this business than you are, and I'll help you all I can."

Eugene smiled and said: "I think that's true."

"It is true," said Kalvin; "and now I want to speak of another thing
which is a little more of a personal matter, and I don't want you to
take offence, for I'm saying it for your benefit. If I'm any judge of
men, and I flatter myself sometimes that I am, you're a man whose
greatest weakness lies--and, mind you, I have no actual evidence to go
upon, not one scrap--your greatest weakness lies perhaps not so much in
the direction of women as in a love of luxury generally, of which women
might become, and usually are, a very conspicuous part."

Eugene flushed the least bit nervously and resentfully, for he thought
he had conducted himself in the most circumspect manner here--in fact,
everywhere since the days he had begun to put the Riverwood incident
behind him.

"Now I suppose you wonder why I say that. Well, I raised two boys, both
dead now, and one was just a little like you. You have so much
imagination that it runs not only to ideas in business, but ideas in
dress and comfort and friends and entertainment. Be careful of the kind
of people you get in with. Stick to the conservative element. It may be
hard for you, but it's best for you, materially speaking. You're the
kind of man, if my observations and intuitions are correct, who is apt
to be carried away by his ideals of anything--beauty, women, show. Now I
have no ascetic objections to women, but to you they are dangerous, as
yet. At bottom, I don't think you have the making of a real cold
business man in you, but you're a splendid lieutenant. I'll tell you
frankly I don't think a better man than you has ever sat, or could sit,
in that chair. You are very exceptional, but your very ability makes you
an uncertain quantity. You're just on the threshold of your career. This
additional two thousand dollars is going to open up new opportunities to
you. Keep cool. Keep out of the hands of clever people. Don't let subtle
women come near. You're married, and for your sake I hope you love your
wife. If you don't, pretend to, and stay within the bounds of
convention. Don't let any scandal ever attach to you. If you do it will
be absolutely fatal so far as I am concerned. I have had to part with a
number of excellent men in my time because a little money turned their
heads and they went wild over some one woman, or many women. Don't you
be that way. I like you. I'd lik