No one yet had taken charge of Conrad's work, and Fulkerson was running the thing himself, as he said, till he could talk with Dryfoos about it.

The old man would not look into the empty room where he had last seen his son alive; he turned his face away and hurried by the door.
XIII.
The course of public events carried Beaton's private affairs beyond the reach of his simple first intention to renounce his connection with 'Every Other Week.' In fact, this was not perhaps so simple as it seemed, and long before it could be put in effect it appeared still simpler to do nothing about the matter--to remain passive and leave the initiative to Dryfoos, to maintain the dignity of unconsciousness and let recognition of any change in the situation come from those who had caused the change.

After all, it was rather absurd to propose making a purely personal question the pivot on which his relations with 'Every Other Week' turned.

He took a hint from March's position and decided that he did not know Dryfoos in these relations; he knew only Fulkerson, who had certainly had nothing to do with Mrs.Mandel's asking his intentions.

As he reflected upon this he became less eager to look Fulkerson up and make the magazine a partner of his own sufferings.