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The Egotist Becomes a Personage
TheysayBernardShaw,inspiteofhisdoctrines,isthemostexactingofalldramatistsabouthisroyalties.Tothelastfarthing."
"Well,"saidAmory,"IsimplystatethatI’maproductofaversatilemindinarestlessgeneration—witheveryreasontothrowmymindandpeninwiththeradicals.Evenif,deepinmyheart,Ithoughtwewereallblindatomsinaworldaslimitedasastrokeofapendulum,Iandmysortwouldstruggleagainsttradition;try,atleast,todisplaceoldcantswithnewones.I’vethoughtIwasrightaboutlifeatvarioustimes,butfaithisdifficult.OnethingIknow.Iflivingisn’taseekingforthegrailitmaybeadamnedamusinggame."
Foraminuteneitherspokeandthenthebigmanasked:
"Whatwasyouruniversity?"
"Princeton."
Thebigmanbecamesuddenlyinterested;theexpressionofhisgogglesalteredslightly.
"IsentmysontoPrinceton."
"Didyou?"
"Perhapsyouknewhim.HisnamewasJesseFerrenby.HewaskilledlastyearinFrance."
"Iknewhimverywell.Infact,hewasoneofmyparticularfriends."
"Hewas—a—quiteafineboy.Wewereveryclose."
Amorybegantoperceivearesemblancebetweenthefatherandthedeadsonandhetoldhimselfthattherehadbeenallalongasenseoffamiliarity.JesseFerrenby,themanwhoincollegehadborneoffthecrownthathehadaspiredto.Itwasallsofaraway.Whatlittleboystheyhadbeen,workingforblueribbons—
Thecarslowedupattheentrancetoagreatestate,ringedaroundbyahugehedgeandatallironfence.