X
Dr. Gowdy stamped it out—and the crowd stamped with him. The fiery denunciations of the Doctor kindled an answering flame in the breasts of his youthful auditory. In five minutes hands, lungs, and feet were all at work. The youths before him awakened the hot, headlong youth still within him, and he launched forth upon a tirade of invective that was wild and reckless even for him.
"This folly, this falsity, this bumptious vulgarity—shall we not put an end to it?" cried the Doctor.
"Yes, yes," responded the house.
"No; go on," said a single voice.
The Doctor laughed with the rest, and a wave of delighted applause swept over the place.
"Shall we not purify the temple of art? Shall we not drive out the money-changers?"
"Yes, yes," called the audience. For Jared had never drawn from the antique—he was trying to climb in like a thief and a robber.
"Shall we not?" repeated the Doctor, searching the house for that single voice.
"Sure," said the voice, and another wave of applause rolled from the foyer to the rostrum.