"She's been a good wife, but she don't care as I do for success and
money."
"Perhaps you never taught her," remarked Tarboe with silky irony.
"Taught her! What was there to teach? She saw me working; she knew the
life I had to live; she was lifted up with me. I was giving her
everything in me to give."
"You mean money and a big house and servants and comfort," said Tarboe
sardonically.
"Well, ain't that right?" snapped the other.
"Yes, it's all right, but it don't always bring you what you want. It's
right, but it's wrong too. Women want more than that, boss. Women want to
be loved--sky high."
All at once Grier felt himself as far removed from Tarboe as he had ever
been from Carnac, or his wife. Why was it? Suddenly Tarboe understood
that between him and John Grier there must always be a flood. He realized
that there was in Grier some touch of the insane thing; something apart,
remote and terrible. He was convinced of it, when he saw Grier suddenly
spring up, and pace the room again like a tortured animal.
"You've got great influence with me," he said. "I was just going to tell
you something that'd give you pleasure, but what you've said about my boy
coming back has made me change what I was going to do.
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