money. After having gambled with fair luck, played the profuse
libertine for a time, tried his hand at yachting, horse-racing, big-game
hunting, and even politics, he successively tired of the first three,
and was beaten at the last, but retained an unsatisfied hunger for it.
To celebrate his fortieth birthday, he had bought a house on the eastern
vista of Central Park, and drifted into a rather indeterminate life,
identified with no special purpose, occupation, or set. Large though his
fortune was, it was too much disseminated and he was too indifferent to
it, for him to be conspicuous in the money game which constitutes New
York's lists of High Endeavor. His reputation, in the city of careless
reckonings, was vague, but just a trifle tarnished; good enough for the
casual contacts which had hitherto made up his life, but offering
difficulties should he wish to establish himself more firmly.

The best clubs were closed to him; he had reached his possible summit
along that path in achieving membership in the recently and superbly
established Oligarchs Club, which was sumptuous, but over-vivid like a
new Oriental rug. As to other social advancement, his record was an
obstacle. Not that it was worse than, nor indeed nearly as bad as, that
of many an established member of the inner circle; but the test for an
outsider seeking admittance is naturally made more severe. Delavan Eyre,
for example, an average sinner for one of his opportunities and
standing, had certainly no better a general repute, and latterly a much
more dubious one than Marrineal. But Eyre "belonged" of right.

As sufficient indication of Marrineal's status, by the way, it may be
pointed out that, while he knew Eyre quite well, it was highly
improbable that he would ever know Mrs. Eyre, or, if he did fortuitously
come to know her, that he would be able to improve upon the
acquaintance. All this Marrineal himself well understood. But it must
not be inferred that he resented it. He was far too much of a
philosopher for that. It amused him as offering a new game to be played,
more difficult certainly and inferentially more interesting than any of
those which had hitherto enlisted his somewhat languid efforts. He
appreciated also, though with a cynical disbelief in the logic of the
situation, that he must polish up his reputation. He was on the new
quest at the time when he overheard Banneker and Edmonds discuss the
journalistic situation in Katie's restaurant,