Doubtless, if he managed her right, she would see to it that he and Margaret had some such luxury as these grandly-housed people--"but not too much, for that would interfere with my political program." He did not protest this positively; the program seemed, for the moment, rather vague and not very attractive.

The main point seemed to be money and the right sort of position among the right sort of people.

He shook himself, scowled, muttered: "I am a damn fool! What do _I_ amount to except as I rise in politics and stay risen?
I must be mighty careful or I'll lose my point of view and become a wretched hanger-on at the skirts of these fakers.
For they are fakers--frauds of the first water! Take their accidental money away from them and they'd sink to be day laborers, most of them--and not of much account there." He was sorely perplexed; he did not know what to do--what he ought to do--even what he wanted to do.

One thing seemed clear--that he had gone further than was necessary in antagonizing the old woman.

Whether he wanted to marry the girl or not, he certainly did not wish, at this stage of the game, to make it impossible.