ok it as a means to get to your heart."

"But it is yours, please take it. It will be useful."

"No," she said scornfully, "I can't tell you how low I should fall
in my own estimation if I took your money! Money," she added, with
ringing contempt, "why, that's all there is to _you!_ It's your
god! Shall I make your god my god? No, thank you, Mr. Ryder!"

"Am I as bad as that?" he asked wistfully.

"You are as bad as that!" she answered decisively.

"So bad that I contaminate even good money?" He spoke lightly but
she noticed that he winced.

"Money itself is nothing," replied the girl, "it's the spirit that
gives it--the spirit that receives it, the spirit that earns it,
the spirit that spends it. Money helps to create happiness. It
also creates misery. It's an engine of destruction when not
properly used, it destroys individuals as it does nations. It has
destroyed you, for it has warped your soul!"

"Go on," he laughed bitterly, "I like to hear you!"

"No, you don't, Mr. Ryder, no you don't, for deep down in your
heart you know that I am speaking the truth. Money and the power
it gives you, has dried up the well-springs of your heart."

He affected to be highly amused at her words, but behind the mask
of callous indifference the man suffered. Her words seared him as
with a red hot iron. She went on:

"In the barbaric ages they fought for possession, but they fought
openly. The feudal barons fought for what they stole, but it was a
fair fight. They didn't strike in the dark. At least, they gave a
man a chance for his life. But when you modern barons of industry
don't like legislation you destroy it, when you don't like your
judges you remove them, when a competitor outbids you you squeeze
him out of commercial existence! You have no hearts, you are
machines, and you are cowards, for you fight unfairly."

"It is not true, it is not true," he protested.

"It is true," she insisted hotly, "a few hours ago in cold blood
you doomed my father to what is certain death because you decided
it was a political necessity. In other words he interfered with
your personal interests--your financial interests--you, with so
many millions you can't count them!" Scornfully she added: "Come
out into the light--fight in the open! At least, let him know who
his enemy is!"

"Stop--stop--not another word," he cried impatiently, "you have
diagnosed the disease. What of the remedy? Are you prepared to
reconstruct human nature?"