THE Supreme Servant had already seated himself on his throne of gold. His virtuous subordinates occupied lesser seats to his right and left, while the chairs on the pavement, at either side of the dais, were by now pretty well filled, mostly by the womenfolk of the Superlatives. The Numbers still waited in their silent, terrible patience. When Mr. Justice Supreme took his seat they had knelt and again risen, a feat only possible because it was done as one surging motion. Here and there a cry or groan, quickly stifled, gave testimony that, even so, the weaker folk must have suffered.
Between the candidates and the front ranks of the crowd ran the enclosing plush rope. Against it, on the outside, the police guard had now faced about toward the dais. None of the Numbers, save those immediately behind the police, could hope to see what went on before the dais. They could hear, however, and for that privilege they had stood five hours, silent.
Trenmore glanced at his watch. It pointed to eleven fifty-nine.
And now Courage, whom the Loveliest had designated as Mr. Justice Supreme's right-hand man, arose and walked to the front of the platform. In his hands he held a document from which depended the red ribbons of an official seal. Without a preliminary word the Servant began reading:
'To all whom it may concern: Be it known by these presents that I, Justice Supreme and Spiritual Director of the City of Philadelphia under our dread lord, Penn, do hereby decree that upon the twenty-third day of September, in the year twenty-one hundred and eighteen, there shall be held in the sacred temple of Penn, beneath the Golden Dome of Justice, a series of examinations by which-'
The document proceeded to enumerate the various offices for which candidates might contest, related in detail the ghastly penalty of failure, and concluded abruptly with the signature and seal of Mr. Justice Supreme.
Mr. Courage-and Trenmore thought it must have required considerable courage to read a document of that nature, with its numerous references to 'this democratic and blessed institution, the bulwark of your liberties!' — finished and resumed his seat. There was a moment's pause. Then Pity took the place of Courage on the platform.
'The first examination will be held in the superlative quality of Kindness.'
A short, stocky, heavily built man emerged from behind the dais and took his place, standing fairly upon the eagle and dove symbol that covered the pit. Either his features or his title, in Trenmore's opinion, must be misleading. Those thin, cruel lips, narrow-set eyes, and low, slightly protruding forehead indicated several possible qualities; but benevolence was hardly of the number. As agreeably as his facial limitations would permit, the gentleman smiled up toward Mr. Pity.
'Is there any other candidate for this office?' droned the latter in his high, singsong voice. 'It entails the management and control, under Penn Service, of the Bureau of Penn Charities for Philadelphia and environing suburbs. Any candidate? There is no other candidate for Kindest! Present incumbent of the office may retire.'
Having reached this foregone conclusion, Pity returned Kindness' smile, and the latter did retire, as far as the chairs at one side, where he sat down beside a very fleshy, be-diamonded and prosperous looking lady whom Viola remembered to be his wife.
Three other offices followed: the Wisest, appropriately superintendent of the Board of Education; the Bravest, chief of the Electrical Bureau; and Most Ingenious, this latter holding the curious office of providing entertainment for the Servants of Penn themselves. The holders of these positions came out one by one, stood upon the fatal symbol, and retired, their right to superlativism unquestioned.
'The fifth quality upon my list is Sweetness of Voice. This office carries with it the honor, duties, and emoluments of Director of Civic Music.'
Out to the eagle with assured tread waddled a mountain of flesh, crowned by a head of flowing black hair which Svengali might have envied, with a beard of astounding proportions, and somewhere between hair and beard a pair of small, piglike eyes.
'Is there any candidate for this office?' droned the bored voice of Mr. Pity. 'Is there any other candidate for this-'
'Go on out there, boy,' muttered Trenmore, giving the Numbers' candidate a friendly push. As they waited, he, like Viola, had conceived a strong sympathy for this solitary, youthful champion of the despised Numbers.
'Go on out, boy! Go out and give 'em hell!' was the Irishman's ambiguous encouragement.
The candidate, however, cast him a grateful glance, sensing the spirit behind the words. As Mr. Pity uttered the third and last call for candidates, the young man advanced boldly into the arena. He was greeted by a low, thunderous mutter of applause, starting at the front ranks of the crowd and spreading backward in a resonant wave. Mr. Justice Supreme grasped the arms of his throne-like chair and half arose.
'Silence!' he snarled. 'Silence, my children! You are committing sacrilege! Do you know the penalty?'
His answer was the silence he had commanded, and the faces in the front rows went very white. Their vantage point was uncomfortably close to the pit.
'Mr. Pity,' muttered the old man, sinking back, 'will you kindly proceed?'
Bowing, the master of ceremonies turned once more to the contestants.
'Candidate, what is your number, place of residence, employment, and age? Answer in order, please, and speak clearly.' He held a fountain pen poised over the list in his hand.
'My number is 57403. My-my-I live at 709 Race Street.' The boy's clear tenor, faltering at first, grew firmer. 'I am a carpenter's apprentice. I was nineteen years old in June.'
'Nineteen years and four months, odd.' Mr. Pity wrote it down forthwith. He capped his pen, replaced it in his vest pocket, and smiled down upon the young carpenter with such a friendly look that Viola's heart gave a leap. Perhaps, after all, the boy was to have a fair chance.
'Very well, young man.' In Mr. Pity's tone was a distinct note of encouragement and approval. 'If you have the best voice in Philadelphia, now is the time to prove it. Sing your best. Don't be afraid of hurting any one's feelings.'
He smiled wickedly upon the fat man, who suddenly lost his composure and glanced downward rather anxiously at the deadly trap under his feet.
'As you know,' continued Pity, 'you must sing without notes or accompaniment, as must your opponent. His Supremity is waiting. Penn, the august, will decide through him this free and democratic contest! Sing!'
There was a second's pause. Then the boy, standing above Death and before the Throne of Justice, raised his clear young voice and sang. His was a ballad of the people, unwritten, passed from mouth to mouth. It redounded in rhymes of 'love' and 'dove,' 'thee,' and 'me.' It was sentiment-crass, vulgar, common sentiment- but the air had a certain redeeming birdlike lilt.
The tenor rose to its final high note, held it, and died away. No. 57403 bowed, stepped back one pace, and folded his arms. His face was flushed, alight, and his clear eyes looked fearlessly upward to his judge. No cheering followed, but a great sigh rose from the Numbers-a long, simultaneous exhalation, as if each man and woman had been holding breath throughout that last high, sweet note.
'Very good!' exclaimed Mr. Pity, again smiling. 'There might be some criticism of your selection, but to give it is not in my province. And now, having heard this high-voiced young candidate, let us listen to his rival, our present esteemed musical director.' He bowed to the hairy mountain. 'His Supremity is waiting. Penn, the benevolent All- Father, will through him decide this contest. Sing!'
Straightway an aperture appeared in the black beard. White teeth flashed. A burst of sound ascended to the golden dome and rebounded therefrom, assaulting the ears of the multitude beneath. It was a cannonade in bass; the roar of awakened hungry lions; the commingled tumult of a hundred phonographs all playing bass records with rasping needles-a song intensified past endurance by a gigantic sounding board, and also-alas! — hopelessly off key. With an inaudible cry Viola clapped her small hands over her music-loving ears. She saw Sergeant 53 grinning at her, saw his lips move, but he might as well have talked in a Kansas cyclone.
The roar crescendoed to a terrible disharmonic laugh. At last Viola recognized the music he was murdering. Of all selections he had chosen the 'Serenade of Mephistopheles,' from Counoud's 'Faust,' a number demanding the most refined, sardonic, and genuinely superlative of voices for an endurable rendering.
Before he ended, Viola was sure she must fall upon the porcelain floor and writhe in anguish. Fortunately her powers of endurance were greater than she believed possible. The final burst of demoniac mirth died an awful death, and Viola's endurance received its reward. Henceforth she could appreciate the bliss of silence.
Looking around, the girl half expected to see the audience flat, like a field of wheat after a wind storm; but
