It was a profession
recruited from all others. The making of laws was done by all kinds of
men. One of the wisest advisers in river-law he had ever known was a
priest; one of the best friends of the legislation of the medical
profession was a woman; one of the bravest Ministers who had ever
quarrelled with and conquered his colleagues had been an insurance agent;
one of the sanest authorities on maritime law had been a man with a
greater pride in his verses than in his practical capacity; and here was
Carnac, who had painted pictures and made statues, plunging into politics
with a policy as ingenious as his own, and as capable of logical
presentation. This boy, who was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh,
meant to fight him. He threw back his head and laughed. His boy, his
son, meant to fight him, did he? Well, so be it! He got to his feet,
and walked up and down the room.
"God, what an issue this!" he said. "It would be terrific, if he won.
To wipe me out of the life where I have flourished--what a triumph for
him! And he would not know how great the triumph would be. She has not
told him. Yet she will urge him on. Suppose it was she put the idea
into his head!"
Then he threw back his head, shaking the long brown hair, browner than
Carnac's, from his forehead. "Suppose she did this thing--she who was
all mine for one brief moment! Suppose she--"
Every nerve tingled; every drop of blood beat hard against his walls of
flesh; his every vicious element sprang into life.
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