_The Novels, Stories, and Studies of John Galsworthy in small volumes_ A COMMENTARY BY JOHN GALSWORTHY NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS Printed in the United States of America [Illustration] “JUSTICE” APPEARED IN THE _Albany Review_ (LONDON); “POWER” IN THE _New Age_; ALL THE OTHER SKETCHES IN THIS VOLUME HAVE APPEARED IN _The Nation_ (LONDON). THE AUTHOR THANKS THE EDITORS OF THESE REVIEWS CONTENTS PAGE A COMMENTARY 3 I. THE LOST DOG 19 II. DEMOS 31 III. OLD AGE 45 IV. THE CAREFUL MAN 59 V. FEAR 73 VI. FASHION 85 VII. SPORT 95 VIII. MONEY 107 IX. PROGRESS 127 X. HOLIDAY 139 XI. FACTS 149 XII. POWER 165 XIII. THE HOUSE OF SILENCE 177 XIV. ORDER 191 XV. THE MOTHER 203 XVI. COMFORT 215 XVII. A CHILD 231 XVIII. JUSTICE 241 XIX. HOPE 255 A COMMENTARY The old man whose call in life was to warn the public against the dangers of the steam-roller held a small red flag in his remaining hand, for he had lost one arm. His brown face, through whose leathery skin white bristles showed, had a certain dignity; so had his square upstanding figure. And his light grey eyes, with tiny pupils, gazed with a queer intentness, as if he saw beyond you. His clothes were old, respectable, and stained with grease; his smile shrewd and rather sweet, and his voice--of one who loved to talk, but whose profession kept him silent--was deliberate and sonorous, with a whistling lisp in it, because he had not many teeth.