the smelting pits clambering upward through the
high school of the smoky town, groping laboriously through the chilly
halls of Harvard toward the outer breastworks of Manhattan, interested
Siward; and he said so in his pleasant way, without offence, and with a
smiling question at the end.

"Worth while?" repeated Plank, flushing heavily, "it is worth while to
me. I have always desired to be a part of the best that there is in my
own country; and the best is here, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily," said Siward, still smiling. "The noisiest is here,
and some of the best."

"Which is the best?" inquired Plank naively.

"Why, all plain people, whose education, breeding, and fortune permit
them the luxury of thinking, and whose tastes, intelligence, and sanity
enable them to express their thoughts. There are such people here, and
some of them form a portion of the gaudier and noisier galaxy we call
society."

"That is what I wish to be part of," said Plank. "Could you tell me what
are the requirements?"

"I don't believe I could, exactly," said Siward, amused. "With us, the
social system, as an established and finished system, has too recently
been evolved from outer chaos to be characteristic of anything except
the crudity and energy of the chaos from which it emerged. The
balance between wealth, intelligence, and breeding has not yet been
established--not from lack of wealth or intelligence. The formula has
not been announced, that is all."

"What is the formula?" insisted Plank.

"The formula is the receipt for a real society," replied Siward,
laughing. "At present we have its uncombined ingredients in the
raw--noisy wealth and flippant fashion, arrogant intelligence and
dowdy breeding--all excellent materials, when filtered and fused in the
retort; and many of our test tubes have already precipitated pure metal
besides, and our national laboratory is turning out fine alloys. Some
day we'll understand the formula, and we'll weld the entire mass; and
that will be society, Mr. Plank."

"In the meanwhile," repeated Plank, unsmiling, "I want to be part of
the best we have. I want to be part of the brightness of things. I mean,
that I cannot be contented with an imitation."

"An imitation?"

"Of the best--of what you say is not yet society. I ask no more than
your footing among the people of this city. I wish to be able to go
where such men as you go; be permitted, asked, desired to be part of
what you always have b