inconsiderate attitude
of this employer, all the employees of this place followed his example,
and there was neither kindness nor courtesy--nor even raw justice
anywhere. Eugene was compelled to see himself looked upon from the
beginning, not so much by his own staff as by the other employees of the
company, as a man who could not last long. He was disliked forsooth
because Summerfield displayed some liking for him, and because his
manners did not coincide exactly with the prevailing standard of the
office. Summerfield did not intend to allow his interest in Eugene to
infringe in any way upon his commercial exactions, but this was not
enough to save or aid Eugene in any way. The others disliked him, some
because he was a true artist to begin with, because of his rather
distant air, and because in spite of himself he could not take them all
as seriously as he should.

Most of them seemed little mannikins to him--little second, third, and
fourth editions or copies of Summerfield. They all copied that worthy's
insistent air. They all attempted to imitate his briskness. Like
children, they were inclined to try to imitate his bitter persiflage and
be smart; and they demanded, as he said they should, the last ounce of
consideration and duty from their neighbors. Eugene was too much of a
philosopher not to take much of this with a grain of salt, but after all
his position depended on his activity and his ability to get results,
and it was a pity, he thought, that he could expect neither courtesy nor
favor from anyone. Departmental chiefs stormed his room daily, demanding
this, that, and the other work immediately. Artists complained that they
were not getting enough pay, the business manager railed because
expenses were not kept low, saying that Eugene might be an improvement
in the matter of the quality of the results obtained and the speed of
execution, but that he was lavish in his expenditure. Others cursed
openly in his presence at times, and about him to his employer, alleging
that the execution of certain ideas was rotten, or that certain work was
delayed, or that he was slow or discourteous. There was little in these
things, as Summerfield well knew from watching Eugene, but he was too
much a lover of quarrels and excitement as being productive of the best
results in the long run to wish to interfere. Eugene was soon accused of
delaying work generally, of having incompetent men (which was true), of
being slow, of being