ied the Colonel, with instant pleasure. There is
something in human nature which causes the man in his shirt-sleeves to
wish all other men to appear in the same deshabille.

"I will, if you ask me after I've talked with you two minutes," said
the young fellow, companionably pulling up the chair offered him toward
the desk where Lapham had again seated himself. "But perhaps you
haven't got two minutes to give me?"

"Oh yes, I have," said the Colonel. "I was just going to knock off. I
can give you twenty, and then I shall have fifteen minutes to catch the
boat."

"All right," said Corey. "I want you to take me into the mineral paint
business."

The Colonel sat dumb. He twisted his thick neck, and looked round at
the door to see if it was shut. He would not have liked to have any of
those fellows outside hear him, but there is no saying what sum of
money he would not have given if his wife had been there to hear what
Corey had just said.

"I suppose," continued the young man, "I could have got several people
whose names you know to back my industry and sobriety, and say a word
for my business capacity. But I thought I wouldn't trouble anybody for
certificates till I found whether there was a chance, or the ghost of
one, of your wanting me. So I came straight to you."

Lapham gathered himself together as well as he could. He had not yet
forgiven Corey for Mrs. Lapham's insinuation that he would feel himself
too good for the mineral paint business; and though he was dispersed by
that astounding shot at first, he was not going to let any one even
hypothetically despise his paint with impunity. "How do you think I am
going to take you on?" They took on hands at the works; and Lapham put
it as if Corey were a hand coming to him for employment. Whether he
satisfied himself by this or not, he reddened a little after he had
said it.

Corey answered, ignorant of the offence: "I haven't a very clear idea,
I'm afraid; but I've been looking a little into the matter from the
outside."

"I hope you hain't been paying any attention to that fellow's stuff in
the Events?" Lapham interrupted. Since Bartley's interview had
appeared, Lapham had regarded it with very mixed feelings. At first it
gave him a glow of secret pleasure, blended with doubt as to how his
wife would like the use Bartley had made of her in it. But she had not
seemed to notice it much, and Lapham had experienced the gratitude of
the man who escap