"It's like a football, first on one side, and then on the other," said the man, "but the football's there all the same, and if it's that you want, you're all right." One night when Nahum Beals and Atkins and John Sargent were in, Andrew repeated this wisdom, concealing the fact of its personal application.

He was anxious to have some confirmation.
"I suppose it's about so," he said.
Then John Sargent spoke up.

"No, it is not so," he said--"that is, not in many cases.

There isn't any football--that's the trouble.
There's nothing but the money; a lot of fools have paid for it when it never existed out of their imagination." "About so," said Nahum Beals.

Andrew and Atkins exchanged glances.
Atkins was at once sympathizing and triumphant.
"Lots of those things appear to be doing well, and to be all right," said Andrew, uneasily.