“Of course you did! And it’s too bad your father doesn’t feel about it as you do. But he doesn’t; and it’s one of the hardest things we have to learn in this world, that we’ve got to accommodate ourselves very often to other people’s ideas. That’s life, old man!” “I suppose you’re right; but I do nothing but blunder. I never put anything over.” “Oh, yes, you do! You said a bit ago your father didn’t want you to marry the girl you were in love with; but you did! That scored for you. And about the clubhouse, it’s hard to give it up; but we passionate idealists have got to learn to wait! Your day will come to do a lot for humanity.” “No! I’m done! I’m going away; I want a chance to live my own life. It’s hell, I tell you, never to be free; to be pushed into subordinate jobs I hate. By God, I won’t go into the trust company!” The oath, probably the first he had ever uttered, cut sharply into the night. To Bruce it hinted of unsuspected depths of passion in Shepherd’s nature. The sense of his own responsibility deepened. Shepherd, surprised and ashamed of his outburst, sought and clutched Bruce’s hand. “Steady, boy!” said Bruce gently. “You’ll _take_ the job and you’ll go into it with all the pep you can muster! It offers you a bigger chance than the thing you’ve been doing. All kinds of people carry their troubles to a trust company. Such institutions have a big benevolent side,--look after widows and orphans and all that sort of thing. If you want to serve humanity you couldn’t put yourself in a better place! I’m serious about that. And with Carroll there you’ll be treated with respect; you can raise the devil if anybody tries any foolishness! Why, your father’s promoting you--showing his confidence in a pretty fine way. He might better have told you of his plans earlier--I grant that--but he probably thought he’d save it for a surprise. It was pretty decent of him to sell you back your stock. A mean, grasping man would have kept it and swiped the profit. You’ve got to give him credit for trying to do the square thing by you.” “It was a slap in the face; he meant to humiliate me!” cried Shepherd stubbornly. “All right; assume he did! But don’t be humiliated!” “You’d stand for it? You wouldn’t make a row?” demanded Shepherd quaveringly. “No: decidedly no!” “Well, I guess you’re right,” Shepherd replied after a moment’s silence. “It doesn’t seem so bad the way you put it. I’m sorry I’ve kept you so long. I’ll never forget this; you’ve been mighty kind.” “I think I’ve been right,” said Bruce soberly.