heaven, I would get
it. Then I would rule the market and break, crush, quietly and
ruthlessly, the whole gang of Jew speculators and vulgarians who would
corrupt a great country. Money is power with you, and I should attain
it, and use it to crush the leeches who suck our blood."

"Good man," said George, laughing. "That's my way of thinking. Never
heard it better put."

"I have felt the same," said Lewis. "When I read of 'rings' and
'corners' and 'trusts' and the misery and vulgarity of it all, I have
often wished to have a try myself, and see whether average brains and
clean blood could not beat these fellows on their own ground."

"Then why did you not?" asked Marker. "You were rich enough to make a
proper beginning."

"I expect I was too slack. I wanted to try the thing, but there was so
much that was repulsive that I never quite got the length of trying.
Besides, I have a bad habit of seeing both sides of a question. The
ordinary arguments seemed to me weak, and it was too much fag to work
out an attitude for oneself."

Marker looked sharply at Lewis, and George for a moment saw and
contrasted the two faces. Lewis's keen, kindly, humorous, cultured,
with strong lines ending weakly, a face over-bred, brave and finical;
the other's sharp, eager, with the hungry wolf-like air of ambition,
every line graven in steel, and the whole transfused, as it were, by the
fire of the eyes into the living presentment of human vigour.

It was the eternal contrast of qualities, and for a moment in George's
mind there rose a delight that two such goodly pieces of manhood should
have found a meeting-ground.

"I think, you know, that we are not quite so bad as you make out," said
Lewis quietly. "To an outsider we must appear on the brink of
incapacity, but then it is not the first time we have produced that
impression. You will still find men who in all their spiritual sickness
have kept something of that restless, hard-bitten northern energy, and
that fierce hunger for righteousness, which is hard to fight with.
Scores of people, who can see no truth in the world and are sick with
doubt and introspection and all the latter-day devils, have yet
something of pride and honour in their souls which will make them show
well at the last. If we are going to fall our end will not be quite
inglorious."

Marker laughed and rose. "I am afraid I must leave you now. I have to
see my servant, for I am off to-morrow. This has been a delight