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 father's down there and his father's living. (Singing hymns and shipping off missionaries, Ellen could not help thinking.) But his health is just rotten. It can't be long: before Lew shuts us down."

"He will not shut us down," Jay defied.

"He won't only if he can't. If we hold Metten and Metten grows—and Providence has put the matter of Metten pretty much into your and your wife's hands. Phil Metten and mamma have more money in their checking accounts than they ever thought was in the world and they're depositing more. Money has ceased to be the big thing ahead of them; they've got it, so now they're hot on the trail of the next thing—social recognition. You gave them a taste of it down at Tryston and they sure liked it; so here they come with their tongues out for more."

"Lida," said Jay, very tense and tight, "I mean Mrs. Rountree, played around with the Mettens at Tryston because they asked for it and they interested her; or amused her. She didn't know they were buyers until they told her. I played golf with Phil Metten because he asked me; then I found I was playing him for business. That's all right between him and me. I've come home to work for the firm; but the Metten family cannot buy, with their half million dollar order for goods, the right to run around with my wife. I'm not trading personal friendship with my wife for business."

"Too late," retorted Lowry warmly. "They're already your friends—and your wife's. They've told it to the world. They've mailed the Tryston papers around to all their friends to prove it. Your wife's in this and she's got