enough has been told about mr. robert van rensselaer's early period to indicate how those pleasant days were passed. including the suite, the flat, and the clubs, the automobile, the yacht, and the polo stud, our friend's total expenses came to something in the neighborhood of three hundred thousand a year. and since, if he had been a master-poet, or an inspired musician, or a prophet with a new message for mankind, society would have paid about one one-thousandth of that sum to keep him alive, it is apparent that he was considered by society to be equivalent to one thousand such hypothetical persons.
this idyllic existence continued for about three years all together; and then one bright winter day robbie was invited to pay a call upon his father at his office, where the two had a long and serious conversation.
[22]"now, robbie," said van rensselaer senior, "i haven't objected to your wild oats. that's every young fellow's right, and you haven't gone beyond the limit. i have always meant to give my son everything a gentleman ought to have; but now i think it's about time you'd had enough—don't you?"
"um-m," said robbie, meditatively, "i hadn't thought about it."
"you know," said van rensselaer père, "the life of man isn't all play. we have some serious duties in the world—we owe something to society."
"yes," said robbie, "i suppose so. but it's the hell of a nuisance."
"it may seem so," said the other; "but one can get interested in the end."
"perhaps so," admitted robbie, dubiously.
"what i mean," said the father, "is that it's time you got ready to take your place in the world. you've seen life pretty much, and you know what i mean. you can't always be your father's son; you'll have to[23] be yourself. i may die some day, and then somebody'll have to take over my affairs. then, too, you might want to marry; you've wanted to twice already, you know" (robbie blushed), "and if you have a family, you'll find they'll expect from you pretty much what you've had from me. the life of man, my boy, is a battle; and there comes a time when every one has to fight it."
robbie had never known his father to be philosophical before, and found it a curious experience; their talk was prolonged late into the afternoon, and by that time robbie had expressed his willingness to make an effort to perform some of his duties to society.
