Fulkersonappearednottobeverystrenuousabouttheattackonthenovelist。"Say!"hecalledout，gayly，"whatshouldyouthinkofapaperdefendingthelatelamentedsystemofslavery'?"
"Whatdoyoumean，Fulkerson?"askedMarch，withapuzzledsmile。
Fulkersonbracedhiskneesagainsthisdesk，andpushedhimselfback，butkepthisbalancetotheeyebycantinghishatsharplyforward。"There'sanoldcockoverthereatthewidow'sthat'swrittenabooktoprovethatslaverywasandistheonlysolutionofthelaborproblem。He'saSoutherner。"
"Ishouldimagine，"Marchassented。
"He'sgotitonthebrainthatiftheSouthcouldhavebeenletalonebythecommercialspiritandthepseudophilanthropyoftheNorth，itwouldhaveworkedoutslaveryintoaperfectlyidealconditionforthelaborer，inwhichhewouldhavebeeninsuredagainstwant，andprotectedinallhispersonalrightsbythestate。Hereadtheintroductiontomelastnight。Ididn'tcatchontoallthepoints——hisdaughter'sanawfullyprettygirl，andIwascarryingthatfactinmymindallthetime，too，youknow——butthat'saboutthegistofit。"
"Seemstoregarditasalostopportunity?"saidMarch。
"Exactly!Whatamightycatchytitle，Neigh?Lookwellonthetitle-
page。"
"Wellwritten?"
"Ireckonso；Idon'tknow。TheColonelreaditmightyeloquently。"
"Itmightn'tbesuchbadbusiness，"saidMarch，inamuse。"Couldyougetmeasightofitwithoutcommittingyourself?"
"IftheColonelhasn'tsentitofftoanotherpublisherthismorning。Hejustgotitbackwiththanksyesterday。Helikestokeepittravelling。"
"Well，tryit。I'veanotionitmightbeacuriousthing。"
"Lookhere，March，"saidFulkerson，withtheeffectoftakingafreshhold；"IwishyoucouldletmehaveoneofthoseNewYorkthingsofyoursforthefirstnumber。Afterall，that'sgoingtobethegreatcard。"
"Icouldn't，Fulkerson；Icouldn't，really。Iwanttophilosophizethematerial，andI'mtoonewtoitallyet。Idon'twanttodomerelysuperficialsketches。"
"Ofcourse!Ofcourse!Iunderstandthat。Well，Idon'twanttohurryyou。Seenthatoldfellowofyoursyet?Ithinkweoughttohavethattranslationinthefirstnumber；don'tyou?Wewanttogive'emanotionofwhatwe'regoingtodointhatline。"
"Yes，"saidMarch；"andIwasgoingouttolookupLindauthismorning。
I'veinquiredatMaroni's，andhehasn'tbeenthereforseveraldays。
I'vesomeideaperhapshe'ssick。Buttheygavemehisaddress，andI'mgoingtosee。"
"Well，that'sright。Wewantthefirstnumbertobethekeynoteineveryway。"
Marchshookhishead。"Youcan'tmakeitso。Thefirstnumberisboundtobeafailurealways，asfarastherepresentativecharactergoes。
It'sinvariablythecase。Lookatthefirstnumbersofallthethingsyou'veseenstarted。They'reexperimental，almostamateurish，andnecessarilyso，notonlybecausethementhataremakingthemuparecomparativelyinexperiencedlikeourselves，butbecausethematerialsentthemtodealwithismoreorlessconsciouslytentative。Peoplesendtheiradventurousthingstoanewperiodicalbecausethewholethingisanadventure。I'venoticedthatqualityinallthevolunteercontributions；it'sinthearticlesthathavebeendonetoordereven。
No；I'veaboutmadeupmymindthatifwecangetonegoodstrikingpaperintothefirstnumberthatwilltakepeople'smindsofftheothers，weshallbedoingallwecanpossiblehopefor。Ishouldlike，"Marchadded，lessseriously，"tomakeupthreenumbersahead，andpublishthethirdonefirst。"
Fulkersondroppedforwardandstruckhisfistonthedesk。"It'safirst-rateidea。Whynotdoit?"
Marchlaughed。"Fulkerson，Idon'tbelievethere'sanyquackishthingyouwouldn'tdointhiscause。FromtimetotimeI'mthoroughlyashamedofbeingconnectedwithsuchacharlatan。"
Fulkersonstruckhishatsharplybackward。"Ah，dadburnit!TogivethatthingtherightkindofstartI'dwalkupanddownBroadwaybetweentwoboards，withthetitle-pageofEveryOtherWeekfacsimiledononeandmynameandaddressonthe——"
Hejumpedtohisfeetandshouted，"March，I'lldoit!"
"What?"
"I'llhirealotoffellowstomakemud-turtlesofthemselves，andI'llhavealotofbigfacsimilesofthetitle-page，andI'llpaintthetownred!"
Marchlookedaghastathim。"Oh，come，now，Fulkerson!"
"Imeanit。IwasinLondonwhenanewmanhadtakenholdoftheoldCornhill，andtheyweretryingtoboomit，andtheyhadaprocessionofthesemudturtlesthatreachedfromCharingCrosstoTempleBar。CornhillMagazine。Sixpence。Notadullpageinit。'IsaidtomyselfthenthatitwasthelivestthingIeversaw。Irespectedthemanthatdidthatthingfromthebottomofmyheart。IwonderIeverforgotit。Butitshowswhatashakythingthehumanmindisatitsbest。"
"Youinfamousmountebank!"，saidMarch，withgreatamusementatFulkerson'saccess；"youcallthatcongeriesofadvertisinginstinctofyoursthehumanmindatitsbest?Come，don'tbesodiffident，Fulkerson。Well，I'mofftofindLindau，andwhenIcomebackIhopeMr。
Dryfooswillhaveyouundercontrol。Idon'tsupposeyou'llbequitesaneagaintillafterthefirstnumberisout。Perhapspublicopinionwillsoberyouthen。"
"Confoundit，March!Howdoyouthinktheywilltakeit?IswearI'mgettingsonervousIdon'tknowhalfthetimewhichendofmeisup。
Ibelieveifwedon'tgetthatthingoutbythefirstofFebruaryit'llbethedeathofme。"
"Couldn'twaittillWashington'sBirthday?Iwasthinkingitwouldgivethedayakindofdistinction，andstrikethepublicimagination，if——"
"No，I'llbedoggedifIcould!"Fulkersonlapsedmoreandmoreintotheparlanceofhisearlylifeinthisseasonofstrongexcitement。
"IbelieveifBeatonlagsanyontheartlegI'llkillhim。"
"Well，Ishouldn'tmindyourkillingBeaton，"saidMarch，tranquilly，ashewentout。
HewentovertoThirdAvenueandtooktheElevateddowntoChathamSquare。Hefoundthevarietyofpeopleinthecarasunfailinglyentertainingasever。HeratherpreferredtheEastSidetotheWestSidelines，becausetheyofferedmorenationalities，conditions，andcharacterstohisinspection。Theydrawnotonlyfromtheup-townAmericanregion，butfromallthevasthiveofpopulationsswarmingbetweenthemandtheEastRiver。Hehadfoundthat，accordingtothehour，Americanhusbandsgoingtoandfrombusiness，andAmericanwivesgoingtoandfromshopping，prevailedontheSixthAvenueroad，andthatthemostpicturesqueadmixturetothesefamiliaraspectsofhumannaturewerethebrillianteyesandcomplexionsoftheAmericanHebrews，whootherwisecontributedtotheeffectofwell-cladcomfortandcitizen-
self-satisfactionofthecrowd。NowandthenhehadfoundhimselfinacarmostlyfilledwithNeapolitansfromtheconstructionsfaruptheline，wherehehadreadhowtheyareworkedandfedandhousedlikebeasts；andlisteningtothejargonoftheirunintelligibledialect，hehadoccasionforpensivequestionwithinhimselfastowhatnotionthesepooranimalsformedofafreerepublicfromtheirexperienceoflifeunderitsconditions；andwhethertheyfoundthempracticallyverydifferentfromthoseoftheimmemorialbrigandageandenforcedcomplicitywithrapineunderwhichtheyhadbeenborn。But，afterall，thiswasaninfrequenteffect，howevermassive，oftravelontheWestSide，whereastheEastofferedhimcontinualentertainmentinlikesort。Thesortwasneverquitesosqualid。Forshortdistancesthelowestpoverty，thehardestpressedlabor，mustwalk；butMarchneverenteredacarwithoutencounteringsomeinterestingshapeofshabbyadversity，whichwasalmostalwaysadversityofforeignbirth。NewYorkisstillpopularlysupposedtobeinthecontroloftheIrish，butMarchnoticedintheseEastSidetravelsofhiswhatmuststrikeeveryobserverreturningtothecityafteraprolongedabsence:thenumericalsubordinationofthedominantrace。Iftheydonotoutvotethem，thepeopleofGermanic，ofSlavonic，ofPelasgic，ofMongolianstockoutnumbertheprepotentCelts；andMarchseldomfoundhisspeculationcentredupononeofthese。Thesmalleyes，thehighcheeks，thebroadnoses，thepufflips，thebare，cue-filletedskulls，ofRussians，Poles，Czechs，Chinese；thefurtiveglitterofItalians；theblondedulnessofGermans；thecoldquietofScandinavians——fireunderice——wereaspectsthatheidentified，andthatgavehimabundantsuggestionforthepersonalhistoriesheconstructed，andforthemorepublic-spiritedreveriesinwhichhedealtwiththefutureeconomyofourheterogeneouscommonwealth。Itmustbeownedthathedidnottakemuchtroubleaboutthis；whatthesepoorpeoplewerethinking，hoping，fearing，enjoying，suffering；justwhereandhowtheylived；whoandwhattheyindividuallywere——thesewerethemattersofhiswakingdreamsashestaredhardatthem，whilethetrainracedfartherintothegayugliness——theshapeless，graceful，recklesspicturesquenessoftheBowery。
Therewerecertainsigns，certainfacades，certainaudacitiesoftheprevailinghideousnessthatalwaysamusedhiminthatuproartotheeyewhichthestridentformsandcolorsmade。HewasinterestedintheinsolencewithwhichtherailwayhaddrawnitserasinglineacrosstheCorinthianfrontofanoldtheatre，almostgrazingitsflutedpillars，andfloutingitsdishonoredpediment。Thecolossaleffigiesofthefatwomenandthetuft-headedCircassiangirlsofcheapmuseums；thevistasofshabbycrossstreets；thesurvivalofanoldhip-roofedhousehereandthereattheirangles；theSwisschalet，histrionicdecorativenessofthestationsinprospectorretrospect；thevagariesofthelinesthatnarrowedtogetherorstretchedapartaccordingtothewidthoftheavenue，butalwaysinwantondisregardofthelifethatdwelt，andboughtandsold，andrejoicedorsorrowed，andclatteredorcrawled，around，below，above——werefeaturesofthefranticpanoramathatperpetuallytouchedhissenseofhumorandmovedhissympathy。Accidentandthenexigencyseemedtheforcesatworktothisextraordinaryeffect；theplayofenergiesasfreeandplanlessasthosethatforcetheforestfromthesoiltothesky；andthenthefiercestruggleforsurvival，withthestrongerlifepersistingoverthedeformity，themutilation，thedestruction，thedecayoftheweaker。Thewholeatmomentsseemedtohimlawless，godless；theabsenceofintelligent，comprehensivepurposeinthehugedisorder，andtheviolentstruggletosubordinatetheresulttothegreatergood，penetratedwithitsdumbappealtheconsciousnessofamanwhohadalwaysbeentooself-enwrappedtoperceivethechaostowhichtheindividualselfishnessmustalwayslead。
Buttherewasstillnothingdefinite，nothingbetterthanavaguediscomfort，howeverpoignant，inhishalfrecognitionofsuchfacts；andhedescendedthestationstairsatChathamSquarewithasenseoftheneglectedopportunitiesofpaintersinthatlocality。HesaidtohimselfthatifoneofthosefellowsweretoseeinNaplesthatturmoilofcars，trucks，andteamsofeverysort，intershotwithfoot-passengersgoingandcomingtoandfromthecrowdedpavements，undertheweboftherailroadtracksoverhead，andamidthespectacularapproachofthestreetsthatopenintothesquare，hewouldhaveitdowninhissketch-bookatonce。
Hedecidedsimultaneouslythathisownlocalstudiesmustbeillustrated，andthatbemustcomewiththeartistandshowhimjustwhichbitstodo，notknowingthatthetwoartscanneverapproachthesamematerialfromthesamepoint。HethoughthewouldparticularlylikehisillustratortorendertheDickensy，cockneyishqualityofthe，shabby-genteelballad-
sellerofwhomhestoppedtoaskhiswaytothestreetwhereLindaulived，andwhomheinstantlyperceivedtobe，withhisstockintrade，thesufficientobjectofanentirestudybyhimself。Hehadhisballadsstrungsinglyuponacordagainstthehousewall，andhelddowninpilesonthepavementwithstonesandblocksofwood。Theircontrolinthiswayintimatedavolatilitywhichwasnotperceptibleintheirsentiment。
Theyweremostlytragicalordoleful:someofthemdealtwiththewrongsoftheworking-man；othersappealedtoagayexperienceofthehighseas；
butvastlythegreaterparttomemoriesandassociationsofanIrishorigin；somestillutteredthepoetryofplantationlifeintheartlessaccentsoftheend——man。Wheretheytrustedthemselves，withsyntaxthatyieldedpromptlytoanyexigencyofrhythmicart，totheordinaryAmericanspeech，itwastostrikedirectlyfortheaffections，tocelebratethedomesticties，and，aboveall，toembalmthememoriesofangelandmartyrmotherswhosedissipatedsonsdeploredtheirsufferingstoolate。Marchthoughtthisnotatallabadthinginthem；hesmiledinpatronageoftheirsimplepathos；hepaidthetributeofalaughwhenthepoetturned，ashesometimesdid，fromhisconceptionofangelandmartyrmotherhood，andportrayedthemotherinhermorefamiliarphasesofvirtueandduty，withtheretributiveshingleorslipperinherhand。
Heboughtapocketfulofthisliterature，popularinasensewhichthemostsuccessfulbookcanneverbe，andenlistedtheballadvendorsodeeplyintheefforttodirecthimtoLindau'sdwellingbythebestwaythatheneglectedanothercustomer，tillasarcasmonhisabsent-
mindednessstunghinttoretort，"I'ma-tryingtoansweragentlemanacivilquestion；that'swheretheabsent-mindedcomesin。"
ItseemedforsomereasontobeadayofleisurewiththeChinesedwellersinMottStreet，whichMarchhadbeenadvisedtotakefirst。
Theystoodaboutthetopsofbasementstairs，andwalkedtwoandtwoalongthedirtypavement，withtheirlittlehandstuckedintotheirsleevesacrosstheirbreasts，aloofinimmaculatecleanlinessfromthefiltharoundthem，andscrutinizingthescenewiththatcynicalsneeroffaintsurprisetowhichallaspectsofourcivilizationseemtomovetheirsuperiority。Theirnumbersgavecharactertothestreet，andrenderednotthem，butwhatwasforeigntothem，strangethere；sothatMarchhadasenseofmissionaryqualityintheoldCatholicchurch，builtlongbeforetheirincursionwasdreamedof。Itseemedtohavecometothemthere，andhefanciedinthestatuedsaintthatlookeddownfromitsfacadesomethingnotsomuchtolerantastolerated，somethingpropitiatory，almostdeprecatory。Itwasafancy，ofcourse；thestreetwassufficientlypeopledwithChristianchildren，atanyrate，swarmingandshriekingattheirgames；andpresentlyaChristianmotherappeared，pushedalongbytwopolicemenonahandcart，withagelatinoustremoroverthepavingandagelatinousjouncingatthecurbstones。Shelaywithherfacetothesky，sendingupaninarticulatelamentation；buttheindifferenceoftheofficersforbadethenotionoftragedyinhercase。
Shewasperhapsalocalcelebrity；thechildrenleftofftheirgames，andrangaylytroopingafterher；eventheyoungfellowandyounggirlexchangingplayfulblowsinarobustflirtationatthecornerofaliquorstoresuspendedtheirscufflewithapleasedinterestasshepassed。
Marchunderstoodtheunwillingnessofthepoortoleavetheworstconditionsinthecityforcomfortandplentyinthecountrywhenhereflecteduponthisdramaticincident，oneofmanynodoubtwhichdailyoccurtoentertaintheminsuchstreets。Asmalltowncouldrarelyofferanythingcomparabletoit，andthecountrynever。Hesaidthatiflifeappearedsohopelesstohimasitmusttothedwellersinthatneighborhoodheshouldnothimselfbewillingtoquititsdistractions，itsalleviations，forthevaguepromiseofunknowngoodinthedistancesomewhere。
ButwhatcharmcouldsuchamanasLindaufindinsuchaplace?Itcouldnotbethathelivedtherebecausehewastoopoortoliveelsewhere:
withashuttingoftheheart，Marchrefusedtobelievethisashelookedroundontheaboundingevidencesofmisery，andguiltilyrememberedhisneglectofhisoldfriend。Lindaucouldprobablyfindascheapalodginginsomedecenterpartofthetown；and，infact，therewassomeameliorationoftheprevailingsqualorinthequieterstreetwhichheturnedintofromMott。
Awomanwithatied-upfaceoftoothacheopenedthedoorforhimwhenhepulled，withashiverofforeboding，thebell-knob，fromwhichayardofrustycrapedangled。ButitwasnotLindauwhowasdead，forthewomansaidhewasathome，andsentMarchstumblingupthefourorfivedarkflightsofstairsthatledtohistenement。Itwasquiteatthetopofthehouse，andwhenMarchobeyedtheGerman-English"Komm!"thatfollowedhisknock，hefoundhimselfinakitchenwhereameagrebreakfastwasscatteredinstalefragmentsonthetablebeforethestove。Theplacewasbareandcold；ahalf-emptybeerbottlescarcelygaveitaconvivialair。Ontheleftfromthiskitchenwasaroomwithabedinit，whichseemedalsotobeacobbler'sshop:ontheright，throughadoorthatstoodajar，cametheGerman-Englishvoiceagain，sayingthistime，"Hier!"
XII。
Marchpushedthedooropenintoaroomlikethatontheleft，butwithawriting-deskinsteadofacobbler'sbench，andabed，whereLindausatproppedup；withacoatoverhisshouldersandaskull-caponhishead，readingabook，fromwhichheliftedhiseyestostareblanklyoverhisspectaclesatMarch。Hishairyoldbreastshowedthroughthenight-
shirt，whichgapedapart；thestumpofhisleftarmlayuponthebooktokeepitopen。
"Ah，mytearyo'ngfriendt!Passil!Marge!Issityou?"hecalledout，joyously，thenextmoment。
"Why，areyousick，Lindau?"Marchanxiouslyscannedhisfaceintakinghishand。
Lindaulaughed。"No；I'mallrighdt。Onlyalidtlelazy，andalidtleeggonomigal。Idt'sjeapertostayinpedtsometimesastogeepafirea-
goin'allthetime。Don'twandttogometoohardtonthe'braferMann'，youknow:
"BraverMann，erschafftmirzuessen。"
Youremember?Heine?YoureadtHeinestill?Whoisyourfavoriteboetnow，Passil?Youwritesomeboetryyourselfyet?No?Well，Iamgladttozeeyou。Brushthosebaperssoffofthatjair。Well，idtisgoodtforzoreeyess。HowdidtyoufindtwhereIlif?
"TheytoldmeatMaroni's，"saidMarch。HetriedtokeephiseyesonLindau'sface，andnotseethediscomfortoftheroom，buthewasawareoftheshabbyandfrowsybedding，theodorofstalesmoke，andthepipesandtobaccoshredsmixedwiththebooksandmanuscriptsstrewnovertheleafofthewriting-desk。Helaiddownonthemassthepileofforeignmagazineshehadbroughtunderhisarm。"Theygavemeanotheraddressfirst。"
"Yes。Ihavechustgomehere，"saidLindau。"Idtisnotverycoy，Neigh?"
"Itmightbegayer，"Marchadmitted，withasmile。"Still，"headded，soberly，"agoodmanypeopleseemtoliveinthispartofthetown。
Apparentlytheydiehere，too，Lindau。Thereiscrapeonyouroutsidedoor。Ididn'tknowbutitwasforyou。"
"Nodtthistime，"saidLindau，inthesamehumor。"Berhapssomeothertime。Wegeeptheondertakersbrattypuzydownhere。"
"Well，"saidMarch，"undertakersmustlive，eveniftherestofushavetodietoletthem。"Lindaulaughed，andMarchwenton:"ButI'mgladitisn'tyourfuneral，Lindau。Andyousayyou'renotsick，andsoIdon'tseewhyweshouldn'tcometobusiness。"
"Pusiness?"Lindauliftedhiseyebrows。"Yougomeonpusiness?"
"Andpleasurecombined，"saidMarch，andhewentontoexplaintheservicehedesiredatLindau'shands。
Theoldmanlistenedwithseriousattention，andwithassentingnodsthatculminatedinaspokenexpressionofhiswillingnesstoundertakethetranslations。Marchwaitedwithasortofmechanicalexpectationofhisgratitudefortheworkputinhisway，butnothingofthekindcamefromLindau，andMarchwaslefttosay，"Well，everythingisunderstood，then；
andIdon'tknowthatIneedaddthatifyoueverwantanylittleadvanceonthework——"
"Iwillaskyou，"saidLindau，quietly，"andIthankyouforthat。ButI
canwait；Iton'tneedtanymoneyjustatbresent。"Asifhesawsomeappealforgreaterfranknessin，March'seye，hewenton:"Itidn'tgomeherebegauseIwastooboortolifanywhereelse，andIton'tstayinpedtbegauseIcouldn'thafafiretogeepwarmifIwantedit。I'mnodtzopadtoffasMarmontelwhenhewenttoParis。I'malidtleloaxurious，thatisall。IfIstayinpedtit'szoIcanflingmoneyawayonsomethingselse。Heigh?"
"Butwhatareyoulivingherefor，Lindau?"MarchsmiledattheironylurkinginLindau'swords。
"Well，youzee，IfoundtIwasbegomingalidtletoomochofanaristograt。IhadtaroomoapinCreenvidgeWillage，amongdosepigpugsoverontheWestSide，andIfoundt"——Liudau'svoicelostitsjestingquality，andhisfacedarkened——"thatIwasbeginningtoforgettheboor!"
"Ishouldhavethought，"saidMarch，withimpartialinterest，"thatyoumighthaveseenpovertyenough，nowandthen，inGreenwichVillagetoremindyouofitsexistence。"
"Nodtlikehere，"saidLindau。"Andtyoumustzeeitallthedtime——zeeit，hearit，smellit，dtasteit——oryouforgetit。ThatiswhatIgomeherefor。Iwasbegomingaploatedaristograt。IthoughtIwasnodtlikethesebeopledownhere，whenIgomedownoncetolookaroundt；
IthoughtImustbesomethingselse，andzoIzaidIbettertakemyselfintime，andIgomehereamongmybrothers——thebecearsandthethiefs!"
Anoisemadeitselfheardinthenextroom，asifthedoorwerefurtivelyopened，andafaintsoundoftiptoeingandofhandsclawingonatable。
"Thiefs!"Lindaurepeated，withashout。"Lidtlethiefs，thatgabtureyourbreakfast。Ah!ha!ha!"Awildscurryingoffeet，joyouscriesandtittering，andaslammingdoorfolloweduponhisexplosion，andheresumedinthesilence:"Idtisthechildrencotpackfromschool。TheygomeandstealwhatIleafthereonmydaple。Idt'soneofourlidtlechokes；weonderstandoneanother；that'sallrighdt。Oncethegobblerintheotherroomthereheusedtochase'em；hecouldn'tonderstandtheirlidtletricks。Nowdotgoppler'steadt，andheton'tchase'emanymore。HewasaBohemian。Gindtofgrazy，Icuess。"
"Well，it'sasociableexistence，"Marchsuggested。"Butperhapsifyouletthemhavethethingswithoutstealing——"
"Ohno，no!Mostnodtmagethemtoogonceitedt。Theymostn'tgoandfeelthemselfspetterthanthoseboormillionairssthathadttostealtheirmoney。"
Marchsmiledindulgentlyathisoldfriend'sviolence。"Oh，therearefagotsandfagots，youknow，Lindau；perhapsnotallthemillionairesaresoguilty。"
"LetusspeakGerman!"criedLindau，inhisowntongue，pushinghisbookaside，andthrustinghisskullcapbackfromhisforehead。"Howmuchmoneycanamanhonestlyearnwithoutwrongingoroppressingsomeotherman?"
"Well，ifyou'llletmeanswerinEnglish，"saidMarch，"Ishouldsayaboutfivethousanddollarsayear。Inamethatfigurebecauseit'smyexperiencethatInevercouldearnmore；buttheexperienceofothermenmaybedifferent，andiftheytellmetheycanearnten，ortwenty，orfiftythousandayear，I'mnotpreparedtosaytheycan'tdoit。"
Lindauhardlywaitedforhisanswer。"Notthemostgiftedmanthateverlived，inthepracticeofanyartorscience，andpaidatthehighestratethatexceptionalgeniuscouldjustlydemandfromthosewhohaveworkedfortheirmoney，couldeverearnamilliondollars。Itisthelandlordsandthemerchantprinces，therailroadkingsandthecoalbaronstheoppressorstowhomyouinstinctivelygivethetitlesoftyrants——itisthesethatmakethemillions，butnomanearnsthem。
Whatartist，whatphysician，whatscientist，whatpoetwaseveramillionaire?"
"IcanonlythinkofthepoetRogers，"saidMarch，amusedbyLindau'stirade。"ButhewasasexceptionalastheotherRogers，themartyr，whodiedwithwarmfeet。"Lindauhadapparentlynotunderstoodhisjoke，andhewenton，withtheAmericaneaseofmindabouteverything:"Butyoumustallow，Lindau，thatsomeofthosefellowsdon'tdosobadlywiththeirguiltygains。Someofthemgiveworktoarmiesofpoorpeople——"
Lindaufuriouslyinterrupted:"Yes，whentheyhavegatheredtheirmillionstogetherfromthehungerandcoldandnakednessandruinanddespairofhundredsofthousandsofothermen，they'givework'tothepoor!Theygivework!Theyallowtheirhelplessbrotherstoearnenoughtokeeplifeinthem!Theygivework!Whoisitgivestoil，andwherewillyourrichmenbewhenoncethepoorshallrefusetogivetoil'?
Why，youhavecometogivemework!"
Marchlaughedoutright。"Well，I'mnotamillionaire，anyway，Lindau，andIhopeyouwon'tmakeanexampleofmebyrefusingtogivetoil。I
daresaythemillionairesdeserveit，butI'drathertheywouldn'tsufferinmyperson。"
"No，"returnedtheoldman，mildlyrelaxingthefierceglarehehadbentuponMarch。"Nomandeservestosuferatthehandsofanother。IlosemyselfwhenIthinkoftheinjusticeintheworld。ButImustnotforgetthatIamliketheworstofthem。"
"YoumightgoupFifthAvenueandliveamongtherichawhile，whenyou'reindangerofthat，"suggestedMarch。"Atanyrate，"headded，byanimpulsewhichheknewhecouldnotjustifytohiswife，"Iwishyou'dcomesomedayandlunchwiththeiremissary。I'vebeentellingMrs。
Marchaboutyou，andIwantherandthechildrentoseeyou。Comeoverwiththesethingsandreport。"Heputhishandonthemagazinesasherose。
"Iwillcome，"saidLindau，gently。
"ShallIgiveyouyourbook?"askedMarch。
"No；Igidtoapbrettysoon。"
"And——and——canyoudressyourself?"
"Ivhistle，'andoneofthoselidtlefellowsscomess。Wehaftodakegareofoneanotherinablacelikethis。Idtissnodtliketheworldt，"
saidLindau，gloomily。
Marchthoughtheoughttocheerhimup。"Oh，itisn'tsuchabadworld，Lindau!Afterall，theaverageofmillionairesissmallinit。"Headded，"AndIdon'tbelievethere'sanAmericanlivingthatcouldlookatthatarmofyoursandnotwishtolendyouahandfortheoneyougaveusall。"Marchfeltthistobeafineturn，andhisvoicetrembledslightlyinsayingit。
Lindausmiledgrimly。"Youthinkzo?Iwouldn'tmochliketodrost'em。
I'vedriedtidttoooften。"HebegantospeakGermanagainfiercely:
"Besides，theyowemenothing。DoyouthinkIknowinglygavemyhandtosavethisoligarchyoftradersandtricksters，thisaristocracyofrailroadwreckersandstockgamblersandmine-slavedriversandmill-serfowners?No；Igaveittotheslave；theslave——ha!ha!ha!——whomI
helpedtounshackletothecommonlibertyofhungerandcold。AndyouthinkIwouldbethebeneficiaryofsuchastateofthings?"
"I'msorrytohearyoutalkso，Lindau，"saidMarch；"verysorry。"
Hestoppedwithalookofpain，androsetogo。LindausuddenlybrokeintoalaughandintoEnglish。
"Oh，well，itisonlydalk，Passil，andittoesmegoodt。Mypargisworsethanmypidte，Icuess。Ipringthesethingsroundtbrettysoon。
Good-bye，Passil，mytearpoy。Aufwiedersehen!"
XIII。
MarchwentawaythinkingofwhatLindauhadsaid，butnotfortheimpersonalsignificanceofhiswordssomuchasforthelighttheycastuponLindauhimself。Hethoughtthewordsviolentenough，butinconnectionwithwhatherememberedofthecheery，poetic，hopefulidealist，theywereevenmorecuriousthanlamentable。Inhisownlifeofcomfortablereveriehehadneverheardanyonetalksobefore，buthehadreadsomethingofthekindnowandtheninblatantlabornewspaperswhichhehadaccidentallyfalleninwith，andonceatastrikers'meetinghehadheardrichpeopledenouncedwiththesamefrenzy。Hehadmadehisownreflectionsuponthetastelessnessoftherhetoric，andtheobviousbuncombeofthemotive，andhehadnottakenthematterseriously。
HecouldnotdoubtLindau'ssincerity，andhewonderedhowhecametothatwayofthinking。Fromhisexperienceofhimselfheaccountedforaprevailingliteraryqualityinit；hedecidedittobefromLindau'sreadingandfeelingratherthanhisreflection。ThatwasthenotionheformedofsomethingshehadmetwithinRuskintomuchthesameeffect；
heregardedthemwithamusementasthechimerasofarhetoricianrunawaywithbyhisphrases。
ButastoLindau，thechiefthinginhismindwasaconceptionofthedrollironyofasituationinwhichsofervidahaterofmillionairesshouldbeworking，indirectlyatleast，fortheprosperityofamanlikeDryfoos，who，asMarchunderstood，hadgothismoneytogetheroutofeverygambler'schanceinspeculation，andallaschemer'sthriftfromtheerrorandneedofothers。Thesituationwasnotmoreincongruous，however，thanalltherestofthe'EveryOtherWeek'affair。Itseemedtohimthattherewerenocrazyfortuitiesthathadnottendedtoitsexistence，andastimewenton，andthedaydrewnearfortheissueofthefirstnumber，thesenseofthisintensifiedtillthewholelostatmomentsthequalityofawakingfact，andcametoberatherafantasticfictionofsleep。
Yettheheterogeneousforcesdidco-operatetoarealitywhichMarchcouldnotdeny，atleastintheirpresence，andthefirstnumberwasrepresentativeofalltheirnebulousintentionsinatangibleform。
Asaresult，itwassorespectablethatMarchbegantorespecttheseintentions，begantorespecthimselfforcombiningandembodyingtheminthevolumewhichappealedtohimwithanovelfascination，whenthefirstadvancecopywaslaiduponhisdesk。Everydetailofitwastiresomelyfamiliaralready，butthewholehadafreshinterestnow。HenowsawhowextremelyfitandeffectiveMissLeighton'sdecorativedesignforthecoverwas，printedinblackandbrick-redonthedelicategraytoneofthepaper。Itwasatonceattractiveandrefined，andhecreditedBeatonwithquiteallhemeritedinworkingitovertotheactualshape。Thetouchandthetasteofthearteditorwerepresentthroughoutthenumber。
AsFulkersonsaid，Beatonhadcaughtonwiththedelicacyofahumming-
birdandthetenacityofabulldogtothevirtuesoftheirillustrativeprocess，andhadworkeditforallitwasworth。Thereweresevenpapersinthenumber，andapoemonthelastpageofthecover，andhehadfoundsomegraphiccommentforeach。Itwasalargerproportionthanwouldafterwardbeallowed，butforonceinawayitwasallowed。Fulkersonsaidtheycouldnotexpecttogettheirmoneybackonthatfirstnumber，anyway。SevenoftheillustrationswereBeaton's；twoorthreehegotfrompractisedhands；therestweretheworkofunknownpeoplewhichhehadsuggested，andthenrelatedandadaptedwithunfailingingenuitytothedifferentpapers。Hehandledtheillustrationswithsuchsympathyasnottodestroytheirindividualquality，andthatindefinablecharmwhichcomesfromgoodamateurworkinwhateverart。Herescuedthemfromtheirweaknessesanderrors，whileheleftinthemtheevidenceofthepleasurewithwhichacleveryoungman，orasensitivegirl，orarefinedwomanhaddonethem。Inevitablyfromhismanipulation，however，theartofthenumberacquiredhomogeneity，andtherewasnothingcasualinitsappearance。Theresult，Marcheagerlyowned，wasbetterthantheliteraryresult，andheforesawthatthenumberwouldbesoldandpraisedchieflyforitspictures。Yethewasnotashamedoftheliterature，andheindulgedhisadmirationofitthemorefreelybecausehehadnotonlynotwrittenit，butinawayhadnoteditedit。Tobesure，hehadchosenallthematerial，buthehadnotvoluntarilyputitalltogetherforthatnumber；ithadlargelyputitselftogether，aseverynumberofeverymagazinedoes，andasitseemsmoreandmoretodo，intheexperienceofeveryeditor。Therehadtobe，ofcourse，astory，andthenasketchoftravel。Therewasaliteraryessayandasocialessay；
therewasadramatictrifle，verygay，verylight；therewasadashingcriticismonthenewpictures，thenewplays，thenewbooks，thenewfashions；andthentherewasthetranslationofabitofvividRussianrealism，whichtheeditorowedtoLindau'sexplorationoftheforeignperiodicalsleftwithhim；LindauwashimselfaromanticistoftheVictorHugosort，buthesaidthisfragmentofDostoyevskiwasgoodofitskind。
Thepoemwasabitofsocietyverse，withabackwardlookintosimplerandwholesomerexperiences。
Fulkersonwasextremelyproudofthenumber；buthesaiditwastoogood——toogoodfromeverypointofview。Thecoverwastoogood，andthepaperwastoogood，andthatdeviceofroughedges，whichgotovertheobjectiontouncutleaveswhileitsecuredtheiraestheticeffect，wasathingthathetrembledfor，thoughherejoicedinitasastrokeofthehighestgenius。IthadcomefromBeatonatthelastmoment，asacompromise，whentheproblemofthevulgarcroppinessofcutleavesandtheunpopularityofuncutleavesseemedtohavenosolutionbutsuicide。
Fulkersonwasstillmorallycrawlingroundonhishandsandknees，ashesaid，inabjectgratitudeatBeaton'sfeet，thoughhehadhisqualms，hisquestions；andhedeclaredthatBeatonwasthemostinspiredasssinceBalaam's。"We'reallasses，ofcourse，"headmitted，insemi-apologytoMarch；"butwe'renosuchassesasBeaton。"Hesaidthatifthetastefuldecorativenessofthethingdidnotkillitwiththepublicoutright，itsliteraryexcellencewouldgiveitthefinishingstroke。Perhapsthatmightbeoverlookedintheimpressionofnoveltywhichafirstnumberwouldgive，butitmustneverhappenagain。HeimploredMarchtopromisethatitshouldneverhappenagain；besaidtheironlyhopewasintheimmediatecheapeningofthewholeaffair。Itwasbadenoughtogivethepublictoomuchquantityfortheirmoney，buttothrowinsuchqualityasthatwassimplyruinous；itmustbestopped。Theseweretheexpressionsofhisintimatemoods；everyfrontthathepresentedtothepublicworeaglowoflofty，ofdevoutexultation。Hisprideinthenumbergushedoutinfreshburstsofrhetorictoeveryonewhomhecouldgettotalkwithhimaboutit。Heworkedthepersonalkindlinessofthepresstotheutmost。Hedidnotmindmakinghimselfridiculousorbecomingajokeinthegoodcause，ashecalledit。HejoinedintheapplausewhenahumoristattheclubfeignedtodropdeadfromhischairatFulkerson'sintroductionofthetopic，andhewentontalkingthatfirstnumberintothesurvivingspectators。Hestoodtreatuponalloccasions，andhelunchedattachesofthepressatallhours。Heespeciallybefriendedthecorrespondentsofthenewspapersofothercities，for，asheexplainedtoMarch，thosefellowscouldgivehimanyamountofadvertisingsimplyasliterarygossip。Manyofthefellowswereladieswhocouldnotbesosummarilyaskedouttolunch，butFulkerson'singenuitywasequaltoeveryexigency，andhecontrivedsomehowtomakeeachofthesefeelthatshehadbeenpossessedofexclusiveinformation。TherewasamomentwhenMarchconjecturedawillingnessinFulkersontoworkMrs。Marchintotheadvertisingdepartment，bymeansofateatotheseladiesandtheirfriendswhichsheshouldadministerinhisapartment，buthedidnotencourageFulkersontobeexplicit，andthemomentpassed。Afterward，whenhetoldhiswifeaboutit，hewasastonishedtofindthatshewouldnothavemindeddoingitforFulkerson，andheexperiencedanotherproofofthebluntnessofthefeminineinstinctsinsomedirections，andofthepersonalfavorwhichFulkersonseemedtoenjoywiththewholesex。Thisalonewasenoughtoaccountforthewillingnessofthesecorrespondentstowriteaboutthefirstnumber，butMarchaccusedhimofsendingittotheiraddresseswithboxesofJacqueminotrosesandHuylercandy。
Fulkersonlethimenjoyhisjoke。Hesaidthathewoulddothatoranythingelseforthegoodcause，shortofmarryingthewholecircleoffemalecorrespondents。
Marchwasinclinedtohopethatifthefirstnumberhadbeenmadetoogoodforthecountryatlarge，themoreenlightenedtasteofmetropolitanjournalismwouldinviteacompensatingfavorforitinNewYork。ButfirstFulkersonandthentheeventprovedhimwrong。Inspiteofthequalityofthemagazine，andinspiteofthekindnesswhichsomanynewspapermenfeltforFulkerson，thenoticesintheNewYorkpapersseemedgrudgingandprovisionaltotheardoroftheeditor。Ameritintheworkwasacknowledged，andcertaindefectsinitforwhichMarchhadtrembledwereignored；butthecriticsastonishedhimbyselectingforcensurepointswhichhewaseitherproudoforhadnevernoticed；whichbeingnowbroughttohisnoticehestillcouldnotfeelwerefaults。HeownedtoFulkersonthatiftheyhadsaidsoandsoagainstit，hecouldhaveagreedwiththem，butthattosaythusandsowaspreposterous；andthatiftheadvertisinghadnotbeenadjustedwithsuchgenerousrecognitionoftheclaimsofthedifferentpapers，heshouldhaveknownthecounting-roomwasatthebottomofit。Asitwas，hecouldonlyattributeittoperversityorstupidity。Itwascertainlystupidtocondemnamagazinenoveltylike'EveryOtherWeek'forbeingnovel；andtoaugurthatifitfailed，itwouldfailthroughitsdeparturefromthelinesonwhichalltheotherprosperousmagazineshadbeenbuilt，wasinthelastdegreeperverse，anditlookedmalicious。Thefactthatitwasneitherexactlyabooknoramagazineoughttobeforitandnotagainstit，sinceitwouldinvadenootherfield；itwouldprosperonnogroundbutitsown。
XIV。
ThemoreMarchthoughtoftheinjusticeoftheNewYorkpresswhichhadnot，however，attackedtheliteraryqualityofthenumberthemorebitterlyheresentedit；andhiswife'sindignationsuperheatedhisown。
'EveryOtherWeek'hadbecomeaverypersonalaffairwiththewholefamily；thechildrensharedtheirparents'disgust；Bellewasoutspokenin，herdenunciationsofavenalpress。Mrs。Marchsawnothingbutruinahead，andbegantacitlytoplanaretreattoBoston，andanestablishmentretrenchedtothebasisoftwothousandayear。Sheshedsomesecrettearsinanticipationoftheprivationswhichthismustinvolve；butwhenFulkersoncametoseeMarchratherlatethenightofthepublicationday，shenoblytoldhimthatiftheworstcametotheworstshecouldonlyhavethekindliestfeelingtowardhim，andshouldnotregardhimasintheslightestdegreeresponsible。
"Oh，holdon，holdon!"heprotested。"Youdon'tthinkwe'vemadeafailure，doyou?"
"Why，ofcourse，"shefaltered，whileMarchremainedgloomilysilent。
"Well，Iguesswe'llwaitfortheofficialcount，first。EvenNewYorkhasn'tgoneagainstus，andIguessthere'samajoritycomingdowntoHarlemRiverthatcouldsweepeverythingbeforeit，anyway。"
"Whatdoyoumean，Fulkerson?"Marchdemanded，sternly。
"Oh，nothing!Only，the'NewsCompany'hasorderedtenthousandnow；andyouknowwehadtogivethemthefirsttwentyoncommission。"
"Whatdoyoumean?"Marchrepeated；hiswifeheldherbreath。
"Imeanthatthefirstnumberisaboomingsuccessalready，andthatit'sgoingtoahundredthousandbeforeitstops。Thatunanimityandvarietyofcensureinthemorningpapers，combinedwiththeattractivenessofthethingitself，hasclearedeverystandinthecity，andnowifthefavorofthecountrypressdoesn'tturnthetideagainstus，ourfortune'smade。"TheMarchesremaineddumb。"Why，lookhere!Didn'tItellyouthosecriticismswouldbethemakingofus，whentheyfirstbegantoturnyoubluethismorning，March?"
"Hecamehometolunchperfectlysick，"saidMrs。Marcli；"andIwouldn'tlethimgobackagain。"
"Didn'tItellyouso?"Fulkersonpersisted。
Marchcouldnotrememberthathehad，orthathehadbeenanythingbutincoherentlyandhystericallyjocoseoverthepapers，buthesaid，"Yes，yes——Ithinkso。"
"Iknewitfromthestart，"saidFulkerson。"TheonlyotherpersonwhotookthosecriticismsintherightspiritwasMotherDryfoos——I'vejustbeenbolsteringuptheDryfoosfamily。ShehadthemreadtoherbyMrs。
Mandel，andsheunderstoodthemtobeallthemostflatteringpropheciesofsuccess。Well，Ididn'treadbetweenthelinestothatextent，quite；
butIsawthattheyweregoingtohelpus，iftherewasanythinginus，morethananythingthatcouldhavebeendone。Andtherewassomethinginus!Itellyou，March，thatseven-shootingself-cockingdonkeyofaBeatonhasgivenusthegreateststart!He'scaughtonlikeamouse。
He'smadethethingawfullychic；it'sjimmy；there'slotsofdogaboutit。He'smanagedthatprocesssothattheillustrationslookasexpensiveasfirst-classwood-cuts，andthey'recheaperthanchromos。
He'sputstyleintothewholething。"
"Ohyes，"saidMarch，witheagermeekness，"it'sBeatonthat'sdoneit。"
FulkersonreadjealousyofBeatoninMrs。March'sface。"Beatonhasgivenusthestartbecausehisworkappealstotheeye。There'snodenyingthatthepictureshavesoldthisfirstnumber；butIexpecttheliteratureofthisfirstnumbertosellthepicturesofthesecond。I'vebeenreadingitallover，nearly，sinceIfoundhowthecatwasjumping；
Iwasanxiousaboutit，andItellyou，oldman，it'sgood。Yes，sir!
Iwasafraidmaybeyouhadgotittoogood，withthatBostonrefinementofyours；butIreckonyouhaven't。I'llriskit。Idon'tseehowyougotsomuchvarietyintosofewthings，andallofthempalpitant，allof'emonthekeenjumpwithactuality。"
ThemixtureofAmericanslangwiththejargonofEuropeancriticisminFulkerson'stalkmadeMarchsmile，buthiswifedidnotseemtonoticeitinherexultation。"ThatisjustwhatIsay，"shebrokein。"It'sperfectlywonderful。Ineverwasanxiousaboutitamoment，except，asyousay，Mr。Fulkerson，Iwasafraiditmightbetoogood。"
TheywentoninanantiphonyofpraisetillMarchsaid:"Really，Idon'tseewhat'sleftmebuttostrikeforhigherwages。IperceivethatI'mindispensable。"
"Why，oldman，you'recominginonthedivvy，youknow，"saidFulkerson。
Theybothlaughed，andwhenFulkersonwasgone，Mrs。Marchaskedherhusbandwhatadivvywas。
"It'sachickenbeforeit'shatched。"
"No!Truly?"
Heexplained，andshebegantospendthedivvy。
AtMrs。Leighton'sFulkersongaveAlmaallthehonorofthesuccess；hetoldhermotherthatthegirl'sdesignforthecoverhadsoldeverynumber，andMrs。Leightonbelievedhim。
"Well，AhthinkAhmaghthavesomeoftheglory，"MissWoodburnpouted。
"WhereamAhcomin'in?"
"You'recominginonthecoverofthenextnumber，"saidFulkerson。"
We'regoingtohaveyourfacethere；MissLeighton'sgoingtosketchitin。"Hesaidthisrecklessofthefactthathehadalreadyshownthemthedesignofthesecondnumber，whichwasBeaton'sweirdbitofgas-
countrylandscape。
"Ahdon'tseewhyyoudon'twrahtethefictionforyourmagazine，Mr。