And you the sweet branch small and light.

But should your blossoms--overthrown
By storm's or wind's or water's might--
Be swept to earth in sudden plight,
Count not on me for grief or groan;
I am the merle for whistling known.

THOMAS WALSH.

AN EDITORIAL

SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS I-XV OF "THE DELUGE," BY DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS

Matthew Blacklock, the central figure of the story, is essentially a
self-made man, who has made himself a power to be reckoned with. He is
a man of great natural force, immense egotism, insatiable greed for
notoriety and unswerving adherence to his own standards of morality.
He has two devouring ambitions: First to become one of the inner
circle that controls high finance and second to become one of the
elect in society.

The opening chapters explain these ambitions. The magnate of the
financial world is Roebuck, who has from time to time made use of
Blacklock's peculiar abilities and following. The latter has become
dissatisfied with his role as a mere instrument and demands of Roebuck
that he shall be given a place among the "seats of the mighty."
Roebuck makes a pretense of yielding to the demand.

Blacklock's social ambition is awakened and stimulated by his meeting
with Anita Ellersly, a young society girl whose family have been the
recipients of many financial favors from him.

Using these obligations as a lever, he secures the entree to the
Ellersly home, though it is soon made plain to him that his intentions
with respect to Anita are extremely distasteful to her.

His first impulse is to regard his plans as hopeless, but his vanity
comes to his rescue and strengthens his resolution to succeed. For
assistance he turns to Monson, the trainer of his racing stable, an
Englishman of good birth and breeding. Under Monson's tuition he makes
rapid progress in adapting himself to the requirements imposed upon
aspirants for social distinction.

Blacklock persists in his attention to Anita and finally becomes
engaged to her, though it is perfectly understood by both that she
does not love him and accepts him only because he is rich and her
family is poor.

Meantime, he has to some extent lost his hold upon his affairs in Wall
Street and suddenly awakens to the fact that he has been betrayed by
Mowbray Langdon, one of Roebuck's trusted lieutenants, who, knowing
that Blacklock is deeply involved in a short interest in Textil