"He saw instead a quiet well-furnished Boston office where at this very moment the typewriters were clicking amiably and the stock ticker was busily writing the story of another day. In a few hours there was a considerable difference of time the market would close and the men he knew would be piling into automobiles and heading for the nearest country club. A round of golf then a calm perfectly served dinner and after that a quiet evening with a book. Life running along as it was meant to go without rude interruption or disturbing incident; life devoid of ohia wood boxes attic encounters unwillingly-witnessed love scenes cousins with blackbirding pasts. Suddenly John Quincy remembered this was the morning when he must look Dan Winterslip in the eye and tell him he had been a bit dilatory with his fists. Oh well he straightened resolutely the sooner that was done the better."