After a quarter of an hour of such search, Will flung the paper aside, and stamped like a madman about his room.

A horror of life seized him; he understood, with fearful sympathy, the impulse of those who, rather than be any longer hustled in this howling mob dash themselves to destruction.
He thought over the list of his friends.

Friends--what man has more than two or three?
At this moment he knew of no one who wished him well who could be of the slightest service.

His acquaintances were of course more numerous.

There lay on his table two invitations just received--the kind of invitation received by every man who does not live the life of a hermit.