id Tetlow.

"Partly," repeated Norman, laughing. "I know you, Billy, and that means
I know you're absolutely incapable of plotting as big a scheme as you
suggested to me. It came either from Galloway or from some one of his
clique."

"I said all I'm at liberty to say, Fred."

"I don't wish you to break your promise. All I want to know is, can I
get the three thousand a month and assurance of its lasting and leading
to something bigger?"

"What is your other scheme?" said Tetlow, and it was plain to the
shrewder young lawyer that the less shrewd young lawyer wished to gain
time.

"Simple and sure," replied Norman. "We will buy ten shares of Universal
Fuel Company through a dummy and bring suit to dissolve it. I looked
into the matter for Burroughs once when he was after the Fosdick-Langdon
group. Universal Fuel wouldn't dare defend the action I could bring. We
could get what we pleased for our ten shares to let up on the suit. The
moment their lawyers saw the papers I'd draw, they'd advise it."

Tetlow shook his large, impressively molded head. "Shady," said he.
"Shady."

Norman smiled with good-natured patience. "You sound like Burroughs or
Galloway when they are denouncing a man for trying to get rich by the
same methods they pursued. My dear Bill, don't be one of those lawyers
who will do the queer work for a client but not for themselves. There's
no sense, no morality, no intelligent hypocrisy even, in that. We didn't
create the commercial morality of the present day. For God's sake, let's
not be of the poor fools who practice it but get none of its benefits."

Tetlow shifted uneasily. "I don't like to hear that sort of thing," said
he, apologetic and nervous.

"Is it true?"

"Yes. But--damn it, I don't like to hear it."

"That is to say, you're willing to pay the price of remaining small and
obscure just for the pleasure of indulging in a wretched hypocrisy of a
self-deception. Bill, come out of the small class. Whether you go in
with me or not, come out of the class of understrappers. What's the
difference between the big men and their little followers? Why, the big
men _see_. They don't deceive themselves with the cant they pour out for
the benefit of the ignorant mob."

Tetlow was listening like a pupil to a teacher. That was always his
attitude toward Norman.

"The big men," continued Norman, "know that canting is necessary--that
one must always profess high and disinterested motives, and so on,