as_ Marcia's idea, wasn't
it?"

He hesitated a moment before replying.

"Oh, yes, I suppose so. But I've been pretty keen about it from the
beginning. You must admit that it's interesting in theory."

"The superbeast versus the superman," I commented. "Your mind is made
up then--irrevocably?"

"Yes."

I had not known Jerry all these years for nothing. I shrugged my
shoulders and sank into my chair again. "Then, of course, there's
nothing for it but to try to keep the thing out of the papers."

He took up his hat and stick gayly. "Oh, they'll never guess in the
world. When I go down to Flynn's I get into an old suit Christopher
got for me down on Seventh Avenue--a hand-me-down, and when Marcia
goes she wears--"

"Ah--Marcia goes--?"

"Oh, yes, sometimes in the afternoons. She wears the worst-looking
things--her maid got 'em somewhere. She watches me work. They call her
my 'steady.' It's great sport. She's having more fun than she ever had
before in her life, she says. I'd like you to run down this
afternoon. You know the place. It will liven up your dry bones. Come
along, will you?"

"Perhaps," I said helplessly, looking out of the window.

CHAPTER XIII

UNA

Jerry's destiny was indeed in the lap of the gods. Whatever may have
been my hope, during his visit to the Manor, of opening his eyes, I
now confessed myself utterly at a loss. He was dipping life up by the
ladle-full and yet curiously enough thus far had missed the vital, the
significant fact of existence. I supposed that it was because the
history of his early years was known to but few and that the men with
whom he came into contact, nice enough fellows at the clubs, friends
of Jack Ballard, had taken his worldliness for granted. He had missed
the filthy story perhaps, or if he had heard it, had ignored its point
and turned away to topics he understood. Business, too, had taken some
of his time and Marcia had taken more. The clubs, I had inferred, had
not greatly interested him. Flynn, his other crony, was no
scandal-monger and the habits of the years at Horsham Manor would
still be strong with him at the gymnasium. As I have said before,
Jerry hadn't the kind of a mind to absorb what did not interest him.

It must be obvious, however, that I was greatly concerned over Jerry's
venture into pugilism. I tried to view the Great Experiment as from a
great distance, as across a space of time looking forward to the hour
when Jerry would emerg