So Hal’s eyes moved from face to face, and his mind from personality to personality. It was like the unrolling of a scroll; a panorama of a world he had half forgotten. He had no time for reflection, but one impression came to him, swift and overwhelming. Once he had lived in this world and taken it as a matter of course. He had known these people, gone about with them; they had seemed friendly, obliging, a good sort of people on the whole. And now, what a change! They seemed no longer friendly! Was the change in them? Or was it Hal who had become cynical--so that he saw them in this terrifying new light, cold, and unconcerned as the stars about men who were dying a few miles away! Hal’s eyes came back to the Coal King’s son, and he discovered that Percy was white with anger. “I assure you, Hal, there’s no use going on with this. I have no intention of letting myself be bulldozed.” Percy’s gaze shifted with sudden purpose to the camp-marshal. “Cotton, what do you say about this? Is Mr. Warner correct in his idea of the situation?” “You know what such a man would say, Percy!” broke in Hal. “I don’t,” was the reply. “I wish to know. What is it, Cotton?” “He’s mistaken, Mr. Harrigan.” The marshal’s voice was sharp and defiant. “In what way?” “The company’s doing everything to get the mine open, and has been from the beginning.” “Oh!” And there was triumph in Percy’s voice. “What is the cause of the delay?” “The fan was broken, and we had to send for a new one. It’s a job to set it up--such things can’t be done in an hour.” Percy turned to Hal. “You see! There are two opinions, at least!” “Of course!” cried Betty Gunnison, her black eyes snapping at Hal. She would have said more, but Hal interrupted, stepping closer to his host. “Percy,” he said, in a low voice, “come back here, please. I have a word to say to you alone.” There was just a hint of menace in Hal’s voice; his gaze went to the far end of the car, a space occupied only by two negro waiters. These retired in haste as the young men moved towards them; and so, having the Coal King’s son to himself, Hal went in to finish this fight. SECTION 15. Percy Harrigan was known to Hal, as a college-boy is known to his class-mates. He was not brutal, like his grim old father; he was merely self-indulgent, as one who had always had everything; he was weak, as one who had never had to take a bold resolve. He had been brought up by the women of the family, to be a part of what they called “society”; in which process he had been given high notions of his own importance. The life of the Harrigans was dominated by one painful memory--that of a pedlar’s pack; and Hal knew that Percy’s most urgent purpose was to be regarded as a real and true and freehanded aristocrat. It was this knowledge Hal was using in his attack.