with whom on the whole he really
agreed. He thought it was time to interfere.

"This is very interesting, Mr. Moreton," he said, "but I fancy it
wasn't about the general radical propaganda that you came to see me."

"No," said Ben, turning slowly. He felt as a dog feels who is dragged
out of the fight just as it begins to get exciting. "No, I came to see
you about this unfortunate engagement of my brother's."

"Unfortunate?" asked Mr. Cord, without criticism.

"I should consider it so, and I understand you do, too."

Cord did not move an eyelash; this was an absolutely new form of
attack. It had certainly never crossed his mind that any objection
could come from the Moreton family.

"You consider it unfortunate?" said Eddie, as if it would be mere
insolence on Ben's part to object to his brother's marrying anyone.

"Will you give me your reasons for objecting?" said Cord.

Ben smiled. "You ought to understand them," he said, "for I imagine
they're pretty much the same as your own. I mean they are both founded
on class consciousness. I feel that it will be destructive to the
things I value most in David to be dependent on, or associated with,
the capitalistic group. Just as you feel it will be destructive to
your daughter to be married to a tutor--a fellow with radical views
and a seditious brother--"

"One moment, one moment," said Cord; "you've got this all wrong so
far as I'm concerned. I do most emphatically disagree with the radical
propaganda. I think the radical is usually just a man who hasn't got
something he wants."

"And the conservative is a man who wants to keep something he's got,"
said Ben, less hostilely than he had spoken to Eddie.

"Exactly, exactly," said Cord. "In ideality there isn't much to choose
between them, but, generally speaking, I have more respect for the man
who has succeeded in getting something to preserve than for the man
who hasn't got anything to lose."

"If their opportunities were equal."

"I say in general. There is not much to choose between the two types;
but there is in my opinion a shade in favor of the conservative on
the score of efficiency, and I am old-fashioned perhaps, but I like
efficiency. If it came to a fight, I should fight on the conservative
side. But this is all beside the point. My objections to your brother,
Mr. Moreton, are not objections to his group or class. They are
personal to him. Damned personal."

"You don't like David?"

"Why, he's a