CHAPTKR VI[I
BICKliT
BENEATH its veneer of cheerful irresponsibility, llie char-
acter of Michael Mont had deepened during two years of
anchorage and continuity. He had been obliged to think
of others; and his time was occupied. Conscious, from the
fall of the flag, that he was on sufferance with Fleur, admit-
ting as whole the half-truth : c II y a toujours tin qiti luilse,
et Fautre qui tend lajoue? he had developed real powers of
domestic consideration ; and yet he did not seem to redress
the balance in his public or publishing existence. He found
the human side of his business too strong for the monetary.
Danby and Winter, however, were bearing up against him,
and showed, so far, no signs of the bankruptcy prophesied
for them by Soames on being told of the principles which his
son-in-law intended to introduce. No more in publishing
than in any other walk of life was Michael finding it possible
to work too much on principle. The field of action was so
strewn with facts—human, vegetable and mineral.
On this same Tuesday afternoon, having long tussled with
the price of those vegetable facts, paper and linen, he was
listening with his pointed ears to the plaint of a packer
discovered with five copies of ' Copper Coin 7 in his over-
coat pocket, and the too obvious intention of converting
them to his own use.
Mr. Danby had * given him the sack '—lie didn't deny
that he was going to sell them, but what would Mr. Mont
have done ? He owed rent—and his wife wanted nourish-
ing after pneumonia—wanted it bad. ' Dash, it!' thought