The personality of Dr. Nevens, however, suggested a more sympathetic attitude, by reason of the dentist's cultivation. Dr. Nevens was spoken of as a "booklover." He had a "library"--it was, he implied, his bachelor foible--the cornerstone of which was a set of the Thistle edition of Stevenson that he had bought by subscription from an agent. (Keyes had thought it odd one day that Dr. Nevens had not cut the leaves.) And "the doctor" was fond of speaking familiarly of Dickens, and gained much admiration by his often saying that he should like--had he time--to read through "Esmond" once every year. Here, Keyes felt, would be spiritual succor. But Keyes quickly learned that he was quite in a different case from the author of "Esmond." Dr. Nevens was kind, but pitying. "Only one out of hundreds, thousands," he said, "ever comes to anything." It did not occur to him, Keyes thought, as within the range of remotest possibility that he, Keyes, _might_ be one of these. Then came the doctor's reason. "You do not know anything," he said paternally, "anything at all." Keyes realized, with some bitterness, that this world is not an institution existing for the purpose of detecting and rewarding inner worth. He had known enough to write his story, he guessed. With some flare of rage, he felt that simply unsupported merit is rather frowned upon, as tending by comparison to cast others possibly not possessing so much of it somewhat into the shade. He had a savage thought that when he was Dr. Nevens's age he would not be a country dentist. He saw the intense egoism of mankind. Dr. Nevens was determined to show a young man who had betrayed a consciousness of superiority of grain, his place--economically and socially. The selfish jealousy of the world! * * * * * His letter had not come. There was only a package from Louise--a copy of "Book Talk," containing a marked article on "Representative American Story Tellers"; from this, after dinner, Keyes imbibed most of the purported facts about Booth Tarkington. Then he went to bed to sleep through the hours until the return of the postman.