Upton Sinclair - The Metropolis

Then Strathcona discussed literature. He paid his tribute to the "Fleurs de Mai" and the 'Songs before Sunrise"; but most, he said, he owed to "the divine Oscar." This English poet of many poses and some vices the law had seized and flung into jail; and since the law is a thing so brutal and wicked that whoever is touched by it is made thereby a martyr and a hero, there had grown up quite a cult about the memory of " Oscar." All up-to-date poets imitated his style and his attitude to life; and so the most revolting and bestial of vices had the cloak of romance flung about them — were given long Greek and Latin names, and discussed with parade of learning as revivals of Hellenic ideals. The young men in Strathcona's set referred to each other as their "lovers"; and if one showed any perplexity over this, he was regarded, not

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with contempt — for it was not aesthetic to feel contempt — but with a slight Ufting of the eyebrows, intended to annihilate.

One must not forget, of course, that these young people were poets, and to that extent were protected from their own doctrines. They were interested, not in life, but in making pretty verses about life; there were some among them who lived as cheerful ascetics in garret rooms, and gave melodious expression to devilish emotions. But, on the other hand, for every poet there were thousands who were not poets, but people to whom life was real. And these lived out the creed, and wrecked their lives; and with the aid of the poet's magic, the glamour of melody and the fire divine, they wrecked the lives with which they came into contact. The new generation of boys and girls were deriving their spiritual sustenance from the poetry of Baudelaire and Swinburne and Wilde; and rushing with the hot impulsiveness of youth into the dreadful traps which the traders in vice prepared for them. One's heart bled to see them, pink-cheeked and bright-eyed, pursuing the hem of the Muse's robe in brothels and dens of infamy!

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CHAPTER XVII

THE social mill ground on for another month. Montague withdrew himself as much as his brother would let him; but Alice was on the go all night and half the day. Oliver had sold his racing automobile to a friend — he was a man of family now, he said, and his wild days were over. He had got, instead, a limousine car for Alice; though she declared she had no need of it — if ever she was going to any place, Charlie Carter always begged her to use his. Charlie's siege was as persistent as ever, as Montague noticed with annoyance.

The great law case was going forward. After weeks of study and investigation, Montague felt that he had the matter well in hand; and he had taken Mr. Hasbrook's memoranda as a basis for a new work of his own, much more substantial. Bit by bit, as he dug into the subject, he had discovered a state of affairs in the Fidelity Company, and, indeed, in the whole insurance business and its allied realms of banking and finance, which shocked him profoundly. It was impossible for him to imagine how such conditions could exist and remain unknown to the public — more especially as everyone in Wall Street with whom he talked seemed to know about them and to take them for granted.

His client's papers had provided him with references to the books; Montague had taken

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this dry material and made of it a protest which had the breath of life in it. It was a thing at which he toiled with deadly earnestness; it was not merely a struggle of one man to get a few thousand dollars, it was an appeal in behalf of millions of helpless people whose trust had been betrayed. It was the first step in a long campaign, which the young lawyer meant should force a great evil into the light of day.

He went over his bill of complaint with Mr. Hasbrook, and he was glad to see that the work he had done made its impression upon him. In fact, his client was a little afraid that some of his arguments might be too radical in tone — from the strictly legal point of view, he made haste to explain. But Montague reassured him upon this point.

And then came the day when the great ship was ready for launching. The news must have spread quickly, for a few hours after the papers in the suit had been filed, Montague received a call from a newspaper reporter, who told him of the excitement in financial circles, where the thing had fallen like a bomb. Montague explained the purpose of the suit, and gave the reporter a number of facts which he felt certain would attract attention to the matter. When he kicked up the paper the next morning, however, le was surprised to find that only a few lines had seen given to the case, and that his interview had been replaced by one with an unnamed official of the Fidelity, to the effect that the attack upon the company was obviously for blackmailing purposes.

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That was the only ripple which Montague's work produced upon the surface of the pool; but there was a great commotion among the fish at the bottom, about which he was soon to learn.

That evening, while he was hard at work in his study, he received a telephone call from his brother. "I'm coming round to see you," said Oliver. "Wait for me."

"All right," said the other, and added, "I thought you were dining at the Wallings'."

"Im there now," was the answer. "I'm leaving."

"What is the matter.P" Montague asked.

"There's hell to pay," was the reply — and then silence.

When Oliver appeared, a few minutes later, he did not even stop to set down his hat, but exclaimed, "Allan, what in heaven's name have you been doing.?"

"What do you mean.''" asked the other.

"Why, that suit!"

"What about it.?"

"Good God, man!" cried Oliver. "Do you mean that you really don't know what you've done.?"

Montague was staring at him. "I'm afraid I don't," said he.

" Why, you're turning the world upside down !" exclaimed the other. " Everybody you know is crazy about it."

"Everybody I know!" echoed Montague. "What have they to do with it.?"

"Why, you've stabbed them in the back!" half shouted Oliver. "I could hardly believe

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my ears when they told me. Robbie Walling is simply wild — I never had such a time in my life/'

"I don't understand yet," said Montague, more and more amazed. "What has he to do with it?"

"Why, man," cried Oliver, "his brother's a director in the Fidelity! And his own interests — and all the other companies ! You've struck at the whole insurance business !"

Montague caught his breath. "Oh, I see!" he said.

" How could you think of such a thing ? " cried the other, wildly. "You promised to consult me about things —"

"I told you when I took this case," put in Montague, quickly.

"I know," said his brother. "But you didn't explain — and what did I know about it ? I thought I could leave it to your common sense not to mix up in a thing like this."

"I'm very sorry," said Montague, gravely. "I had no idea of any such result."

"That's what I told Robbie," said Oliver. " Good God, what a time I had !"

He took his hat and coat and laid them on the bed, and sat down and began to tell about it. "I made him realise the disadvantage you were under," he said, "being a stranger and not knowing the ground. I believe he had an idea that you had tried to get his confidence on purpose to attack him. It was Mrs. Robbie, I guess — you know her fortune is all in that quarter."

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Oliver wiped the perspiration from his forehead. "My!" he said. "And fancy what old Wyman must be saying about this! And what a time poor Betty must be having! And then Freddie V andam — the air will be blue for half a mile around his place ! I must send him a wire and explain that it was a mistake, and that we're getting out of it."