CHAPTER XXXII.
THE END OF THE CONFLICT.
Peter had had some rough experiences two or three times in his fallcampaign, and Dennis, who had insisted on escorting him, took him totask about his "physical culture."
"It's thirty pounds yez are too heavy, sir," he told Peter. "An' it'stoo little intirely yez afther knowin' av hittin'."
Peter asked his advice, bought Indian clubs, dumb-bells, andboxing-gloves, and under Dennis's tutelage began to learn the art ofself-defence. He was rather surprised, at the end of two months, to findhow much flesh he had taken off, how much more easily he moved, how muchmore he was eating, and how much more he was able to do, both mentallyand physically.
"It seems as if somebody had oiled my body and brain," he told Dennis.
Dennis let him into another thing, by persuading him to join the militiaregiment most patronized by the "sixth," and in which Dennis was alreadya sergeant. Peter received a warm welcome from the regiment, for Dennis,who was extremely popular, had heralded his fame, and Peter's physicalstrength and friendly way did the rest. Ogden Ogden laughed at him forjoining a "Mick" regiment, and wanted to put Peter into the Seventh.Peter only said that he thought his place was where he was.
Society did not see much of Peter this winter. He called on his friendsdutifully, but his long visits to Albany, his evenings with Dennis, andhis drill nights, interfered badly with his acceptance of theinvitations sent him. He had, too, made many friends in his commissionwork and politics, so that he had relatively less time to give to hisolder ones. The absence of Miss De Voe and Lispenard somewhat reducedhis social obligations it is true, but the demands on his time weremultiplying fast.
One of these demands was actual law work. The first real case to come tohim was from the contractor who had served on the tenement-commission.He was also employed by the Health Board as special counsel in a numberof prosecutions, to enforce clauses of his Food Bill. The papers said itwas because of his familiarity with the subject, but Peter knew it wasthe influence of Green, who had become a member of that Board. Then hebegan to get cases from the "district," and though there was not muchmoney in each case, before long the number of them made a veryrespectable total.
The growth of his practice was well proven by a suggestion from Dummerthat they should join forces. "Mr. Bohlmann wants to give you some ofhis work, and it's easier to go into partnership than to divide hispractice."
Peter knew that Dummer had a very lucrative business of a certain kind,but he declined the offer.
"I have decided never to take a case which has not right on its side."
"A lawyer is just as much bound to try a case as a physician is bound totake a patient."
"That is what lawyers say outside, but they know better."
"Well, have your scruples. We'll make the firm cases only such as youchoose. I'll manage the others."
"I should like to," said Peter. "I'm very grateful for the offer--but wecould hardly do that successfully. If the firm was good for anything, weshould be known as belonging to it, and the public could not welldiscriminate."
So that chance of success was passed. But every now and then Bohlmannsent him something to do, and Dummer helped him to a joint caseoccasionally.
So, though friends grew steadily in numbers, society saw less and lessof Peter. Those who cared to study his tastes came to recognize that toforce formal entertaining on him was no kindness, and left it to Peterto drop in when he chose, making him welcome when he came.
He was pleased to get a letter from Lispenard during the winter, fromJapan. It was long, but only the first paragraph need be quoted, for therest related merely to his travels:
"The breezes of the Pacific have blown away all my bad temper," he wrote, "and I want to say that I was wrong, and regret my original fault, as well as what it later led me into. You are quite right. We must continue friends."
Peter wrote a reply, which led to a regular correspondence. He sent MissDe Voe, also, a line of Christmas greetings, and received a long letterfrom her at Nice, which told him something of Watts and Helen:
"She is now well again, but having been six years in Europe, she and her husband have become wedded to the life. I question if they ever return. I spoke of you, and they both inquired with great warmth about you."
Peter replied, sending his "remembrance to Mr. and Mrs. D'Alloi in caseyou again meet them." From that time on Miss De Voe and he corresponded,she telling him of her Italian, Greek and Egyptian wanderings, and hewriting of his doings, especially in regard to a certain savings bankfund standing in the name of "Peter Stirling, trustee" to which Miss DeVoe had, the winter before, arranged to contribute a thousand dollarsyearly.
As his practice increased he began to indulge himself a little. Throughthe instrumentality of Mr. Pell, he was put first into one and laterinto a second of the New York clubs, and his dinners became far lesssimple in consequence. He used these comforters of men, indeed, almostwholly for dining, and, though by no means a club-man in other senses,it was still a tendency to the luxurious. To counteract this danger heasked Mr. Costell to pick him up a saddle-horse, whereupon that friendpromptly presented him with one. He went regularly now to a good tailor,which conduct ought to have ruined him with the "b'ys," but it didn't.He still smoked a pipe occasionally in the saloons or on the doorstepsof the district, yet candor compels us to add that he now had in hisroom a box of cigars labelled "Habana." These were creature pleasures,however, which he only allowed himself on rare occasions. And most ofthese luxuries did not appear till his practice had broadened beyond thepoint already noted.
Broaden it did. In time many city cases were thrown in his way. As hebecame more and more a factor in politics, the judges began to send himvery profitable referee cases. Presently a great local corporation, withmany damage suits, asked him to accept its work on a yearly salary.
"Of course we shall want you to look out for us at Albany," it wasadded.
"I'll do what I can to prevent unfair legislation. That must be all,though. As for the practice, you must let me settle every case where Ithink the right is with the plaintiff." This caused demur at first, buteventually he was employed, and it was found that money was saved in thelong run, for Peter was very successful in getting people to settle outof court.
Then the savings bank, for which Peter had done his best (not merely asrecorded, but at other times), turned over its law business to him,giving him many real estate transactions to look into, besides papers todraw. "He brings us a good many depositors," Mr. Lapham told histrustees, "and is getting to be a large depositor himself."
Peter began to find help necessary, and took a partner. He did this atthe suggestion of Ogden Ogden, who had concluded his clerkship, and whosaid to Peter:
"I have a lot of friends who promise me their work. I don't know howmuch it will be, but I should like to try it with you. Of course, yoursis the bigger practice, but we can arrange that."
So after considerable discussion, the sign on Peter's door became"Stirling and Ogden," and the firm blossomed out with an office boy--oneof Peter's original "angle" friends, now six years older than when Peterand he had first met.
Ogden's friends did materialize, and brought good paying cases. As thecity, referee, corporation and bank work increased, their joint practiceneeded more help, and Ray Rivington was, on Ogden's request, taken in.
"He doesn't get on with his law studies, though he pretends to work overthem hard. In fact he'll never be a good lawyer. He hasn't a legal mind.But he'll bring cases, for he's very popular in society, and he'll doall the palavering and running round very well. He's just the fellow toplease people." This was what Ogden urged, adding, "I might as well tellyou that I'm interested for another reason, too. He and Dorothy willmarry, if he can ever get to the marrying point. This, of course, is tobe between us."
"I'll be very glad to have him, both for his own sake, and for whatyou've just told me," said Peter.
Thus it was that
the firm again changed its name, becoming "Stirling,Ogden and Rivington," and actually spread into two other rooms, Peter'soriginal little "ten by twelve" being left to the possession of theoffice boy. That functionary gazed long hours at the map of Italy on theblank wall, but it did not trouble him. He only whistled and sang streetsongs at it. As for Peter, he was too busy to need blank walls. He hadfought two great opponents. The world and himself. He had conquered themboth.