veiled bribe. But he generally wore
his heart on his sleeve; and those who perforce had business relations
with him soon discovered that, though utterly unscrupulous, his
character was continuously revealed through his small conceit, which
caused him so to work as to be seen of men and gain their cheap
plaudits for his sharp, mendacious practices.

Philip retained a degree of his father's confidence--which James
wholly lacked--and he spared himself no pains to cultivate it. Though
far less ready of wit than his stubby, bombastic brother, he was a
tenacious plodder, and was for this reason much more likely ultimately
to achieve his sordid purposes. His energy was tireless, and he never
admitted defeat. He never worked openly; he never appeared to have a
decided line of conduct; and no one could ever say what particular
course he intended to pursue. Apparently, he was a man of exemplary
habits; and his mild boast that he knew not the taste of tobacco or
liquor could not be refuted. He was an elder in the Presbyterian
church in the little suburb where he lived, and superintendent of its
Sunday school. His prayers were beautiful expressions of reverent
piety; and his conversation, at all times chaste and modest, announced
him a man of more than ordinary purity of thought and motive. While it
is true that no one could recall any pious deed, any charitable act,
or any conduct based on motives of self-abnegation and brotherly love
performed by him, yet no one could ever point to a single coarse or
mean action emanating from the man. If there was discord in company
affairs, the wanton James always bore the onus. And because of this,
relations between the brothers gradually assumed a condition of
strain, until at length James openly and angrily denounced Philip as a
hypocrite, and refused longer to work with him. Thereupon the milder
Philip offered the other cheek and installed a mediator, in the person
of one Rawlins, a sickly, emaciated, bearded, but loyal Hermes, who
thenceforth performed the multifold functions of pacificator,
go-between, human telephone, and bearer of messages, documents, and
what-not from one to the other for a nominal wage and the crumbs that
dropped from the promoter's table.

The fog and the gloom thickened, and Ketchim sat deeply immersed in
both. He was still shaking from the fright which he had received that
morning. On opening the door as he was about to leave his house to
take the train to the c