s again blowing from the
west, mild and balmy. Presently one of the segments of light grew and
grew. It was as though it were rushing up the valley. They watched
it, fascinated; then burst into laughter as the orb of the moon became
recognizable.... There was something very companionable about watching
the moon rise, as they did.
"The greatest wealth in the world," he said at length, as though his
thoughts had been far afield, searching, perchance, the mazy corridors
of Truth for this atom of wisdom; "the greatest wealth in the world is
to be able to do something useful. That is the only wealth which will
not be disturbed in the coming reorganization of society."
Zen did not reply. For the first time in her life she stood convicted,
before her own mind, of a very profound ignorance. Dennison Grant had
been drawing back the curtain of a world of the existence of which she
had never known. He had talked to her about "the coming reorganization
of society"? What did it mean? She was at home in discussions of herds
or horses; she was at home with the duties of kitchen or reception-room;
she was at home with her father or Transley or Linder or Drazk or
Tompkins the cook, but Dennison Grant in an hour had carried her into a
far country, where she would be hopelessly lost but for his guidance....
Yet it seemed a good and interesting country. She wanted to enter in--to
know it better.
"Tell me about the coming reorganization of society," she said.
"That is an all-night order," he returned. "Besides, I can't tell you
all, because I don't know all. I know only very, very little. I see my
little gleam of light and keep my eye close upon it. But you must know
that society is always in a state of reorganization. Nothing continues
as it was. Those who dismiss a problem glibly by saying it has always
been so and always will be so don't read history and don't understand
human nature."
He turned toward her as interest in his theme developed. The moonlight
was now pouring upon them; her face was beautiful and fine as marble
in its soft rays. For a moment he hesitated, overwhelmed by a sudden
realization of her attractiveness. He had just been saying that the law
of nature was the law of change, and nature itself stood up to refute
him.
He brought himself back to earth. "I was saying that everything
changes," he continued. "Look at our economic system, for instance. Not
so many centuries ago the man who got the most wealth was
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