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　knew　that
  suffering　was　disagreeable；　I　had　learned　how　to　avoid　it；　and　I　may　have
  had；　deep　within　me；　a　feeling　that　I　might　marry　her　after　all。
  Meanwhile　my　life　was　full；　and　gave　promise　of　becoming　even　fuller；
  more　absorbing　and　exciting　in　the　immediate　future。
  One　of　the　most　fascinating　figures；　to　me；　of　that　Order　being　woven；
  like　a　cloth　of　gold；　out　of　our　hitherto　drab　civilization；an　Order
  into　which　I　was　ready　and　eager　to　be　initiated；was　that　of　Adolf
  Scherer；　the　giant　German　immigrant　at　the　head　of　the　Boyne　Iron　Works。
  His　life　would　easily　lend　itself　to　riotous　romance。　　In　the　old
  country；　in　a　valley　below　the　castle　perched　on　the　rack　above；　he　had
  begun　life　by　tending　his　father's　geese。　　What　a　contrast　to　〃Steeltown〃
  with　its　smells　and　sickening　summer　heat；　to　the　shanty　where　Mrs。
  Scherer　took　boarders　and　bent　over　the　wash…tub！　　She；　too；　was　an
  immigrant；　but　lived　to　hear　her　native　Wagner　from　her　own　box　at　Covent
  Garden；　and　he　to　explain；　on　the　deck　of　an　imperial　yacht；　to　the　man
  who　might　have　been　his　sovereign　certain　processes　in　the　manufacture　of
  steel　hitherto　untried　on　that　side　of　the　Atlantic。　　In　comparison　with
  Adolf　Scherer；　citizen　of　a　once　despised　democracy；　the　minor　prince　in
  whose　dominions　he　had　once　tended　geese　was　of　small　account　indeed！
  The　Adolf　Scherer　of　that　daythough　it　is　not　so　long　ago　as　time　flies
  was　even　more　solid　and　impressive　than　the　man　he　afterwards　became；
  when　he　reached　the　dizzier　heights　from　which　he　delivered　to　an　eager
  press　opinions　on　politics　and　war；　eugenics　and　woman's　suffrage　and
  other　subjects　that　are　the　despair　of　specialists。　　Had　he　stuck　to
  steel；　he　would　have　remained　invulnerable。　　But　even　then　he　was
  beginning　to　abandon　the　field　of　production　for　that　of　exploitation：
  figuratively　speaking；　he　had　taken　to　soap；　which　with　the　aid　of　water
  may　be　blown　into　beautiful；　iridescent　bubbles　to　charm　the　eye。　　Much
  good　soap；　apparently；　has　gone　that　way；　never　to　be　recovered。
  Everybody　who　was　anybody　began　to　blow　bubbles　about　that　time；　and　the
  bigger　the　bubble　the　greater　its　attraction　for　investors　of　hard…earned
  savings。　　Outside　of　this　love　for　financial　iridescence；　let　it　be
  called；　Mr。　Scherer　seemed　to　care　little　then　for　glitter　of　any　sort。
  Shortly　after　his　elevation　to　the　presidency　of　the　Boyne　Iron　Works　he
  had　been　elected　a　member　of　the　Boyne　Club；an　honour　of　which；　some
  thought；　he　should　have　been　more　sensible；　but　generally；　when　in　town；
  he　preferred　to　lunch　at　a　little　German　restaurant　annexed　to　a　saloon；
  where　I　used　often　to　find　him　literally　towering　above　the　cloth；for
  he　was　a　giant　with　short　legs；his　napkin　tucked　into　his　shirt　front；
  engaged　in　lively　conversation　with　the　ministering　Heinrich。　　The　chef
  at　the　club；　Mr。　Scherer　insisted；　could　produce　nothing　equal　to
  Heinrich's　sauer…kraut　and　sausage。　　My　earliest　relationship　with　Mr。
  Scherer　was　that　of　an　errand　boy；　of　bringing　to　him　for　his　approval
  papers　which　might　not　be　intrusted　to　a　common　messenger。　　His　gruffness
  and　brevity　disturbed　me　more　than　I　cared　to　confess。　　I　was　pretty　sure
  that　he　eyed　me　with　the　disposition　of　the　self…made　to　believe　that
  college　educations　and　good　tailors　were　the　heaviest　handicaps　with
  which　a　young　man　could　be　burdened：　and　I　suspected　him　of　an　inimical
  attitude　toward　the　older　families　of　the　city。　　Certain　men　possessed
  his　confidence；　and　he　had　built；　as　it　were；　a　stockade　about　them；
  sternly　keeping　the　rest　of　the　world　outside。　　In　Theodore　Watling　he
  had　a　childlike　faith。
  Thus　I　studied　him；　with　a　deliberation　which　it　is　the　purpose　of　these
  chapters　to　confess；　though　he　little　knew　that　he　was　being　made　the
  subject　of　analysis。　　Nor　did　I　ever　venture　to　talk　with　him；　but　held
  strictly　to　my　role　of　errand　boy；even　after　the　conviction　came　over
  me　that　he　was　no　longer　indifferent　to　my　presence。　　The　day　arrived；
  after　some　years；　when　he　suddenly　thrust　toward　me　a　b