Allen viewed the whole matter with a kind of detachment, as a spectator whose interest is wholly impersonal.

He thought there would be a great fight between the combatants; his dad hadn't finished yet, he declared, sententiously.

The incidents of the convention had convinced him that the Great Experiment was progressing according to some predestined formula.

He and Harwood had dined together at the University Club and he was quite in the humor to call on the Bassetts at Mrs.Owen's; and the coming of Sylvia, as to whom Mrs.Owen had piqued his curiosity, was not to be overlooked.
He cleared the air by brushing away the convention with a word, addressed daringly to Bassett:-- "Papa's come back from fishing! _My_ papa is digging bait," and they all laughed.
"Miss Garrison, you must be the greatest of girls, for you have my own ideas! Our invincible young orator here has been telling me so!" "That was a grand speech; many happy returns of the day!" was Marian's greeting to Dan.
"You certainly have a great voice, Daniel," remarked Mrs.Owen, "and you had your nerve with you." "You were effective from the first moment, Mr.Harwood.You ought to consider going on the lecture platform," said Mrs.Bassett.
"Oh, Dan hasn't come to that yet; its only defeated statesmen who spout in the Chautauquas," Bassett remarked.
Harwood was in fine fettle.

Many men had expressed their approval of him; at the club he had enjoyed the chaffing of the young gentlemen with whom he ate luncheon daily, and whose tolerance of the universe was tinged with a certain cynicism.