“There, Allen,” laughed Gorham, “you have no excuse for not understanding my statement.”

“Not in the least.  Lady Pat has explained my whole difficulty!  But, after all, Mr. Gorham, don’t you think there are some things about business and football which are the same?” pleaded Allen, when Patricia was again quieted, his attitude with Mr. Gorham being quite different from the one he had affected with Alice.  “I’ve often tried to think what I’d do if I ever got started, and I’ve said to myself that when I came up against the other fellow I’d just grit my teeth and say, ’That confounded Eli shan’t get through’; and I’m pretty certain that he’d find something in his way before he got the contract I was after.”

Gorham was distinctly interested in the boy’s intensity.  “Suppose I write a line to your father and suggest that he take active steps to get you started somewhere.”

“Please don’t,” Allen said, quickly.  “I’ll write him myself at once.  If you do it, he’ll think I haven’t got the spunk.  Perhaps I can put it strong enough so he will realize that I’m tired of killing time running about in my motor-car.”

“I thought your father told me you had lost your license, for speeding.”

The boy grinned guiltily. “‘Allen Sanford, owner,’ lost his license, but ‘A.  Sanford, chauffeur,’ is still allowed to run a car.”  Then turning to Mrs. Gorham:  “You didn’t realize you were riding with a chauffeur to-day, did you?”

“You had two licenses?”

“I couldn’t possibly get along without them here in Washington.  I guess you don’t know how wise these police guys are.”

Gorham looked at the boy steadily for a moment with an amused expression in his eye.

“I have half a mind to try it,” he said, aloud.

“Taking out two licenses?” Allen asked, innocently.

“No,” Gorham answered; “I was thinking of something else.  Your father will be here some day this week, Allen, and you will have a chance to discuss the whole matter.  Perhaps you can get him to agree to some compromise.  Whatever you go into, remember what one of our great captains of industry once said—­and it’s as applicable to diplomacy as it is to business—­’The man who starts first gets the oyster; the second man gets the shell.’”

“I’ll settle it definitely when I see the pater,” Allen said, with determination, “and if I live through the interview I’ll go for that oyster with a flying start.  Oh, I expect I’ll find plenty of good interference against me, but I can stand that.  What’s that story in mythology about the hydra or something—­every time they cut off its head two more grew?  That’s what I’m going to be—­a hydra.  Every time I get turned down I’m going to bob up twice again, and, the first thing you know, somebody will give me a job just to get rid of me.”

VII

After the theatre Mr. Gorham devoted himself to some late despatches which required immediate attention, so Alice and Eleanor found themselves in the apartment alone.  The latter wore a more serious expression than her face had shown earlier in the evening, and the girl was quick to notice it.