struggle　by　which　she　and　her　husband　had　attained　their　present
  position；　she　referred　with　the　utmost　naivete　to　incidents　in　her
  career；　while　the　whole　table　paused　to　listen。
  〃Before　we　had　a　carriage；　yes；　it　was　hard　for　me　to　get　about。　　I　had
  to　be　helped　by　the　conductors　into　the　streetcars。　　I　broke　my　hip　when
  we　lived　in　Steelville；　and　the　doctor　was　a　numbskull。　　He　should　be　put
  in　prison；　is　what　I　tell　Adolf。　　I　was　standing　on　a　clothes…horse；　when
  it　fell。　　I　had　much　washing　to　do　in　those　days。〃
  〃Andcan　nothing　be　done；　Mrs。　Scherer？〃　asked　Leonard　Dickinson；
  sympathetically。
  〃For　an　old　woman？　　I　am　fifty…five。　　I　have　had　many　doctors。　　I　would
  put　them　all　in　prison。　　How　much　was　it　you　paid　Dr。　Stickney；　in　New
  York；　Adolf？　　Five　thousand　dollars？　　And　he　did　nothingnothing。　　I'd
  rather　be　poor　again；　and　work。　　But　it　is　well　to　make　the　best　of
  it。〃。。。
  〃Your　grandfather　was　a　fine　man；　Mr。　Durrett；〃　she　informed　Hambleton。
  〃It　is　a　pity　for　you；　I　think；　that　you　do　not　have　to　work。〃
  Ham；　who　sat　on　her　other　side；　was　amused。
  〃My　grandfather　did　enough　work　for　both　of　us；〃　he　said。
  〃If　I　had　been　your　grandfather；　I　would　have　started　you　in　puddling；〃
  she　observed；　as　she　eyed　with　disapproval　the　filling　of　his　third　glass
  of　champagne。　　〃I　think　there　is　too　much　gay　life；　too　much　games　for
  rich　young　men　nowadays。　　You　will　forgive　me　for　saying　what　I　think　to
  young　men？〃
  〃I'll　forgive　you　for　not　being　my　grandfather；　at　any　rate；〃　replied
  Ham；　with　unaccustomed　wit。
  She　gazed　at　him　with　grim　humour。
  〃It　is　bad　for　you　I　am　not；〃　she　declared。
  There　was　no　gainsaying　her。　　What　can　be　done　with　a　lady　who　will　not
  recognize　that　morality　is　not　discussed；　and　that　personalities　are
  tabooed　save　between　intimates。　　Hilda　was　a　personage　as　well　as　a
  Tartar。　　Laws；　conventions；　usagesto　all　these　she　would　conform　when
  it　pleased　her。　　She　would　have　made　an　admirable　inquisitorial　judge；
  and　quite　as　admirable　a　sick　nurse。　　A　rare　criminal　lawyer；　likewise；
  was　wasted　in　her。　　She　was　one　of　those　individuals；　I　perceived；　whose
  loyalties　dominate　them；　and　who；　in　behalf　of　those　loyalties；　carry
  chips　on　their　shoulders。
  〃It　is　a　long　time　that　I　have　been　wanting　to　meet　you；〃　she　informed
  me。　　〃You　are　smart。〃
  I　smiled；　yet　I　was　inclined　to　resent　her　use　of　the　word；　though　I　was
  by　no　means　sure　of　the　shade　of　meaning　she　meant　to　put　into　it。　　I
  had；　indeed；　an　uneasy　sense　of　the　scantiness　of　my　fund　of　humour　to
  meet　and　turn　such　a　situation；　for　I　was　experiencing；　now；　with　her；
  the　same　queer　feeling　I　had　known　in　my　youth　in　the　presence　of　Cousin
  Robert　Breckthe　suspicion　that　this　extraordinary　person　saw　through
  me。　　It　was　as　though　she　held　up　a　mirror　and　compelled　me　to　look　at　my
  soul　features。　　I　tried　to　assure　myself　that　the　mirror　was　distorted。
  I　lost；　nevertheless；　the　sureness　of　touch　that　comes　from　the
  conviction　of　being　all　of　a　piece。　　She　contrived　to　resolve　me　again
  into　conflicting　elements。　　I　was；　for　the　moment；　no　longer　the　self…
  confident　and　triumphant　young　attorney　accustomed　to　carry　all　before
  him；　to　command　respect　and　admiration；　but　a　complicated　being　whose
  unity　had　suddenly　been　split。　　I　glanced　around　the　table　at　Ogilvy；　at
  Dickinson；　at　Ralph　Hambleton。　　These　men　were　functioning　truly。　　But
  was　I？　　If　I　were　not；　might　not　this　be　the　reason　for　the　lack　of
  synthesisof　which　I　was　abruptly　though　vaguely　aware　between　my
  professional　life；　my　domestic　relationships；　and　my　relationships　with
  friends。　　The　loyalty　of　the　woman　beside　me　struck　me　forcibly　as　a
  supreme　trait。　　Where　she　had　given；　she　did　not　withdraw。　　She　had
  conferred　it　instantly　on　Maude。　　Did　I　feel　that　loyalty　towards　a
  single　human　being？　towards　Maude　herselfmy　wife？　or　even　towards
  Nancy？　　I　pulled　myself　together；　and　resolved　to　give　her　credit　for
  using　the　word　〃smart〃　in　its　unobjectionable　sense。　　After　all；　Dickens
  had　so　used　it。
  〃A　lawyer　must　needs　know　something　of　what　he　is　about；　Mrs。　Scherer；　if
  he　is　to　be　employed　by　such　a　man　as　your　husband；〃　I　replied。
  Her　black　eyes　snapped　with　pleasure。
  〃Ah；　I　suppose　that　is　so；〃　she　agreed。　　〃I　knew　he　was　a　great　man　when
  I　married　him；　and　that　was　before　Mr。　Nathaniel　Durrett　found　it　out。〃
  〃But　surely　you　did　not　think；　in　those　days；　that　he　would　be　as　big　as
  he　has　become？　　That　he　would　not　only　be　president　of　the　Boyne　Iron
  Works；　but　of　a　Boyne　Iron　Works　that　has　exceeded　Mr。　Durrett's　wildest
  dreams。〃
  She　shook　her　head　complacently。
  〃Do　you　know　what　I　told　him　when　he　married　me？　　I　said；　'Adolf；　it　is　a
  pity　you　are　born　in　Germany。'　And　when　he　asked　me　why；　I　told　him　that
  some　day　he　might　have　been　President　of　the　United　States。〃
  〃Well；　that　won't　be　a　great　deprivation　to　him；〃　I　remarked。　　〃Mr。
  Scherer　can　do　what　he　wants；　and　the　President　cannot。〃
  〃Adolf　always　does　as　he　wants；〃　she　declared；　gazing　at　him　as　he　sat
  beside　the　brilliant　wife　of　the　grandson　of　the　man　whose　red…shirted
  foreman　he　had　been。　　〃He　does　what　he　wants；　and　gets　what　he　wants。　　He
  is　getting　what　he　wants　now；〃　she　added；　with　such　obvious　meaning　that
  I　found　no　words　to　reply。　　〃She　is　pretty；　that　Mrs。　Durrett；　and
  clever；is　it　not　so？〃
  I　agreed。　　A　new　and　indescribable　note　had　come　into　Mrs。　Scherer's
  voice；　and　I　realized　that　she；　too；　was　aware　of　that　flaw　in　the
  redoubtable　Mr。　Scherer　which　none　of　his　associates　had　guessed。　　It
  would　have　been　strange　if　she　had　not　discovered　it。　　〃She　is　beautiful；
  yes；〃　the　lady　continued　critically；　〃but　she　is　not　to　compare　with　your
  wife。　　She　has　not　the　heart；it　is　so　with　all　your　people　of　society。
  For　them　it　is　not　what　you　are；　but　what　you　have　done；　and　what　you
  have。〃
  The　banality　of　this　observation　was　mitigated　by　the　feeling　she　threw
  into　it。
  〃I　think　you　misjudge　Mrs。　Durrett；〃　I　said；　incautiously。　　〃She　has
  never　before　had　the　opportunity　of　meeting　Mr。　Scherer　of　appreciating
  him。〃
  〃Mrs。　Durrett　is　an　old　friend　of　yours？〃　she　asked。
  〃I　was　brought　up　with　her。〃
  〃Ah！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　turned　her　penetrating　glance　upon　me。　　I　was
  startled。　　Could　it　be　that　she　had　discerned　and　interpreted　those
  renascent　feelings　even　then　stirring　within　me；　and　of　which　I　myself
  was　as　yet　scarcely　conscious？　　At　this　moment；　fortunately　for　me；　the
  women　rose；　the　men　remained　to　smoke；　and　Scherer；　as　they　discussed
  matters　of　finance；　became　himself　again。　　I　joined　in　the　conversation；
  but　I　was　thinking　of　those　instants　when　in　flashes　of　understanding　my
  eyes　had　met　Nancy's；　instants　in　which　I　was　lifted　out　of　my　humdrum；
  deadly　serious　self　and　was　able　to　look　down　objectively　upon　the　life　I
  led；　the　life　we　all　ledand　Nancy　herself；　to　see
  with　her　the　comic　irony　of　it　all。　　Nancy　had　the　power　to　give　me　this
  exquisite　sense　of　detachment　that　must　sustain　her。　　And　was　it　not　just
  this　sustenance　she　could　give　that　I　needed？　　For　want　of　it　I　was
  hardening；　crystallizing；　growing　blind　to　the　joy　and　variety　of
  existence。　　Nancy　could　have　saved　me；　she　brought　it　home　to　me　that　I
  needed　salvation。。。。　　I　was　struck　by　another　thought；　in　spite　of　our
  separation；　in　spite　of　her　marriage　and　mine；　she　was　still　nearer　to
  mefar　nearerthan　any　other　being。
  Later；　I　sought　her　out。　　She　looked　up　at　me　amusedly　from　the　window…
  seat　in　our　living…room；　where　she　had　been　talking　to　the　Scherer　girls。
  〃Well；　how　did　you　get　along　with　Hilda？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　thought　I　saw
  you　struggling。〃
  〃She's　somewhat　disconcerting；〃　I　said。　　〃I　felt　as　if　she　were　turning
  me　inside　out。〃
  Nancy　laughed。
  〃Hilda's　a　discoverya　genius。　　I'm　going　to　have　them　to　dinner
  myself。〃
  〃And　Adolf？〃　I　inquired。　　〃I　believe　she　thought　you　were　preparing　to
  run　away　with　him。　　You　seemed　to　have　him　hypnotized。〃
  〃I'm　afraid　your　great　man　won't　be　able　to　standelevation；〃　she
  declared。　　〃He'll　have　vertigo。　　He's　even　got　it　now；　at　this　little
  height；　and　when　he　builds　his　palace　on　Grant　Avenue；　and　later　moves　to
  New　York；　I'm　afraid　he'll　wobble　even　more。〃
  〃Is　he　thinking　of　doing　all　that？〃　I　asked。
  〃I　merely　predict　New　Yorkit's　inevitable；〃　she　replied。　　〃Grant
  Avenue；　yes；　he　wants　me　to　help　him　choose　a　lot。　　He　gave　me　ten
  thousand　dollars　for　our　Orphans'　Home；　but　on　the　whole　I　think　I　prefer
  Hilda　even　if　she　doesn't　approve　of　me。〃
  Nancy　rose。　　The　Scherers　were　going。　　While　Mr。　Scherer　pressed　my　hand
  in　a　manner　that　convinced　me　of　his　gratitude；　Hilda　was　bidding　an
  affectionate　good　night　to　Maude。　　A　few　moments　later　she　bore　her
  husband　and　daughters　away；　and　we　heard　the　tap…tap　of　her　cane　on　the
  walk　outside。。。。
  XVII。
  The　remembrance　of　that　dinner　when　with　my　connivance　the　Scherers　made
  their　social　debut　is　associated　in　my　mind　with　the　coming　of　the
  fulness　of　that　era；　mad　and　brief；　when　gold　rained　down　like　manna　from
  our　sooty　skies。　　Even　the　church　was　prosperous；　the　Rev。　Carey　Heddon；
  our　new　minister；　was　well　abreast　of　the　times；　typical　of　the　new　and
  efficient　Chris