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〃Damn them all！〃 he repeated。 〃They're a pack of wolves。 They've got me down and they're going to eat me。〃
He blamed Dumont and he blamed his wife for his plightand there was some justice in both accusations。 Twenty years before； he had come down to 〃the Street〃 a frank…looking boy； of an old and distinguished New York family that had become too aristocratic for business and had therefore lost its hold upon its once great fortune。 He was neither a good boy nor a bad。 But he was weak； and had the extravagant tastes and cynical morals to which he had been bred； and his intelligent brain was of the kind that goes with weaknessshrewd and sly； preferring to slink along the byways of craft even when the highway of courage lies straight and easy。 But he had physical bravery and the self…confidence that is based upon an assured social position in a community where social position is worshiped； so； he passed for manly and proud when he was in reality neither。 Family vanity he had； personal pride he had not。
In many environments his weakness would have remained hidden even from himself； and he would have lived and died in the odor and complacence of respectability。 But not in the strain and stress of Wall Street。 There he had naturally developed not into a lion； not even into a wolf； but into a coyote。
Wall Street found him out in ten yearsabout one year after it began to take note of him and his skulking ways and his habit of prowling in the wake of the pack。 Only his adroit use of his family connections and social position saved him from being trampled to death by the wolves and eaten by his brother coyotes。 Thereafter he lived precariously； but on the whole sumptuously； upon carcasses of one kind and another。 He participated in 〃strike〃 suits against big corporationshe would set on a pack of coyotes to dog the lions and to raise discordant howls that inopportunely centered public attention upon leonine； lawless doings； the lions would pay him well to call off the pack。 He assisted sometimes wolves and sometimes coyotes in flotations of worthless； or almost worthless； stocks and bonds from gold and mahogany offices and upon a sea of glittering prospectuses。 He had a hand in all manner of small； shady transactions of lawful； or almost lawful； swindling that were tolerated by lions and wolves； because at bottom there is a feeling of fellowship among creatures of prey as against creatures preyed upon。
There were days when he came home haggard and blue in the lips to tell Leonora that he must fly。 There were days when he returned from the chase； or rather from the skulk； elated； youthful； his pockets full of money and his imagination afire with hopes of substantial wealth。 But his course was steadily downward； his methods steadily farther and farther from the line of the law。 Dumont came just in time to save him； came to build him up from the most shunned of coyotes into a deceptive imitation of a wolf with aspirations toward the lion class。
Leonora knew that he was small； but she thought all men smallshe had supreme contempt for her own sex； and it seemed to her that men must be even less worthy of respect since they were under the influence of women and lavished time and money on them。 Thus she was deceived into cherishing the hope that her husband； small and timid though he was； would expand into a multi…millionaire and would help her to possess the splendors she now enjoyed at the expense of her associates whom she despised。 She was always thinking how far more impressive than their splendor her magnificence would be； if their money were added to her brains and beauty。
Dumont had helped Fanshaw as much as he could。 He immediately detected the coyote。 He knew it was impossible to make a lion or even a wolf out of one who was both small and crooked。 He used him only in minor matters； chiefly in doing queer； dark things on the market with National Woolens； things he indirectly ordered done but refused to know the details of beyond the one important detailthe record of checks for the profits in his bank account。 For such matters Fanshaw did as well as another。 But as Dumont became less of a wolf and more of a lion； less of a speculator and more of a financier； he had less and less work of the kind Fanshaw could do。
But Leonora； unaware of her husband's worthlessness and desperate in her calamities； sneered and jeered and lashed him onto ruin。 The coyote could put on the airs of a lion so long as the lion was his friend and protector； when he kept on in kingly ways after the lion had cast him off； he speedily came to grief。
As he stood looking helplessly up and down Broad Street he was debating what move to make。 There were about even measures of truth and falsehood in his statement to Dumonthe did need two hundred thousand dollars； and he must have it before a quarter past two that day or go into a bankruptcy from which he could not hope to save a shred of reputation or to secrete more than fifty thousand dollars。
〃To the New York Life Building；〃 he finally said to the driver as he got into his hansom。 Then to himself： 〃I'll have a go at old Herron。〃
He knew that Dumont and Herron had quarreled； and that Herron had sold out of the National Woolens Company。 But he did not know that Herron was a man with a fixed idea； hatred of Dumont； and a fixed purpose； to damage him at every opportunity that offered or could be created； to ruin him if possible。
When the National Woolens Company was expanded into the huge conglomerate it now wasa hundred millions common； a hundred millions preferred； and twenty millions of bondsHerron had devised and directed the intricate and highly perilous course among the rocks of law and public opinion in many states and in the nation。 It was a splendid exhibition of legal piloting； and he was bitterly dissatisfied with the modest reward of ten millions of the preferred stock which Dumont apportioned to him。 He felt that that would have been about his just share in the new concern merely in exchange for his stock in the old。 When he found Dumont obdurate； and grew frank and spoke such words as 〃dishonor〃 and 〃dishonesty〃 and got into the first syllable of 〃swindling；〃 Dumont cut him off with
〃If you don't like it； get out！ I can hire that sort of work for half what I've paid you。 You're swollen with vanity。 We ought to have a young man in your position； anyhow。〃
Herron might have swallowed the insult to his pride as a lawyer。 But the insult to his pride in his youth！ He was fifty…seven and in dress and in expression was stoutly insisting that he was still a young man whom hard work had made prematurely gray and somewhat wrinkled。 Dumont's insinuation that he was old and stale set a great fire of hate blazing； he； of course； told himself and others that his wrath was stirred solely because his sense of justice had been outraged by the 〃swindling。〃
Fanshaw entered Herron's office wearing the jaunty air of arrogant prosperity； never so important as when prosperity has fled。 But Herron's shrewd； experienced eyes penetrated the sham。 He had intended to be cold。 Scenting a 〃hard…luck yarn〃 and a 〃touch〃 he lowered his temperature to the point