282
PARTISAN REVIEW
was incredible that this well-barbered citizen should not only be
familiar with but have a taste for the work of an obscure revolu–
tionary novelist. On the other hand, it was incredible that he
should be lying. The artless and offhand manner in which he
pronounced the novelist's name indicated no desire to shine, indi–
cated in fact that he placed no value on that name, that it was to
him a name like Hervey Allen or Arthur Brisbane or Westbrook
Pegler or any other. Two alternatives presented themselves: either
the man belonged to that extraordinary class of readers who have
perfect literary digestions, who can devour anything printed,
retaining what suits them, eliminating what does not, and liking
all impartially, because, since they take what they want from each,
they are always actually reading the same book (she had had a
cousin who was like that about the theatre, and she remembered
how her aunt used to complain, saying "It's no use asking Cousin
Florence whether the show at the stock company is any good this
week; Cousin Florence has never seen a bad play")-either that,
or else the man had got the name confused and was really thinking
of some popular writer all the time.
Still, the assertion, shaky as it was, had given him status with
her. It was as if he had spoken a password, and with a greater
sense of assurance and propriety, she went on listening to his talk.
His voice was rather rich and dark; the accent was middle-western,
but underneath the nasalities there was something soft and furry
that came from the South. He lived in Cleveland, he told her, but
his business kept him on the go a good deal; he spent nearly half
his time in New York.
"You do?" she exclaimed, her spirits rising. "What
is
your
business?" Her original view of him had already begun to dis–
solve, and it now seemed to her that the instant he had entered the
club car she had sensed that he was no ordinary provincial entre–
preneur.
"I'm a traveling salesman," he replied genially.
In a moment she recognized that this was a joke, but not
before he had caught her look of absolute dismay and panic. He
·leaned toward her and laughed.
"If
it sounds any better to you,"
he said, "I'm in the steel business."
"It doesn't," she replied, recovering herself, making her
words prim with political disapproval. But he
knew;
she had given
