“I wonder how he knows?”

“Observation, probably.  Tom startled a dinner table the other day with the remark that when a man once gives himself up to the full enjoyment of a virtuous life, it seems strange to him that more people do not follow his example.”

“The trouble with the virtue of Washington is that it always wants to interfere with other people’s business.  Fellows like Tom are always hunting up mares’ nests in order to be paid for breaking them up.”

“I can’t say about Tom,” rejoined Mavick.  “I suppose it is necessary to live.”

“I suppose so.  And that goes along with another proposition—­that the successful have no rights which the unsuccessful are bound to respect.  As soon as a man gets ahead,” Henderson continued, with a tone of bitterness, “the whole pack are trying to pull him down.  A capitalist is a public enemy.  Why, look at that Hodge bill!  Strikes directly at the ability of the railways to develop the country.  Have you seen it?”

“Yes,” Mavick admitted; “the drawer of it was good enough to consult me on its constitutionality.  It’s a mighty queer bill.”

“It can’t get through the Senate,” said Henderson; “but it’s a bother.  Such schemes are coming up all the time, and they unsettle business.  These fellows need watching.”

“And managing,” added Mavick.

“Exactly.  I can’t be in Washington all the time.  And I need to know what is going on every twenty-four hours from the inside.  I can’t rely on politicians or lobbyists.”

“Well,” said Mr. Mavick, in his easiest manner, “that’s easy enough.  You want a disinterested friend.”

Henderson nodded, but did not even smile, and the talk went on about other measures, and confidentially about certain men in Washington, until, after twenty minutes’ conversation, the two men came to a perfect understanding.  When Mavick arose to go they shook hands even more cordially than at first, and Henderson said: 

“Well, I expect to hear from you, and remember that our house will always be your home in the city.”

IX

It seemed very fortunate to Jack Delancy that he should have such a clever woman as Carmen for his confidante, a man so powerful as Henderson as his backer, and a person so omniscient as Mavick for his friend.  No combination could be more desirable for a young man who proposed to himself a career of getting money by adroit management and spending it in pure and simple self-indulgence.  There are plenty of men who have taken advantage of like conditions to climb from one position to another, and have then kicked down the ladders behind them as fast as they attained a new footing.  It was Jack’s fault that he was not one of these.  You could scarcely dignify his character by saying that he had an aim, except to saunter through life with as little personal inconvenience as possible.  His selfishness was boneless.