CHAPTER	O
I	O
A	O
RED-HAIRED	O
GIRL	O
The	O
residence	O
of	O
Mr.	O
Peter	O
Pett	O
,	O
the	O
well-known	O
financier	O
,	O
on	O
Riverside	O
Drive	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
leading	O
eyesores	O
of	O
that	O
breezy	O
and	O
expensive	O
boulevard	O
.	O

As	O
you	O
pass	O
by	O
in	O
your	O
limousine	O
,	O
or	O
while	O
enjoying	O
ten	O
cents	O
worth	O
of	O
fresh	O
air	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
a	O
green	O
omnibus	O
,	O
it	O
jumps	O
out	O
and	O
bites	O
at	O
you	O
.	O

Architects	O
,	O
confronted	O
with	O
it	O
,	O
reel	O
and	O
throw	O
up	O
their	O
hands	O
defensively	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
the	O
lay	O
observer	O
has	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
shock	O
.	O

The	O
place	O
resembles	O
in	O
almost	O
equal	O
proportions	O
a	O
cathedral	O
,	O
a	O
suburban	O
villa	O
,	O
a	O
hotel	O
and	O
a	O
Chinese	O
pagoda	O
.	O

Many	O
of	O
its	O
windows	O
are	O
of	O
stained	O
glass	O
,	O
and	O
above	O
the	O
porch	O
stand	O
two	O
terra-cotta	O
lions	O
,	O
considerably	O
more	O
repulsive	O
even	O
than	O
the	O
complacent	O
animals	O
which	O
guard	O
New	O
York	O
's	O
Public	O
Library	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
a	O
house	O
which	O
is	O
impossible	O
to	O
overlook	O
:	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
probably	O
for	O
this	O
reason	O
that	O
Mrs.	O
Pett	O
insisted	EVENT
on	O
her	O
husband	O
buying	O
it	O
,	O
for	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
woman	O
who	O
liked	O
to	O
be	O
noticed	O
.	O

Through	O
the	O
rich	O
interior	O
of	O
this	O
mansion	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
,	O
its	O
nominal	O
proprietor	O
,	O
was	O
wandering	EVENT
like	O
a	O
lost	O
spirit	O
.	O

The	O
hour	O
was	O
about	O
ten	O
of	O
a	O
fine	O
Sunday	O
morning	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
Sabbath	O
calm	O
which	O
was	O
upon	O
the	O
house	O
had	O
not	O
communicated	O
itself	O
to	O
him	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
look	O
of	O
exasperation	O
on	O
his	O
usually	O
patient	O
face	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
muttered	O
oath	EVENT
,	O
picked	EVENT
up	O
no	O
doubt	O
on	O
the	O
godless	O
Stock	O
Exchange	O
,	O
escaped	O
his	O
lips	O
.	O

"	O
Darn	O
it	O
!	O
"	O

He	O
was	O
afflicted	O
by	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
the	O
pathos	O
of	O
his	O
position	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
if	O
he	O
demanded	O
much	O
from	O
life	O
.	O

He	O
asked	O
but	O
little	O
here	O
below	O
.	O

At	O
that	O
moment	O
all	O
that	O
he	O
wanted	EVENT
was	O
a	O
quiet	O
spot	O
where	O
he	O
might	O
read	O
his	O
Sunday	O
paper	O
in	O
solitary	O
peace	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
could	O
not	O
find	O
one	O
.	O

Intruders	O
lurked	EVENT
behind	O
every	O
door	O
.	O

The	O
place	O
was	O
congested	O
.	O

This	O
sort	O
of	O
thing	O
had	O
been	O
growing	O
worse	O
and	O
worse	O
ever	O
since	O
his	O
marriage	EVENT
two	O
years	O
previously	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
strong	O
literary	O
virus	O
in	O
Mrs.	O
Pett	O
's	O
system	O
.	O

She	O
not	O
only	O
wrote	O
voluminously	O
herself	O
--	O
the	O
name	O
Nesta	O
Ford	O
Pett	O
is	O
familiar	O
to	O
all	O
lovers	O
of	O
sensational	O
fiction	O
--	O
but	O
aimed	O
at	O
maintaining	O
a	O
salon	O
.	O

Starting	O
,	O
in	O
pursuance	O
of	O
this	O
aim	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
single	O
specimen	O
,	O
--	O
her	O
nephew	O
,	O
Willie	O
Partridge	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
working	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
explosive	O
which	O
would	O
eventually	O
revolutionise	O
war	O
--	O
she	O
had	O
gradually	O
added	O
to	O
her	O
collections	O
,	O
until	O
now	O
she	O
gave	O
shelter	O
beneath	O
her	O
terra-cotta	O
roof	O
to	O
no	O
fewer	O
than	O
six	O
young	O
and	O
unrecognised	O
geniuses	O
.	O

Six	O
brilliant	O
youths	O
,	O
mostly	O
novelists	O
who	O
had	O
not	O
yet	O
started	O
and	O
poets	O
who	O
were	O
about	O
to	O
begin	O
,	O
cluttered	EVENT
up	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
's	O
rooms	O
on	O
this	O
fair	O
June	O
morning	O
,	O
while	O
he	O
,	O
clutching	EVENT
his	O
Sunday	O
paper	O
,	O
wandered	EVENT
about	O
,	O
finding	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
dove	O
in	O
Genesis	O
,	O
no	O
rest	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
at	O
such	O
times	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
almost	O
inclined	O
to	O
envy	O
his	O
wife	O
's	O
first	O
husband	O
,	O
a	O
business	O
friend	O
of	O
his	O
named	O
Elmer	O
Ford	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
perished	EVENT
suddenly	O
of	O
an	O
apoplectic	O
seizure	EVENT
:	O
and	O
the	O
pity	O
which	O
he	O
generally	O
felt	O
for	O
the	O
deceased	O
tended	O
to	O
shift	O
its	O
focus	O
.	O

Marriage	O
had	O
certainly	O
complicated	O
life	O
for	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
frequently	O
does	O
for	O
the	O
man	O
who	O
waits	O
fifty	O
years	O
before	O
trying	O
it	O
.	O

In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
geniuses	O
,	O
Mrs.	O
Pett	O
had	O
brought	EVENT
with	O
her	O
to	O
her	O
new	O
home	O
her	O
only	O
son	O
,	O
Ogden	O
,	O
a	O
fourteen-year-old	O
boy	O
of	O
a	O
singularly	O
unloveable	O
type	O
.	O

Years	O
of	O
grown-up	O
society	O
and	O
the	O
absence	O
of	O
anything	O
approaching	O
discipline	O
had	O
given	O
him	O
a	O
precocity	O
on	O
which	O
the	O
earnest	O
efforts	O
of	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
private	O
tutors	O
had	O
expended	O
themselves	O
in	O
vain	O
.	O

They	O
came	O
,	O
full	O
of	O
optimism	O
and	O
self-confidence	O
,	O
to	O
retire	O
after	O
a	O
brief	O
interval	O
,	O
shattered	O
by	O
the	O
boy	O
's	O
stodgy	O
resistance	O
to	O
education	O
in	O
any	O
form	O
or	O
shape	O
.	O

To	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
,	O
never	O
at	O
his	O
ease	O
with	O
boys	O
,	O
Ogden	O
Ford	O
was	O
a	O
constant	O
irritant	O
.	O

He	O
disliked	O
his	O
stepson	O
's	O
personality	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
more	O
than	O
suspected	O
him	O
of	O
stealing	O
his	O
cigarettes	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
an	O
additional	O
annoyance	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
fully	O
aware	O
of	O
the	O
impossibility	O
of	O
ever	O
catching	O
him	O
at	O
it	O
.	O

Mr.	O
Pett	O
resumed	EVENT
his	O
journey	EVENT
.	O

He	O
had	O
interrupted	EVENT
it	O
for	O
a	O
moment	O
to	O
listen	EVENT
at	O
the	O
door	O
of	O
the	O
morning-room	O
,	O
but	O
,	O
a	O
remark	EVENT
in	O
a	O
high	O
tenor	O
voice	O
about	O
the	O
essential	O
Christianity	O
of	O
the	O
poet	O
Shelley	O
filtering	EVENT
through	O
the	O
oak	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
moved	EVENT
on	O
.	O

Silence	O
from	O
behind	O
another	O
door	O
farther	O
down	O
the	O
passage	O
encouraged	EVENT
him	O
to	O
place	EVENT
his	O
fingers	O
on	O
the	O
handle	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
crashing	O
chord	EVENT
from	O
an	O
unseen	O
piano	O
made	O
him	O
remove	EVENT
them	O
swiftly	O
.	O

He	O
roamed	EVENT
on	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
few	O
minutes	O
later	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
elimination	O
had	O
brought	EVENT
him	O
to	O
what	O
was	O
technically	O
his	O
own	O
private	O
library	O
--	O
a	O
large	O
,	O
soothing	O
room	O
full	O
of	O
old	O
books	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
his	O
father	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
great	O
collector	O
.	O

Mr.	O
Pett	O
did	O
not	O
read	O
old	O
books	O
himself	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
liked	O
to	O
be	O
among	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
proof	O
of	O
his	O
pessimism	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
not	O
tried	O
the	O
library	O
first	O
.	O

To	O
his	O
depressed	O
mind	O
it	O
had	O
seemed	O
hardly	O
possible	O
that	O
there	O
could	O
be	O
nobody	O
there	O
.	O

He	O
stood	O
outside	O
the	O
door	O
,	O
listening	EVENT
tensely	O
.	O

He	O
could	O
hear	O
nothing	O
.	O

He	O
went	EVENT
in	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
an	O
instant	O
experienced	O
that	O
ecstatic	O
thrill	EVENT
which	O
only	O
comes	O
to	O
elderly	O
gentlemen	O
of	O
solitary	O
habit	O
who	O
in	O
a	O
house	O
full	O
of	O
their	O
juniors	O
find	O
themselves	O
alone	O
at	O
last	O
.	O

Then	O
a	O
voice	O
spoke	EVENT
,	O
shattering	EVENT
his	O
dream	O
of	O
solitude	O
.	O

"	O
Hello	O
,	O
pop	O
!	O
"	O

Ogden	O
Ford	O
was	O
sprawling	O
in	O
a	O
deep	O
chair	O
in	O
the	O
shadows	O
.	O

"	O
Come	O
in	O
,	O
pop	O
,	O
come	O
in	O
.	O

Lots	O
of	O
room	O
.	O
"	O

Mr.	O
Pett	O
stood	O
in	O
the	O
doorway	O
,	O
regarding	EVENT
his	O
step-son	O
with	O
a	O
sombre	O
eye	O
.	O

He	O
resented	EVENT
the	O
boy	O
's	O
tone	O
of	O
easy	O
patronage	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
harder	O
to	O
endure	O
with	O
philosophic	O
calm	O
at	O
the	O
present	O
moment	O
from	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
the	O
latter	O
was	O
lounging	O
in	O
his	O
favourite	O
chair	O
.	O

Even	O
from	O
an	O
aesthetic	O
point	O
of	O
view	O
the	O
sight	O
of	O
the	O
bulging	O
child	O
offended	EVENT
him	O
.	O

Ogden	O
Ford	O
was	O
round	O
and	O
blobby	O
and	O
looked	O
overfed	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
the	O
plethoric	O
habit	O
of	O
one	O
to	O
whom	O
wholesome	O
exercise	O
is	O
a	O
stranger	O
and	O
the	O
sallow	O
complexion	O
of	O
the	O
confirmed	O
candy-fiend	O
.	O

Even	O
now	O
,	O
a	O
bare	O
half	O
hour	O
after	O
breakfast	O
,	O
his	O
jaws	O
were	O
moving	O
with	O
a	O
rhythmical	O
,	O
champing	O
motion	EVENT
.	O

"	O
What	O
are	O
you	O
eating	EVENT
,	O
boy	O
?	O
"	O
demanded	EVENT
Mr.	O
Pett	O
,	O
his	O
disappointment	EVENT
turning	O
to	O
irritability	EVENT
.	O

"	O
Candy	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
wish	EVENT
you	O
would	O
not	O
eat	O
candy	O
all	O
day	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
Mother	O
gave	EVENT
it	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
Ogden	O
simply	O
.	O

As	O
he	O
had	O
anticipated	EVENT
,	O
the	O
shot	EVENT
silenced	EVENT
the	O
enemy	O
's	O
battery	O
.	O

Mr.	O
Pett	O
grunted	EVENT
,	O
but	O
made	O
no	O
verbal	O
comment	O
.	O

Ogden	O
celebrated	EVENT
his	O
victory	EVENT
by	O
putting	EVENT
another	O
piece	O
of	O
candy	O
in	O
his	O
mouth	O
.	O

"	O
Got	O
a	O
grouch	O
this	O
morning	O
,	O
have	O
n't	O
you	O
,	O
pop	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
spoken	O
to	O
like	O
that	O
!	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
thought	O
you	O
had	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
his	O
step-son	O
complacently	O
.	O

"	O
I	O
can	O
always	O
tell	O
.	O

I	O
do	O
n't	O
see	O
why	O
you	O
want	O
to	O
come	O
picking	O
on	O
me	O
,	O
though	O
.	O

I	O
've	O
done	O
nothing	O
.	O
"	O

Mr.	O
Pett	O
was	O
sniffing	EVENT
suspiciously	O
.	O

"	O
You	O
've	O
been	O
smoking	EVENT
.	O
"	O

"	O
Me	O
!!	O
"	O

"	O
Smoking	EVENT
cigarettes	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
No	O
,	O
sir	O
!	O
"	O

"	O
There	O
are	O
two	O
butts	O
in	O
the	O
ash-tray	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
did	O
n't	O
put	O
them	O
there	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
One	O
of	O
them	O
is	O
warm	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
It	O
's	O
a	O
warm	O
day	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
You	O
dropped	EVENT
it	O
there	O
when	O
you	O
heard	EVENT
me	O
come	EVENT
in	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
No	O
,	O
sir	O
!	O

I	O
've	O
only	O
been	O
here	O
a	O
few	O
minutes	O
.	O

I	O
guess	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
fellows	O
was	O
in	O
here	O
before	O
me	O
.	O

They	O
're	O
always	O
swiping	O
your	O
coffin-nails	O
.	O

You	O
ought	O
to	O
do	O
something	O
about	O
it	O
,	O
pop	O
.	O

You	O
ought	O
to	O
assert	O
yourself	O
.	O
"	O

A	O
sense	O
of	O
helplessness	EVENT
came	O
upon	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
.	O

For	O
the	O
thousandth	O
time	O
he	O
felt	O
himself	O
baffled	O
by	O
this	O
calm	O
,	O
goggle-eyed	O
boy	O
who	O
treated	O
him	O
with	O
such	O
supercilious	O
coolness	O
.	O

"	O
You	O
ought	O
to	O
be	O
out	O
in	O
the	O
open	O
air	O
this	O
lovely	O
morning	O
,	O
"	O
he	O
said	EVENT
feebly	O
.	O

"	O
All	O
right	O
.	O

Let	O
's	O
go	O
for	O
a	O
walk	O
.	O

I	O
will	O
if	O
you	O
will	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
--	O
I	O
have	O
other	O
things	O
to	O
do	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
Mr.	O
Pett	O
,	O
recoiling	EVENT
from	O
the	O
prospect	O
.	O

"	O
Well	O
,	O
this	O
fresh-air	O
stuff	O
is	O
overrated	O
anyway	O
.	O

Where	O
's	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
having	O
a	O
home	O
if	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
stop	O
in	O
it	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
When	O
I	O
was	O
your	O
age	O
,	O
I	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
out	O
on	O
a	O
morning	O
like	O
this	O
--	O
er	O
--	O
bowling	O
my	O
hoop	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
And	O
look	O
at	O
you	O
now	O
!	O
"	O

"	O
What	O
do	O
you	O
mean	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
Martyr	O
to	O
lumbago	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
am	O
not	O
a	O
martyr	O
to	O
lumbago	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
Mr.	O
Pett	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
touchy	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
.	O

"	O
Have	O
it	O
your	O
own	O
way	O
.	O

All	O
I	O
know	O
is	O
--	O
"	O
"	O
Never	O
mind	O
!	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
'm	O
only	O
saying	EVENT
what	O
mother	O
.	O
.	O
.	O
"	O
"	O
Be	O
quiet	O
!	O
"	O

Ogden	O
made	O
further	O
researches	EVENT
in	O
the	O
candy	O
box	O
.	O

"	O
Have	O
some	O
,	O
pop	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
No	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
Quite	O
right	O
.	O

Got	O
to	O
be	O
careful	O
at	O
your	O
age	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
What	O
do	O
you	O
mean	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
Getting	O
on	O
,	O
you	O
know	O
.	O

Not	O
so	O
young	O
as	O
you	O
used	O
to	O
be	O
.	O

Come	O
in	O
,	O
pop	O
,	O
if	O
you	O
're	O
coming	O
in	O
.	O

There	O
's	O
a	O
draft	EVENT
from	O
that	O
door	O
.	O
"	O

Mr.	O
Pett	O
retired	EVENT
,	O
fermenting	O
.	O

He	O
wondered	EVENT
how	O
another	O
man	O
would	O
have	O
handled	O
this	O
situation	O
.	O

The	O
ridiculous	O
inconsistency	O
of	O
the	O
human	O
character	O
infuriated	EVENT
him	O
.	O

Why	O
should	O
he	O
be	O
a	O
totally	O
different	O
man	O
on	O
Riverside	O
Drive	O
from	O
the	O
person	O
he	O
was	O
in	O
Pine	O
Street	O
?	O

Why	O
should	O
he	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
hold	O
his	O
own	O
in	O
Pine	O
Street	O
with	O
grown	O
men	O
--	O
whiskered	O
,	O
square-jawed	O
financiers	O
--	O
and	O
yet	O
be	O
unable	O
on	O
Riverside	O
Drive	O
to	O
eject	O
a	O
fourteen-year-old	O
boy	O
from	O
an	O
easy	O
chair	O
?	O

It	O
seemed	O
to	O
him	O
sometimes	O
that	O
a	O
curious	O
paralysis	O
of	O
the	O
will	O
came	O
over	O
him	O
out	O
of	O
business	O
hours	O
.	O

Meanwhile	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
still	O
to	O
find	O
a	O
place	O
where	O
he	O
could	O
read	O
his	O
Sunday	O
paper	O
.	O

He	O
stood	O
for	O
a	O
while	O
in	O
thought	O
.	O

Then	O
his	O
brow	O
cleared	EVENT
,	O
and	O
he	O
began	O
to	O
mount	EVENT
the	O
stairs	O
.	O

Reaching	EVENT
the	O
top	O
floor	O
,	O
he	O
walked	EVENT
along	O
the	O
passage	O
and	O
knocked	O
on	O
a	O
door	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
it	O
.	O

From	O
behind	O
this	O
door	O
,	O
as	O
from	O
behind	O
those	O
below	O
,	O
sounds	EVENT
proceeded	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
time	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
seem	O
to	O
discourage	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
the	O
tapping	EVENT
of	O
a	O
typewriter	O
that	O
he	O
heard	EVENT
,	O
and	O
he	O
listened	EVENT
to	O
it	O
with	O
an	O
air	O
of	O
benevolent	O
approval	EVENT
.	O

He	O
loved	O
to	O
hear	O
the	O
sound	O
of	O
a	O
typewriter	O
:	O
it	O
made	O
home	O
so	O
like	O
the	O
office	O
.	O

"	O
Come	O
in	O
,	O
"	O
called	EVENT
a	O
girl	O
's	O
voice	O
.	O

The	O
room	O
in	O
which	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
found	EVENT
himself	O
was	O
small	O
but	O
cosy	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
cosiness	O
--	O
oddly	O
,	O
considering	O
the	O
sex	O
of	O
its	O
owner	O
--	O
had	O
that	O
peculiar	O
quality	O
which	O
belongs	O
as	O
a	O
rule	O
to	O
the	O
dens	O
of	O
men	O
.	O

A	O
large	O
bookcase	O
almost	O
covered	O
one	O
side	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
its	O
reds	O
and	O
blues	O
and	O
browns	O
smiling	O
cheerfully	O
at	O
whoever	O
entered	O
.	O

The	O
walls	O
were	O
hung	O
with	O
prints	O
,	O
judiciously	O
chosen	EVENT
and	O
arranged	EVENT
.	O

Through	O
a	O
window	O
to	O
the	O
left	O
,	O
healthfully	O
open	EVENT
at	O
the	O
bottom	O
,	O
the	O
sun	O
streamed	EVENT
in	O
,	O
bringing	O
with	O
it	O
the	O
pleasantly	O
subdued	O
whirring	EVENT
of	O
automobiles	O
out	O
on	O
the	O
Drive	O
.	O

At	O
a	O
desk	O
at	O
right	O
angles	O
to	O
this	O
window	O
,	O
her	O
vivid	O
red-gold	O
hair	O
rippling	EVENT
in	O
the	O
breeze	EVENT
from	O
the	O
river	O
,	O
sat	O
the	O
girl	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
working	EVENT
at	O
the	O
typewriter	O
.	O

She	O
turned	EVENT
as	O
Mr.	O
Pett	O
entered	EVENT
,	O
and	O
smiled	EVENT
over	O
her	O
shoulder	O
.	O