“I think not.  She is wedded to quiet, and goes away from her little neighborhood with reluctance.”

“So Brandon was a little dull?” said Miss Arbuser, with a shrewd guess at the truth.

“Oh no,” quickly replied Margaret, shrinking a little from what was in her own mind; “it was restful and delightful; but you know that we New England people take life rather seriously, and inquire into the reason of things, and want an object in life.”

“A very good thing to have,” answered this sweet woman of the world, whose object was to go along pleasantly and enjoy it.

“But to have it all the time!” Margaret suggested, lightly, as she ran up-stairs.  But even in this suggestion she was conscious of a twinge of disloyalty to her former self.  Deep down in her heart, coming to the atmosphere of Lenox was a relief from questionings that a little disturbed her at her old home, and she was indignant at herself that it should be so, and then indignant at the suggestions that put her out of humor with herself.  Was it a sin, she said, to be happy and prosperous?

On her dressing-table was a letter from her husband.  He was detained in the city by a matter of importance.  He scratched only a line, to catch the mail, during a business interview.  It was really only a business interview, and had no sort of relation to Lenox or the summer gayety there.

Henderson was in his private office.  The clerks in the outer offices, in the neglige of summer costumes, winked to each other as they saw old Jerry Hollowell enter and make his way to the inner room unannounced.  Something was in the wind.

“Well, old man,” said Uncle Jerry, in the cheeriest manner, coming in, depositing his hat on the table, and taking a seat opposite Henderson, “we seem to have stirred up the animals.”

“Only a little flurry,” replied Henderson, laying down his pen and folding a note he had just finished; “they’ll come to reason.”

“They’ve got to.”  Mr. Hollowell drew out a big bandanna and mopped his heated face.  “I’ve just got a letter from Jorkins.  There’s the certificates that make up the two-thirds-more than we need, anyway.  No flaw about that, is there?”

“No.  I’ll put these with the balance in the safe.  It’s all right, if Jorkins has been discreet.  It may make a newspaper scandal if they get hold of his operations.”

“Oh, Jorkins is close.  But he is a little overworked.  I don’t know but it would do him good to have a little nervous prostration and go abroad for a while.”

“I guess it would do Jorkins good to take a turn in Europe for a year or so.”

“Well, you write to him.  Give him a sort of commission to see the English bondholders, and explain the situation.  They will appreciate that half a loaf is better than no bread.  What bothers me is the way the American bondholders take it.  They kick.”

“Let ’em kick.  The public don’t care for a few soreheads and impracticables in an operation that is going to open up the whole Southwest.  I’ve an appointment with one of them this morning.  He ought to be here now.”