmixedmotiveinthemenwhowentintothewaraswellasinthosewhokeptoutofit。

Wecanonizedallthatdiedorsufferedinit，butsomeofthemmusthavebeenself-seekingandlow-minded，likemeninothervocations。"HefoundhimselfsayingthisinDryfoos"sbehalf；theoldmanlookedathimgratefullyatfirst，hethought，andthensuspiciously。

Lindauturnedhisheadtowardhimandsaid:"Youarerighdt，Passil；youarerighdt。Ihafzeenonthefieldtofpattlethevoarsteggsipitionsofhumanpaseness——chelousy，fanity，ecodisticbridte。Ihafzeenmeninthefaceoffdeathitselfgoffernedbymotifesaslowas——aspusinessmotifes。"

"Well，"saidFulkerson，。"itwouldbeagrandthingfor"EveryOtherWeek"

ifwecouldgetsomeofthoseideasworkedupintoaseries。Itwouldmakealotoftalk。"

ColonelWoodburnignoredhiminsaying，"Ithink，MajorLindau——"

"Highbrifate；prefetgorporal，"theoldmaninterrupted，inrejectionofthetitle。

Hendrickslaughedandsaid，withaglanceofappreciationatLindau，"Brevetcorporalisgood。"

ColonelWoodburnfrownedalittle，andpassedoverthejoke。"IthinkMr。Lindauisright。Suchexhibitionswerecommontobothsides，thoughifyougentlemenwillpardonmeforsayingso，Ithinktheywerelessfrequentonours。Wewerefightingmoreimmediatelyforexistence。

Wewerefewerthanyouwere，andweknewit；wefeltmoreintenselythatifeachwerenotforall，thennonewasforany。"

Thecolonel"swordsmadetheirimpression。Dryfoossaid，withauthority，"Thatisso。"

"ColonelWoodburn，"Fulkersoncalledout，"ifyou"llworkupthoseideasintoashortpaper——say，threethousandwords——I"llengagetomakeMarchtakeit。"

Thecolonelwentonwithoutreplying:"ButMr。Lindauisrightincharacterizingsomeofthemotivesthatledmentothecannon"smouthasnohigherthanbusinessmotives，andhiscomparisonisthemostforciblethathecouldhaveused。Iwasverymuchstruckbyit。"

Thehobbywasout，thecolonelwasinthesaddlewithsofirmaseatthatnoeffortsufficedtodislodgehim。Thedinnerwentonfromcoursetocoursewithbarbaricprofusion，andfromtimetotimeFulkersontriedtobringthetalkbackto"EveryOtherWeek。"Butperhapsbecausethatwasonlytheostensibleandnottherealobjectofthedinner，whichwastobringanumberofmentogetherunderDryfoos"sroof，andmakethemthewitnessesofhissplendor，makethemfeelthepowerofhiswealth，Fulkerson"sattemptsfailed。Thecolonelshowedhowcommercialismwasthepoisonattheheartofournationallife；howwebeganasasimple，agriculturalpeople，whohadfledtotheseshoreswiththeinstinct，divinelyimplanted，ofbuildingastatesuchasthesunnevershoneuponbefore；howwehadconqueredthewildernessandthesavage；howwehadflungoff，inourstrugglewiththemother-country，thetrammelsoftraditionandprecedent，andhadsettleddown，afreenation，tothepracticeoftheartsofpeace；howthespiritofcommercialismhadstoleninsidiouslyuponus，andtheinfernalimpulseofcompetitionhadembroiledusinaperpetualwarfareofinterests，developingtheworstpassionsofournature，andteachingustotrickandbetrayanddestroyoneanotherinthestrifeformoney，tillnowthatimpulsehadexhausteditself，andwefoundcompetitiongoneandthewholeeconomicprobleminthehandsofmonopolies——theStandardOilCompany，theSugarTrust，theRubberTrust，andwhatnot。Andnowwhatwasthenextthing?Affairscouldnotremainastheywere；itwasimpossible；andwhatwasthenextthing?"

Thecompanylistenedforthemainpartsilently。Dryfoostriedtograsptheideaofcommercialismasthecolonelseemedtoholdit；heconceivedofitassomethinglikethedry-goodsbusinessonavastscale，andheknewhehadneverbeeninthat。Hedidnotliketohearcompetitioncalledinfernal；hehadalwayssupposeditwassomethingsacred；butheapprovedofwhatColonelWoodburnsaidoftheStandardOilCompany；itwasalltrue；theStandardOilhassqueezedDryfoosonce，andmadehimsellitalotofoil-wellsbyputtingdownthepriceofoilsolowinthatregionthathelostmoneyoneverybarrelhepumped。

Alltherestlistenedsilently，exceptLindau；ateverypointthecolonelmadeagainstthepresentconditionofthingshesaidmoreandmorefiercely，"Youarerighdt，youarerighdt。"Hiseyesglowed，hishandplayedwithhisknife-hilt。Whenthecoloneldemanded，"Andwhatisthenextthing?"hethrewhimselfforward，andrepeated:"Yes，sir!Whatisthenextthing?"

"Naturalgas，bythunder!"shoutedFulkerson。

OneofthewaitershadprofitedbyLindau"sposturetoleanoverhimandputdowninthemiddleofthetableastructureinwhitesugar。ItexpressedFrescobaldi"sconceptionofaderrick，andatouchofnaturehadbeenaddedintheflameofbrandy，whichburnedluridlyupfromasmallpitinthecentreofthebase，andrepresentedthegasincombustionasitissuedfromtheground。FulkersonburstintoaroaroflaughterwiththewordsthatrecognizedFrescobaldi"spersonaltributetoDryfoos。Everybodyroseandpeeredoveratthething，whileheexplainedtheworkofsinkingagas-well，ashehadalreadyexplainedittoFrescobaldi。Inthemidstofhislecturehecaughtsightofthecatererhimself，wherehestoodinthepantrydoorway，smilingwithanartist"sanxietyfortheeffectofhismasterpiece。

"Comein，comein，Frescobaldi!Wewanttocongratulateyou，"Fulkersoncalledtohim。"Here，gentlemen!Here"sFrescobaldi"shealth。"

Theyalldrank；andFrescobaldi，smilingbrilliantlyandrubbinghishandsashebowedrightandleft，permittedhimselftosaytoDryfoos:

"Youareplease；no?Youlike?"

"First-rate，first-rate!"saidtheoldman；butwhentheItalianhadbowedhimselfoutandhisguestshadsunkintotheirseatsagain，hesaiddrylytoFulkerson，"Ireckontheydidn"thavetotorpedothatwell，orthederrickwouldn"tlookquitesoniceandclean。"

"Yes，"Fulkersonanswered，"andthatain"tquitethestyle——thatlittlewiggly-wagglyblueflame——thatthegasactswhenyoutouchoffagoodveinofit。Thismightdoforweakgas"；andhewentontoexplain:

"Theycallitweakgaswhentheytapittwoorthreehundredfeetdown；

andanybodycansinkawellinhisbackyardandgetenoughgastolightandheathishouse。Irememberonefellowthathaditblazingupfromapipethroughaflower-bed，justlikeajetofwaterfromafountain。

My，my，my!Youfel——yougentlemen——oughttogooutandseethatcountry，allofyou。Wishwecouldtorpedothiswell，Mr。Dryfoos，andlet"emseehowitworks!Mindthatoneyoutorpedoedforme?Youknow，whentheysinkawell，"hewentontothecompany，"theycan"talwaysmostgenerallysometimestellwhetherthey"regoin"togetgasoroilorsaltwater。Why，whentheyfirstbegantoboreforsaltwateroutontheKanawha，backaboutthebeginningofthecentury，theyusedtogetgasnowandthen，andthentheyconsidereditafailure；theycalledagas-

wellablower，andgiveitupindisgust；thetimewasn"tripeforgasyet。Nowtheyboreawaysometimestilltheygethalf-waytoChina，anddon"tseemtostrikeanythingworthspeakingof。Thentheyputadynamitetorpedodowninthewellandexplodeit。TheyhavealittlebarofironthattheycallaGo-devil，andtheyjustdropitdownonthebusinessendofthetorpedo，andthenstandfromunder，ifyouplease!

Youhearanoise，andinabouthalfaminuteyoubegintoseeone，anditbeginstorainoilandmudandsaltwaterandrocksandpitchforksandadoptivecitizens；andwhenitclearsupthederrick"spainted——gotacoatonthat"llwearinanyclimate。That"swhatourhonoredhostmeant。Generallygetsomevisitinglady，whenthere"soneround，todroptheGo-devil。ButthatdaywehadtoputupwithConradhere。Theyofferedtoletmedropit，butIdeclined。Itold"emIhadn"tmuchpracticewithGo-devilsinthenewspapersyndicatebusiness，andIwasn"tverywellmyself，anyway。Astonishing，"Fulkersoncontinued，withtheairofrelievinghisexplanationbyananecdote，"howrecklesstheygetusingdynamitewhenthey"retorpedoingwells。Westoppedatoneplacewhereafellowwashandlingthecartridgesprettyfreely，andMr。Dryfooshappenedtocautionhimalittle，andthatasscameupwithoneof"eminhishand，andbegantopounditonthebuggy-wheeltoshowushowsafeitwas。Iturnedgreen，Iwassoscared；butMr。Dryfooskepthiscolor，andkindofcoaxedthefellowtillhequit。Youcouldseehewasthefoolkind，thatifyoutriedtostophimhe"dkeeponhammeringthatcartridge，justtoshowthatitwouldn"texplode，tillheblewyouintoKingdomCome。Whenwegothimtogoaway，Mr。Dryfoosdroveuptohisforeman。"PaySheneyoff，anddischargehimonthespot，"sayshe。

"He"stoosafeamantohaveround；heknowstoomuchaboutdynamite。"

Ineversawanybodysocool。"

DryfoosmodestlydroppedhisheadunderFulkerson"sflatteryand，withoutliftingit，turnedhiseyestowardColonelWoodburn。"Ihadallsortsofmentodealwithindevelopingmypropertyoutthere，butIhadverylittletroublewiththem，generallyspeaking。"

"Ah，ah!youfoundtthelaboring-manreasonable——dractable——tocile?"

Lindauputin。

"Yes，generallyspeaking，"Dryfoosanswered。"Theymostlyknewwhichsideoftheirbreadwasbuttered。Ididhaveonelittledifficultyatonetime。IthappenedtobewhenMr。Fulkersonwasoutthere。Someofthementriedtoformaunion——"

"No，no!"criedFulkerson。"Letmetellthat!Iknowyouwouldn"tdoyourselfjustice，Mr。Dryfoos，andIwant"emtoknowhowastrikecanbemanaged，ifyoutakeitintime。Yousee，someofthosefellowsgotanotionthatthereoughttobeaunionamongtheworking-mentokeepupwages，anddictatetotheemployers，andMr。Dryfoos"sforemanwastheringleaderinthebusiness。Theyunderstoodprettywellthatassoonashefounditoutthatforemanwouldwalktheplank，andsotheywatchedouttilltheythoughttheyhadMr。Dryfoosjustwheretheywantedhim——

everythingonthekeenjump，andeverymanworthhisweightindiamonds——andthentheycametohim，and——toldhimtosignapromisetokeepthatforemantotheendoftheseason，ortillhewasthroughwiththeworkontheDryfoosandHendryAddition，underpenaltyofhavingthemallknockoff。Mr。Dryfoossmelledamouse，buthecouldn"ttellwherethemousewas；hesawthattheydidhavehim，andhesigned，ofcourse。Therewasn"tanythingreallyagainstthefellow，anyway；hewasafirst-rateman，andhedidhisdutyeverytime；onlyhe"dgotsomeofthoseideasintohishead，andtheyturnedit。Mr。Dryfoossigned，andthenhelaidlow。"

MarchsawLindaulisteningwithamountingintensity，andheardhimmurmurinGerman，"Shameful!shameful!"

Fulkersonwenton:"Well，itwasn"tlongbeforetheybegantoshowtheirhand，butMr。Dryfooskeptdark。Heagreedtoeverything；thereneverwassuchanobligingcapitalistbefore；therewasn"tathingtheyaskedofhimthathedidn"tdo，withthegreatestofpleasure，andallwentmerryasamarriage-belltillonemorningawholegangoffreshmenmarchedintotheDryfoosandHendryAddition，undertheescortofadozenPinkertonswithrepeatingriflesathalf-cock，andaboutfiftyfellowsfoundthemselvesoutofajob。Youneversawsuchamadset。"

"Prettyneat，"saidKendricks，wholookedattheaffairpurelyfromanaestheticpointofview。"Suchacoupasthatwouldtelltremendouslyinaplay。"

"Thatwasviletreason，"saidLindauinGermantoMarch。"He"saninfamoustraitor!Icannotstayhere。Imustgo。"

Hestruggledtorise，whileMarchheldhimbythecoat，andimploredhimunderhisvoice:"ForHeaven"ssake，don"t，Lindau!Youoweittoyourselfnottomakeascene，ifyoucomehere。"Somethinginitallaffectedhimcomically；hecouldnothelplaughing。

Theotherswerediscussingthematter，andseemednottohavenoticedLindau，whocontrolledhimselfandsighed:"Youareright。Imusthavepatience。"

BeatonwassayingtoDryfoos，"PityyourPinkertonscouldn"thavegiventhemafewshotsbeforetheyleft。"

"No，thatwasn"tnecessary，"saidDryfoos。"Isucceededinbreakinguptheunion。Ienteredintoanagreementwithotherpartiesnottoemployanymanwhowouldnotswearthathewasnon-union。Iftheyhadattemptedviolence，ofcoursetheycouldhavebeenshot。Buttherewasnofearofthat。Thosefellowscanalwaysbedependedupontocutoneanother"sthroatsinthelongrun。"

"Butsometimes，"saidColonelWoodburn，whohadbeenwatchingthroughout。

forachancetomounthishobbyagain，"theymakeagooddealoftroublefirst。Howwasitinthegreatrailroadstrikeof"77?"

"Well，Iguesstherewasalittletroublethattime，colonel，"saidFulkerson。"Butthementhatundertaketooverridethelawsandparalyzetheindustriesofacountrylikethisgenerallygetleftintheend。"

"Yes，sir，generally；anduptoacertainpoint，always。Butit"stheexceptionalthatisapttohappen，aswellastheunexpected。Andalittlereflectionwillconvinceanygentlemanherethatthereisalwaysadangeroftheexceptionalinyoursystem。Thefactis，thosefellowshavethegameintheirownhandsalready。AstrikeofthewholebodyoftheBrotherhoodofEngineersalonewouldstarveouttheentireAtlanticseaboardinaweek；laborinsurrectioncouldmakeheadatadozengivenpoints，andyourgovernmentcouldn"tmoveamanovertheroadswithoutthehelpoftheengineers。"

"Thatisso，"saidKendrick，struckbythedramaticcharacteroftheconjecture。Heimaginedafictiondealingwiththesituationassomethingalreadyaccomplished。

"Whydon"tsomefellowdotheBattleofDorkingactwiththatthing?"

saidFulkerson。"Itwouldbeacard。"

"ExactlywhatIwasthinking，Mr。Fulkerson，"saidKendricks。

Fulkersonlaughed。"Telepathy——clearcaseofmindtransference。BetterseeMarch，here，aboutit。I"dliketohaveitin"EveryOtherWeek。"

Itwouldmaketalk。"

"Perhapsitmightsetyourpeopletothinkingaswellastalking，"saidthecolonel。

"Well，sir，"saidDryfoos，settinghislipssotightlytogetherthathisimperialstuckstraightoutward，"ifIhadmyway，therewouldn"tbeanyBrotherhoodofEngineers，noranyotherkindoflaborunioninthewholecountry。"

"What!"shoutedLindau。"Youwouldsobbresstheunionssofthevoarking-

men?"

"Yes，Iwould。"

"Andwhatwouldyoudowiththeunionssofthegabidalists——thedrosts——

andgompines，andboolss?Wouldyoudaketherighdtfromoneandgifittotheodder?"

"Yes，sir，Iwould，"saidDryfoos，withawickedlookathim。

Lindauwasabouttoroarbackathimwithsomefuriousprotest，butMarchputhishandonhisshoulderimploringly，andLindauturnedtohimtosayinGerman:"Butitisinfamous——infamous!Whatkindofmanisthis?Whoishe?Hehastheheartofatyrant。"

ColonelWoodburncutin。"Youcouldn"tdothat，Mr。Dryfoos，underyoursystem。Andifyouattemptedit，withyourconspiracylaws，andthatkindofthing，itmightbringtheclimaxsoonerthanyouexpected。Yourcommercializedsocietyhasbuiltitshouseonthesands。Itwillhavetogo。ButIshouldbesorryifitwentbeforeitstime。"

"Youarerighdt，sir，"saidLindau。"Itwouldbeabity。Ihobeitwilllasttillitfeelssitsrottenness，likeHerodt。Boat，whenitshourgomes，whenittropetobieceswiththeveightoffitsowngorrubtion——

whatthen?"

"It"snottobesupposedthatasystemofthingslikethiscandroptopiecesofitsownaccord，liketheoldRepublicofVenice，"saidthecolonel。"Butwhenthelastvestigeofcommercialsocietyisgone，thenwecanbegintobuildanew；andweshallbuilduponthecentralidea，notofthefalselibertyyounowworship，butofresponsibility——

responsibility。Theenlightened，themoneyed，thecultivatedclassshallberesponsibletothecentralauthority——emperor，duke，president；thenamedoesnotmatter——forthenationalexpenseandthenationaldefence，anditshallberesponsibletotheworking-classesofallkindsforhomesandlandsandimplements，andtheopportunitytolaboratalltimes。

Theworking-classesshallberesponsibletotheleisureclassforthesupportofitsdignityinpeace，andshallbesubjecttoitscommandinwar。Therichshallwarrantthepooragainstplanlessproductionandtheruinthatnowfollows，againstdangerfromwithoutandfaminefromwithin，andthepoor——"

"No，no，no!"shoutedLindau。"TheStateshalldothat——thewholebeople。Themenwhovoarkshallhaveandshalleat；andthementhatwillnotvoark，theyshallsdarfe。Butnomanneedsdarfe。HewillgototheState，andtheStatewillseethathehafvoark，andthathehaffoodt。Alltheroadtsandmillsandminesandlandtsshallbethebeople"sandberonbythebeopleforthebeople。Thereshallbenorichandnoboor；andthereshallnotbewaranymore，forwhatbowerwouldtdaretoaddackabeopleboundtogederinabroderhoodlikethat?"

"Lionandlambact，"saidFulkerson，notwellknowing，aftersomuchchampagne，whatwordshewasusing。

Noonenoticedhim，andColonelWoodburnsaidcoldlytoLindau，"Youaretalkingpaternalism，sir。"

"Andyouaredalkingfeutalism!"retortedtheoldman。

Thecoloneldidnotreply。Asilenceensued，whichnoonebroketillFulkersonsaid:"Well，now，lookhere。Ifeitheroneofthesemillenniumswasbroughtabout，byforceofarms，orotherwise，whatwouldbecomeof"EveryOtherWeek"?WhowouldwantMarchforaneditor?HowwouldBeatonsellhispictures?WhowouldprintMr。Kendricks"slittlesocietyversesandshortstories?WhatwouldbecomeofConradandhisgoodworks?"ThosenamedgrinnedinsupportofFulkerson"sdiversion，butLindauandthecoloneldidnotspeak；Dryfooslookeddownathisplate，frowning。

Awaitercameroundwithcigars，andFulkersontookone。"Ah，"hesaid，ashebitofftheend，andleanedovertotheemblematicmasterpiece，wherethebrandywasstillfeeblyflickering，"Iwonderifthere"senoughnaturalgaslefttolightmycigar。"Hiseffortputtheflameoutandknockedthederrickover；itbrokeinfragmentsonthetable。Fulkersoncackledovertheruin:"IwonderifallMoffittwilllookthatwayafterlaborandcapitalhavefoughtitouttogether。Ihopethisain"tominousofanythingpersonal，Dryfoos?"

"I"lltaketheriskofit，"saidtheoldman，harshly。

Herosemechanically，andFulkersonsaidtoFrescobaldi"sman，"Youcanbringusthecoffeeinthelibrary。"

Thetalkdidnotrecoveritselfthere。Landauwouldnotsitdown；herefusedcoffee，anddismissedhimselfwithahaughtybowtothecompany；

ColonelWoodburnshookhandselaboratelyallround，whenhehadsmokedhiscigar；theothersfollowedhim。ItseemedtoMarchthathisowngood-nightfromDryfooswasdryandcold。

VII。

MarchmetFulkersononthestepsoftheofficenextmorning，whenhearrivedratherlaterthanhiswont。Fulkersondidnotshowanyofthesignsofsufferingfromthelastnight"spleasurewhichpaintedthemselvesinMarch"sface。Heflirtedhishandgaylyintheair，andsaid，"How"syourpoorhead?"andbrokeintoaknowinglaugh。

"Youdon"tseemtohavegotupwiththelarkthismorning。TheoldgentlemanisintherewithConrad，asbrightasabiscuit；he"sbeatyoudown。Well，wedidhaveagoodtime，didn"twe?AndoldLindauandthecolonel，didn"ttheyhaveagoodtime?Idon"tsupposetheyeverhadachancebeforetogivetheirtheoriesquitesomuchair。Oh，my!howtheydidrideoverus!I"mjustgoingdowntoseeBeatonaboutthecoveroftheChristmasnumber。Ithinkweoughttotryitinthreeorfourcolors，ifwearegoingtoobservethedayatall。"HewasoffbeforeMarchcouldpullhimselftogethertoaskwhatDryfooswantedattheofficeatthathourofthemorning；healwayscameintheafternoononhiswayup-town。

ThefactofhispresencerenewedthesinistermisgivingswithwhichMarchhadpartedfromhimthenightbefore，butFulkerson"scheerfulnessseemedtogainsaythem；afterwardMarchdidnotknowwhethertoattributethismoodtotheslipperinessthathewasawareofattimesinFulkerson，ortoacynicalamusementhemighthavefeltatleavinghimalonetotheoldman，whomountedtohisroomshortlyafterMarchhadreachedit。

Asortofdumbangershoweditselfinhisface；hisjawwassetsofirmlythathedidnotseemableatoncetoopenit。Heasked，withouttheceremoniesofgreeting，"Whatdoesthatone-armedDutchmandoonthisbook?"

"Whatdoeshedo?"Marchechoed，aspeopleareapttodowithaquestionthatismandatoryandoffensive。

"Yes，sir，whatdoeshedo?Doeshewriteforit?"

"IsupposeyoumeanLindau，"saidMarch。HesawnoreasonforrefusingtoanswerDryfoos"sdemand，andhedecidedtoignoreitsterms。"No，hedoesn"twriteforitintheusualway。Hetranslatesforit；

heexaminestheforeignmagazines，anddrawsmyattentiontoanythinghethinksofinterest。ButItoldyouaboutthisbefore——"

"Iknowwhatyoutoldme，wellenough。AndIknowwhatheis。Heisared-mouthedlaboragitator。He"soneofthoseforeignersthatcomeherefromplaceswherethey"veneverhadadecentmeal"svictualsintheirlives，andassoonastheygettheirstomachsfull，theybegintomaketroublebetweenourpeopleandtheirhands。There"swherethestrikescomefrom，andtheunionsandthesecretsocieties。TheycomehereandbreakourSabbath，andteachtheiratheism。Theyoughttobehung!

Let"emgobackiftheydon"tlikeitoverhere。Theywanttoruinthecountry。"

Marchcouldnothelpsmilingalittleatthewords，whichcamefastenoughnowinthehoarsestaccatoofDryfoos"spassion。"Idon"tknowwhomyoumeanbythey，generallyspeaking；butIhadtheimpressionthatpooroldLindauhadoncedonehisbesttosavethecountry。Idon"talwayslikehiswayoftalking，butIknowthatheisoneofthetruestandkindestsoulsintheworld；andheisnomoreanatheistthanIam。

Heismyfriend，andIcan"tallowhimtobemisunderstood。"

"Idon"tcarewhatheis，"Dryfoosbrokeout，"Iwon"thavehimround。

Hecan"thaveanymoreworkfromthisoffice。Iwantyoutostopit。

Iwantyoutoturnhimoff。"

Marchwasstandingathisdesk，ashehadrisentoreceiveDryfooswhenheentered。Henowsatdown，andbegantoopenhisletters。

"Doyouhear?"theoldmanroaredathim。"Iwantyoutoturnhimoff。"

"Excuseme，Mr。Dryfoos，"saidMarch，succeedinginanefforttospeakcalmly，"Idon"tknowyou，insuchamatterasthis。Myarrangementsaseditorof"EveryOtherWeek"weremadewithMr。Fulkerson。Ihavealwayslistenedtoanysuggestionhehashadtomake。"

"Idon"tcareforMr。Fulkerson?Hehasnothingtodowithit，"retortedDryfoos；butheseemedalittledauntedbyMarch"sposition。

"HehaseverythingtodowithitasfarasIamconcerned，"Marchanswered，withasteadinessthathedidnotfeel。"Iknowthatyouaretheowneroftheperiodical，butIcan"treceiveanysuggestionfromyou，forthereasonthatIhavegiven。NobodybutMr。Fulkersonhasanyrighttotalkwithmeaboutitsmanagement。"

Dryfoosglaredathimforamoment，anddemanded，threateningly:"Thenyousayyouwon"tturnthatoldloaferoff?YousaythatIhavegottokeeponpayingmymoneyouttobuybeerforamanthatwouldcutmythroatifhegotthechance?"

"Isaynothingatall，Mr。Dryfoos，"Marchanswered。Thebloodcameintohisface，andheadded:"ButIwillsaythatifyouspeakagainofMr。

Lindauinthoseterms，oneofusmustleavethisroom。Iwillnothearyou。"

Dryfooslookedathimwithastonishment；thenhestruckhishatdownonhishead，andstampedoutoftheroomanddownthestairs；andavaguepitycameintoMarch"sheartthatwasnotaltogetherforhimself。

Hemightbethegreatersuffererintheend，buthewassorrytohavegotthebetterofthatoldmanforthemoment；andhefeltashamedoftheangerintowhichDryfoos"sangerhadsurprisedhim。HeknewhecouldnotsaytoomuchindefenceofLindau"sgenerosityandunselfishness，andhehadnotattemptedtodefendhimasapoliticaleconomist。HecouldnothavetakenanygroundinrelationtoDryfoosbutthatwhichheheld，andhefeltsatisfiedthathewasrightinrefusingtoreceiveinstructionsorcommandsfromhim。Yetsomehowhewasnotsatisfiedwiththewholeaffair，andnotmerelybecausehispresenttriumphthreatenedhisfinaladvantage，butbecausehefeltthatinhisheathehadhardlydonejusticetoDryfoos"srightsinthematter；itdidnotquiteconsolehimtoreflectthatDryfooshadhimselfmadeitimpossible。Hewastemptedtogohomeandtellhiswifewhathadhappened，andbeginhispreparationsforthefutureatonce。Butheresistedthisweaknessandkeptmechanicallyabouthiswork，openingthelettersandthemanuscriptsbeforehimwiththatcuriousdoubleactionofthemindcommoninmenofvividimaginations。ItwasareliefwhenConradDryfoos，havingapparentlywaitedtomakesurethathisfatherwouldnotreturn，cameupfromthecounting-roomandlookedinonMarchwithatroubledface。

"Mr。March，"hebegan，"Ihopefatherhasn"tbeensayinganythingtoyouthatyoucan"toverlook。Iknowhewasverymuchexcited，andwhenheisexcitedheisapttosaythingsthatheissorryfor。"

TheapologeticattitudetakenforDryfoos，sodifferentfromanyattitudetheperemptoryoldmanwouldhaveconceivablytakenforhimself，madeMarchsmile。"Ohno。Ifancythebootisontheotherleg。IsuspectI"vesaidsomethingsyourfathercan"toverlook，Conrad。"HecalledtheyoungmanbyhisChristiannamepartlytodistinguishhimfromhisfather，partlyfromtheinfectionofFulkerson"shabit，andpartlyfromakindnessforhimthatseemednaturallytoexpressitselfinthatway。