"Are you a socialist?" said Stover, who vaguely associated the term with dynamite and destruction. "I may be, but I don't know it." "I say, Tom, do you go in for debating and all that sort of thing?" "You bet I do; but it comes hard as hen's teeth." Stover, who had waited for an opportunity to volunteer advice, finding no opening, resolved to take the dilemma by the horns. "Tom, I think you're wrong about one thing." "What's that?" "Holding aloof so much." "Particularly what?" "I'm thinking about sophomore societies, for one thing. Why the deuce don't you give the fellows a chance to help you?" "Oh, you mean the dinky little bunch that came around to call on me," said Regan thoughtfully. "Yes. Now, why turn them out?" "Why, they bored me, and, besides, I haven't time for anything like that. There are too many big things here." "They can help you like the mischief, now and afterward." "Thanks; I'll help myself. Besides, I don't want to get their point of view." "Why not?" "Too limited." "Have you been talking to Gimbel?" said Stover, wondering. "Gimbel? No; why?" "Because he is organizing the class against them." "That doesn't interest me, either." "What do you make of Gimbel?" "Gimbel's all right; a good politician." "Is he sincere?" "Every one's sincere." "You mean every one's convinced of his own sincerity." "Sure; easiest person in the world to convince." Stover laughed a little consciously, wondering for a brief moment if the remark could be directed at him. Curiously enough, the more the blunt antagonism of Regan impressed him, the more he was reassured that the man was too radical ever to challenge his leadership. He rose to go, his conscience satisfied by the half-hearted appeal he had made. "I say, Dink," said Regan, laying his huge paw on his shoulder, "don't get your head turned by this social business." "Heavens, no!" "'Cause there's some real stuff in you, boy, and some day it's coming out. Thanks, by the way, for wanting to make me a society favorite." Dink left with a curious mixture of emotions. Regan always had an ascendency over him he could not explain. It irritated him that he could not shake it off, and yet he was genuinely chained to the man. "Why the deuce did Le Baron put that in my head?" he said to himself, for the tenth time. "If Regan beats me out for captain it'll only be because he's older and has got a certain way about him. Well, I suppose if I'm to be captain I've got to close up more; I can't go cutting up like a kid. I've got to be older."