"I don't object so much to your diagnosis," he said, "as to your remedy. It doesn't strike me as a remedy." "It's an end," said Dowd, "anyhow. My God! When I think of all the women and shirkers flaunting and frittering away there in the West, while here men and women toil and worry and starve...." He stopped short like one who feels too full for controlled speech. "Dowd," said Trafford after a fair pause, "What would you do if you were me?" "Do?" said Dowd. "Yes," said Trafford as one who reconsiders it, "what would you do?" "Now that's a curious question, Mr. Trafford," said Dowd, turning to regard him. "Meaning--if I were in your place?" "Yes," said Trafford. "What would you do in my place?" "I should sell out of this place jolly quick," he said. "_Sell!_" said Trafford softly. "Yes--sell. And start a socialist daily right off. An absolutely independent, unbiassed socialist daily." "And what would that do?" "It would stir people up. Every day it would stir people up." "But you see I can't edit. I haven't the money for half a year of a socialist daily.... And meanwhile people want rubber." Dowd shook his head. "You mean that you and your wife want to have the spending of six or eight thousand a year," he said. "I don't make half of that," said Trafford. "Well--half of that," pressed Dowd. "It's all the same to me." Trafford reflected. "The point where I don't agree with you," he said, "is in supposing that my scale of living--over there, is directly connected with the scale of living--about here." "Well, isn't it?" "'Directly,' I said. No. If we just stopped it--over there--there'd be no improvement here. In fact, for a time it would mean dislocations. It might mean permanent, hopeless, catastrophic dislocation. You know that as well as I do. Suppose the West-end became--Tolstoyan; the East would become chaos." "Not much likelihood," sneered Dowd. "That's another question. That we earn together here and that I spend alone over there, it's unjust and bad, but it isn't a thing that admits of any simple remedy. Where we differ, Dowd, is about that remedy. I admit the disease as fully as you do. I, as much as you, want to see the dawn of a great change in the ways of human living. But I don't think the diagnosis is complete and satisfactory; our problem is an intricate muddle of disorders, not one simple disorder, and I don't see what treatment is indicated." "Socialism," said Dowd, "is indicated."