proves that they are
in the air about us and that terrifies me--terrifies me," ended Eddie,
his voice rising as he saw that his host intended to remain perfectly
calm.

"Which terrifies you, Eddie--Crystal or the revolution?"

"The general discontent--the fact that civilization is tr--"

"Oh yes, that," said Mr. Cord, hastily. "Well, I wouldn't allow that
to terrify me, Eddie. I should have more sympathy with you if it had
been Crystal. Crystal is a good deal of a proposition, I grant you.
The revolution seems to me simpler. If a majority of our fellow
countrymen really want it, they are going to get it in spite of you
and me; and if they don't want it, they won't have it no matter
how Crystal talks to you at parties. So cheer up, Eddie, and have a
cigar."

"They can, they will," said Eddie, not even troubling to wave away the
cigar this time. "You don't appreciate what an organized minority of
foreign agitators can do in this country. Why, they can--"

"Well, if a minority of foreigners can put over a revolution against
the will of the American people, we ought to shut up shop, Eddie."

"You're not afraid?"

"No."

"You mean you wouldn't fight it?"

"You bet your life I'd fight it," said Mr. Cord, gayly, "but I fight
lots of things without being afraid of them. What's the use of being
afraid? Here I am sixty-five, conservative and trained to only one
game, and yet I feel as if I could manage to make my own way even
under soviet rule. Anyway, I don't want to die or emigrate just
because my country changes its form of government. Only it would have
to be the wish of the majority, and I don't believe it ever will be.
In the meantime there is just one thing I _am_ afraid of--and
that's the thing that you and most of my friends want to do
first--suppressing free speech; if you suppress it, we won't know who
wants what. Then you really do get an explosion."

Eddie had got Mr. Cord to be serious now, with the unfortunate result
that the older man was more shocking than ever.

"Free speech doesn't mean treason and sedition," Eddie began.

"It means the other man's opinion."

There was a pause during which Eddie became more perturbed and Mr.
Cord settled back to his habitual calm.

"Wouldn't you suppress _anything_?" Verriman asked at length, willing
to know the worst. "Not even such a vile sheet as _Liberty_?"

"Do you ever see it, Eddie?"

"Read a rotten paper like that? Certainly not. Do you?"

"I subs