Arkwright had drifted away from him; he let the crowd gently push him toward the wall, into the shelter of a clump of palms and ferns.  There, with his hands in his pockets, and upon his face what he thought an excellent imitation of Arkwright’s easy, bored expression of thinly-veiled cynicism, he surveyed the scene and tried to judge it from the standpoint of the “common people.”  His verdict was that it was vain, frivolous, unworthy, beneath the serious consideration of a man of affairs such as he.  But he felt that he was not quite frank, in fact was dishonest, with himself in this lofty disdain.  It represented what he ought to feel, not what he actually was feeling.  “At least,” said he to himself, “I’ll never confess to any one that I’m weak enough to be impressed by this sort of thing.  Anyhow, to confess a weakness is to encourage it...  No wonder society is able to suck in and destroy so many fellows of my sort!  If I am tempted what must it mean to the ordinary man?” He noted with angry shame that he felt a swelling of pride because he, of so lowly an origin, born no better than the machine-like lackeys, had been able to push himself in upon—­yes, up among—­these people on terms of equality.  And it was, for the moment, in vain that he reminded himself that most of them were of full as lowly origin as he; that few indeed could claim to be more than one generation removed from jack-boots and jeans; that the most elegant had more relations among the “vulgar herd” than they had among the “high folks.”

“What are you looking so glum and sour about?” asked Arkwright.

He startled guiltily.  So, his mean and vulgar thoughts had been reflected in his face.  “I was thinking of the case I have to try before the Supreme Court next week,” said he.

“Well, I’ll introduce you to one of the Justices—­old Towler.  He comes of the ‘common people,’ like you.  But he dearly loves fashionable society—­makes himself ridiculous going to balls and trying to flirt.  It’ll do you no end of good to meet these people socially.  You’ll be surprised to see how respectful and eager they’ll all be if you become a recognized social favorite.  For real snobbishness give me your friends, the common people, when they get up where they can afford to put on airs.  Why, even the President has a sneaking hankering after fashionable people.  I tell you, in Washington everything goes by social favor, just as it does in London—­and would in Paris if fashionable society would deign to notice the Republic.”

“Introduce me to old Towler,” said Craig, curt and bitter.  He was beginning to feel that Arkwright was at least in part right; and it angered him for the sake of the people from whom he had sprung, and to whom he had pledged his public career.  “Then,” he went on, “I’m going home.  And you’ll see me among these butterflies and hoptoads no more.”

“Can’t trust yourself, eh?” suggested Arkwright.