Ofallplaces,theClubgatheredthatnightatthePertonwaithehouse。Extrachairshadbeenbroughtintothegreatdrawing—room,andinalltheremusthavebeentwohundredPhilomathsthatsatdowntohearErnest。Theyweretrulylordsofsociety。Iamusedmyselfwithrunningoverinmymindthesumofthefortunesrepresented,anditranwellintothehundredsofmillions。Andthepossessorswerenotoftheidlerich。Theyweremenofaffairswhotookmostactivepartsinindustrialandpoliticallife。
WewereallseatedwhenMissBrentwoodbroughtErnestin。Theymovedatoncetotheheadoftheroom,fromwherehewastospeak。Hewasineveningdress,and,whatofhisbroadshouldersandkinglyhead,helookedmagnificent。Andthentherewasthatfaintandunmistakabletouchofawkwardnessinhismovements。IalmostthinkIcouldhavelovedhimforthatalone。AndasIlookedathimIwasawareofagreatjoy。Ifeltagainthepulseofhispalmonmine,thetouchofhislips;andsuchpridewasminethatIfeltImustriseupandcryouttotheassembledcompany:\'Heismine！Hehasheldmeinhisarms,andI,mereI,havefilledthatmindofhistotheexclusionofallhismultitudinousandkinglythoughts！\'
Attheheadoftheroom,MissBrentwoodintroducedhimtoColonelVanGilbert,andIknewthatthelatterwastopreside。ColonelVanGilbertwasagreatcorporationlawyer。Inaddition,hewasimmenselywealthy。Thesmallestfeehewoulddeigntonoticewasahundredthousanddollars。Hewasamasteroflaw。Thelawwasapuppetwithwhichheplayed。Hemouldeditlikeclay,twistedanddistorteditlikeaChinesepuzzleintoanydesignhechose。Inappearanceandrhetorichewasold—fashioned,butinimaginationandknowledgeandresourcehewasasyoungasthelateststatute。HisfirstprominencehadcomewhenhebroketheShardwellwill。*Hisfeeforthisoneactwasfivehundredthousanddollars。Fromthenonhehadrisenlikearocket。Hewasoftencalledthegreatestlawyerinthecountry—
corporationlawyer,ofcourse;andnoclassificationofthethreegreatestlawyersintheUnitedStatescouldhaveexcludedhim。
*Thisbreakingofwillswasapeculiarfeatureoftheperiod。