"Dad!" said Hilda. "What was it interested you then, Mr. Foote?" "The men," said Bonbright--"that great mob of men pouring out of the gates and filling the street.... Somehow they seemed to stand for the business more than all the buildings full of machinery.... I stood and watched them." Interest kindled in Lightener's eyes. "Yes?" he prompted. "It never occurred to me before that being at the head of a business meant--meant commanding so many men... meant exercising power over all those lives.... Then there were the wives and children at home...." Bonbright's father leaned forward icily. "Son," he said, coldly, "you haven't been picking up any queer notions in college?" "Queer notions?" "Socialistic, anarchistic notions. That sort of thing." "I don't believe," said Bonbright, with utter honesty, "that I ever gave the workingman a thought till to-day.... That's why it hit me so hard, probably." "It hit you, eh?" said Lightener. He lifted his hand abruptly to motion to silence Mr. Foote, who seemed about to interrupt. "Leave the boy alone, Foote.... This is interesting. Never saw just this thing happen before.... It hit you hard, eh?" "It was the realization of the power of large employers of labor--like father and yourself, sir." "Was that all?" "At first.... Then there was a fellow on a barrel making a speech about us.... I listened, and found out the workingmen realize that we are sort of czars or some such thing--and resent it. I supposed things were different. This Dulac was sent here to organize our men into a union--just why I didn't understand, but he promised to explain it to me." "WHAT?" demanded Bonbright Foote VI, approaching nearer than his wife had ever seen him to losing his poise. "You talked to him?" asked Hilda, leaning forward in her interest. "I was introduced to him; I wanted to know.... He was a handsome fellow. Not a gentleman, of course--" "Oh!" Lightener pounced on that expression. "Not a gentleman, eh?... Expect to find the Harvard manner in a man preaching riot from a potato barrel?... Well, well, what did he say? How did HE affect you?" "He seemed to think the men resented our power over them. Just how correctly he stated their feeling I don't know, of course. They cheered his speech, however.... He said father had the power to buy mother a diamond necklace to-morrow, and cut their wages to pay for it--and they couldn't help themselves." "Well--could they?" "I don't know. I didn't understand it all, but it didn't seem right that those men should feel that way toward us. I want to talk to father about it--have him explain it to me."