"Moreover, no doubt you have discovered that Morty is the sort of man who looks upon women as man's natural inferiors, that if there is any question of sacrifice the woman is not to be considered for a moment ... especially where no public risk is involved. That sort of man only thinks he is too honest to refrain from taking some unrelated woman's money, but as a matter of fact it is because she would send him to State's Prison as readily as a man would. One's own women are safe. "I lent Morty my small inheritance with my eyes open. But he knows a good deal of that particular business, and I did not dream the times were going to be so bad.... I doubt if I ever see it again.... But you must not run the risk of losing yours. I want you to promise me that on Monday morning you will go down to the City Hall and revoke your power of attorney. And as much for Morty's sake as for your own. He will lose your money if he keeps it in his hands, and then he will suffer agonies of remorse. He will be infinitely more miserable than if he merely failed in business. That is honorable. It would only hurt his pride. Then he could get a position again, and you would have your own income." "But do you mean to say that if I did revoke my power of attorney and he asked me later for money to save his business that I should not give it to him?" "Yes, I mean just that. Morty will never take any of the prizes in the business world. He may hold on and make a living, that is all. He has plenty to start with, and tells me he is doing fairly well, in spite of the times. But he would do better in the long run as a clerk. In time he might get a large salary as a sort of general director of all the routine business of some large house--" Alexina curled her lip. "I do not want him to be a clerk." "No, of course you don't! But you'd like it still less if he cleaned you out. You--would have to sell or rent your old home and live on a hundred and fifty dollars a month in a flat in some out-of-the-way quarter. You might have to go to work yourself." "I shouldn't mind that so much, except that I'm afraid I'd not be good for much. Perhaps it was snobbish of me to object lo Morty's being a clerk. But ... well, I'm not so sure that it is snobbish to prefer what you have always been accustomed to--I mean if it is a higher standard. And after all I married him when he was only a clerk." "You are surprisingly little of a snob, all things considered; but you are a hopeless aristocrat." "What do you mean by that?" "I think the line between the aristocratic and the snobbish attitude of mind is almost too fine to be put into words. But they are often confused by the undiscriminating. Will you revoke that power of attorney on Monday?" "Shouldn't I wait until Morty is home? ... tell him first? It seems rather taking an advantage ... and he will be very angry." "That doesn't matter." "What excuse shall I give him?"