CHAPTERVI。
TheabruptdisappearanceofJackHamlinandthestrangeladyandgentlemanvisitorwasscarcelynoticedbytheotherguestsoftheDivideHouse，andbeyondthecircleofSteptoeandhisfriends，whowereadistinctpartyandstrangerstothetown，therewasnoexcitement。Indeed，thehotelproprietormighthaveconfoundedthemtogether，and，perhaps，VanLoowasnotfarwronginhisbeliefthattheiridentityhadnotbeensuspected。NorwereSteptoe’sfollowersverymuchconcernedinanepisodeinwhichtheyhadtakenpartonlyatthesuggestionoftheirleader，andwhichhadterminatedsotamely。Thattheywouldhavelikeda\"row，\"inwhichJackHamlinwouldhavebeenincidentallyforcedtodisgorgehiswinnings，therewasnodoubt，butthattheirinterferencewasaskedsolelytogratifysomepersonalspiteofSteptoe’sagainstVanLoowasequallyplaintothem。Therewassomegrumblingandoutspokencriticismofhismethods。
ThiswaslatermademoreobviousbythearrivalofanotherguestforwhomSteptoeandhispartywereevidentlywaiting。Hewasashort，stoutman，whoseheavyredbeardwastrimmedalittlemorecarefullythanwhenhewasfirstknowntoSteptoeasAlkyHall，thedrunkardofHeavyTreeHill。Hisdress，too，exhibitedamarkedimprovementinqualityandstyle，althoughstillcharacterizedinthewaistandchestbytheunbuttonedfreedomofportlyandslovenlymiddleage。Civilizationhadrestrictedhispotationsorlimitedthemtocertainfestivalsknownas\"sprees，\"andhisfacewaslesspuffyandsodden。Butwiththeaccessionofsobrietyhehadlosthisgoodhumor，andhadtheirritabilityandintoleranceofvirtuousrestraint。
\"Yeneedn’tladleoutanyofyourforty-rodwhiskeytome，\"hesaidquerulouslytoSteptoe，ashefiledoutwiththerestofthepartythroughthebar-roomintotheadjacentapartment。\"Iwanttokeepmyheadleveltillourbusinessisover，andIreckonitwouldn’thurtyouandyourgangtodothesame。They’relesslikelytoblab；andtherearefewdoorsthatwhiskeywon’tunlock，\"headded，asSteptoeturnedthekeyinthedoorafterthepartyhadentered。
Theroomhadevidentlybeenusedformeetingsofdirectorsorpoliticalcaucuses，andwasroughlyfurnishedwithnotchedandwhittledarmchairsandasinglelongdealtable，onwhichwereinkandpens。Themensatdownarounditwithahalf-embarrassed，half-contemptuousattitudeofformality，theirbentbrowsandisolatedlooksshowinglittlecommunityofsentimentandscarcelyanattempttoveilthatindividualselfishnessthatwasprominent。