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miles　behind　us；　the　approach　to　Kings　Port　this　way　lies　through　dirtiest　Africa。　John　was　loquacious；　John　discoursed　upon　the　Replacers；　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　had　quite　evidently　expressed　to　her　own　circle　what　she　thought　of　them；　and　the　town　in　consequence；　although　it　did　not　see　them　or　their　automobiles；　because　it　appeared　they　were　gone　some　twenty　miles　inland　upon　an　excursion　to　a　resort　where　was　a　large　hotel；　and　a　little　variety　in　the　way　of　some　tourists　of　the　Replacer　stripe；the　town　kept　them　well　in　its　mind's　eye。　The　automobiles　would　have　sufficed　to　bring　them　into　disrepute；　but　Kings　Port　had　a　better　reason　in　their　conduct　in　the　church；　and　John　found　many　things　to　say　to　me；　as　we　drove　along；　about　Bohm　and　Charley　and　Kitty。　Gazza　he　forgot；　although；　as　shall　appear　in　its　place；　Gazza　was　likely　to　live　a　long　while　in　his　memory。　Beverly　Rodgers　he；　of　course；　recognized　as　being　a　gentlemanit　was　clear　that　Beverly　met　with　Kings　Port's　approvaland；　from　his　Newport　experiences；　John　was　able　to　make　out　quite　as　well　as　if　he　had　heard　Beverly　explain　it　himself　the　whole　wise　philosophic　system　of　joining　with　the　Replacers　in　order　that　you　be　not　replaced　yourself。

〃In　his　shoes　mightn't　I　do　the　same？〃　he　surmised。　〃I　fear　I'm　not　as　Spartan　as　my　auntsonly　pray　don't　mention　it　to　them！〃

And　then；　because　I　had　been　answering　him　with　single　syllables；　or　with　nods；　or　not　at　all；　he　taxed　me　with　my　taciturnity；　he　even　went　so　far　as　to　ask　me　what　thoughts　kept　me　so　silentwhich　I　did　not　tell　him。

〃I　am　wondering；〃　I　told　him　instead；　〃how　much　they　steal　every　week。〃

〃Those　financiers？〃

〃Yes。　Bohm　is　president　of　an　insurance　company；　and　Charley's　a　director；　and　reorganizes　railroads。〃

〃Well；　if　other　people　share　your　pleasant　opinion　of　them；　how　do　they　get　elected？〃

〃Other　people　share　their　pleasant　spoilssenators；　vestrymenyou　can't　be　sure　who　you're　sitting　next　to　at　dinner　any　more。　Come　live　North。　You'll　find　the　only　safe　way　is　never　to　know　anybody　worth　more　than　five　millionsif　you　wish　to　keep　the　criminal　classes　off　your　visiting　list。〃

This　made　him　merry。　〃Put　'em　in　jail；　then！〃

〃Ah；　the　jail！〃　I　returned。　〃It's　the　great　American　joke。　It　reverses　the　rule　of　our　smart　society。　Only　those　who　have　no　incomes　are　admitted。〃

〃But　what　do　you　have　laws　and　lawyers　for？〃

〃To　keep　the　rich　out　of　jail。　It's　called　'professional　etiquette。'〃

〃Your　picture　flatters！〃

〃You　flatter　me；　it's　only　a　photograph。　Come　North　and　see。〃

〃One　might　think；　from。　your　account；　the　American　had　rather　be　bad　than　good。〃

〃O　dear；　no！　The　American　had　much　rather　be　good　than　bad！〃

〃Your　admission　amazes　me！〃

〃But　also　the　American　had　rather　be　rich　than　good。　And　he　is　having　his　wish。　And　money's　golden　hand　is　tightening　on　the　throat　of　liberty　while　the　labor　union　stabs　liberty　in　the　backfor　trusts　and　unions　are　both　trying　to　kill　liberty。　And　the　soul　of　Uncle　Sam　has　turned　into　a　dollar…inside　his　great；　big；　strong；　triumphant　flesh；　so　that　even　his　new　religion；　his　own　special　invention；　his　last　offering　to　the　creeds　of　the　world；　his　gatherer　of　converted　hordes；　his　Christian　Science；　is　based　upon　physical　benefit。〃

John　touched　the　horses。　〃You're　particularly　cheerful　to…day！〃

〃No。　I　merely　summarize　what　I'm　seeing。〃

〃Well；　a　moral　awakening　will　come；〃　he　declared。

〃Inevitably。　To…morrow；　perhaps。　The　flesh　has　had　a　good；　long；　prosperous　day；　and　the　hour　of　the　spirit　must　be　near　striking。　And　the　moral　awakening　will　be　followed　by　a　moral　slumber；　since；　in　the　uncomprehended　scheme　of　things；　slumber　seems　necessary；　and　you　needn't　pull　so　long　a　face；　Mr。　Mayrant；　because　the　slumber　will　be　followed　by　another　moral　awakening。　The　alcoholic　society　girl　you　don't　like　will　very　probably　give　birth　to　a　water…drinking　daughterwho　in　her　turn　may　produce　a　bibulous　progeny：　how　often　must　I　tell　you　that　nothing　is　final？〃

John　Mayrant　gave　the　horses　a　somewhat　vicious　lash　after　these　last　words　of　mine；　and；　as　he　made　no　retort　to　them；　we　journeyed　some　little　distance　in　silence　through　the　mild；　enchanting　light　of　the　sun。　My　deliberate　allusion　to　alcoholic　girls　had　made　plain　what　I　had　begun　to　suspect。　I　could　now　discern　that　his　cloak　of　gayety　had　fallen　from　him；　leaving　bare　the　same　harassed　spirit；　the　same　restless　mood；　which　had　been　his　upon　the　last　occasion　when　we　had　talked　at　length　together　upon　some　of　the　present　social　and　political　phases　of　our　republic　that　day　of　the　New　Bridge　and　the　advent　of　Hortense。　Only；　upon　that　day；　he　had　by　his　manner　in　some　subtle　fashion　conveyed　to　me　a　greater　security　in　my　discretion　than　I　felt　him　now　to　entertain。　His　many　observations　about　the　Replacers；　with　always　the　significant　and　conspicuous　omission　of　Hortense；　proved　more　and　more；　as　I　thought　it　over；　that　his　state　was　unsteady。　Even　now；　he　did　not　long　endure　silence　between　us；　yet　the　eagerness　which　he　threw　into　our　discussions　did　not；　it　seemed　to　me；　so　much　proceed　from　present　interest　in　their　subjects　（though　interest　there　was　at　times）　as　from　anxiety　lest　one　particular　subject；　ever　present　with　him；　should　creep　in　unawares。　So　much　I；　at　any　rate；　concluded；　and　bided　my　time　for　the　creeping　in　unawares；　content　meanwhile　to　parry　some　of　the　reproaches　which　he　now　and　again　cast　at　me　with　an　earnestness　real　or　feigned。

We　had　made　now　considerable　progress；　and　were　come　to　a　space　of　sand　and　cabins　and　intersecting　railroad　tracks；　where　freight　cars　and　locomotives　stood；　and　negroes　of　all　shapes；　but　of　one　lowering　and　ragged　appearance；　lounged　and　stared。

〃There　used　to　be　a　murder　here　about　once　a　day；〃　said　John；　〃before　the　dispensary　system。　Now；　it　is　about　once　a　week。〃

〃That　law　is　of　benefit；　then？〃　I　inquired。

〃To　those　who　drink　the　whiskey；　possibly；　certainly　to　those　who　sell　it！〃　And　he　condensed　for　me　the　long　story　of　the　state　dispensary；　which　in　brief　appeared　to　be　that　South　Carolina　had　gone　into　the　liquor　business。　The　profits　were　to　pay　for　compulsory　education；　the　liquor　was　to　be　pure；　society　and　sobriety　were　to　be　advanced：　such　had　been　the　threefold　promise；　of　which　the　threefold　fulfillment　was　defeat　of　the　compulsory　education　bill；　a　political　monopoly　enriching　favored　distillers；　〃and　lately；〃　said　John；　〃a　thoroughly　democratic　whiskey　for　the　plain　people。　Pay　ten　cents　for　a　bottle　of　X；　if　you're　curious。　It　may　not　poison　youbut　the　murders　are　coming　up　again。〃

〃What　a　delightful　example　of　government　ownership！　I　exclaimed。

But　John　in　Kings　Port　was　not　in　the　way　of　hearing　that　cure…all　policy　discussed；　and　I　therefore　explained　it　to　him。　He　did　not　seem　to　grasp　my　explanation。

〃I　don't　see　how　it　would　change　anything；〃　he　remarked；　〃beyond　switching　the　stealing　from　one　set　of　hands　to　another。〃

I　put　on　a　face　of　concern。　〃What？　You　don't　believe　in　our　patent　American　short…cuts？〃

〃Short…cuts？〃

〃Certainly。　Short…cuts　to　universal　happiness；　universal　honesty；　universal　everything。　For　instance：　Don't　make　a　boy　study　four　years　for　a　college　degree；　just　cut　the　time　in　half；　and　you've　got　a　short…cut　to　education。　Write　it　down　that　man　is　equal。　That　settles　it。　You'll　notice　how　equal　he　is　at　once。　Write　it　down　that　the　negro　shall　vote。　You'll　observe　how　instantly　he　is　fit　for　the　suffrage。　Now　they　want　it　written　down　that　government　shall　take　all　the　wicked　corporations；　because　then　corruption　will　disappear　from　the　face　of　the　earth。　You'll　find　the　farmers　presently　having　it　written　down　that　all　hens　must　hatch　their　eggs　in　a　week；　and　next；　a　league　of　earnest　women　will　advocate　a　Constitutional　amendment　that　men　only　shall　bring　forth　children。　Oh；　we　Americans　are　very　thorough！〃　And　I　laughed。

But　John's　face　was　not　gay。　〃Well；〃　he　mused；　〃South　Carolina　took　a　short…cut　to　pure　liquor　and　sober　citizensand　reached　instead　a　new　den　of　thieves。　Is　the　whole　country　sick？〃

〃Sick　to　the　marrow；　my　friend；　but　young　and　vigorous　still。　A　nation　in　its　long　life　has　many　illnesses　before　the　one　it　dies　of。　But　we　shall　need　some　strong　medicine　if　we　do　not　get　well　soon。〃

〃What　kind？〃

〃Ah；　that's　beyond　any　one！　And　we　have　several　things　the　matter　with　usas　bad　a　case；　for　example；　of　complacency　as　I've　met　in　history。　Complacency's　a　very　dangerous　disease；　seldom　got　rid　of　without　the　purge　of　a　great　calamity。　And　worse；　where　does　our　dishonesty　begin；　and　where　end？　The　boy　goes　to　college；　and　there　in　football　it　awaits　him；　he　graduates；　and　in　the　down…town　office　it　smirks　at　him；　he　rises　into　the　confidence　of　his　superiors；　the　town's　chief　citizens；　and　finds　their　gray　hairs　crowned　with　it；the　very　men　he　has　looked　up　to；　believed　in；　his　ideals；　his　examples；　the　merchant　prince；　the　railroad　magnate；　the　president　of　insurance　companiesall　dirty　rascals！　Presently　he　faces　worldly　success　or　failure；　and　then；　in　the　new　ocean　of　mind　that　has　swallowed　morals　up；　he　sinks　with　his　isolated　honesty；　like　a　fool；　or　swims　to　respectability　with　his　brother　knaves。