life?  And wouldn’t you despise a woman that not only made her housekeeping her ambition, but did it so noisily and dirtily that the whole neighborhood was in a continual turmoil over it?  And suppose she talked and thought about her housekeeping all the time, and was always having additions built to her house when she couldn’t keep clean what she already had; and suppose, with it all, she made the house altogether unpeaceful and unlivable—­”

“Just one minute!” Sheridan interrupted, adding, with terrible courtesy, “If you will permit me?  Have you ever been right about anything?”

“I don’t quite—­”

“I ask the simple question:  Have you ever been right about anything whatever in the course of your life?  Have you ever been right upon any subject or question you’ve thought about and talked about?  Can you mention one single time when you were proved to be right?”

He was flourishing the bandaged hand as he spoke, but Bibbs said only, “If I’ve always been wrong before, surely there’s more chance that I’m right about this.  It seems reasonable to suppose something would be due to bring up my average.”

“Yes, I thought you wouldn’t see the point.  And there’s another you probably couldn’t see, but I’ll take the liberty to mention it.  You been balkin’ all your life.  Pretty much everything I ever wanted you to do, you’d let out some kind of a holler, like you are now—­and yet I can’t seem to remember once when you didn’t have to lay down and do what I said.  But go on with your remarks about our city and the business of this country.  Go on!”

“I don’t want to be a part of it,” said Bibbs, with unwonted decision.  “I want to keep to myself, and I’m doing it now.  I couldn’t, if I went down there with you.  I’d be swallowed into it.  I don’t care for money enough to—­”

“No,” his father interrupted, still dangerously quiet.  “You’ve never had to earn a living.  Anybody could tell that by what you say.  Now, let me remind you:  you’re sleepin’ in a pretty good bed; you’re eatin’ pretty fair food; you’re wearin’ pretty fine clothes.  Just suppose one o’ these noisy housekeepers—­me, for instance—­decided to let you do your own housekeepin’.  May I ask what your proposition would be?”

“I’m earning nine dollars a week,” said Bibbs, sturdily.  “It’s enough.  I shouldn’t mind at all.”

“Who’s payin’ you that nine dollars a week?”

“My work!” Bibbs answered.  “And I’ve done so well on that clipping-machine I believe I could work up to fifteen or even twenty a week at another job.  I could be a fair plumber in a few months, I’m sure.  I’d rather have a trade than be in business—­I should, infinitely!”

“You better set about learnin’ one pretty dam’ quick!” But Sheridan struggled with his temper and again was partially successful in controlling it.  “You better learn a trade over Sunday, because you’re either goin’ down with me to my office Monday morning—­or—­you can go to plumbing!”