ce of making money! that is the ne plus ultra of
martyrdom. Brown's wife was extremely angry with him for doing it."

"It is an interesting story--or might be made so," said Erskine. "But
you make my head spin with your confounded exchange values and stuff.
Everything is a question of figures with you."

"That comes of my not being a poet," said Trefusis. "But we Socialists
need to study the romantic side of our movement to interest women in it.
If you want to make a cause grow, instruct every woman you meet in it.
She is or will one day be a wife, and will contradict her husband with
scraps of your arguments. A squabble will follow. The son will listen,
and will be set thinking if he be capable of thought. And so the mind
of the people gets leavened. I have converted many young women. Most of
them know no more of the economic theory of Socialism than they know of
Chaldee; but they no longer fear or condemn its name. Oh, I assure you
that much can be done in that way by men who are not afraid of women,
and who are not in too great a hurry to see the harvest they have sown
for."

"Take care. Some of your lady proselytes may get the better of you some
day. The future husband to be contradicted may be Sidney Trefusis. Ha!
ha! ha!" Sir Charles had emptied a second large goblet of wine, and was
a little flushed and boisterous.

"No," said Trefusis, "I have had enough of love myself, and am not
likely to inspire it. Women do not care for men to whom, as Erskine
says, everything is a question of figures. I used to flirt with women;
now I lecture them, and abhor a man-flirt worse than I do a woman one.
Some more wine? Oh, you must not waste the remainder of this bottle."

"I think we had better go, Brandon," said Erskine, his mistrust of
Trefusis growing. "We promised to be back before two."

"So you shall," said Trefusis. "It is not yet a quarter past one.
By-the-bye, I have not shown you Donovan Brown's pet instrument for the
regeneration of society. Here it is. A monster petition praying that the
holding back from the laborer of any portion of the net value produced
by his labor be declared a felony. That is all."

Erskine nudged Sir Charles, who said hastily, "Thank you, but I had
rather not sign anything."

"A baronet sign such a petition!" exclaimed Trefusis. "I did not think
of asking you. I only show it to you as an interesting historical
document, containing the autographs of a few artists and poets. There is