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The Egotist Becomes a Personage
"Whateveryourlineis,"saidthelittleman,seemingtoagreewiselywithsomethingAmoryhadsaid,"nowisthetimeofopportunityandbusinessopenings."Heglancedagaintowardthebigman,asalawyergrillingawitnessglancesinvoluntarilyatthejury.
Amorydecidedthathemustsaysomethingandforthelifeofhimcouldthinkofonlyonethingtosay.
"OfcourseIwantagreatlotofmoney—"
Thelittlemanlaughedmirthlesslybutconscientiously.
"That’swhateveryonewantsnowadays,buttheydon’twanttoworkforit."
"Averynatural,healthydesire.Almostallnormalpeoplewanttoberichwithoutgreateffort—exceptthefinanciersinproblemplays,whowantto’crashtheirwaythrough.’Don’tyouwanteasymoney?"
"Ofcoursenot,"saidthesecretaryindignantly.
"But,"continuedAmorydisregardinghim,"beingverypooratpresentIamcontemplatingsocialismaspossiblymyforte."
Bothmenglancedathimcuriously.
"Thesebombthrowers—"Thelittlemanceasedaswordslurchedponderouslyfromthebigman’schest.
"IfIthoughtyouwereabombthrowerI’drunyouovertotheNewarkjail.That’swhatIthinkofSocialists."
Amorylaughed.
"Whatareyou,"askedthebigman,"oneoftheseparlorBolsheviks,oneoftheseidealists?ImustsayIfailtoseethedifference.Theidealistsloafaroundandwritethestuffthatstirsupthepoorimmigrants."
"Well,"saidAmory,"ifbeinganidealistisbothsafeandlucrative,Imighttryit."
