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Rh His voice assumed a rough tone that almost frightened her:

"Because both of you, you and Hans, are capitalists—and titled capitalists at that—and because I . . . But I don't want to be rude to my host and hostess."

"Capitalists without capital," said Van der Welcke, laughing.

Brauws shrugged his shoulders:

"There are more of them than you think," he said.

"So really you're among enemies here," said Constance, in her drawing-room voice.

"No," said Van der Welcke, "for he in his turn has deserted to the capitalists, even the titled ones."

"Not quite," said Brauws, quietly, "though I admit that I have been weak."

"I won't press you any more, Mr. Brauws," said Constance; but her voice urged him to continue.

"Don't look upon yourself and Henri as my enemies, mevrouw," said Brauws, earnestly. "Above all things, I should like to see nothing but friendship in this world of ours. But you were asking me about America: well, when I had lived for a short time with my father and my brothers in our big house near the factory, it became too much for me; and I went away, to lead my life just as if I had been born among workmen . . . so as to study them more