"Of course it isn't easy," cried the other. "Who the deuce said it was? Is it easy to be a good regimental officer? Sympathy is merely the--the spiritual sense which underlies all the work. And the work is ceaseless if the show is going to be a good one. You know that as well as I do. You take an officer who never talks to his men, practically never sees 'em--treats 'em as automatons to do a job. Never sacrifices his own comfort. What sort of a show are you going to have?" "Damn bad," said Vane, nodding his head. "And you take a fellow who talks to 'em, knows 'em well, is a friend to 'em, and explains things--that's the vital point--explains things; listens to what they have to say--even makes some small amendments if he thinks they're right. . . . A fellow who makes them take a pride in their show. . . . What then?" "But could you apply it to civil life?" queried Vane. "Don't know," returned the other, "because I'm a fool. Everybody says so; so I must be. But it seems to me that if you take a concern, and every week the boss sends for his men, or some chosen representative of theirs, and explains things to 'em, it won't do much harm. Shows 'em how the money is going--what it's being spent on, why he's putting in fresh plant, why his dividends ain't going to be as big this year as they were last--all that sort of thing. Don't play the fool with them. . . . Dividends may be bigger, and he'll have to stump up. . . . A good many of the bosses will have to alter their ways, incidentally. No man is going to sweat himself in order that someone else up the road can keep a second motor car, when the man himself hasn't even a donkey cart. You wouldn't yourself--nor would I. Up to a point it's got to be share and share alike. Over the water the men didn't object to the C.O. having a bedroom to himself; but what would they have said if he'd gone on to battalion parade in a waterproof one bad day, while they were uncloaked?" "Yes, but who is going to decide on that vital question of money?" pursued Vane. "Supposing the men object to the way the boss is spending it. . . ."