afford to
manufacture them?"

Blodgett pursed his lips. George stared from the window at the forest of
buildings which impressed him, indeed, as giant tree trunks from which
all the foliage had been stripped. Had there been awakened in the world
an illiberal individuality with the power to fell them every one, and to
turn up the system out of which they had sprung as from a rich soil? Was
that what he had helped fight the war for?

"You're talking about the dark ages," he said, feeling the necessity of
faith and stability. "Sell your stocks if you want, I choose to keep
mine."

Blodgett yawned.

"We'll go down together, George. I won't jump from a sinking ship as
long as you cling to the bridge."

"The ship isn't sinking," George cried. "It's too buoyant."

XI

Wandel and Goodhue came home, suffering from this universal
restlessness.

"Ah, _mon_ brave!" Wandel greeted George. "_Mon vieux Georges, grand et
incomparable!_ So the country's dry! Jewels are cheaper than beefsteaks!
Congress is building spite fences! None the less, I'm glad to be home."

"Glad enough to have you," George said. "I'm not sure we won't go back
to our bargain pretty soon. I'm about ready for a pet politician."

"Let me get clean," Wandel laughed. "You must have a lot of money."

"I can control enough," George said, confidently.

"_Bon!_ But don't send me to Washington at first. I don't want to put on
skirts, use snuff, or practise gossiping."

For a time he refused to apply himself to anything that didn't lead to
pleasure. Goodhue went at once to Rhode Island for a visit with his
father and mother, while Wandel flitted from place to place, from house
to house, as if driven by his restlessness to the play he had abandoned
during five years. Once or twice George caught him with Rogers in town,
and bluntly asked him why.

"An eye to the future, my dear George. Are you the most forgetful of
class presidents? Perfect henchman type. When one goes into politics one
must have henchmen."

But George had an unwelcome feeling that Rogers, eyes always open, was
taking advantage, in his small way, of the world's unsettled condition.
People were inclined to laugh at him, but they treated him well for
Wandel's sake.

"Still in the bond business," he explained to George. "It isn't what it
was befo' de war. I'm thinking of taking up oil stocks and corners in
heaven, although I doubt if there are as many suckers as fell for P. T.
B. Troubl