, spared him the necessity of anything but an
occasional monosyllable. The young man was elated, and grew more so as he
proceeded with his dessert; his cheeks were deeply flushed; his eyes gleamed
magnificently.
    In the meantime Clifford Marsh had joined in conversation with the Germans;
his use of their tongue was far from idiomatic, but by sheer determination to
force a way through linguistic obstacles, he talked with a haphazard fluency
which was amusing enough. No false modesty imposed a check upon his eloquence.
It was to the general table that he addressed himself on the topic that had
arisen; in an English dress his speech ran somewhat as follows: -
    »Gentlemen, allow me to say that I have absolutely no faith in the future of
which you speak! It is my opinion that democracy is the fatal enemy of art. How
can you speak of ancient and mediæval states? Neither in Greece nor in Italy was
there ever what we understand by a democracy.«
    »Factisch! Der Herr hat Recht!« cried some one, and several other voices
strove to make themselves heard; but the orator raised his note and overbore
interruption.
    »You must excuse me, gentlemen, if I say that - however it may be from other
points of view - from the standpoint of art, democracy is simply the triumph of
ignorance and brutality.« (»Gewisz!« - »Nimmermehr!« - »Vortrefflich!«) »I don't
care to draw distinctions between forms of the thing. Socialism, communism,
collectivism, parliamentarism, - all these have one and the same end: to put men
on an equality; and in proportion as that end is approached, so will art in
every shape languish. Art, gentlemen, is nourished upon inequalities and
injustices!« (»Ach!« - »Wie kann man so etwas sagen!« - »Hoch! verissime!«) »I
am not representing this as either good or bad. It may be well that justice
should be established, even though art perish. I simply state a fact!« (»Doch!«
- »Erlauben Sie!«) »Supremacy of the vulgar interest means supremacy of ignoble
judgment in all matters of mind. See what plutocracy already makes of art!«
    Here one of the Germans insisted on a hearing; a fine fellow, with Samsonic
locks and a ringing voice.
    »Sir! sir! who talks of a genuine democracy with mankind in its present
state? Before it comes about, the multitude will be instructed, exalted,
emancipated, humanized!«
    »Sir!