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Tom would shake his head exasperatingly。
〃Why don't you get after Ralph？〃 I demanded。 〃He doesn't antagonize
Tallant； either。〃
〃Ralph's hopeless；〃 said Tom。 〃He was born a pirate； you weren't；
Hughie。 We think there's a chance for his salvation； don't we； Perry？〃
I refused to accept the remark as flattering。
Another object of their assaults was Frederick Grierson； who by this time
had emerged from obscurity as a small dealer in real estate into a
manipulator of blocks and corners。
〃I suppose you think it's a lawyer's business to demand an ethical bill
of health of every client；〃 I said。 〃I won't stand up for all of
Tallant's career； of course； but Mr。 Wading has a clear right to take his
cases。 As for Grierson； it seems to me that's a matter of giving a dog a
bad name。 Just because his people weren't known here； and because he has
worked up from small beginnings。 To get down to hard…pan； you fellows
don't believe in democracy；in giving every man a chance to show what's
in him。〃
〃Democracy is good！〃 exclaimed Perry。 〃If the kind of thing we're coming
to is democracy； God save the state！〃。。。
On the other hand I found myself drawing closer to Ralph Hambleton；
sometimes present at these debates； as the only one of my boyhood friends
who seemed to be able to 〃deal with conditions as he found them。〃
Indeed； he gave one the impression that； if he had had the making of
them； he would not have changed them。
〃What the deuce do you expect？〃 I once heard him inquire with good…
natured contempt。 〃Business isn't charity； it's war。
〃There are certain things；〃 maintained Perry； stoutly； 〃that gentlemen
won't do。〃
〃Gentlemen！〃 exclaimed Ralph； stretching his slim six feet two： We were
sitting in the Boyne Club。 〃It's ungentlemanly to kill； or burn a town
or sink a ship； but we keep armies and navies for the purpose。 For a man
with a good mind； Perry； you show a surprising inability to think things；
out to a logical conclusion。 What the deuce is competition； when you
come down to it？ Christianity？ Not by a long shot！ If our nations are
slaughtering men and starving populations in other countries；are
carried on； in fact； for the sake of business； if our churches are filled
with business men and our sky pilots pray for the government； you can't
expect heathen individuals like me to do business on a Christian basis；
if there is such a thing。 You can make rules for croquet； but not for a
game that is based on the natural law of the survival of the fittest。
The darned fools in the legislatures try it occasionally； but we all know
it's a sop to the ‘common people。' Ask Hughie here if there ever was a
law put on the statute books that his friend Watling couldn't get
'round'？ Why； you've got competition even among the churches。 Yours；
where I believe you teach in the Sunday school； would go bankrupt if it
proclaimed real Christianity。 And you'll go bankrupt if you practise it；
Perry； my boy。 Some early； wide…awake； competitive； red…blooded bird
will relieve you of the Boyne Street car line。〃
It was one of this same new and 〃fittest〃 species who had already
relieved poor Mr。 McAlery Willett of his fortune。 Mr。 Willett was a
trusting soul who had never known how to take care of himself or his
money； people said； and now that he had lost it they blamed him。 Some
had been saved enough for him and Nancy to live on in the old house； with
careful economy。 It was Nancy who managed the economy； who accomplished
remarkable things with a sum they would have deemed poverty in former
days。 Her mother had died while I was at Cambridge。 Reverses did not
subdue Mr。 Willett's spirits； and the fascination modern 〃business〃 had
for him seemed to grow in proportion to the misfortunes it had caused
him。 He moved into a tiny office in the Durrett Building； where he
appeared every morning about half…past ten to occupy himself with heaven
knows what short cuts to wealth； with prospectuses of companies in Mexico
or Central America or some other distant place： once； I remember； it was
a tea； company in which he tried to interest his friends； to raise in the
South a product he maintained would surpass Orange Pekoe。 In the
afternoon between three and four he would turn up at the Boyne Club； as
well groomed； as spruce as ever； generally with a flower in his
buttonhole。 He never forgot that he was a gentleman； and he had a
gentleman's notions of the fitness of things； and it was against his
principles to use； a gentleman's club for the furtherance of his various
enterprises。
〃Drop into my office some day； Dickinson；〃 he would say。 〃I think I've
got something there that might interest you！〃
He reminded me； when I met him； that he had always predicted I would get
along in life。。。。
The portrait of Nancy at this period is not so easily drawn。 The decline
of the family fortunes seemed to have had as little effect upon her as
upon her father； although their characters differed sharply。 Something
of that spontaneity； of that love of life and joy in it she had possessed
in youth she must have inherited from McAlery Willett； but these
qualities had disappeared in her long before the coming of financial
reverses。 She was nearing thirty； and in spite of her beauty and the
rarer distinction that can best be described as breeding； she had never
married。 Men admired her； but from a distance； she kept them at arm's
length； they said： strangers who visited the city invariably picked her
out of an assembly and asked who she was； one man from New York who came
to visit Ralph and who had been madly in love with her； she had amazed
many people by refusing； spurning all he might have given her。 This
incident seemed a refutation of the charge that she was calculating。 As
might have been foretold； she had the social gift in a remarkable degree；
and in spite of the limitations of her purse the knack of dressing better
than other women； though at that time the organization of our social life
still remained comparatively simple； the custom of luxurious and
expensive entertainment not having yet set in。
The more I reflect upon those days； the more surprising does it seem that
I was not in love with her。 It may be that I was； unconsciously； for she
troubled my thoughts occasionally； and she represented all the qualities
I admired in her sex。 The situation that had existed at the time of our
first and only quarrel had been reversed； I was on the highroad to the
worldly success I had then resolved upon； Nancy was poor； and for that
reason； perhaps； prouder than ever。 If she was inaccessible to others；
she had the air of being peculiarly inaccessible to methe more so
because some of the superficial relics of our intimacy remained； or
rather had been restored。 Her very manner of camaraderie seemed
paradoxically to increase the distance between us。 It piqued me。 Had
she given me the least encouragement； I am sure I should have responded；
and I remember that I used occasionally to speculate as to whether she
still cared for me； and took this method of hiding her real feelings。
Yet； on the whole； I felt a certain complacency about it all； I