f other men.

Brooks arrived soon after dinner. The women went to the drawing-room
to talk about Henry, and to exchange harmless hypocrisies, and the men
betook themselves to the library to smoke and to discuss plots that
are known as enterprises. Country merchants were taken up, turned
over, examined and put down ruined. Brooks was as keen and as ardent
as a prosecuting attorney. Every man who owed a bill was under
indictment.

"You see," he said to Henry, "we have to hold these fellows tight or
they would get loose and smash us."

"You needn't apologize to me," Henry replied.

"Of course not, but as you say that you don't understand business, I
merely wanted to show you to what extent we are driven."

"Oh, I assure you that it is awfully unpleasant," said Colton, "but we
have to do it. And let me tell you, my dear young man, there is more
crime than you imagine in the neglect of these fellows. In this
blessed country there is hardly any excuse for a man's failure to meet
his obligations. The trouble is that people who can't afford it live
too high. Let them economize; let them be sensible. Why, I could have
gone broke forty-odd years ago; hah, I could go broke now. Oh, I know
that we are all accused of being hard, but you have no idea what the
wealthy people of this city do for the poor. Just look at the charity
balls; look at our annual showing, and you'll find it remarkable."

Henry felt that the charity of the rich was largely a species of
"bluff" that they make at one another. It was not real charity; it was
an advertisement--it was business.

"My dear friend Witherspoon," said Colton, mouthing his cigar--he did
not smoke at home--"I am going to branch out more. I'm going to make
investments. I see that it is safe, and I want you to help me."

"All right; how much do you want to invest?"

"Oh, I can place my hand on a little money--just a little. I've got
some in stocks, but I've got a little by me."

"How much?"

This frightened him. "Oh, I don't know; really, I can't tell. But I
think that I've got a little that I'd like to invest. But I'll talk to
you about it to-morrow."

"All right."

"I think real estate would be about the right thing. I could soon turn
it over, you know. Some wonderfully fortunate investments have been
made that way. But I'll talk to you about it to-morrow."

Brooke said that he was in something of a hurry to get home, and the
visitors took their leave early in the evening