No opinions that are worth while are unalterable; only the insincere have fixed convictions: my cycle of four books expresses an attitude toward life that I may some day very well change. This series completed, I am left with my conscience free and my brain at liberty to turn toward work that I may try to design only by the more lasting standards of Art, but no change of belief or work will make me regret having expressed what I believed. I am thoroughly aware of how, if they understood it, the condemners of "The Sentence of Silence" and "Running Sands" would condemn this book. I am equally aware of how many persons that are my comrades, friends, and well-wishers will alter their relations toward me when they have read "The Spider’s Web"; but, though I shall be sorry to lose these, I shall not be sorry for the reason of their loss. Horace Traubel, who puts most things well, has put this well: "I have tried to stay in the house of comfort, to sleep in my bed of ease, But something not outside of me, something inside of me says: This will not do.... I have tried the easy way: it was hard: Now I will try the hard way: I guess it will be easier." REGINALD WRIGHT KAUFFMAN. POSCHIAVO, SWITZERLAND, 8th September, 1913. *CHARACTERS* A MAN, the head of a group of men virtually controlling industrial, financial, and political America. GEORGE J. HALLETT, one of his associates. L. BERGEN RIVINGTON, another. *Politicians*. THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY. HON. G. W. HUBER, U. S. Congressman, from Doncaster County, Pennsylvania, HON. JESSE KINZER, his successor. SENATOR SCUDDER, the MAN'S lieutenant in the Albany legislature, HON. JARED SPARKS, his lieutenant in the Connecticut legislature. BRINLEY, commander of his lobby at Washington. KILGOUR, City Chamberlain of New York. TIM HENEY, Leader of Tammany Hall. SEELEY, an anti−Tammany Democratic leader. ELLISON, another. THE POLICE−COMMISSIONER OF NEW YORK CITY. GEORGE KAINDIAC, a U. S. Post−Office Inspector. VENABLE, ) leaders of the Municipal NELSON, ) Reform League. YEATES, ) JARVIE, a Municipal Reform League "worker." *Lawyers*.