the dinner and the visit Emmet had paid him in the evening, putting in
the personal detail with an instinctive knowledge of a woman's demand
for such things. Her evident appreciation rewarded him. She had
something to say of the captain who had helped him in his effort, and
at many a point in their talk the congeniality of their minds became
evident. "You know how Emmet feels about the college, and about
colleges in general?" he asked.

She nodded understandingly.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "St. George's Hall is personified for
him in Anthony Cobbens. He told me all about their early associations
and subsequent estrangement. I must say that after his arraignment of
the man, I half expected to see them fly at each other's throats,
whereas they almost embraced." He threw back his head and laughed
heartily at the remembrance.

"The amenities of civilisation--and politics," she murmured, smiling.

"But how roiled poor Emmet was underneath," he mused. "I wish I had
Cardington's gift of speech to express the thoughts that have lately
been taking shape in my mind concerning the spectacle of a democratic
aristocracy. Now, if Emmet had the philosophical attitude of mind, he
would n't have the strength to struggle which he undoubtedly does have.
He needs that stimulus of personal animosity to get somewhere; if he
were philosophical, he would be unambitious. When he has arrived, as
they say, he will come to see that an aristocracy in the usual worldly
sense of the term must have money to maintain its existence. The old
aristocracy must have accessions of vulgar blood and vulgar money to
keep it alive, just as the language must be rejuvenated from time to
time by slang from the streets. I made a tentative effort to present
some such point of view to him as you suggested, but it didn't take.
He could only see Cobbens's red head in front of his eyes, and it was
like the proverbial rag of the same colour to the bull. Emmet is a
generation short of being able to see in his personal enemy a synopsis
of the processes of history. This, in short, is my conclusion. I'm
afraid I did n't accomplish what we hoped for."

"I might have known it," she commented. "But I'm grateful to you for
making the attempt."

"What hypocrites we are!" he cried, sitting up. "A little of my own
philosophy would n't be a bad thing for home use. I could easily allow
myself to get into as great a rage against Warwick as Emmet himself.
A