I choked my own father and threw him into the street when I was
only a boy. You knew about that. You heard of it when you went to find out
about me that time in Caxton. Mary Underwood told you. I did it because he
lied and believed in lies. Do not your friends say that the individual who
stands in the way should be crushed?"
She sprang to her feet and stood before him.
"Do not quote that crowd," she burst out. "They are not the real thing. Do
you suppose I do not know that? Do I not know that they come here because
they hope to get hold of you? Haven't I watched them and seen the look on
their faces when you have not come or have not listened to their talk?
They are afraid of you, all of them. That's why they talk so bitterly.
They are afraid and ashamed that they are afraid."
"Like the workers in the shop?" he asked, musingly.
"Yes, like that, and like me since I failed in my part of our lives and
had not the courage to get out of the way. You are worth all of us and for
all our talk we shall never succeed or begin to succeed until we make men
like you want what we want. They know that and I know it."
"And what do you want?"
"I want you to be big and generous. You can be.
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